The Peace of God
Colossians 3:15 “And let wthe peace of God rule in your hearts, xto the which also ye are called yin one body; zand be ye thankful.” [1]
I. Peace
A. Surrender
B. Soul
II. Protection
A. Sought
B. Solid
III. Power
A. Satisfied
B. Steady
Introduction: Jerry gave us a spreadsheet that represents this calendar month. A verse of the Bible is shown for each day. He suggested that we read the verse and then journal what the verse specifically said to you. I will read from someone’s prayer journal from 2005. Your prayer journal is between you and God. This which I am about to read is personal yet I will share this as a way to perhaps help you understand how writing your thoughts today might be precious to you or others in the future when a need to be reminded and encouraged comes.
This entry relates to our focal verse today. Please turn your bulletin over and read over today’s focal text as we hear this from a prayer journal.
"Comment: This peace of God can only be found while resting in the Holy Spirit. My nature is to break back on the one that has hurt me or one that I love. It is only through the resting in God do I find solace. I know that God is with me no matter what. He guides my steps by what others do sometimes. If I get angry at the circumstance, I am angry with the One that allows it. It is only through the truth of His omniscience that I can rest in His peace.
Prayer: Praise you Lord. I do still fear things even though I know you are in control. I never want to do things of my own accord such as this angel flight today into clouds and wind without the knowledge that all is in Your hands. I know that in all things, You will get the glory. Use my life with all You have provided in the way that You would do. Give me the rest that only You can give to me as I accomplish Your will. Praise You."
So surely you have by now understood that this is from my personal prayer journal. We had the corporation with Rachael and were responsible for folks working on “clean air” projects for what was then Progress Energy. Bible College was a full-time thing as missions for the Angel Flight ministry were flown while commuting. More missions flown than anyone else in North Carolina awarded me Pilot of the Year for 2006 in North Carolina. It was a busy time but I didn’t know that it was, because it was an awesome time.
This is not to brag about what I accomplished. If it is to brag at all it is that God caused all this and I was a by-stander. The point here is that now when looking back through the years at the comments and prayers in old journals it is wonderful to recount what God has allowed.
If you are too busy with what you are doing to take a few minutes each day as you reflect on the verses that Jerry suggested you are too busy with your stuff. Journaling for me now has been replaced by sermon preparation. Anyone anywhere can read the sermon notes on our webpage and perhaps that will mean something to someone someday. Dr. Ridings said if it is worth saying it is worth writing down. If it is worth preaching one time it is worth preaching again.
The guy who wrote this back in 2005 was busy and yet this verse brought peace to me even as I was alone in a cabin on the side of a mountain. I pray that you find as much solace in your time with your journal as an old man turned college student again did back in 2005.
Scripture: The scripture today is Colossians 3:15. Please stand if you can for the reading of God’s Word.
Prayer: Please be seated.
Message: I had fully intended to prepare a message on Colossians chapter three for today but certainly not this one. It was to be a follow-up on the message from two weeks ago about putting off the old man and allowing God to put on the new man. That is what God did for and to me those many years ago.
I am convinced that I was saved back when I was thirteen years old sitting with my mom and Moncure Baptist Church but I was wandering. Each day I would read and I would write something in my journal. For a while when I rebelled against the call that God placed in my soul, I didn’t read the Bible every day. I didn’t journal each day. God let me see how far I could waver off course and then He brought me back again. He put off the old man, sent him to Bible college, and there God put on the new man and here I am.
Paul used this pattern of putting off and putting on in more than one of his letters to the churches. As I was wandering through Colossians for this other example, my eye caught the highlight that I had made many years before. Through this God made it plain that we need more encouragement just now; more than another lesson in Christian Counseling. We need encouragement of what spending time each day with a simple Bible verse might mean to us. This is how God leads when a Christian spends time in God’s written word.
