Sunday Morning
Pastor Jim Lowe III
Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 08/1/21
{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}
New Biblical Affirmation:
“God Can Give Me Peace Through Whatever Today Brings!”
{Isaiah 26:3, John 14:27; Psalm 85:8}
This is our affirmation for today!
Peace (Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary)
From the Hebrew: “Shalom”
Means to “be whole, complete.”
Having peace means having “wholeness” or “being complete.”
Similar to ‘happiness.’
It may be hard to figure out what being whole or complete can look like.
What Does Peace Look Like To You?
Those things look different depending on the person.
Some People:
Just Want Peace And Quiet
Some people’s idea of “peace,” means no outside noise.
Give us some time to themselves…
So they can THINK
and they can rest and recharge.
It can help people deal with stressful times.
Other People:
Peace and Quiet Isn’t The Answer
For some, even the absence of outside noise doesn’t bring peace.
Some of us have enough going on in our own heads, even in quiet we can’t sleep.
It could be thoughts about work, society, others.
DEBT!!
They have to find other ways to find peace.
Others:
Returning A Wrong
Some one did something to you.
Now you have to do it back.
Someone cheated us out of something.
We find “peace” doing it back to them.
It’s “justice” to get them back!
But many times we find that isn’t the answer either.
3 Examples…not one way is the “best way.”
None of these work 100%.
And they definitely don’t work for everyone.
It’s Hard To Find Peace If You Don’t Know Where To Look!
Many things attempt to guarantee peace…
but they don’t work.
“Calming Sprays”
There are sprays designed to calm “separation anxiety” in puppies.
They didn’t work for my dog.
There are websites that will tell you how you can “find” peace.
They’ll tell you to try all these different things…
And they can bring you peace.
But because we’re so different…nothing can guarantee it.
“Go get in nature…but you have allergies.”
“Be true to yourself…but you don’t like the way you’re living.”
What works for you may not work for me.
WE NEED PEACE NOW!
Every one of us has daily things we have to deal with.
Things We Deal With Regularly:
Pressures, Struggles, Addictions, Negative Thoughts, Self-Esteem Issues, Temptations, Other People, Sicknesses
All of these things rob us of our peace!
We NEED our peace!
As Important As Peace Is, Why Is It So Hard To Find?
The easy answer is we spend too much time looking the wrong direction for things we need.
Which goes back to the answer…
Goes back to the source…
New Biblical Affirmation:
“God Can Give Me Peace Through Whatever Today Brings!”
{Isaiah 26:3, John 14:27; Psalm 85:8}
Before we read the scriptures I put down…
Let’s see why God is OUR source of peace.
Why Can I Find Peace In God?
1 Corinthians 14:33 (NKJV)
For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.
“God did not author confusion.”
“God authors peace.”
What is an author?
When you author a book…you write it.
You CREATE that literary work.
It is YOURS.
Others may try to plagiarize your work.
But yours is the original.
Yours is legit and the true value.
So,
If God is the AUTHOR of peace,
God Is The Best Place To Find The BEST Version Of Peace
Anything else is a copy.
Anything else is plagiarism.
Remember the knock off brands of clothes?
Remember the knock off brands of shoes?
They can’t replace the original!
But
Not only is God the Creator of peace..
God is Peace!
Isaiah 9:6-7
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.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
Prince of peace…
The child of peace…
This is referring to Christ…and if God is his father…
God is peace!
Verse 7
“Of the increase of his government and peace…there will be no end.”
Of the increase of peace…there will be no end.
There is no end to the increase of peace we can receive from Christ!
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.
Christ tells us that peace was left for us!
His peace was GIVEN to us!
What type of peace?
One that can have no end to it. {from Isaiah}
{repeat}
“My God Can Give Me A Never Ending Peace!”
But God won’t JUST give a never ending peace.
Psalm 85:8
I will listen to what God the Lord will say;
he promises peace to his people, his saints—
but let them not return to folly.
This says listen to what the Lord says…
Why?
Because the Lord PROMISES peace to his people.
Remember peace means wholeness.
Being complete!
Many of us are trying to be whole right now.
{repeat}
“My God Promises Me Wholeness If I Listen To Him!”
If you’re seeking silence from the noise…
God can give you that.
He doesn’t give it as the world gives.
All these options that others try to help you find your peace…
God says just listen to him.
His peace is different.
How is his peace different?
Because the creator knows the exact type of peace you need when you need it.
The Peace God Gives Is True Peace!
Something about peace:
Taught from this back in May:
Matthew 14:22-24
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
After feeding 5,000.
Jesus goes to pray.
He sends the disciples ahead of him.
They battled the wind.
Verse 25-29
25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
During the 4th watch.
According to (v.23) they started before sunset.
It said Jesus went out there during the 4th watch.
They were working…straining for 8-12 hours non stop.
They can’t take breaks
The wind doesn’t let up.
Jesus goes out to them after what seems like forever.
They’re overworked!
They’re tired!
They think he’s a ghost!
Then Peter goes out after him.
Peter is walking ON this water towards Jesus.
Verse 30-33
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
The wind/storm has caused problems for these men all night.
Yet Peter is now walking through it with his eyes focused on Jesus.
(v.30) …when he SAW the wind…
Peter saw the wind and became afraid.
The wind/storm was there in the beginning.
Jesus comes and Peter walks on the water towards him.
Peter saw the wind/storm.
The wind/storm didn’t die down until when?
(v.32) …when they climbed in the boat.
The storm was going on the entire time!
(v. 30)
Peter only became afraid when he took his focus off Jesus and put it on the storm.
Yet Peter (v.29) is WALKING ON WATER.
He only became afraid when he took his eyes off his peace.
Having Peace Doesn’t Mean The Absence Of Problems!
Remember we can’t live life thinking that we are exempt from problems.
We will have problems.
We have problems right now!
Something is going on in our lives!
Something to take our attention.
Something to steal our peace!
Jesus said it would happen!
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.”
In Life We WILL Have Trouble!
How can we expect to not have any problems when Jesus himself was crucified??
Problems will come…
But here’s the choice.
You Can Have Problems, Or You Can Have Peace THROUGH Your Problems!
Philippians 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.
Do not be anxious about anything.
Don’t let anxiety creep in!
Don’t Let Your Problems Overwhelm You! There Is An Answer!
Verse 7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The peace of God…
Which is above anything anyone can understand…
Which doesn’t make sense to us….
…Which we can’t explain or grasp.
…Will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
The storms may be present…but God can keep us through them!
Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
The things we’re dealing with may not end as soon as we’d like,
but God said if we keep our minds on him,
He’ll keep us in perfect peace.
New Affirmation:
“God Can Give Me Peace Through Whatever Today Brings!”
{Isaiah 26:3, John 14:27; Psalm 85:8}
