2012 Trouble for Them Peace for You
In 2011 there was a lot of upheaval in the world. No one predicted Osama would be killed, Ghadafi would be killed, Mubarak would be deposed, Kim Il Jong would be dead, the Arab spring, the Fukishema melt down, and Japanese tsunami.
The world's deck is being shuffled and a new hand is being dealt. With that in mind I asked the Lord to give me a word of counsel for the year ahead. I feel like the Lord gave me three things, two are just short things and the third is my message this morning.
Thought # 1 for 2012 - give me something I can bless. I fell God is wanting to challenge us to give Him things He can bless. Things in our lifestyle, things in our attitudes. There will be a lot of pastor's this morning who will declare 2012 to be the year of jubilee or some such thing. It will be the year of more miracles, more blessing, more prosperity, etc etc. No one is ever told they need to repent, or pray more, or get closer to God, it is always a cost free blessing. I believe in grace as much as the next guy, but I also believe that if we want God to show up in a greater measure in our lives we need to be involved and doing the things He wants to bless.
Thought #2 this is from a guy by the name of Steve Hill, Steve is an evangelist God has used to stir many to God, he is in the fight of his life with cancer, he has been battling aggressive melanoma for three years, and was given only 3 days to live in June of 2011, so this is from a guy peering over the edge of eternity and this is what he thinks God is saying about 2012
December 31
A Word from the Lord by Steve Hill
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
James 4:8
The Lord spoke this word to me and it must be shared with you. These are serious days. He's calling us closer.
Live unsettled. Don't sink too deep into the soil of this earth. Keep your head up and your feet moving. Stay alert. Be sober.
I'm coming. The day of My return is at hand. Loose yourself of any ties that bind. If you don't loose yourself, I'll help loose you. I want no obstacles. I will return for a "pilgrim people." My final work is at hand. My Spirit's wooing is about to cease. No one will grieve Me anymore. No one will quench My Spirit anymore. No one will resist Me anymore. Their days will be over.
My warm season of grace and mercy will soon turn to a chilling winter of judgment and wrath. The warm days of My wooing will be exchanged for the fiery days of My vengeance. My pleading for the souls of man, the passionate cry of My faithful harvesters, the unselfish service of My holy servants, all their labor, all the charity, all the pain, all the suffering, it will be over.
I have heard the groans of nature. I have heard the midnight cries. My Bride has been longing to be with Me. The tree has born forth its fruit. The fertile soil has yielded the harvest. The planting will stop. The laborers will leave.
The sickle will rust.
It's almost over. I'm coming back. I will not delay My coming to you, so don't delay your coming to Me.
Wow.
3. The word I have for 2012 is trouble for them peace for you. I am going to talk about peace in the midst of storms. Peace with your past, peace in your present, peace in your future.
PPT1,2
Text: 1 Thess 1:1-7
1Th 1:1 ¶ Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
1Th 1:2 ¶ We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention [of you] in our prayers;
1Th 1:3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,
1Th 1:4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, [His] choice of you;
1Th 1:5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
1Th 1:6 ¶ You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
1Th 1:7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
1. Peace in your present
I think you can see in that text two destinies, both get trouble, but one gets rest and peace. I believe the year ahead will see much trouble, but God wants His people to walk in peace. I believe in an age where men's hearts are failing them for the things that are coming on the earth, there is going to be a supernatural outpouring of the peace of God on His people.
The world is continually setting itself at odds with God and His word, and they don't make any connection to that at the increase of psychological disorders in the world.
Anxiety
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Post traumatic stress disorder
Panic attacks
ADHD
We live in a time where people are taking drugs to energize them during the day, and then drugs to put them to sleep at night.
We live in a day and age where men's hearts are failing them for fear.
Fear of a double dip recession.
Young people graduating from college are wondering if they are going to get a job, to help pay off all their debt they have accumulated in school.
Is Iran going to use nukes?
Will my retirement be there for me?
Bird flu, swine flu, stay away from me you!
I could go on but you get the idea. What I want you to hear this morning is that in the midst of the storm God has a peace for His children. God has grace available that will keep you from freaking out even if the world around you is falling apart.
Isa 26:3 Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee.
This speaks of a frame of mind that is absolutely secure and confident, at rest, free from alarm, Jesus epitomized it when there was a severe storm at sea, and yet He was able to sleep in the back of the boat.
