by the Son of God. We may trust
Him wholly, all for us to do. They who trust Him wholly Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. All right, John chapter 14. I told you Sunday that I would be bringing
this message. However, I will not be dealing with both
peace and joy tonight. It was too big. They need separate messages.
So those subjects, peace and joy, I was going to deal with
both of them tonight, but began studying peace and ran out of
time with it. Too much material. So we'll deal
with this thing of joy. another time, maybe next Wednesday. The title of this message is
Threefold Peace, a threefold peace. And this is a message
for those who need it, who need peace. All right, let's look
at chapter 14, verse 27. Chapter 14, Gospel of John. fourteen verse twenty seven our
Lord says peace I leave with you. Peace. I leave. With you. As I said there's a threefold
peace. Threefold peace that a believer
is to have and our Lord's. Says first of all the first piece
he says peace I leave with you this peace that he's speaking
of here, I believe, is peace with God. Peace with God. And only a guilty sinner needs
this kind of peace. Peace with God. Peace with an
offended God. If you've heard verses of Scripture
like the Psalms that say, Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
And you feel yourself to be a worker of iniquity. And Psalms that
say, he is angry with the wicked every day. Angry. Or the Psalm
that says, the wicked his soul hateth. And you feel yourself
to be a worker of iniquity or a wicked, guilty sinner, then
you need peace with God. You need to be reconciled to
this God. You need to have peace with God. Well, how may we have peace with
God? How may we have peace with a
holy and just God? A God who is angry with the wicked,
a God who hateth the workers of iniquity. How may we have
peace with this holy God? I hear And you've heard them,
preachers, at nearly every funeral, they'll make a statement or recount
a story of how some fellow, the fellow that died, made his peace
with God. What they're talking about there
is that the fellow was in the hospital and he's about And the
preacher came and caught him at a very vulnerable moment,
a very weak moment where the fellow was grasping at anything.
And the preacher got a profession out of him and notched a notch
on the preacher's belt and comes away telling the people that
the fellow made his peace with God. A fellow that all his life
lived hating God. not caring for God, not worshiping
God, not thanking God, but yet when he realizes he just might
have to go out and meet this God, he makes his peace with
God. But you can't do that. Man cannot
do that. Man cannot make peace with God. God is the one who has been offended,
and only God's the one can say, We have peace. Right. It'd be like me assaulting one
of you men. And then standing back and say,
well, I've decided to let you forgive me. I've decided to make
peace. No, you've been the one that
you were the one that's been assaulted and you're the only
one that can say. We have peace. God alone decides
who he is at peace with. God alone decides who has peace,
who gets peace and who gets wrath, and who gets judgment. Besides,
men and women don't want peace with God. As I said, they might at the
last minute, because all else seems lost,
they might at the last minute take whatever the preacher offers
them as some kind of insurer. But God alone must decide who
gets peace. And that's why the apostles say,
you know that they say in every epistle, they begin every epistle
with them, with these two words, grace and peace from God. Every epistle, sometimes they
say grace, mercy and peace. But it's always all grace and
peace is used every time. And they say from God, grace
and peace from God, the Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ
unto you, grace and peace unto you from God. Peace comes from
God. He alone must decide who gets
paid. Well, how? How? Well, look at
it again. Our Lord said here in verse 27,
Peace I leave with you. Peace with God I leave with you. It's in my hands
or in my power because I'm God, He said. Peace I leave with you. The peace that I have obtained
for you. Back in verse 2, He says, I go
to prepare a place for you. I go to obtain peace for you. I go to Calvary's cross, and
by the blood of my cross, I will obtain peace for you." That's
what the Scripture in Isaiah 53 is saying. It says, and it
may be worded in such a way that you've never really understood,
where it says the chastisement of our peace was laid upon him.
