The Sermon Prince of Wholeness by David McGee
Dec 16, 2012
Prince of Wholeness (40:11)
Referenced Scriptures: Isaiah 9:2-7
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The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Isaiah 9:2-7
2) The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light: those who lived in the land of the shadow of death, on them has the light shined.
3) You have multiplied the nation, you have increased their joy: they joy before you according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4) For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as in the day of Midian.
5) For all the armor of the armed man in the tumult, and the garments rolled in blood, shall be for burning, for fuel of fire.
6) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be on his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7) Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on the throne of David, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Hosts will perform this.
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If you're wondering why is little chilly when we came in the. There was an air pocket in the heating system. And of course it stopped the furnace from circulating solid was cold this morning, so we took care of that insulting care of. So now we're hopefully getting warmer. By the time were ready to leave, it will be at the right temperature so for those things. They were looking at Isaiah chapter nine verses six versus two through seven, and we're looking at the price of homeless. I was reading this and I was looking for Prince of peace and with going to combine a look at our life as finding the Prince of peace Jesus Christ and how that Christ is our peace, but whenever I came across this prince of holiness and this is from the message Bible. I thought of it in the in the context of that, especially in our life. How do we find wholeness, especially at Christmas time, and in light of what has happened for this tragedy in Connecticut that, how can we find wholeness in our life and how we keep from this. This fragmentation that takes takes part in us and we are sometimes were very complicated individuals and sometimes were very simple. I know that I'm simple, but some times people are complicated in the way that they yelled our make up on what we remember what we've gone through in our life and how that our lives have been broken into semis only different sections by whether it are of our own doing or whether it's a cause of mistakes are other people coming into our life in an their influence for their pain inflicted on our life. And there's all of these challenges that come to us and how then do we find wholeness and how do we keep this wholeness of our life is Christmas time. Christmas is a time and I think whenever we have a tendency to remember and sometimes it's good that we remember we remember when our childhood, but sometimes perhaps our childhood is not very good, sometimes maybe the Christmas season was not a great time in our life and how then do we allow ourselves not to keep the past firm. We visiting the present, the France of homeless the people who walked in darkness. Isaiah says the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Further, also lived in the land of deep shadows like Sunburst of light year repopulated the nation you expanded its joy. All they are so glad in your presence, Festival joy. The joy of great celebration searching rich gifts warm greetings. Sharing is the rich gifts and warm greetings you abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants all there with Synchro tools and purses. I'd look up what a cordial was genetic counselors are club opens that you ahead, what when I tried that when I tried to find it. It came up with Roman armor on, so I sealed sword you. You could buy all of these modules online so it's I'm it's either us, I awoke and stick to the Romans, shields or or whatever. If this guy denies any other. Why don't they do with Roman Empire, but it was that the shields in the armor meant the of the other oppressing armies, so it's talking about their wits and their armament and their curses that they would bring against you is gone. It's done away with a deliverance as surprising suddenness Gideons old victory over median. The bullets of all those invading so long with their shirt is soaked in innocent blood will be piled in the heap and burn a fire that will burn for days for a child has been born for us the gift of a son for us to take over the running of the world. His name will be amazing. Counselor Strong God and eternal father, Prince of wholeness, Prince of peace in the King James 's ruling authority will grow, and there will be no limits to the holistic brings the overall over historic David thrown over the promised kingdom template, the kingdom on a firm footing and keep it going with fair dealing and right living. Beginning now and last and always. The seal of God on the on the zeal of God of the Angel armies will do all of this so homeless piece will we wonder when one would get here, well, well equipment, while the peace of Christmas, when the shopping is done about the decorated and Jack were driving around last night and usually I put lots of lights in the front of our house, and so on. I haven't done a lot of decorating this year and outside, and so taxes will grab a way to put lights up if I had to reject this to refill. But it's not what we've done in the past, so so what did your decorating. What will peace and wholeness, the decorating is done on about whatever all the presents are wrapped on whenever the family gets in, or whatever the cooking is done or when the presence or under the tree and that they are open. Will there finally, the PC Christmas. Maybe it's after Wednesday night and we don't no caroling, and we want the thing that while the about next week after the Christmas program in my will have to worry about the kids embarrassing us the fun of it. Now it always remember those special situations, family things, church things about the work the adhere Christmas parties, yet the community celebration. You know the whole the whole idea of Christmas, and whenever we think of this. Sometimes creek. Christmas is so fractured and so broken apart and in so many different segments. There is no there is our work life. There's our friends. There is our family. There is church. There's all of these different places that we have Christmas and we have the celebration and so for the peace of Christmas. You know the luggage all stressed out. The only thing that we have to get done for Christmas will family get a interwoven on it in the weather be bad. Once no awaited smell like no no no don't sing that song you know you have family coming next level. He knew he understand my fractured Christmas piece. While you probably heard on the serenity prayer bank, which was made famous by Reinhold Niebuhr, I think it's you pronounce his name. While many times we we thought we I never knew there was more to it that most of what we know from the serenity prayer is just the first third, there is more to the serenity prayer. I'm sure we've all heard God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference. There is more you then one day the time. This is the further on in the prior limit one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as