A Reason For Peace | Pt 3

Guest (Male): Today, on the Dwelling Place.
Al Pittman: He's not giving me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. And and these divine attributes, these three attributes, power, love, a sound mind or self-discipline are born out of a relationship of peace 0 with the Father.
Guest (Male): Thank you for listening mn to the Dwelling Place, a radio ministry from Pastor Al Pittman of Al Pittman Ministries. The purpose of this radio program is to encourage you, strengthen your walk with the Lord, and grow. To support this program financially or learn more about the ministry, visit us online at alpitmanministries.com. That's alpitmanministries.com. Thank you for partnering with us. Now, here's Pastor Al.
Al Pittman: In verse 18 it says Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen uh seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things to her. And now, one another gospel uh says that they thought she was out of her mind. She had seen the Lord. They didn't believe her. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear, here they are in the grip of fear. Why? Because of the Jews. They had killed the Messiah. They had killed their Messiah. They killed Jesus. And now, they are hunting down and looking for the disciples. And Jesus came and stood in their midst. The Lord will come and stand right in the midst of our fears. He stood in their midst, and he said to them, peace be with you. Your God will show up in the midst of our fears and say stuff that just doesn't make sense to us. Declare his sovereignty and his power in the very midst of our fears. And the Bible says in verse 20, when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his in his side. And then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Amen to that. They were glad. Their fear was turned into joy as Jesus appears to them. Here he confronts uh their fears, confronts their fears. And he and and he confronts their fears by presenting to them exhibit A and exhibit B. Exhibit A being his hands and exhibit B being his side. And why his hands and his side? Because he wanted them to clearly see yes, I was on the cross. I'm the one who was on the cross, you know. And I'm the one who died on the cross. Remember they pierced his side to make sure he was dead, and blood and water came out from his side. Jesus not only was nailed to the cross, he died on the cross. And now, he's saying, yeah, the one who was on the cross, the one who was pronounced dead on the cross, now lives. And they were glad. And we should have joy today because he lives. He lives. He's the reason for our joy. You know, it's a reminder to us cuz I I it's interesting, you know, it's like you know, it it says here that uh he said, peace be with you. And then he showed them his wounds. Why didn't he do some trick? Why didn't you know, have fire come out of the sky or something or move a wall or you know, kind of do the thing, the mime thing or something, I don't know, whatever. Do something to mesmerize him. He just shows them his wounds. It's a lesson to us that when we're facing fear, remember his wounds. Have you forgotten his wounds? When we forget his wounds, we forget how much he loves us. We forget how secure we are because of his wounds. We are more than conquerors through him who loves us. He doesn't show them the tricks. He doesn't show them you know, the the the universe. I mean, he could have done anything, but he says, here, look. When you're afraid, remember his wounds. I that's why we celebrate communion, and that's why Jesus instituted communion within the church. You know that? So that we would remember his wounds. So when you feel like God is not enough or God doesn't love you anymore or God has abandoned you, he says, take another look at my hands and at my side. Remember my wounds. I love you that much, and I will never leave you, and I will never forsake you. Have you taken another look at his wounds lately? Maybe that's the reason for apathy or even apostasy within the church. And we remember all the programs and how to do church and church marketing and everything, but we don't talk about the wounds anymore. We don't talk about the cross. We've forgotten the sacrifice of Jesus. That that's what it's all about, and that is the source of our peace. Not our church programs, not our building programs, not anything else, not who the pastor is or what songs we're singing, but his wounds make for our peace. Second Timothy chapter 1 verse 7 therefore Paul says for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Why? Because of the wounds of Jesus. He's not giving me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. And and these divine attributes, these three attributes, power, love, a sound mind or self-discipline are born out of a relationship of peace with the Father. You can't have power, love, and a sound mind in yourself unless you're in a right relationship with God, and that's a relationship of peace. It's a life in the spirit because if you don't you're not walking in his power, then you're walking in the flesh in weakness. If you're not walking in love, then you're walking in hatred. If you're not walking under his control, you are out of control. And you can't do this unless you walk in the spirit. And those who are of the spirit who walk in the spirit are sons of God and daughters of God. Therefore good spirit that God gives to us is not a fear. It is a power and love and sound mind. But those who walk in peace and in fellowship with God, not hating their brothers, not hating their neighbor, but in concert with the spirit of God, not murmuring and complaining. Amen. Not gossipy. Oh, I'm sorry, sharing. But who walk in the spirit of God at peace with God. You're not going to have peace with God walking with you know, in the flesh. Not going to have peace with God with hatred in your heart against your brother, sister in Christ. You're not going to have peace with God if you're under the control and influence of something else other than Christ. Amen. He's not giving us fear, but power, love, and a sound mind. Now, knowledge of that is is is the is the confidence this is the confidence, I should say, in which Jesus commissions these disciples. These are these guys are fearful. They're acting like cowards or whatever. And And Jesus says this to them in verse 21. So Jesus said to them again, peace to