Perfect Peace in a Tragic World
Isaiah 26.3
We have come together this morning to Worship God. Most of us know the events of this past Monday at VT.
Many people, and maybe even a few in here this morning, wonder, how can we worship a God who allows things like this to happen.
I want this service this morning to be meaningful to each and every person here.
I want us to come away from this sanctuary, with our questions about the events in VA answered this morning.
April 16, 2007, a day when 33 people lost their lives, countless others had their lives changed forever.
The relative safety and peace on this college campus, has changed the way colleges do business forever.
Just as 911 has changed the way Americans have lived their lives forever.
Gone for many now is the American dream. Gone for many is the hope for children and grandchildren, because of the tragic loss of life.
The statement that it can’t happen here has become a paradox in itself, because it has happened here.
Preacher, this college attack and 911 were hundreds of miles away.
That is very true, but the results of both of these attacks, has been felt around the world.
Since 911 we have been a nation living in troubled times, and this past Monday is just another evidence of the trouble that our nation is going to have to endure.
We are living in times that are troubled by the threat of another attack on our soil.
Times troubled by an economy that is so dependent upon foreign countries.
Times troubled by the thought of sending our children to school and not knowing what the day is going to hold.
Troubled times for a troubled nation.
Why so much trouble?
**Because over 40 years ago we took God out of our classrooms. Since that time, we have attempted to take God out of our Government and out of every facet of this culture. The result is: what was once one of the most devout, committed, and spiritually sensitive societies on the planet has now become a culture of corruption. Anytime you take away “a thing”, it creates a void, and thus a need is born. Because of the laws of natural and man, when a void is created there will always be “something else” to come and fill that void. From my experience, observation, study, and belief, when you take away the goodness of God, There exists only one other force in the universe which dares to fills that void. That is the force of evil. Today, in the events at VA Tech as well as dozens of less publicized such events, as well as the events of 911; we are witnesses of the Biblical principle we call “sowing and reaping”. My prayer is this, “God, be merciful to us and give us one more opportunity to right this sinking ship.”(1)**
So the question is, how do we regain the peace that we had once before?
The answer to that burning question lies in the scriptures. It lies in the word of God.
It is not a secret, it is not hidden in some secret code in the bible that many would have you to believe.
It is as plain as the flag on the pole, what we need to do.
Too many people have lost focus of what is needed in order to have peace.
Our country is continually focused on the tragedy that rocks our country from day to day.
Not a day goes by that some mention of tragedy is not made on the evening news, or in the daily papers.
I am not saying that we do not need to remember what happened or those that lost their lives.
Nor do we need to forget who perpetrated those tragedies upon our nation.
But in order for us to have true peace in this nation, and in our lives; one thing needs to happen, and it needs to happen quickly.
It is a promise of God, that we need to rely on in order to have this peace. But as with all promises there is one condition.
This condition is what we must do to have peace. Isaiah 26:3 tells us “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.”
In order for us to have peace, all we need to do is focus our minds on God.
When we focus our minds on God, then along with that focus comes trust in him and his power.
That is all we as individuals need to experience a peace that the word of God calls perfect.
What we as a nation needs to do then is to focus on God and trust in him during these times.
This scripture does not mean that troubles won’t come, but what is does mean is that we can face these troubles with the peace of mind that God is going to work it out for our own good.
This is the peace that we need in our lives to get a good nights sleep. This is the peace that allows us to realize that terrorists can hurt us, maim us and kill us.
But they can never take the eternal part of us away from God and that is our soul.
If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our lord and savior, we have perfect peace.
We have believed in him, and he tells us that if we believe in him, then we need to believe in God.
That belief, that focus can give us the peace that we need to make it through the troubled times that will come our way.
We should never count on a life that is trouble free. That is not a part of the human experience.
But the one thing that we can count on is the peace that God gives his children during troubled times.
We need to stop focusing on what happened on 911, and start focusing on God.
We need to quit living in the past, and live for the future, and that future starts with a mind that is steadfast on God.
We need to realize that what we have down here is temporary and will not last, but the one thing that will last is our soul,
And many of us are obsessed with taking care of our bodies, and we do all kinds of things and spend billions each year in this country on our bodies.
Our bodies are but temporary housing.
We need to spend more time and effort on our soul because how we treat it down here, is how it is going to be treated in eternity.
Have disregard for the soul while you are on earth, then your eternity could be very, very tragic.
The only way to have peace of mind concerning your soul is to have a mind steadfast on God.
We need to live lives that are ready to meet Jesus. Because we are not promised tomorrow.
Not one of those people who died last Monday, knew what was in store for them when they woke up that fateful day.
We never know what is in store for our lives when we wake up in the morning.
But the way to know what is going to happen to us after we die, lies in a mind that is stayed on Christ Jesus.
It lies in a life that is being lived to please the Lord, and one that trusts in him.
The way to have perfect peace is to live for the future, the future of heaven and to stop living in the past.
We need to stop living the tragedies of last Monday and of 911 over and over again.
We need to remember what has happened and learn, that true peace can only come from a mind focused on God.
True peace will not come from pursuing and eradicating those responsible, although justice needs to be done.
True peace will not come from staying focused on what has happened in the past.
True peace can only come from being focused on God.
Focus on him during troubled times, and he will give you perfect peace, because you have placed your trust in him.
If you want true peace with God, the perfect peace that Isaiah says that we can know,
Why don’t you come to Jesus Christ today?
Christian, if you need to regain the peace of a time gone by in your relationship with God,
Come to the altar today and lay your burdens there and focus your mind on God and He can restore the peace that you once knew.
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**(1) This paragraph is drawn from the Sermon "What the World Needs Now" by Jerry Watts on Sermon Central.
