(Note: The title comes from a Rick Warren series; however, the sermon is original)
If we took a poll to identify what people want most out of life, what their hopes and dreams revolve around, the list would probably include things like good health; financial prosperity; positive relationships; rewarding work. And who could argue with any of those things? Who wouldn’t want to be healthy and wealthy, with a great career, and a loving family? But there’s a more fundamental need we have; a deeper desire, and that’s the desire for personal peace. Peace of mind. Freedom from fear and worry; freedom from trouble and distress. Most people, in their daily lives, are searching for peace; doing what they can to avoid the painful turbulence of life. They diet and exercise to avoid poor health, because illness would threaten their peace. They work, and save, and invest to avoid financial hardship, because poverty would upset their peace. And they choose to enter into relationships with people they like, relationships they hope will bring peace, rather than conflict. In other words, one of the strongest motives behind the way we live is a desire for personal peace.
Does it work? Do our efforts bring us peace. Yes. But only to a limited extent, and only for a limited time. If we’re lucky and diligent, we can keep the forces of chaos at bay, at least for a while. But eventually, and inevitably, something will break through; something we can’t control; something we don’t anticipate. And then the carefully constructed world of peace and order that we’ve labored so hard to build will come crashing down. Sometimes it happens without warning – a pink slip, a sudden illness, a fire, an arrest, an emotional breakdown. And sometimes it develops over time, in spite of all our efforts to stop it. A slowly deteriorating marriage. A long stock-market slide that erodes our savings. A chronic medical condition that becomes less and less manageable. And besides all these things, all these private threats to our peace, we live in a dangerous and unpredictable world, in which we’re constantly at risk from things like wars, and terrorist attacks, and natural disasters. It’s no wonder, then, that Henry David Thoreau would write this:
"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country . . . A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind." – from Walden, "Economy"
Thoreau penned those words almost a century and a half ago, in what we usually think of as a more peaceful time than ours. But what it shows us is that personal peace has been elusive in every age. We have AIDS, in other eras they had smallpox. We have attacks from Al Qaeda, they had attacks from Cherokees. We have stock market crashes; others had droughts and crop failures. The best that can be said about any time in history is that it was relatively peaceful.
Thousands of years ago, in one of the earlist books of the Old Testament, we see Job expressing these same feelings. Job was a great man – prosperous, respected, good health, lots of children. And then one day, it all fell apart. His livestock, which were the source of his wealth, were stolen. His sons and daughters – all of them – were killed in a freak accident. He developed a painful, disfiguring illness. And his wife and friends, instead of supporting him, viciously attacked him. In response, Job lamented that,
What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil." – Job 3:25-26
Have you ever felt like that? "No peace, no quietness, no rest, only turmoil." If so, then I have good news for you. It doesn’t have to be that way. The Bible states clearly that God’s will for us is not emotional turmoil, or fear and anxiety, or even "quiet desperation". God’s will for his people is peace.
"The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace." – Psalm 29:11
"I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints . . . "
– Psalm 85:8
Just out of curiosity, I went through a concordance and counted the number of times the phrase "fear not" occurs in the (KJV) Bible. Sixty-two times! Fear is not what God desires for his people! But if that’s so, if peace truly is what God wants for us, then why do so few people seem to find it? Why is it so rare, even among Christians, to meet someone who possesses a solid, lasting, genuine peace; a peace that sustains them through good times and bad, through joy and sorrow, triumph and failure? Why does "quiet desperation" seem so much more common than the peace of God? This morning, I’m going to suggest an answer to that question. And then I’m going to offer four principles from the Scriptures that will help us find the path so many have missed; four principles that will guide us along the path to personal peace. Because in order to experience God’s peace, we must seek it on his terms and in his way.