In other words, the chastisement necessary for us to have peace
was laid on him. The chastisement, the chastening,
the wrath, the beating, the whipping. He took my whipping. The chastisement
necessary to obtain peace. The soul that sinneth will surely
die. Without the shedding of blood, there's no remission of
sin. The soul that sinned must die. Christ took that weapon. The chastisement of our peace
was laid upon him. The Father, God who is angry
with the wicked every day, us, took out that anger and that
wrath on his Son. We deserve to have the rod of
God's justice and wrath laid to our backs for eternity. That's
what hell is, the rod of God's wrath against our sin. being
laid to the back of sinners for eternity. But Jesus Christ on
Calvary's cross had that rod, due to me, laid on him instead. God hath laid on him the iniquity
of us all, and the chastisement of our peace was laid on him,
and by his stripes we have peace. Somebody said the rod of God's
wrath was broken on his back. The rod broke. And now there's
no more rod for me. There's therefore now no condemnation,
no judgment by his trial. So Christ says, peace with God,
I leave with you. Who? Peace I leave with you, Christ
says. Who? Who gets this peace? All
men? That's what preachers are saying,
that Christ died for all men. Who's he talking to? Who is our
Lord talking to here? His disciples. Believers. Believers. Those that the Father
has given him, he said. All that the Father giveth me,
cometh to me. He said, I've chosen you. You
didn't choose me, I chose you. All that the Father gave him,
he says to those people, to his elect, peace I leave with you. Peace with God. that I obtain
I leave with you. Peace through believing. Look
at Romans 5, Romans chapter 5. This is good. Did you notice
that there in Romans 13, I believe it was verse, or Romans 15, verse 13, it said, Now the God
of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing. peace in believing. I'll never
forget as a young, young believer, very new in the faith, reading
a sermon by Charles Spurgeon on Romans 15 and 13, Peace by
Believing. If you want good readings, get
that message. I remember reading that, you
know, when you're filled with such feelings of shame and guilt
and sinfulness and rottenness, and I read that piece in believing. And I've never, I had never been
overjoyed or blessed more by a message. But Romans chapter
5, verse 1, It says this, therefore being justified by faith, declared
innocent of all charges. No condemnation. Justified, just
as if I, it's a good definition, I believe it is, just as if I'd
never sinned. It goes further than that, but
that's good enough for an old simple sinner like me. Just as
if I'd never sin, justified, therefore being justified, declared
innocent, declared righteous by Christ's righteousness, by
his shed blood, by just believing in him, by faith, therefore being
justified by faith, we have peace with God. through our Lord Jesus
Christ, not through us anything, not through us making, but through
Him making peace by the blood of His cross. God is well pleased
with Christ, His righteous life, and Christ gave that to me, and
so He's well pleased with me. It's not too good to be true.
It's not. It's not. God is well pleased
with his righteousness sake. For his righteousness sake. Psalm
6. I love that Psalm. He's well
pleased for his righteousness sake. Well pleased with who?
With me. For his righteousness sake. Huh? And he is well pleased with the
sacrifice Christ made satisfied that it put away my sin. God's
satisfied. And there's peace to be had in
us being satisfied. There's peace to be had in us
being satisfied. Are you satisfied that the blood
of Christ cleanses us from all sin? You'll have peace then.
And you'll not be up and down all the time, saved and unsaved,
saved and unsaved. Peace through believing that
God accepts Christ. on behalf of the sinner. He's
so, he's well pleased with me if I believe Christ. If I believe Christ. Christ is
called throughout the scriptures, listen to these references to
him, he's called the King of Peace. King of Peace. King's one in charge, one that
rules, isn't it? One that decides all things,
bestows all things, who doles out things. He's the King of
Peace. He's the Prince of Peace. He's the Prince of Peace. He's
called Lord of Peace. He's called the Son of Peace.
The Gospel is called the Gospel of Peace, isn't it? Christ says
I leave with you. That's the first piece with God.
Secondly, this threefold piece. Secondly, I'm not going to keep
you long tonight. Stay with me, all right? You
might have a little peace when you leave. He says, peace with God. You
need that center? Well, this old center does day
in and day out, every hour of every day. I need this peace. I need to know I've got peace
with God. All right, secondly, and I have it through Christ.
