Sermon Tone Analysis

PERFECT PEACE IN STORMY TIMES

Spring Valley Mennonite; October 9, 2022; Mark 4:35-41; Isaiah 26:1-4; John 14:27

Jesus had been teaching all day by the Sea of Galilee; in the evening He said to His disciples, "Let us go to the other side."

Mark 4:35-41 records the situation.

I'd like to use these verses to introduce God's message to us this morning: (Read vv.

35-41).

Have you ever noticed that the boat of Jesus and His disciples was not alone?

Verse 36: "Other boats were with Him..."

Although rare, intense storms can suddenly arise on the Sea of Galilee-the last such storm occurred back in 1992 and produced 10 ft.

whitecaps.

Such waves on a lake 12 miles long and 7 miles wide would be terrorizing even to seasoned fishermen as were the disciples.

And think of all those other boats!

But Jesus is the Master of the Storm, and at a simple word: "Peace, be still" the storm calmed.

Following Jesus does not mean the absence of storms in life, but our Lord has promised His presence in those storms.

Just as the disciples had a need for peace in the midst of the storm, so we have the same need in the storms which arise in our lives.

God's message this morning is a message of peace.

Our primary text is found in the 26th chapter of Isaiah where God promises the possibility of perfect peace.

Judah was not a peaceful place in the days of Isaiah.

I'm sure Judah felt much like Winnie the Pooh's friend Piglet, who said when lost in the woods at night, "I'm a very small pig in a very big woods."

Judah was a very small country surrounded by powerful nations marching back and forth across her territory.

To the far north was Babylon.

Nearer was Assyria.

Nearer still were the Aramaians of Damascus.

To the south was Egypt.

God, as Divine Controller of the Nations, placed Israel at the crossroads of the world so He could demonstrate His power and glory through His chosen nation.

At times, His chosen people reflected God's bright light to those nations-when they were living in obedience and full dependence on God.

But like in most of the days of Isaiah, they only paid lip-service to God.

Disobedience results in God's discipline, whether it be in my life, or in the life of a nation.

In dark times, God gave the promise of perfect peace to the faithful.

Turn to Isaiah 26, beginning at verse 1 (read through v. 4)

I.

A FUTURE SONG TO BE SUNG

Chapters 24-27 comprise Isaiah's Apocalypse: 24 describes the Tribulation Period, and chapters 25-27 the Millennium blessings.

Chapter 26 is a song of praise.

Isaiah gives us a time frame in his first phrase: "In that day."

He uses that term 45 times in his prophesy, and anything used that often signals a major theme.

He speaks of the great "Day of the Lord," which will be a time of unprecedented blessing-or of severe and overwhelming judgment, depending on which side you have chosen.

Judgment always precedes blessing, as the Great Tribulation will precede the Millennium when the Lord Jesus will reign here on earth.

And is this not the way life works?

The cross had to precede the resurrection; the judgment of sin comes before the blessings of imputed righteousness.

Move this principle down to everyday life: work precedes the paycheck-cause and effect.

It is against God's created order to get something for nothing-and lest you say, "What about Grace and Salvation; is not salvation free?"

I would answer, "Was salvation free to God?" Judgment of sin came before the blessing of salvation.

The Great Day of the Lord will result in God restoring His chosen people Israel back to prominence and leadership, and as a "grafted in limb on the root of Israel" the church will rule with Christ in this future earthly kingdom.

At that time a song of salvation will be sung by Israel.

The words of that song are given here in Isaiah 26 "We have a strong city; He sets up strong walls and ramparts for security."

Earthen and wooden ramparts were the first line of defense around an ancient city, barriers to invaders.

If an enemy breached the ramparts, defenders fell back behind thick city walls.

This future city will be strong, able to provide absolute security.

When Isaiah was ministering, the walls of Jerusalem provided protection from various enemies.

However, if they turned to idols and foreign gods, refusing to repent, those walls would be breached and the city destroyed.

This happened when Jerusalem fell in 586 B.C.

There was no peace to be found when the nation turned away from God, the true defender of Israel.

The promise of perfect peace was given to the faithful: Judgment would be followed by restoration.

God would preserve a remnant with whom He would rebuild.

In this future restoration, not only would there be a strong and secure city, but the gates would be open for whom?

Verse 2: the righteous nation.

There has been several regatherings of Israel, the most recent in 1948, but never a universal re-gathering, nor a re-gathering in belief.

That awaits the future.

This is God's promise for restoration-when they would turn back to God. 700 years after Isaiah's prophesy, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ would come.

But Israel rejected Jesus, and God temporarily set aside His chosen nation.

At Pentecost the Church was born and the blessings of God were transferred to the children of faith, to all those who would believe in the Lord Jesus, both Jew and Gentile.

Thus began the age of the Church which will end at the rapture when God resumes working through Israel.

There will be a final regathering of Israel in belief in these last days.

Because the Lord Jesus came, died and rose again; because Jesus reigns in our hearts, God gives us the right to presently sing this song of peace.

II.

OUR PRESENT SONG OF PEACE

Verses 3 and 4 speak of perfect peace; in Hebrew this is peace, peace.

While this peace existed for those few righteous people in Isaiah's day, and while it will be enjoyed in the Millennial Kingdom, it is now possible for us to experience today.

John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you Let not your heart be troubled, not let it be fearful."

There are several levels of peace, the most important being peace with God.

Romans 5:1: "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ..."

An individual who has not placed his faith in the Lord Jesus is still imprisoned in sin and is in the enemy camp.

Active rebellion against God or passive indifference either mark the lives of the unsaved.

They have no peace.

But as believers, we have this fundamental peace with God.

There is also a need for peace with others.

This is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

God gives us the ability to respond to the anger, disrespect, and harshness of others with love and kindness.

A third level of peace might be called "situational peace."

Through Isaiah, God explains the pathway to peace in our personal storms.

Let's explore this pathway with a series of questions: The first question is:

To whom is this peace available?

As I look at verse three, our first observation links perfect peace with a "steadfast mind."

What does that mean?

The Hebrew word "mind" used here is broader than just the faculty of thinking, but includes what is framed in the mind.

It describes our inner thoughts or attitudes.

But it speaks not so much of individual thoughts, but the dominant stream of thoughts-the pattern our thoughts follow.

Perfect peace comes to those with their thoughts centered in a particular way.

Perhaps the idea of a focused mind or an overriding purpose would expand the concept to us.

So, our mind is to be focused: Upon what is to be our focus?

The answer comes from the word "steadfast."

This word has the meaning of "leaning, being supported, or resting."

The perfect peace of God, this peace which passes human understanding, the peace which enables us to rest in the middle of whatever storm is crashing around us-this peace comes when our thoughts are focused and leaning upon God!

This is not a leisurely leaning, like when we rest a bit of our weight on something but letting something hold up all our weight to the extent that if that support were removed, we our fall headlong.

This leaning means to be completely supported and sustained.

Psalm 37:17 tells us that the Lord sustains the righteous.

Psalm 112:8 affirms, "his heart is sustained, his heart is upheld, he will not fear."

Get the idea?

Perfect peace comes only when we surrender fully to the strong arms of the Lord.

I fear that so may Christians see God as a divine air-bag-it inflates only upon emergency.