In general, people fail to find lasting peace because they are looking for it in the wrong place. They are seeking peace in pleasant circumstances. They think that if they can eliminate from their lives all sources of pain and conflict, they will be at peace. But this strategy has two fatal flaws. First, as I said in the beginning, it just isn’t possible. We simply don’t have the ability to control all the chaotic forces at work in our lives. No one does, regardless of how wealthy or powerful they may be – not George Bush, not Bill Gates, not Steven Spielberg, not Julia Roberts, and not you or I. We are mere mortals, and not gods. We may succeed for a while, but any peace that arises from our circumstances will be tenuous and temporary. Something will always come along to burst the bubble. What we need is a peace that is not dependent on circumstances. Listen to these verse that describe such a peace:
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." – Psalm 23:4
"For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock." – Psalm 27:5
"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." – John 16:33
"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way."
– 2 Thessalonians 3:16
If your peace is built on the wrong foundation; if it’s built on the shifting sands of circumstance, it cannot last. Only if it’s grounded in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ will it stand the test of time.
The other reason that a peace built on circumstances won’t last is that peace is a matter of the heart. It’s internal, not external. And so any successful effort to find true peace must focus on what’s inside us, not on what’s going on around us.
With that as the basis, let’s look at the four principles. The first one is pretty straightforward: put your trust in God. Often we experience worry and anxiety because we’ve placed our confidence in things we know can fail us, things which we know are not completely reliable, things which have failed us in the past and may fail us again. We place our future in the hands of an organization, like the company we work for, or a government agency, or a labor union, or a hospital, or even a church. We place our reliance in things like retirement plans and mutual funds. We trust in our academic degrees, or our experience, or our competence or intelligence to supply our needs. We depend on our friends and family to support us. And to some extent, that’s necessary and beneficial. We have to place a certain amount of trust in people, and organizations, and institutions. But here’s the key: our ultimate reliance has to be in God and not men. Our attitude must be that even if everyone and everything else fails us, God will not fail us. He is in control; he is the one we are trusting with our safety and well-being. Our confidence in any person or any human institution should be limited and qualified; it’s our trust in God that should be unlimited and unqualified.
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."
– Psalm 20:7
Did Israel have chariots and horses? I’m sure they did. That was the height of military technology in their day. But they weren’t trusting in them. Their trust was in God. Horses go lame; chariots wheels crack. But God will always come through. Again; if you’re placing your confidence in something that can fail, you’re going to lack peace. Only if your confidence is in God can you feel secure.
"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD." – Isaiah 31:1
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes." – Psalm 118:8-9
... or presidents, or pastors, or even husbands or wives.
The second principle for personal peace is this: confess your sin. We all sin daily, in our words and our deeds and our attitudes. We sin both in doing what we should not do, and in failing to do what we should do. As John reminds us,
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." – 1 John 1:8-10
Now, most Christians will agree to this. Most will admit that they are sinners, in a general sense. In the abstract. But acknowledging any specific sin – now, that’s a different matter. In my years in the ministry, it’s been a source of amazement to me, and sorrow, to see how freely people will confess to the fundamental truth of the gospel, that they are sinners, and yet adamantly resist owning up to any sins in particular. In theory, they admit to being sinners, but in practice, they deny it. Sometimes I’ve seen brokenness and humility; but just as often I’ve seen self-justification, and blame-shifting, and rationalizations, and excuse-making.
And that’s dangerous. It’s a denial of what we claim to believe. When there’s a discrepancy between what we say and what we do, it calls into question what our real beliefs are. Do we really consider ourselves to be sinners, if we never confess our sin? It’s also dangerous because it suggests that we’re still trusting in our own righteousness. If we cannot admit, in specific cases, our need for forgiveness, it may be because we are trying to gain God’s acceptance, and prove our worth, through our own right conduct. If we truly embraced the free grace of God, we would understand that we are accepted because of Christ alone, that there is nothing we can do, good or bad, to change God’s opinion of us. And so we would have no qualms about confessing our sins and seeking forgiveness.
