Peace in the Midst of Chaos

Now take your Bibles. We're going to look at a few places in Scripture this evening. So if you want to mark your place ahead of time, we'll look at Isaiah chapter 26, John chapter 3 and Numbers 21. Isaiah 26, John chapter 3 and Numbers 21. And we'll also look briefly at Colossians chapter 1 and 2. Colossians chapter 1 and 2. And then finally we'll end up in Philippians chapter 4. We're taking a circuitous route to get to Philippians chapter 4. And I might reference another couple of days we go that you won't have to turn there for those. Our first stop will be in Isaiah chapter 26 and we'll look at that shortly.

Pastor Chris has a number of sermons or sermon series that he believes need to be on rotation. Messages that the church needs to hear again every so often. There really are many biblical truths that we need to be reminded of from time to time because we're hard headed, aren't we? It's also true that some of us need reminding more often than others because some of us, some of our heads are harder than others, yes? Well I believe this message is one of those we need to hear more than once. We can title this message "Peace in the midst of chaos" or "How to find peace in the midst of chaos" if you will.

I'm not sure if I've preached something like this here at Grace Life before. I don't find a record of it anywhere. But it's a topic I've dealt with a couple of times in other places so maybe I have done so here and just don't remember. In either case, it's a good one to revisit as circumstances dictate and I believe the current circumstances in which we find ourselves in this country and in the world dictate that now is a good time to be reminded of something. What circumstances you might ask? Well, there's trouble either brewing or happening everywhere you look. Iran we're told is likely on the verge of directly attacking Israel.

If that happens, all bets are off regarding the possibility of global war. One political party in the United States is on the verge of nominating the most radical far left presidential ticket in history. If they somehow happen to win, legitimately or otherwise, the consequences for this country I believe will be catastrophic. It's nominated a far left governor who is known among other things for requiring public schools in his state to have to stop feminine hygiene products in the boys bathrooms.

And yet he has the nerve to tell the other guy, vice presidential candidate on the other ticket, who wants, who believes that husbands and wives who have children should get a tax break weird. The amount of debt facing our country is unimaginable, perhaps insurmountable. We have people in the highest places of authority who cannot define what a woman is and who want us to agree with their nonsensical pronouncements such as that men can have babies. Terrorists are literally walking into our country every day, just walking right in. And they aren't coming here for a job at Walmart. Crime is skyrocketing all over the place in broad daylight.

I know so many people whose hometowns that they grew up in were like Mayberry and they're not Mayberry anymore. It's now all but impossible to have a polite political discussion with someone on the other side of the political spectrum. Just almost impossible, if not impossible. Civility is dead. Reason has vanished. Objectivity is extinct. And on top of all that, some of us are facing personal turmoil. Relationships that are shattered or in the process of shattering. Suffering financial hardships. Difficulty finding work or keeping it. Worried about the future. Maybe issues with health.

With all that happening at once, and I know I've missed a lot of stuff, that's just a spattering, but with all that happening at once, is it any wonder that people are stressed? That anxiety is through the roof? I meant to look this up. So you'll have to fact check me on this, but my guess would be is that the prescribing of anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications are likely at the all time high. I don't know that because I didn't Google it, but Google may not tell you the truth anyway, but try to fact check me on that.

When you look at a list like that and think about all that's happening again all at once, it's pretty easy to get discouraged. The world might look at what's happening in despair of any hope, but here's a question. Should we despair under these circumstances? For those who've been born again, is there any hope in such times? The answer is a resounding yes. Turn to Isaiah chapter 26 please. Isaiah chapter 26, and we're going to read the first four verses, Isaiah 26 verses 1 to 4. By the way, most of you know that I am an LSB kind of guy, but I really prefer the way that ESV and the King James frankly renders these verses.

So I'm reading from the ESV here, Isaiah 26 verses 1 to 4. "In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah. We have a strong city. He sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks. Open the gates that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in." Listen to verse 3. "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you.

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." Now I want to focus on verse 3, you might could tell, which says again, "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you." Now the NASB, the NIV, and others have those whose minds are steadfast and because they trust in you. The LSB says the steadfast of mind because he trusts in you. Now it's true, your mind will be steadfast if you trust in Christ, but the King James and the ESV, I believe say it better and more accurately and describe a mind that is "stayed on Christ." But what does that mean?

