God's Peace

There was a widow who had “Rest In Peace” put on her husband’s tombstone.

When she found out that he left her out of his will, she had added to it these words, “TILL I COME.”

Peace – this is something we all desire – we all want to experience.

Webster defines peace as a state of tranquility or quiet; freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions; it refers to a calm.

In our sermon series Overcoming the Giant of Fear we recognize that there are numerous fears that assail us in life and one thing fear seeks to do is to paralyze us – to trouble us – to pulsate it’s agitating feelings of anxiety and fret and worry and panic! It seeks to destroy the calm

Over the previous weeks we’ve dealt with worry and how to overcome it, the storms of life and hiwvJesus can calm them, how much God really cares and loves us and last week how we must trust God when the fears batter us. Today we’re going to consider God’s peace – the peace He can and does provide to calm our hearts and souls.

There are numerous passages in the Bible that speak to us of the peace of God. Today we’re going to zero in on 3 of them: Isaiah 26:3-4 ; John 14:27 ; and Philippians 4:6-7 …read them all…

Isaiah 26:3–4 NASB95

“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. “Trust in the Lord forever, For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.

John 14:27 NASB95

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

Philippians 4:6–7 NASB95

Be anxious for nothing, 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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

There are 3 things I want us to consider this morning. 1st consider…

1. The Source of Peace

- The Bible makes is clear: God is the source of peace – over and over God is referred to as the God of peace – and since He is the God of peace, then He is the source for peace.

- As with every blessing in the Christian life, peace comes from all 3 persons of the Trinity. The oft repeated salutation in the NT epistles – Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ – indicates that God the Father and Jesus Christ are the source of peace. And it is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to impart this peace to believers as Galatians 5:22 indicates peace is 1 of the fruits of the Spirit.

- The world tries to find peace – and it bases it on its resources - but the world can’t find (achieve) it a part from God – because real peace is based upon a relationship – a relationship with God!

TS – 2nd consider…

2. The Gift of Peace

- 1st to receive this peace you have…

1) To make peace with God

- This is why Jesus, the Son of God, came into this world to die on a cross and pay the price for your sins.

- As Romans 5:1 says: 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

- When you place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ – when you ask Him to forgive you for your sins and to come into your life – you receive – experience - peace with God and you become right with God!

- And peace with God is the bedrock on which all other peace is based. If there is no peace with God – if you have no peace with God, then you can’t have any real peace in this life.

- What this means is this: non-Christians can never fully experience real peace in this life. Any peace that may have is pseudo-peace.

- But when you make your peace with God, you can experience the peace God gives to your heart and soul.

TS - And then you must do this…

2) Keep your mind stayed on God (Isa. 26:3-4; Phil. 4:6)

- Isaiah 26:3-4 expresses it so clearly - and I love the way the AMP Bible translates it: 3 You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. 4 So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].

- What must you do? You must keep your mind fixed on the Lord – steadfast on Him – leaning on Him, depending on Him! This shows you’re total dependence on the Lord.

- And when you do here’s the promise: The Lord will keep you in perfect peace – the Hebrew word shalom (peace) is used here twice repetitively to express this perfect (complete) peace the Lord will give you.

- You see, the Lord is your everlasting Rock!

TS – 3rd consider…

3. The Result of Peace

1) It will give you reassurance. (John 14:27)

- In John 14:27 Jesus said some very comforting words to His disciples as they were troubled in their hearts.

- Again the AMP captures it beautifully: 27 Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

- Jesus gave peace – His peace – to his heart troubled disciples – Jesus’ gave them His peace to calm their troubled hearts.

- He gives you His peace to calm your troubled heart every time you need it – stop allowing your heart to be fearful and intimidated when fears sails upon you – Jesus is here to give you His peace – which is greater than anything the world can give you.

TS – and…

2) It will guard you. (Phil. 4:6-7)

- Paul says in the Philippians 4:6-7: 6 Be anxious for nothing, 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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

- When you pray and pour your heart out to God, the promise is this: His peace will flood your troubled soul beyond your ability to understand it…and it will GUARD your heart.

- Guard is a military term which means to protect or garrison –

- God’s peace will protect and guard 2 areas that create worry: (1) the heart (wrong feelings) (2) the mind (wrong thinking).

Conclusion

The story is told of a frightened soldier who was running from sniper bullets one day and dove into a bunker thinking that he was alone. To his surprise another soldier crawled into the bunker as well. The second soldier happened to be wearing a cross around his neck.

“Thank goodness you’re here”, said the frightened soldier, pointing to the cross around the other soldier’s neck. And he asked, “How do you work that thing anyway?” Well, let me say this, the cross of Christ isn’t something you “work”. It is something that works for you - because you can have 100 crosses around your neck, and still not be related to Jesus Christ or enjoy His peace in your heart. If you want peace, then make your peace with God by giving Him your heart and your entire life.

How true – the only way you can enjoy His peace – experience His peace in it’s fullness – peace with God and peace from God - is to make sure you know Him and you are steadfastly leaning on Him – depending on Him – trusting in Him every day!