Ask yourself, then: how do you typically respond when your wife, or your husband, or some other person, rebukes you or criticizes you? Do you pray about it, and make an effort to consider it honestly? Or do you get angry, and immediately start to defend yourself, in order to prove that what you did was completely justified? If it’s the second, then you need to ask God to give you humility and grant you the grace to repent. Now I’m not blameless in this regard. I don’t always receive correction graciously. But the bottom line is that I can accept criticism, because no matter what anyone says about me, good or bad, true or not, it doesn’t matter. Jesus Christ has forgiven me for all my sins; past, present, and future. Therefore I can confess my sins, without fear of being condemned by God. My acceptance before God is based on Christ’s perfect righteousness, not my own. I don’t have to defend my so-called righteousness, because God loves me the same, regardless. What a liberating truth!
But returning to our topic of this morning, a failure to acknowledge sin is spiritually harmful because it robs us of our peace. It puts a wall between us and God; it hinders our fellowship, with him and with one another. As David put it, referring to his sin with Bathsheba:
"When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ’I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’ – and you forgave the guilt of my sin." – Psalm 32:3-5
David learned something that every sincere Christian knows by experience. The only way to have peace is to be in fellowship with God. And sin which has not been repented of and confessed breaks that fellowship. It gives us no rest; it keeps eating away at our conscience until we bring it to the Lord.
Perhaps you’re struggling right now with some sin you’ve been harboring in your heart, unwilling to let go of it, unwilling to confess it and turn away from it. If that’s the case, then you know how sin can rob you of your peace. Won’t you come to Christ? He’s standing and waiting, ready to forgive and restore you to fellowship the moment you turn to him. Come and experience the rest of Psalm 32:
"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." – Psalm 32:1-2
However, for those who refuse to repent; who continue in sin and rebellion, the Bible gives a sober warning.
"But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. ’There is no peace,’ says my God,’ for the wicked.’" – Isaiah 57:20-21
There will be no rest, either now or in eternity, for those who refuse to acknowledge and repent of their sin.
The third principle for personal peace that I’d like to share with you this morning is this: treasure the right things. Often, we lack peace because we have set our hearts on things which we know cannot last, things which are at every moment subject to loss. And when our hearts are set on things like that, we can’t help but be anxious. But Christ instructs to do otherwise:
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." – Matthew 6:19-21
What does God value? What will he reward? The things which are eternal. A life of obedience and faith. Acts of service. Godly character. Truth. Gracious words. Mercy. Sacrifice. Love. Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. If you are devoting your life to the things God values, the things which have eternal worth, then you won’t have to worry about suffering loss. All of your treasures will be waiting for you when you arrive in heaven, safe and secure. On the other hand, if you are devoting your life to the things of this world, if you heart is tied up in worldly things, then you have good reason to be anxious. Because they can be lost at any time. And some day, they certainly will be lost, for ever. Do you want to have peace? Then read the Bible. Learn what God values, what God treasures, and then devote yourself to those things.
The fourth and final principle for personal peace is to pray. I know this may sound like a broken record. Is prayer the answer to everything? No, not by itself. But it is a part of the answer to everything, because it is fundamental to the Christian life. And so whether your need is for power, or healing, or hope, or peace, prayer is an essential ingredient in the mix. It is almost impossible to overstate the importance of prayer. Listen now to this familiar promise from Paul:
"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 4:6-7
Sometimes, when you lack peace, it’s simply because you haven’t prayed. You’ve stewed, and worried, and schemed, and what-if’ed, and talked to your friends, and done everything else you could think of . . . but you still don’t have peace in the matter. Perhaps all that needs to happen in order for you to experience God’s peace is to bow your head and take your concerns to Him in prayer.
In closing, let me summarize these four points with an overarching truth: that peace comes from God. Not from things, not from circumstances, not from people, but from God. If you lack peace, seek it in God. If you desire peace, look to God. He alone can quiet your heart; he alone can give rest to your soul. And he will, if you seek him and place your trust in Him. Let’s close with these last two verses:
"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal." – Isaiah 26:3-4
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." – Romans 15:13
(For an .rtf file of this and other sermons, see www.journeychurchonline.org/messages.htm)
