Turn with me to Philippians chapter four. Philippians chapter four. Look at verse seven, Philippians four. in the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Peace. Peace. I've heard this word a lot in the last week or so. Peace. And we're warned We're warned in the word of God about those who cry peace where there is no peace. A warning concerning false preachers. We're told to beware of false prophets. Wolves in sheep's clothing. A lot of things about them look like sheep. But underneath all that, they're wolves. In Jeremiah 23, we read, woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pastor, saith the Lord. Therefore, thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people, you scattered my flock and you've driven them away. You've not visited them. I'll visit upon you the evil of your doing, saith the Lord. False prophets, those who desire the praise of men rather than the praise of God, men that have departed from the word. Every now and then I'll scan through radio channels while I'm driving and sometimes you just can't help yourself and you'll land upon someone claiming to preach. They belong to some church or some religious organization and somehow these men can go for an hour, and maybe mention one passage of Scripture, just in passing, maybe enough just to give them a title, and then they'll tell some funny stories or what their thoughts are on that particular passage of Scripture. And so often they speak of peace, but they speak of it in places where it is not found. Peace in good health. I enjoy good health as much as anyone, but that's not a guarantee of peace. Peace in wealth. Peace in works. Peace in a decision. They speak peace where there is no peace. No true peace. And at the end of the day, they're just the words of men. You know, I'm not aware of any scripture that promises that the Lord will bless the words of a man. But I do know this. He's promised to bless his word. He said this, he said, so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it will accomplish that which I please. It'll prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it. His word, his holy word. Word, the word of truth, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of our Lord. In this book, we read of the sure mercies of David. A promise to God's people. And he said, these things that are contained there, they're sent forth into this world. Think about that. Man just blabs and blabs and blabs. We do, don't we? But God's Word goes forth in the power of His Spirit, and it's going to accomplish the purpose whereunto He sent it. He's going to accomplish the salvation of every one of His sheep. Not one. Think about that. Not one shall be lost. Isn't that encouraging? Doesn't that give you hope? He's not going to miss one. I tell you, that sounds like peace to me. Peace with God, peace with the Lord Jesus Christ, a peace that passeth We can't even get our heads wrapped around it. It's a peace that passeth all understanding. I pray he'd be pleased to speak peace to our hearts as we've gathered here this evening. You know at our Lord's birth, think about this, we read that suddenly there appeared an angel with a multitude of hosts. praising God, saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, peace and goodwill toward men. Over in Romans 10, 15, it says, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings Good things. In John 14, 27, our Lord said this. He said, peace, I leave with you. He was going to heaven to be with his Father. And that's what he spoke. He said, peace, I leave with you. He said, my peace, I give. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Oh, remove my troubles. Remove my fears. You know, the peace of this world, at best, it's external. It's an external thing. And it's a temporary thing. How often have we seen two countries or two nations at war with each other, and they put together some kind of document that we're going to have peace? And it lasts for a little while, right? It's not eternal, though. It's temporary. Temporary. But listen. The peace of Christ, the peace of God, it's internal, it's a work in the heart, and it's eternal. It never ends. Eternal peace. It's based on the sure and certain promises of His Word. It's based on the merit of His blood. A peace that will sustain and strengthen his people in every trial. He tells his disciples, he says, don't be troubled. Don't be troubled because physically I'm leaving you. Don't be afraid of the dangers you face. For in the midst of trial and trouble, you're going to have my presence. You're going to have my peace. Isn't that the truth? He said, I'll never. Now, there's times we think he's departed from us, don't we? But he said, I'll never leave nor forsake you. That's God who cannot lie. Our Lord said in John 16, He said, these things have I spoken unto you that in me, in Christ, you might have peace. Well, just a few points here this evening on this word, peace. It's a peace during trouble and trial and tribulations in this world. Listen, we live in a world that