Sermon
Lanier Christian Church
January 24, 2021
David Simpson
When Peace Seems So Elusive.
Job 3:25-26
What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.
I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.
It seems as if peace is so elusive for so many. In our nation and even here locally, so many are struggling to experience peace right now. Because of the pandemic and a turbulent political season, and the fact that we are in the middle of winter…just being peaceful and feeling all is right with the world is not a common expression. Throughout our world there is still injustice and persecution of innocent people. Just last week terrorists set off two bombs in Iraq that killed dozens of people. In our nation there are constant news items reporting job losses, violent crimes, and social challenges.
Turn on the TV and find a program in seconds that will give you all the turmoil, fighting or violence you can handle for one evening. Search news on your computer and get all you can stomach when it comes to the latest Hollywood or sports world scandal and the personal stuggles celebrities go through. Look at Facebook and read everyday where someone is expressing their frustration about having a bad day, being sick and tired of being sick and tired, or experiencing frustration that makes them want to scream. Take a poll of everyone here at church today and we would have our own list of things that rattle our cage and keep us stressed to the max.
I pray that the Prince of Peace brings calm to your soul every day, despite the world around us. But, perhaps you know someone or maybe there is someone here today who would agree with Job: "I have no peace...only turmoil."
So, what do we do? Really? What do we do with ourselves when we are faced with such disarray? I consider this to be a serious spiritual matter. God never intended for us to live this way. Let's find help from God's Word today.
1. When Peace is Elusive, Trust is Essential.
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. - Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)
How is your trust level these days? Are you relying more on self and not on God?
Some phrases I hear around me quite often are:
"I trust no one."
"Who can you trust?"
"I don't believe anything he says."
"I've lost all trust."
"What happened to the days when you could trust people?"
There's a former WSB-TV consumer reporter who founded his own internet business and radio show called: "TrustDale.com" So, if you can't trust anyone else, you can trust Dale Cardwell!
When our lives are filled with anything but peace, we often try a variety of other things first to try and soothe our aching hearts.
Alcohol. Tranquilizers. Food. Escape. Entertainment. Running. Exercize. Meditation. Positive Thinking.
What about prayer? What about releasing the stress and the strain and the pressure to the one who wants to free you from those burdens....Almighty God himself. Why not say a simple prayer:
"Lord, I trust in you. I give this to you...all the things that are not at peace in my life. I release it to you. I trust you can handle these matters so much better than I ever could.
Help me not to pick them up again, but to leave them in your loving care."
The end result of faithfully praying that type of prayer is that God will fill you with, not only peace, but hope as well.
Romans 15:13 - May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The key ingredient to finding peace is trust.
2. Peace only comes to those who pursue it.
Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. - Psalm 34:14
A beginning point to experiencing peace is by trusting God.
But, then we must pursue it. We must intentionally live in a manner in which our aim is peace and not turmoil. Our pursuit must be so obvious that we have a plan. It's different for everyone, but it might be something like this:
At the beginning of every day:
- Pray - by releasing everything to God.
- Prepare - by reading the Bible for direction & wisdom for the day.
- Praise - sing or whistle or hum. Fill your mind with Christian music and faith filled lyrics that usher in peace.
A repairman came to our home a few years ago. While I was waiting, I was whistling in another room and doing some chores. A few minutes later I heard him whistling too. There's something about praise that is contagious!
Protect - Do your best, with the help of the Lord himself to protect your mind from any thoughts or influence which would potentially destroy your peace. That includes negative comments, angry responses, bitter feelings, unforgiving attitudes and destructive behavior.
Peace only comes to those who pursue it.
3. Jesus took our pain to give us His peace.
Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Jesus gave all for us. He took our sins, our punishment for sin, our guilt, our shame, and replaced it with His peace.
No sin that is forgiven can take away our peace.
No guilt that invades our souls can compare to the peace that floods our souls.
No wrong that we've ever done can burden us anymore because the peace of Jesus washes away our shame.
No eternal punishment awaits us because of our iniquities, for Jesus died in our place to give us His peace.
If we are in Christ, and have humbly repented before God, then none of the transgressions of this life can rob us of peace. Know that today!
Look at the Isaiah verse one more time but emphasize the personal pronoun.
Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Peace begins with our Savior. It's about Him, not about us!
He so loves us that He died in our place. And the result of that is peace. Peace replaces the damage sin caused. But we must accept it. We must believe that his sacrifice is true. We must know that Jesus really does care...He really loves us.
Yes, there are people that will remind you of your past.
Remind them of His peace.
Yes, there are consequences to sin. Allow the peace of Christ to lead you through the challenges.
Yes, there are difficult days that are filled with storms, but Jesus is the very one that said to the storm on the sea of Galilee: "Peace, be still."
His peace counters every storm. His peace covers every sin. His peace calms every fear. But, we must place our faith in Jesus, not ourselves, if we want to experience this peace.