In the latter part of Colossians chapter two Paul spoke against paying much attention when others insist that you must follow their prescriptions for your life. The new person that God initially expected you to be is free from wandering around seeking the approval of those who themselves cannot find contentment. If we have truly died to self then we are Risen with Christ.
Colossians 3:1, "aIf ye then be risen with Christ, seek bthose things which are above, cwhere Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your ||affection on bthings above, not on things on the earth. 3 For dye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is eour life, fshall appear, then shall ye also appear with him gin glory." [2]
Now follow as we hear verses five through eleven. The list of things here are as much in contention today as they were back then. There was a very popular TV show that had its star taken off the show for preaching these truths in verses five through eleven. In verses nine and ten we hear that familiar reference to putting off the old person and taking on the one that God first intended. The image of the One in whom we were created.
Now in verses eleven through fourteen we find the unity that is to be His Church. It makes no difference what ethnic persuasion a person might be. We are one in the family of God. And since we are one family we must act like one family by having patience with each other as we learn from each other. If we quarrel and fight and come back to the place that God led us to, then we must forgive and love. Put on charity which it the bond of perfection.
Finally we are ready for the focal verse. Let! Allow yourself now that you are finally ready and are finally the person that God intended you to be. Now let the Peace of God rule your hearts. Let, which is to say surrender your soul to God, so that once and for all you can finally be at peace which is what He always intended for you.
Why are all these things happening? Is this virus our punishment? NO! Is anything in this life punishment for the true believer? NO! Eternal separation from God is the punishment and true believers will not receive that. He allows us to go through the things we go through so that we can finally understand that He has us and He loves us. DO NOT WORRY! Worry is a sin! Once you have let go of the old man and the old ways; now let the contentment or peace from God rule your heart; your soul. This is not possible as long as you hang onto yourself.
Have you ever heard that there is strength in numbers? Why do you suppose that the devil is so busy and successful in having church people to stay apart from each other just now? Yes! There is strength in numbers. We are stronger when we assemble. We are weakened when we listen to those who say stay apart. We are called into one body! He sought us to be together in His body and as long as we stay together we will be solidly connected through His will.
And be ye thankful… That is where our strength lies. When we thank Him we find our strength. When we do not lose sight of the truth of all that Jesus did by leaving His place of strength and safety so that we may find ours, we find that He has given us His strength. The Holy Spirit enables us to endure whatever the world might throw at us. That is the true power of the confession of faith. Forsaking All I Trust Him. F.A.I.T.H.
So be steady and unwavering as we continue this journey through the love and power of God. Put off the old worn out person that is tired of what this world has destroyed and come to Jesus.
Prayer: Let us pray.
Invitation: “Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly abin all wisdom; bteaching and badmonishing one another cin psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing dwith grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And ewhatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, fgiving thanks to God and the Father by him.” [3]
Let us sing, let us love as we go and serve others who are lost so that His word might increase. Amen..
w See Phil. 4:7.
x 1 Cor. 7:15.
y Eph. 2:16. See 1 Cor. 10:17.
z See ver. 17.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Col 3:15). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
a ch. 2:12.
b See Phil. 3:20. Comp. Phil. 3:14.
c Rom. 8:34. See Eph. 1:20.
|| Or, mind. Rom. 8:5. Phil. 3:19.
b See Phil. 3:20. Comp. Phil. 3:14.
d See Rom. 6:2. So ch. 2:20.
e See John 11:25. Comp. 1 Cor. 15:45.
f 1 John 2:28. & 3:2. So Tit. 2:13.
g 1 Cor. 15:43. Comp. Phil. 3:21.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Col 3). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
a See ch. 1:9.
b ch. 1:28 (Gk.).
b ch. 1:28 (Gk.).
b ch. 1:28 (Gk.).
c See Eph. 5:19.
d ch. 4:6. See Eph. 4:29.
e ver. 23. So 1 Cor. 10:31.
f ch. 1:12. So ver. 15. ch. 2:7. & 4:2. See Eph. 5:20.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Col 3:16–17). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
