The Promise of Peace
I. A PROMISE of peace from PRISON. (v.1-10)
A. It’s ROOTED in the POWER of God. (v.2)
B. It’s REVEALED in RELATIONSHIP with God. (v.3)
C. It’s not LIMITED by CIRCUMSTANCES. (v.4-10)
D. It’s MORE than just WORDS. (v.6-9; Jer. 6:14)
The promise of peace always seems to come in the places so far from what we wanted them to be. The same is true for Jeremiah. His hard words for Israel have landed him in prison…held captive. Babylon is knocking at the door and it doesn’t look good. Yet God promises that there is more than what they see. Just like last week…He knows the plans He has for them…plans to give them a hope and a future.
1. Kid’s Question: When do you feel the most peaceful? What makes you feel that way?
2. Where would you most like to see peace come to your own life right now? What might that look like?
II. The PATHWAY that leads toward PEACE. (v.3-11)
A. It STARTS by CALLING out to God. (v.3)
B. Being HONEST about our own SITUATION. (v.3-5; Jer. 6:14)
C. A GIFT flowing from the GOODNESS of God. (v.6-11)
Notice that there is a progression here. Peace isn’t coming immediately. Jeremiah is encouraged (and the people as well) to call out to God in the middle of the desolation in order to get a glimpse of what might be happening on a deeper level. There is a pathway that leads toward peace.
3. What are the ways that you call out to God in your own life? Does that form a regular part of your day to day life?
4. What keeps us from being honest about our own situation or our need? How can we better live honestly before God?
III. The many LAYERS of HEALING peace (SHALOM). (v.6-16)
A. Peace with EACH OTHER. (v.6-7,9,11)
B. Peace with GOD. (v.8,11)
C. Peace WITHIN OURSELVES. (v.8,11)
D. Peace with CREATION. (v.12-13)
Peace, or the Hebrew word shalom, has a very rich meaning. Often we think of peace as just the absence of conflict. Shalom speaks for of a return to wholeness, a restoration of all things to their intended place and cohesion. It’s something our world is longing for today, even though at times we can’t even verbalize what it is we want.
5. Which aspect of peace is the most needed in your own life right now?
IV. Peace is a PERSON not a SITUATION. (v.14-16; Is. 11:1-9; Micah 2:2-5)
A. It’s the RESTORATION of RELATIONSHIP. (v.15-16; Jer. 23:5-6; Col. 1:19-20)
B. It ALLOWS for being “WITH” through difficulty. (Mark 3:14; Jn 16:33; Mt.28:20)
C. It TRANSCENDS both the DIFFICULTY and COMPREHENSION. (v.3; Phil.4:6-7)
D. It’s a GIFT that brings OTHERS with it. (v.1-16; Rom. 5:1-5)
And here is the crux of this whole idea of peace. The shalom that God is offering is not just a better life, one of wholeness and healing. The peace He offers is a person. Jesus becomes the embodiment of peace in that He brings healing and restoration to all areas of our lives…to all aspects of our world.
6. How does viewing peace as a Person who is with you instead of an outcome change the way you understand what God might be doing in your life now?
7. When have you experienced a peace that transcended both the circumstance and your own understanding?
8. How does the passage from Romans 5 challenge your assumptions about what “living in peace” might look like?