INTRO: One of the Blessings of Being a Christian Is That the Lord Bestows His

“ATTAINING PEACE”

JEREMIAH 29:11

INTRO: One of the blessings of being a Christian is that the Lord bestows His

peace upon us. Jesus said in John 14:25-27—“These things have I

spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which

is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father willsend in my name, he shall

teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,

whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I

give unto you: not as the worldgiveth, give I unto you. Let not your

heart be troubled, neither let itbe afraid.” Jesus said, “Such

tranquility of soul, such uninterruptedhappiness of mind, such

everlasting friendship with God as I enjoy, mayye all enjoy! And such

blessedness I bequeath unto you: it is my last, mybest, my dying

legacy.” (CLARKE’S COMMENTARY NT, VOLUME 5B: JOHN – ACTSby Adam Clarke. The

Friends, God’s desire is that His people have peace. Someone said, “A

consistent Christian may not have rapture. He has that which is

muchbetter than rapture — calmness— God’s serene and perpetual

presence.”— F. W. ROBERTSON.(PEARLS FROM MANYSEASby J. B. McClure,

In our text, we see God’s will for us—“For I know the thoughts that I

think toward you, saith the LORD,thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to

give you an expected end.” Although these words were spoken as

words of comfort to God’s people while in Babylonian captivity, they

truly apply to us today spiritually because God’s desire is our peace.

Psalm 29:11 tells us—“The LORD will give strength unto his people; the

LORD will blesshis people with peace.” I want to speak this evening on

ATTAINING PEACE. Let us see that…

(1) OUR PEACE WAS PLANNED BY THE FATHER

JEREMIAH 29:11—“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,

saith the LORD,thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

A. THE COMPREHENSION OF THE FATHER. What a wonderful thought it

is that God thinks about us. The Lord says here—“For I know the thoughts

I think toward you…”. Friend, there is not a second of the day that goes by

that God is not thinking about you! He is intensely interested in every area

of your life. There is not a tear that falls from your eye He does not see.

There is not a smile that crosses your lips that God does not see. He cares

about you! He desires only the BEST for you and I!

B. THE COMPASSION OF THE FATHER. God’s thoughts concerning you

and I are not thoughts of judgment. He wants to bless you and I with

peace! He is not a vengeful God sitting upon His throne just waiting to

for you to mess up or fail Him so He can send you discomfort. His plans

for us are plans of peace. He declares—“For I know the thoughts that I think

toward you…thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

God is called in Judges 6:24—“… Jehovah-shalom” which means “the Lord

our peace.” In the New Testament five times He is called the God of peace:

Paul wrote in Philippians 4:9—“Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard,and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
Paul prayed for the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 5:23—“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray Godyour whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless untothe coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Paul prayed for the Christians at Rome in Romans 15:33—“Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”
Paul assured the believers at Rome in Romans 16:20—“And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”
And the writer of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 13:20-21—“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our LordJesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of theeverlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working inyou that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; towhom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Friends, our God is THE GOD OF PEACE and His desire is that we live in peace. OUR PEACE WAS PLANNED BY THE FATHER but also…

(2) OUR PEACE WAS PURCHASED BY THE SON

EPHESIANS 2:12a, 13-14—“That at that time ye were without Christ…

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made

nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both

one, and hath brokendown the middle wall of partition between

us.”

A. THE AGENT OF PEACE. V14 tells us—“For he is our peace…”. When

Jesus Christ died on the cross He became our peace-offering to reconcile us

both to God and to man. Jesus Christ truly is “the prince of peace”! Jesus

Christ made peace by the sacrifice of himself; in every sense Christ [is

our]…Peace, the author, center, and substance of [our]being at peace with

God(MATTHEW HENRY’S COMMENTARY ON THE WHOLE BIBLE CONDENSED VERSIONby

B. THE ADMINISTRATION OF PEACE. Friends, you and I were enemies of

God but by the blood of Christ were made friends. Jesus Christ on the

Cross provided our peace—“For it pleased the Father that in him should all

fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him

toreconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they bethings in

earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and

enemies in your mindby wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. In the

body of his flesh through death, to present you holy andunblameable and

unreproveable in his sight.” (Colossians 1:19-22).

The question is, “How does the Cross bring peace?” When Jesus gave His

life for us on the Cross, sin was not appeased, but it was confronted. Sin

was not overlooked, but it was paid for. The righteousness of God won the

victory over man’s wickedness. The reward of that victory was peace with

God. Romans 4:25 speaking of Christ says—“Who was delivered for our

offenses, and was raised again for ourjustification.” And Romans 5:1-2

tells us—“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through

our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace

wherein westand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Peace comes

through the death of JesusChrist. The faith, therefore, by which it is

obtained, must refer to Himwho made peace through the blood of His cross.

He alone, as the oneMediator, can make peace between God, who is holy,

and man, who issinful.(EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANSby Robert Haldane.

ILLUS: A dear woman lay dying. One friend of hers did not know her very well

and decided she should witness to her. She came to her bedside and

asked the woman, “Madam, do you know how ill you are?” She said,

“Yes, I believe I am dying.” “Well, I don’t want to alarm you, but have

made peace with God?” She said, “No.” The friend said, “May I help

you to make peace with God?” “No you may not.” “Don’t you realize

you’re dying?” “Yes I do.” “Don’t you want to make peace with God?”

She said, “No, I have no need to make peace with God. I am resting in

the peace that Jesus made at Calvary.” (Adrian Rogers. Finding God’s Peace. Pp.

14-15. Love Worth Finding Ministries. Memphis, TN).

Friends, you and I cannot even begin to make peace with God. Jesus made peace through the blood He shed for us on the Cross.

OUR PEACE WAS PLANNED BY THE FATHER, OUR PEACE WAS PURCHASED BY THE SON and lastly…

(3) OUR PEACE IS PROVIDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

GALATIANS 5:22-23—“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,

longsuffering,gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

A. THE FRUIT. This verse in Galatians tells us that “The fruit of the Spirit…is

peace…”. It is the Holy Spirit which brings peace to our hearts and minds.

The Spirit assures us that we are at peace with God. This “peace” is the

quiet, calm, and order the Spirit brings to our lives. It is this peace that

allows the Christian to praise God even in the midst of trials, trouble, and

turmoil. The Spirit is the One who executes the will of Jesus Christ. As we

follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our lives we bear fruit thus we

enjoy peace and are productive for the Lord.

B. THE FULFILLMENT. Friend, there is no psychiatrist, psychologist, or

psychotherapist that can bring fulfillment and peace to your heart. The

Holy Spirit makes life worth living by teaching us, comforting us, guiding

us and showing us the ways of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour! Jesus

said in John 14:16-18—“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you

anotherComforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of

truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither

knoweth him: but ye know him; for hedwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” And in vv. 26-27 of that

same chapter—“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father

willsend in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all thingsto

your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you,

my peace I give unto you: not as the worldgiveth, give I unto you. Let not your

heart be troubled, neither let itbe afraid.”

CLOSING: Jesus said in John 10:10—“The thief cometh not, but for to steal,

and to kill, and to destroy: Iam come that they might have life, and

that they might have it moreabundantly.” Part of the abundant life

is living at peace with God and with man. But friends, we must

remember that peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence

of God in our lives. It is realizing His presence, relying on His

power, and resting in His power! That is what assures peace!

When you are “careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and

supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known

unto God” (Philippians 4:6) you can have peace. When we take

every thing to the Lord the Scripture promises—“And the peace of

God, which passeth all understanding, shall keepyour hearts and

minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7).

Adelaide Proctor wrote:

I do not ask, O Lord, that life may be

A pleasant road;

I do not ask that Thou wouldst take from me

Aught of its load.

I do not ask that flowers should always spring

Beneath my feet;

I know too well the poison and the sting

Of things too sweet.

For one thing only, Lord! dear Lord! I plead:

Lead me aright

Though strength should falter, and though heart

should bleed —

Through peace to light.

I do not ask, O Lord, that thou shouldst shed

Full radiance here;

Give but a ray of peace, that I may tread

Without a fear.

I do not seek my cross to understand —

My way to see.

Better in darkness just to feel Thy hand

And follow Thee.

Joy is like restless days, but peace Divine

Like quiet night.

Lead me, O Lord, till perfect day shall shine

Through Peace to Light.

--ADELAIDE ANNE PROCTER.

AGES Software. Albany, OR).

Friends, may that be our prayer tonight.

PREPARED BY BROTHER BRYAN L BROWNING, PASTOR OF BEECHMONTBAPTISTCHURCH, BEECHMONT, KY FOR SUNDAY EVENING, JULY 20, 2008.