How to Have Peace with God (With Greg Laurie)

let's turn again to Romans five the title of my message is how to have peace with God well all around us are the reminders that Christmas is here but frankly I think I saw my first Christmas decorations for sale maybe and was at August this year I don't know seems to get earlier every year but I have to say I love to hear those great Christian Christmas songs being played wherever you go and all of a sudden you're just hearing the name of Jesus and there's something very special about that so we'll be thinking a lot this month about where Jesus came to we'll be talking about what Jesus came to do but I want to talk about for just a couple of moments really why did he come why did Jesus come to this earth if you're taking notes here's point number one Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem to save us from our sin he came from heaven to save us from our sin the Bible tells us a story about a guy named Zacchaeus he was a little dude he couldn't see above the crowd he also was a lonely little guy no one wanted anything to do with them because you see Zacchaeus was a tax collector which means he took advantage of people he effectively ripped people off he didn't have a friend in the town of Jericho but when Jesus showed up it was a big deal and everybody wanted to get a shot of Jesus can you imagine it were happening today everybody would be saying Jesus can I get a selfie with you right and so here comes Christ walking down this street people are grabbing him pushing him pulling on him and say kiyose climbs up a tree so I could get a view of Jesus you know you see a lot when you're up high you see more when you're in a tree I don't know when this started but all of my grandkids now love to climb the tree in front of our house they'll just sit up there forever they have a little basket they created a pulley system and they lower it down and and one day there grunts and Christopher age five was upset about something and he ran out the front door he climbed up a tree in the sister alley chased after him and said Christopher Christopher don't become a tree boy come back down I don't even know what a tree boy is but she was concerned well Zacchaeus was a tree boy he's up there watching and can you imagine his shock when hears this crowd all around Jesus and Jesus is moving along and these stops looks up makes eye contact was that Kia's and calls him out by name Zacchaeus come down immediately I'm gonna give you a whoopin no that's not what he said that's what he deserved he says that kids come down from that tree I'm coming to your house today well I'll talk about him finding yourself over for lunch that's exactly what Jesus did but Zacchaeus was overjoyed and welcomed Jesus into his house and the people of the city were a critical saying Jesus has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner exactly after all how can you reach a sinner if you don't spend some time with them Zacchaeus walked into his home a sinner and he came out a saint that's what spending time with Jesus will do and then Jesus revealed the reason he came he said salvation has come to this house for the son of man has come to seek and save the Lost that's why he came to seek and save lost people number 2 Jesus was born in Bethlehem to bring life and all of its fullness Jesus was born in Bethlehem to bring life and all of its fullness Jesus said in John 10:10 I have come that you might have life and that more abundantly you know as a season descends we'll see countless commercials on things we must buy the promise is if you give this or if you receive this you will be happy right and there is a rush of excitement and receiving a very special gift but I bet you can't even receive what you got last or can't remember what you got for Christmas last year it's faded oh but it was so important then but now it's like right and I think Christmas commercially at least cannot live up to the promise it can't live up to the standards we have set in our minds because Christmas is at best a promise of greater things to come it's not Christmas it's Christ who will give you life and that more abundantly I've found the greatest moments of Christmas are not the ones we get all psyched about but the in-between moments you know the moments were not when you give the gift but sometimes when you're wrapping the gift the moments when you're having the meal together you're with family and not just your actual flesh-and-blood family but when you're with a family of God those moments of worship so just slow down chill a little bit enjoy it and take it in Jesus came to bring us life and all of its fullness and number three Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem so we could become friends of God and find peace he was born in that manger in Bethlehem so we could become friends of God and find peace let's read about it now Romans 5 I'm gonna read verses 1 to 11 and by the way I'm reading from the New Living Translation therefore rights fall since we have been justified that's the King James translation here in the New Living that says we've been made right with God by faith we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us because of our faith Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory we can rejoice too when we run into problems and trials for we know they help us develop endurance and endurance develop strength of character and character strengthens our confident open salvation and this hope will not lead to disappointment for we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with love when we were utterly helpless Christ came at just the right time and died for his sinners now most people would not be willing to die for an upright person though some might be willing to die for a person who's especially good but God showed his great love for us by sending Christ who died for us while we were still sinners and since we've been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ he will certainly save us from God's condemnation for since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his son while we were still his enemies we will certainly be saved through the life of his son so now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends with God wow look at all that God has done for you look at all that God has done for me he's made us his friends it's a hard thing to wrap our minds around the idea of being a friend of God but jesus said from this point on I no longer call you servants I call you friends you know God is a true friend who will be there when you need him he will keep your confidence and he is always in your corner and know this about God he will always tell you the truth we all need some friends who will tell us the truth don't we because there are those people that will not tell us the truth but it's instead a true friend stabs you in the front not in the back so if you're wearing something you know but you don't know if it's the right thing to wear and you ask a bunch of people is this a good to go you look awesome let's go cuz you're late right and then you can turn to your friend you say what do you think and they say it sucks change it right that's a friend those other people don't care about you in fact they'd be happy if you look bad right but a friend will tell you the truth and God will always tell you the truth because he actually loves you and two friends have communication you know when you're a friend with someone you're constantly talking to them maybe on the phone maybe a person maybe through text I read recently that many young people today would other texts then speak to people face-to-face so maybe you're constantly texting or communicating with your friend it's an ongoing conversation that ghosts of the day picks up the next day that's what friendship is and I think sometimes we overly formalize our friendship with God now I'll be honest with you my best friend is my wife she's also my prettiest friend and you know I don't get up in the morning and say to her most awesome honey please make me a blessed breakfast today she's like what's what's wrong with you why are you talking to me that way because maybe it's late I might say Kathy I'm late I gotta go can you make me something to eat okay she understands that she's my friend she's my wife she'll do that for me sometimes they have lots I might need coffee now friends you know but friends just communicate and God wants you to communicate with him he's always there ready to listen always there ready to speak to you because friends like to spend time with each other how did this amazing friendship with God come about point number one we have friendship with God because Jesus made it possible there's nothing I did to merit it but we have this friendship with God because Jesus made it possible look at verse five we've been made right in God's sight by faith and we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us now you'll notice that Romans five first one begins to the word therefore and as I often tell you whenever you read the word therefore find out what it's there for it's always drawing upon what has previously been said so Paul's drawing on what he just said in Romans four but really he's drawing on what he has said through it from Romans one to four and what have we learned in chapters 1 to 4 of the book of Romans we've learned that we're all sinners not one of us is right and our own ability before God religious people need God pagan people need God moral people need God nobody can keep the law on their own everyone falls miserably short that's what we learned therefore in light of that God has justified us it's an amazing thing that he has done what are some of the benefits of friendship with God number two this friendship with God brings us personal peace this friendship with God brings us personal peace look at verse five we have peace with God because of what the Lord Jesus has done for us you know much of the promise for the Christian is yet to come we have the hope of heaven one day we have the hope of a new perfect glorified body one day we have the hope of being reunited with loved ones and of gondii heaven before us one day but this peace that God is talking about can be ours right now I distinctly remember the day I accepted Christ into my life I felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders didn't anybody else sense that when you believed in Jesus I've talked to many people who've said that and it's funny I was a seventeen year old kid this was 10 years ago plus a few more but I'm a 17 year old kid and I feel like this burden has been lifted off of me what kind of a burden does a 17 year old kid carry well in my case a pretty big one I guess and it was the weight of my sin it was the weight of my guilt and it was taken off of me and all of a sudden I had a piece in my heart I had never known before the Bible calls it the peace that passes all human understanding and it is not contingent on circumstances it's independent of circumstances in fact sometimes you notice this piece even more in the midst of very difficult circumstances I've visited people in hospital rooms who are receiving treatment for cancer and they'll minister to me more than all minister