Galatians 5:22-23 New Living Translation… But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Philippians 4:6-7 New Living Translation… Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Introduction: For believers, our peace is not because everything around us has changed. Our peace remains inspire of the fact that some things may not change at all.
Transition: Peace is the fruit of the Spirit. If the Spirit is present, peace can be produced even when pressure is present. So, we must ask ourselves “How do I allow the Holy Spirit to produce something within me that cannot be taken away by what is happening around me”?
Exposition:
–Our peace comes from above/It is divine (And the peace of God) If peace originated with me, then my peace would be limited by me. If I had to manufacture it, sustain it, and maintain it by my own emotional strength, I would eventually run out. my peace is not dependent upon the consistency of my emotions. My peace comes from a consistent God!
–Our peace goes beyond/It is incomparable (which passeth all understanding) Biblical peace is not always the removal of trouble. Sometimes it is the presence of tranquility in the middle of trouble. The implication is that the thing affecting us does not have ultimate authority over us. This level of peace goes beyond the boundaries of human explanation. Reference Isaiah 9:6
–Our peace stands on guard/It is nonnegotiable (shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus) The word translated keep carries military imagery. It means to guard, protect, or stand watch. And here is the reversal we need to embrace to be at peace: You cannot protect your peace, but your peace does protect you.
Conclusion: Prayer and thanksgiving is the prescription for anything that threatens our peace. Somewhere between the prayer going up and the answer showing up, God will send you peace!
