John 14:27-31
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Now, here’s Pastor J. Mark with today’s teaching.
I have observed that the longing for peace is expressed today in many ways. It seems strange to me that some people act as though the only way to get peace is to fight. Does that not seem to you to be a contradiction? It does to me. The Prophet Isaiah, 700 years before Christ, wrote these words, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee” Isaiah 26:3.
In another place in the prophecy of Isaiah, he called Jesus the Prince of Peace. He said that a son would be given, a child would be born, and one of His names would be the Prince of Peace.
Because there has been very little peace since Jesus was born in Bethlehem, some people do not think He is really the Prince of Peace. But He is. This teaching is about true peace as Jesus spoke about it.
Men of our world are searching for peace, peace between nations. That is a worthy goal, a worthy objective. I hope they will be able to establish peace.
But even more important than peace between nations is the peace in your heart. Could it be that inner peace must come first before outer peace can be attained? Well, I know this one thing: if you have inner peace, peace in your heart, at least your problem is solved. I’m sure that is what you want.
To see what Jesus had to say about true peace, we are going to John 14:27-31.
27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart he troubled, neither let it be afraid.
28. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye love me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
29. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
30. Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
31. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
From these words of Jesus, I aim to set forth those certain ELEMENTS found in true peace.
My friend, there is so much in the world today that is not really true peace. What Jesus spoke about is true peace. I want to show you what those elements are so that you can find true peace.
Jesus spoke about an element of peace as being The Special Type.
His peace is a special type. There is more than one type of peace. There is the world peace. Jesus spoke about that. But that is fleeting. It is gone tomorrow. World peace does not last. His peace lasts. His peace is secure.
His peace is a gift. He said He is going to give us His peace. That means there is no point in struggling for it. There is no point in working so hard for it because His is a special type of peace that He gives. It is inner peace. He said, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Inner peace is not affected so much by the outside. It is in the heart, right there where all the thought processes are. Peace of the heart the world knows nothing about, nothing at all.
I know, my friend, that you are craving that inner peace. Maybe you don’t know where to find it or how to get it. Just open your heart and receive it. It is the type of peace that Jesus gives. It is the kind of peace that I secure, that lasts, that doesn’t pass away like world peace does. He said He is going to give it. So, you have to receive it because it is a special type of peace.
Jesus spoke about another element of His true peace: The Special Time.
The peace He spoke about depended upon His departure. He said, “I am going away”. What did He mean by that? He meant that He was going to die on the cross. He was not going to be with them anymore like He had been those three- and one-half years of His ministry. By His departure, He meant the death on the cross and more.
He was referring to His return to His Father in heaven when He would leave earth for His heavenly glory. That time was very important because He said to them, “And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, you might believe.”
For us, this is now a reality. He has been crucified, He did rise from the dead, and He has ascended to glory. So, the time for us to receive the peace is now. But when He was talking to the disciples, it was a special time to which He referred. It had to do with His crucifixion and return to God.
He said He was going to the Father, and they should really rejoice over that because the Father was greater than He. This special time has come. So now, now, my friend, ‘you and I can receive that true peace, the type that Jesus spoke about, because the time has come for you and me to receive that peace.
Jesus spoke about another element of peace which is very important: The Special Tension.
He said, “The prince of this world is coming, and has nothing in me.” The prince of this world, Jesus said, had nothing in Him.
Here is an important truth. There are two princes: the prince of this world and the prince of both worlds. Jesus certainly stands over the prince of this world. He is much, much more than the prince of this world. With Jesus, he has no common ground. The prince of this world is the devil, Satan. Jesus and Satan have no agreement.
Jesus emphasized that He had a particular purpose. What He was doing was to show the world God’s love. “That the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do,” were His words. I see immediately the tension between the prince of this world and Jesus. They have no agreement. They agree on nothing. But Jesus and the Father do agree. Peace only comes through Jesus. Peace does not come by the prince of this world. Remember that, my friend: Jesus gives the true peace.
These certain elements of true peace call you and me to faith in Jesus because His peace is a special type; it has a special time and creates a special tension. To receive true peace, then, we must believe in Jesus. That’s my word to you, my friend. To get true peace in your heart, you must believe in Jesus, then, you can receive the gift of true peace from Him.
Thank you, J Mark, for this teaching on Peace; we thank God for this peace through Jesus.
We are living in a time when our peace is being tested. The things we have experienced the last few years have tested all of us. As your peace endured? Or is your heart troubled and afraid?
Listen, if your heart is troubled or afraid, now is a great time to experience the peace Jesus offers. It is very worthwhile. You will not regret it. But how is this possible when the world is coming apart, and new bad things seem to happen each day? How can we experience peace? Good question.
I don’t know if you have ever seen the painting of a dove nesting between 2 rocks during a storm. The dove is protected by the rocks as the storm rages all around. This picture gives us a good idea of the peace Jesus gives to His people.
His peace is very different from the world’s. In this example, the world would attempt to stop the storm and establish a calm environment. Sometimes this works; the world may bring peace. However, it is always temporary. The world has yet to establish lasting peace.
As we just heard, the peace Jesus offers is unlike peace from the world. While things around us are unsettled and shaking, we can be at peace. We trust Him! We don’t claim to know what will happen, and we don’t know if things will get better. But we know He knows, and we know Jesus is in control! So, we choose to trust Him.
We don’t know everything, but we know enough. We understand there are going to be more difficult things coming on this earth, and it might involve us. If it does, we know Jesus, and we know he will be with us. We are looking for the kingdom of Jesus to come to this earth. And when it does, there will be lasting peace.
So, think of it this way. We are just getting a head start on kingdom living. We anticipate His kingdom and have started to live for him now. Even though many choose to fight and establish peace their way, we put our faith in Him and believe what he has said will happen. Until His kingdom is here, we will do what we can to share His peace and help others experience that peace.
Thanks for joining us. May the Lord Bless you and keep you. May the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
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Now, I urge you to tune in next week as Pastor J. Mark continues our study from John’s Gospel. You won’t want to miss it. And until then, keep looking to Jesus. He’ll give you hope for