hates God, that hates the gospel of His free and sovereign grace. Paul told Timothy, he said, yea, and all that will live godly in Christ are going to suffer persecution. But consider this truth. The Lord Jesus Christ has conquered Satan. The Lord Jesus Christ has conquered this world. His victory is our victory. It's His people's victory. And with that, we have no reason. We have no reason to fear men, or fear this world or the evil of this world. Scripture says, thanks be unto God, which always. Think about that. It doesn't say sometimes. It doesn't say occasionally. It doesn't say when you're doing your best. What's it say? Thanks be unto God, which always. causes us to triumph in Christ, in Him. Second, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. It's all of Him. In Christ we have peace of conscience, we have peace of heart. Knowing this, our sins are forgiven. They've been put away. In Romans 5.1, we read, therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The believer is justified and righteous in the sight of Almighty God. Justified before God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Why do I forget that? Why can't I lay hold of that and keep that? Lord, grant me faith to believe Him as He's revealed in Scripture. Therefore being justified, we have peace with God. It's all in Christ. We're righteous in Christ. Our sins are forgiven in Christ. We're holy, think about that, holy and unblameable. How could those words ever be said about me? Holy, unblameable. Now listen, that's not the case outside of Christ. Without Him, we're at war with God. And He's at war with us. That's not peace, is it? But in Christ, we're reconciled. We enjoy peace. Isaiah 32, seven. Team says this, the work of righteousness shall be, here's that word again, peace. Peace. Third, it's Christ who is our peace. Look at, turn with me to Ephesians chapter two. Ephesians chapter two. Ephesians 2, look beginning with verse 13. But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off. Now. In Christ Jesus. What does it mean? What does it mean to be in Christ Jesus? Well, we're chosen in Christ. We're redeemed in Christ. We're called to faith in Christ. We're believers in Christ. Who? Who are those people? What did he say there? We who sometimes we're far off. We're far off from His law. We're far off from His land, we're far off from His people, far off from Him, but we're made, made. We're made one with God through the blood of His Son, through the blood of Christ. We're sons of God, having boldness to enter in into the holies. How? by the blood of Christ. We're made nigh by the blood of Christ. Read on there, huh? For he is our peace. He's the author of peace. He's the giver of peace. who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of the commandments contained in ordinance, to making himself of twain one new man, so making peace, that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, and he came And what did he do? He preached peace. He preached peace to you which were afar off and to them that were nigh, for through him we both have access by one spirit unto the Father. He made peace. And listen, neither the law nor justice can stand in the way of a believing sinner that approaches Him through His Son, through the Lord Jesus Christ. We approach God through Christ, who is our peace. Fourth, Scripture says He speaks peace. Back in, I won't have you turn there, but Mark 8 verse 39. Let me just read this to you. It says, he arose, think about his power, he arose and he rebuked the wind and he said unto the sea, peace, peace be still. Hey listen, his disciples, they were a mess. They said, Lord, carest thou not that we perish? Perish the thought. The Lord spake to the wind and to the sea, and He said, Peace, be still. He spoke peace. And what happened? What happened when He spoke peace? Scripture says this, the wind ceased, And there was a great, great calm. David wrote this. He said, I'll hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace unto his people, to his saints, and let them not turn again to folly. Only he. Only he can speak peace. Only he can speak peace to the troubled heart. The voice of man, the voice of man is feeble at best. But God's voice, he speaks, he speaks in power. And it's done. It's done. And when we hear Him, when we truly hear Him, our distress is, it's ended. Even if it's just for a little while. He will speak peace to His people and to His saints. He's not gonna speak peace to the wicked. He's not going to speak peace where there is no peace. But He speaks peace to His people by His providence, by His Word, by His Spirit. He will speak peace to His people. His Word. It's called the gospel of peace. And his message, that message that his messengers speak, what do they speak? They preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. Fifth, he made peace. How did he make peace? He made peace by the blood of his cross. Turn to Colossians chapter 1. Colossians 1, look at verse 20. And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven, he