the press that the pathway to peace, taking as he did. Speaking of Christ, this sinful world as it is not as I would have it, trusting that he will make all things right if I surrender to his will, that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with him forever in the next. The path to the peace of God comes through living and enjoying our life with Christ, one day at a time we can go back and change the path that we can go forward and know what the future will be. We have to live at peace with God and with ourselves. In this moment exactly what we cannot change instead of worrying about it. Trusting in God 's loving care and wisdom and surrendering to his purpose and plan for our life to God has a plan and he has a purpose, but we can always see today and when life is all over and where standing in heaven and were looking back, we will see how it all has to fit together and I think of that tapestry thing you know you look underneath the tapestry you can see a pattern, but you look at it from the top you see the whole pattern what the design is, and it are alive. God has a purpose of the plan, and we're busy looking at it from the under Nathan God 's sake, the last award so perfectly coming together. So come to me, Jesus says all you will who are weary and carry a heavy burden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart, they will find rest for your soul holistic Christmas coming to Christ in finding rest for our soul come to me, Jesus says, just as the shepherds did the Angels made the declarations in the Shepherd responded to them. The wise men. They saw the star, and they follow the Florida came to Jesus and all of us are called all of us are called to come to Christ at Christmas and every day of our life. There is a desire in our hearts and no more God. There is a designer there and all of us are called to come to Jesus, all of you, especially those who are weary those to carry heavy burdens no, and we think of our lives, and perhaps our nation, and perhaps evil, of course, but that's because the town in which these tremendous crimes heavy burdens feeling uneasy feeling the uneasiness of loneliness. The unnecessary stress of Christmas unnecessary pain and emptiness that we can't do enough for never have enough her will be able to give enough somehow trying to make sense of life in the. The easy changes in common. Our life over the past years, trying to see how they all fit together make sense of it that we have enough of these situations that we can look at it and say wow there really happen that way people in our personal life without the hell these people come into our life and have challenged us without adding to that the perplexities of our world and the killing of these children in the craziness that scum, there found that people without God, without feelings of empathy on the ticket even act in such a way, we week is so beyond what we can never imagine it's nothing it all to call them now the darkness. It the perfect perpetrated these these actions and the darkness that people have to find themselves in to be able to commit such crimes and all this there is no clue of what they will create and what they will think of in their own lives, but for the victims I I think of it as their, there's little to say that could penetrate the shock of what is happened in such a loss to their families mean, there can be no Christmas. Wouldn't you know no matter how many other children may have. It will be sold difficult not to focus on this horrendous loss and in a week. We can imagine, unless you have experienced the night. We never experienced in my life, but I've spoken with so many people that have experienced losses at death. Children at this particular time of the year and how it has influenced them, and how that has had an effect and how many years it is taken to somehow find some sense of peace over what has taken place with the death of their child and there is no way that we can understand that there's no way that we can put ourselves in that perspective, even if it has happened to us still different for each family and with each loss and weight. Think of such horrendous acts like this. And we wonder where it all. How could all this come about within you know, one psychologist on the on the TV said at some point he he thought that the individual who committed these crimes at a problem with is his mother and because he killed her first than any then because his mother was a teacher. He went and filled the classroom and needs saying that perhaps it was some connection to his own childhood that brought about this this this action. The news and I look at that in our own lives and say what actions of our past continue to haunt us in the way that we continue to destroy the present scene, here's a person who goes off the deep end and takes the life of his family and takes the life of students and these children who had no part in anything that was part of his life. Somehow he felt to eradicate all of that would, whatever. I don't know was thinking but I do know that in our lives. There are things of our past that haunt us to the point that we will destroy our present in the present has no connection to our past and that's why we look at the wholeness of Christmas has come to Christ at Christmas. He has been for years with the is that he is the Prince of peace. We have the peace of God in our hearts and the peace of God is that we don't understand all of the things that happen to us. We don't understand all the reasoning behind what has happened even of our own decision. We can blame others, we don't blame ourselves, but that's not the peace of God is a way that we look at our life and find a way to allow forgiveness to come the Prince of peace, peace on earth peace with our conscience peace with our actions. These with our life so that we do not continue to destroy the present, so we do not continue to destroy the things of value in the present being over something that happened in all life in the past recipes with others, which is called reconciliation. God turns us into peacemakers. Now we get. He gives you the desire and then the ability and then the power. It isn't something that we are able to was like being able to be a Christian without Christ doesn't happen. You can't be a Christian without Christ. It takes the power of Christ that the teachings of Christ. It takes the spirit of God to work in your life is in the list of do 's and don'ts if the relationship with Jesus Christ. The challenges and changes if it's just another list of do 's and don'ts reduced will begin adding more to the fire of I can't do it. I can make it happen. I've tried, and I fail you see, God gives you the desire and that desire is the basis for our motivation and desire for our ability to open our lives to change to reconcile with the people in your life with whom you had conflict your the Scriptures call us to come to an agreement with the people we had conflict with come to me all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest the Christ child. This baby born in a manger came to bring this about in our life. He came to give us peace with ourselves weary and heavy laden have a garden. There are people who carry the burdens of their life with them. They wear their hearts on their shirt sleeves. You have people who do that and if they're very sensitive to