West Park Baptist Church

Loving God, Loving People, Impacting the World

Peace

Advent 2020 – Luke 2:8-20 (Dec. 23)

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“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14, ESV)

The night sky must have exploded with light as countless angels sang that song. It’s a chorus that has sounded down through the millennia, and no doubt you have read it, heard it or even seen it on a few Christmas cards many times already this season. 

But do we truly take the time to take in the actual words the angels sang? It’s worth doing that phrase by phrase. 

“Glory to God in the highest” – The angels worship God through their song, addressing Him first in His dwelling place, the “highest.” Where is this place? It’s not on any maps. It’s not on any star charts. This is the realm of God’s dwelling, where everything is perfect and glory (the majesty and weightiness of God) fills every place and everything. Yet on this night of the Savior’s birth, more glory goes to God in the realm from which His Son has come. 

“And on earth peace” – We measure peace mostly by the absence of any conflict. No wars or fighting. Yet the biblical word includes so much more: Wholeness, complete harmony in your life, and even prosperity. It’s life working as it should with nothing out of joint. When the angels declare peace on earth, they mean on one hand that the war is over between God and humans. God made the way for rebel humans to be made right again with Him through the Son that He gave. And the angels mean that peace is now delivered to man with man and woman with man. The conflicts that divide us no longer need divide us because God’s Son has arrived, declaring peace with us. 

“Among those with whom he is pleased” – There is one qualification, for peace does not happen to you just because you live on this earth. God is pleased by faith, and as Hebrews reminds us, 

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6, ESV)

God receives glory when we believe His word and receive His Son as our only Savior and Lord. You don’t have to accomplish great things to earn your peace. You don’t have to be rich, smart or popular. But you must exercise faith in God and in His Son. These are God’s terms of peace. Believe on His Son and you will be saved! 

Glory, peace and the pleasure of God. These are the theme of the angels’ song. Don’t rush over those words but pause to worship and talk to God today, thanking Him for those terms of peace, and giving glory to him by faith. 

Advent 2020 – Isaiah 7:10-14 (Dec. 22)

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[10] Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: [11] “Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” [12] But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” [13] And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? [14] Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:10–14, ESV).

Recently my son showed me the book on the 9/11 tragedy that he borrowed from the library. That watershed day stands out in vivid detail in my memory, but he wasn’t alive then, and the culture after that day in America is all he’s known. We talked about surprise attacks from enemies; why people planned to cause so many deaths, and whether that could happen again. It was a day of great fear, and it still tempts us to fear.

Has anything caused you fear this year? Fear is a crucial tool God uses to reveal in us where we place our confidence: in God or in our own resources.

King Ahaz faced the threat of two kingdoms uniting against Judah and camping outside the city of Jerusalem waiting to attack. Ahaz’s solution was to send a bunch of gold to the king of Assyria in a cry for help. Ahaz trusted in his own resources during a time of great fear. 

God’s mercy is so vast. Even after Ahaz had betrayed the Lord that way, God still gave him a chance to repent and believe! That’s why God offered Ahaz a sign. But, since Ahaz had already declared his god to be gold, he refused to ask God for a sign. That’s when God introduced the biggest sign of all: Immanuel. 

It’s a name, and it means “God with us.” But it’s so much more than a name: it’s a Person. Specifically it’s a prophecy that was ultimately and fully accomplished in and by Jesus Christ. The foundation of our hope is the God Man Jesus Christ. Our hope is not that something bad won’t happen. It’s not that something good will come. Our hope is God with us, Jesus Christ. 

My son spoke such an encouraging truth about 9/11 and the threat of war. After we talked he concluded with this: “Buildings will fall down, but heaven is forever.” Amen. That’s true. Fear reveals where we place our confidence. It can’t be in things of this world, but in the One who entered this world.

The Lord gave Immanuel, God with us, as the sure and final word of promise. Lean into Jesus, fully trusting Him to keep you through whatever comes. As the prophet Isaiah said about the Lord, 

[3] You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3, ESV)

Advent 2020 – Psalm 24:1-10 (Dec. 21)

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Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? 

Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. (Psalm 24:3, 7, ESV)

When you read the Psalm for today, it’s helpful to picture King David leading the Ark of God back into Jerusalem and into the Temple. The streets are full of people following David, worshipping the Lord who created and owns all the world yet wills to dwell among His chosen people.

