God's Promises... (10)

When PEACE has come...

This morning, I’m not here to take a lot of time, but I want to bring hope that God will bring peace.

We can have the peace of God that transcends all understanding, and we can have peace with God.

Romans 5:1 NLT

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

Today, we’re going to look at what this world will look like when evil is removed.

Isaiah 11:1–5 NLT

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.

This is speaking of the Messiah, the Anointed One. At this Advent season, we look back to the birth of Christ, but today, we are going to look at His Second Coming.

When Jesus returns, He will return as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Revelation 19:11–16 NLT

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

There has never been a king like this king. There has never been One who knows the hearts of all people. He will judge with equity. He will destroy all evil. He will come and reign and bring peace to the earth for a thousand years.

Can you imagine what it will be like to have a leader that has the Spirit of the Lord on Him? One not with a spirit of wisdom and understanding, but He will have the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, and the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

What would it be like to live where there is justice and equity for all?

Jesus is not a capitalist, a socialist, or a communist. He is Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.

What will it be like?

Isaiah 11:6–10 NLT

In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all. The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm. Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord. In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where he lives will be a glorious place.

There will be no fear, but there will be perfect love.

1 John 4:16–19 NLT

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.

Before Adam and Eve disobeyed God, fear didn’t exist, but because of humankind’s rebellion, not only sin entered the world, but fear has entered the world.

Animals lived in perfect harmony with each other. There were no destructive storms. Humans had no fear of anything. Sin disrupted and destroyed peace with God and with all creation.

What can we do while we wait for Jesus’ return?

We could grin and bear it, but I don’t recommend that. We just read,

“Perfect love expels all fear.”

Other translations say perfect love drives out or casts out all fear. Sometimes we are afraid, and we don’t even necessarily know why, but the emotion of being afraid is because we fear something bad is going to happen.

Fear = Phobos

We get the word phobia which means fear of...

Some people are afraid of heights. Others are afraid of spiders. Still others are afraid of confrontation. For some it’s a fear of failure, fear of not having enough, fear of loneliness, and the list can go on and on.

Peace is not the absence of fear, but it is the presence of God in our lives. This brings perfect love.

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

God is agape, and all who live in agape live in God, and God lives in them.

What is agape?

Agape is the unconditional love of God that sent Jesus to the cross. It is loving without any regard to disappointment.

Agape is self-sacrificial love. It can only come from God, can only be given from somebody that God lives in.

People that aren’t Christians can still have love and share of, but not agape love. As we live in God’s love, it grows in us, and our love grows more perfect.

How do we get rid of fear?

2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

We can pray against fear. We can cast out fear with faith, but only perfect love gets rid of fear.

Let’s say we pray against fear, and it leaves, what stopping the spirit of fear from coming back? God’s perfect love.

When we are living in fear, we haven’t fully experienced God’s perfect love.

Satan wants to attack us. He wants to beat us down. He wants us to live in fear, because when we live in fear, we take our eyes off of God and fasten them on our circumstances.

This morning, I want to pray and ask that each of us would fully experience God’s perfect love.

Hebrews 12 says this about Jesus, “For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross...” Because He knew perfect love, He didn’t fear the cross, but He rejoiced at giving us life. Fix your eyes on Jesus, and you will experience perfect love.

When doubt and fear come, look to the only One that can make the difference in your life. Come to Jesus, our Prince of Peace.

Let’s pray!

Pray that we would experience the perfect love of God that expels fear.

Thank God that He has not given us a spirit of fear...