Jesus gives me peace

Good morning,

For those of you that don’t know me I am Pastor Bill, I am one of the pastors on staff at NCCF.

The topic that I would like to share with you this morning is about how God gives us peace.

We all need more of that in our lives don’t we, especially as we see the world around us moving away from a God centered culture.

According to Statista.com

Based on pharmacy claims of those who filled at least one prescription for mental health medication in 2019.

This statistic shows the percentage of patients (excluding those on government-sponsored benefits) who filled a prescription for antidepressants in the U.S. in 2019, by state.

West Virginia topped the list at 16.4%

Washington state came in at 10.9%, 34th down the list

Hawaii came in last at 3.4%

Having peace in my life has been a quest of mine ever since I was young.

Like Solomon, I thought peace would come thru possessions.

If you are wired at all like me, offer up, Marketplace, and craigslist should not be apps on your phone trust me.

To continually look at things you want but can’t afford, it should be called insanity.

Especially for those of us who follow Jesus.

God’s word, and seeing Jesus reflected in the way I live and love others, are the only things that can bring true peace into my life.

Being caught between these 2 worlds causes us to be what James calls a double minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Nothing brings this into focus better than when you walk thru a possible life altering situation.

Lets pray

God’s word says so much about how to find and maintain peace.

Sometime do a Google search on how much the Bible talks about peace. But not now please.

Our road to peace begins with the place of salvation. The Bible declares that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

That is the beginning of our road to peace, it is worked out in our lives as we pick up our cross and follow Him.

It is completed when we can say the words that Jesus said to His Father, not my will but Your will be done.

Along this journey, through the chapters of our life so many things happen both good and bad.

This thought comes to me often:

What if everything that you experience here on earth was an opportunity to become more like Jesus than you were before?

We are learning how to think,act, and respond more like Him.

Here is a silly story to show what I mean; we are supposed to go on a family camp out in a few weeks so I took my trailer in to have the brakes checked. We got a call on Friday that told us that one of our axles needed to be replaced, and my response was to get angry.

My wife however responded by saying, I am so grateful that we found this out now instead of when we were going over the pass.

As you can see she is much farther along in her way of thinking like Jesus than I am.

However, it was an opportunity for me to change the way I think. Often times God will use others to help us in our transformation process.

Our first text this morning comes from

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 ESV: I have had a love hate relationship with this scripture for a long time, the heading for this section is, “final instructions and benediction”.

Paul has written this letter to the church and as he comes to the end, he has some final instructions for them

English Standard Version Chapter 5

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit.

Paul gives them, and us, 4 ways to be at peace

Rejoice always. Humanly speaking I find this impossible, but with God all things are possible.

A. 4 months ago I went in for my yearly visit to the doctor to get a renewal on my prescription. The doctor said, you are good for another 100,000. Then i told him that I have been getting up in the night to go to the bathroom. Blood tests revealed my PSA levels were elevated and had to see a urologist. He said biopsy. June 3rd biopsy happens. Return for results June 9

B. I share this story because physically I couldn't find 1 thing to rejoice about. However spiritually it was a completely different story. God made His presence known like never before. Scripture was alive, words to songs were life giving. In the midst of possibly leaving earth prematurely, I never felt more alive.

C. God showed me that I could rejoice always, even in the midst of the unknown.

2. Pray without ceasing. Again humanly speaking, i find this to be impossible, but with God, all things are possible.

A. Did you know that you can occupy 2 places at the same time? Brother Lawrence taught me this in his book, The practice of the presence of God. He had a job washing dishes, but learned how to pray while he worked. Our physical body can be doing one thing, and the spirit man inside of us, something completely different.

B. During my ordeal with my prostate, I found myself praying for my doctors and nurses, talking with God, feeling at complete peace, and all the while my body was experiencing a blood pressure of 170 over 100. Being in 2 places at once is possible.

3. Give thanks in all circumstances

A. Remember I said I had a love hate relationship with this scripture. This is where it is. Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

B. Every time I reuse to give thanks or be thankful, this verse pops into my head. It is a great reminder for me because more than anything else in life, I want to be in God’s will.

C. The Amplified Bible records verse 18 like this; In every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

D. As Paul Harvey used to say, now for the rest of the story. During the week of my biopsy I thought I had Covid, and also lost the use of my left hand, it just started swelling up and I couldn’t move it. The day after the biopsy I went to the walk in clinic, who sent me to the ER. They did all sorts of tests and filled me with antibiotics, only to find more questions than answers. It was at that time my nurse Melissa asked if I wanted her to check to see if my biopsy results had come in. as she returned she boldly proclaimed that all 12 biopsy’s were negative.

The words of a song my 5 year old grandson had taught me that he learned at VBS came out of my mouth thru the overflow of emotion, My God is so big and so strong, there is nothing that my God cannot due.

4. Verse 19; Don’t quench the Spirit

A. Did you know that we can quench the Holy Spirit?

B. Paul is warning his readers here against dousing or smothering the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who warms the heart to love God and others. The Spirit inspires believers to serve God faithfully, to worship, to pray, and to encourage others.Resisting the Spirit’s ministry leads to a lukewarm attitude to the things that are important to God.

C. The Amplified Bible translates this verse like this; Do not quench [subdue, or to be unresponsive to the working and guidance of the Holy Spirit].

The place of true peace in our lives comes as we embrace these 4 things.

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit.

The world around us is desperate to find a person of peace, they just don’t know it yet.

Luke 10 Jesus appoints and sends out 72 people to go into the towns that He plans to visit, and He tells them these words;

Luke 10:5-6 ESV

English Standard Version Chapter 10

5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.

They went out looking for sons of peace, won’t you be the one they are looking for?

You may be here this morning and you haven’t experienced the peace that I have been talking about, that peace that can only com from Jesus. It begins by calling on the name of the Lord to be saved.

Or maybe you are here today and you know that peace but want to experience it on a much deeper level it is available, not my will but Your will be done in my life.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 ESV

English Standard Version Chapter 5

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.