 Yet, David muses, who can enter the Lord’s most holy place? It can’t be just anyone casually trying to get close to God. Only those with pure hearts and hands can enter God’s presence. In other words, such a person not only has to get the actions of worship right but the motives and heart to do them for the right reasons. 

I talked about this passage with my wife, for I didn’t know just how to think of this passage in relation to Advent. I don’t want to write anything contrived, but then she mentioned a great illustration. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, had a unique opportunity to enter the holy place of God, and his heart was judged as impure. When the angel Gabriel told him that he and his wife Elizabeth would bear a son in their old age, Zechariah scoffed and doubted. God shut Zechariah’s mouth to discipline him for his unbelief. Deceit and impure obedience won’t be tolerated. 

Wow! So, what can any of us do? If Zechariah, who was called blameless before the Lord, could be struck mute for his unbelief, what can we expect when we ourselves go before the Lord? 

After Zechariah’s son John was born, he worshipped God for fulfilling His word. Zechariah had gone through his time of discipline and responded with humility toward the Lord. He prophesied in Luke 1, speaking to his son:

[76] And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
[77] to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
[78] because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
[79] to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:76–79, ESV)

Zechariah learned by experience that God is faithful to the covenant promises He makes. God sent the Lord of glory (Psalm 24:7) into the world, His own Son, to open the way to God. As Zechariah prophesied, the Lord Jesus entered the world like a sunrise on people trapped in darkness. He brought salvation, light, and even peace. 

The greatest of all blessings is having God in your life, present with you, to guide you, save you and give you peace. David recognized this as he sang Psalm 24. Do you recognize this? Jesus came to bring you back to God. Like those outside the gates cried out, I’ll echo in close today, “Let the King of Glory in!”

Advent 2020 – John 3:16-19 (Dec. 20)

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We have now reached week 4 of Advent. It’s Sunday today, the Lord’s day. Another day to worship the Lord, an opportunity to head to church, and another week to light an Advent candle. This week we will focus on how the Lord Jesus gives us peace.

John 3:16 is likely the most famous Bible verse of all time. It’s definitely the most familiar and clear summary of the good news. 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV)

Advent declares the message of the Loving and Giving God. When we were at war with God, heading to eternal punishment, God loved us and gave His Son for us. Loving us so much, God did not want us to perish in our sins, separated from Him for all eternity. Giving us His Son, God came near us, declaring that He would take the penalty for our sin, declaring His way to make peace with us. 

Have you bought all the Christmas gifts that you planned to get? If not, you still have a few days. But when you give those gifts to others this week, make it a time of celebration and joy. Remember the Giver, God Himself, who gave us His Son. You can never out-give the Giver!

Abide: Peace

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But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James 3:17–18, ESV

Imagine a world where there’s total peace. What might it look like?

No war. Nature tamed. People generous and caring. Families united. Enemies reconciled. No viruses. Nothing to cause anxieties and fears.

What more could you add to that list?

The Apostle James presents a view of peace that begins with “wisdom from above” (3:17), and he rightly positions God as the Giver of peace. My list above describing a world at peace takes into account what we often want: an easier life here. If we read the earlier verses of James 3 we would see the true picture of the world and why we don’t have peace. Often we are guilty of or are victims of (according to James 3:16):

  • Jealousy
  • Selfish ambition
  • Disorder
  • Every vile practice

That’s the description of the world we live in and populate. It describes much of our current scene regarding the coronavirus. There’s a disorienting “disorder” right now that stems from people admittedly fed-up with opinions and now wanting clarity from the dizzying and daily changing directions we seem to be hearing. It’s frustrating, I know. But our goal should not be to cut through the haze of opinions in order to be safe, to be right or even to be heard. The path God puts before us is to submit to Him again today, remembering what He has done to provide peace in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.

Peace is the settled reality that we are no longer at war with God, and peace is further the message that we now have the opportunity to spread to others. God Himself has established the terms of peace: human sins are forgiven through the blood of Jesus alone (Col. 1:20). Peace is objective, meaning it is a settled reality based on God’s certain declaration that Christ’s sacrifice was enough to cover our rebellion and sin.

The Holy Spirit applies peace in our hearts as we submit to God and embrace His settled reality, and He sets us back on our mission to spread that peace to others.