you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. So what's going on here? He's commissioning them to speak on behalf of him, to speak in the authority that is in his name. Now, this is not the outpour of the Holy Spirit that we find in Acts chapter 2. Not the outpour of the Holy Spirit. He is breathing on them, giving them that authority by the Holy Spirit to speak on his behalf and to speak what? To be his ambassadors, to forgive sins of any and to retain the sins of any. And what does that mean? That means that you have the authority by the Holy Spirit to tell people that if they receive Jesus Christ, they have everlasting life. Your sins are forgiven. They're gone away. You have that authority because we are ambassadors of Christ. And by the way, ambassadors do not share their opinions, but they represent the one that sent them. And as the Father was with the Son, we know how the Father was with the Son, how the Father delivered the Son, and all that. As the Father was with the Son, Jesus said, I'm I'm sending you. And the same security that we had, the same guidance and direction that the Father gave to the Son, the Father has given to us. How? By the Holy Spirit. So if God was faithful to his Son, how much more faithful will he be to you? Amen. As the Father sent me, so I send you. As the Father was with me, as he sent me, so I'm sending you. And I'm going to be with you. Remember he said, low, I am with you always, even until the end of the earth. So this is a commissioning. They are going out. They're going to speak on his behalf, and they have the authority to say if someone has received Christ, they're born again. And they also have the authority to say if someone has rejected Christ that they're condemned. And all they're saying and all we are saying is what Jesus has already given us authority to say. Based on his word, in fact, he tells us in John chapter 3 verse 18 there he says uh we that he rather who believes in him is not condemned. But he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. That is what Jesus said. And then he gives me the authority to say that as well. A lot of well, the Catholic Church will use that sometimes. I'm not trying to slam Catholics, but they will use that sometimes to say, well, no, you need to go to a priest and then see right here it says that the priest needs to forgive you. That's not what he's saying here. In fact, Jesus said, if you want forgiveness, you don't even have to come to me. If you want to pray or ask for anything, you don't have to come to me. Go directly to the Father. That's why he died. So we could go directly to the Father. Amen. So he's giving them authority here verse 21 23. And then we come to verse 24 to the close of the chapter. And here the Lord confronts he's confronted the fears, and now he's confronting all the doubts. Amen. All I was going to say all doubting Thomas. We kind of like to pick on Thomas, but you know what? We all struggle with doubts. Amen. Verse 24 says now Thomas came Thomas called rather the twin, one of the 12 was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, we have seen the Lord. So he said to them, unless I see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. If I don't put my hand finger in the hole, I'm not going to believe. Old Thomas. And then after eight days, it's interesting eight days because eight is the Hebrew number for completeness or completion or perfection. After eight days, his disciples were again inside and Thomas with them. And Jesus came, the doors being shut. Remember he just came through the cloth, and now he's coming through the door. Amen. I don't care what kind of or whatever you got. He just walked right on through the door. There's not a place that you're in that Jesus cannot enter into it. Regardless of what kind of locks the devil has put on your mind or on the door, the Lord can walk in to your situation. And he walks in among them. And the Bible says that that he walks in uh there of course Thomas is there. After eight days his disciples are there inside. Jesus came in verse 26 and the doors being shut and stood in the midst of them. What does he say? Peace to you. And I know I don't think he was I don't think just by the way, I don't think he was saying, peace to you. I think he was like, peace to you. I think this is a joyful expression. Peace to you. Then he said to Thomas, reach your finger here and look at my hands and reach your hand here and put it into you to my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believe. Did you catch something here? Let me point it out to you. Thomas was murmuring and complaining, and Jesus heard every word of it. So you said you need to put your finger in my in my hand hole and in my side hole. That's what you were saying the other day. Well, I wasn't there. You know, come get it over here. I heard you. I heard you. Amen. What you whisper in your bedroom, God hears. He knows all about your murmuring and your complaining. He shows up with Thomas and I I heard you've been talking about me. Amen. You know how you used to do that in high school. Heard you've been talking about me. Oh, no, it wasn't me, man. It was you know. And he confronts him. And Thomas answered and said to him, my Lord, my God. Well, he's holy now. But Jesus doesn't commend him. He chastises him. Verse 29 and Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. But blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Amen. We all wrestle with doubt. Doubt by definition is a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction. I wrestle with doubt a lot. I don't know if it's because I'm just an insecure person or whatever, but I wrestle with doubt. And I have to just I confess it to the Lord. And And I'm kind of like the guy in Mark chapter 9, remember where his son was possessed by a demon and and Jesus said, do you believe I can heal your son? The man said, Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief. That's been my prayer many times. God, I can believe you can do this at Calvary Worship Center, but help my unbelief. God, I believe you can do this in my life, but help my unbelief. Because it's all of those doubts and fears cuz you know, you just can't comprehend it or see it. But I love it that Jesus didn't rebuke the man. He healed his son because it was an honest confession. When you say, Lord, help my unbelief, even though you may have doubt, you're