24-0121p Transcript

Preacher: Jim Lokenbauer

(0:42) Jesus was stealing the nerves of his disciples who were going to be facing a lot of adversity.

(0:52) And a lot of, have a lot of questions seeing their Lord up on the cross. (0:58) He just wanted to put his peace in their hearts, to get them through it. (1:04) So this morning I beat everybody up with the lesson.

Today I’m going to bring you the salve. (1:11) I’d like to talk to you about peace. (1:14) It won’t be an exhaustive study on the subject, but it will give us a good understanding of biblical peace.

(1:23) Our word peace comes from the Greek word Irene. (1:29) If you know any women named Irene, her name means peace in Greek. (1:36) I believe Ruth’s mom’s middle name was Irene.

(1:41) It describes harmonious relationships between people and nations, friendliness, freedom from molestation, tranquility, and quietness. (1:53) Peace is one of the nine mentioned fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5, 22 and 23. (2:03) These fruits are a gift from God.

(2:07) So when you get peace from God, you get a special kind of peace. (2:12) God’s peace. (2:14) The word peace is found in most of the New Testament books.

(2:18) And if we do a study on peace, there is enough examples for us to get a good idea on how to get peace in our lives. (2:27) This morning we mentioned how everybody in the congregation is either taking their lumps or knows people who have really gone through a lot and even have died. (2:41) And this morning’s subject was prayer in adverse times.

(2:49) And tonight is going to be on how to get peace during those times. (2:56) So how do we get peace in our lives in a world that is full of negative energy such as death, hate, evil, fear, anger, envy, strife, violence, (3:10) not to mention the negative energy we burden ourselves with like worry and anxiety and stress. (3:22) The list can go on and on and all of these negative emotions rob us of peace.

(3:29) First we must understand that there are no spiritual blessings outside of Christ. (3:37) Ephesians 1-3 tells us, so the peace the world may not know at times may be limited and may perhaps even be superficial and give us false sense of security. (3:52) But lasting peace that gives life to the body and soul comes from God.

(3:58) And we must go and seek God for that peace. (4:02) Jesus says in Matthew 11, 28-30, (4:34) Jesus says come unto me and I will give you rest. (4:40) He will give you his rest, his peace.

(4:45) In Jesus' day I’m sure it is still practiced around the world today. (4:49) Farmers would yoke an older ox or horse with a younger ox or horse. (4:58) And that experienced animal would teach the other animal how to behave, how to basically plow.

(5:07) And that’s what Christ is trying to picture here for us through metaphors. (5:14) In verse 29 he says, take my yoke upon you and learn from me. (5:19) He’s using the farmer metaphor to illustrate that he is the one who has the experience and can show us how to have rest, his rest, his peace in our lives.

(5:34) He is the older, more experienced one that we are to learn from. (5:39) And how comforting is it to know that we have a God who is patient and understanding with us. (5:46) Remember Jesus went through life being tempted in every way just as we are, yet he didn’t sin.

(5:55) So he’s the perfect teacher of moral and virtue and can give the most effective advice on life and how to avoid all those pitfalls of sin. (6:09) Jesus is humble and gentle. (6:12) He is never overbearing.

(6:14) He doesn’t abrade his followers. (6:19) In him we will find rest for our souls, peace. (6:24) Before Jesus was betrayed he was giving some last moment instructions and encouragement to his disciples.

(6:31) He said in John 16.33, I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. (6:40) In this world you will have trouble. (6:41) But take heart.

(6:43) I have overcome the world. (6:46) Jesus made a qualifying statement here. (6:48) He said in me you may have peace.

(6:53) You must be in Christ to receive spiritual blessings. (6:59) So how do we do that? (7:00) We all know the basics. (7:02) But it’s worth repeating.

(7:04) First step is to hear the good news, the gospel. (7:08) Hear the story of how Jesus loves us and died for us while we were sinners even. (7:15) And God sent Jesus to die on that cross so that if we believe in him we can have our sins washed away.

(7:25) And we know that God raised him from the dead and we have to believe that. (7:31) So we’ve got to believe what we hear in our hearts. (7:33) We’ve got to also decide in our heart to repent, which is to change.

(7:39) To decide to follow Christ’s teaching and become like him, full of love. (7:45) There’s not much to being a Christian. (7:49) Love and obedience to Christ.

(7:51) That’s really when you boil it down to its lowest common denominator. (7:59) That’s it. (8:01) But try and do it.

(8:04) Peace and truthful. (8:06) That’s what we must be. (8:08) Giving up the old way of life, which is contrary to God’s way.

(8:14) We also have to confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord. (8:18) And believe that God raised him from the dead. (8:22) And when we’re baptized we die with him.

