Four Aspects Of Peace
If you were on a scavenger hunt and were tasked with finding a Christian, only you can’t ask the people you encounter any questions or even speak to them, what would you look for? The churches are closed. No use looking there. The restaurants are closed, so the buffet line is out. What would you look for? Peace, of course!
Remember last week’s lesson in John 14:27 where Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” In today’s environment, a Christian should be easy to spot. They won’t be going off with a hot temper, they won’t be freaking out in panic and they won’t be cowering in fear.
There are four aspects of Jesus that help us to remain calm and peaceful in stressful times. (Read Matthew 8:18-27.) The first one is found in verses 18-22, “Our Purpose.” Our purpose is to follow Him. Following Jesus is not always easy. There will be sacrifices to make and hard choices along the way. We don’t want to follow Jesus by hard shouldering our way through. We follow with the confidence of a child holding a father’s hand. If Jesus leads you to it, then He will lead you through it.
The second is found in verse 23, “His Presence.” In verse 23, where is Jesus? Where are the disciples? In whatever boat you are in right now, did you follow Jesus into that boat? Or, did you cruise off on your own somewhere? The boat that Jesus is in always reaches its destination and, as my Aunt Mildred Cook, always sings, “His Anchor Holds” even if the ship is battered. There is peace in His purpose and there is peace in His presence.
Number three is “There is Peace in His Power” found in verses 24-26. Anyone can trust Him when the boat is sailing smoothly. It’s when the boat starts rocking that people start losing it. Did you board this boat according to His purpose? Were you in His presence? Then sail on faith. If He can sleep during the crisis, then you can, too. We can sail through this according to His purpose, in His presence and under His power if we recognize number four, “His Person” in verse 27. The most important question you will ever answer, and you must answer it of yourself and to Him is this “Who is this man Jesus?”
The little boat ride was preparing the disciples for this question a little later in Matthew 16:13-16. There is only one right answer to this question and Peter got it. When you ask yourself this question, don’t go asking the preacher or your grandma and certainly not the world or anyone else to answer it for you. Instead, ask the Father who is in heaven to reveal it to you. He will reveal it to you and, when He does, you will have found peace.
In today’s environment, a Christian should be easy to spot. They won’t be going off with a hot temper, they won’t be freaking out in panic and they won’t be cowering in fear.