to them they'll see Greg I just sent such peace of my heart that God's in control and I'm just rejoicing in the Lord and Lord just showed me this first and I'm just standing there like in awe and awe of their faith but even more enough the fact that God gives us what we need when we need it that's the peace he wants to give to you but listen to this you cannot experience the peace of God until you first have peace with God because here's why you need peace with God prior to becoming a Christian you are at war with God now we think of some people they're at war with God very outspoken atheists oh yeah there are at war with God they oppose gundo everybody before they believes is at war with God that's what the Bible teaches in fact right here in Romans chapter 5 when we had over in verse 10 we were the enemies of God before we were reconciled Romans 8:5 Paul says the sinful nature is always hostile to God and never did obey God's laws and it never will that's why those who are under the control of the sinful nature can never please God you might have thought you were neutral about God well I didn't really have an opinion about him one way or the other well you may think that but you were hostile to God you were at war with God but then you met his terms of surrender and you know what his terms of surrender are you give in that's it you just say okay you win yeah I lose you win but ha losing this winning when you lose you win because when you get to the end of yourself you get to the beginning of God remember old Jacob conniving guy dishonest guy always trying to get things in his own ability and he made a mess of his life and one day the Lord came down and engaged him in a wrestling match and he was literally wrestling with God and he fought with all of his might and cannot overcome the Lord and finally he just was worn out and he gave in and then he said all right lord III give in now I'm not gonna let you go until you bless me and the Lord blessed him and changed his name from Jacob to Israel so Jacob went from wrestling to nestling he went from fighting to trusting and that's what we all need to do stop fighting with God stop running from God and then he'll give us the piece that we want that tranquility that comes when your conscience is relieved but you do it God's Way not in your own before you can have this peace you have to stop this war you have with the Lord remember in the first Christmas the angel said glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom God is well pleased now here's the thing God has given you this peace you have it right now toward ears I think sometimes we're praying for something we already had or say no lord I need more love in my life send more love and God has already given you the love that you need because verse 5 says he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with love here's my suggestion to you instead of praying for more love why don't you just start doing more loving things and I think your emotions will catch up let's say some of you are having troubles in your marriage the romance is gone and you're beginning to wonder if this marriage is he was gonna last some of you are even thinking about taking up with somebody else and throwing in the towel in this marriage and and you're saying I just don't feel the love well why don't you just start doing loving things instead of waiting for the feeling of love heard about a woman that wanted to divorce her husband in the worst way so she found the most gnarly lawyer she could who was known for divorce settlements that favored other person that were hired or that he was a hired by and so she went to him and says I want to divorce my husband but not only that I want him to suffer I want him to feel great pain what should I do the attorney said you've come to the right place here's what you do for the next six months I want you to smother your husband with affection I want you to tell him how amazing he is how incredible he is I want you to tell him how much you respect him how good-looking he is I want you to do it for six months and then you'll tell him you're divorcing him he will not know what hit him it's a baby be like being hit with a Mack truck do this it's gonna be great she said okay so for six months she gets up in the morning loves her husband tells him how great he is tells him how handsome he is how much he respects him now six months have finally passed and the attorney calls and says okay let's get these divorce proceedings started she said divorce proceedings we're going in our second honeymoon see she just started doing the right thing instead of waiting for the emotion so God's giving you the love that you need you say well there's a person that's hurt me I can't forgive them I don't feel it who cares if you feel it do it anyway the emotions will catch up and God has given you this peace already it's promised to you right here in Romans chapter 5 thinking about some of the amazing things that God has done number one you have peace with God verse one number two you are free and open access to the presence of God I'll talk about that in a moment verse two thirdly you have the hope of glory verses 2 to 5 and this is all up on the screen if you're taking notes you have the hope of glory number 4 you have God's love toward you verses 5 to 8 number 5 you will not face judgment verses 9 to 10 and number 6 you have joy in the Lord verse 11 why does God do all of this for me because he is my friend but many of us live as though we're spiritually impoverished I read an article in the paper the other day about a couple in Louisiana there were cleaning up their