(8:25) And then we raise up out of the water like him raising from the dead. (8:29) That’s how we get in Christ. (8:34) There are different ways to obtain peace while in Christ.

(8:39) First of all, it must be pursued. (8:42) The desire for it must be in our hearts. (8:47) In Psalm 34, 14, David says, (8:50) Turn from evil and do good.

(8:52) Seek peace and pursue it. (8:56) Romans 14, 19 says, (8:59) Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification. (9:07) Hebrews 12, 14 says, (9:09) Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy.

(9:15) Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. (9:20) So did you hear these words? (9:22) Seek, pursue, make every effort. (9:27) This requires action on our part in order to obtain peace.

(9:34) In 2 Peter 1, 2, Peter says, (9:38) Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. (9:46) We are rewarded with grace and peace by God in our continual pursuit of knowledge about our God (9:55) by us taking the time to get to know him through his word. (10:01) The deeper your understanding of God’s word, (10:04) the more you trust in him, knowing that he’s in control and that nothing can remove you from God’s hand, (10:13) from out of his love.

(10:16) So here we have an example of where God gives us the peace through our knowledge of him. (10:24) Also in Psalm 29, 11, it says, (10:28) The Lord gives strength to his people. (10:30) The Lord blesses his people with peace.

(10:35) This verse is in harmony with Peter’s teaching in 2 Peter 1. (10:40) God strengthens us by giving us knowledge of his word, (10:45) which increases our faith, which increases the grace he gives us, (10:52) and he then gives us more peace. (10:57) Listen to Paul’s teaching on faith. (11:00) It is in harmony with all that we’ve looked at this far.

(11:05) In Philippians 4, 4 through 9, this is such a great paragraph in the Bible (11:14) in how to, it’s the antidote to anxiety and worry. (11:20) Listen to these words. (11:21) And I brought this up this morning.

(11:24) This first verse is an apostolic command. (11:29) It’s something we’ve got to do. (11:31) Rejoice in the Lord always.

(11:33) I will say it again, rejoice. (11:36) Let your gentleness be evident to all. (11:38) The Lord is near.

(11:40) Do not be anxious about anything, (11:44) but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, (11:48) present your requests to God. (11:51) That’s prayer, brothers and sisters. (11:54) And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, (11:59) will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

(12:07) Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, (12:11) whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, (12:15) whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, (12:20) think about such things. (12:23) Whatever you have heard or received or heard from me or seen in me, (12:28) put it into practice, and the God of peace will be with you. (12:34) Wow, are those not some of the most comforting words in the Bible? (12:40) Paul commands Christians to rejoice and to be happy.

(12:44) Why? (12:44) Because Christ died in order to make us free. (12:52) He’s in control. (12:54) And living inside of us, he gets his reader’s mind off, (12:58) Paul here gets his reader’s mind off of their own problems (13:03) and gets their outward focus going, (13:06) giving them other good things to think about.

(13:10) If you’re getting beat up and you’re down, (13:14) get your mind off of yourself and start thinking about good thoughts. (13:20) Fill your head with good thoughts. (13:23) Distract yourself.

(13:25) Get busy. (13:26) Get your outward focus going. (13:29) And this is not only going to protect your mind, which we can say your soul, (13:36) but it also protects your physical body.

(13:40) Proverbs is loaded, and so are the Psalms, (13:45) with warnings about holding in sin and not confessing it, (13:52) how it deteriorates your bones, how it makes you feel blue and depressed. (14:01) David struggled with that when he held his sin in. (14:04) And he gave us wonderful Psalms that expressed such joy (14:10) when he got rid of his burden of carrying around the load of sin.

(14:17) He would wallow in his bed at night, not able to sleep, (14:21) sheets soaked because he was holding in sin. (14:26) He had no peace. (14:28) And it wasn’t until he got on his knees and confessed his sins to God (14:33) that that burden was lifted off of him.

(14:38) He was freed by God from his sins. (14:46) Prayer is powerful. (14:48) Confession is cleansing to the soul.

(14:53) It’s necessary. (14:55) That’s why James, we read this morning, says, (14:58) confess your sins to one another and pray for one another. (15:04) I’m not saying you’ve got to give your whole laundry list of bad things (15:09) that you’ve done to your Christian brother or sister, (15:13) but tell them that you’re struggling with a sin, (15:16) and they’ll be glad to pray for you.

(15:19) You don’t have to come before the church in order to get the prayers (15:23) from your brothers and sisters. (15:25) Just ask them. (15:27) Right then and there they’ll help you.

(15:30) Because when somebody prays for another, (15:34) that righteous soul is going to get their sins absolved. (15:42) When you ask God to forgive a sinning brother or sister, (15:49) God says, yes, you are forgiven. (15:55) And that’s through one of us praying for another.

