Palms of Peace
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Intro
Intro
Today is Palm Sunday.
A day in which we remeber Jesus Entry into Jerusalem.
It was also not just any old day. This event took place on a major Jewish religious day.
The Passover.
The Passover was a celebrated day of remembrance: It was the day the people celebrated How God passed over their houses in Egypt and judged the houses of the slavemasters.
It was a day of cewlebration because it was the day God set His people free from EWgyptian Slavery.
It was a celebration of Peace.
Peace is intergral to the ministry of Jesus.
It was prophicesed that the Messiah would bring peace:
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
At his birth the angels came announced:
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
And now at his triumphal entry the people wave palm branches and shout:
38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.
Lets tal;k about peace today. But not just any peace, true peace.
The bible tells us that there are 3 kinds of peace:
1: Worldly peace.
2: False Peace
3: True Peace
Lets look at worldly peace.
Jesus made it clar that the perace he gives is not the same peace that the world offers.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
The world definds peace as an absance of trouble.
Its not an unattractive model but lets see what it means.
According to the world for there to be peace we have to remove all forms of trouble.
We need to eliminate poverty.
Violence.
Greed.
Selfishness
Hatred
Racism
Vengence
Sickness.
Disease.
The list goes on and on and on.
And the more you look at it the more you see that its not possible.
Why is it not possible?
because Humans being exists, therefore anger, greed, hatred and selfishness will always exist.
How could we forget that even in a perfect world, with more than enough and no enemies to fight 2 brothers got in a fight and one sley the other: Cain and Able.
The world peace is nothing but a hopeless dash towards a constantly moving goal post.
Finish school and you will have peace - wrong.
get your degree and you will have peace - wrong
Get a job and you will have peace - wrong
Get a permanent position and you will have peace - wrong
Get the promotion and you wiill have peace - wrong again
And because worldly peace depends on the absance of trouble - when you do inevitbly encounter trouble your peace goes out the window.
Worldly peace, if it even were possible for 1 hour, would not last 1 second because it is just so impossibly fragile.
Next we have false peace.
False peace is a lie told by leaders to manipulate their hearers.
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
The false prophets and prients were treating the surface would while leaving the core festering and telling the people “Its all better”.
again God says:
10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter:
Let me tell you plainly today:
False peace is a quest to solve symtoms and not causes.
Its like the old illastration of a skunk in the wall.
A couple came hom to a skunk in their wall, so they got an automatic spray, lots of pine scented hangers and put it all over the house to get rid of the terrible smell.
1 week later they come back and smell is still there! What are we goint o do? Getting rid of the skunk would be a start!!!
At any given time there is a quick, temporty solution to your issue or there is a permanient cure for the disease.
Its interisting that God makes special mention of false teachers being primarly responcible for giving people false hope.
How many people have been told that God will heal them, when he has not.
How many people have been told that God has a wondeful plan for their lives when maybe he does not, at least not in the way the false teaches said.
False hope is nothing more than a dirty bandaid on a fatal wound.
It never solves the problem.
This leads us to the final peace.
True Peace.
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Immedietly in this 1 verse we see how different the Peace of God is.
Unlike the peace of the world, the peace of God is not about the absance of struggle but rather all about the presence of God.
Also unlike false peace, the peace of God is not based on a lie but on truth.
The peace of God is not based on anything in the world or in your life.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
The peace of God does not make sense. Its illogical, not logical.
God says that this peace will pass your understanding.
Its also translated as comprehension - its literally your mind.
The peace of God will pass over your mind.
You are not a fool.
You know how the world works.
You know what circumstances lead to peace and wht circumstances lead to chaos.
By all natural instinct, the christian should be stressed, paniced and afraid, yet, without making sense or even being able to explain it - you are at perfect peace in Jesus Christ.
The Peace of God is a peace that protects.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Notice that God peace protects both your heart and mind.
Your heart is the seat of your emotions. When your emotion are badly hurt then peace is hard to come by so God protects your heart.
Your mind is the seat of your intellect. When our mind is stressed and anxious again peace is hard to find to the Peace of God protects your mind.
How do we get such peace?
Church let me make this plain:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
The Peace of God is a blessing each and every one of us has already recieved when we called on the name of the Lord.
When you recieved, by faith, the gift of everlasting life - at the same time you recieved the Peace of God.
You not having this peace is only possible for these reasons:
1: You have not repented and put your faith in Jesus Christ.
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
2: Habitual sin.
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
David makes it clear: If i maintain a habitual sin that goes unconfessed and un-mortified - God will close his ear to my prayers.
3: A rebelious lack of faith.
Let me make this clear: This is not some prosperity gospel tripe me saying you need more faith.
But look at what Charles ministered last week:
23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
Thair fear of the circumstances was a result of their lack of faith - we know this because Jesus himself said so.
So how do we get more faith?
That answer is very easy:
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Conclusion: