Philippians 4:6-7
Heavenly Peace (Remix of Sunday’s Sermon – audio at www.firstgrandville.org under Resources and Downloads)
Peace, real peace seems hard to come by these days. Where can it be found?
In the world, in our nation, in our churches, in our communities, in our homes and in our hearts – there is little peace. Everywhere you look, there seems to be strife, turmoil and havoc.
And it shows no signs of stopping.
I don’t know that I have any answers about stopping it. Which really only leaves – how to exist, survive, and maybe even thrive in the midst of the turmoil.
Obviously, there are a lot of choices as to how we try to search for peace in our lives. This peace can be defined as rest, or an escape, or an inner calm.
Usually we seek peace through the things of this world. And we usually seek it on our own power.
Have you ever heard the phrase “Starting off on the wrong foot”? Any search for peace that begins with “I” is like that. It may work for a while, but in the end it will probably make things worse.
For example, when we are stressed and overwhelmed by all this turmoil in our lives and we want to find some peace, some might think, “I need a drink” or “I need another prescription or pill” or “I need to go on the Internet to look at some pictures” or “I need to use (drugs or people)” or “I need to go shopping” or “I just need to control others or situations” or many other things that “take the edge off.” And unfortunately, when we rely on these “sources” of peace too often, well, they can become quite the opposite of peace – they can become prisons and cause more and more chaos in our lives. When we rely on them so much – we can start to worship them. The problem is that they are “gods” that don’t give life or peace – they steal them.
You see, the things of this world cannot produce the peace we actually desire. Seeking peace with anything that begins with “I” won’t work. But there is one thing that can…
“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life (Philippians 4:6-7 The Message).”
Did you catch that? “A sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down.” God’s wholeness – better than anything on earth – check. Everything coming together for good – not worrying about yesterday, today or tomorrow – check. (It) will come and settle you down – received rather than sought after or created – check.
Received from where?
Received from knowing and believing in Jesus as savior and that through Him we are forgiven and free – this is the one true source of peace in this world, but not of this world – from Heaven above.
“None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I am absolutely convinced that nothing – nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable – absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us (Romans 8: 38-39 The Message).”
Received how?
Received through prayer. Prayer doesn’t start with “I” – it starts with “Lord” or “God” or “Help!” “Instead of worrying (or seeking peace in the things mentioned above), pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers…” Like using a hammer, we need to use prayer to bang and shape our fretting, worries and strife into requests and cries to God – who will hear them and respond.
Guess what else prayer does? There is a letting go in prayer. Maybe you have heard it as “Giving it over to God.” When we are “doing” something ourselves or just continuing to worry we are keeping it. When we pray, we are giving “it” to God. Each time we pray about something, it is a little less ours and little more in God’s hands. Do you see?
I have heard so many great stories of people, in the middle of disasters and chaos, talk about feeling at peace – facing death even, with peace. Some have described it as feeling like they are being enveloped in a warm blanket. I just know it’s real. I have been blessed to witness it many times. For me personally, I can think of times where things looked pretty bad, but somehow I felt okay – the experience was like God whispering “It’s okay” and I believed it and it was wonderful. I just need to rest in that more!
“It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life (Philippians 4:7).” Focusing on Christ and others instead of ourselves through prayer is a main catalyst of this process of displacing worry and all the ways we have tried to deal with turmoil in our lives.
Speaking of prayer, my prayer for us during this season when we think and sing about “heavenly peace” is this: I pray that God gives each of us the clarity of vision to see and name those places in our lives where we are seeking peace in ways that ultimately make things worse; and that the peace of Jesus Christ will not only knock on the doors or our hearts but will tear them down if necessary and chase away strife, turmoil and havoc and replace it with a peace we have never known.
Amen.
Discussion Questions
- Before reading this, how would you describe peace?
- Are there some things you are doing to deal or cope with life that may offer peace in the short-term but are actually destructive? Is there someone you can talk to about it?
- Are you feeling overwhelmed often? What are the sources of these feelings? Try turning each one into a prayer.
- What are some ways you can turn worries into prayers today?
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