What is "True Peace"?

Philippians 4:6-9
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Meditate on These Things
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

• What is your definition of true peace?
o Football on Sunday?
o A day at the spa?
o A foot massage?
o 2 weeks paid vacation?
o How about these?
 Finding your soul mate?
 Freedom from depression?
 Financial security?

• True peace is found in God.
o It is the peace of mind of knowing that
 The almighty God of the Universe loves you. You were created in His own image.
• The love of the Lord your God is an “unfailing love”.
 If you’re saved, your fate on the day of redemption is sealed. You are on the right side of salvation.
• He sent His son Jesus to die a sinner’s death so that you may have the opportunity to accept the gift of everlasting life.
 When you trust God, you are fully equipped to handle anything that He commands.
• There’s peace in knowing that you’ll never be faced with a challenge you can’t handle!
 In the Father’s eyes, you have infinite worth.
• Why should we love sinners?
o Look at Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus). No one brought more people to Christ than Paul, yet no one killed more Christians than Paul.
o No matter how badly you’ve messed up in the past, God still desires to use you today!
 God has a wonderful plan for your life.
• He is the master builder, the master architect of a plan for you that will bring you infinite joy – joy and peace that only come from serving His kingdom.
 Everything in your life is a concern of your Father in Heaven.
• From school, to family, to relationships, God cares.
 True peace comes from God and God alone!

• How do you find true peace?
o Stop worrying and obey!
 “Be anxious for nothing”
 If you’re worrying about things constantly, you are indeed sinning against God. Worrying = not trusting God
 Here’s an example. Would we all say there’s something wrong if you constantly have to worry about your significant other cheating on you?
 God will do His part. Do yours. Trust that He will.
• When He commands you to something, He wants you to benefit from whatever He is commanding you to do. Count on it!
• When you trust God, you are fully equipped to handle anything that He commands.
• Mark 3 – Healing on the Sabbath – 1 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.[a] 6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.
• Of course the man couldn’t stretch out his hand. But Jesus commanded it and he did!
• The Holy Spirit is a wonderful gift from God. Trusting the Holy Spirit allows you to trust God beyond your ability to know what will happen in the future.
o Psalm 62:1-2 – My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I will never be shaken.
o Psalm 91 1-2 – He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
• If you don’t believe God has provided for you, take a long hard look at the cross!
o Surrender – Acknowledge you can’t find true peace yourself!
• God wants you to
o Trust Him in everything!
 He has a plan for everything in our life. Ignore those people who say that you need enlightenment and independent thought – the master plan has already been blueprinted for you!
 Whether you will follow or not is the question at hand.
o Pray to Him for anything and everything!
 Constant communication with God
 He knows what you need. But He wants you to ask Him.
 Will you recognize God as the source of all things good in your life? Thank God for all the blessings you have, every single hour of the day!
o Meditate on all things holy!
 What you think about will be reflected in your actions.
 Remember if you want to know where someone’s heart is, take a look at where he or she spends his or her time and money.

A Call to Spiritual Revival - America's SOS

A Call to Separation

Billy Graham’s Prayer For Our Nation
‘Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.
We know Your Word says, ‘Woe to those who call evil good, ‘but that is exactly what we have done.
We have ridiculed the absolute truth of your Word and called it Pluralism.
We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen! ‘

• A Definition of Spiritual Warfare – Ephesians 6:12 – For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
• Focus in on PRINCIPALITIES.
o Principalities – sins that the world tries to convince us are “OK”. The world will try to make formalities out of sin.
 The world likes to call it…
• “A changing of times”
• “Alternative lifestyle”
• “Multiculturalism”
• “Tolerance”
• “Political correctness”
• “How you were raised”
• Just take a look at the words highlighted above
Isaiah 5:20 - Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

• Religious pluralism – acceptance of various world religions as a call for diversity. According to Wikipedia…
o As the name of the worldview according to which one's religion is not the sole and exclusive source of truth, and thus that at least some truths and true values exist in other religions.
o As acceptance of the concept that two or more religions with mutually exclusive truth claims are equally valid. This posture often emphasizes religion's common aspects.
 The Bible defines absolute moral truth.
• Defines an “objective truth”
o Objective truth – It is true for all people, and its exceptions for special circumstances are defined in the Bible
o We acknowledge these truths because God does.
 For example, it’s wrong to cheat because God is a fair and just God. It’s wrong to lie because God is an honest God. It’s wrong to love sin because God hates sin.

• Pray for Revival in Our Nation
o Pray that America will be frustrated in its sinful lifestyle and seek the face of God.
o Revival in America does not start with a new president, a new speaker of the house, new congressmen and women
 It starts with you.
 A strong nation is built on a strong foundation. And the foundation of America is its citizens. Just like any sturdy building, the foundation is laid down from the ground up.

"Claiming Godliness But Denying its Power" - Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

2 Timothy 3
Perilous Times and Perilous Men
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

• Spiritual warfare is rampant in this world.
o There will be people who
 Blaspheme the name of God and reject truth
• Atheism, agnosticism
 Teach false prophecy
• Matthew 7:15 – Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
 Claim “godliness, but deny its power”
• How many people do you know that claim that they believe in God?
• Claiming belief in God and having an intimate relationship with Christ and Father constitute two completely different things!
o How many people “train themselves” in godliness?
 Through prayer
 Through reading scripture
 Through meditation on the Word
 1 Timothy 4:7-8 – Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
 Try to threaten your faith
• Those that reject Christ will “hate the Christ” that they see in you.
 That show apathy towards the kingdom of God
• 2 Thessalonians 3:6 – In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.
• Their actions don’t reflect what they claim to believe.
o You can’t see into a man’s heart, as God can.
 1 Samuel 16:7 - But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
o But you can get a pretty good idea of where his or her heart is.
 Where do they spend their time?
 Where do they spend their money?

o These people aren’t always easy to pick out.
 They don’t always know what they’re doing.
• Luke 23:34 - But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.
 Satan’s lies are very tempting.
• You’ll find his lies wrapped in pretty wrapping paper topped with a bow – but it’s just a trap!
• Satan doesn’t act through sinners whom we would consider “evil people”. Satan acts through those whom we wouldn’t suspect to be rejecting God’s objective truth.
• Objective truth – Truth that is absolute and applies to all people! In God there is absolute moral truth!

o College Life Applications
• Relationships
 Be careful who you allow to infiltrate your personal life. Know the level of spiritual maturity of a person you consider dating before you even think about dating them.
 Ask tougher questions. We know that Christians should date other Christians.
• 2 Corinthians 6:14 - Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
 But to ask someone whether or not they are a Christian is insufficient. A man and woman are called to be “equally yoked”. God should be the number one priority in their relationship. If at any point this yoke is broken, the relationship will cease. If you choose to continue in such a relationship, get ready to step on a few landmines along the way.
 There is no such thing as “missionary dating”. Rather, there is no such thing as “successful” missionary dating.

• Friendships
 Watch out for friends that will try to deter you from your Christian walk.
 Be “in the world but not of the world”.

• Liberalism
 College professors + impressionable college students = CAUTION
 Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witness, Christian Scientist = False Religion disguised as Christianity