Probably not a phraseology you use much in your day to day living. You don't say that when you go to Home Depot, probably. What does it mean to have a mind that is "stayed on Christ"? The original Hebrew from which we get "stayed" is "somach." I don't speak Hebrew. But it's rendered elsewhere in the Old Testament as established, as upheld, but here in Isaiah 26.3 it means either to lean upon or, this is the one I like a lot, to take hold of, which to me is an image of seizing something.

So a mind that is "stayed on Christ" is a mind that is established by Christ and upheld by Christ and a mind that both leans upon Christ and takes hold of Christ. First, it's established by Christ. We get a new mind when we are born again. 2 Corinthians 5.17 says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." Your old mind is gone. Your new mind is established by Christ at the new birth. Secondly, a mind "stayed on Christ" is a mind that is upheld by Christ. Colossians 1.17 says, "He holds all things together." Guess what? That includes you, your mind and your whole being.

So your mind is upheld by Christ if it's "stayed on Christ." Scripture promises that He who has begun a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. He will uphold you forever if you've been born again. Third, a mind "stayed on Christ" is a mind that leans upon Christ. Proverbs 3.5 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not upon your own understanding." And finally, a mind "stayed on Christ" is a mind that has taken hold of Christ and refuses to let go. Turn now to John 3. I'll be reading from the LSB this time as we read just two verses, verses 14 and 15 of John 3.

Remember now Christ is talking here with Nicodemus who was a highly regarded, highly educated teacher in Israel. And Christ is explaining the gospel to Him basically. Here's what He said in verses 14 and 15 of John 3. Jesus said, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life." Now what's that about Moses lifting a serpent in the wilderness? Kind of an odd thing to say, huh? Well it wasn't odd to Nicodemus. Being a teacher in Israel, Nicodemus immediately recognized the story to which the Lord was referring.

And that story is found in the book of Numbers, chapter 21. You should have that place saved already. So turn to the book of Numbers, chapter 21 please. And let's read verses 4 to 9. Numbers 21, verses 4 to 9. "Then they set out from Mount Hoar by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom, and the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses. Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food. So Yahweh sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people so that many people of Israel died.

Then the people came to Moses and said, 'We have sinned because we've spoken against Yahweh and against you. Pray to Yahweh that He may remove the serpents from us.' And Moses prayed for the people. Then Yahweh said to Moses, 'Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard, and it will be that everyone who is bitten and looks at it will live.' And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard. And it happened that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived." It's a pretty gripping story.

People of Israel were once again grumbling against God and against His servant Moses, so the Lord said enough, sent a bunch of venomous snakes to attack and kill the grumblers. And they did kill a bunch of them, many, the Bible says. So imagine the scene. Put yourself there. Snakes are everywhere. Patty is shivering right now. You are seeing your friends and family members being bitten by snakes, and you're falling over dead all around you. Moses erects this big bronze snake on a high pole, and as you're watching Moses do that, suddenly you're bitten by the snakes. You've been told you need to look at that snake on the pole.

How are you going to do that? Do you reckon that you and all those who've been bitten, seeing all the dead bodies lying around and snakes still going every which way, would just toss a casual glance toward that bronze serpent? I don't think so. How would you look at that bronze serpent? How did they look at it? Don't you just know that they stared at it. They gazed at it. Their eyes were straining at it intently, burning their eyes into it, maybe holding their eyelids like this. I don't know. They were desperate to see the bronze serpent. Don't you imagine that? Their eyes and their minds were stayed upon that bronze snake on a pole.

They had in their minds taken hold of it and refused to let it go until they knew they were saved. It'd be hard not to look at those snakes to see what other ones were coming. Here's a question for you church. What are you looking at? When the snakes come, whether the snakes are personal problems in your personal relationship, you got your feelings hurt, perhaps legitimately, maybe it's a real offense, something at work, not working out like you think it should. Again, it may be some kind of legitimate problem. Who knows? Relationships at church? I don't know. Snakes come, don't they? Hey, sometimes God sends them.

But are you looking at the snakes? What are you looking at? Jesus told Nicodemus, "In the same way that Moses raised that serpent in the wilderness and instructed the people who had been bitten by the snake to look at the serpent and live, I must be lifted up." In the same way, anyone whose minds became stayed on him, on Christ, anyone who would take hold of him by faith would be saved. I hope that paints a picture of you of how we're supposed to approach the cross from Numbers 21 that you may have never considered before. It's not a casual glance to the cross. It's not a social, a curious study of him. That won't do it.

