Sunday Morning
Pastor Jim Lowe III
Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 08/8/21
{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}
We have been discussing Speaking Biblical Affirmations.
Affirming meaning to “Speak” things.
We’ve talked about the power of the tongue.
We’ve talked about what it means to say things.
If you’re going to say anything…
If you’re going to affirm anything…
Let’s affirm what God says!
We talked about “peace” last week.
We started with an affirmation.
Last Weeks Biblical Affirmation:
“God Can Give Me Peace Through Whatever Today Brings!”
{Isaiah 26:3, John 14:27; Psalm 85:8}
We looked up Peace in a bible dictionary.
Meant to be whole and complete
Having peace means having “wholeness” or “being complete.”
If I pray for peace for you, that’s for you to be “whole” or “complete.”
We talked about the different ways people will tell you to find your peace without God.
You can try many things.
Nothing WE make can guarantee everyone’s peace.
So being “at peace…”
Being complete…
Being whole….
Becomes difficult to find outside of God.
But it’s because we’re looking in the wrong places.
It’s Hard To Find Peace If You Don’t Know Where To Look!
We talked about the best place to find peace was in God.
We asked the question:
Why Can I Find Peace In God?
When finding peace in other places doesn’t work…why can we do it in God?
Why should we look to God for peace?
- God Is The Author Of Peace {1 Cor. 14:33}
- God is Peace! {Isa. 9:6; John 14:27}
God is the originator!
If you’re looking for peace…there’s no greater place to find it!
And He LEFT this peace here for us.
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 is saying he leaves his peace with us.
Isaiah 9:6-7 calls him the Prince of Peace.
So the Prince of Peace is telling us he leaves his peace with us.
The Prince of Peace is telling us he gives it to us.
We have that peace available to us.
Our affirmation from last week was;
“God Can Give Me Peace Through Whatever Today Brings!”
So we answered WHY we can find peace in God.
This is where we start today with our conversation on peace.
A new question.
How Do I Find The Peace Of God?
Let’s look back at John.
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.
Again…we have something available to us.
But how do we know where to find it?
We need it!
Our peace is important!
Peace Is A Priceless Treasure We Have Access To!
The ability to be “whole and complete.”
We don’t have it automatically…
We have ability to get it.
If You’re looking For A Treasure, Find The Map!
If someone wants you to have something…don’t they leave you with a way to get it?
We will talk about how to find it.
To find it…we have to say some things.
We do know that life happens to all of us.
When life happens it can be difficult to find our peace.
John 16:33 (NIV)
“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.”
If there is one thing we can know that will happen…
…is that we will have trouble.
Let’s study that scripture.
John 16:33 (Amplified Bible)
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration…
This types it out and makes it sound horrible!
In Life We Will Have:
Tribulation
Trials
Distress
Frustration
Some of you are going through some of that now.
You might be going through all of it now.
If not…
But it WILL happen.
The man who said this was crucified.
Who are we to escape it?
Life happens to everyone.
I talked to 5 people randomly this weekend.
- People going through trials in life that are not only affecting their physical health, but the lives and health of their children and family.
- People who is one peace of bad news from completely falling apart.
Each person needs a different level of God’s peace in their life.
The problems will come.
The stress will come.
Christ told us NONE of us are exempt.
But he also said there was peace to be found in him.
John 16:33 (Amplified Bible)
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence…
In him we can have peace and "confidence.”
Here is the first way to find God’s peace.
How To Find God’s Peace:
- Place Our Trust In God And Don’t Worry
Looking at John in the Message Bible:
John 16:33 (MSG)
I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”
The word says when we trust God,
We will be unshakable.
We will be assured.
We will be DEEPLY at peace.
What Does Trusting God Mean?
We are trusting that God will keep us.
John 16:33 (AMP)
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
This version says to be of good cheer.
Be happy!
Be confident!
Be certain!
Be courageous!
Why?
Because Christ has deprived the world of power to harm you and conquered it.
Deprived means it was taken.
The world HAD power to harm you.
But now Christ has taken that fight from you.
We no longer need to worry about it.
John 14:1
Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me.
Don’t worry…trust God.
If You Want Peace, Stop Worrying And Trust God!
Make it a natural thing to trust God!
We have examples of things we do naturally.
How often do we think about breathing?
Many of us don’t think about it at all until you bring it up.
When we fall asleep at night we continue to breathe.
Many of us used to threaten our parents with breathing when little.
If we didn’t get in our way…
we’d hold our breath.
Depending on the parent that might work…
But we “trust” our bodies to breathe.
Unless that’s directly challenged…we don’t think about it.
What about God?
“God Watches Over Me Even When I’m Asleep.”
Sometimes we have to remind ourselves how good our God is.
God Will Trade The Things That Worry Us For Peace!
1 Peter 5:7 (NCV)
Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.
If you’re looking for peace.
You’ve got to give up worry.
Worry doesn’t help us at all!
Matthew 6:27 (NIV)
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
What good does worry do?
If anything worry, anxiety, negative thoughts, depression…
They take AWAY from our lives.
Worry Kills Your Peace;
Your Peace Kills Worry
God wants us to trust him.
You will have trouble in life.
God has already beaten it.
So let him carry you through it.
{Repeat}
“God Will Give Me Peace For My Worries”
Revelation 17:14
They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
This says that God will overcome all things.
Why?
Because he is the Lord of Lords.
He is the king of kings…
AND….
We’re gonna be right there with him.
Romans 8:31
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
If God is going to win.
If the fight is fixed…
What are we worried about?
Let us find peace knowing we will win!
Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
In this life we’ll have:
Tribulation
Trials
Distress
Frustration
But the fight is fixed.
Find Your Peace By Trusting In God!
Drop your worries.
What is the map?
It’s in the scripture we used already.
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.
If you want to find a way to God’s peace…
“don’t let your hearts be troubled…and do not be afraid.”
Biblical Affirmation:
"Today I Will Stop Worrying And Trust God More.”