Moses when pressed on one side with the Red Sea and on the other with the Egyptian army, his people were so full of fear they told him they would have been better off if they died in the wilderness. He confidently declares, "stand still and see the salvation of God."
Church I cannot promise you a year ahead free of storms, but I can tell you that God is going to give us greater grace in spite of the storms.
We are not going to get out of the mess this world is in, but we can walk in the fruit of the Spirit, one of which is supernatural peace.
Perfect peace is God's confidence in your heart. It is Him standing at the helm of your emotions and not simply telling you to calm down, but His confidence and rest relaxing you.
I want to talk about personal peace for a few minutes.
Let me begin by saying peace is our inheritance.
PPT 3
Joh 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
Peace is something so guaranteed to the believer in the mind of Jesus that He said and expected that we would give it away.
PPT 4
Lu 10:5 "And whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace [be] to this house.'
Lu 10:6 "And if a man of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to you.
Have you noticed how Paul began many of his letters in the NT.
1Th 1:1 ¶ Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians [which is] in God the Father and [in] the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Do you think that was just wishful thinking, or some trite saying? No he was practicing what Jesus said to do. Lord, I receive the blessing of peace.
2. Peace with your past.
The reason some people don't have peace in their present is because they don't have peace with their past. That is a heavy load to carry around with you.
PPT 5
There are two types of issues we can have with the past that can steal the peace from our present.
A. One is things we have done
This is an example I have used in the past:
Jacob suffered tremendously from self inflicted wounds.
Wounds of lying to his father. The way you treat your parents may come back to haunt you, and it may haunt you when you can do very little about it. They have passed on, but memory remains. Self inflicted wounds are naggers. They will nip at your feet. They will bite at your heels. They will bark at you in the corridors of your mind. They will taunt, and they will hurt.
B. The other is things others may have done to you.
A parent who abandoned, a spouse who cheated, an event or series of events that scarred you.
How can you have peace with your past, if you can't undo what you did, or others did, or circumstances that happened?
If you are a person who has serious hurts in your past, pay close attention, what I am about to say can help you greatly.
The root of your problem is not your past. Let me illustrate why.
If the root of your problem is your past, you are incurable.
Huh?
Let me explain a little further. What they did, or what you did will always be a true fact. When you die and go to heaven, assuming you do, you will be bringing your past with you, and yet we know there are no tears in heaven. Why not? Has God taken an eraser to our memory? No. Luke 16 proves that. He remembers his brothers, he remembers what they were like, he remembers they are lost like him. Abraham remembered the events of both the rich man and Lazarus's life.
When people live in turmoil about their past, the root of their problem is not what happened to them, but that they have failed to overcome evil with good.
In heaven your past will not disappear, but what happens is God's grace that is greater than your past comes more into focus than your past that hurts does. You realize that God's healing is more effective and powerful than the devils hurting. Guess what? If you are smart you won't wait till heaven to make that realization.
The bible tells us to not be overcome of evil, but to overcome evil with good.
If you are being overcome by your past, the problem is not your past. Words that were said, can't be unsaid, people who abandoned you and are now dead, can't unabandon you. Sins you or others committed can't be uncommitted. When Jesus forgives us, He doesn't undo the sins we have committed. If you lied 5 years ago, you still lied five years ago. Salvation doesn't change the facts of your life, it changes the outcome and effect of those facts. In like manner you can choose to let hurts overcome you, or to overcome them.
How do you overcome hurts?
A. Believe more in God's healing than the pasts hurting.
Listen to this verse:
PPT 6
1Jo 5:4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
Are you an overcomer or are you letting your past overcome you? What do you have faith in? Your hurts? or God's healing?
PPT 7
If any man is in Christ he is a new creature, old things have passed away, all things become new. (2 Cor 5:17)
B. Bless those who hurt you.
Mt 5:44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you
If you are going to mourn about sin, instead of mourning about sins done to you, why don't you mourn about sins you have done yourself?
3. Finally peace in your future.
PPT 8
Ro 5:1 ¶ Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Ro 5:2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
I know it is the first Sunday of the new year, but it is also a good Sunday to close out the sins and failings of the previous year.
Close: Peace on your house - for others. Peace on your house for you.
