A King for the Chaos | Every Longing Fulfilled | Jake Poole | December 7 2025 (8:45am)

Devotional

Day 1: The Word (Logos) brings order from chaos.

You are reminded that before creation there was a person who names and holds reality—the Word, the Logos—who spoke chaos into ordered life. This is not an abstract force but Jesus himself, present with God and fully God, who turns formlessness into purpose and pattern. Let this truth reshape how you see turmoil: it is not ultimate; the Word stands over it and calls it to order. [52:14]

John 1:1-3 (ESV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Reflection: When you next face a moment that feels chaotic (a relationship, a schedule, a diagnosis), name that place and speak the truth that the Word rules over it; what is one concrete way you will remind yourself of this truth this week (a written note, a spoken prayer, or a scheduled moment of silence)?

Day 2: Jesus sustains and holds all things together.

Trust that Jesus does more than create—he sustains every atom and every orbit, holding the universe in ordered formation so life can persist. This sustaining rule means he is actively present now, not a distant watchmaker; he upholds gravity, seasons, and the delicate formation of human bodies. Let that reality steady your heart when life feels unmoored, and practice handing specific anxieties to the One who keeps all things. [57:31]

Colossians 1:16-17 (ESV)
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Reflection: Identify one persistent worry you carry (finances, health, a relationship). What is one small, tangible habit you will do this week to hand that worry to Jesus (for example: a five-minute morning prayer naming it to him, journaling it to relinquish control, or asking a friend to pray with you)?

Day 3: Jesus declares “I AM” — God present and sovereign.

When Jesus uses the divine “I AM,” he is not offering a metaphor but claiming the self-existent name of Yahweh, making clear that God's eternal presence now walks among us in Christ. That declaration means he shares God’s character, authority, and sovereignty—he is the same One who called Moses, now present in human flesh. Allow his unchanging identity to confront fears that God is distant or uninvolved. [54:20]

John 8:56-58 (ESV)
Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad. So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."

Reflection: Is there a part of your life where you hesitate to call Jesus “Lord” because you doubt his nearness? Name that area, and decide on one simple act this week that acknowledges his “I AM” there (speaking it aloud, kneeling in prayer, or praising him in that moment).

Day 4: God gives humanity choice; sin brought disorder.

God created humans with real will—“you may surely eat of every tree, but...”—and that granted choice brought the possibility of loving obedience or rebellion. When Adam and Eve chose disobedience, evil and suffering entered as human realities; God did not coerce love but allowed willful choices with real consequences. Recognize how personal choices contribute to the world’s brokenness, and see repentance as the path back toward God’s intended order. [12:58]

Genesis 2:15-17 (ESV)
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

Reflection: What is one “but” in your life—a place where you are quietly choosing your own way over God’s—and what single, practical decision will you make this week to surrender that choice and walk toward obedience (a conversation, a confession, or a change in routine)?

Day 5: The earth belongs to the Lord; He reigns.

Praise anchors trust: when the congregation says “He reigns,” they confess a truth that breaks chains and stirs trust in anxious hearts. The Lord owns the world and rules over nations, rulers, and seasons; that reign is the assurance that ultimate authority and justice rest in him. As you practice praise, allow trust to rise and anxiety to loosen its grip—praise is a spiritual posture that aligns your heart with his kingship. [21:01]

Psalm 24:1-2 (ESV)
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.

Reflection: Choose one anxious thought or fear you will bring into a time of praise this week; when will you purposefully declare “He reigns” over that fear (morning, mealtime, or bedtime), and what will praising God in that moment look like practically?

Sermon Summary

We began Advent by naming our ache: we long for order and control in a world that feels wobbling and unpredictable. From cluttered living rooms to global headlines, our souls crave a steady hand. The Scriptures answer that ache not with a principle, but with a Person. The Greeks searched for the logos, the rationale behind reality. John declares the Logos has a name—Jesus Christ. He did not speak into chaos as an outsider; He is God, the One through whom all things were made, and in whom all things hold together. When He says, “I Am,” He stakes a claim over our news feeds, our families, our future.

We also named the places we run for counterfeit control—knowledge of the natural world, manipulation of the spiritual world, and trust in political power. Science is a gift, yet even Einstein admitted we perceive only a dim order we did not author. Spiritual shortcuts and superstitions promise mastery but merely bend us toward powers that finally bow to Christ. Government does real good, yet kingship belongs to the Lord; He rules over the nations. Jesus is Lord over creation, the spiritual realm, and the rulers of the earth.

