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Sermon #1064

The Peace of God

A Sermon on John 1:16

Originally preached July 5, 1964

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Scripture

John 1:16 ESV KJV
For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (ESV)

Sermon Description

The gospel of Jesus Christ brings peace to all who believe and trust in it. This is not only peace with God, but it also gives the Christian peace knowing that they trust in a God who can free them from sin and evil. In the sermon “The Peace of God,” listen as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims that Christ can and will complete the work He began in His people. They have access to God on the basis of what Christ has done in their stead and through the working of the Holy Spirit. The glorious truth of this message is what grounds and upholds the Christian life. The Christian can abide in Christ because of what He has done for them as their great Savior. This is not to say that there are not any struggles in the Christian life. As the Savior’s life was marked by willful suffering, so too the Christian life is marked by a willingness to suffer for God. Therefore, when they suffer as Christians, they can do so knowing that they can always rely on God to give them strength to suffer in a way that honors God. They go before the throne of God on the basis of Christ, pleading their case before God Almighty. It is this gospel that grants true peace for all who believe.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The text for the sermon is Philippians 4:6-7 which says “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

  2. The sermon also references John 1:16 which says “And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” The sermon shows how Philippians 4:6-7 is an outworking of John 1:16.

  3. Christians have received of the fullness of Christ which is what makes us Christians. It is not just belief but receiving his fullness.

  4. The sermon asks the question: How can we know we have received of his fullness? There are many ways to test this including through scripture, examples, lives of saints, etc.

  5. Philippians gives glimpses into Paul’s spiritual life and how the fullness of Christ manifested in it. This shows how it should manifest in our lives.

  6. Philippians 4:6-7 shows that those who have received his fullness will have peace and rest in their mind and heart.

  7. Scripture does not promise an easy life but promises we will have troubles. We are not promised freedom from trials but promised to not be victims of them.

  8. We are told to be anxious for nothing and not be worried or overwrought by anything. This is a tremendous statement.

  9. This peace does not come through fatalism, philosophy or psychological tricks but through the method given in scripture.

  10. The method for having peace is given in Philippians 4:6-7: prayer, supplication with thanksgiving. Prayer means worship and access to God which is only possible through Christ.

  11. We can supplicate or bring our petitions to God through Christ who gives us access. We can do this with confidence and assurance through Christ.

  12. We are able to pray with thanksgiving because we know God loves us, the blessings we have received, God’s concern for us, his unchanging purposes and promises, and his power.

  13. God gives us his peace which surpasses understanding. This peace guards our hearts and minds in Christ like a garrison. Christ is the garrison and God’s peace is the sentinel guarding our hearts and minds.

  14. Examples of this peace are seen in Psalms 3 and 4 where David has peace in the midst of his enemies because of God. Isaiah 26:3 also speaks of perfect peace for those whose minds are stayed on God.

  15. We can do nothing but pray, supplicate and give thanks to God who will give us peace guarding our hearts and minds in Christ. To him be glory!

The Book of John

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.