Dedicated To The Men of God Who Preach the Word of God As It Is To Men As They Are

"Preach The Word"

God’s Perfect Peace

Text:

Isa.26:3, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon thee."

Introduction:

When this promise was given Israel was in a dark period of her history. It will help us in the church age, when surrounded by gloom, depression, doubt, fear and worry. When all is going well it is easy to read a promise like this in a very superficial way, but when clouds of trial, disappointment, anxiety and alarm blow across our skies and the sun is hidden, these words become very precious to us.

There is not a promise in the Bible that says we will be free from troubles, wars, trials, temptations, tears and sorrows in life. God promises something better. He promises peace in the midst of the storm.

In the fiercest of battles, while the storm is at it’s height, the trusting soul can know inward peace and tranquility. There can be a deep down calm and quiet confidence. How much do you want God’s wonderful peace? Do you long to experience it?

Isa 30:15 states: "For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not."

I. The Peace That Is Offered

It is described as perfect "peace." How does one define perfect peace? It is a condition of freedom from disturbance within the soul. It is perfect harmony reigning within.

The Hebrew word for peace, "Shalom," has the idea of soundness of health. Being filled with spiritual peace is to be spiritually healthy and free from all discord in the soul.

There is no room for jealousy, envy, discontentment, uncontrolled temper, selfishness, pride, intolerance, harsh criticism, fear of anxiety, in the soul that is filled with peace. They are all discordant notes. There are out of harmony with those who possess God’s peace.

Illustration:
Do you recall the time that the disciples were on the Sea of Galilee. A storm blew up and Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea and said, "Peace be still." No one else could have done that but the Lord Jesus Christ.

His peace is no doubt perfect peace. How is it perfect?

A. Perfect In Quality

There are various kinds of "imperfect" peace.

1. Imperfect peace of ignorance

We can think all is going well when it really isn’t in our lives.

Satan can delude the minds of people and make them think all is well when it just isn’t so.

Jer 6:14, "They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace."

2. Imperfect peace of stagnation

The pool of water may be calm and peaceful, but underneath it is a foul, green slime. The peace some people know is just like that. All it will take to stir up the slim in the pool of stagnation is the judgement of God. Then, they will find they had no real peace at all.

Isa 57:14, "And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people."

3. The imperfect peace of dependence

It is a peace that is dependent upon something or some person in this present world. The "thing" may fail, or the "person" may die. Where then is your peace if it is in some thing or some person? You wouldn’t have any.

God’s peace is "perfect peace."

It means "safe" or "possessing a sense of safety."

B. Perfect in Quantity

The supply is sufficient and meets our need. The marginal reference that says, "Peace, peace" means a "double peace."

That double peace is mentioned in Phil. 4:7. It says that God’s peace will keep our "heart" and "minds" through Christ Jesus.

It guards our minds and calms our heart.

1. Peace with God

Comes at the time of salvation.

Rom 5:1 declares: "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"

That peace was determined by the Lord Jesus Christ. He obtain it for us and gives it through saving faith in Him.

You can never know the peace OF God until you have come to peace WITH God.

2. Peace of God

Phil. 4:7 says, "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Phil 4:9 states, "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."

A. Perfect as To Quality

B. Perfect as To Quantity

C. Perfect as To Constancy

It is permanent and not intermittent.

Illustration:

The old windshield wipers ran all of the time when you turned them on. The newer ones are intermittent. That is they do not run all of the time, just every few seconds.

Peace works all of the time. God "keeps us" in perfect peace.

Ps 121:4-8-- "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."

I. THE PEACE THAT IS OFFERED

II. THE PEACE THAT CAN BE OBTAINED

A. By Jesus Christ

Phil 4:7, "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

It is through Jesus that the peace of God flows through our souls. Only the Christian can know that peace.

Isa 57:21 declares, "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." The wicked do not have Jesus, so they can not know real peace and deep abiding contentment.

B. By the Holy Ghost

It is Christ that procured peace upon the cross of Calvary, and that peace is offered to us by Him as the source. But in all reality it is CONVEYED to our hearts and minds through the Holy Spirit of God.

Gal. 5:22 says it is a "fruit" of the Holy Ghost.

As He fills us and controls us, he produces more and more peace.

C. By His Word

What a promise in Psm. 119:165, "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them."

"Offend" or cause them to stumble and fall down.

The word "offend" can have the idea of "disturb."

Note:

Have you noticed how easy it is to reach your hand in a bird nest, touch the eggs and the mother will abandon them? The bird is easily offended, but not when you have God’s wonderful peace.