their life and are sensitive about all of the things that come and go. The Bible says. I will give you rest. The holistic Christmas is found in Christ. And when Christ comes into our lives. One. The first areas where heat where we see the difference is in our relationships in our wholeness. There is a difference in our relationship with God that we don't see God is the one who is while you know he's up there thank you. I made I will do next week, but I'm never one year they did that the Christmas Carol you ready for this, you better watch out, you better not pout, tell you why Santa Claus is watching you. He knows when you've been my lobby doesn't even want to know if you have a good or bad, whilst Zeno in your sleep well you know in your wake. Your grades and data surprises goal and he will cancel Christmas. If you don't pass everything on the presence back, the Army and in a link will be recited and we single out that everybody knows that you are a pain in the early the next year, then battered that so that you are going to say all you say by anonymous on society with an average list price is watching over us and we can we get aimlessly without him knowing it but you see we. We look to God, and we say that he is up there. My him, I was the only seconded license and women not account with you, but that John had gone out of no presidency are going to now and yell like I was younger, have a chance. But what unlikely a Mac while limiting all like the old cartoon watching with Jackson is Mickey's Christmas another three guide to three little nephews are bad and then got to get to the North Pole. The writer name on the on the nice list, so they get presidents, so they fly the call to get to get their name on the nice list in ourselves somehow they got to get our names on the nice list, so we don't happen to wonder what Mister so you find that God will give us rest the nude of its wholeness. And when Christ comes into our life. The first area has the first area we work on his relationships LPs at Christmas to work for peace means you actively seek to end conflicts. It's sad that I guess you know you to see this and then we don't give ourselves permission to give ourselves permission have bad days I don't have any so wanted of them were, but it is in a you don't know me very well, but you see we have to give ourselves permission to have bad days, I had bad days in your life on it ever had bad days when other people were around then I want to blot out. I want everything. I'll tell you shout out the I will buy whatever you're cooking anytime I done wrong already free to shop you why you gave your an hour layover stop again and I can't stop looking tonight on copywriting what they wanted Saddam to me and the people can getting ready for everybody else than in family conflicts, but you know sometimes it's just this easier when fly with her role as we understand ourselves and we understand personality easily understand pressure. We understand Christmas. We understand. And so, therefore, why couldn't they be more understanding I don't know, but we be more understanding and because Christ is in our life. We ask God to help us become more understanding, more at peace with ourselves and recognize you know what that's like the Christmas play with the kids, it's going before what they make mistakes, so there's not going to come to know the weather to come to an end. It's just applying and we practice and we do our thing and we will have fun. We will enjoy the message and we will are to enjoy ourselves and our families and the people we love seat reconciliation. When relationships break down. We offer forgiveness to those who hurt us. You pass on to others the same grace of God is shown to you, and I still read I know if I had had opportunities to have disagreements with individuals and sometimes no one individual them thinking I might, I spoke to them, and I spoke to them many times in one time we were to just wind up that we were the only two that this one place and went to him and you know, I said, you know, we've we've had our difference, disagreement sales alright have them, but it's always my desire my personality that you always leave you like all of the that the bad things into your account and start over again and in your do this whole thing again. A nice goodwill while it is no part friends and able to disagree and I would think the price is why would you shake on it as well. I rather not okay that was his choice. Reconciliation is a lot like the serenity prayer. We only know the first part we don't know the rest. That's why many are reluctant to reconcile the strained relationships because they don't understand the difference between forgiveness and trust the difference between reconciliation and resolution is the reconciliation and the hostility it on the Middle East, there is the what is that the cease-fire one never going to resolve until they start reconciling stop the fighting is not the same reconciliation and hostility, but that is not the same as resolution reconciliation and the hostility that we find our minds and our hearts that continues to make up bombs and throw them at the other individual Europeans Christmas homicide Christmas reminds us that Christ has come to end the conflict of sin in our own lives and in our relationship with God to end the conflict. There is no longer conflict. There is now, therefore, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit there is no longer a conflict in our soul. Why, because we are first approach is forgiveness doesn't mean that were going to restore our relationship. It means them are not bundled while the people up. And while were in the process of making bombs to blow people up. We blow ourselves because we never get the bombs there. We're the ones we want it out and they're not even the ones that were talking to. It's what's going on in our own minds, reconciliation and I was wondering why and I was thinking of the Prince of peace. And how do we find peace with God in this whole scenario in our life. The Christmas and I saw this this household. This idea of homeless and this is this is what came of this idea of wholeness, especially Christmas. There is a wholeness in our life that we have to find in Christ and in his principles, and we find that this this individual hotel innocence until children that in a very, very remote way. We are sometimes like that. Not that but we are like that destructiveness inside of us that destroys ourselves and destroys others because of something that has happened that we'd never allowed forgiveness to be part of our life home reconciliations reconcile reconcile reconciliation and hostility, but we can still disagree doesn't mean that we agree it means that I'm no longer going to focus on your paying or on my pain. You see two people can be opposite ends of the problem. The never never agree the reconciliation as I have the right to what I know in experience and feel land before God, I'm understanding for God and I have to give account of my life and I'm not going to allow situations in life, whether they are intentional or unintentional. I'm not going to allow them to destroy my life now, father, forgive me of my sins. If I have sinned against you in thought and word and deed, forgive me and allow that forgiveness to be outward from me towards others and I extend to them. My