alone, Christ, He made peace. He made it through the blood of His cross. That's how He made peace for us with God, through the blood of His cross, through His suffering, through His death. He says, by Him, I say. No confusion there, is there? By Him, by Christ, to reconcile. And listen, that word reconcile, it means to make friends. It means to bring enemies together. It means to put away the enmity, that which separated us. The Lord Jesus Christ put it away by the blood of His cross. He made peace. He reconciled all things to Himself. by Christ. A false gospel says he made peace by your church membership. That's not the case. Brother Henry said this once. He said, joining the church doesn't make you a Christian any more than having a piano in your house make you a musician. We got a piano in our living room. I promise you, I'm not a musician. Having your name on the church directory, that, listen, that's not going to give you peace with God. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Where is it found? Only one person, only in the Lord Jesus Christ. We're justified, we're accounted righteous before God by faith in the Lord Jesus. Again, looking to Him, believing Him as He is revealed in God's Word. Therefore, being justified, we have peace with God in Christ. Now listen, this should speak peace to us. In Christ, we're righteous. In Christ, Our sins are forgiven. We're holy. We're unblameable. We're unreprovable in his sight. Again, outside of Christ, we're at war with God. And he, and he with us. He that, listen, he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. And he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." Oh, but in Christ, we're reconciled. We have peace. Sixth, this peace, it's eternal. eternal peace. Turn to Psalm 37. Psalm 37. Look beginning with verse 35. Psalm 37 Verse 35, David writes, he said, I've seen the wicked in great power, spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away. And lo, he was not. Yea, I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect man. Behold the upright, for the end of that man. Peace. Peace. We used to have, years ago, we had a big sycamore tree out behind our house. Huge. Shaded the whole backyard. Little ice storm came through. And that tree had seen many, many storms. But this particular storm, little ice storm came through. And we woke up the next morning and it was, laying on the ground. You know what now? It's gone. There's absolutely no evidence of it. It's gone. And here in Psalm 37, we read, the wicked on this earth. There are times where they appear to have great power and flaunt it. Like the greatness of that tree. But in a little while, it's gone. It's gone. No remembrance of it. But the believer, his end, what is it? Eternal peace. Spurgeon wrote this, he said, the man of peace has an end of peace. And peace without end comes in the end to the man of God. His way, at times, is rough and troubling, difficult. But that way, it leads home. With believers, it may rain in the morning, Thunder at midday, pouring torrents in the afternoon, but it's going to clear up before the sun goes down. War may last until our last hour, but we'll hear the last of it. Eternal peace. Last. It's a peace that passeth all understanding. We began the service, the message, reading Philippians 4 verse 7. This world, it speaks of a peace, again, where there is no peace, a temporary peace at best. But the word of God declares peace. Peace which is made with God by the obedience, the sacrifice, the intercession of our Lord. Peace of heart, peace of mind, peace of conscience. That comes with a correct view of who He is, of what He did, of why He did it, of where He is now. The believer in this world has passed from death to life. Our sins, forgiven, put away. We're the sons of God. And listen, the peace of God rules in the heart of the believer. And we've been, listen, we've been taught, we've been taught these things, haven't we? And we know, we know a few of these things. but it's still a peace that just completely passes all understanding. The peace of God, which he in his mercy and grace has given us, given his people in Christ. Oh, he'd give us faith to believe. Listen, to rest in his promise. Let me read this to you from John. 14.7, just let me read it one more time. Our Lord said these words. He said, peace, I leave you. My peace, I give unto you. Not as the world gives. We know how this world gives. It gives and it takes away, right? Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it Let it be afraid. Peace. Peace in trial and tribulation. Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ who is our peace. He speaks peace. He makes peace. And it's a peace that passeth all understanding. And listen, it's an eternal in eternal peace. I hate being given something that can just be taken back. Not so. Not so with his mercy. Not so with his grace. Not so with his peace. It's eternal. It's eternal. I pray he'd speak through his word. Speak peace to our hearts. All right. Isaac, come lead us in a closing.