saying, Lord, I don't really I can't get my mind around it, but I still want to move forward by faith in you. Help me do that, and God will. We doubt, and we struggle with doubt because our feelings lie to us. You know, I always think when people say, well, God knows my heart. Yeah, he knows your heart. He knows it's desperately wicked and deceitful above all things. He knows your heart. Well, well, but I feel, Pastor, I feel. I feel. I know what you say, Pastor, but I feel. I feel he's the right one. I feel she's the right one. I feel you're wrong, Pastor. Really. Despite what the word of God says, I but I feel. We don't walk by feelings. We walk by faith. The just shall live by faith and what? Faith in God's word. Not our feelings. Your your heart will lie to you. My heart has gotten me in the situations that God had to get me out of. Amen. Would you leave it at that? Let's just move on. Your heart will lie to you. And the Bible tells us in Proverbs 28 26 that he who trusts in his own heart is a fool. Trust in the counsel of God's word. But whoever walks wisely will be delivered. I was talking to a brother the other day and then and uh I went over to see him cuz he had heart surgery, uh triple bypass. He's doing great. He's doing great. God's blessing him, healing him up and and everything. He's at home and but he went in it was interesting he went in for uh a stress test. He was acing it, man. He was telling the doctor to turn the incline up higher, man. You know, he's close to my age. I mean, I'm older than him, but he's close to my age. He is acing it. He's just doing great. But the readout was showing something else. He was he felt good, but the the equipment was saying something different. And sometimes we might feel good, but if it contradicts the equipment, you better take heed. Yeah, but she makes me feel alive again. Amen. See. It doesn't matter how you feel. What's what's the readout? What's the readout? And he called him immediately. You need to get into the hospital and triple bypass and he's doing great now, but he had no idea. One of his arteries 70% closed and no. Great spiritual lesson there for us. The antidote to our doubt when our feelings is faith. Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6 says, but without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. So Jesus chastises Thomas and said, you know what? You believe cuz you've seen but blessed are those. You know what the Lord calls you you and I? We have not seen him face to face not yet, but he calls us blessed. Those are the words of Jesus. That's his his title for you, blessed. What does that word mean? It means to be supremely blessed. It means to be fortunate, well off. You know what that says to me? That says that that is not I'm not well off because of my circumstances, because I have the amount of money I want and all that. I'm not well off because of that. I'm well off because I have a relationship of peace with God. His peace, in other words, you can put it this way, his peace is our advantage over the doubts of this life. His peace is our advantage. Peter I mean, not Peter, but Paul tells us in Philippians chapter 4 verses 6 and 7, be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, your advantage which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ is our advantage. He is in fact one of his titles is the prince of peace. Prince of peace literally means that he's the ruler and the keeper of our peace. He's the keeper of peace. And it's his peace. And he gives it to those who put their faith in him. He said, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives peace, but my peace. Do not let your hearts be troubled. If you believe in God, believe also in me. Amen. In my Father's house there are many mansions. If we were not so, I would have told you. But I go away, and if I go away, I will come again so that you can be where I am. Peace. Everlasting peace through faith in him. The resurrection of Christ provides everlasting peace and life for you and for me, for all who will put their faith in him. Let's finish verse 30. Says and truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written. In other words, you got enough information. These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. Amen.
Guest (Female): Amen.
Al Pittman: Praise the Lord. Amen. Give him praise and glory. Amen. That's all right. Thank you, Lord. Because he lives. Because he lives, the application then is because he lives, we have peace with God and we have the peace of God. In other words, I have peace with God. My sins are forgiven, and I have the peace of God that abides with me as I journey through this life. Didn't say life wouldn't happen. Things happen unexpectedly and all, but it doesn't take away the peace that I have with God and the peace of God. He is a constant refuge for my soul. Our circumstances do not determine our peace. Christ can give us peace despite our place in life. Wherever you are today, he will come in and say peace to you. Why? Because he lives. I've learned over time that that means for me in real time as a believer is that I can rest in his will. Are some of you facing situations that you're going, I don't like this. But you've learned to say and I've learned to say over time, nevertheless not my will, but your will be done. And he taught us to pray that way. Did he not? Our Father in heaven, thy will be done, not my will be done. Thy will be done, Lord. And there are things I'm telling you that I've had to work through in the last six months that were like, I can't do this. Of course I could probably say that every year. It's always something. Amen. And yet I' have had the in in the the freedom and the peace came when I said those four words, thy will be done. So I want to encourage you today as believers to if you're struggling in the situation, the peace of God is not so that we have peace. It's we have peace because of the resurrection, but also because he lives, we can abide in that peace. And that peace is for us now, but that peace comes at the point of surrender when I stop trying to manipulate the will of God and say thy will be done. I drop the hammers and the nails and the you know, the buzz saws and everything else that I'm trying to work put something together and say, God, I surrender to you. Thy will be done. There's peace there.
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