What is Peace
Fruit of the Spirit • Sermon • Submitted
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What is Peace?
What is Peace?
Well hey guys!
I really hope that you have been enjoying yourself tonight.
It is so good to be here with you all!
Welcome and big shout out to our new 6th graders!
If you are a new 6th grader go ahead and rise up.
If you are an 8th grader who is now a freshmen in high school will you rise up.
And lastly if you are senior who graduated in the year 2020 which will never be forgotten, will you rise up?
HERE COMES THE GENERAL!
Sorry, I cannot get those Hamilton songs out of my head.
Alright!
Well, thank you everyone for coming out tonight!
I know that this season of youth group has been really different, and I just want to say thanks for showing up in your discipleship groups and participating.
If you are new to all of this, we have been studying the fruits of the spirit, which is found in Galatians 5
It says this:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
We have take love and joy and have had a chance to discuss these emotions and how we can display them for others.
With the intent of showing them the love of Christ.
Well this week we are talking about peace!
And next week as you jump back into your d-groups John Peterson is actually going to be sharing with you about Patience, it is going to be great and you will not want to miss that!
For tonight however we are going to discuss peace.
If you have your Bibles go ahead and open to Mark 4:35-41
I want to just give you a little bit on context on what is happening before we read this section.
Jesus has started his ministry.
A large crowd has gathered around him.
Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.
Then Jesus is telling all about some parables- these are earthly stories told to convey a spiritual teaching.
And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables,
Jesus loved doing this.
and in this chapter alone Jesus talks about 3 parables
He is teaching the crowds and it was a large crowd that gathered.
He taught all day and at the end he was like lets get in the boat and cross over and this is where we are picking up the story.
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 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?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
So lets talk about the scenario that the disciples have found themselves in.
Jesus had just spoke all day, dropping knowledge on the peps.
He is tired, exhausted- Speaking is tiring, I get tired after speaking for 20 min, and Jesus has spoken all day he had to be wiped out.
Maybe you are not catching this, I am so exhausted that i wake up from my nap, worried I am going to be late for the bus to take me to school.
Now am not saying Jesus was worried about missing the bus here but he was for sure tired, as he goes to the stern and falls asleep.
The rest of the crew is awake, and they come upon a storm, it is a nasty storm, that is cause the boat to take on water.
They are afraid and they go down and wake up Jesus.
Jesus stands up and is like storm, knock it off and it does.
Then he rebukes those on the boat— where is your faith— which he had literally just talked about all day.
He then get a window into what the disciples thought of Jesus. They had not made the connection that he was the son of God yet, but they are starting to be a little suspicious, because even the winds and sea obey him.
So all of this is happening.
I want to breakdown 3 points before we go tonight.
1. Hearing is not enough
2. Storms will rock you
3. Jesus promises Peace
Lets look at the first one
1. Hearing is not enough
1. Hearing is not enough
You can go back and read all of chapter 4 to find this out, but Jesus is talking a lot about believing and having faith.
Jesus is talking about the parable of the sower where the word “(the SEED)”falls on different soils and some seed never reaching the soil.
Some spring up fast but dies because they have not roots- so when the hard stuff happens in life they bounce.
Another falls on those in the middle of thorns where your roots can grow, but when you rise up, you get choked by the world and realize going with the world is easier than being rooted in the word.
And lastly the one that falls on good soil- they hear the word- they hang on the vine- they bear good fruit.
Then Jesus talks about in a dark room you would never cover a light with a basket so the light could not be shown, how much greater our need in this dark world to be lights.
Then Jesus talks about the parable of the seed growing- A farmer throws seed out and to his surprise it grows.
The purpose here is that God takes care of the seed- The farmer plays a minimal role in the growing the seed.
The New American Commentary: Mark (3) The Parable of the Seed Growing Spontaneously (4:26–29)
The parable of the seed growing by itself has its own unique message to convey. Determining the precise focus of the parable is difficult. The sower plays a minimal role. Furthermore, the seed grows without his effort (or lack of effort) and in a way that is a mystery. The success of the Christian message similarly does not depend upon human effort or understanding—though Christians certainly need to scatter the seed—but upon divine power. It will succeed precisely because God is active.
But in the end of the parable a word of caution is given that the harvest is coming, judgement will come, the kingdom will come.
The last parable is the one about a mustard seed.
Jesus points out the kingdom of God is like that of a mustard seed.
While it may be similar to the one above.
This parable is talking about the beginning and endings.
That while the kingdom of God may seem so small the end life of a mustard seed is this huge and massive tree that stands anywhere between 10 to 12 feet tall.
Despite it being one of the smallest seeds.
It is about the beginning and ending not so much the growth.
It is the contrast here we must focus on.
This is all based strictly on the death and resurrection of Christ- that is the spark if you will— where the listeners would have been more at the beginning seeing the seed being planted, where we are more at the end with God building his Kingdom.
The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Gospel of Mark Two More Parables about Seed (4:26–32)
The two parables of vv. 26–32 thus both warn against underestimating the significance of the proclamation of the kingdom of God, however unimpressive its initial impact may seem. What has begun in the Galilean ministry of Jesus will, by the power of God, one day prove to be of ultimate significance. If for the time being its power is hidden, it is not for that reason any less certain, and its growth will be spectacular.
