The Peace Christ Offers At His Coming - Part 1

Welcome to the podcast with Charles Stanley for Wednesday, December 22. Today will be taken back to the simple message of Christmas is written in the Gospel of Luke.

They witness and learn about the peace. Christ offers at his coming and I want us to look at the second chapter of Luke for just a moment and look at the phrase that the angel used at the announcement of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and his birth, and then the many Scriptures I want to give you today that I hope that you will jot down because I want to explain to you what this piece that God offers is really like you recall, when the angel announced the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ that after he had told the shepherds in that second chapter of Luke where to find them. The Scripture says in verse 13 and suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host a whole army of angels, praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased now I want us to look at this piece, which the Lord Jesus Christ alternate is coming and wants to look first of all, at the expression of it. How was it expressed when Isaiah gave the prophecy of the coming of the Messiah. This is the way he described. He described him as wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, what Prince of peace when the angel announced his birth. He said at this particular time in chapter 2 of Luke peace on earth are peace among men that is he was issuing the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ was bringing into the world and it's interesting when you look at the minister in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see this theme all the way through his life. For example, when he began the sermon on the Mount. This is the way he began with the Beatitudes and that neither verse he says blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God, you recall, in the upper room the night before he was crucified in the 14th chapter of John Luther, if you will, because this is one of the most comforting chapters in all the New Testament. In fact, it's called a consolation.

Chapter the New Testament and Jesus has been talking about being betrayed and being killed and being lifted up and all these things that were confusing them confounding and frustrating them animal. Since her fear had began to go through them because he's telling him here. You know I'm going away but I'm going to send the Holy Spirit here remind you of all the things that I told you. And remember, now the Jesus Christ apostles and have tape recorders that inhabit notepads and pencils that inhabit shorthand so when he talked about leaving them. I'm sure that there must've ricocheted through their spirit. This attitude how we can remember all the things he said who's going to carry this on all the fears that must've Griffin clouded with fear. Jesus begins this chapter and in his conversation said to them, let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me. Then he gives of these beautiful words of consolation, but down to verse 27. Listen to what he said in the 27th verse of the same chapter he just told the Holy Spirit was going remind them of some things.

Then he said, peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you not as the world giveth do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. And so he continues his tremendous message to them and he ends up in the 16th chapter and the last verse by saying something very significant we going to come back to the later but listen to what he says. 16th chapter last verse. These things all that I've said to you.

These things have spoken to you that in the you may have peace.

In me you may have peace. The Lord Jesus Christ was very very concerned about their understanding his fees, not your turn of the 20th chapter of John, Jesus has been crucified is risen from the dead. Now he's going to appear to his apostles, and in this first appearance. He appears to them, and Thomas is not there, but he says in the 19 verse of John chapter 21 therefore it was evening on that day the first day of the week and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, peace be with you.

He shows them his hands and his side and then verse 21 Jesus therefore said to them again, peace be with you as the father had sent me, so also I send you then go back on all that you will to verse 26. Now Thomas is there will after eight days again. His disciples were inside and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut stood in their midst and he said, peace be with you. Jesus was very, very concerned that his followers understood and experienced peace that is he wanted them to know the meaning of true peace because he knew that there are circumstances in which they presently live and were going to live all the rest of their life in the Roman Empire. As believers, establishing that New Testament church they would never live in a peaceful situation so he kept saying to them, peace be unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Wonderful words of assurance to the Lord Jesus Christ. So he went through his life expressing to them the peace that God intends for us to have no it's one thing for him to express it. It's something else for us to understand and so beyond the expressions of this piece I want us to understand. I want to explain the peace that Jesus Christ offered when he came to earth as a reasonable to explain this is first of all, in order that you may understand what the Bible says about true genuine peace. Secondly, that you would not be deceived into thinking that you have peace when you don't further that you may be able to help someone else to discern that what they have is not really peace and for that you may understand the true nature of it and the fact that when a person has peace there circumstances that situation we can do nothing to alter the innocence of quietness that innocence of established peace with God, which this world is not understand now, I want you to turn to a number of scriptures and I want you to follow carefully remembering I want you to understand something about you. The grass the truth of what our Lord is saying so I want us to notice here.

First of all, that all of us have a need for peace now. First of all, all of us need peace with God.

Secondly, we need to be able to have an experience peace within ourselves is see if you and I could draw the picture of a lot of people we know we would draw this body. The human body and on the inside what you would draw instead of some hard appear you would draw on the inside of the chest cavity to arm is warring against each other in in bitter conflict because in the single personality of multitudes of people. There is this war that goes own day and night. They sleep with. They live whether they work with that they love with it they walk with it.

They talk with it. There is this war going on. You see, they don't like themselves.

They've never been able to accept themselves they can accept God's acceptance of them all the people's acceptance of them. They don't feel like they measurably feel incompetent. They don't feel like they belong, they feel shut out. That's the emotions with which they live.

And that's why the war, the lack of pieces there.

Someone is understand that this lack of peace ultimately begins with sin. Listen to what the Bible says, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. You've heard that verse all of your life. Sin is my choice to act independently of the will of God to sin against God is the set up conflict between yourself and God is to be estranged from God pieces our sins have separated us from God so that sin is acting independently of God. And when you and I began to sin against God.

We set up a conflict between us and him war. The Bible speaks of enmity, hostility, quarreling with God's way versus my way almanac independent of God.

I Will Have It My Way, Lord, my friend. That's what most people been doing all of their life having it their way, wondering why there is no peace in the heart. The reason is because you cannot quarrel with God and experience peace at the same time the listen.

