Ordained in Peace

Intro: The word ordained means to set apart. You were set apart by God coming to live in you and you now have peace with God. God has ordained all of our works in Him. God sent Jesus because we needed peace with Him and He wanted peace with us. Our relationship with Him is based on the peace that we have with Jesus Christ. However, it is not based on our work- which is what religion thinks. It is based on Him. God created us knowing we would fall and then redeemed us anyway. The Bible says that Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. So the word for today is WORK not to honor our work but to realize that the foundation of our peace is what our relationship is based on Isa 26:12 32:17 26:3

Wonders Mk 16:16-20 Isa 26:12 Acts 2:43, 4:30- There are many great things that we see in the ministry of Jesus and the ministry that is recorded in the book of Acts. The foundation of that ministry is the authority that Jesus gave to the disciples after His resurrection. There were many signs and wonders that were performed because God was with them and in them. They were just like Jesus and went about doing good healing all. They did not heal a few they healed those that came to them. You see many wonders such as people being healed by the shadow of Peter and handkerchiefs being laid on people and healing them. Snakes biting people and they being healed were evidence that God was with them. They knew Jesus was in them for they marveled and realized something changed with them. We read the Scripture in Mk and it is a possibility, a dream but to them it was a reality and the ordination of peace was something they lived. The wonders are more a fantasy to us then a reality. So many think it has been done away with it but it is still supposed to be a part of our lives.

Mk 16 , Mt 28, Acts 1 Jn 21 all are parts of what Jesus said before he left and tell us about the power and authority we have. They do not tell us all that we have or all we can do but it does tell us to go in that power and we would see signs and wonders follow us. The Lord Confirmed the word with signs and wonders following them. Everyone knew that God was with them. They were told in these Scriptures to 1) make and teach disciples 2) baptize them 3) cast out devils in His name 4) speak with new tongues 5) deadly things will not hurt you 6) drinking deadly things will not hurt you 7) lay hands on the sick and they will recover 8) receive the power and promist of the Holy Spirit. This is what we have in the New Testament that they did not have. We have forgiveness of sin and the knowledge that God is pleased with us for we have been ordained in peace with God because of Jesus Christ. Today, we ordain with a ceremony but then they knew someone was ordained by God living within them.

Isa 26:12 He ordains peace for us and by doing so all works are done in peace. Peace was taken care of by Jesus Christ because of what HE did for us and in us. When you have peace with God then you know that God and his work is done in you and you can have assurance which gives you confidence because of his name.

Now in Acts 2:43 it says many signs and wonders were done by the apostles. The signs and wonders were done once Jesus arose and the Holy Ghost came to live in them. The life of the apostles were changed, for they no longer thought about their jobs but about Jesus and what He did on the cross. The wonders came out of their relationship with Jesus, you saw a new person. 4:30. The places were shaken and the people were healed by a word or just passing by the shadow of the apostles. They were holy men for the Holy God was in them. Wonders were done by mortal men and they did not see miracles like this since the prophets of old.

Outstretched Arm Mk 3:5 Deut 4:33-36- Mk tells us a story of Jesus in response to the attitude of the religious leaders he told a man with a deformed hand to stretch forth his hand. The ones who were hardened in their heart were hardened even more; but the ones who wanted to hear his teaching were rejoicing at this work. The arm of the man was stretched out and people saw God’s power. God wants to heal us, for he is wiling to heal his children. We then must be willing to accept it. When you stretch out your hand, then you can accept what is offered. Jesus wanted a man to be willing to accept what did not seem possible; God will use His power all he wants you to do is say yes! Do you see God as someone with an arm that is outstretched arm or someone who is a tightwad that does not want to give anything to you? God is for you and wants to give to you all things! God is not mad at you but stretches his arm wide toward you. He wants you to reach out so that you can reach out to him and receive. To walk on the water you respond, but when you fall you need to know that HE is there so that HE can pick you up. God desires to bless you and keep you. HE loves you and cares about you. Will his work and love harden you or enable you to receive? The Religious leaders were hardened by the same work and love that caused the believing to rejoice. It is not the work that causes people to be hard but the attitude of the heart. When you approach with a believing heart it is a soft and pliable heart and is able to accept what God does.

Deut 4:33-36 tells us that God with an outstretched arm delivered the children of Israel. This passage details what God did for you and the power that was revealed in the OT. The covenant they had was different and yet they saw a demonstration of God’s power even though that Jesus had not yet come. God is not a God that is on the sideline seeing what we will do. God is there for us having to provide all we need. Too often we do not feel that God is there but He is and when He stretches out His arm, then mighty things happen in our lives.

