Watching Fear turn to Peace
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Reading: PS103
Intro: I like to observe people. There is something glorious about watching the straight face of a child rise to a big grin. I love to see small children all giddy as they take their parents hand and dance as they head towards the waters edge. Or to see a person gripped in fear sigh and relax as their whole body lets go of the tension that had made their heart race.
I believe God likes to see these things too. God knows we need peace in life. He has done everything to make it possible in spite of ourselves and the world we live in.
1.For fear to turn to peace, we must believe in the work of God.
1.For fear to turn to peace, we must believe in the work of God.
The disciples start with a statement of affirmation.
The disciples start with a statement of affirmation.
Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.”
In the context we see:
The Disciples were having problems with understanding. 14.22; 16.29
The work of the Holy Spirit 16.1-15
Turning Sorrow into Joy 16-24
Jesus teaching them straight up 25-29
The Disciples make a confession of what they do understand
Jesus knows all
People never win when trying to prove Him wrong. It is futile
Jesus is from God the Father
This confession is accurate, true, and it will help them the rest of their lives.
When we have questions on what God is doing, it helps to state what we know is true about God!
When we have questions on what God is doing, it helps to state what we know is true about God!
Sometimes in life, lists help. While I am a planner, I am nowhere near the “list maker” my wife is. She has a list for everything.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
Have you grown in your understanding of God from where you were last year?
Can you list a dozen things you know to be true of God?
2.Fear turns to peace when we trust God while He does His work.
2.Fear turns to peace when we trust God while He does His work.
Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.
Oh we all say we trust God, but we still want Him to do things our way! We want God to trust our way of thinking rather than us trusting His way of thinking.
Jesus makes it clear that He understands when we want to run.
Jesus makes it clear that He understands when we want to run.
There is no doubt that Jesus knew the fear they would soon feel. He tells them to their face that they are going to run home real soon.
Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
also similar in Mk 14 & Jn 10.12 - though not the same situation
I think He asks them if they believe (16.31) so that it will echo in their minds in the hours after they have tried to hide away.
No doubt that if Jesus would have risen politically, as the disciples hoped, they would have been bold at Jesus’ side. Yet God knew that before the brighter days that will surely come, there would be some hard changes to their expectations.
Feelings of self preservation are normal. However, they are not always helpful, or what is best. A few weeks ago Barb and I were walking the beach on a nice sunny day. Just after we started, I saw ahead of us on the beach several people running into the water and swimming out to sea as fast as they could. As we continued up the beach I saw them reach a young girl who was swimming outside the flags and had gotten in real danger. By the time we got to that section of beach they had her standing in the shallow water and were helping her ashore.
Now self preservation would tell us that if one person was in danger, we too might be in danger. People have died at that spot before. However, self preservation was not best because someone needed to be saved!
God understands our desire to run, to stay safe, to protect ourselves, However, He knows people need to be saved. They are going under with guilt and shame and sin.
Jesus makes it clear that both He and God’s plan, are not dependent on our participation.
Jesus makes it clear that both He and God’s plan, are not dependent on our participation.
The world does not revolve around our happiness. We all know that, but we still wish it did!
Despite what CATASTROPHISTS say, the world is hurtling towards God’s planned end. We have the choice to be a part and reap the benefits or not be involved and reap the consequences.
For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
The Disciples will leave Him alone. (there in the heart of v32)
Alone can be a horrible thing. God said way back in
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
When “alone” means no friends, no one to share life with, and social isolation, it can hurt deeply. God knew this from the beginning.
God is Triune - three in one. He Himself has fellowship within the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is not alone and did not make us to be alone.
So, if we know this about God, we should never seek to live in social isolation.
Jesus knows that the Father will continue to be with Him through the mock trial that is just ahead.
He will endure things we would never want to face.
He will be wrongly accused
He will be struck
He will be paraded around all night in an effort to make some accusations stick so they can condemn Him
He will be abused by soldiers
He will be condemned by religious leaders and political leaders
He will be spat on
He will have to listen to their insults
He will be physically tortured
Yet through all this, He will know 2 things. He is doing His Father’s will and His Father is not leaving Him alone.
So He stands by His earlier statement:
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
3.Fear turns to peace when we apply God’s perspective.
3.Fear turns to peace when we apply God’s perspective.
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.”
Peace - but also tribulations - troubles.
I do not think we can know peace if we have never seen trouble.
How could we know calm if we had never felt the wind blow?
How would we know peace if that was all we had ever experienced?
We can take heart because we know our Bible.
O Lord, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works.
Jesus has overcome! He has “done it all for us”!
Yes, He asks us to follow Him.
Yes, He has work that He has prepared in advance for us.
Yes we will have people around us who need to be saved!
Yes we will find ourselves dependent on the Spirit to give us strength and guide us in each step of each day.
In all that life is throwing in your face, know we are not alone! God has given us the peace. Jesus has overcome (past tense - even before the cross).
Conclusion: God knows we need peace in life. He has done everything to make it possible in spite of ourselves and the world we live in.
Conclusion: God knows we need peace in life. He has done everything to make it possible in spite of ourselves and the world we live in.
2022 will have its troubles - it already has. Troubles will continue to bombard us until we are in the presence of God.
Even our AGM in a few minutes will be trouble for some in one way or another. The reality is that through life’s tribulations we can overcome and enjoy the “peace of God that surpasses all understanding” Phil 4.7
1.Do you know the peace of God that comes from His forgiveness?
2.Do we believe and trust God? Can we give an example of one time in the last month that shows we believe and trust Him?
3.We can’t have God’s perspective without knowing His Word. How do you plan on getting to know your Bible better this year?