forgiveness, and if they say no thanks. That's their concern, not mine. I am with doing what is right in the sight of God what is God had done with us. I have done everything. Christ came to forgive us of our state. He died upon the cross for the sins of the world descends as far as God is concerned, are forgiven, and God says, I forgive you, and we say no thanks. I don't need forgiveness. The end-of-life. He will say to us. I don't know while you see, this is the child of the Christ gives to us, especially Christ at Christmas and the wholeness that we are defined in, there is a big difference between forgiveness and trust. We offer forgiveness the same way God offers forgiveness loss, but you know what our life is something that we build in trust. Trust is something we give trust is something that is earned. I forgive them, but I wouldn't trust them someone lies: forgive them up and asked her for money music while I forgive you for your longer than the one with you took from a lifetime but don't think I would give you any more money while you're not a Christian know, I know the difference between forgiveness and trust. I forgive you for your offense, but I do not trust you because you haven't changed your life. Give me evidence that you have changed your life and that will come over time. Then we'll talk about trust is the end. This is like the serenity prayer may happen without parts of it that we know but we don't know the rest of it. Now we have, we see people 's actions and when we try to piece it all together as to why they would do what they do and think what they think about you can't answer for other people with only answer for ourselves and I am the only one that's understanding for God, for me, and you're the only one who's noticed that before God for you and that isn't that this is something that we should be afraid up. It is something that we should welcome because library exam is hard. Let us look at our life at this point where I am and am I destroying myself and destroying people around me. Am I hurting innocent people because of pains of long ago. Allow God to forgive us and forgive those God is the righteous judge, he will judge those people for what they have done or not for the pain they have given or not given for the life they have lived there not live there in God 's hands. I am in God 's hands, but God lived through me. Now, let this Christmas be my celebration of Christ in the and I am whole all my wholeness is in Christ, and I do not design I desire to give what Christ is given to me do not desire to hurt or cut people off or pay back. You can give me on the given view. We give doesn't matter. There's no strings attached. I get because I want to give it. No strings attached, no conditions. Just I desire to share see that takes away the burden that takes away the thinking of it that takes away the indifference of it. It takes a case, the idea that Jesus loved us. He loved the world so much that he gave of himself for what reason so that we can have eternal life. While it's not based upon what I do thank God I've kept I've done my part. Getting a car, you only sorry like kids on your child. Give me what I want to accept it, and that's okay. There are kids, but that's different. You know, we know the difference, so if we rehearse and re- replay in our minds what happened. We allow the hurt to be there all over again. And every time it comes up, we forgive the victims up a thousand times, we forgive the comes up a hundred thousand times. We forgive why, because we've got to forgive and what it go and how many times do we have to forgive until it no longer hurts sometimes. It's something we have to do every day. Sometimes it's something we have to do once a year as we're reminded of it once a year, but every him pain. Forgive them, and letting go because I'm not going to allow the sins of the past hurts of the past to destroy my present relationships with other people. Resentment is self-destructive. It always hurts you the most resentment is that with prolonged sorrow and pain. So never allow the past to interfere with the present piece of Christmas Jesus Christ, the Prince of peace, the Lord of life, the Lord of all. Look at what Christ has given us. He has given us wholeness is given us, completeness, he's given us very special gifts, the gift of himself. The gift of love, the gift of forgiveness, the gift of being here and he created you in his image input his gift things inside of you. And now life causes us to bring these things to the surface and allow his love to form. These gift things and share them with other people. If you sacrifice all you had to buy me a priceless and personalized Christmas gift and I never took the time to unwrap it and open it. How would you feel you'd be disappointed. You'd be hurt and angry at my callous rejection of your generosity and for me the gift would be worthless if I left it wrapped and sitting in the corner there would be zero benefit to me. It is astounding. The sonic people have celebrated Christmas every year of their lives without ever having to open their greatest and most expensive Christmas gift Jesus Christ is God 's if you are not in Jesus all the benefits and blessings in Jesus, your past is forgiven, you get a purpose for living, you get a home in heaven celebrate Christmas by opening the best gift of all the gift of Jesus Christ, who spent now the Wii has all of all the problems of the world and the thirty minute segment unwrapped the greatest gifts, but I I I was fortunate. I grew up in a mill. My mother and father were wonderful people. My grandmother was godly individuals at him, and we never had much I always has little Willis had a Christmas celebration, Christmas gifts Christmas Eve because we had to do chores in the morning. Cows editing up in the morning. It was always paying to go the barn outhouses back in if so all that stuff videos as yelp Santa Claus always came Christmas Eve, so my brothers would take me the card. Take me out the road somewhere and I would looking up in the sky a result of an Aries over there. I still remember him running from side to side, looking up at sky like a film is very enough and the rhino back and forth in the car. You know we got home been there and I have my present but one present a great Christmas and when it was I always had always had always loved and all the things in our lives. Some of us of not been blessed with the wholeness of Christmas is in Christ. Let us create that wholeness for families. Our children or grandchildren for the people around us. Let us create that wholeness and it begins in us, not in them begins with us. It may not work well this year. This year the doesn't matter to begin it keeps coming, and it keeps coming in. We keep building that trust over years, father, thank you that the trust that we have a new has been built centuries, the promises that have come to us have come through your profits and come through Christ, God, let us what you were thinking of our lives. Let your word of God. Refresh us from the inside out. Clay is also God and renew a right spirit within us if we have sinned in thought, word or deed, we ask your forgiveness. We has to level God to heal our hearts in our woundedness, let this Christmas season via a wholeness alloy that is inside of us in our relationships with others. Our relationship with