D. By our Obedience

Note what is said in Lev. 26:3-6:

"If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land."

Notice the "if" in the first verse I read.

God guarantees us that if we will do our part he will do his part.

E. By Plenty of Prayer and Praise

Phil 4:6-7

6 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.

The promises of verse 7 are preceded y the conditions mentioned in verse 6.

III. THE PEACE THAT HAS CONDITIONS

Who is the one God will keep in "perfect peace?"

A.The one whose mind is stayed on God

"whose mind is stayed on thee"

B. The one whose trust is in God.

"Who trusteth in thee"

Conclusion:

Peace is not some experience, doctrine, a code of belief, or an "it". Peace is in the Lord Himself.

A song says:

"Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blessed, finding as He promised, perfect peace and rest."

Submitted By Tom Walker-Zion Hill Baptist Church

Contending for the Faith

Text: Jude 3,4

Introduction:

(1) In verses 1-2 Jude had introduced himself and given greetings to those to whom he had been writing. He, in so doing, has clearly identified the recipients of the letter as true
believers. (v1)
(2) Here in verses 3-4, he gives them the occasion of the letter, but first mentions that he had not started out to write to them on that particular subject.
(3) Notice Jude in these 2 verses gives
these believers a "Call To Arms." He is exhorting them to stand up for the Lord. This at least pre-supposes or suggests that they were
standing idly by in such a passive, complacent attitude that false teachers and doctrines of heresy had begun to take over. The church
leaders who were responsible for guarding the true doctrines had gone to sleep at the post.

Let's examine closely this passage as
Jude gives a Call to Arms to the churches.

I. NOTICE THE NOTION THAT FILLED HIS MIND. V-3
He apparently intended to write to them
about the "common" salvation. The name "JUDAH" means Praise , and he wanted to praise God for his salvation provided for all believers. This was the desire that filled his mind.

A. It was a strong desire. V-3 He gave
"all diligence" to the original effort. This is a desire shared by every preacher. A desire to just spend the time in the pulpit bragging on and exalting Jesus. This is so much easier. It's very needful and it
never causes any friction. Yet, as Jude was, the preacher is called on
to approach other needs.

B. It was a simple desire.

V-3 He speaks of the "common salvation," a subject all could identify with. No matter how much Christians may disagree on some things, they can rejoice together in a "common salvation." So, we see the notion that filled his mind. He wanted to write to them on the "common salvation" they
shared. But Note:

II. THE NEED THAT DICTATED HIS MESSAGE. V-3
It was a need to write to them and exhort them to "earnestly contend
for the faith". He said that it was "needful," which means, he was
constrained by a compelling force to do this. The word "exhort" is
similar to the word for "comforter"- one who is called alongside to aid
or help out. Jude was saying, "I am exhorting you, calling you to my
side to aid in contending for the faith.
A. There was a need to fight for the faith. V-3 The word "contend"
means to "agonize." Pictures an athlete in the Greek games who stretches every muscle to do his best. It's more than just accepting or
identifying with the faith. It's being willing to stand.

B. They were to follow the faithful. V-3
He speaks of that faith or belief or doctrine that was "once for
all delivered to the saints". He was calling them to his side to defend
and fight for the teachings of the earlier saints of God. What a need we
have in our day to do likewise.
We see in verse 3 the notion that filled his mind - to write about
the common salvation. We see in verse 3 the need that dictated his
message - the need to call on them to contend for the faith. Then in
verse 4 he mentions men, false teachers, that had slipped in unaware.
Here we see he describes:

III. THE NATURE THAT POSSESSED THESE MEN. V-4
Here he gives a very detailed description of these men and what made
them tick.
A. We see their deception. V-4 "Crept in unawares." These were
deceivers who had slipped in without being noticed. No church will
allow and avowed, or known false teacher to come in. They slip in
unaware. It's happening across the country and in SBC and other
denominations.
B. We see their designations. V-4
"Ordained to this condemnation." (for judgment) There is a fore-ordained judgment for people who choose to be used by Satan in this manner. It does not mean that they were born without an opportunity to be saved.
C. We see their depravity. V-4 "ungodly
men" - men who were ungodly in their attitude, teaching, and lifestyle.
(many are preaching and teaching today, totally depraved).
D. We see their destruction. V-4 "turning
the grace of our God into lascivious-ness." They were perverting the
gospel of grace. they were leading the Christians of that day into a
life-style of indecency and lack of any moral restraint.
E. We see their denial. V-4 They "deny
the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." They denied the very
deity of Christ. This is not a new doctrine, it was common in Jude's
day. Today, more than ever, people deny the deity of Christ. In the
eyes of many, he has been reduced to a "good man", a mere human.
Jude was saying that he felt compelled to call them to his side to
aid in contending for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.
He's Clearly sounding the "Call to Arms."
In our day, we are seeing a wholesale display of Apostasy. People
turning away from and denying the faith once delivered to the saints.
INTRODUCTION:
(1) In verses 1-2 Jude had introduced
himself and given greetings to those to whom he had been writing. He, in so doing, has clearly identified the recipients of the letter as true
believers. (v1)
(2) Here in verses 3-4, he gives them the
occasion of the letter, but first mentions that he had not started out
to write to them on that particular subject.
(3) Notice Jude in these 2 verses gives
these believers a "Call To Arms." He is exhorting them to stand up for
the Lord. This at least pre-supposes or suggests that they were
standing idly by in such a passive, complacent attitude that false
teachers and doctrines of heresy had begun to take over. The church
leaders who were responsible for guarding the true doctrines had gone to sleep at the post.

