 | |
What is peace?
What is your idea of being at peace?
Is it a place?
 | Being at home alone after the kids have gone to school |
| Fishing on a cool mountain stream during springtime |
| A cool fall day on the golf course |
Is it a circumstance?
| All the bills are paid |
| All deadlines are met/no job pressures |
| A night at home when no one has to be anywhere |
| No homework |
| Everyone is healthy |
Financial institutions advertise that peace is a result of wise financial
investments. Insurance companies advertise that having a medical
supplement and/or life insurance policies will give you peace of mind.
These things are good and certainly can make life a little better but there
is only one source of true peace. Jehovah Shalom (The Lord is Peace).
Galatians 5:22 says peace is the fruit of the Spirit - "But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Against such things there is no
law."
Isaiah 9:6 says Jesus is the Prince of Peace - "For
to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his
shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
In John 14:27 Jesus said -
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as
the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be
afraid."
Notice in the following verses how Paul (an apostle of the
Lord Jesus Christ) greeted the saints in Rome:
| Romans 1:7 "To
all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and
peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." |
| I Corinthians 1:3 "Grace
and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." |
| Ephesians 1:2 "Grace
and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." |
| Galatians 1:3 "Grace
and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave
himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to
the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever.
Amen." |
| Philippians 1:2 "Grace
and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." |
| Colossians 1:2 "To
the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace
to you from God our Father." |
| I Thessalonians 1:1 "To
the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ: Grace and peace to you." |
| II Thessalonians 1:2 "Grace
and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." |
| I Timothy 1:2 "To
Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and
Christ Jesus our Lord." |
| II Timothy 1:2 "To
Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy
and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." |
| Titus 1:4 "To
Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace
and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior." |
| Philemon verse 3 "Grace
to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." |
It is obvious that grace and peace are the common denominators
in all of these verses. Peace is to be evident in our lives. It is
the peace of God that transcends all understanding that Paul is talking
about. Let's look at Philippians 4:4-7: "Rejoice
in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your
gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do
not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus."
Now look at II Thessalonians 2:16 "Now
may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every
way. The Lord be with all of you." According
to this verse, what is the source of peace, the Lord or the circumstance. Peace
has nothing at all to do with circumstances, but everything to do with knowing
our God.
God's word commands that we have peace in our lives no matter
the circumstances.
| Jesus said in John 15:27 "Peace
I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the
world gives. Do
not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." |
| II Corinthians 13:11 "Finally,
brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one
mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with
you." |
| Colossians 3:15 "Let
the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you
were called to peace. And be thankful." |
| I Thessalonians 5:13 "Hold
them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in
peace with each other." |
| I Peter 3:8 -12 "Finally,
all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as
brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do
not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because
to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For,
Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and
his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he
must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the
righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the
Lord is against those who do evil." |
| II Peter 3:14 "So then, dear
friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be
found spotless, blameless and at peace with him." |
| Romans 12:18 "If
it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with
everyone." |
| Romans 14:19 "Let
us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual
edification." (Every effort is an intense
pursuit leaving no stone unturned) |
| Hebrews 12:14 "Make
every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness
no one will see the Lord." |
Why do you suppose peace requires such an effort, an intense
effort? Now we know where peace comes from and that we are called to do
it, why then does it require so great an effort? According to Jesus as
recorded in John 16:33 - "I
have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this
world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the
world." Take note that Jesus said that we
would have trouble in this world. Sometimes we forget about the peace we
have in God because we get distracted by the troubles of this world. It is
a question of focus, are we focused on the troubles of this world or the peace
of God? Also look at Isaiah 57:21 - "There
is no peace, says my God, for the wicked." Where
do you suppose the wicked are who have no peace? They are with us on this
earth! We were all born into a sin nature which is the natural state of
man (no peace), at enmity with God. This is what the world has to offer
and it is what Satan accomplished in Adam. Christ overcame what the world
had to offer when He chose to die for you and me on the cross. That is why
Jesus said "But take
heart! I have overcome the world." Now
look at Romans 5:18-19 "Consequently,
just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the
result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all
men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were
made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made
righteous."
Peace requires an intense effort because:
| We still live in earthly bodies which require us to choose
each day whom we will serve. Even though we have been saved by God's
grace and are a part of the family of God, we still have to make a conscious
decision each day as to whether we will serve God or chase after what the
world has to offer. |
| We live in a world that offers earthly things, temporary
pleasures but at a high price:
 | work harder, go faster |
| make more money, spend more |
| satisfy material cravings |
| climb the corporate ladder whatever the cost |
|
How do we find peace in the midst of all the distractions?
| Romans 5:1-2 "Therefore,
since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this
grace in which we now stand." So the
first place to find peace is in Christ through receiving Him as our Lord
& Savior because Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the God of peace. |
| Romans 8:6-7 "The
mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life
and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to
God's law, nor can it do so." Now look
at Galatians 5:25 -
"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the
Spirit." So we choose daily to crucify
the flesh with its passions and desires and we choose God's way. We
walk by the Spirit, we set our minds on the Spirit. Isaiah 26:3
- "You will keep in
perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." |
| Trust God and take him at His Word.
| Romans 8:28 "And we
know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose." |
| I Peter 5:7
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." |
| I John 4:4 "You,
dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who
is in you is greater that the one who is in the world." |
| Joshua 1:9
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do
not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD
your God will be with you wherever you go." |
| Romans 8:38-39
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." |
| Romans 8:31
"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for
us, who can be against us?" |
| Philippians 4:6-7: Do
not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus." |
| Philippians 4:13 "I
can do everything through him who gives me strength." |
| Philippians 4:19
"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious
riches in Christ Jesus." |
| II Corinthians 12:9
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power
is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more
gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." |
| Lamentations 3:22-23
"Because of the LORD's
great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." |
|
You see, God's mercies are new every morning. He knows
your heart and he knows your needs. Take courage, no matter what
circumstances surround you, no matter what your status in life, no matter what
type of troubles you face, the Peace of God that passeth all understanding is
there for you. Look again at Philippians 4:7 - "And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus." John 16:33 - "I
have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this
world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the
world." When we come to Him in prayer with
thanksgiving, he promises peace that surpasses all understanding. He
promises peace. We must choose to accept that promise and take God at His
Word. We must appropriate that peace in our lives. In other words,
we must examine our life to see what is causing us anxiety or worry or loss of
contentment. In every circumstance, every situation you can choose panic,
chaos, worry, speculation or you can choose peace that comes from God.
Whenever you identify an area in your life that is causing anxiety or worry,
confess it to God in prayer and then apply God's peace to that specific area in
your life.
Conclusion
What will you choose to set your mind on? Philippians
4:8 - "Finally, brothers,
whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy--think about such things."
Bible verses referenced in this
presentation
are from the following translation:
New International Version
|