All of these stories were told and we had a chance to break them down and figure out what they meant.
I use different sources to help me understand the text of scripture.
but the people here did not have that, so they may have walked away going— what is he saying?
have you ever heard something and you were greatly confused by it?!
I have.
Maybe you are not now.
But Jesus took his disciples aside and explained everything.
With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
While we may not get it right away, Jesus told point blank to his disciples what everything meant.
He explained it all.
They may have heard but they were not listening really well.
Or maybe they forgot.
May of you know that we have a puppy, he is a double-doodle named Albus.
He is super cute.
Well, our girls are in love with him, and our oldest loves giving him kisses.
Here is the problem she get right into his face, and while it is cute, Albus not a huge fan of someone being in his face all the time, so he licks but it does often come at her bearing his teeth.
and i think we have told her about 300 times to stop doing it, he doesn’t like it, but yet she keeps forgetting.
Anybody else have short term memory about things?
Like someone tells you to do this instead or to not do this, you give them great advice then they forget, or someone gives you some advice and you figure nah ill do it my way.
Here is why i believe we forget, because we are only hearing and not listening.
and hear not enough.
Listening is taking in what someone says and you act upon what they say.
You store it in your heart, you show it to those around you, you plant it somewhere else and you watch it start out small and change into something larger over time.
That is what the disciples would have heard if they had listened to Jesus.
That they were not in control but that God was- He will take care of them.
Hearing is not enough, but we must back it up with action.
and not action that is doing the same thing over and over again and it keeps failing- that is the definition of insanity- doing the same thing expecting a different result.
But what needs to happen is action that changes the outcome
So when the storm rose against them and they were taking on water— and they were not experiencing peace— their world was getting rocked— how did they respond?
JESUS HELPS US WE ARE GOING TO DROWN DON’T YOU CARE ABOUT US!?!?!
Jesus was sleeping- He had confidence in God that the boat was not going to sink.
He was not worried- it was in God’s control.
The disciples were because they were only hearing what Jesus was saying.
How often do we do this through?
We only hear a message, or only hear the word but it fails to make the connection from ears to heart to action.
Point number 2
2. Storms will rock you
2. Storms will rock you
The disciples quickly found this to be true.
They were on the open sea and a storm came on them.
It rocked them!
They had such a great day with Jesus!
He was speaking truth bombs!
They learned a lot, and the crowd that came up was huge!
It was a great day! Then bam! Storm!
There was yelling, blaming, hysterics, and probably crying.
Does this sound like a storm that you face in your life?
E-Learning for school this year.
A global pandemic
Parents getting a divorce
A parent on their deathbed
Lose of a sibling
Best friend just bounced
Boy friend just dumped you
Girl friend just cheated on you
Lose of a job
totaled your car
WE COULD BE HERE FOR HOURS TALKING ABOUT STORMS IN OUR LIVES.
Every time they hit they stink!
They hurt every time!
They rock your world every time
You weep, you yell, you scream, and cry.
Storms do not care that you are 5 or 99 years old- they will hit and keep hitting you over and over again.
And when you have no one to hold to through those storms they will eat you alive.
They will cause you great pain and sorrow.
This is just a reality check.
You need to know that eventually you will get hit by a storm and it will hurt.
Live is not all rainbow and butterflies.
We are not promised an easy life.
Jesus knows this
I think that is why he said this in:
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
While you may have hardships and trials— Jesus does promise peace.
This is our last point as we wrap up here.
3. Jesus Promises Peace
3. Jesus Promises Peace
Jesus heard the cries of his disciples, he did not rebuke them right then and there.
He did not tell them to have faith when they were going through the storm.
He took care of the storm first and then he came back to them.
He calms the storm by saying Peace, be still!
You see when life is throwing you storm after storm and you keep on trying to stand up to it on your own and you are worn down and wore out— Jesus looks at your storms and says peace— be still.
It is interesting that Jesus would rebuke them by saying, why are you afraid, he wasn't calling them chickens, but he was disappointed that they failed to believe in him.
When we experience worry and we are afraid I am not trusting in Jesus.
The one and only one who can take my storms and say peace.
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.
The Peace that Jesus gives is far greater than any peace that this world offers.
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.
Do not be afraid of this world.
It is going to rock you but Jesus overcame this world.
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.”
He knows life is going to be hard you will have tribulation— but HE OVERCAME IT!
Jesus is not giving you advice to only turn around and do whatever he wants.
He lived it, he expereiced it, and HE OVERCAME IT.
Peace is trusting in Jesus- no matter the circumstance- Peace is knowing that Jesus is fully in charge.
The fruit of the spirit is peace that is given by the Holy Spirit is the understanding that you cannot do this life alone and this is perfectly fine because you have a savior that stands up to your storm and says PEACE--- BE STILL.
THAT IS WHY WE CAN HAVE PEACE!
My desire is to see believers that when waters get choppy and the storms are raging on we do not get on our soapboxes and elevate our political party, the president, some Hollywood celebrity BUT WE GET ON OUR SOAPBOXES AND ELEVATE CHRIST ALONE!
You want peace— Jesus is peace
Know Jesus Know Peace
NO JESUS Means No Peace
Do you want peace today?
Then put your trust in Him so you can experience Peace that surpasses all understanding!
Let’s pray!