No, it must be a desperate, burning, intense, taking hold of him and refusing to let go. So, believer, you want some peace? Do you need some peace, the kind of peace that surpasses understanding? Well, my question is, is your mind stayed on Christ? Are you desperate to see him like the Israelites were desperate to see that bronze serpent? Are you straining to lean into him, to be established by him, to be upheld by him, to take hold of him and never let go? If you want peace, there is your prescription, and you can't get that at the pharmacy. I'm not against pharmacies, but you can't get that prescription there.

Now turn to Colossians chapter 1, and we'll go answer a few verses in Colossians chapter 2 also, because I want you to lay hold of who he is. I want you to see this Jesus who is the Christ, who you need to take hold of. Colossians chapter 1, verses 15 to 20. Colossians 1, verses 15 to 20. Paul says this, "Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light, who rescued us from the authority of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Listen, who, this is Christ he's talking about, is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

For in him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers of authorities or authorities. All things have been created through him and for him, and he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself will come to have first place in everything.

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross, through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven. What a God! What a Savior! My goodness! You should yearn to lay hold of a Savior like that. You should learn to have your mind stayed on a God like that. Now flip over one chapter to Colossians chapter 2. Now let's start at verse 1. Colossians chapter 2 starting with verse 1.

Paul writes, "For I want you to understand how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not seen my face in the flesh, so that their hearts may be encouraged, having been held together in love, even unto all the wealth of the full assurance of understanding, unto the full knowledge of God's mystery, that is Christ himself, comma." And then in several of the verses that follow, Paul gives amazing descriptions of this Christ himself. Look at verse 3. "In whom are hidden all," how many?

"All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, all of them." Skip down to verse 9 which says, "For in him all the fullness of deity," how much? "All the fullness of deity dwells bodily." Verse 10 says, "Christ is the head over all rule and authority." And then down in verse 15 it reminds us that Christ is triumphed over all rulers and authority. He is sufficient! Christ is sufficient for your peace. You have need of nothing else.

So, in a world that is absolutely falling to pieces, we've seen this evening what we must do as believers, born-again believers, in order to have peace, not just peace, but perfect peace, Isaiah says, we must have minds that are stayed on him. We've also looked briefly at why we should do that, why we should have minds that are stayed on him, drilled into him, filled by him and with him. And that's because he is worthy, because he is sufficient. Nothing else is worthy and sufficient. No one else is worthy and sufficient. So finally, let's talk about how we can have minds that are stayed on him.

Some practical steps, practical things to help us get our minds as believers stayed on Christ. I believe we must do three things. First, we must disconnect. Second, we must disinfect. Third, we must redirect. Disconnect, disinfect and redirect. Step one, disconnect. This step is simple, but I need to be reminded of this. I need to do this way more often than I do. In fact, I've been working on it again even today. Turn off the national news media. Don't watch it. Clean up your Twitter feed. I've done that today. Clean up your podcast feed. I've done that today.

I've asked some political podcast that I had sneakily started listening to again, and all it does is increase my blood pressure. Stupid. I mean stupid. Don't do that. In fact, on all your social media, don't follow people or groups or organizations who live to cause strife and anxiety. There's some local Facebook groups around here. They live to cause strife and anxiety. Get out. Get out. You don't need that. Don't be stupid. Don't do that to yourself. Don't do it to yourself. Look, I am an information addict. If I'm not careful and diligent, I can get sucked right back into the political vortex just like that.

I've let myself slip, but this very day, this afternoon, I spent time cleaning up my news sources again, and I needed to disconnect even more fully than that. I followed these steps before, and each time I've done these things, my stress level dropped. But how quickly you forget, right? We blame the Israelites for being so stupid and forgetting what God had done, but we do the same thing. We forget real quick. Also, under disconnect, stay away from people who like to gossip and stir up strife and dissension. Stay away from them.

Suddenly, if you find everybody's staying away from you, uh-oh, maybe you're the one who likes to gossip and stir up strife and dissension. So repent of that. Stop it. Step one is to disconnect. Step two, disinfect. Romans 12.2 says, "Do not be conformed to the likeness of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." How do we do that? How do we renew our minds? Anyone? Read the Bible. Spurgeon said, listen to this, there is enough dust on the cover of some of your Bibles that you could write the word damnation in it with your fingers. Hashtag ouch.