Secondly, Christ says, my peace, look at it in verse 27. There's
a different peace here. Verse 27, peace I leave with
you, peace with God that I obtain, I leave with you, that I made
for you, I leave it with you. God's not angry with you, peace
with you. My peace, I give unto you." This is a different piece here
he's talking about. My peace I give unto you. Peace
with God, and secondly, peace within. Peace within. Or a real peace of mind. Peace in your heart. Peace of
spirit. Do you need that? My, my. Peace from turmoil, peace from
anguish, peace from depression, peace from overcoming sorrow,
peace from overwhelming trials or during overwhelming trials. Do you need that peace, a calm
and settled frame? Christ said, My peace. Christ
had that. My peace. Do you need that? How do we get that? same way as the other. By believing. By believing. Look over John
chapter 20 very quickly. John chapter 20. Look at this. And our Lord, when he says something
once, we better sit up and take notice. When he says something
twice, we better be on the edge of our seat. If he says it three
times, there's standing attention. Right? And our Lord greeted his
people constantly with this, just like a consoling father
would do. John 20, verse 19 and 20. Look at this. John 20, verse
19. At the same day of the evening, first day of the week, when the
doors were shut. Now listen, our Lord, we talked
about it Sunday, how our Lord was their father, their mother,
their brother, their nurse, their teacher, their preacher, their
helper, their provider, their protector, their everything. For three and a half years, they
depended on him totally for everything. They didn't do anything. These
were fellows, Joe, that had been used to working for a living,
you know, and providing for themselves and their family. Well, they
didn't lift a finger for three and a half years, and they got
to depending on him. They forgot, Stan, what it was
like. They forgot what it was like. And he said, I'm leaving. Oh, Peter, before the Lord came,
you know, he would have been pretty, pretty confident in his
own ability to, you know, handle anything came along. But now
they were trouble. The Lord was leaving and they
were upset. And he did leave. He died. And they were really
upset. He died. And they said, we thought,
we trusted that it had been he. They doubted. Their doubts were
just, they were just filled with doubt. Trouble. You're talking
about a troubled bunch of fellas. Fellas who were just absolutely
tossed and turned. And their lives were in danger
now. They were huddled together in a little room together. They
were scared and they were full of doubts and fear. Look at verse
19. The same day at evening, the first day of the week when
the doors were shut where the disciples were, assembled for
fear of the Jew. They knew that their lives were
on the line for being his disciples. Came Jesus and stood in the midst
of them and said unto them, what did he say the first thing? They were probably, I'm sure,
Nancy, I'm sure some of them, Thomas, well Thomas wasn't there.
Peter probably. They were all just, what are
we going to do, you know. And our Lord came in there just
calmly. He said He stood in the midst
of them. He stood in the midst of them
and just disappeared. Verse 20, And when he had so
said, he showed them his hands and his side, and they were glad. Oh, they were glad. Then said
Jesus to them again, Peace. Peace. You see that, Barbara? Peace be unto you. All right, verse twenty-six.
After eight days, again his disciples were with him, and Thomas was
with them this time. Finally, it came to Jesus. This
door was being shut, and he came just to appear again. What did
he say to them? The first thing he said to them was, Be. Jerry, you need that said to
you about every time. First thing in the morning, in
the afternoon, in the evening. Be. Peace. Peace by believing. Who is he that overcometh? You
remember that message? Who is he that overcometh? Overcometh
or gets through trials that would overcome him. Who is he that
overcometh or endures trials and tribulations and afflictions
that overwhelm me? Overwhelming troubles. Who is
he that is not overwhelmed by them? Who is he that overcometh,
but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" The Son of
God. Peace of mind. Listen. Peace
of mind by believing Jesus Christ is a sovereign God and your God. He says, I am thy God, your God,
your Lord, your Master, your Father. I'm your dad. You don't worry when dad's around,
do you? You just don't worry when dad's
around. I'm your father, Philip. Peace. I'm your husband, Widow. I'm your brother. I'm your friend. The all-powerful, all-wise, all-loving
Lord in control of you and yours. Philippians 4. I know you can
quote it. I know you can. Philippians 4. As one of the brethren said to
a fellow one time, the fellow said, I think I'll just write
it, and one of the brethren quoted a verse of scripture to a young
preacher, and the preacher said, I think I'll have that printed
and put it on my wall. He said, no, look it up. No,
don't do that. Look it up. That'll get like
a calendar or something you never look at. It'll get too familiar. Take the time to open the scriptures
and search and find that verse and read it. God blesses a little bit of effort.
