Finding the Peace of God in Unsettling Times
John 16:33
October 19, 2003
Introduction
I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone here that we live in a world of turmoil, right?
Wars are being fought all over the world, and even in our own country, we’ve adopted a terror alert system that while unheard of two years ago, is now part of our national vocabulary.
There is a war of cultures here in the U.S. One culture says “do what you want to do, and don’t think about the consequences, because the only thing that counts is your happiness.”
Another culture says that the greatest virtue in life is “tolerance” toward all people and all ideas, no matter how detrimental it might be to the person or the surrounding culture, because all that matters is that you have a spiritual journey that is important to you.
Other cultures preach hatred and evil in the name of ideas or religion, including Christianity.
How do we find real peace?
One guy says, “My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished 2 bags of chips and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.” SOURCE: http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh
Contributed by: SermonCentral PRO
Have you heard about the newest gadget to insure peace and quiet at home? It is called a phone less cord! Contributed by: Jim Kane
So how do we live lives that, while taking these things into consideration, do not adapt them, and are also able to live lives that are characterized by peace in the face of them?
I think the key is found in our passage today, from John 16:33. These words of Jesus came just hours before He would be crucified, and the lives of the disciples would be rocked to their very foundations.
Soon the Messiah they had hoped for and believed in would die a horrible death, and they would live in fear for their own lives.
Jesus, anticipating this, and also the persecution to come after His resurrection looks to put their minds at ease with these words:
"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."
Why did Jesus need to say these things?
Because the world is at odds with the purposes of God. But the good news here is that even with that, Jesus offers us peace. His peace. He says in John 14:27…
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.
He wants us to have His peace, so let’s look at how to gain that peace, okay?
First, in order to find the peace of God in unsettling times, you need to…
Put first things first: gain peace with God.
You can’t have the peace of God until you have peace with God. What do I mean by having peace with God?
The plain fact of the matter is that outside of Christ, you are considered to be an enemy of God. That is the lot of all who reject Christ, or refuse to accept His offer of eternal life, which He purchased on the cross.
That’s kind of harsh, isn’t it, Brian? Maybe, but it’s the truth and I’d be lying to you if I didn’t tell you what the Bible says in order to spare feelings.
Enemies are not at peace with each other. That’s what being an enemy is all about.
But Jesus said that we can be a child of God, and there’s a huge difference in being an enemy and a child, wouldn’t you agree?
God doesn’t want you to be His enemy. He wants you as His child. He sent Jesus to make it happen. Jesus would rather die than see you live your life as an enemy, because there’s a penalty for that – eternal life in torment.
At the end of the message, I will tell you how you can become a child of God rather than His enemy. And then you can move on from gaining peace with God to gaining the peace of God, and that’s where we want to turn our attention for the rest of our time.
Let’s look at…
6 Strategies for living in the peace of God:
Allow me to give you six strategies to achieving a life lived in the peace of God.
The first one is to…
1. Understand God’s sovereignty.
This is a big word meaning that God is in control, from beginning to end, and that ultimately, His plans will succeed.
Jesus said that He has overcome the world. He did that in His death, in which He conquered sin and its power, and in His resurrection in which He conquered death and its power.
He also did that in giving us His Word, so that we could find direction in living for Him and comfort in His promises.
God’s purposes will not be thwarted by anyone on earth. No one can change the plans of God, no matter how hard they try, and believe me, countless people have tried.
But to no avail. God is sovereign. He is on the throne of heaven, and there is no getting Him off.
Understanding this goes a long way to help you live in the peace of God.
The next strategy to living in the peace of God is to…
2. Adopt a Biblical mindset.
I mentioned in a previous message that there are generally two causes of war: selfishness and pride.
And quite frankly, the world’s value system is determined by both of these, both on national and individual levels.
But people who adopt a Biblical mindset that is Christ-centered and others-focused can live in peace, because the world’s value systems don’t determine the outlook of the follower of Christ.
That’s not to say that you will never be affected by the world’s value systems. You will be, because the world is run by people who don’t love Christ, for the most part.
And to try to shelter yourself from everything the world shells out is not only futile, it takes you out of the very ministry God has for all of us, and that is to make disciples of all nations.
A Biblical mindset is one that believes that God’s Word is correct about all it teaches, including the world and its influences, and the ultimate end of those who love Christ and those who reject Him.
What I want to point out here is that those who love the Lord Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, have an easier time coping and responding to the so-called “peace” the world offers.
Real peace will only come when the Lord Jesus returns. In the meantime, Jesus Himself said there would always be wars and rumors of war.
I pray for peace. I really do. But I understand that it will only happen when Jesus comes, so I say, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
And while I wait, I find peace in God’s Word.
The third strategy in living in the peace of God is to…
3. Pray about everything.
Phil. 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The Bible also tells us to pray without ceasing, to always be in an attitude of prayer.
