Be Like Jesus- Walking in Peace
Pastor Ryan Binkley
7 minute read
Worry is at an all-time high right now.
So how does Jesus fix it?
I like following a plan. When I have a plan, I have confidence. Whether it’s a blueprint, business plan, or marketing strategy with a financial budget, the secret to a good plan is that it’s not the first in the order of success. First you get a call, then a vision, then a plan.
Jesus knew His call, vision, and plan early on.
Jesus said, tear down this temple in 3 days and I will build it up again. He had tremendous confidence. He already knew He was going to die and that He would rise again. Even though He knew His plan He still had to walk it out.
But many people are not walking out God’s plan. The reason is because most don’t know that God has a plan for them or that He would intervene in their life.
The number of people who believe that God will hear and answer prayers is only 42%.
That means about 6/10 people either don’t believe in God, or believe He doesn’t hear prayers and intervene. Or they believe He only hears prayers.
As Christian’s, sometimes we —
Worry about the details of the answer.
Worry about when God is going to answer the question.
Worry about how God is going to answer the question.
Worry is at an all-time high right now.
40% of millennials are worried about their future.
Gen Z and Millennials are most worried about political instability, their financial future, and global warming. Worry is not our friend. Worry has never helped us. Worry has another friend I do not care for. Last time I invited worry to a party, he brought his friends anxiety, fear, and depression. It was like a gang.
How did we get here? How did Jesus do it so differently?
The OPPOSITE of WORRY is PEACE.
When does worry come?
1. When there is transition.
2. When there is uncertainty.
3. When there is silence.
There is a guarantee…in your life you will have storms. There is no such thing as a storm free life. The storms of life come in, and discouragement can come with them.
In a stormy sea, sometimes we lose faith in the Word that God gave us on dry land.
Sometimes the only way God can get you from where you are to where He wants to take you is through a storm. The challenge is that we don’t know when the storms are coming, so we get gripped with fear. Paul said:
“For it has been granted to you for the sake of Christ that you should not only believe in him, but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.”
Philippians 1:29-30
There is a purpose in your conflict…there is a purpose in your storm…there is someone waiting for you on the other side of your storm…there is a blessing coming. Has it ever occurred to you that Somebody’s Freedom is Connected to Your Storm?
So, quickly, What are the secrets to having peace in the storm?
1. Rest
Storms in life will either cause you to get closer to the Lord or move farther away. Jesus is closer than you think. I have a secret for you – Jesus is already in your boat!
”I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if you go down to the grave, you are there.
Psalms 139:7-8 NLT
2. Rebuke
We should vocalize what we need to God and rebuke the lie that He doesn’t care.
“Then He arose and rebuked the winds and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!”
Mark 4:39
3. Remember
Remember who you are and remember the prophecies that have been spoken over you.
So… what are we afraid of really?