Look at Philippians 4 verse 6. I know you can quote it, but
let's read it. Be careful for nothing. Never.
Don't be full of care or anxious care or anxiety for anything. Anything, Christ said. Why don't I take him at his word?
He always feeds a little bird. Be careful for nothing, but in
everything by prayer, call on him. If you are full of care,
call on him. And supplication, ask him with thanksgiving. Make
sure you fill your prayers, your speech with your Lord with thanksgiving. You'll come away forgetting about
your troubles and being, you come away thankful. You'll remember, he'll remind
you that you've got more to be thankful for than to worry about.
And it lets your request be made known unto God. Didn't that thought
bless you, Sunday, that you, where Christ said he knew that
they wanted to inquire of him and ask him? Did you note that? He knew, John 16, that they wanted
to inquire of him and ask him that question. He knows what,
that you need to ask him some questions. And he says, ask me,
ask me, go ahead. But your request be made known
unto God, and the peace, verse 7, of God, which passeth all
understanding, which ye didn't think ye could have, which ye
didn't think under such a severe trial or something ye could endure,
passeth understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus. Peace. Peace be unto you. Peace. He's in control of you
and yours. He said, I work all things, A-double-L. Can you spell? Can you read? A-double-L. All things, not S-O-M-E,
but A-double-L. All things work together for
good. Can we spell? Can we read? G-O-O-D. Not B-A-D, but G-O-O-D. A-double-L-G-O-O-D. All things work together for
good. For them that love God are called
according to his mysterious purpose. Peace, be still, and know that
I'm God. Have you lost a loved one? peace,"
he says, I took them. Peace. I took them. I gave them. I took them. It's the Lord. Peace. Peace. Have you lost your job? Peace. I gave it to you. I took it. I'll give you another one. Something better. Scripture says
promotion coming from the Lord. Doesn't it? He says, I cast down,
I raise up. Peace. Are you alone? Peace. He said, Lo, I am with you, even
in the ends of the earth. I'll never leave you. Though
my father and my mother forsake me, yet the Lord will take me
up. And he said, I'll never leave you alone. Peace. The only one that matters is
with you. Are everything going wrong, things
going all wrong? Peace. Shall not the judge of
the earth do, right? There's nothing going wrong.
Huh? There's nothing going wrong.
All things are going just right. Right? Right. My peace I give
unto you. Christ said, My peace I give
unto you. My peace. You know, nothing and
no one bothered the Lord, did it? Nothing and no one disturbed
his peace, but one day They were in the midst of a raging sea,
tossed to and fro. What was he doing? Oh, I've been awakened by lightning
and thunder and wind. If you've ever lived in a trailer,
you need to live in a trailer one time in your life, and you
might experience what the power of wind. You think it's coming
down, it's coming down, we're going to end up down in Ferrum
before this night's over with. The wheels are still under that
thing. And sometimes it blows, and I think, we're goners. Who's blowing the wind? Who's
blowing the wind? Trees may crash right and left. It will not come nightly. Even
a little tin box, it's not going to fall on you. Our Lord, raging
in the midst of a raging ocean, He was asleep in the midst of
a raging man. Everywhere He went, everybody
raged on Him, didn't they? Gritted their teeth. Everybody
wanted to kill Him, didn't they, Terry? Everybody wanted to kill
Him. He wasn't afraid, was He? He was going to go to Jerusalem. The disciples said, Lord, don't.