you. Bless us. Oh Lord, Lord, for those families and the community that is in grief. Only you oh God can bring peace and hope in a time of such great sorrow. God, I pray that you will touch their lives. You will touch their lives in comfort those who are mourning, we pray, Lord, for your blessing in your healing to be upon them. Help us to lord as a community and a nation help us. Oh Lord to be your hand extended to those in need around us, we pray in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. Everyone said amen, unless youIf you're wondering why is little chilly when we came in the. There was an air pocket in the heating system. And of course it stopped the furnace from circulating solid was cold this morning, so we took care of that insulting care of. So now we're hopefully getting warmer. By the time were ready to leave, it will be at the right temperature so for those things. They were looking at Isaiah chapter nine verses six versus two through seven, and we're looking at the price of homeless. I was reading this and I was looking for Prince of peace and with going to combine a look at our life as finding the Prince of peace Jesus Christ and how that Christ is our peace, but whenever I came across this prince of holiness and this is from the message Bible. I thought of it in the in the context of that, especially in our life. How do we find wholeness, especially at Christmas time, and in light of what has happened for this tragedy in Connecticut that, how can we find wholeness in our life and how we keep from this. This fragmentation that takes takes part in us and we are sometimes were very complicated individuals and sometimes were very simple. I know that I'm simple, but some times people are complicated in the way that they yelled our make up on what we remember what we've gone through in our life and how that our lives have been broken into semis only different sections by whether it are of our own doing or whether it's a cause of mistakes are other people coming into our life in an their influence for their pain inflicted on our life. And there's all of these challenges that come to us and how then do we find wholeness and how do we keep this wholeness of our life is Christmas time. Christmas is a time and I think whenever we have a tendency to remember and sometimes it's good that we remember we remember when our childhood, but sometimes perhaps our childhood is not very good, sometimes maybe the Christmas season was not a great time in our life and how then do we allow ourselves not to keep the past firm. We visiting the present, the France of homeless the people who walked in darkness. Isaiah says the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Further, also lived in the land of deep shadows like Sunburst of light year repopulated the nation you expanded its joy. All they are so glad in your presence, Festival joy. The joy of great celebration searching rich gifts warm greetings. Sharing is the rich gifts and warm greetings you abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants all there with Synchro tools and purses. I'd look up what a cordial was genetic counselors are club opens that you ahead, what when I tried that when I tried to find it. It came up with Roman armor on, so I sealed sword you. You could buy all of these modules online so it's I'm it's either us, I awoke and stick to the Romans, shields or or whatever. If this guy denies any other. Why don't they do with Roman Empire, but it was that the shields in the armor meant the of the other oppressing armies, so it's talking about their wits and their armament and their curses that they would bring against you is gone. It's done away with a deliverance as surprising suddenness Gideons old victory over median. The bullets of all those invading so long with their shirt is soaked in innocent blood will be piled in the heap and burn a fire that will burn for days for a child has been born for us the gift of a son for us to take over the running of the world. His name will be amazing. Counselor Strong God and eternal father, Prince of wholeness, Prince of peace in the King James 's ruling authority will grow, and there will be no limits to the holistic brings the overall over historic David thrown over the promised kingdom template, the kingdom on a firm footing and keep it going with fair dealing and right living. Beginning now and last and always. The seal of God on the on the zeal of God of the Angel armies will do all of this so homeless piece will we wonder when one would get here, well, well equipment, while the peace of Christmas, when the shopping is done about the decorated and Jack were driving around last night and usually I put lots of lights in the front of our house, and so on. I haven't done a lot of decorating this year and outside, and so taxes will grab a way to put lights up if I had to reject this to refill. But it's not what we've done in the past, so so what did your decorating. What will peace and wholeness, the decorating is done on about whatever all the presents are wrapped on whenever the family gets in, or whatever the cooking is done or when the presence or under the tree and that they are open. Will there finally, the PC Christmas. Maybe it's after Wednesday night and we don't no caroling, and we want the thing that while the about next week after the Christmas program in my will have to worry about the kids embarrassing us the fun of it. Now it always remember those special situations, family things, church things about the work the adhere Christmas parties, yet the community celebration. You know the whole the whole idea of Christmas, and whenever we think of this. Sometimes creek. Christmas is so fractured and so broken apart and in so many different segments. There is no there is our work life. There's our friends. There is our family. There is church. There's all of these different places that we have Christmas and we have the celebration and so for the peace of Christmas. You know the luggage all stressed out. The only thing that we have to get done for Christmas will family get a interwoven on it in the weather be bad. Once no awaited smell like no no no don't sing that song you know you have family coming next level. He knew he understand my fractured Christmas piece. While you probably heard on the serenity prayer bank, which was made famous by Reinhold Niebuhr, I think it's you pronounce his name. While many times we we thought we I never knew there was more to it that most of what we know from the serenity prayer is just the first third, there is more to the serenity prayer. I'm sure we've all heard God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference. There is more you then one day the time. This is the further on in the prior limit one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as the press that the pathway to peace, taking as he did. Speaking of Christ, this sinful world as it is not as I would have it, trusting that he will make all things right if I surrender to his will, that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with him forever in the next. The path to the peace of God comes through living and enjoying our life with Christ, one day at a time we can go back and change the path that we can go forward and know what the future will be. We have to live at peace with God and with ourselves. In