“PERFECT PEACE”

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 22, Issue 6     February 26, 2012

Do you have peace of mind?
     Never   Seldom   Frequently   Consistently

Are you free from smoldering anger?
     Never   Seldom   Frequently   Consistently

Are you free from nagging fears?
Never   Seldom   Frequently   Consistently

Do you allow circumstances to disrupt your peace?
     Never   Seldom   Frequently   Consistently

Are you free from envy?
     Never   Seldom   Frequently   Consistently

Do you trust in His daily guidance?
     Never   Seldom   Frequently   Consistently

Do you let others rob you of inner peace?
     Never   Seldom   Frequently   Consistently

Are you at peace with others?
     Never   Seldom   Frequently   Consistently

Do you remain calm in the face of trouble?
     Never   Seldom   Frequently   Consistently

Are you strained by stress, agitation, nervousness?
     Never   Seldom   Frequently   Consistently

Are you free from high blood pressure?
     Never   Seldom   Frequently   Consistently

Do you have a sense of calmness in your body?
     Never   Seldom   Frequently   Consistently

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  John 14:27

1.  Jesus calls everyone to come to Him for lasting peace

“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 

Only those who come to Jesus….will have rest.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.”
Galatians 5:22, 23

2.  Loving service is followed with peaceful thoughts

“The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.”
Isaiah 32:17 

3.  Only the Lord’s blessings give peace, not anything else

“The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.”
Psalm 29:11 

4.  Great peace is found in loving and obeying the scriptures

“Great peace have they who love your law,
and nothing can make them stumble.”
Psalm 119:165

5.  Learn to read, study, memorize and meditate on the scriptures to calm your mind when feeling anxious, bothered or burdened

“You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
Isaiah 26:3

6.  Take up the armor of God for our peace

Paul writes,
“Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s scheme. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities and powers of this dark world.”
Ephesians 6:10-12 

Without this armor we are vulnerable to the attacks of the devil.

7.  Find peace in your hope

Job wrote,
“You will have courage because you will have hope. You will take your time and rest in safety. You will lie down unafraid and many will look to you for help.”
Job 11:18, 19

You will enjoy greater peace as you let His peace replace any negative thoughts, irrational assumptions or anxious thoughts.

Speak and sing His word in your hearts.  His joy will be your strength, your comfort and peace.

8.  Perfect peace comes by focusing your attention on Jesus

Isaiah wrote,
“You will keep him in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord.”
Isaiah 26:3 

“Trust Him to work all things together for good.”
Romans 8:28 

The world tells you many lies about who you are
and you simply have to be realistic enough
to remind yourself of this.

Every time you feel hurt, offended or rejected you have to dare to say to yourself:

“these feelings, strong as they may be, are not telling me the truth about myself. The truth, even though I can't feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in Gods' eyes, called the beloved from all eternity and held safe in an everlasting embrace.”

Perfect Peace is not possible if you can't accept yourself, or struggle in your relationship with God.

Consider these peace opposing facts
  • The wounds are still there
  • The problems still hurt even though it was in the past
  • It is a current issue
  • It has become your identity
  • You are too embarrassed to let anyone help you
Folks, today can be the beginning of the Peace you have been seeking.  Hear again the words of our Lord…

“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 

When this quality of peace reigns in you, it cannot be debilitated by people or circumstances.

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