home and they came across an unclaimed lottery ticket worth 1.8 million dollars they had bought it forgotten about it and it and it was still valid and they went down and claimed it and that's like us sometimes you're saying oh I need more love oh I need more faith oh I need more peace gut says I've given it to you already if you just look around you'll find it and that's what happened for them and even more what can happen for us here's another one number three a true friend is always there for you a to friend is always there for you verse 2 we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice and the hope of the glory of God verse 1 says we have peace verse 3 or excuse me verse 2 says we have access so peace with God takes care of my past he no longer holds my sins against me access to God takes care of my present I can come to him anytime and thirdly joyfully looking to the future takes care of my future so God has got you covered past present and future you have an all-access pass into the presence of God you know when you go and visit the White House you have to go through a lot of checks first of all you have to be invited number two you have to have proper ID on you and they've already done a background check on you so showing your ID now you go in and they take you through a metal detector and and they ask you a question or two occasionally and then they give you this little pass that's a plastic divide thing you wear around your neck on a little chain and you have to keep that visible for your entire time you are on the grounds of the White House and then once you leave the White House you have to give that back to them again so you can't just show up the next day without the best hey I want to go in and say someone of the president you're not going in okay that's just the way it is you need the pass well God has given us an all-access pass he doesn't take it okay you can't have it on Tuesdays and Thursdays it's there every day sort of like when you buy the pass or both parks at Disneyland what does that cost like twenty five thousand dollars now I bought it a couple of years ago and the problem is I only used it I think three times I figured out I would have been better off just walking in and paying retail to use the park and there's all these blackout periods depending on what pass you get here's your pass to Disneyland you can use it anytime you want except the month of December all of the summer and Monday through Friday we have a window here of two hours that's when you can go now give us your money so there's no blackout periods in God's Access Pass there's no limitations on it he doesn't give it to you and take it back you have it at all times you've been given access why because true friends are always there for you number four true friends stick together through thick and thin they stick together through thick and thin a friend will be there for you when others are not in fact one way to find out who your friends are is one crisis hits your friends will stand by you your Fairweather friends won't and here's what Paul says to bring that point home verse three we rejoice whom we run into problems and trials for we know they help us develop endurance and endurance develop strength of character and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation interesting Paul did not merely endure these experiences he is rejoicing in them you know Paul never had a boring day in his life every what Paul went there was either a riot or a revival there was always something going on with Paul and you can read about him in the book of Acts and all of his adventures and hardships and of course he talks about them in his epistles as well but Paul me the choice that when he went through times of trial he was going to rejoice and we have that same choice before us I can't control what happens around me try as I may but I can control how I react and here's my choice in life when difficulties come my way when things that seem unfair happened to me when I am going through some time of hardship my choice is I can choose to be better or bitter and some people choose the latter they're bitter they're mad at God they're mad at the world they're mad at their family they're mad at everything and others say well Lord I don't know why you allowed this and I wish you would not allowed it but I want to be better I want to learn through this the where the Paul uses here for trials those an interesting word that means squeezing it's used to squeeze olives to get the oil out or to squeeze grapes to get the juice out it also means to be under pressure and to crush Paul is describing the kind of trial where there's nothing I can do to make it go away some trials that come in our life are short-lived they happen then they're gone but others are there and they don't leave and I try to find a way around them I try to climb over a tunnel under it nothing works there's no way around this particular trial so what should I do well let's think about someone who went through a trial like that it was Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as he was preparing to take the sin of the world on himself as he would die on the cross in our place and dr. Luke a physician tells us he sweat as it were great drops of blood that's King James for he was literally perspiring blood a rare medical condition known as he matured osis where when a person is under intense pressure their perspiration is mingled with blood that's what Jesus was going through and what did he do he said father if it is possible let this cup pass from me but then he went on to say nevertheless not my will but