Let's examine closely this passage as
Jude gives a Call to Arms to the churches.

I. NOTICE THE NOTION THAT FILLED HIS MIND. V-3
He apparently intended to write to them
about the "common" salvation. The name "JUDAH"
means Praise , and he wanted to praise God for his salvation provided
for all believers. This was the desire that filled his mind.
A. It was a strong desire. V-3 He gave
"all diligence" to the original effort. This is a desire shared by
every preacher. A desire to just spend the time in the pulpit bragging
on and exalting Jesus. This is so much easier. It's very needful and it
never causes any friction. Yet, as Jude was, the preacher is called on
to approach other needs.
B. It was a simple desire. V-3 He speaks
of the "common salvation," a subject all could identify with. No matter
how much Christians may disagree on some things, they can rejoice
together in a "common salvation." So, we see the notion that filled
his mind. He wanted to write to them on the "common salvation" they
shared. But Note:

II. THE NEED THAT DICTATED HIS MESSAGE. V-3
It was a need to write to them and exhort them to "earnestly contend
for the faith". He said that it was "needful," which means, he was
constrained by a compelling force to do this. The word "exhort" is
similar to the word for "comforter"- one who is called alongside to aid
or help out. Jude was saying, "I am exhorting you, calling you to my
side to aid in contending for the faith.
A. There was a need to fight for the faith. V-3 The word "contend"
means to "agonize." Pictures an athlete in the Greek games who stretches
every muscle to do his best. It's more than just accepting or
identifying with the faith. It's being willing to stand.
B. They were to follow the faithful. V-3
He speaks of that faith or belief or doctrine that was "once for
all delivered to the saints". He was calling them to his side to defend
and fight for the teachings of the earlier saints of God. What a need we
have in our day to do likewise.
We see in verse 3 the notion that filled his mind - to write about
the common salvation. We see in verse 3 the need that dictated his
message - the need to call on them to contend for the faith. Then in
verse 4 he mentions men, false teachers, that had slipped in unaware.
Here we see he describes:

III. THE NATURE THAT POSSESSED THESE MEN. V-4
Here he gives a very detailed description of these men and what made
them tick.
A. We see their deception. V-4 "Crept in unawares." These were
deceivers who had slipped in without being noticed. No church will
allow and avowed, or known false teacher to come in. They slip in
unaware. It's happening across the country and in SBC and other
denominations.
B. We see their designations. V-4
"Ordained to this condemnation." (for judgment) There is a fore-ordained
judgment for people who choose to be used by Satan in this manner. It
does not mean that they were born without an opportunity to be saved.
C. We see their depravity. V-4 "ungodly
men" - men who were ungodly in their attitude, teaching, and lifestyle.
(many are preaching and teaching today, totally depraved).
D. We see their destruction. V-4 "turning
the grace of our God into lascivious-ness." They were perverting the
gospel of grace. they were leading the Christians of that day into a
life-style of indecency and lack of any moral restraint.
E. We see their denial. V-4 They "deny
the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." They denied the very
deity of Christ. This is not a new doctrine, it was common in Jude's
day. Today, more than ever, people deny the deity of Christ. In the
eyes of many, he has been reduced to a "good man", a mere human.
Jude was saying that he felt compelled to call them to his side to
aid in contending for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.
He's Clearly sounding the "Call to Arms."
In our day, we are seeing a wholesale display of Apostasy. People
turning away from and denying the faith once delivered to the saints.

SERMON FROM DR. TOM WALKER- ZION HILL BAPTIST CHURCH- MARION,NC-USA

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