There's enough dust on the cover of some of your Bibles that you could write the word damnation in it with your fingers. Don't complain about not having any peace in your life if you haven't read the Bible for two months, you know? My goal is to read 10 chapters of the Bible every morning. I'm a pretty fast reader. I'm not saying everybody should do that. I use Professor Horner's Bible reading system for that. Let me know if you want information about it. That's my goal, 10 chapters a day. Well sometimes things happen that sort circuit my plans. An early work meeting I forgot about or whatever. Sometimes it might just be laziness.

Maybe I didn't sleep well the night before. Whatever it is, it breaks my pattern. And if I'm not careful, one missed day can what? Turn into two? Maybe several? And you know what? When that happens, I can feel it. I can feel it. I'm more distressed. I'm not as calm. I'm maybe shorter with Patty than I should be. Why? I think it's because my mind isn't being renewed as it should be. We all need our minds renewed daily, especially me. So step one, disconnect. Step two, disinfect. Step three, redirect. There are seven ways to redirect your mind, and we're almost finished, and they're all found in Philippians chapter four.

I told you we'd end up in Philippians chapter four, so turn there. Philippians chapter four. And we're going to find seven ways to redirect your mind, and I made them all start with an R. It was pretty easy, depending on what translation I used. So the first way is to rejoice. That's pretty easy. Look at verse four. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice. Do you realize, has it ever dawned on you? That's a command. That's a doggone command. We are commanded to rejoice. I don't rejoice enough. Number two, be reasonable. That's in verse five in the ESV. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand.

Other translations say gentleness. So you know what? Be gentle. Other translations say considerate. So be considerate. Moderations, some translations say, so don't be one who's given to excess. Still others say humility, bearing, fairness. Redirect your mind so that you will be all of these things. Number three and number four, or number three is relax. Number four is request help from him. Relax and request help from him. And they're both in verse six. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, be anxious for nothing. There's relax. But in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let their requests be made known to God.

Number five is in verse seven, rest and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. If you do everything that's been described in the previous verses, then you can rest. When you get to verse seven, that's the message there. Rest. Number six is to reflect on what's listed there in verse eight. Reflect on what's listed in verse eight, what's listed. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is dignified, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there's any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, consider these things.

Or might I say, reflect on these things. That podcast you want to listen to, is it true? Is it dignified? Is it right? Is it pure? Is it lovely? Is it commendable? Is it excellent? Is it worthy of praise? No. Unsubscribe. Realize that these things listed in verse eight describe Christ. So reflect on Him and His virtues that are listed here. Have your mind stayed on that. Finally, number seven is to repeat the process, which is in verse nine. The things that you've learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things and the God of peace will be with you. They had seen all these things in Paul.

Practice these things, repeat them over and over. So rejoice, be reasonable, relax, make your requests known to God, rest in Him, reflect on the virtues of Christ and repeat the process to have a mind that is renewed and stayed on Him and He will give you perfect peace. So here's the good news. If you're born again believer, if you've been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, you can have perfect peace in the midst of the absolute worst calamity. Even when the world has fallen to pieces and burning all around you and the snakes are biting and they're everywhere and people are dropping dead left and right.

You can have peace in the midst of that. Not a shaky peace, not an unsure peace, but a perfect peace. You just have to have a mind that is stayed on Him and we've looked at how to do that from the pages of scripture. But here's the bad news. If you haven't been born again, none of this applies to you. And I'm sorry to tell you that you haven't ever seen calamity as bad as what's coming your way. If you haven't been born again, then you really are "living your best life now" because however bad your life is now, it's going to be a whole lot worse when you face Him after you die.

The Bible says it's appointed unto man once to die and after that comes judgment. If your appointment with death comes while you're still in your sins, all you have to look forward to is certain harsh judgment, eternal punishment. But it doesn't have to be that way. What do you have to do to be saved? You've got to call out. Call out. Call in the name of the Lord. Cry out for mercy. Come to the cross with nothing in your hand but your sin. You can't do a thing to earn salvation. Not a thing. You can't do a thing to keep it, to earn it, or you can't do a thing to keep it. You have to throw yourself on the mercy of Christ.

So quit playing games. Quit playing church. Quit playing religion and confess the truth that God already knows is that you're lost and you're deserving of hell. That if He sent you to hell right now, He'd be just and right to do so. And you couldn't argue the case. And cry out for mercy. You know what you'll find? Mercy. Mercy. Because He delights in mercy. Christ delights in mercy. He went to the cross to redeem His bride and He's calling to her. Won't you answer? Don't delay.