The Peace Of A Vision

THE PEACE OF A VISION

JOHN 14:27

PROBABLY ONE OF THE SCARIEST FEELINGS A PERSON CAN HAVE IS NOT TO HAVE A CLEAR SENSE OF DIRECTION WHEN TRAVELING IN A BIG CITY, LIKE MONTREAL OR TORONTO. THIS WOULD BE SMALL IN SCALE IF YOU WERE TO COMPARE WITH NEW YORK OR CHICAGO. THERE IS A GREAT SENSE OF RELIEF WHEN FAMILIAR LANDMARKS COME INTO VIEW, AND WE REALIZE WE KNOW WHERE WE ARE GOING.

THE SAME IS TRUE FOR OUR PERSONAL LIVES. WE ALL WANT TO HAVE A CLEAR IDEA OF WHERE WE WILL BE SAY IN FIVE OR TEN YEARS.

WE WANT THE KIND OF PEACE THAT AN OLD JEWISH MAN HAD AS HE WAS AWAITING SURGERY. HIS SON-IN LAW, A RENOWNED SURGHEON WAS TO PERFORM THE OPERATION, SO HE LOOKED AT HIS SON-IN LAW FROM THE OPERATING TABLE, AND AS HE WAS ABOUT TO RECEIVE THE ANESTHETIC, TOLD HIM THIS.

“DO NOT WORRY SON. I’M AT PERFECT PEACE WITH THE SURGERY AND YOU PERFORMING IT. JUST DO YOUR BEST TO REMEMBER THAT IF IT DOESN’T GO WELL AND SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME, YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW IS GOING TO LIVE WITH YOU AND YOUR WIFE.”

THE WORLD CAN ONLY FIND A TEMPORARY CEASING OF HOSTILITIES, NOT A PERMANENT PEACE. IN THE LAST 4000 YEARS IT IS RECKONED THERE HAVE BEEN ONLY 268 YEARS WITHOUT A , WAR. BEFORE WWII THERE WAS AN AVERAGE OF 2.61 WARS PER YEAR. AFTER THE WAR TO END ALL WARS, AND OUR ORGANIZED EFFORTS FOR WORLD PEACE THAT NUMBER HAS INCREASED TO AN AVERAGE OF 3 NEW WARS PER YEAR.

THE PEACE OF THIS WORLD IS NOT THE PEACE THAT CHRIST WISHES FOR HIS FOLLOWERS. THE PEACE OF GOD IS OFTEN COMPARED TO A HURRICANE. THE HURRICANE IS A HUGE OUTER RING THAT SPINS AND CHURNS UP DEBRIS AT INCREDIBLE SPEEDS AND BRINGS GREAT VIOLENCE AND DESTRUCTION. YET IN THE EYE OF THE HURRICANE IT IS ABSOLUTELY CALM AND SERENE, UTTERLY PEACEFUL. THE PEACE CHRIST WANTS FOR HIS PEOPLE IS THE EYE OF THE STORM.

PAUL TEACHES:

PHILIPPIANS 4:7: AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS.

PEACE FOR THE CHRISTIAN IS NOT FOUND IN THE ABSENCE OF TROUBLE OR HOSTILITY, OR PERSONAL TURMOIL. IT IS FOUND IN THE POSITIVE PRESENCE OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR.

GOD’S PEACE IS RELATIONAL NOT CIRCUMSTANTIAL. GOD SOMETIMES CALMS THE STORMS, BUT AT OTHER TIMES HE ALLOWS THE STORMS TO RAGE ON AND CALMS YOUR HEART.

ISAIAH 26:3-4:

YOU WILL KEEP IN PERFECT PEACE THOSE WHOSE MINDS ARE STEADFAST, BECAUSE THEY TRUST IN YOU. 4 TRUST IN THE LORD FOREVER, FOR THE LORD, THE LORD HIMSELF, IS THE ROCK ETERNAL

THE PEACE OF CHRIST IS THE DIVINE EXCHANGE. YOU GIVE YOUR ANXIETIES TO HIM, AND THE LORD WILL GIVE YOU PEACE IN RETURN.

THERE IS NOTHING MORE COMFORTING THAN A CLEAR VISION FRO THE LORD AS TO YOUR FUTURE, OR THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH. SUCH VISIONS MAY TAKE COURAGE, AND TAKE YOU OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE.

THE PEACE OF CHRIST THOUGH WILL BE YOUR STRENGTH AS YOU MEET THE TURMOIL OF THE DAY. THE HEBREW WORD FOR PEACE IS “SHALOM”, AND WHEN IT IS USED, IT IS A DESIRE AND A WISH FOR A DEEP PEACE THAT OVERPOWERS THE WORLD, AND ALLOWS YOU CALMNESS INSIDE.

JOHN MacARTHUR CALLS THE PEACE OF GOD: “A SUPERNATURAL PERMANENT, POSITIVE, NO SIDE-EFFECTS, DIVINE TRANQUILIZER.”

LET’S LOOK AT THE CONTEXT OF THE PASSAGE:

CONTEXT:

THIS IS ONE OF JESUS’ FAREWELL ADDRESSES. HE KNEW THAT THE CROSS WAS SOON TO HAPPEN AND THAT HIS DISCIPLES WERE NOT READY TO FACE THIS. THEY THOUGHT THEIR LEADER WOULD BE WITH THEM FOR A LONG TIME, AND THAT HE COULD FACE THOSE WHO WERE OPPOSING HIM AND THAT THEY COULD JUST STAY IN THE BACKGROUND. THEY WANTED THE RIDE, BUT DIDN’T WANT TO PAY THE TOLL.

JESUS KNEW THEIR HEARTS, AND HE KNEW THAT THEY WOULD FEAR FOR THEIR OWN LIVES. HE KNEW THE PERSECUTION THEY WOULD FACE AS A RESULT OF FOLLOWING HIM.

JOHN 16:32-33:

“A TIME IS COMING AND IN FACT HAS COME WHEN YOU WILL BE SCATTERED, EACH TO YOUR OWN HOME. YOU WILL LEAVE ME ALL ALONE. YET I AM NOT ALONE, FOR MY FATHER IS WITH ME. 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.”

JESUS WAS PROMISING THEM HOPE. HE WAS PROMISING THEM THE RESURRECTION. HE WAS PROMISING THEM A HOME NOT MADE BY HUMAN HANDS WHERE THERE WOULD BE PEACE ETERNALLY.

THIS IS OUR PROMISE TODAY, FOR THOSE WHO KNOW JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR. THIS IS OUR PROMISE TODAY, AS WE DETERMINE THE VISION THAT GOD HAS FOR THIS CHURCH. THIS IS YOUR PROMISE TODAY, AS YOU DETERMINE GOD’S MISSION FOR YOU IN THIS WORLD.