Idea: The only hope for peace of any kind comes from Christ, the prince of peace.
Intro: Peace is a common word, but an uncommon experience in the world today. We can speak of world peace, green peace, inner peace, peace making, peace treaties, peace breaking, and so on. It's obvious that mankind in general yearns for peace. Isaiah 32 prophecies a king who reigns in righteousness and who brings peace. Ultimately, Isaiah prophesied the coming of Jesus Christ, the prince of peace.
1. The Rule of the Great King(vss. 1-4)
2. The Discerning Judgment of the Great King (vss 5-8)
3. The Righteous King Issues a Warning to Hypocrites(vss. 9-14)
4. The Righteous King Will Bring Peace(vss. 15-20)
The New Testament identifies Christ as such a king.
“Do you have peace?”
If you are not trusting in Christ then you have no basis for peace whatsoever. You may be able to deaden your turmoil, or deaden your conscience, but you don't have peace. You may try wealth, or pleasure, or power, or drugs, or music, or any number of things, both good and evil, to try to find peace. But as St. Augustine discovered in his own experience, and recorded for us, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
If you are a Christian, you, too, can lack peace, become restless and disturbed. Why? Because peace comes from being right with God, not from being right with yourself. All too often we tend to rest in our own righteousness, instead of the righteousness of our King, Jesus Christ. Pray in repentance, in acknowledgement of the mercy you need and have received from your Lord and savior. And let His righteousness be your peace. |