God hears and he moves on behalf of His people. He doesn’t always answer the way we’d like, but He is not deaf to your concerns. He’s well aware of them.
Dr. Elinore Kinarthy says that…
The average person has more than two hundred negative thoughts a day-worries, jealousies, insecurities, cravings for forbidden things, etc. Depressed people have as many as six hundred. You can’t eliminate all the troublesome things that go through your mind, but you can certainly reduce the number of negative thoughts.
Dr. Elinore Kinarthy in Homemade, Sept., 1988. Contributed by: Joel Smith (Sermoncentral.com)
One of the best ways to reduce the negative thoughts in your life is to turn them into prayers.
Instead of something like, “Lord knows my finances are a mess.” You could say something like this: “Lord, you know my finances are a mess. Please help me see where I can go or what I can do to straighten them out.”
Or, “Lord, you know I’m battling depression. I’m tired of it. Please help me get out of this, either by taking it away or helping me find someone who can help me find a way out.”
Get the idea?
I have also found that when I spend time not just offering my concerns, but in praising and thanking Him, I find peace in the fact that God has been active and moving in my life from the beginning.
Reflecting and thanking Him for His intervention in my life brings me peace.
So pray about everything, good and bad. It’ll help you find peace in unsettling times.
The fourth strategy to employ in living a life lived in the peace of God is to…
4. Plan ahead, but submit to the will of God.
I bring this up to address a mindset among some people that says, “why bother with moving ahead in life? It’s not going to matter with the way things are now, and it’s only going to get worse.”
First, that’s not a Biblical perspective. Remember, God is in control, no matter what we see with our eyes and see on the news.
Second, the Bible is very clear that we are to plan for the future, setting aside savings, discipling our children to affect future generations, looking to impact our culture for generations to come.
We should look to the future and make plans. But as we do that, we need to keep something in mind, and we find that in Proverbs 16:9 –
In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
We will look at this Scripture more closely in a couple weeks, as we look at how to look forward in light of the sovereignty of God.
But the issue here is not to stop planning for the future in despair, but rather to plan with the Lord’s purposes in mind.
Understand that the plan is to do these things with the idea of furthering the Lord’s purposes, not your own.
The fifth strategy in living in the peace of God is to…
5. Live in obedience.
This is a no-brainer. But let me use a family illustration to help.
When you disobey your parents, is there peace in the family? Hardly. Because disobedience brings strife and tension, and can damage the relationship.
Living in obedience to your heavenly Father has the same results. Sin hampers your relationship with God, but obedience brings peace, because you can enjoy the favor of God that He promises to those who obey.
So if you want peace, live in obedience.
The sixth and final strategy to employ in living a life characterized by the peace of God is to…
6. Live in anticipation…
Of what? Two things in particular:
- Of heaven.
Are you looking forward to the time you will see the Savior face to face, to that time when there will be no more suffering and death, no more war and no more pain, only perfect bliss in the presence of God Himself?
Philippians 3:20-21 say –
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Hey, now there’s some good news! I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to the time that I don’t have to mess with sinus infections anymore!
And you know something else, I’ll bet there’s no such thing as high blood pressure or cholesterol in heaven. And you’ll be able to eat all the pizza you want without worry. Amen?
Anticipating heaven helps me gain peace in unsettling times. But in the meantime, I live in the anticipation of something else, and that is the anticipation…
- Of God fulfilling His promises on
earth.
God’s Word is filled with promises that you and I can turn to help us get through life and through the grind of day-to-day living. And the best way to find them is just get in the Word on a daily basis.
You’ll be surprised what you will find. And one of the greatest things you’ll discover is that God has some promises that seem directed just at you, that you can cling to over and over throughout the years.
One of my favorites is 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.
I’m grateful for that promise, because I’ve made mistakes in life. When I think of just some of my job choices over the years, I’m amazed that God didn’t just shake His head and say, “That’s it. I’ll never get this guy’s attention to be able to use Him as I want.”
But God’s faithfulness is always in play, and I thank God for that. If you have been walking with Christ for any length of time, you have discovered some of those wonderful promises that He fulfills here on earth while we wait for His return.
Conclusion
Two questions:
1. Are you at peace with God. If you were to die today, would you be able to face Him as His child?
If not, won’t you please become a child right now?
You can give your life to Him right now, trusting in Him to forgive your sins and give you a new life here on earth and eternal life in heaven.
If that’s something you want to do today, then I ask you to pray with me right now a prayer to ask Christ to make you a child of God.
(Prayer)
2. Are you living in the peace of God?
If not, why not? Is there something in the way?
Is it that you have never allowed God to really be the Lord and Master of your life?
Review the six strategies we have looked at today. Do one or more of these hit a button that says you need to get moving?
If so, start the ball rolling on that today, okay? For your own sake, get it done.
Then you will be able to say with the Psalmist –
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.
Let’s pray.