The Bible says something very specifically and very clearly in most functional beliefs are what you look at in the Bible turned Isaiah 48 Isaiah chapter 48 the very last verse of that chapter verse significant verse in my friend, if you want those persons who does not happen to go to church or you've never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior.

You disable you not believe in God are not instant him.

It was a good man.

Good teacher. Get this at the other. So you don't have a real personal relationship to what you say but I do have peace. Listen to what God said, not a pastor but God. Isaiah 48 verse 22. There is no peace for the wicked, says the Lord, you say, but I'm not wicked or nasty question what wickedness we say wickedness is killing someone that right. Wickedness is committing adultery. Wickedness is stealing. What about gossip about just lying about being unkind ungrateful the thousand things you and I can mention let me ask you something. My friend can you tell me anything anymore wicked than to reject the son of God who came as an expression of the love of the father in order to forgive you of your sins to all for your life at its best to cleanse you and help you to become everything God intended you to be.

Can you tell me anything anymore wicked than to turn your back upon him to reject him to ignore him to insist on having your own independent way, when he came to help you to have the only way will bring you please can you tell me anything anymore wicked and heartless than that, really, you can't when he says the wicked have no peace. The wicked normal peace. There is no peace for the wicked. The Bible says he's talking about every person who has ever lived and rejected the Lord Jesus Christ turn if you will to same book chapter 57. Listen to what he says 57 chapter verse 21. There is no peace says my God for the wicked that God says there is and if you turn over the chapter 59 just one more and look at verse eight. They do not know the way of peace. Now let's go back. You remember what Jesus said in the 14th chapter of John when he was talking to his apostles in the upper room listen to something verse significantly said he said my peace I give them to you not as the world giveth, give you. Let not your heart be troubled. There is a piece that is a counterfeit.

It's a makeshift idea that the world calls peace, but the truth is, God says there is no peace for the wicked. You cannot live in conflict with God and experience peace. It's impossible. Somebody says but I do. God says you don't so therefore you must be deceived if you think you have peace now let's look at what is this piece well, sin is that saying that attitude in our life those actions and attitudes that deprive us of our pieces of what we have to ask is this how do I get this feeling.

This added to this experience. Hello I get this overwhelming sense of quietness and assurance and confidence in stillness in my spirit when everything around me is falling apart. That's exactly what I want to explain why won't you listen carefully, my friend, because it's not enough you to hear me say it.

You need to understand why you need to understand how not only for your sake, but so that you can share with someone else. Every single truth. God gives us is first of all, for hearing.

Secondly for applying and thirdly for sharing with someone else so I want you to turn to Romans chapter 5, first of all we said Jesus expressed this peace throughout his ministry. Secondly, we talk about the explanation for this peace now. I want you to notice something in these two verses. I want you tell me the difference of something here.

Beginning in chapter 5 of Romans verse one. The Bible says, therefore, having been justified and explained that having been declared not guilty by God does mean I wasn't guilty, but something happened whereby God. Now has declared us not guilty, therefore being justified by what faith we have what peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now that means because the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, God the father plays all of his sin upon him. He paid the penalty. He bore all the debt. Therefore, God when I received the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior sees me as no longer guilty.

I've been set free and liberated. Therefore being justified by faith. Now you and I can have peace with God because the war is over looking verse six.

The keyword in verse six and verse eight is a little three letter word. Listen to while we were still helpless at the right time Christ died. What's the next word. What is it he died for the ungodly.

That's the kind of condition you and I when reformers save he died for us in our behalf as a substitute for us. He died in our place. Verse eight but God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died. What for us in our place now watch this next verse, much more than having been justified declared not guilty and said out loud by what his blood. Now watch this. My friend there is no such thing as peace.

Apart from the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ.

The word of God says that you and I have been justified and declared not guilty by his blood, whatever declared me not guilty and brings the peace of God in my heart isn't just something that I lay aside, it must be central and focus to every single thing I believe in the word of God without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. There is no forgiveness of sin. There is still conflict and estrangement. There is no peace as long as sin rules and reigns in the heart of a human being.

Now I want your turn, if you will to Colossians chapter 1 problem.

Listen to what he says.

He says in this first chapter, Colossians, wicked if you will look in verse 19 it was the father's good pleasure for all the fullness of the Godhead to dwell in him.

Listen and throw him.

That is, through Christ, to reconcile that is the conflicts over the walls are torn down and the other two have become one to reconcile all things to himself having made what peace through what the blood of his cross. Through him I say were the things on earth of things in heaven. Therefore, he says that you and I have been reconciled to him and we have made peace through the blood of his cross.

All genuine, true peace will find its origin in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that is in his crucifixion is in the cross where God paid the penalty for your sins and my sins and what he did, he says, look, the war can be over there can be peace. Then he no longer be in a conflict cease to act independently of the will of God and surrender yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ and you will have peace that passes all human understanding.

Now that you know until you do that, you'll never know peace. As long as you insist on having your way. You never know peace when two armies fighting one of them surrenders as the white flag of some that means we give up.

That means we're not going to fight in the more that means we are your captives. That means you win. My friend, you know that the greatest battle you can ever win in life is to let Jesus win the battle between you and your independent spirit toward him. That's the greatest value can ever win the truth is that you lose and he went to the truth is you when and he went when you surrender everything to him. Thank you for listening to the peace Christ offers at his coming. If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley were in touch ministries and had started writing this podcast is the presentation of in touch ministries Atlanta, Georgia