Jesus Prince Of Peace Isa.26

JESUS: THE PRINCE OF PEACE

ISA. 26:1-12

INTRO: (EX: TRACY LYPERD---INNER PEACE) THE ANGELS ANNOUNCED  “PEACE OF EARTH—GOOD WILL TO MEN”—WE HEAR THE WORDS KNOWING THERE ARE ON-GOING CONFLICTS—CLOSE TO HOME AND FAR FROM HOME.  JESUS CAME TO BRING PEACE (EPH. 2:13-18)  PEACE IS WHAT WE MOST NEED & WANT—PEACE WITH GOD & WITH OTHERS.  EXPENSIVE GIFTS ARE MEANINGLESS WITHOUT PEACE—IF YOU HAVE STRAINED OR BROKEN RELATIONSHIP AT HOME OR WORK WITH PARENT OR CHILD—YOU LONG FOR HEALING.  UNCONFESSED SIN CAN KEEP US FROM HAVING PEACE WITH GOD & OTHERS---DAVID IS PRIME EX. OF HOW LIVING WITH UNCONFESSED SIN DESTROYS RELATIONSHIPS.  THE ABSENCE OF PEACE IS SIGN SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT.  NOTICE AGAIN WHAT THE ANGELS SAID “PEACE ON EARTH TO MEN ON WHOM GOD’S FAVOR RESTS”   YOU CAN LIVE IN MANSION-HAVE GOOD HEALTH—HAVE PEOPLE AROUND YOU AND STILL NOT HAVE PEACE---LOOK AT LIVES OF FAMOUS ATHLETES/ENTERTAINERS.

“SHALOM” (HEB.WORD) HAS TO DO WITH CONTENTMENT & JOY WITH GOD & RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS.  (EX: PEACE RESEARCH LAB SAYS OVER LAST 3500 YRS ONLY 270 YRS WITH NO DECLARED WARS & OFTEN THERE WERE AS MANY AS 25 WARS AT ONCE.  THE WORLD IS BROKEN BY SIN—INNOCENT PEOPLE CAUGHT IN IT (ISRAEL/AFGHAN/IRAQ/ SHOOTING AT FT. HOOD.  THE FAVOR/GRACE OF GOD HINGES ON RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THRU JESUS (JN.14:27)  BUT RELATIONSHIPS CAN BE FRAGILE/COMPLEX—STRESS & STRAIN CAN BUILD UP OVER THE SMALLEST OF THINGS  (HEB.12:14; ROM. 12:18)

I.                  THE SETTING FOR ISA. MESSAGE

THERE IS CONTRAST HERE BETWEEN 2 CITIES OR 2 WAYS TO LIVE—THOSE WHO TRUST IN GOD & THOSE WHO FIGHT AGAINST HIM. THOSE WHO TRUST IN GOD ARE SECURE IN THEIR SALVATION—THE REDEEMED REJOICE THAT THE GATES ARE OPEN (V.2)—LOOK AT REV.21:22-27—THOSE WHOSE MINDS ARE (STEADY/FOCUSED/FRAMED IN GOD WILL BE KEPT IN PERFECT PEACE---THEY WILL NOT BE HELD IN FEAR OR SWAYED BY EVERY WIND OF DOCTRINE.  THEY HAVE A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR THE CHALLENGES/STORMS OF LIFE—THEIR HOUSE IS BUILT ON ROCK (WHICH IS CHRIST). THEY DESIRE TO STAY ON THE PATH (WAY) THAT LEADS TO LIFE—THEIR GOAL IS THE TRUE CITY  THAT ABRAM LOOKED FORWARD TO (HEB.11:10)---NOW LOOK AT V.7-9—THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS INVOLVES WAITING/LONGING FOR GOD—RELATIONSHIP—BUT THE WORLD DOESN’T KNOW GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS (V.10)—THEIR MINDS ARE BLIND –2 COR.4:4—SATAN PUTS LID ON TRUTH AND DECIEVES THRU LIES.  SUCH PEOPLE CANT SEE GOD’S WORK—THE WICKED LIVE IN LAND WHERE OTHERS HONOR GOD (AND OFTEN ARE PERSECUTED FOR IT)—GODS HAND IS LIFTED HIGH BUT THE SPIRITUALLY BLIND REFUSE TO SEE IT—ONLY WHEN THE FIRE OF JUDGMENT FALLS WILL GODS LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE AND THE SHAME OF HIS ENEMIES BE MADE CLEAR---SO GOD BROUGHT HIS ONE UNIQUE SON INTO THE WORLD—WORLD COULD SEE GODS LOVE IN FLESH WITNESS POWER OF HIS SACRIFICE