They're going to kill you. And my word. He said he set his face
toward Jerusalem. He came to Pilate. He was standing
in front of Pilate. And Pilate said, don't you know
I have the power to crucify you? to torture you as never before.
Don't you know that I have the power to crucify you or let you
go?" Our Lord said, Power? Power? He said, You could have
no power at all except it be what? Given you. And the song says, nothing moves
and nothing harms us while we trust in him. If we're believers,
we're sons of the Most High God. And we're immortal. Unless God
says something for something to happen to. Is that right?
I'm not saying that presumptuously. That's what God said. It is saying,
with my peace I give unto you, we ought to take him at his word. God giving me the spirit of adoption,
my son of God, then whom shall I fear? Psalm 20, and what shall
I be afraid? Though a host should encamp against
me, the Lord is my strength. He giveth his angels charge over
you, not sparks. I don't care what that mean woman
down at work says. There's somebody a lot stronger
than her. Just flip her away. Little ant. That's not mine anointed,
unless he says so. Unless he sends Shimei to cuss
you. Don't try to cut his head off.
Let him cuss. As much as you'd like, let him
tell us the Lord's saying to curse you. Not as the world would give it.
I tell you, the world's religion, John, how
does anybody? Why would anybody want to trust
a God who's not God? I don't understand why people
claim to trust this God who tries and fails, who's done all of
Him good, and now it's up to you. A God whose things are out
of His control. I don't understand what peace
they could possibly have. in a God like that. Do you understand?
For the life of me, I can't understand why anybody would bother with
a God like that. That things are out of his control.
There's a fellow, a dude named Satan down there who's just as
powerful as he is. And prevailing at times. Satan
has the upper hand at times. I don't need a God like that.
I need someone as strong as a man. Or this free will, how man's
free will. You know, I've often said, if
Satan is as strong as they say he is, why doesn't he just kill
everybody and be done with it? Huh? Why is he messing around? Why doesn't he kill everybody
and they'll be cast into hell? Kill them before they bleed.
Huh? Men preachers tell fellas, you
know, when somebody dies and killed in some catastrophe, God
didn't do that. Who did it? Satan did it. Why
does it have to be done with everybody? Everybody go to hell. Huh? It doesn't make a bit of
sense. And I don't know why they bother.
Yeah, I partially do. Self-righteousness is involved.
And whatever, superstition, tradition, all that. But I tell you, Christ
says, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. You believe
in God who is God. Believe also in me. People believe
in this Christ who shed his blood, and yet it didn't save them.
I don't know why. I don't know why they bother.
I don't know why they believe on Jesus if he can't really save.
Do you? I tell you, I need a Christ that's
saved. I need a Christ, John, that came
down here for lost sinners, looking for them, and didn't go back
empty-handed. Don't you? I need one that when
he shed his blood, it actually, I mean actually, put away A-double-L,
my S-I-N. Don't you? Yes, sir. I need blood to save. I need
Christ that's able and willing. to keep them. I need a great
shepherd, a chief shepherd. That's who I believe in." And
he says, "...my peace I give unto you." In me, back in chapter
sixteen, he says in verse thirty-three, he said, "...these things have
I spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace." In who? In the King. King of peace. And
the Lord of peace. And the Lord our righteousness.
And the Lord our Lamb. In me, you might have peace. And then lastly, this last thirdfold
peace. See, our God, our Christ, is
in charge. I'm the Lord, he said. I'm your
God. My peace I give unto you. Ephesians
chapter 2. Turn over there. Ephesians chapter
2. Ephesians chapter 2. Threefold
peace. It's not in the text there, but
it's implied, I believe. But it is here in Ephesians 2.