Things to think about today:

  • Am I motivated more by jealousy or selfish ambition, wanting to be heard, loved or even protected right now? If so, return to the Lord, confess that as sin, but remember that your position as a Christian is the settled reality of God’s peace. No present sin in your life can reverse the sovereign declaration of peace that God has made between Himself and His people.
  • When do I feel most at peace? There’s no doubt that hikes in nature, working in a garden, rowing a kayak on a lake, or reading by a fireplace in a comfy chair are all times when you may experience a measure of peace. But remember, peace is not primarily a feeling or lack of trouble. It is the settled reality that we are not at war any longer with God. Meditate on what Jesus has done for you to give you peace. Think about how He demonstrated all His earthly life the wisdom that is “pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17).  Abide in the Christ who is all those things to you.
  • Where do I have opportunity to spread peace? Is there anyone you consciously avoid, particularly in the church? That may indicate a place to start. Ask God to give you wisdom to speak to people you need to approach. Remember that Jesus has already provided peace between you and God, and He will help you to spread that reality of peace to others.
  • What if I can’t seem to help others reach a peaceful solution to problems? It’s a sad but true situation that some people will remain in their jealousy or selfish ambition. We can’t help everyone. But that’s why I’m grateful for Paul’s command in Romans 12:18, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” Sometimes others won’t make it possible for peace. But you can go as far as you can, ready to forgive others, ready to receive them, willing to sacrifice much for them to repent and be right with God and you. But you are not a failure if you can’t convince someone else to live at peace with you or others. Just remember that God is the One who continues to work in all His people by His Spirit to spread the reality of His peace.

Listen to May the Peace of God to meditate more on the settled terms of the believer’s peace.

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control

Counsel for the Heart: Bearing Spiritual Fruit (Gal. 5:22-23)

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Would you like to know a guaranteed way to glorify God?

The Lord told us in John 15:8 –

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

We glorify God by bearing much fruit. Today we go back into Galatians 5:22-23 to examine more closely the fruit of the Spirit. By knowing what type of fruit the Holy Spirit produces we will grow in opportunities to glorify our Father. This is also our memory passage, so remember to meditate and memorize as you read today.

Galatians 5:22–23

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (ESV)

Getting to the Heart:

One of the most helpful things we can do with this list of spiritual fruit is to understand what each part of the fruit means, what it replaces, and even what tends to be a counterfeit version of each part. I’ve been helped so much by the Bible study resource Galatians for You by Tim Keller1, and I’ve created a chart below based on his helpful explanation of the fruit of the Spirit.

Fruit  Definition Opposite Counterfeit
Love Love and care for a person based on their good, not on what they bring to you Self-protection; self-promotion Attraction for someone based on what they add to you or how they make you feel
Joy Happiness and delight in God for Who He is and what He does in the world Hopelessness; depression Happiness based on changing circumstances
Peace Confidence and rest in the sovereign wisdom and control of God Anxiety and fear Not caring about something; feeling indifferent
Patience The ability to stand up under the pressures of life without lashing out in anger toward God and others Resentment toward God and others Cynical lack of care
Kindness Motivation that serves others for their good in a practical way, out of a sense of complete inner security in Christ Envy; refusal to rejoice in another’s prosperity Serving others to ultimately manipulate them or prove to God or others our worth.
Goodness Also means integrity; being one person or the same person wherever you are Hypocrisy Speaking your mind and not holding back truth to make yourself feel better or look good
Faithfulness To be absolutely trustworthy and always true to your word Being a friend only in good times Being loving but never willing to confront when needed
Gentleness Humility, specifically self-forgetfulness, prioritizing others and responding calmly even when they are aggressive Attitude of superiority or self-absorption Spirit of inferiority, speaking ill about yourself
Self-control Ability to endure in hard times by focusing on the important not the urgent Impulsiveness or recklessness Willpower to endure difficulties to prove your worth or strength

Sometimes it’s necessary to slow down in our Bible reading and really dig in to specific words to better know the Lord’s message. This passage with this list is a case in point: we need to really understand these aspects of the Spirit’s fruit. It’s all so we can bear the fruit that brings joy and glory to our Father.

Today a group of men came to our home to cut down some trees that we had let grow over the years but that had become a nuisance. It is amazing how much more light, area to grow other things and even just to play in that the removal of those trees provided.