this moment exactly what we cannot change instead of worrying about it. Trusting in God 's loving care and wisdom and surrendering to his purpose and plan for our life to God has a plan and he has a purpose, but we can always see today and when life is all over and where standing in heaven and were looking back, we will see how it all has to fit together and I think of that tapestry thing you know you look underneath the tapestry you can see a pattern, but you look at it from the top you see the whole pattern what the design is, and it are alive. God has a purpose of the plan, and we're busy looking at it from the under Nathan God 's sake, the last award so perfectly coming together. So come to me, Jesus says all you will who are weary and carry a heavy burden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart, they will find rest for your soul holistic Christmas coming to Christ in finding rest for our soul come to me, Jesus says, just as the shepherds did the Angels made the declarations in the Shepherd responded to them. The wise men. They saw the star, and they follow the Florida came to Jesus and all of us are called all of us are called to come to Christ at Christmas and every day of our life. There is a desire in our hearts and no more God. There is a designer there and all of us are called to come to Jesus, all of you, especially those who are weary those to carry heavy burdens no, and we think of our lives, and perhaps our nation, and perhaps evil, of course, but that's because the town in which these tremendous crimes heavy burdens feeling uneasy feeling the uneasiness of loneliness. The unnecessary stress of Christmas unnecessary pain and emptiness that we can't do enough for never have enough her will be able to give enough somehow trying to make sense of life in the. The easy changes in common. Our life over the past years, trying to see how they all fit together make sense of it that we have enough of these situations that we can look at it and say wow there really happen that way people in our personal life without the hell these people come into our life and have challenged us without adding to that the perplexities of our world and the killing of these children in the craziness that scum, there found that people without God, without feelings of empathy on the ticket even act in such a way, we week is so beyond what we can never imagine it's nothing it all to call them now the darkness. It the perfect perpetrated these these actions and the darkness that people have to find themselves in to be able to commit such crimes and all this there is no clue of what they will create and what they will think of in their own lives, but for the victims I I think of it as their, there's little to say that could penetrate the shock of what is happened in such a loss to their families mean, there can be no Christmas. Wouldn't you know no matter how many other children may have. It will be sold difficult not to focus on this horrendous loss and in a week. We can imagine, unless you have experienced the night. We never experienced in my life, but I've spoken with so many people that have experienced losses at death. Children at this particular time of the year and how it has influenced them, and how that has had an effect and how many years it is taken to somehow find some sense of peace over what has taken place with the death of their child and there is no way that we can understand that there's no way that we can put ourselves in that perspective, even if it has happened to us still different for each family and with each loss and weight. Think of such horrendous acts like this. And we wonder where it all. How could all this come about within you know, one psychologist on the on the TV said at some point he he thought that the individual who committed these crimes at a problem with is his mother and because he killed her first than any then because his mother was a teacher. He went and filled the classroom and needs saying that perhaps it was some connection to his own childhood that brought about this this this action. The news and I look at that in our own lives and say what actions of our past continue to haunt us in the way that we continue to destroy the present scene, here's a person who goes off the deep end and takes the life of his family and takes the life of students and these children who had no part in anything that was part of his life. Somehow he felt to eradicate all of that would, whatever. I don't know was thinking but I do know that in our lives. There are things of our past that haunt us to the point that we will destroy our present in the present has no connection to our past and that's why we look at the wholeness of Christmas has come to Christ at Christmas. He has been for years with the is that he is the Prince of peace. We have the peace of God in our hearts and the peace of God is that we don't understand all of the things that happen to us. We don't understand all the reasoning behind what has happened even of our own decision. We can blame others, we don't blame ourselves, but that's not the peace of God is a way that we look at our life and find a way to allow forgiveness to come the Prince of peace, peace on earth peace with our conscience peace with our actions. These with our life so that we do not continue to destroy the present, so we do not continue to destroy the things of value in the present being over something that happened in all life in the past recipes with others, which is called reconciliation. God turns us into peacemakers. Now we get. He gives you the desire and then the ability and then the power. It isn't something that we are able to was like being able to be a Christian without Christ doesn't happen. You can't be a Christian without Christ. It takes the power of Christ that the teachings of Christ. It takes the spirit of God to work in your life is in the list of do 's and don'ts if the relationship with Jesus Christ. The challenges and changes if it's just another list of do 's and don'ts reduced will begin adding more to the fire of I can't do it. I can make it happen. I've tried, and I fail you see, God gives you the desire and that desire is the basis for our motivation and desire for our ability to open our lives to change to reconcile with the people in your life with whom you had conflict your the Scriptures call us to come to an agreement with the people we had conflict with come to me all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest the Christ child. This baby born in a manger came to bring this about in our life. He came to give us peace with ourselves weary and heavy laden have a garden. There are people who carry the burdens of their life with them. They wear their hearts on their shirt sleeves. You have people who do that and if they're very sensitive to their life and are sensitive about all of the things that come and go. The Bible says. I will give you rest. The holistic Christmas is found in Christ. And when Christ comes into our lives. One. The first areas where heat where we see the difference is in our relationships in our wholeness. There is a difference in our relationship with God that we don't see God is the one who is while you know he's up there thank you. I made I will do next week, but I'm never one year they did that the Christmas Carol you ready for this, you better