The threefold peace is this peace with men. Peace with men. Not man. Man. No, you'll be hated. The Scriptures say it. You'll
be hated by some. You'll be hated. You'll be their
enemy. But some men are going to befriend
you, and those who have been befriended by God, his friends
or our friends. Peace with men, all right? Ephesians
chapter 2, look what it says here in Ephesians 2. It says
in verses 12 through 15, let's read this quickly, at that time
you were without Christ. from the commonwealth of Israel,
strangers from the covenants of promise, no hope without God
in the world, but now in Christ Jesus, you who sometimes were
far off, or that is, way out, far off. I used to say far out
all the time. Little did I know that was far
off. Far out, really far out. I thought it was far out deep,
but I was. Far off from God, and he brought
me near. Far off, our maiden I, near by
the blood of Christ. He is our Pete, who hath made
both one, and hath broken down the middle wall, a partition
between us." He's talking about Jew and Gentile. Having abolished,
made Jew and Gentile. Now, you have to understand. Jews hated Gentiles. Oh man, if anyone was walking
down the street, they'd walk on the other side. Hated them. Little passion. Called them dogs. Jew and Gentile. But now they're
Muslim buddies. Muslim buddies. Broken down. Why? He's broken down the middle
wall of partition. Having abolished in his flesh
the enmity, the law of commandments contained in the ordinance to
make in himself of two one new man, so making peace. Peace between
men and women. Ladies. Peace. peace between
them. He's broken down this wall of
partition. Therefore, now, verse 19, we're
no more strangers and forerunner, but fellow citizens with the
saints and of the household of God. But here's what I'm trying
to say. We're called brethren now. The Scripture says he's not ashamed
to call us brethren. Now, if that just doesn't amaze
you. It ought to. He, the holy God, the holy Son of God,
who's separate from sinners, nothing like, nothing like, opposite,
Jeanette, opposite of you by nature. You're not ashamed to
call Him your sister. Now, if He, and by virtue of
Him doing a work in you, you're not ashamed to call your brother,
nor me, you, my sister. We're brothers and sisters now.
It was a time. If you'd seen me years ago, you'd
have gone the other side of the street. And I'd have done the
same thing there, Miss Snob, Miss Self-Righteous. I would
have too. Look at that self-righteous woman,
religious woman. She thinks she's better than
me. Look at that sinner. And he's made us one. And here
we are, bosom buddies. Bosom buddies. Different, as
different from different walks of life, even Yankees and Southerners. Huh? Ain't much different than
the hatred of Jews for Gentiles as Southerners for Yanks. Is
it, Ed? Huh? One of my best friends, dearest,
closest friends I admire the most from Detroit City, of all
places. Oh, he's a far better man than
I am. Far better man than I am. Old and young, Jew and Gentile,
male and female, black and white, yank and southerner. Different
in every way, yet now one in Christ, at peace, one with another,
at peace. Country bumpkins and city slickers. Huh? I ask you, what could produce that? Not
the row club. Only the gospel. Only the gospel. Only a work of grace within.
Huh? Only work a great listen to just
a few moment. I ask you where in what gathering
in what organization. Could you coexist peacefully.
With forty or fifty other people for years without a fuss and
without a fight. I mean without war. In what gathering or what organization
could you coexist peacefully with forty or fifty differing
people for years without one cluster. Really we have not had
a cluster fight here since I've been here. Have we? It's been relatively peaceful. Where could you find that? And
where could you, what organization could you go and have no business
meetings, no votes, take no votes, Maybe that is the reason. Maybe that is the reason there's
peace. Business meetings is a place
to have a fight. Votes and all. And yet everybody's
happy. No votes, no business meetings.
Everybody's happy. I tell you, the world religion,
in world religion, and some of you have been a part of it, there's
nothing but troublemakers. Fussing and fighting. You can't
have a business meeting in most churches, so-called, without
a fuss, without a fight, without somebody arguing. I'm getting
mad, leaving. I'm leaving. Why? I don't like
blue grapes. I want green. Are you going to
leave? You love us? Yes, Jesus loves
you, and I do too, but I'm leaving. It's my ball. If I can't be quarterback,
I'm going home, you know. The world religion is full of
troublemakers, but in God's church it's full of peacemakers. Right? Peacemakers. Not troublemakers. Peacemakers.