Walking in the Spirit is like that, I think. All of us have some motivating attitudes that are contrary to the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus came to deliver us from that ruling flesh that loves to assert self and sow destructive works. The Holy Spirit is the power to come in and chop those works down at their root level and open up your life to the light and freedom of God (Gal. 5:1).

Let’s talk it over:

  • Where are you seeing growth this week in the Spirit?
  • Do you see any opposites in your attitudes and actions?
  • Do you spot any counterfeits to the Spirit’s fruit?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we believe that it is for freedom that You came to set us free. That freedom is the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that the Spirit produces. This is the fruit we see in You, Lord. We love You because of who You are and how You shared that fruit with people all the time. There was never a time when You were not bearing fruit, and You are worthy of the greatest freedom and joy. Yet You took on our record of fleshly works and received the punishment for reckless, self-absorbed living that defied God and defiled our fellow man. Oh, we love and thank You for paying for those many many sins. But we love and thank You all the more that now You share Your Spirit with us so that we might walk with You and experience what You alone deserve. Help us to glorify our Father by bearing much fruit today. Amen.

Worship in Song:

His Mercy is More

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  1. Galatians for You resource by Tim Keller. Pages 141-142 used for the chart above.

The True Paradigm of Perfect Peace

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Louis Armstrong sings a popular secular holiday song with a peaceful soothing melody and the words “And I say to myself, it’s a wonderful world.” Yet the majority of people on any given day would probably not agree with that wonderful world sentiment. With the current health crisis, political divisiveness, economic unrest and acts of terror nationally and globally, many would say the peaceful world implied in this song is a pipe dream. Yet counselees often come for counseling hoping that someone can help them make this peace filled pipe dream a reality.

When a person comes to me with a desire for peace in life, together, we first have to uncover their peace paradigm. How do they define peace? Unbelievers and believers alike often think of peace as the absence of war. No trouble or conflict. Everybody loves Raymond, right? It’s a peace paradigm based on circumstances, experiences and situations. Yet, if we look at Jesus’ life, the circumstances, experiences and situations that the Prince of Peace found Himself in do not fit the false peace paradigm that is promoted by many today.

Jesus himself said, “Do not think I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father… and a man’s enemies will be members of his household” (Matt 10:34-36). Jesus came to save man from the penalty of sin, not circumstances. The unsaved around us are His enemies and thus ours; even in our own households. Thus, in this world of sin, there will be no lasting earthly peace. He told the disciples before His crucifixion, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Jesus is saying earthly peace with man and the eternal peace of God are two different concepts, and He wants to gift us with the latter. Earthly peace is transient, here today, gone tomorrow. Eternal peace, God’s gift to us, is an everlasting part of our new spiritual DNA.

Jesus’ peace requires a paradigm shift. He did not come to merely alleviate our circumstances resulting from sin, or to end all wars, global or familial; though he can certainly do these things. He came to save our sinful souls. It is in the saving of our souls that we find eternal peace so that our hearts are not troubled or afraid in any earthly environment or predicament because we trust the one who holds our future in His hands. We know that upon salvation we receive the Holy Spirit and peace is an integral part of the fruit of the Spirit. This fruit is within every believer, and matures within each one of us as we are progressively conformed to the image of Christ through consistent prayer, study, and application of God’s Word.

Scripture does tell us in Romans 12:18 we are to live peaceably with all men as much as possible so that we can point them to the source of true peace. So men, if in your quest for peace you bought her that 24 carat round brilliant cut diamond ring, don’t take it back! But the next time you forget a birthday, or your anniversary or the eggs on your quarantine grocery store list…don’t be surprised if you’re back on the couch. Ladies, if he bought that Yamaha motorcycle instead of a family vacation, it is okay; let it goooo♫. He’ll figure it out. Statistics don’t lie. EBAY awaits. And girlfriend, if you are at war with yourself over that triple layer slice of double chocolate cake you just peacefully ate, then, you definitely know how fleeting earthly peace can be.

So are you looking for temporary earthly peace or eternal perfect peace? Will you trust God and ask him to mature eternal peace in your life regardless of your circumstances? The true peace paradigm for believers is not based on feelings; it is based on the presence of the Holy Spirit and His peace. So get busy, and in everything through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving  make this request for peace known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus (from Phil 4:6,7).

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Isa 26:3

Terri Cage (4.27.20)