Eyes on Jesus

Part 4: Living with God's Peace

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Sermon Info

Summary

In our life, there are times we struggle with fear. The worries and stress of this life can overwhelm us at different times and in various seasons. Yet, as we fix our Eyes on Jesus, what results is peace. God longs for us to experience His peace which surpasses all human understanding. Even in the storms of life, we can know for certain that God is our Rock and our Anchor. Where are you trying to find peace in your life today? Don’t just medicate yourself with temporary solutions. The only true peace comes from Jesus. He alone can bring us peace with God, peace with others, and peace with ourselves. Will you focus your Eyes on Jesus today?

Content
Trust in the Father

In your day to day life you will interact with plenty of people. Most of them will not let on that they feel anxious, stressed, and worried about everything life throws at them. We know this is true because we do it ourselves -- we moderate our outward appearance so we can maintain a facade of being cool, calm, and collected whenever we can. However, trouble comes when we try to fool even ourselves into thinking we’ve got everything figured out. When our emotions are raging inside us, we should take that as an opportunity to reflect deeply and examine the cause of our stresses and anxieties. We should investigate what has taken the peace from our lives and left that sense of chaos. Usually at the very root of the lack of peace we feel in this life are our answers to the questions, “what do we trust?” and “who do we trust?”

Scholars believe that the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians from a jail cell, in a time when his life could be taken from him on a whim. And yet Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, “do not be anxious about anything but in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). This verse serves as an invitation for us to present our own personal requests to God, even if we feel there are greater needs in the world for Him to attend to. After all, Jesus Himself invited us to pray using the name “Father” (Luke 11:2). Like a teenager stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire, we can all call out to our Father when we’re in need. He is not an impersonal stranger of a God, He is like a Father who cares deeply for His children.


Trust Brings Godly Peace

Worldly peace occurs only when problems are resolved or solutions are defined or even enforced. It is a peace that we can only feel when troubles are removed from our life. It is dependent on our circumstances, and can only be felt when we have the capability to forge it or when someone wields power over another. But there are some problems we just don’t have the ability to eliminate. And there are some issues, like those in politics, which are so complex that no solution could ever satisfy everyone. This is why worldly peace is never enough; it is rare, fleeting, and comes at a cost.

Godly peace is different. Paul continues to say that, when we rightly present our requests to God, “...the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). The amazing thing about Godly peace is that it exists even in the chaos of life. It doesn’t depend on how well things are going, and it has nothing to do with our own strength or ability. Godly peace comes when we ask God for what sits in our hearts, but accept His will. We find it when we trust God like Jesus did when He prayed, “‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will’” (Matthew 26:39).

God Will Supply All Your Needs

The Apostle Paul said “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13). When we have Godly peace, we can do amazing things. But we don’t do these things with our own efforts supplemented by an added boost of divine power from God; we do them through our own humility before Him and our total trust in Him to sustain us.

In John 14:27 Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” The Godly peace Jesus left with us means we don’t need to feel troubled or afraid even when wordly peace is not present. We can trust God in these moments because, although we may not see Him at work calming the storms like we might will, we know He’s still there with us. And we can have all the security we need knowing that Jesus has already paid the price for us! There is nothing that can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38).

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