Blessed are the peacemakers. They shall be called the sons
of God. James 3, 18, he says, "...the
fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace,
with gentle fruit of righteousness. Why? Why is this so? Because, listen, because the
gospel of God's grace is the reason. The grace of God is the
reason. That's what will make peace in
a church. Grace. Grace is what will make
peace. Grace. You see, grace levels
everybody. It levels everybody. It levels everybody, brings everybody
down off their high horse of pride. It makes everybody nothing. And Christ all. It makes everybody
feel grace. The gospel of God's grace makes
everybody feel they're the chief of sinners. And you can't offend
the chief of sinners. You shouldn't be able to. If
he's offended, Perry, then he evidently is just saying that
in his mouth. Right? He doesn't feel he's a
chief of center. You can't offend a chief of center.
That woman, the Lord said, you're a doll. She said, that's right.
But I ain't leaving. I get some crumbs here. I ain't
leaving. Grace makes everybody feel they're
unworthy. They don't claim their rights.
They don't have any. Grace makes them feel like, I
don't have any rights here. I don't have a voice here. There's
only one voice here, right, John? And I'm not talking about the
preacher. And he's no voice unless he's
saying what God says. The voice. Everybody's unworthy. No rights here. We don't have
our rights here. Let God be true to every man
alive. Unworthy. Grace makes everybody feel they're
less than the least. Not fit to be called a member
of this church. Doesn't it? Huh? Grace is the only thing that'll
do that, John. Grace will make a man or woman feel like, I'm
not fit to be with this bunch of good folks. Right? Grace won't make you think you're
better than everybody. It'll make you feel like you're
the worst one of the bunch. Everybody else is the same as me. That's
what grace says, does. You see, in a gospel church,
a church where the sovereign grace of God is believed, everybody's
a follower. In the church where the gospel
is proclaimed, where grace reigns, everybody's Indian. There's only
one chief. Right? Everybody's an Indian. There's only one chief—Christ. Christ. My boy. Christ says, Peace I
leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not
as a world giver, and I'm going to find it out there. In me you
might have peace. In the world you shall have a
tribulation. Be of good cheer. I've overcome
the world. Abide in me. He says, Abide in me. There in
John 15. Read that for yourself. Go home
and read that tonight. in the morning. And all those
that John 13 through 16, 17, 18, 19. It was just so wonderful. But those
chapters there in 13 through 16, where he's talking to his
disciples, nobody else but his disciples. And John 15, he says,
abide in me. Except you abide in me, You cast
forth his branches and fit for the burning. Abide in me. Who
is he? He's the... The church is his
body. Abide in me. Peace. You have peace. Abide in Christ. Abide where he is. Abide with
the people where he is. Or you'll have trouble. In a
world you'll have trouble. Seek peace. Ensue it. Ensue it. be ye followers. Christ said,
Have peace among yourselves, and the God of peace shall be
with you. All right, stand with me, and
I'll dismiss it. Our Heavenly Father, we thank
you for the glad tidings of great joy, the gospel of peace. Christ,
the sacrifice that obtained peace with God
for us. Thank you, Lord, for sending
Christ, for making him an offering for sin, making him your whipping post for us. Thank you, Lord, for chastising
Christ in our stead. Thank you. Thank you for the
gospel. And thank you for A revelation
of who you are. Your peace. Give it unto us,
Lord. Give it. Give it. We need it daily. Hourly. Give this peace unto us. Peace
of mind. Peace of heart. Peace by believing
that thou art God. You do all things. You work all
things for our good. Give us that peace. Give us that
peace. Speak peace to us. Threefold
peace as you did your disciples. Peace be unto you. Speak peace.
as only you can, and give us, Lord, peace among ourselves. Let me be a peacemaker. Let everyone
here say the same thing. Oh, let us sow peace amongst
ourselves. Hold this church up by this same
gospel. Bring us back together this Lord's
Day for your glory and honor, for our good. Amen. you