But if He reigns, why all the pain? Scripture insists God did not initiate evil; in love He granted genuine choice, and human sin fractured creation. All creation now groans. I do not know why God does not stop every wrong in the moment. I do know He has done something decisive: the King took on flesh, suffered for our evil, and rose to begin new creation. At His first advent He inaugurated His rule in human hearts; at His second He will bring full, visible order to the world.

Until that day, the path from inner turmoil to peace is not more control but deeper surrender. Where we refuse His kingship, we drift like untethered vessels in heavy seas. Where we yield—our grief, our fears for our kids, our future—His reign brings a different kind of order, one anchored in His presence. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” He reigns. So we open our hands, lift our eyes, and worship—because praise is often the doorway where trust grows and chains fall.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus is the Logos King The order undergirding the universe is not an abstract force but a Person. Jesus speaks cosmos out of chaos and reveals the very heart and nature of God. To look at Him is to see the One who authored meaning and sustains it still. [52:46]
2. Christ sustains creation every moment He did not wind up the world and walk away; He actively holds it together. From galaxies placed like gems to atoms aligned into your beating heart, His word keeps reality coherent. Rest becomes possible when we trust the One who carries the mechanisms we barely grasp. [63:27]
3. He reigns over every unseen power Attempts to control the spiritual realm—rituals, superstitions, even religious manipulation—only entangle us. Scripture insists every throne and principality exists through Him and for Him. Peace comes not from wielding power but from yielding to the Lord who subdues it. [67:12]
4. The cross reframes our suffering God is not the author of evil; human sin fractured creation. On the cross, the King entered our pain, bore our guilt, and rose to begin the renewal of all things. We may not know the why, but we can trust the One who carried it and promises to make it new. [77:05]
5. Surrender restores inner order Where we clutch control, anxiety multiplies; where we submit to Jesus, His governance brings peace. Naming specific areas—loss, future, children—and placing them under His rule anchors the heart. Surrender is not passivity; it is active trust in the King who reigns. [79:02]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[44:21] - Prayer and Advent series vision
[45:36] - We long for order and control
[47:54] - Naming our chaotic era
[49:37] - The Greek search for the Logos
[52:46] - Chaos to cosmos: Jesus revealed
[54:20] - “Before Abraham was, I Am”
[57:31] - In Him all things hold together
[63:27] - He sustains galaxies and atoms
[65:21] - Misguided control in the spiritual realm
[69:50] - Jesus over kings and governments
[71:48] - Why is there still suffering?
[77:05] - The cross and the renewal of all things
[79:02] - Surrendering anxious places to Jesus
[81:01] - Psalm 24 and a call to praise

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
John 1:1-3
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Observation questions

What specific claims does John 1:1-3 make about the identity and activity of the Word? How do those claims identify the Word with Jesus?
How did the Greeks understand the logos, and how does John change that expectation by naming the logos as a person? [49:37]
What concrete images or examples were given that explain how Jesus “holds all things together” (from galaxies down to atoms)? [01:03:27]
What meaning did the phrase “I am” carry in Jewish memory, and how does using that phrase signal Jesus’ claim to divine identity? [54:20]

Interpretation questions

What is the significance of saying “the Word was with God, and the Word was God” for understanding Jesus’ authority over creation and chaos? [52:46]
How does the claim that “in him all things hold together” change the way one should think about everyday unpredictability and scientific limits? [01:03:27]
How does the biblical account of Genesis 2–3 (God’s gift of choice and the entrance of human sin) explain the presence of evil without making God its author? [01:12:58]
What practical differences follow from seeking order through created knowledge, spiritual manipulation, or political power versus submitting those longings to Christ’s kingship? [58:52]