Righteous King 2 Sam 22:21ff Rev 19:11- God delights in me and rewards me. This passage in 2 Sam tells me that I am rewarded by God. God is not out to get me but rewards me. Too many people focus on judgment and what is wrong with themselves so they in turn see God as being mad at them. God is not mad at you for God is pleased with you. David saw God as being pleased with Him. They read passages like this in 2 Sam and say see in 22:24 I have to keep myself from iniquity and I have to do these things. It is in their mind about what they have to do to please God. God delights in you and the reason He does is the cleanness in His eye sight. It is his way of looking at us. HE sees us by His righteousness and not by ours. This whole chapter comes from Psalms David wrote. He sings what God gave to Him to remind himself of the righteousness that HE has with God. God made him righteous even though he committed adultery and murder and God is still pleased with David.

David reminds Himself of the Lord and his supply. When he battled Goliath as a young boy he reminded himself of the victories that he had over a lion and bear. He told others what God did and used that to motivate himself when he needed more assurance. The lessons he learned as a young boy he did not depart from. The work that was done in him when he was young, David never forgot. David renewed himself in what God did in and through him. Do not forgot what God did in you and remind yourself of the blessings and miracles God did for you or through you. Remind yourself of the victories that you have had. David did not keep the ways of the Lord because of what he did in the flesh but David did it in the spirit. This song of praise was in response to the famine ending. David always found a reason to praise God in his life. We need to do the same.

Rev 19:11 - there was a King coming of the house of David and David was righteous. But we have a greater king that lives forever and He is the one that defeated the enemy of all men - Satan! This king is mentioned in Rev 19:11- This king causes heaven to open. Now when it says heaven opens, it means every eye will see Him when He comes back. All attention will be focused on the King who comes whose name is called the Word of God, his name is Jesus. In v14 it says the armies in heaven followed him and they are clothed in linen white and clean. We are part of that army and we will be clothed in white linen for it is the righteousness of the saints as v8 says. His name is written not on a name tag but on his thigh and engraved in his garment and his garment is dipped in blood. This is the righteous king of all eternity. This is the one that is our righteousness and the one that made us right with God by earning righteousness so he could give it as a gift to those that receive Him. You can walk in His righteousness and learn of Him so that he can give to you all that He has! He wants to give to you and desires to share with you what He did for He did it so you could have it. He did not need to come to earth so that HE could have anything, He had it! He came to earth to give to you what he had and to bring you to Heaven. As the song says you were on his mind when He died. See in you that God delights in you and wants you around and desires to be a part of your life. HE tells you all he has planned because the Bible is God showing and telling you all He did and provided for you so you will want what HE did for you. Let Jesus be your Righteousness and Let him be your King!

Kneel- His Glory Phil 2:8-11 Eph 3:14-21- There will be a day when all will kneel at the name of Jesus. Right now we have a choice but one day God will make all bow their knee to Jesus and this will give God great glory. Even Satan will have to bow and confess Jesus as Lord and it will not mean he confessed him and that all that day will be saved. They will be forced to kneel and confess. They will have to recognize that Jesus is the only way before Judgment is passed out. In Phil 2 this is called by theologians the Kenosis Hymn. It means the self- emptying of Jesus Christ. That Jesus chose to empty himself of all that he had so that we can receive from Him all that He is. He emptied himself so that men could know the one true God. Now the KJV translators added of things in v10 so the verse originally just said That at the name of Jesus knee should bow( they added every - which is obvious it should be there) in heaven, in earth and under the earth. This is not just people or demons but all creation will bow to the name of Jesus. When did God exalt this name? When Jesus rose from the dead! The purpose of all kneeling is to confess Jesus as Lord! Angels ,men, demons, and animals will all have to kneel before Jesus that day and confess Jesus. Every part of creation will kneel for He is Lord over all creation cause he created all things.

Eph 3:14-21 is a prayer that Paul prayed for the Ephesians and it says we need to kneel, so people today kneel when they pray. We do not have to kneel when we pray. We can stand to pray but people read one passage and think that is how it must be. Christ came to show forth his glory so that you would know the Father and that God would be rooted in you, so you being rooted in love enabling you to be filled with the knowledge of God. The Glory of God is given so that you may know who He is and experience fellowship with God. This prayer says that his knowledge is greater, his love is greater and his glory is greater. This whole prayer is summed up in knowing the love of God and that He would reveal his glory in us forever Amen!

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