Sermon for 12/3/2006
John 14:27
Christ Came to Bring Peace Not Christmas Stress
Introduction:
From Children’s Christmas Program- It’s traffic, it’s people, it’s lights and noise. It’s busy moms and dads, it’s cranky girls and boys. It’s hustling and bustling, it’s high priced toys. It’s Christmas in the city. It’s pushin and shovin, it’s Christmas sales. It’s pullin and tuggin, fightin tooth and nail. It’s always fast and furious, it never fails. It’s Christmas in the city. It’s crowded we know, it’s noisy we know, but that’s how we celebrate. It’s frantic we know, it’s panic we know, but hey, we like it that way.
WBTU:
A. (Isa 9:6 NIV) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
B. (Luke 2:14 NIV) “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
C. Around this time of the year we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, the one who came to bring peace. What peace? Doesn’t seem to be much peace in this world.
D. Main Scripture today is John 14:27.
F. We must remember the scene in John 14. Jesus is celebrating his last supper with his disciples, the 12. He has washed their feet. He has shared the Passover meal with them. He has told Judas Iscariot to do it quickly and Judas has left to betray his Master. He said in (John 13:33 NIV) “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
G. Jesus is telling them that he is going to die. His words are disturbing to them and so chapters 14 through 16 are words of encouragement, assurance, and promise to help calm their fears. They were troubled that night.
H. These words spoken here are on a personal level. First given to the disciples in that day and recorded for us in our day, these are not words to nations, governments, businesses or even to families (Matthew 10:34-37), these are words to individuals. Personal promises of Jesus to his disciples.
I. Chapter 14 Jesus mentions the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16 NIV) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--(John 14:17 NIV) the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:18 NIV) I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
J. VS. 26 mention him again. Really Jesus is comforting them but saying that there is soon coming a day when He will be in them. They will not be orphans but Jesus Christ will in their hearts through the person of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ will live right here.
K. (Prov 18:24 NIV) A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
L. (Micah 5:2 NIV) "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."(Micah 5:4 NIV) He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. (Micah 5:5 NIV) And he will be their peace.
M. The peace that is talked about here is not the peace in the world but the personal peace that comes through Jesus Christ. Now this peace should help to bring about peace in the world.
O. But the emphasis here is not on the world but on the individual.
Thesis: Let’s continue to talk about this peace from the first three phrases in John 14:27.
For instances:
I. Not as the world gives do I give to you.
A. This world can give some personal peace. When we ate that Thanksgiving meal and then lay down on the couch to watch football and fell asleep, there was some personal peace from this. The comforts of life give a small sense of peace. Those living the high life in all the comforts money can afford do have some peace.
B. When we have worked hard all week and then we have the opportunity to get out of town and go to an amusement park, there is some enjoyment and excitement from this.
C. When we go on vacation and we are on that cruse, there is a lot of rest and enjoyment from this. We go to a spa and get that massage and those beauty treatments that is some personal peace.
D. When we go to work and throw ourselves into some project, we loose ourselves and we seem to go into another dimension and we are so focused and it feels good. We look at the results after the fact and we feel proud and good, some personal peace. Same can be true of good deeds.
E. When we are able to indulge after a long week in shopping, or sports, or hunting, or fishing, or some hobby, we loose ourselves and we have a sense of personal peace.
F. Get out into nature for some brings personal peace. To sit beside a river and listen to the water, or to lie out at the beach and just listen to the waves, does bring some personal peace.
G. Clarence Darrow, the atheist lawyer, said that the only time he got any peace was when he was playing cards or when he was asleep. When he lost himself in a game or when he was unconscious to life. There is some peace in this.
H. These things are good and we need to enjoy them while we have them. (Eccl 3:12 NIV) I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.(Eccl 3:13 NIV) That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God.
F. If none of these things give some peace then we can escape through drugs. Get drunk or smoke this and get high. WE go to the doctor and get some prescription drugs (not saying this is all bad but it can be) and that helps us to get some personal peace. We feel good and escape and get some peace for a moment. Feel bad the next day but for the moment we feel good!
H. Outward things don’t give lasting peace. This world gives excitement, this world gives rest, and this world gives an escape. However, these things are so shallow and temporary. Underneath it all is still restlessness. This world offers a peace that numbs but when the numbness wears away, the discontent is still there. There is nothing in this world that will fill and satisfy us except Jesus Christ.
II. Peace I leave with you.
A. Jesus Christ did not have houses or lands or money to give to his disciples.
B. Many people make wills. Jesus knows that he is dying. Jesus Christ here is giving to his disciples many promises and one of those is peace. No houses or lands here but wonderful spiritual promises.
C. To have this peace we must be at peace with:
1. God.
a. (Col 1:20 NIV) and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.(Col 1:21 NIV) Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.(Col 1:22 NIV) But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—
b. (Rom 5:1 NIV) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
c. Know God, know peace. No God, no peace.
c. Plan of salvation
d. There will be moments of gladness and rest and escape, but never lasting peace without Jesus Christ.
2. Ourselves
a. (1 John 3:19 NIV) This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence (1 John 3:20 NIV) whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. (1 John 3:21 NIV) Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God
c. many hate themselves. However, Jesus Christ died for us.
d. There is only one way for a person to be at peace with himself, and that is that we should put the guidance of our lives into the hands of Jesus Christ.
3. Others.
a. (Titus 3:3 NIV) At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
b. (1 Pet 1:22) Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.
4. The world.
a. (John 16:33 NIV) “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."
b. Two painters were to paint a picture that would illustrate peace. The first chose for his canvas a scene of tranquility with a lake among beautiful mountains. The second threw across his canvas a thundering waterfall with a fragile tree suspended over the foam. There at the fork of a branch, dampened by the spray, sat a robin on its nest. The first picture was one of “stagnation.” The second one of “peace.” True peace is not the absence of conflict or trouble. Peace is the response of a heart set deep in God.
III. My Peace I give to you
A. The peace that Christ had and now has.
1. While Jesus Christ was on this earth, we see a man at peace. He did have righteous indignation, but for the most part he was at peace.
2. He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted grief, and was everywhere hated and persecuted, and had no place of rest in this world, yet in God, his Father, he had peace.
3. (Isa 26:3 NIV) You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.
4. When Christ had finished his sufferings, had risen from the dead, and ascended into heaven, he entered into his rest, a state of everlasting peace.
5. Having obtained victory over his enemies, he was received from His Father the rest which he had prepared for him, there to enjoy his heart’s desire fully and perfectly to all eternity. This peace and rest of the Messiah is exceeding glorious, Isa. 11:10, “And his place of rest shall be glorious.”
B. The peace that Christ has for us.
1. This rest and peace that Christ has obtained, is not only for himself, but also for his people. He has willed it to us that we may enjoy it with him, imperfectly in this life, and perfectly and eternally in the next life.
2. This peace that we enjoy is a participation in the peace that Jesus Christ himself enjoys, by his blood. We participate to a certain degree the same kind of relationship that Jesus Christ had with his Father. (John 20:17 NIV) Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ’I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’"
3. (Eph 2:4 NIV) But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,(Eph 2:5 NIV) made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.(Eph 2:6 NIV) And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.
4. Great for the next life but what about here. (Rom 8:6 NIV) The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
5. (Col 3:15 NIV) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
6. (Phil 4:6 NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.(Phil 4:7 NIV) And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Conclusion and invitation:
A. Christmas time can be stressful. Christmas in the city!
B. (Psa 29:11 NIV) The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.