Application questions

Name one area of life you feel you must control (loss, future, children, health, finances, reputation). What would “opening your hands” and surrendering that specific area to Jesus look like this week? [01:19:02]
Praise was described as a doorway where trust grows. When have you sensed praise loosen anxiety in your life? Plan one moment this week to use praise as a deliberate spiritual practice. [01:22:24]
Identify a habitual “counterfeit control” you rely on (science as ultimate answer, spiritual shortcuts or formulas, political certainty). What is one small, concrete step you will take to submit that longing to Christ’s rule? [58:52]
If Jesus sustains the universe “by the word of his power,” what simple daily habit could remind you of that truth when anxiety rises (scripture memory, a short prayer, a phrase to repeat)? Try it for seven days and note any changes. [01:03:27]
How does the cross and resurrection shape the way you interpret present suffering in your life? What is one way you can lean on that gospel hope this week when pain or doubt appears? [01:17:05]
“The earth is the Lord’s.” (Psalm 24) Name one public or relational way you can declare Jesus’ reign this week (a conversation, a post, gathering your household to pray, service to a neighbor). [01:21:01]

Suggested structure for the group time
- Read John 1:1-3 aloud.
- Spend 10–15 minutes on Observation questions.
- Spend 20–25 minutes on Interpretation questions.
- Spend 20–30 minutes on Application questions; allow each person to name one concrete step they will try before the next meeting.

(Do not include a closing prayer in the handout; leave room for the group to pray together if they wish.)

Sermon Clips

Or get this, within the universe, there are actually, scientists would say, there are a trillion different galaxies throughout our universe with more stars in the sky than there are sand on the beaches on earth.And Jesus takes those stars, and like diamonds on the tips of his fingers, he places them and holds them in their ordered pockets of the universe.Jesus is sustaining and keeping our universe. [01:02:41] (27 seconds) #JesusSustainsUniverse

Or maybe we should get more minute for a minute.Did you know that the human body is actually made up of 7 billion, billion, billion atoms?One body.And each of those atoms, in order for you to function, they have to work to coalesce the body and to make it work properly.And so Jesus, what he's doing is he's actually moving every atom as if they're soldiers in a mighty army, and he's commanding them into regimented formation, into unison as bone, and skin, and heart, and human.He holds you together. [01:03:09] (34 seconds) #JesusHoldsEveryAtom

From Scripture, we know that astrology is actually demonic.And yet they walked into that realm because they believed that it could bring order to their life.And many of us are guilty of the same.We may not consult astrology or horoscopes, but we try to gain control through superstitious rituals.Or maybe we want to speak what we want to see into the universe and we speak it into the universe and hope that it will come to be.Or some of us even in our Christian faith will use our Christian faith to distort the spiritual realm, to control the spiritual realm or to coerce God. [01:05:39] (38 seconds) #RejectAstrology

We say if I do all the right things and obey everything that God asks, then he has to answer my prayers and he has to give me what I want because that's just what happens.Like it's transactional where I give God what he wants and say what I need to say and he has to give it to me as if it's some Christian divination.Or maybe we say if I just pray the right words in the right order, in the right way, with the right phrases, then God has to hear me and answer.And we try to wield the spiritual world to gain control. [01:06:18] (33 seconds) #NotTransactionalFaith

Jesus is the kingover the ruling world.In other words, human governments don't have ultimate control or authority.It's Jesus that leads.It's Jesus that rules.It's Jesus that reigns.And if you want to bring order and justice to the world, it's only going to come through Christ.When he came to earth in the first advent, he came to bring a rule of order.He's the Lord over the created world.He's the Lord over the spiritual world.He's the Lord over the ruling world.Jesus is king. [01:10:08] (28 seconds) #JesusIsKing

didn't stop it.Why did I lose my job or my house or my retirement?If he's a good God and he's the Lord over all things, then why didn't he do something about that brokenness?I want to tell you something this morning.I think that's a great question.And I think it's one of the most important questions to wrestle with in our faith. [01:11:31] (26 seconds) #WhyDoesGodAllow

``So then you ask, well, then why doesn't God do something about it?He did.In the first advent, the creator of the world, the sustainer of the world, the ruler of the world, the God of all things, Jesus Christ, took on flesh and he became a man.And when he became a man, he went to the cross and suffered a death that he didn't deserve and he died for our evil on the cross in our place.In other words,Jesus, King Jesus, came to earth to suffer in our place to make things right. [01:16:50] (30 seconds) #KingJesusCame

This is the promise of Scripture that when Jesus returns, I want you to hear this, when he came at the first advent, he came to institute a spiritual kingdom, meaning he wanted to birth rule and order and governance in the heart of people.When he comes at his second advent, he's coming to bring a government and a physical order to the world. [01:17:56] (20 seconds) #SecondComingBringsOrder

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