The Power of Peace

The Power of Peace Pastor Noelle Huether What do you think about when I say the word, “Peace”? God has been teaching me recently about experiencing Peace in the Moment, right now, right here. God is showing me how to have calm, contentment, joy and peace all wrapped up in one, anytime, anywhere, during the sweet moments with a friend or even in the chaotic moment when life is falling apart all around me. What does this peace look like? Is it for a moment or can we experience peace all day long? Is it like, PUFF! We have peace? Or is there more to it? How are we changed when we experience His peace? The journey to understanding the Power of God’s Peace started with last week’s sermon. Leave it up to God to tie everything together, right? In order to see how these Scriptures work together, please open your Bibles, or your Bible apps. This really is powerful if you choose to take hold of this amazing gift! Colossians 3:12-15 (verses 12-14 from last Sunday) 12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, Stop…. You and I are… God’s chosen, He chose us! We are holy! And we are beloved by God! Let that just sink in a bit… Read with me… 12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. According to this verse, what is love to do? Love binds what together in perfect harmony? WOW! But wait, there’s more! This last verse is the clincher…. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. What is this “Peace of Christ”? Really, what is it. I think most of us here may have touched it for a brief moment or two. But Paul is telling us here, “The peace of Christ” can RULE in our hearts. And you know what, if he could experience Roman jail cells, beatings, whippings, being stranded at sea, betrayal by his own people, etc, and at the same time let this Peace of Christ rule in his heart, I want it too! But first, what is this Peace of Christ Paul is talking about? John 14:27 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 hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Question, how does the world give peace? (money, security systems, bigger houses, better jobs, national security, low gas prices, low unemployment rate, drugs, alcohol, entertainment, oh, and don’t leave out the chocolate!…) Ok, Jesus says He does not give us the same peace the world gives. I wonder as Christians, do we desire and chase after the peace the world gives like that list we came up with? But Jesus desires us to have His peace. So, what is His Peace? This is where I got chocked up when Jesus revealed to me the Power of HIS Peace. The SOURCE of Jesus’ peace is Heaven. He willingly left Heaven to come to earth, to our dirty, sinful, painful, earth filled with evil. The baby in the manger was called “The Prince of Peace”. The PATIENCE of Jesus’ peace is displayed as His family rejected Him, His own people denied Him, the teachers and scribes of the Law who should have recognized him, instead planned to kill him. The POWER of Jesus’ peace strengthened Him as He was beaten, as He carried His cross through the mocking crowds, and as the very people He created nailed Him to the cross. How do I know He had peace while going through all that? 1 – He had the power to leave anytime He wanted to, but didn’t 2 – He said, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.” Because Jesus’ heart was ruled by peace just as we see in Colossians 12-15. Jesus not only was as a lamb to the slaughter, meek and humble, but He also only forgave. And He bore all our sins. Colossians 3:12-13 12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. He forgave in torture, in the chaos, in the pain, in the mockery, and yes, even while fully exposed. That is what the Peace of Christ looks like. When we let our hearts be ruled by His peace, we can do the same. Now the big question, How? How can you and I live everyday letting our hearts be ruled by the Peace of Christ. John 14:27 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 hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Looking back at John 14, Jesus tells us it is a choice. He freely gives us His peace, but it is one or the other. Our hearts and minds cannot contain both His Peace and the peace of this world. It is either one or the other. We can’t be sinning and be holy at the same time? Can you have complete peace and anxiety or fear at the same moment? Remember, God did not give us a spirit of fear, but one of love, power and a sound mind as in 2 Timothy 1:7. Either one or the other. God’s way, or the world’s way. You get to choose. John 16:23 “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Philippians 4:4-9 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 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. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Each of us can receive Jesus’ promise of His Peace by turning from evil and doing good. We must seek peace, even pursue it. This means we must be steadfast mentally, unwavering in faith, resolute. Prayer can help attain Peace by giving God our guilt, sin, worry, fears and anxiety while thanking Him for His perfect work in our lives. In exchange, He will fill our hearts and minds with His Perfect and Powerful Peace! Even, no, ESPECIALLY in the chaotic, painful, terrifying times, if we choose. Isaiah 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trust in you. I believe God’s Word. I believe we can live all day with Jesus’ peace ruling our hearts. Will we start at this moment living without sin and perfectly in His peace? Most likely not. It’s a journey, remember. It is about choosing, moment by moment, to be more like Jesus as in Colossians 3, keeping our mind focused on honorable things as in Philippians 4, fleeing from sin and choosing God’s perfect grace when we do. Let’s pray.