4. The turmoil Satan brings will ultimately be replaced with the peace only Jesus can give.
John 16:33 - 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.
Romans 16:20 - The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
We must constantly remind ourselves as believers that we are in a battle. We are not in a battle with ourselves. We are not in a battle with others. We are in a spiritual war against the forces of evil - Satan and all of his wicked associates.
He is called by Jesus, the "prince of this world" for a good reason. (John 16:11) This world is his domain. This is where he attacks. Even though his power is limited, Satan is still claiming victims every minute of every day. But he is a defeated foe. We know the end of the story. Satan is ultimately destroyed and Jesus is victorious. Evil will ultimately be removed from the earth and peace will be restored.
Yes, Jesus said it from his very lips: "In this world you WILL have trouble." He countered that by reminding us that He is the great overcomer..that in Jesus we find peace. Not in this present world, but in Jesus. He has overcome anything that Satan and the world can throw at us.
And just to show the the contrast...the God of Peace will soon crush Satan, the ruler of turmoil. I am on the winning side in Christ. I am on the peaceful side when Satan whips up his frenzy of turmoil. The joy of the Lord is my strength, as Nehemiah said. He will sustain me. He will provide for me. He will strengthen me. He will ultimately lead me safely home!
Only Jesus can give you the peace that you crave. Quit striving to find it elsewhere!
May we all find the peace that Jesus offers...a peace that passes all understanding.
Conclusion:
Ethel Waters became a famous blues and jazz singer in the 1920's and '30s.
She is in the Grammy Hall of Fame. She is in the Christian Music Hall of Fame. And, in 1994 her face was on a 29-cent stamp honoring her life. And yet, she knew much personal turmoil and unrest. Ethel Waters came into this world unwanted and unloved. Of her early childhood, Ethel said, “No one raised me; I just ran wild. I never was a child. I never was cuddled, or liked, or understood by my family.”
Her young mother had been raped at knife point by a family acquaintance. At the age of 13, Louise Anderson gave birth to baby Ethel on October 31, 1900, in Chester, PA. Her heartrending beginning (on Halloween day) only got worse.
Ethel survived an unbelievable childhood filled with extreme poverty, daily hunger, and being shuffled between aunts, uncles, grandmother, and neighbors. She never lived anywhere more than a year. She worked for drug lords in exchange for food and shelter. She married a man when she was only 12 years old but soon fled the abusive relationship. At 13, Ethel found a job in Philadelphia working as a maid earning less than $5 a week.
At the age of 17, Ethel began her professional career at the Lincoln Theater in Baltimore. Recalling those days, Ethel laughingly revealed that her stage name became “Sweet Mama Stringbean” because, “I was so scrawny and tall.” She met the great jazzman W.C. Handy at this theater and convinced him to let her sing his “St. Louis Blues” as part of her act. Being the first woman to sing this song on stage and with her unique style brought her quick fame and bigger and better opportunities.
The gangster, Al Capone paid her top dollar to star at his Chicago club for a singing gig. She later signed with Columbia Records and had many hit records. She starred on Broadway after having attracted the attention of the great Irving Berlin. She was the first African-American to receive equal billing with white performers on Broadway.
She traveled from coast to coast performing, and at one time performed with the Jimmy Dorsey band, becoming the first black singer to star in a coast to coast radio show.
Eventually she made her way to Hollywood and began acting. She starred in several Warner Brothers movies and became the second black woman nominated for an Academy wad for the movie: “Pinky.”
In 1939 she became the first black singer/actress to have her own variety show on TV. She was also the first black woman to star in her own 1950 situation comedy, The Beulah Show. She received an Emmy award for her TV work in the 1960’s.
In actual fact, Ethel’s career accomplishments are too numerous to mention. Regrettably, as Ethel got older much of her golden voice had faded and her health suffered due to various ailments and becoming severely overweight.
By 1955, Ethel was deeply in debt with the IRS hounding her for back taxes and seizing the royalties of her work. Yet Ethel had faced lean and mean times many times before. A turning point came when Ethel attended the Billy Graham Crusade in New York’s Madison Square Garden in 1957. Years later, she gave this testimony of that night:
In 1957, I, Ethel Waters, a 380-pound decrepit old lady, rededicated my life to Jesus Christ, and boy, because He lives, just look at me now. I tell you because He lives; and because my precious child, Billy, gave me the opportunity to stand there, I can thank God for the chance to tell you His eye is on all of us sparrows.
Ethel Waters was a little sparrow that soon soared with eagles. I want to close today with a song that says it all...Ethel Waters sang it. She made it famous on many Billy Graham crusade tv shows. Note how she sings it. Discouragement was not her choice. She pursued peace in Christ. And, so must we!
VIDEO - Ethel Waters singing: "His eye is on the sparrow."
The last verse of the song is:
Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
Most of Ethel Waters story from Christian Index – May 2, 2016 – Ron Hale
