Wednesday Night Bible Study - 8 April 2020
/Peace in Troubled Times
Key Text: John 14:25-31
Tools: Bible, highlighter, notepad
You might remember from your childhood, reading with grandkids, or your casual reading in one of the “Peanuts” books, Charlie Brown and Linus are looking very serious. Violet asks, “What are you two standing here looking so worried about?” Charlie replies, “We’re afraid of the future!” She asks, “Are you worried about anything in particular?” Charlie says, “Oh, no, we’re worried about everything!” Linus adds, “Yes, our worrying is very broadminded!” (You’re a Winner, Charlie Brown! By Charles Schulz [Fawcett Crest])
It’s not news that we live in a world that gives us much to worry about. A hundred years ago, a tragedy could wipe out thousands of people on the other side of the world, and you might never hear about it. But now we hear about the COVID – 19 pandemic, economic failure, and other tragedies almost instantly and can watch the news on our phones. Living in such a stressful world, we need a way to experience genuine joy and peace.
And joy and peace, which are fruits of the Spirit, mark us as Christians. Our main reason for seeking joy and peace should not be because these qualities make life more pleasant, but rather because we want our lives to glorify God. When people ask why we’re so joyful or so calm in this troubled world, our reply should point them to the Lord Jesus Christ.
In our text, the Lord continues to give encouragement and comfort to the disciples just hours before His arrest and crucifixion. Their whole world would soon be turned upside down. Rather than being focused on Himself, the Lord’s focus was on equipping them for the trials that they would face. His words show us how to have His joy and peace in troubled times:
We can rejoice that Jesus returned to the Father, sent the Holy Spirit to teach us, and gave us His peace for our troubled times.
We can rejoice that Jesus has given us His peace for our troubled times.
John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” What a wonderful promise from our Lord! I want to answer two questions to help us understand and apply it: What is Jesus’ peace? How can I get it when I need it?
What is the Peace of Jesus?
The peace of Jesus is not the peace that the world gives. The Lord makes it clear that His peace is different than the peace that comes from the world. The world has its own ways of attaining peace. There was a news report about a middle school in San Francisco that does a half hour of transcendental meditation with all the students every day. They claim that grades have gone up and problems in the school have gone down since they began the program. So, you can’t pray or read the Bible in public schools, but it’s mandatory to practice Hinduism! Others seek peace through exercise, counseling, false religions, prescription drugs, illegal drugs, alcohol, or other means. But whatever the means, the world’s peace does not come from Jesus Christ or depend on Him.
The peace of Jesus is the inner calm and freedom from anxiety that comes from trusting in the sovereign God and knowing that you are obedient to Him.
“Peace” comes from the Hebrew “shalom,” which refers to general well-being or contentedness which comes from God (The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, ed. by Colin Brown [Zondervan] 2:777).
How can I get Godly peace when I need it?
You get peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ. You get the peace of God by taking control of your emotions through prayer and obedience to God’s will.
Walk in the Spirit and ask Him to teach you His Word.
Joy and peace are fruits that grow in your life as you walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 22). But you’ve got to be cultivating these fruits before you get into life’s storms. As Proverbs 1:20-33 makes clear, wisdom cries out, calling us to learn from it. But if we refuse to listen, calamity will hit and then it will be too late to gain the peace that we desire. The time to study God’s Word and hide it in your heart is before you get into a crisis.
Do God’s will.
At the end of verse 31, Jesus says, “Get up, let us go from here.” Some think that at this point, Jesus and the disciples left the upper room and started walking towards Gethsemane. Or, as often happens when we say to our mates, “Let’s go home,” we stay and talk for another half hour. If that’s what happened, they may not have actually left the room until after Jesus’ prayer (chapter 17; cf. John 18:1). But Jesus could have said, “Get up, let’s run for our lives while we can!” Instead, He calmly went to Gethsemane and the cross because He knew that He was doing what His Father had commanded (John 14:31). The point is, if you know that you’re doing what God has commanded, you can stand firm and be calm even in the midst of fierce opposition or difficult trials.
Take your anxieties to the Lord in thankful prayer.
A command and promise that you should memorize is Philippians 4:6-7: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
As many of you know, in the over 21 years that I’ve been here at Shiloh, conflicts come and go, day of fasting and praying and the Lord gave always gave me assurances that He would stand with me.
Often times walking around as I approached meetings, my stomach was in knots. I was reciting Philippians 4:6-7 to calm my anxiety and asking the Lord why I wasn’t experiencing His peace when two words in the verse jumped out: “with thanksgiving”! I realized that I hadn’t thanked the Lord for that trial. I stopped, bowed my head, and said, “Thank you, Lord, for this opportunity to trust You.” Immediately I had His peace. So take your anxieties to the Lord in thankful prayer! Lord I thank you even during 2020, in all that we are going through, we the members of SBC, Port Royal, we TRUST YOU.
Trust in Jesus as the Lord of all.
Jesus says (John 14:29), “Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.” Jesus is a proven Prophet, whose every word is true. He is now exalted to the right hand of the Father, sharing again in the Father’s glory which He had with Him before the foundation of the world (John 17:5). He has authority over Satan, who is temporarily the ruler of this world (John 14:30). He has promised that He will come again in power and glory to strike down the nations with the sword that comes out of His mouth, to tread the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, and to vindicate all of His servants who have suffered for His name (Rev. 6:10; 19:15). Either you trust Him and enjoy His peace or you don’t! Which is it?
Conclusion
Anxiety has been described as “a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. Does that describe you? It doesn’t have to! The Lord Jesus who ascended to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit wants you to believe in Him and experience the joy and peace that He gives for all your troubled times.
Application Questions
What causes you the most anxiety? Based on this message, what can you do to cut it off at its root? (Answers are highlighted above)
Why should God’s glory, not our enjoyable frame of mind, be paramount in our seeking joy and peace?
Memory Verse
John 14: 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 be troubled, neither let it be afraid.