yours be done and he's giving us a model of what to do in times of uncertainty you've tried to get out of this situation you've tried to change your circumstances nothing is working here's what you need to do submit to the will of God and say not my will but yours be done maybe the Lord's actually waiting for that moment think about Jobe I mean all the calamity that came on this man of God and the problem with job is he never read the book of Job because if he had he would have known there's a pretty happy ending to the story but he didn't know anything as all these bad things happen and here he was a godly man I mean if he'd done a lot of horrible wicked things and bad things happen it would have made some sense but the fact is he was living in such a godly life as it turns out God was bragging about him in heaven but Jobe didn't know that part he this new one day woke up and everything went wrong that could go wrong he lost his family he lost his health he lost his possessions he probably also wishes he had lost his wife at that point because it was mrs. Jobe that said why don't you just curse God and die thank you for that word of encouragement but he didn't know why it was happening and the reason it took places the Lord was saying in the presence of the Angels with Lucifer around have you considered my servant job a perfect and upright man one that fears God and shuns evil and the devil loose paraphrase said oh please give me a break give me some time with job and we'll see what he's really made of and the Lord allowed the devil to bring some hardship into the life of Joe but what did Jove ultimately do when he lost everything he praise the Lord and said Nicky came I into this world naked going out praise the name of the Lord that's what we need to do we need to surrender we'd say Lord I don't have any solutions and the Lord says now I'll show you what I can do God says in Jeremiah 33 call to me and I will answer you I will tell you great and mighty things which you do not know so what should I do in the interim why I'm going through this time of trial answer I should rejoice first three rejoice when you run into problems and trials because they help us develop endurance there's a reason for what you're going through you know I don't understand it at the moment but God is looking through it I need to look through the sufferings to the certainties and remember that God is at work there's no joy in the trial itself but it's strengthening means the word that Paul uses here for endurance is a word that is translated stayin power or fortitude see God's toughening you up everything you go through in life is preparation for something else God's preparing you for something that is coming he's making you stronger sort of like going to the gym I think the problem with people going to the gym is they don't go regularly so they want to make up for the times they didn't go so they work out really hard then the next day they can't even walk right they can't even lip lift the styrofoam cup pain pain right you know they overdid it they need someone to help them know how to work properly in a gym and as you know building up muscle means tearing down muscle no pain no gain you break it down to build it up and then you get stronger and you develop more endurance and and you're more able to you can lift more weight in time and so forth and so you might be going through that time right now you're sort of in the gym and you're going through this difficulty but you're toughening up God is preparing you for something that still is yet to come so you just hold your course and know that God is at work justification is what God does for us but tribulation and perseverance are something done in us you're working out what God has worked in and whatever you're going through right now remember it's not a coincidence it's Providence it's not an accident it's an appointment God's in control he's gonna see you through it and what is the reason he wants us to develop character first for develop endurance and endurance develop strength of character the word character means tested Ness it's the idea of something that comes from experience they call it being battle tested you know there might be some soldiers from a particular unit that have seen action they've been in combat they've learned how to work together how to have each other's back they know what it's like to literally be under fire so when you have a particular mission you may not pick those guys fresh out of the training camp out of boot camp you're gonna go with that battle-tested unit that is more seasoned and God is getting you ready because folks we are in this spiritual battle and there's no getting out of this spiritual battle and the objective is to win not loose in this tribulation this hardship produces hope according to verse 4 it produces hope I think it comes as a shock to some people that hope grows in the garden of adversity we would think that hope grows in the sunshine but the fact is when the storms are beating against us our roots go down deeper and we get stronger in our faith and really what hope does this world have I mean if you're putting your hope in anything this world offers you're gonna be disappointed if your hope is in Christmas you're gonna be disappointed especially when the bills come due but they don't wait around either do they it's like oh you open your presents Christmas for any December 26 Bills Bills Bills you know that's reality check if you're putting your hope and politicians I don't care what party you're affiliated with you're always going to be disappointed no man no woman is gonna be able to