Suggestion: Watch the video. What a blessing. The Key to Continued Peace. By Dr. Charles Stanley Scripture: John 14:1 I. Introduction: Life is unpredictable. Wealth disappears, jobs end, relationships fail. Even health is not guaranteed. The good news is that we can experience inner peace that is not threatened by life’s challenges. The secret to this tranquility is surrender to the heavenly Father. Peace with God is the fruit of oneness with God (Life Principle #12). We experience calmness beyond human comprehension when we submit to His will and trust Him to provide for our needs. II. God’s Supernatural Peace A. Jesus told His disciples about the type of peace that depends on His unchanging character (John 14:1, 27). Place your trust in Christ, and allow Him to bring you the security and comfort you need. B. The secret to finding tranquility lies in releasing our burdens to the Lord (Phil. 4:6-7). This kind of peace is unchanging—it doesn’t come and go depending on life’s triumphs and challenges. III. Peace with God A. Peace with God refers to the nature of our relationship with Him. Until a person receives Jesus Christ as personal Savior, he or she will have no genuine peace. The individual may experience happiness, but not the kind of deep inner stillness that endures. B. What if you long for genuine peace but are not yet a child of God? You must begin by dealing with the problem of sin in your life. Accept Christ’s forgiveness. Receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior, and you will become a child of God (Rom. 8:14-15). You will be reconciled to God (Rom. 5:1)—then you can start to learn how to walk in His peace. IV. The Peace of God A. Regardless of the situation, any believer can find inner calm. Jesus told His disciples, “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27). Our culture looks to possessions, human relationships, or accomplishments to bring them security. But because each one is subject to change, attempting to find peace through them is futile. B. The peace of God depends not on circumstances but on a personal relationship with Jesus. He said, “In Me you may have peace” (John 16:33). Transcendent peace rests on our agreement with God. When you submit your daily choices to the Lord, you are in harmony with His Spirit, and you will experience peace. C. Remember that if you are a born-again believer, the Holy Spirit lives within you to make a godly life possible. The Helper produces all kinds of good fruit within believers, including peace (Gal. 5:22). As you cooperate with the Spirit, He will also enable you to have joy, love, and kindness. Through His power, you and I can have contentment in the midst of suffering and misfortune. D. The Father doesn’t promise us a trouble-free life. But if we cultivate an intimate relationship with Him, we can possess a quietness that gives us strength to withstand adversity. V. Our Responsibility A. When we face situations that could cause turmoil, we must hold on to our identity: children of God. His Spirit, who lives within us, will bring us quietness, contentment, security, and courage. B. We must stop dwelling on negative circumstances and renew our focus on the Father. Since we are His beloved sons and daughters, God will cause all things to work together for our good (Rom. 8:28). Get your eyes off the source of disappointment and onto Him, and you will know supernatural peace. VI. Conclusion: Perhaps life has you frustrated right now. Your circumstances might be out of control, or maybe you are simply a little disillusioned. You may think that more money, a better job, or a certain relationship could make all the difference in how you feel. But there is only one source of peace—the God who holds the universe together. Surrender to Him and you can face every day with an awesome sense of indescribable peace. At Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 20:41:09 +0000
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