watch out, you better not pout, tell you why Santa Claus is watching you. He knows when you've been my lobby doesn't even want to know if you have a good or bad, whilst Zeno in your sleep well you know in your wake. Your grades and data surprises goal and he will cancel Christmas. If you don't pass everything on the presence back, the Army and in a link will be recited and we single out that everybody knows that you are a pain in the early the next year, then battered that so that you are going to say all you say by anonymous on society with an average list price is watching over us and we can we get aimlessly without him knowing it but you see we. We look to God, and we say that he is up there. My him, I was the only seconded license and women not account with you, but that John had gone out of no presidency are going to now and yell like I was younger, have a chance. But what unlikely a Mac while limiting all like the old cartoon watching with Jackson is Mickey's Christmas another three guide to three little nephews are bad and then got to get to the North Pole. The writer name on the on the nice list, so they get presidents, so they fly the call to get to get their name on the nice list in ourselves somehow they got to get our names on the nice list, so we don't happen to wonder what Mister so you find that God will give us rest the nude of its wholeness. And when Christ comes into our life. The first area has the first area we work on his relationships LPs at Christmas to work for peace means you actively seek to end conflicts. It's sad that I guess you know you to see this and then we don't give ourselves permission to give ourselves permission have bad days I don't have any so wanted of them were, but it is in a you don't know me very well, but you see we have to give ourselves permission to have bad days, I had bad days in your life on it ever had bad days when other people were around then I want to blot out. I want everything. I'll tell you shout out the I will buy whatever you're cooking anytime I done wrong already free to shop you why you gave your an hour layover stop again and I can't stop looking tonight on copywriting what they wanted Saddam to me and the people can getting ready for everybody else than in family conflicts, but you know sometimes it's just this easier when fly with her role as we understand ourselves and we understand personality easily understand pressure. We understand Christmas. We understand. And so, therefore, why couldn't they be more understanding I don't know, but we be more understanding and because Christ is in our life. We ask God to help us become more understanding, more at peace with ourselves and recognize you know what that's like the Christmas play with the kids, it's going before what they make mistakes, so there's not going to come to know the weather to come to an end. It's just applying and we practice and we do our thing and we will have fun. We will enjoy the message and we will are to enjoy ourselves and our families and the people we love seat reconciliation. When relationships break down. We offer forgiveness to those who hurt us. You pass on to others the same grace of God is shown to you, and I still read I know if I had had opportunities to have disagreements with individuals and sometimes no one individual them thinking I might, I spoke to them, and I spoke to them many times in one time we were to just wind up that we were the only two that this one place and went to him and you know, I said, you know, we've we've had our difference, disagreement sales alright have them, but it's always my desire my personality that you always leave you like all of the that the bad things into your account and start over again and in your do this whole thing again. A nice goodwill while it is no part friends and able to disagree and I would think the price is why would you shake on it as well. I rather not okay that was his choice. Reconciliation is a lot like the serenity prayer. We only know the first part we don't know the rest. That's why many are reluctant to reconcile the strained relationships because they don't understand the difference between forgiveness and trust the difference between reconciliation and resolution is the reconciliation and the hostility it on the Middle East, there is the what is that the cease-fire one never going to resolve until they start reconciling stop the fighting is not the same reconciliation and hostility, but that is not the same as resolution reconciliation and the hostility that we find our minds and our hearts that continues to make up bombs and throw them at the other individual Europeans Christmas homicide Christmas reminds us that Christ has come to end the conflict of sin in our own lives and in our relationship with God to end the conflict. There is no longer conflict. There is now, therefore, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit there is no longer a conflict in our soul. Why, because we are first approach is forgiveness doesn't mean that were going to restore our relationship. It means them are not bundled while the people up. And while were in the process of making bombs to blow people up. We blow ourselves because we never get the bombs there. We're the ones we want it out and they're not even the ones that were talking to. It's what's going on in our own minds, reconciliation and I was wondering why and I was thinking of the Prince of peace. And how do we find peace with God in this whole scenario in our life. The Christmas and I saw this this household. This idea of homeless and this is this is what came of this idea of wholeness, especially Christmas. There is a wholeness in our life that we have to find in Christ and in his principles, and we find that this this individual hotel innocence until children that in a very, very remote way. We are sometimes like that. Not that but we are like that destructiveness inside of us that destroys ourselves and destroys others because of something that has happened that we'd never allowed forgiveness to be part of our life home reconciliations reconcile reconcile reconciliation and hostility, but we can still disagree doesn't mean that we agree it means that I'm no longer going to focus on your paying or on my pain. You see two people can be opposite ends of the problem. The never never agree the reconciliation as I have the right to what I know in experience and feel land before God, I'm understanding for God and I have to give account of my life and I'm not going to allow situations in life, whether they are intentional or unintentional. I'm not going to allow them to destroy my life now, father, forgive me of my sins. If I have sinned against you in thought and word and deed, forgive me and allow that forgiveness to be outward from me towards others and I extend to them. My forgiveness, and if they say no thanks. That's their concern, not mine. I am with doing what is right in the sight of God what is God had done with us. I have done everything. Christ came to forgive us of our state. He died upon the cross for the sins of the world descends as far as God is concerned, are forgiven, and God says, I forgive you, and we say no thanks. I don't need forgiveness. The end-of-life. He will say to us. I don't know while you see, this is the child of the Christ gives to us, especially Christ at Christmas and the