My Peace I Give Unto You
The secret to abiding peace is to give yourself to God, allow the Holy Spirit to possess your heart, and be habitually occupied with Jesus.
In this sermon, the preacher delves into the concept of fiery ordeal as depicted in the Bible, particularly focusing on the refining process likened to a smelting furnace where impurities are removed. The fiery trials symbolize the challenges and sufferings believers face, aiming to purify their character to be more Christ-like. The preacher emphasizes the importance of enduring these trials with faith and trust in God's refining work, drawing parallels to the meticulous process of refining silver and gold. Through various biblical examples and insights, the sermon highlights the purpose of afflictions as tests that ultimately lead to spiritual growth and the manifestation of God's image in believers.
Text
Here lies the secret of abiding peace-God's peace. We give ourselves to God and the Holy Spirit takes possession of our hearts. It is indeed "Peace, peace." But it is at this precise point that the devil begins to interfere, and he does it through our thoughts, diverting or distracting them as the occasion requires. This is the time to prove the sincerity of our consecration and the singleness of our hearts. If we truly desire His presence more than anything, we will turn away from every conflicting thought and look steadily up to Jesus. But if we desire the gratification of our impulses more than His presence, we will yield to the passionate word, or the frivolous thought, or the sinful diversion.
Then when we come back, our Shepherd has gone, and we wonder why our peace has departed.
Failure occurs often in some insignificant thing-usually a thought or word. The soul that would not fear to climb a mountain may actually stumble over a straw. The real secret of perfect rest is to be jealously, habitually occupied with Jesus.
Sermon Outline
- The Secret of Abiding Peace
- The Devil's Interference
- Proving Sincerity and Singleness
- The Real Secret of Perfect Rest
- Being Occupied with Jesus
- Turning Away from Conflicting Thoughts
Key Quotes
“The real secret of perfect rest is to be jealously, habitually occupied with Jesus.” — A.B. Simpson
“The soul that would not fear to climb a mountain may actually stumble over a straw.” — A.B. Simpson
“This is the time to prove the sincerity of our consecration and the singleness of our hearts.” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- To maintain God's peace, you must give yourself to God and allow the Holy Spirit to take possession of your heart.
- You must be willing to turn away from every conflicting thought and look steadily up to Jesus to prove the sincerity of your consecration.
- Being habitually occupied with Jesus is the key to perfect rest.