How to Have Peace in Your Life
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TITLE: How to Have Peace in Your Life
SUBJECT: Christian Living
PROPOSITION: The Christian can truly have personal peace in his life by following some practical instructions from scripture.
OBJECTIVE: Each hearer should know how to have personal peace in his life.
AIM: I want to bring scripture to bear on some practical ways to have personal peace.
INTRODUCTION:
1. Read: Philippians 4:6-7
2. About the Text:
1) Scripture teaches that we can have peace in our lives.
2) How do we do this?
3) In this text, Paul highlights the role of prayer.
4) There are other practical thoughts about peace in the Bible as well.
5) Let’s look at a few of them.
3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.
DISCUSSION: In order to have personal peace in our lives we must . . .
I. Obey the Law
1. Maybe this seems obvious, but breaking the law places us under a lot of stress.
2. Romans 13:3 – “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.”
3. 1 Peter 2:13-15 – “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake…. that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.”
II. Desire Peace with Others
1. When we relish conflict with other people, we generate a lot of stress.
2. 1 Peter 3:11 – “…Let him seek peace and pursue it.”
3. Romans 12:18 – “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”
III. Take Care of Your Business as Quickly as You Can
1. A lot of stress builds up from leaving things undone that need to be done.
2. Romans 12:11 – Don’t be “…lagging in diligence, [but] fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”
3. 1 Thessalonians 4:11 – “ that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.”
IV. Reject Contemporary Philosophies
1. Modern man is filled with stress because of his many false philosophies.
1) The philosophy of wealth.
2) The philosophy of success.
3) The philosophy of power.
4) The philosophy of personal identity.
2. Colossians 2:8 – “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”
V. Trust in the Life Christ Offers
1. We create a tremendous amount of stress by trusting self instead of Christ.
1) We get caught up in immorality.
2) We get caught up in worry.
3) We get caught up in trying to make ourselves happy.
2. We must surrender to Christ!
3. Galatians 2:20
4. Matthew 6:33
VI. Give Things to God in Prayer
1. We stress ourselves when we think we can control everything in our lives.
2. God can handle everything about my life.
1) I must recognize the limitations of my control.
2) God has no such limitations.
3. Philippians 4:6-7
VII. Get Involved in Other People’s Lives
1. We stress ourselves by staying in our own heads and not getting out among others.
2. Loving your neighbor (Matthew 22:39) means getting involved in their life!
3. Galatians 5:13 – “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
CONCLUSION:
1. Here are seven things to do to have a peace filled life.
1) Obey the Law
2) Desire Peace with Others
3) Take Care of Your Business
4) Reject Contemporary Philosophy
5) Trust in the Life Christ Offers
6) Give Things to God in Prayer
7) Get Involved in Other People’s Lives
2. Invitation