Exploring God’s Word with Brad Thurston

Prince of Peace

Episode Summary

In a world that is filled with confusion and unrest, even individuals wrestle with the lack of peace. But the Prince of Peace rules in a different dimension, His Kingdom is not of this world, and he gives a gift of peace to all who believe in Him!

Episode Notes

Received a German song based on Isaiah 9:6 from a friend in Germany.  The concept of time with God is different from us.  We see the future of the one born and his accomplishments: the teaching ministry of Jesus, the Power of Jesus, the nature of Jesus, and now the administration and reign of Jesus!

Where there is no peace

  1. My first sermon in the open air - peace
  2. In the confusion the story of Prince Charming: Charles and Diana, not the end but the beginning and the mess it made
  3. The Prince is one who governs: what goes into the administration of peace? Walls, armies, weapons, money and decisions that have consequences for people.
  4. The natural wall in the Badlands of South Dakota that separates the north from the south, the wall on our border, the wall of China, the iron curtain.
  5. The greatest wall of all, the wall of separation between man and God, peace on one side and confusion, sin, and it’s results on the other. A lack of peace and the search for it in a bottle, pills, lust, lies we tell ourselves, everything except facing the truth: we need forgiveness that comes from confessing our sins.
  6. King David saw this need, and realized that the only way to leap over this wall, was by the strength and power only God provides

The Promise of Peace

  1. The announcement of the angels at the birth of Jesus
  2. The Hope for peace
  3. The scriptures of peace

The battle for Peace

  1. Against the enemy of this world. The Prince of darkness! 
  2. Jesus has overcome the world!
  3. Are you a king?

The Reign of peace

  1. The king in our hearts
  2. The peace from, with, and in God

The ultimate winner in the conflict is Jesus

His rule extends to the hearts of those who love him: What happens when we encounter Jesus, we are overwhelmed by the freedom from sin, but even more so by the acceptance of the Father! What makes that special is the loss of the enmity against God and the flooding of our souls with his peace!

The beauty of his Kingdom is the nature of peace!  Resolved conflicts! Resolved misunderstandings, resolved personal greed and ambition, resolved stress factors, resolved pressures.  What we experience here when we find peace with God is just a small foretaste of what we will experience when the light overpowers the darkness, and death is no more!