If somebody asked you to define the peace of God, what would you say? In this message, Dr. Stanley explores what it means to have the genuine peace of Christ and how that stands in contrast to our own struggles and conflict. He takes us through eight powerful truths about God that we can apply to our daily lives. If we surrender our life to Him, He’s more than willing to give us the gift of His peace.
if someone asked you what is peace how
would you define that well peace is more
than a word it’s more than an idea it’s
more than a feeling peace is an awesome
gift of God that he gives to everyone
who’s willing to surrender their life to
him and to walk in his ways so I would
ask you this do you have peace in your
heart can you honestly say you have
peace in your heart or are you
struggling with conflict conflict about
what conflict about many things so once
you listen carefully I’m gonna give you
eight statements you will want these
statements to be true in your life
because God provides the adequacy for
them to be true and so I trust that
you’ll write them down every one of them
is important if you want true genuine
peace in your life no matter what you’re
going through write these down apply
them to your life you said what do you
mean by that
I mean practice them what does it say
and when we practice the truth we get
what practice provides and that is an
awesome sense of peace
you either have peace or you have to
deal with conflict if you don’t have
peace you have conflict so it’s very
important to write these down beginning
with this one gonna give you these
statements we experience his indwelling
presence and all sufficient peace when
we place our trust in him as our
personal Savior this settles once and
for all where we’re going to spend
eternity that is a question everybody
has to pay
where am I going to spend eternity we
all gonna die we all going to face the
judgment do you have peace in your heart
about your relationship to God and you
don’t have to think about when you die
what’s going to happen many people live
years of their life wondering knowing
that they’re not right with God and
wonder what’s going to happen one of
these days when they die the way to
settle that is to ask the Lord to
forgive you for your sins surrender your
life to Him yield yourself to him and I
say Lord I want you to give me a sense
of purpose in my life
beginning with the forgiveness of my
sins and surrendering my life to you is
my Savior and my lord I need a purpose
God I need a divine purpose
I need a sense of security in my life I
want to walk with you to see where you
will take me so the first statement when
we settle our trust in him as our
personal Savior this settles once and
for all where we’re going to spend
eternity do you know where you’ll spend
eternity if God called you a home today
the second statement is this when we
believe he is in sovereign control of
all things which includes us personally
and we believe that this removes any
fear and anxiety for our personal safety
that is when we believe the truth that
he is in control for the scripture says
that he is in control of all things
Psalm 103 verse 19 his sovereignty rules
over all when you believe that that’s
true you can have peace but if you don’t
think he’s in control
you know that no other person is in
control we’re not in control and so you
have to answer yourself the question am
I and my word about where I’m gonna
spend eternity you settle that should
have peace about that
are you sure that you know who’s in
control and if you can and you’ve
settled that issue then you don’t have
to worry about that you say well I can’t
control what the world does no but a you
do you believe that God is in control of
your life he says he’s in control of all
things would you say well what does he
allow certain things to happen I don’t
know why he allow certain things to
happen but I know this that when he says
his sovereignty rules over all in rules
over all and oftentimes things that we
question very clearly and very
personally
eventually we see what God was up to not
all the ways but oftentimes we do and so
what you have to ask is this if he’s not
in control of your life who is are you
in control not really not in the world
in which we live but he says his
sovereignty rules over all
either he causes things to happen he
allows things to happen or he prevents
things from happening but in your life
do you believe that you have sorted your
life to him and therefore he’s in
control of your life if you believe he’s
in control of your life you have a right
to be peaceful about it
and have peace then whatever he allows
is for our good he says all things work
together for good to those who love Him
to those who are called according to his
purpose which means he is in control of
all things if a person chooses to live
disobediently before God he will allow
it well he just sit back and allow it no
he’ll send enough warnings enough
heartache and of burden enough troubles
enough trials to get the person’s
attention if they ignore his attempts to
get their attention in order to give
them peace they suffer the consequences
many people are living troubled lives
very very unhappy no peace constant
trouble and trials in their life because
they don’t believe he’s in control
they’re not in control they’re trying to
be in control and that
doesn’t work the third statement when we
are trusting the Lord to meet all of our
needs this eliminates our daily concerns
about not having enough get there down
when we’re trusting him to meet all of
our needs this eliminates our daily
concerns about not having enough and
Paul says my God shall supply all your
needs according to his riches in glory
in part Christ Jesus which is the
promise of God he’s going to take care
of whatever our needs are if we’re
living obediently before him you see you
can’t have in a real peace if you’re
worried about money you can’t have any
peace if you’re worried about anything
because you say well everybody’s worried
about something not necessarily does
everybody have a reason to be worried
not really we could think of some things
that we don’t like but to worry about
them it’s to take them upon ourselves
they’re the weight and the load carry
them with ourselves and hope for the
best if you’re living a life of hoping
for the best in this society you are in
trouble because this society does not
