The Peace and love of God
Psalm 121:1-8
Introduction-
Today, Josh and Michelle lite the first candle of Advent. The candle of hope.
The 4 weeks of Advent point us to Jesus Christ.
Hope in Jesus- what He did on the cross for us.
The peace we find in Jesus- that even in the midst of turmoil, we can have peace.
The love of Christ- The love that is far more than human love. That sacrificial love only Christ can give.
The joy of Jesus- the inner satisfaction of redemption.
Then on Christmas Eve, we lite the Christ candle and celebrate the world over the birth of Jesus Christ for mankind.
We cannot begin to celebrate Advent without Jesus being our only hope.
You cannot truly celebrate Christmas without putting our hope in the Christ child, the redeemer of mankind.
I said a few weeks ago that hope was a funny thing.
When you have it, you feel like you are on top of the world.
When you don’t have it, you feel like the world is on top of you.
Lets look at Psalm 121 as we get a glimpse of what hope really looks like.
Psalms 121- Read
Our hope comes from one source as a believer. Jesus Christ.
We can try to take short cuts, we can attempt to put our trust in other things and other people, but as a believer, it will always come back to Jesus Christ.
I want you to see from this Psalm a few truths.
• God is our only hope- as believers on this side of the cross- it is in Jesus Christ alone.
• Jesus is our provider and our strength.
• Jesus is our protector.
• Jesus is all we need.
“You may never know Jesus is all you need, until Jesus is all you have”
When we look at God as our provider, strength, and our protector, we take a new look at our God.
We need to plan, we need to work, we need to take care of our family. But when God is first, when God gets the first fruits of all we are and all we have, we shift from about me to about God. We look up to God, instead of looking to see all that we will accomplish without Him.
Illustration-
September, 2005- first day of school, a social studies teacher named Martha Cothren changed some students thinking. On that day with the permission of the school leaders at Robinson High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, she removed all of the desks from her classroom. When the first class entered, “Where are our desks”? She said, “You cannot have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk” “Well, maybe because of our grades- no, she said, not about grades. “Maybe, our behavior, no, not about behavior. The first, second, and third period classes came and went. No one could answer the question. By early afternoon, news crews had started to gather in Mrs. Cothren’s class to report about a crazy teacher. Through out the day, noone was able to tell her what he/she had done to earn the right to sit at the desk in the classroom. Now I am going to tell you- she opened the door to the classroom. 27 Veterans, all in uniform walked into that classroom carrying a desk. You didn’t earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. Now, it is up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be citizens. They paid the price for you to be here. She got teacher of the year in 2006.
What you have- much or little. What you have done- great or small. Is because of Jesus Christ.
It is your responsibility to keep your eyes focused and centered on Him.
“My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness”
Until we get a correct picture of God, we cannot begin to place our hope in the right person.
Psalms 9:9-
“The Lord is my refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.”
34:4-
“I sought the Lord and he answered me, he delivered me from all my fears”
34:18-“
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
121:1 - “I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? David probably looking at the temple on Mount Moriah, the holy hill of Zion. The place where the ark of the covenant, Oracles of God, the mighty altar of God were- sensing the presence of God.
121:2 He answers himself- “My help comes from the Lord. The maker of heaven and earth”
• The maker of heaven and earth.
• The one who made something out of nothing.
• Speaking a word- creates beautiful things.
• Sovereign Lord of the universe. Who can use as He pleases anything to help hurting people.
We must see that all we need is in God. Where does my help come from? It comes from God.
“In His great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into a inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade, kept in heaven for you.”
Life without Christ is hopeless, but with Christ it is endless hope.
John 3:16-
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”
That is hope You can count on Jesus That is salvation in action.
Isaac Bashevis Singer-
“I only pray when I’m in trouble- but I’m in trouble all the time, and so I pray all the time.”
• Where do you turn when you are in trouble?
•When life hits you hard?
• Where does your help come from?
God is always trying to show us and teach us things during a trail in our lives.
God gets no pleasure in seeing you hurt.
During a trial or hardship-
(1) God desires for us to put our hope and trust in Him.
(2) He desires us to walk close to Him.
(3) He desires us to change direction if needed.
(4) God desires us to refocus. Set priorities straight.
Our help comes from heaven, not earthbound. Looking anywhere else is disappointing to God.
The second thing that I want you to see is the peace that we can have when we are in Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1-
“we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”
Jesus own words- “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Most people do not have the peace of God. There is a void in our lives that only God can fill.
When we try to fill that with anything other than God, there is unrest. There cannot be peace.
121:3 He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber.
There is peace knowing that as we walk hand in hand with the Lord that He will not let us slip.
121:5 The Lord watches over you, the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
To enjoy the peace of God, our walking with God should be as close as a shadow is to the body. The one cannot go without the other.
That is why it is not based upon circumstances. It is based upon a relationship. It is based upon the fact that we realize this life is temporary.
That God desire is to not let anything get between our relationship with Him. There is peace in knowing God will meet your need. God’s provision is there for us.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Jesus is the source of our help.
Jesus is the strength of our help.
Jesus is the hope for a future.
He gives us the peace that passes all understanding- as we walk with Him.
“I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace, in this world you will have troubles, but take heart, I have overcome the world.”
Closing:
There are some steps we need to take to have and keep the peace of God in our lives.
Maybe you’re here this morning and you do not have the peace that I am talking about. There always seems to be a void that you cannot fill.
I want you to listen to me for just a minute. God promises as a child of God that you can know and experience the peace of God.
Number one-
Realize that God has a purpose for your life. You matter to God. God desires to have a personal relationship with you. John 3:16 applies to all our lives.
Number two-
The problem with most not having a peace is separation between them and God.
We try in our own way to bridge the gap.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” Proverbs 14:12
“But your iniquities have separated you from God, your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear” Isaiah 59:2
There is no bridge except one. There is only one bridge between a holy God and sinful man.
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”
1 Tim. 2:5
“For Christ died for sin once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”
1 Peter 3:18
“But God demonstrated his own love for us in this- while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Rom 5:8
God has provided the way. Each person must make a choice.
Number three-
Our response. Jesus says- “Here I am, I stand at the door and knock- that door being your heart.
‘To all who receive him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12
Which side of the cross are you? The sinful side and without a Savior, or on the holy side of God because of Jesus Christ?
Today;
Admit you need a savior- I am a sinner in need of Jesus.
Be willing to change- repent of your old ways.
Believe Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose from the grave victorious.
Receive Him as Lord and Savior this morning.
Make that your prayer this morning If you prayed that, according to God’s word and His promise- you are a child of God.
Let today be the beginning of your new life in him.
‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” rom. 10:13
Experience the peace of God like never before.
Altar Call
