## The Peace of God

## John 14:25-31

Someone has said, If you speak to the pain in people's life you will never lack for an audience. They are right and that's what Jesus does in our text this morning. He makes a statement that speaks directly to our churning aching hearts. He speaks to us about what we really want most. He tells us we don't have to see our lives fall to pieces. He offers us the opportunity to enjoy His peace instead. Three questions I want to answer:

1) What is this Peace?

2) How is this peace manifested?

3) How can I get this peace?

I. What is this Peace?

A. It is something the world cannot give us

1. Do you remember the commercial where the woman was being bombarded on every side (by children, spouse, employer, the phone) and this woman looks into the camera and says "Calgon Take Me Away"!

2. In the next scene she is laying in a bathtub surrounded by bubbles.

3. The world in which we live says to know peace we must either:

a. go someplace (head to the Bahamas),

b. buy something (a luxury car which shuts out the harshness of the world),

c. or ingest something (get a prescription for a sedative).

4. The peace that Jesus offers is different from the world's peace.

5. The world's peace is temporary and external.

6. The peace we crave and Jesus offers is more than that…It is something that Only Jesus can give

a. Jesus tells us that it is HIS peace that He gives to us.

b. He alone has the authority to extend this peace.

c. It is unique to Him.

B. Christ's peace adds something to life rather than subtracts something

1. We are used to thinking of peace as the absence of conflict, or the absence of stress, or the absence of worry.

2. The peace that Jesus talks about is the Jewish concept of peace.

a. Peace, or "Shalom", includes the absence of distress but it includes the presence of blessing.

b. In fact, maybe we could go so far as to say that the absence of distress is the RESULT of God's blessing.

3. Jesus is offering a peace that is a settled sense of well-being and security.

II. The Manifestations Of This Peace

A. We have peace with God

(ROM 5:1) "THEREFORE BEING JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST:"

1. Paul tells us that we have peace with God because we have been justified by faith.

a. When we are "justified" we are pronounced "not guilty", we are declared to be "good" in God's eyes.

b. Justification means we are declared to be unstained by sin.

c. How is this possible? It's possible because Christ paid for our sin and credited His goodness to our account.

d. This is grace . . .an undeserved gift.

2. How do we become justified?

a. We must have faith.

b. Faith is active belief . . . . it is a trust that reveals itself in action.

c. True faith believes in Christ's promise of eternal life enough to rest in Him for our eternal hope and follow Him in our daily living.

B. Do we understand what this means practically?

1. Our past is dealt with.

a. The sins of the past are forgiven.

b. We are free from the stupidity and rebellion of the way we used to live.

2. Our failures are overcome.

a. We are set free from the failures of the past.

b. Though the scars of the past may remain we are no longer held prisoner by the past.

3. Our future is certain.

a. We don't have to fret about eternal life any more.

(JOHN 3:15) "THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE."

b. Paul reminds us that God will not fail to carry through with what He has begun.

(PHIL 1:6) "BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS VERY THING, THAT HE WHICH HATH BEGUN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL PERFORM IT UNTIL THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST:"

c. God makes it possible for us to know peace in the depth of our being; peace in our soul.

4. We have peace in difficult circumstances

a. Jesus tells us that He is superior to our circumstances.

(JOHN 16:33) "THESE THINGS I HAVE SPOKEN UNTO YOU, THAT IN ME YE MIGHT HAVE PEACE. IN THE WORLD YE SHALL HAVE TRIBULATION: BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER; I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD."

b. Jesus tells us that even though life has it's irritations, He is superior and victorious to our conflicts.

c. The world does not overcome Him . . . . He overcomes the world.

d. Our Lord is not caught by surprise by the conflicts of our lives.

e. He has authority and power over our circumstances.

f. The Bible tells us that our trials and difficulties are purposeful

(ROM 5:1-4) "THEREFORE BEING JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST: {2} BY WHOM ALSO WE HAVE ACCESS BY FAITH INTO THIS GRACE WHEREIN WE STAND, AND REJOICE IN HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD. {3} AND NOT ONLY SO, BUT WE GLORY IN TRIBULATIONS ALSO: KNOWING THAT TRIBULATION WORKETH PATIENCE; {4} AND PATIENCE, EXPERIENCE; AND EXPERIENCE, HOPE:"

(1 PET 1:6-7) "WHEREIN YE GREATLY REJOICE, THOUGH NOW FOR A SEASON, IF NEED BE, YE ARE IN HEAVINESS THROUGH MANIFOLD TEMPTATIONS: {7} THAT THE TRIAL OF YOUR FAITH, BEING MUCH MORE PRECIOUS THAN OF GOLD THAT PERISHETH, THOUGH IT BE TRIED WITH FIRE, MIGHT BE FOUND UNTO PRAISE AND HONOUR AND GLORY AT THE APPEARING OF JESUS CHRIST:"

g. In both these passages one thing is clear . . . for the child of God there are no "accidents".

h. The difficult things that come into our lives come for a reason . . . a good reason.

(ROM 8:28) "AND WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD, TO THEM WHO ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE."

5. We have peace with each other

a. The peace of the Lord is a peace that restores relationships.

b. All throughout the New Testament we see barriers lift between people: Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female.

c. We understand that we are all in the same boat.

1) We cannot save ourselves.

2) We cannot overcome circumstances by our strength alone.

3) We are all in need of grace and mercy.

d. We belong to the same family.

1) We are brothers and sisters in the family of God.

2) It is imperative that we work out our differences.

3) It is necessary for us to forgive and to listen. We are family.

e. We are heading to the same goal.

1) Each of us in the family of God is moving toward Heaven.

2) We each are seeking to glorify Him in our lives.

3) We are not competing with each other we are working with each other.

III. How Do We Get This Peace?

A. We must turn to the source of peace

1. This peace is not found in Meditation, Drugs, Achievements.

2. The peace we yearn for is something that can only be found in Christ.

3. It may be that the very reason you are here today is because you know that you need something for your life.

4. You know there is an emptiness ... you know you need something.

B. Only through Jesus Christ will we experience the peace of God.

1. What we need is not something it is SOMEONE.

2. Jesus is the One who can put our soul at rest.

3. Are we willing to entrust ourselves to Him?

4. Are we willing to believe Him for eternity and trust Him in the present?

5. If so, peace is yours.

Do you know Christ today? Have you personally placed your trust in His finished work on Calvary? Do you long for this peace? Come to Christ today. Christian, are you at peace with God?