Made for More Peace
Made for More • Sermon • Submitted
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· 3 viewsWe experience true peace when we trust Christ with everything.
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Made for More Peace.
Made for More Peace.
I always thought it curious that God promises peace. But also, says that “he did not come to bring peace but the sword” .
I always wondered why if there was supposed to be peace there was so much viloence in the O.T...
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
But the more I thought about it. The more I watched Star Wars, the more I understood that there are two sides and the two sides will always be against each other.
Jesus brought a sword, b/c he chose to
stand against injustice,
against people who took advantage of others,
and to stand in for people who couldn’t stand up for themselves.
The likes of James and Paul tell us we ought to have peace if we claim Jesus as our Savior.
B/c afterall He is the Prince of Peace. He has already WON THE WAR.
When I worked in Flagstaff In my job with Roger at the Thrift Store I didn’t feel peace.
I thought I’m helping people! Why do I not feel peace! Why isn’t there peace?
In my job at Kentucky Road I did not feel peace.
I thought I’m serving God why do I not feel peace? Why isn’t there peace?
“In my career (I’m calling that for you to understand, it’s my life calling) I just couldn’t feel peace.”
[Shortly] Talk about the difference between the kind of peace I didn’t feel working construction and the kind of peace I didn’t feel in these other circumstances.
Construction- Peace: I wasn’t doing what God had for me.
Others- The people were ruining life (God’s good things).
Talk about the peace I started to feel in Texas.
There were things that tried to steal it but God was teaching me it wasn’t about outward things (how things were going) but instead what the temperature was on the inside of me.
B/c I know I’m made for more PEACE.
We can’t control all of our circumstances
Perfect Job
Boss
Clients/Customers
Parents
We can’t control how our spouse acts or responds
If our kids keep saying our names over and over and over again
Where we find ourselves living…
Things we own
Disabilities/Diseases/Illnesses
but we can control who we put our trust in.
We are MADE FOR MORE PEACE and the only way WE…
We experience true peace by trusting Christ with everything.
We experience true peace by trusting Christ with everything.
In the Bible Peace=
Wholeness
Completeness
Lacking nothing
We truly lack nothing when we have said, “Jesus Christ, I am trusting you. With everything:
I have
I have been
I am
I will be
I have been
says
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Remember when Jesus says “I will not let you be tempted with more than you can handle” why? Why is that?
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
No temptation is too great no trial is too big...
We can go through all of these things if we are focused on the WHO not the WHAT that will make us complete, whole.
Adam and Eve’s completeness was broken, their peace lost once they stopped trusting God w/ everything!
The earth has been in unrest and non-peace ever since then.
We have been tirelessly trying to restitch it ever since.
But when JEsus came and lived a perfect life and died a perfect death. He gave us the one gift that could bring rest to our souls.
He gave us the one thing we needed to rest.
RECONCILLIATION with our CREATOR!
If we are reconcilled to God we should have peace.
Because that means we’ve trusted God with our lives.
Finances
Relationships
SIns
Self-Doubts
Self-Worth
Fears
Worries
Future
Past
Jesus is the PRINCE OF PEACE.
PEACE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN ANY STORM THAT COMES YOUR WAY.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
This is NOT a passive passage. This PAUL telling us do what I’m saying, be proactive
1 Timothy “Take hold”
HE IS ESSENTIALLY SAYING “TAKE HOLD OF THIS PEACE
and God will guard your heart & mind in a way you cannot fathom. The way HE covers you may be different everytime but none-the-less He will cover you in peace.
and God will guard your heart & mind in a way you cannot fathom. The way HE covers you may be different everytime but none-the-less He will cover you in peace.
Find your completness in Him and He will guard your heart.
Let’s look at a story that will illustrate what happens when we don’t put our full trust, when we don’t find our wholeness in Chirst.
When we think of peace
In we see
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
THIS IS THE STORY OF OUR LIVES! ISN’T it!
Don’t we yell, “LORD! WE’RE PERISHING!!!!”
SAVE US!
DO YOU CARE!!
ARE YOU THERE??
WHEN WE FIND OUR Peace IN CHRIST THIS DOES does 3 things FOR US:
Finding our peace in Jesus KEEPS THE HEART FROM FEAR.
What do we see out of the disciples? Immense fear! This is where it all starts, the accusations, the doubt the lack of peace!
THEY’RE terrified out of their minds!
They’re probably short with eachother, calling eachother names!
They’re probably turning on eachother or maybe they’re trusting in their own skills to save them!
Peace keeps our heart from Fear.
And allows us to avoid the pitfalls of a life of fear.
If they would have just trusted that a boat with the Savior of the world is not going to sink they would have been fine.
Finding our peace in Jesus KEEPS THE MIND FROM DOUBT.
But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
The fear moved them to doubt that Jesus even carried! Mark says!
Do you not care!
They know better than to ask that question! But fear makes you do all sorts of crazy things. [you’ve never done this!]
He hand picked these guys, He gave his life to them, He spent every day with them. Why did they ask such a silly question?
B/c thats’ what happens when you are completed by anything other than Jesus you remember how that thing keeps you wanting more, how it doesn’t satisfy and you think Jesus is the same way.
I’m reminded of why so many people have trust issues. They get coaxed into a seemingly promising situation. They put all their trust into the person offering it and when it doesn’t come true they lose all their trust in everyone ever again.
JK*****It’s called MARRIAGE!*****JK
Finally a life completed by Christ a life full of peace allows us to be content.
I’m not saying don’t go out and try to be the best you, you can be.
This is a cure to the insatiable appetite we have to find worth.
You can stop running.
We are only able to be content when we find our worth in Christ.
We don’t have to try to be someone we’re not.
We don’t have to try to find someone to complete us.
We don’t have to burn ourselves or our family out trying to please the people at our work places.
CHRIST IS ENOUGH.
If these guys would have remembered that Jesus was the one who commanded the earth.
That Jesus was the one who provided for them.
That Jesus was the one who cared for them more than life itself.
They would have been so calm on that boat.
Here’s the thing: Sometimes Peace makes us look irresponsible, look naive, look foolish. But it was Paul who said
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Afterall, how silly would Bartholomew looked if he would have just sat down, while all the other Apostles were running around trying to batten down the hatches?!
Paul finishes with these words.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Let’s be a people who think about these things.
When Satan tries to tell you lies remember what Christ says in that moment.
When Satan tries to get you to dishonor someone by thinking negatively or inappropriately about them choose to honor b/c even though they might not know your thoughts they are Christ’s creation and He know’s our thoughts and desires “He know’s the minds of men”.
Choose to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves
Choose to be pure:
When an impure thought comes into your head replace it with a pure one. Think on pure things. Don’t let you mind go down the road.
Choose to think on the good things God has done or is doing in your life and of those lives around you.
When I look around me, at the people around me, I cannot possibly doubt who God is or what He is doing.
And when I am down, when my focus is in the wrong place
I can look at those people’s lives and thank God for what He is doing.
When we are sad, when we are mad, when we have chosen not to rejoice we need to stop, take a breath and remember who is in the bowels of the boat.
Jesus didn’t come to bring peace between good and evil.
The Prince of Peace came to bring peace to those who find thier completeness in HIM.
If you want to feel that peace today I urge you to come forward and give your life to the Prince of Peace.
Christ says,
So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
Jesus wants to give each and every person a PEACE that SURPASSES UNDERSTANDING.
If you haven’t been taking hold of that peace and you have given your life to the PRINCE OF PEACE and want someone to pray over you during our response time come to one of our prayer warriors???
1 Timothy “Take hold”