wholeness that we are defined in, there is a big difference between forgiveness and trust. We offer forgiveness the same way God offers forgiveness loss, but you know what our life is something that we build in trust. Trust is something we give trust is something that is earned. I forgive them, but I wouldn't trust them someone lies: forgive them up and asked her for money music while I forgive you for your longer than the one with you took from a lifetime but don't think I would give you any more money while you're not a Christian know, I know the difference between forgiveness and trust. I forgive you for your offense, but I do not trust you because you haven't changed your life. Give me evidence that you have changed your life and that will come over time. Then we'll talk about trust is the end. This is like the serenity prayer may happen without parts of it that we know but we don't know the rest of it. Now we have, we see people 's actions and when we try to piece it all together as to why they would do what they do and think what they think about you can't answer for other people with only answer for ourselves and I am the only one that's understanding for God, for me, and you're the only one who's noticed that before God for you and that isn't that this is something that we should be afraid up. It is something that we should welcome because library exam is hard. Let us look at our life at this point where I am and am I destroying myself and destroying people around me. Am I hurting innocent people because of pains of long ago. Allow God to forgive us and forgive those God is the righteous judge, he will judge those people for what they have done or not for the pain they have given or not given for the life they have lived there not live there in God 's hands. I am in God 's hands, but God lived through me. Now, let this Christmas be my celebration of Christ in the and I am whole all my wholeness is in Christ, and I do not design I desire to give what Christ is given to me do not desire to hurt or cut people off or pay back. You can give me on the given view. We give doesn't matter. There's no strings attached. I get because I want to give it. No strings attached, no conditions. Just I desire to share see that takes away the burden that takes away the thinking of it that takes away the indifference of it. It takes a case, the idea that Jesus loved us. He loved the world so much that he gave of himself for what reason so that we can have eternal life. While it's not based upon what I do thank God I've kept I've done my part. Getting a car, you only sorry like kids on your child. Give me what I want to accept it, and that's okay. There are kids, but that's different. You know, we know the difference, so if we rehearse and re- replay in our minds what happened. We allow the hurt to be there all over again. And every time it comes up, we forgive the victims up a thousand times, we forgive the comes up a hundred thousand times. We forgive why, because we've got to forgive and what it go and how many times do we have to forgive until it no longer hurts sometimes. It's something we have to do every day. Sometimes it's something we have to do once a year as we're reminded of it once a year, but every him pain. Forgive them, and letting go because I'm not going to allow the sins of the past hurts of the past to destroy my present relationships with other people. Resentment is self-destructive. It always hurts you the most resentment is that with prolonged sorrow and pain. So never allow the past to interfere with the present piece of Christmas Jesus Christ, the Prince of peace, the Lord of life, the Lord of all. Look at what Christ has given us. He has given us wholeness is given us, completeness, he's given us very special gifts, the gift of himself. The gift of love, the gift of forgiveness, the gift of being here and he created you in his image input his gift things inside of you. And now life causes us to bring these things to the surface and allow his love to form. These gift things and share them with other people. If you sacrifice all you had to buy me a priceless and personalized Christmas gift and I never took the time to unwrap it and open it. How would you feel you'd be disappointed. You'd be hurt and angry at my callous rejection of your generosity and for me the gift would be worthless if I left it wrapped and sitting in the corner there would be zero benefit to me. It is astounding. The sonic people have celebrated Christmas every year of their lives without ever having to open their greatest and most expensive Christmas gift Jesus Christ is God 's if you are not in Jesus all the benefits and blessings in Jesus, your past is forgiven, you get a purpose for living, you get a home in heaven celebrate Christmas by opening the best gift of all the gift of Jesus Christ, who spent now the Wii has all of all the problems of the world and the thirty minute segment unwrapped the greatest gifts, but I I I was fortunate. I grew up in a mill. My mother and father were wonderful people. My grandmother was godly individuals at him, and we never had much I always has little Willis had a Christmas celebration, Christmas gifts Christmas Eve because we had to do chores in the morning. Cows editing up in the morning. It was always paying to go the barn outhouses back in if so all that stuff videos as yelp Santa Claus always came Christmas Eve, so my brothers would take me the card. Take me out the road somewhere and I would looking up in the sky a result of an Aries over there. I still remember him running from side to side, looking up at sky like a film is very enough and the rhino back and forth in the car. You know we got home been there and I have my present but one present a great Christmas and when it was I always had always had always loved and all the things in our lives. Some of us of not been blessed with the wholeness of Christmas is in Christ. Let us create that wholeness for families. Our children or grandchildren for the people around us. Let us create that wholeness and it begins in us, not in them begins with us. It may not work well this year. This year the doesn't matter to begin it keeps coming, and it keeps coming in. We keep building that trust over years, father, thank you that the trust that we have a new has been built centuries, the promises that have come to us have come through your profits and come through Christ, God, let us what you were thinking of our lives. Let your word of God. Refresh us from the inside out. Clay is also God and renew a right spirit within us if we have sinned in thought, word or deed, we ask your forgiveness. We has to level God to heal our hearts in our woundedness, let this Christmas season via a wholeness alloy that is inside of us in our relationships with others. Our relationship with you. Bless us. Oh Lord, Lord, for those families and the community that is in grief. Only you oh God can bring peace and hope in a time of such great sorrow. God, I pray that you will touch their lives. You will touch their lives in comfort those who are mourning, we pray, Lord, for your blessing in your healing to be upon them. Help us to lord as a community and a nation help us. Oh Lord to be your hand extended to those in need around us, we pray in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. Everyone said amen, unless you