promise you any peace notice that
promise that provides you anything
really so we’re talking about real peace
peace that passes all understanding is
about what says peace that prevails when
you’re going through all kinds of
difficulty hardship and trouble God
intends for his people to be at peace
with him and with one another can he
make it so yes he does because peace is
God’s gift to us and when we think about
the Christmas season we sing about peace
it’s amazing what we sing about we don’t
believe or what we sing about we don’t
experience and oftentimes it’s because
we’re living in disobedience to God or
we don’t trust him
if I really trust him and I think about
this my god
we’ll supply all of my needs according
to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus
either it is true or untrue either God
tells the truth or God is a liar one of
the two and he’s a guy who promises
peace that peace is based upon our faith
and our obedience to him and sometimes
people say well I don’t have all that in
my life well what kind of life are you
living
you can’t live an ungodly disobedient
life and expect the best of God’s
blessings to flow your way it doesn’t
happen that way
peace is available for those of us who
are willing to believe in their heart
that he’ll provide all of our needs then
statement number four when we are
maintaining a clear conscience
this shields and protects our peace with
ourselves very very important Paul spoke
of having a good conscience of clear
conscience when I have a clear
conscience it’s going to protect me and
protect our peace so ask yourself the
question do you have a clear conscience
you see either I do or I don’t
and there is a war that rages in
people’s lives from their living
disobedient to God and God wants us to
have peace within our hearts that’s what
he’s provided jesus said my peace I give
unto you not as the world gives give
unto you let not your heart be troubled
neither let it be afraid so ask yourself
the question when you don’t have peace
when you’re nervous and upset about
something when you’re having ever a
difficult time with your conscience for
example and you don’t know what’s
happening what do you do watch this the
only two things you do you go either to
the real thing Jesus or you go to the
world’s substitute and the world cannot
substitute the Peace of Almighty God in
your life
so do you have peace what about your
conscience is there anything that keeps
cropping up in your life that you ought
to deal with that you keep saying well
you don’t forget it
here’s what happens at first you think
I’m just gonna forget it you try to
forget it well then you have to party a
little bit maybe then maybe that’ll do
it and then you just go for one thing to
the other till finally you are trapped
by your own actions when you could have
absolute peace in your heart if you
trust him let’s look at the next
statement number number five when we
can’t accept ourselves the way God made
us this guards us against trying to
change something of which we have no
control and you would say well I don’t
do that and you remember the twelfth
chapter four Indians fall talked about
the spiritual gifts and so forth how
different we are and God has gifted us
all differently and when we trust them
as our Savior the Holy Spirit comes into
our life and enables us to use the gifts
that God has given us in a profitable
way and so when you think about that and
you think about things that people
change for example people are very
unhappy oftentimes extremely unhappy
because they can’t accept the way God
has made them he didn’t give us all the
same gifts they’re people who for
example who wouldn’t like to play the
piano who wouldn’t like to paint like
some people are so gifted of doing many
people are gifted in many ways but the
question is this are you trying to watch
this are you trying to change something
in your life over which you have no
control so what does that do it drives
people to drink it drives people to be
hard to live with it drives people to do
things that they shouldn’t do it drives
people to have relationships they
shouldn’t have because they’re
absolutely unhappy with the way God has
made them and if they think if I’ll
change this then it’ll change if I
change this about me some others are
gonna love me if I change this about me
they don’t think I’m doing well if they
change change change there’s some things
God doesn’t did to change now I believe
in looking the best do you best be the
best we can’t always do that but at
least we ought to try we represent Jesus
look at us do our best be our best we
can’t look like others be like others
too just like others whatever it might
be but God intends for us to be
satisfied with him with what he’s done
in their life and what he is doing in a
life God has made you the way you are
for the reason he’s made you and he
intends for you and I had to be happy
and peaceful that doesn’t mean we’re not
gonna have troubles and trials and
heartaches because growing us up is a
part of the process growing us up
teaching us to be obedient we all make
mistakes we’ve all sinned against God
and he’s patiently does what he forgives
us and points us to the right way but if
I don’t listen to the correction and I’m
gonna do it my way then I’m not gonna
have any peace whatsoever and so he
gives us different spiritual gifts but
for example some people would like to be
great artists as we say or they might
like to be great entrepreneurs and have
lots of other people have all kinds of
ideas well what’s the question the
question is God what did you intend for
me and I wonder if some people aren’t
afraid to answer that question God what
did you mean for me what did you intend
to do for me if you’re going to have
peace you and God we and God have to
agree that whatever he chooses for us is
the best idea now number six when we
have a sense of purpose in life this
protects us from the plague of emptiness
and many people are very empty and I
love what Paul said we are his
workmanship that is God created us we
are his workmanship created in Christ
Jesus for good works
which God prepared beforehand so that we
would walk in them that is God is very
very involved in your life we listen we
are his workmanship created in Christ
Jesus that is God has a purpose for our
life so when you think about that and
think about the whole idea of being