(16:03) That’s how you start to get peace. (16:06) That’s how you start to get healthy mentally, spiritually, and physically. (16:11) That’s how congregations get healthy, (16:14) when they’re concerned and praying for each other (16:17) and when they’re looking out for each other.

(16:22) When we put what we’ve learned into practice, as Paul says, (16:27) you not only receive peace, but the God of peace himself is with you. (16:33) Just that knowledge alone can give you peace. (16:37) How comforting is that? (16:39) Are you feeling tormented from negative emotions? (16:44) Those emotions can take away the peace that God wants to give you.

(16:51) It’s nearly impossible to obtain on your own or through the world. (16:57) Thankfully, God spoke through Paul (16:59) and showed us how to get a healthy mind and soul. (17:03) So let’s look at another scripture.

(17:06) Matthew 6, 25-34. (17:09) We’re not going to go into depth on this, (17:12) but there’s a few points I want to point out here. (17:16) Matthew 6, 25-34.

(17:19) Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, (17:24) what you will eat or drink, (17:25) or about your body, what you will wear. (17:28) Is not life more important than food (17:31) and the body more important than clothes? (17:35) Look at the birds of the air. (17:37) They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, (17:40) yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

(17:43) And are you not much more valuable than they are? (17:46) Who of you, by worrying, can add a single hour to his life? (17:53) And why do you worry about clothes? (17:56) See how the lilies of the field grow. (17:58) They do not labor or spin. (18:00) I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor (18:04) was dressed like one of these.

(18:07) If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, (18:10) which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, (18:14) will he not much more clothe you, (18:18) O you of little faith? (18:22) So do not worry, saying, (18:24) What shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear? (18:27) For the pagans run after these things, (18:30) and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. (18:34) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, (18:39) and all these things will be given to you as well. (18:43) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, (18:44) for tomorrow will worry about itself.

(18:48) Each day has enough trouble of its own. (18:53) Jesus comes right out and gives the reason why people worry. (19:01) And remember, worry, stress, anxiety, (19:05) if those are not dealt with in a healthy way, (19:09) they rob you of peace.

(19:13) Jesus comes out and says, (19:17) O you of little faith. (19:24) Those words should sink into those who deal with worry and anxiety. (19:30) God doesn’t want you to worry.

(19:35) Look at how many times he says, (19:37) Do not worry in these words, in these verses. (19:42) Do not worry about your life. (19:44) Do not worry about what you’ll eat.

(19:45) Do not worry about your clothes. (19:50) Don’t worry. (19:52) Worry is the great peace killer.

(19:57) And Jesus comes out and says, (19:59) O you of little faith. (20:01) So people who worry have little faith. (20:05) How do I know that’s true? (20:06) Listen to Isaiah.

(20:07) They knew it back then. (20:09) Isaiah 26.3 (20:13) You keep in perfect peace ones whose mind is fixed on you. (20:21) That’s faith in God.

(20:24) Because he trusts in you. (20:28) So what can we say here? (20:31) The lack of faith is the lack of trust in God. (20:36) If you worry, you are not trusting in God.

(20:41) That’s what this is saying. (20:46) I’ve seen Christians who have been in the body of Christ decades, (20:51) and they’re still worriers. (20:54) And I don’t know why.

(20:56) It’s like, give up that worrying. (20:59) Trust God. (21:01) Give it to him and forget about it.

(21:05) Pray to him. (21:06) Dump your burden on him. (21:09) His shoulders are broad.

(21:11) He’s made this walk before, and he’s done it perfectly. (21:16) He’s better than that flying maligny with his balancing beam, (21:21) walking across the tightrope with a blindfold on. (21:25) He’s done it before.

(21:27) He can go through life sinless. (21:30) He knows what we’re going through. (21:36) Don’t worry.

(21:37) Trust God. (21:43) No one can love you more than Jesus. (21:46) He will see that your needs are met.

(21:49) So trust him and trust that with the absence of worry, (21:55) he’ll fill you with his peace. (22:00) God’s love is unconditional, and he’s wanting to bless you with peace. (22:07) So if you need to experience that peace, we can pray with you, (22:13) brothers and sisters.

(22:15) The scripture reading for tonight was supposed to be Proverbs 16.7. (22:19) It says, when a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, (22:24) he makes even his enemies live at peace with him. (22:28) So when you’re trusting God and walking in his ways, (22:36) your peace is infectious. (22:38) Others around you will be at peace.

(22:42) And finally, John 14.27. (22:46) Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. (22:50) Let not your heart be troubled nor let it be fearful. (22:56) Let God bless you.

(22:57) If you need reason to get rid of your anxiety or worry or anything that might (23:05) be robbing you of your peace, we’ll be glad to pray for you. (23:10) Come forward as we stand and sing.