resolve all the problems we have in our country today now we need to put our hope in God and our hope will grow stronger as we go through our times of difficulty and notice that Paul also writes that this hope does not lead to disappointment or literally this hope is no fantasy God will never let us down yeah what did I do to deserve all of this simple answer nothing let's review we're told here in verse 8 we were sinners we are sinners but God showed his great love toward us that while we were still sinners Christ died for us some might die for a righteous man or a good man most people wouldn't die for a bad man I mean if you were given a choice and your wife was sick and someone said will you die in her place you'd see y'all die in her place and then they said well ki now your neighbor your neighbors in need would you die in the place of your neighbor I don't know that kind of a cranky neighbor how about if I just get beat up for them no will you die for them no I won't die for them ok now the guy that just robbed your house and there's running down the street with you flat-screen TV would you die for him no I want to kill him actually okay all right so when did Christ die for us when we were believers in church with our hands lifted up in praise no he died for us when we were at our worst when we were sinners so that's an it means anything I did nothing to deserve this he died before I believed for me number two I was the enemy of God verse 10 says and then number four I was utterly helpless there was nothing I could do to save myself I was powerless to escape death powerless to resist Satan powerless to please God in any way but yet he sent his son to die for me why has he done this number one because He loves us and he has justified us number two so we can have access into his presence at any time and thirdly so we can have peace with God now let me close by asking you this do you have peace with God as I pointed out before you can have the peace of God you must have peace with God stop fighting with God stop wrestling with God stop opposing God and trust in God and believe in him and he'll give you this peace that peace that passes all human understanding you can have it right now drugs are never gonna give you that peace alcohol will never give you that peace things possessions will never give you that peace there's no relationship with any person as wonderful as they may be that will give you that peace there's no thing philosophy will not give you that peace even religion will not give you that peace only God can give it to you and the way to find it in your life is you must say Lord I'm tired of fighting with you I'm tired of running from you I want to know you I want to be a friend of God and that can happen for you right now because Jesus has already made a way for you he's already paid the price on the for you and risen again from the dead and now he just stands at the door of your life and he knocks and he says if you'll hear his voice and open the door he will come in and I wonder if all of you have asked Jesus to forgive you of your sin I've talked today about knowing your sin is forgiven knowing today that you'll go to heaven when you die do you have that confidence or is your heart and mine filled with turmoil and friction and anxiety and fear and apprehension that can be replaced by the peace of God right now but you must meet God's conditions what are they you admit you're a sinner you turn from that sin you repent of that sin you asked Jesus Christ to come into your life to be your Savior and Lord you believed in him and he went her into this friendship with God and if you've not done this yet I'd like to give you an opportunity to do it right now let's all bow our heads if you would please father I pray for any person here any person watching or listening wherever they may be if they don't know you yet help them to come to you and believe in you and be forgiven by you and enter into this friendship with you speak to their hearts we would ask now in your name now all our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed when we're praying how many of you would say today I need Jesus right now I'm tired of this anxiety and this fear and this misery in my life I want to have the peace of God in its place I want to be a friend of God I want to know that I'll go to heaven when I die I'm tired of running from God I want to believe in him if that's your desire if you want Jesus Christ to come into your life right now and forgive you of your sin if you want to become as friend I want you to pray this prayer with me wherever you are just pray this prayer you might even pray it out loud if you like but pray this after me pray Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner but I know you are the Savior who came to this earth and you were born in that manger and then you died in that cross he rose again from the dead Jesus I choose to follow you from this moment forward be my Savior be my Lord be my god in yes be my friend thank you for hearing this prayer in Jesus name I pray amen god bless each one of you guys [Applause]

Channel: Pastor Greg Laurie

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Keywords: harvest, greg, laurie, peace with god, Harvest Christian Fellowship, greg laurie sermons, greg laurie sermons 2018, greg laurie sermons 2019, bible study, greg laurie, bible study lessons, bible study with me, guided christian meditation and prayer with bible verses, peace with jesus, peace with god through our lord jesus christ

Id: cBwZeB6BP0M

Length: 38min 25sec (2305 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 29 2019