empty there are a lot of people who are
empty they can’t tell you why they just
know they’re unhappy they feel empty
this is why they go to the world the
chart of Philip this emptiness I think
of this and Vega better here there she
am whatever it might be trying to fill
up the emptiness only one thing feels
the heart of anybody and that is Jesus
presence and the expression of his life
in us and to us and through us that’s
what brings absolute assurance and in
life and that’s what brings us to a
sense of being in full the Bible talks
about the fullness of the Spirit not the
emptiness so would you say do you feel
empty about something would you feel
empty about your days about your work
that you have about your children is
there something missing in your thinking
or do you have a relationship with
Christ and you look to him to fill your
emptiness you say well how does he feel
my intent is I’ll tell you how the
closer you and I get to him in our
relationship talking to him listening to
him obeying him doing what he wants us
to do the way he wants us to using the
talents and gifts that he’s given us the
closer we walk with him the more peace
we gonna have so ask yourself the
question am i a peaceful person do I
have peace in my life all of these
things are absolutely essential and true
then of course when we have a sense of
competency that is we feel capable and
adequate in life this protects us from
failure due to our overwhelming sense of
inadequacy people oftentimes fail
because they feel in Eddy
and the feel competent means that you
feel capable able qualified fitted ready
to do whatever you’re supposed to do
whatever God’s called you to do and the
feeling of inadequacy creates doubt
about ourselves God wants us to sense
his sufficiency in our life watch this
he would never call you to do something
that he would not equip you to do and
then first with his tray of Paul’s all
those qualities that he talks about and
the spiritual gifts thinking about this
you have a spiritual gift when you trust
in Christ as your Savior watch this the
Holy Spirit came into your life and
began that moment that moment to begin
to work into your life utilizing that
spiritual gift whatever it might be God
desires to equip us in order to
accomplish his purpose and will for our
life God wants us to have peace he wants
us to be quick
he wants us to be able to live a life
that if what that personifies him that
shows the existence in Christ in our
life that’s our witness in our testimony
when you’re not obedient to God walking
in his will his gifts then we have a
testimony tell us that Christ will
enable us that he’ll show us what to do
that he will equip us to do and he’ll
provide what we need and we can live in
peace but if you have a sense of
emptiness in your life it’s because
somewhere along the way you have avoided
the peacemaker and the one who’s the
gift giver and the one who’s the prayer
answer and the one who has a will and
purpose and plan through you like he has
the best friend life and the only way we
going to be happy and have pieces when
we’re walking in that peace and then of
course let’s go to the last one I’m
ready when we have a sense of belonging
this shields us from the painful feeling
of rejection and feeling unwanted jesus
said come unto me all unit labor heavy
laden
I’ll give you a rest and yet many people
will not come to it and so they don’t
have any peace every one of us has felt
rejection by somebody at some time in
their life and would you not agree that
feeling rejected by somebody especially
somebody you love somebody you respect
somebody you honor you feel rejected by
them they’ve turned away from you
they’ve said things that were words of
rejection words of rejection are painful
rejection is a painful attitude the
painful feelings sometimes we may feel
rejection when we haven’t been rejected
but still if the feeling is there the
pain is there and we’re gonna respond as
a result will feel hurtful angry empty
you name it
but if you’re gonna have peace in your
heart you have to overcome this feeling
of rejection so think about this if
everybody in the world rejected you
would you be a reject the next time you
get the feeling you’re not very valuable
you don’t have to look it but one thing
what is that the cross look at the cross
you think how valuable are you valuable
enough for God – nailed his son to an
old tree in order that he may give to
the world the love that not we deserve
but did he want us to have any time you
feel rejected unwanted and unloved and
uncared for remember who loves you the
one who loves you can satisfy every need
in your life in every desire of your
heart if you choose to walk in obedience
to him and it begins with humbling
yourself before the Lord and saying
father I want to confess my sins I want
to acknowledge my disobedience my
rebellion my unbelief and all the rest
I’m asking you to forgive me not on the
basis that I deserve it but on the basis
of what you did at the cross ask you to
forgive me at the beginning today I
surrender my life to you and I want you
to live your life through me
I want that piece that you talk about
that passes all understanding I want
what you have to offer and I yield my
life to you so you can fill me with your
peace you say well that work for my life
every life and my prayer for you is you
don’t have peace in your heart I know
you don’t if you living in sin what are
you going to in your life to gain peace
and not going to work it’s just costing
your money
heartache troubles trials could cost you
a job cost you your health if you will
endure surrender your life to Christ and
tell him that you want the peace that he
talked about my peace I give unto you
not as the world gives give unto you let
not your heart be troubled neither let
it be afraid if you want that peace it’s
yours for the asking
and the surrendering of your life to him
he’s more than a willing to give it and
father how grateful we are for your
patience willingness to forgive over and
over again desiring the best for us
providing the best for us giving us
guidance for every single decision we
may I pray the Holy Spirit will sink
these truths deep in our heart and help
us to recognize each of these truths are
true oh there will be pain
disappointment hurt heartache suffering
shame and ohm the story goes we say we
love you we praise you we bless you
today in Jesus name Amen
you