II.               JESUS PRINCE OF PEACE CALMS THE SINFUL HEART

THOUGH WE MIGHT NOT LIKE TO ADMIT IT WE ARE ALL SINNERS WITH A FEW SKELETONS IN CLOSET  (LUKE 7:36-38) TELLS US OF WOMAN WITH ROUGH PAST/BAD REPUTATION—NO DOUBT SHE LOOKED OLDER THAN SHE WAS (SIN HAS A WAY OF DOING THAT!)  FOR MOST PART SHE KEPT OUT OF PUBLIC EYE.  BUT THEN SHE MET JESUS—HEARD SOMETHING FROM HIS TEACHING OR WITNESSED A MIRACLE OR BOTH.  SHE HAD BEEN LOCKED UP IN PRISON OF GUILT (COVERED IN IT).  BUT SHE BELIEVED JESUS COULD SET HER FREE FROM ALL THAT MESSY/UGLY PAST.  SIMON (RELIGIOUS HYPOCRITE) WHOSE CHARACTER BECOMES VERY CLEAR INVITED JESUS FOR DINNER & THIS WOMAN SUDDENLY CAME & STOOD BEHIND JESUS & WEPT & TOOK JAR OF EXPENSIVE OINTMENT & RUBBED IT ON JESUS’ FEET & THEN WIPED THE OINTMENT ALONG WITH HER TEARS WITH HER HAIR.  JESUS (IGNORING SIMON—HIS HEART WAS HARD AS STEEL) TURNED TOWARD THE WOMAN AND SPOKE TO HER HEART THAT WAS OPEN/SOFT—READY TO RECEIVE LIFE (LK7:48-50)—MAYBE YOU THINK GOD CANT LOVE YOU OR FORGIVE YOU OR USE YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR PAST—THINK AGAIN!  THERE IS GOOD NEWS (PS.32:5)  WHEN SATAN REMINDS YOU OF YOUR PAST—JUST REMIND HIM OF HIS FUTURE!  (O COME LET US ADORE HIM)

II. JESUS PRINCE OF PEACE CALMS OUT SUFFERING HEART----ANOTHER WOMAN DIDN’T WANT TO BE SEEN—SHE WAS VERY SICK—INCURABLE DISEASE THAT HAD DRAINED HER PHYSICALLY/FINAINCIALLY FOR 12 YRS—SHE WENT TO ALL BEST DOCTORS/CLINICS BUT SHE HAD LOST HOPE.  THEN SHE HEART ABOUT JESUS FROM GALILEE OF ALL PLACES—WHO COULD HEAL WITH TOUCH OR WORD.  MAYBE SHE THOUGHT—JUST MAYBE—THERE WAS SOME HOPE.  SHE SAW HIM SURROUNDED BY CROWD (SHE KNEW SHE SHOULD NOT BE THERE IN CROWD—OUTCAST/UNCLEAN—BUT IF SHE COULD SOMEHOW JUST GET CLOSE TO HIM—SHE REACHED HER HAND OUT & TOUCHED TASSEL OF HIS GARMENT (PRAYER SHAWL)—THEN SHE FADED BACK INTO THE CROWD---HOPING SOMETHING MIGHT CHANGE.  AND JESUS SAID “WHO TOUCHED ME?”  DISCIPLES LAUGHED (YOU’RE KDDING, RIGHT JESUS?”)—BUT JESUS KNEW POWER HAD GONE OUT FROM HIM & HE WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ONE WHO HAD FOUND PEACE FROM ALL HER SUFFERING.  FINALLY SHE CAME FORWARD (TREMBLING NOT DOUBT) –SHE CONFESSED WHAT SHE HAD DONE & JESUS (WITH BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE)—THIS IS WHAT JESUS CAME TO DO & HE ANNOUNCED IT AT BEG. OF HIS MINISTRY (LK4:18,19)---HE PROCLAIMED HEALING TO HER –AND HE CALLED HER “DAUGHTER” & RESTORED HER BACK TO COMMUNITY LIFE. (MK 5:32)  WHEN WE MEET THE GREAT PHYSICIAN WE ARE NEVER THE SAME.  THIS WOMAN SUFFERED A LOT FOR LONG TIME—HOW REFRESHING TO HEAR “GO IN PEACE (SHALOM)!”  JESUS REJOICED FOR HE KNEW ONE DAY ALL THINGS WOULD BE MADE NEW & WHOLE.  MANY TODAY SUFFER  FROM EMOTIONAL SUFFERING—A PARENT/MATE/CHILD SHOULD HAVE LOVED YOU BUT THEY DIDN’T---SOMEONE YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TRUST BETRAYED YOU & HURT YOU---OTHERS ARE DEALING WITH ILLNESS WHICH CARRIES STRESS/PAIN.  OTHERS WOUNDED BY GRIEF & FEEL EMPTY/ALONE.  JESUS UNDERSTANDS AND OFFERS PEACE/COMFORT   (2 COR.1:3-7)  (EX: HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW)

III.           JESUS PRINCE OF PEACE CALMS THE TROUBLED HEART

(EX: OLIVER CROMWELL)  THE SCENE WAS LAST SUPPER—JESUS KNEW WHAT WAS COMING BUT HE WAS FOCUSED ON THE HEARTS OF HIS DISCIPLES—MEN WHO HE HAD INVESTED HEAVILY IN OVER LAST 3 YRS. HE KNEW WHAT THEY NEEDED MOST AT THAT HOUR  (JN. 14:1,7)---EVEN AFTER ALL HIS TEACHING HE STILL NEEDED TO GIVE THEM AN EXAMPLE OF HUMILITY & SERVICE---SOON HE WOULD BE ARRESTED/BEATEN/HUMILIATED/CRUCIFIED BUT HE WANTED TO PREPARE THESE DISCIPLES FOR THE GRIEF THAT WAS TO COME  (EX: JIM STOCKDALE—PRISONER OF VIETNAM)   JN.16:33—IN ME YOU MAY HAVE PEACE—PEACE ON EARTH TO THOSE UPON WHOM GODS FAVOR RESTS. PEACE IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF CONFLICT OR TROUBLE—IT IS CONFIDENCE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.  IT IS EMMANUEL 9GOD WITH US)  MAYBE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE IS TRYING/STRESSFUL & IT SEEMS THERE IS NO SOLUTION—BUT YOU CAN HAVE PEACE WITH GOD—NOW!  BECAUSE HE CAME!   BECAUSE HE LIVES!    JN.20:19,20

      THE PRINCE OF PEACE IS ALIVE FOREVERMORE AND HE WANTS YOU TO HAVE PEACE & SHRAE ETERNITY WITH HIM!