C126 2/16/58
© Project Winsome International, 2000

LIVING YOUR LEGACY
Dr. John Allan Lavender
John 14:27

One of the beautiful points of interest in the city of St. Louis is their famous zoo. One of the fascinating sections in that zoo is the lions' arena where every day, during the summer, the trainers put the big cats through their paces. A few summers ago, the lions' arena took on even more interest when a mother robin built her nest just above a lion's head on the steam pipes which ran through the cage. There she sat -- in perfect contentment -- just a few feet above the mighty monarch of the jungle.

Each day the trainer would put the lions through their act to the accompaniment of ferocious roars and terrifying snarls. But Mrs. Robin continued to sit in her nest completely unconcerned. After a while, the St. Louis papers began to give a running account of this young mother living contentedly within a few feet of death and destruction. Hundreds of people stopped by to see Mrs. Robin nesting quietly in the center of the lions' den.

As time passed, her fledglings hatched and grew sufficiently until one day -- as quietly and unflustered as she had come -- Mrs. Robin and her babies flew away. When it was all over, Dick McGraw, the famous lion tamer, mentioned the parable of the robin in the lions' den to a friend and said, "You know, it's a great thing to live above the roar of lions and live in peace."

I think we all agree. To posses serenity in the midst of life's storms -- to have peace in spite of the lion's roar -- is one of the deepest longings of our hearts. And that is precisely what Jesus said we could have. Just before leaving the earth, Jesus revealed his Last Will and Testament to those who were to inherit his wealth. It was a simple will and contained just one item: peace.
"Peace I leave with you," he said. "My peace I give unto you some; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Knowing the demands of life -- the bitterness of disappointment, the heartache of sorrow, the anguish of suffering, the pain of rejection, the snarl of hatred -- Jesus bequeaths to his disciples and all who trust his holy name, the gift of peace. His peace. "Peace I leave with you," he said, "My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid."

What Peace Is Not
He wasn't talking about escapism. As a matter of fact, he uttered these words on the eve of his supreme ordeal. Faced with a cross, Jesus talked of peace. Nor was he urging a quiescent unconcern. A calloused unresponsiveness to the cold, hard facts of life as they are. To the contrary -- by example -- Jesus made it perfectly clear it is possible to have peace within, and yet be tremendously concerned about things without.

On one occasion we hear him say,
"Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say?" (John 12:27).
On another occasion the writer of the fourth gospel records that
"He was troubled in spirit and testified and said, verily, verily I say unto you, one of you shall betray me." (John 13:21).
As J. Sidlow Baxter, the great Scotch preacher, points out:
"The Lord Jesus Christ could be moved with compassionate concern for the multitude. He could sigh over the sufferings of the afflicted. He could weep at the grave of Lazarus. He could marvel at man's unbelief. He could thunder forth his anger at the hypocrisy of the scribes and pharisees. He could be 'troubled' at the prospect of his agony. He could suffer as no other. Yet this is the one, who, none-the-less, gives to us the picture of the most wonderful peace we could ever find or desire, and who said to us, 'Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled; Neither let it be afraid.'"

No! Peace is not mere apathy or quiescence in the face of life's struggle. It is not a kind of stoic suppression of one's genuine feelings. It is not the "happy-go-lucky bravado" of the godless who plunge into their pleasure completely oblivious to the consequences. It is not an ironclad guarantee of inevitable success and freedom from distress.

As a matter of fact, many of us in ministry are greatly concerned over the current religious fad which places a premium on "successful and confident living." Why? Because it turns God into a kind of cosmic bellhop, who sits anxiously on the doorstep of heaven waiting to jump at our "beck and call."

Christianity is not a crutch to help us through the bad spots. It is not a kind of "happy pill" that dulls our sensitivities and emotions so we wander through life with bovine complacency. It is not a narcotic that makes us completely insensitive to the storms which rage about us. Christianity is anything but that!

Today we are beset with a rather refined version of the philosophy that swept through the country back in the 1920's, "Every day and every in way I get better and better." But you see, this kind of foolishness totally ignores the warning of Christ when he pointed out that the wheat and the tares will grow together. The harvest of righteousness will increase. But the harvest of evil will alsoincrease. And to say that the world is getting better and better every day and in every way is to misread the facts. There are terrible tragedies, indescribable heartaches, and unbelievable inequities all about us. And there is something disastrous about a religion that offers easy answers and soft solutions to problems and mysteries which sometimes have no answers or solutions at all -- at least in earthly terms.

The peace Jesus is talking about has nothing to do with the absence of disturbance. Rather, he is speaking of a calm assurance in the very midst of turbulence. He is concerned, not with the surface, but with the depths. They tell us that far, far down beneath the surface of the billowing ocean is a place called "the cushion of the sea." Untouched by storms, this is a part of the ocean which never stirs. When dredged, "the cushion of the sea" yields the remains of animal and vegetable life, giving evidence of having been undisturbed for thousands of years. My peace is like that, Jesus said. It is a matter of the depths, not just the surface things of life.

How different from the peace the world has to offer. The world is forever selling us pleasures in place of the deep down joy Jesus offers. The world continually puts the emphasis upon outward composure, while Jesus puts the emphasis upon inward peace. The world talks about peace of mind, while Jesus talks about peace of soul.

Let's not deny the fact that the world actually succeeds in achieving a form of peace. But it is only a reasonable facsimile of the peace Jesus offers. This simulated peace is based upon happy surroundings, good business and the possession of things. But the peace Jesus gives is ours in spite of everything.

Life of Christ
Take a look at the life of Jesus for a moment and then perhaps you'll begin to understand how rich is this legacy he calls, "My peace." Jesus was not what someone has called "a mooning dallier." As a matter of fact, as that writer points out, "he was one of the busiest men whoever lived." Mark, the writer of the first gospel, tells us that on one occasion Jesus didn't even have time to eat (My. 6:31). Frankly, I've never thought of him that way. I've always admired the apparent leisureliness with which Jesus and his disciples seemed to meander through life. But, the anonymous author I just quoted, provides a list of the things Jesus got involved in, in one twenty four hour day (Mk 1; Lk. 4). Listen:

"In the morning he preached in the synagogue. Critics and enemies were present. After the synagogue service was over, he immediately went to deal with a lunatic, and the scene was full of hysteria. An unclean spirit was tormenting this poor man and crying in a loud voice. A crowd gathered round, wondering who Jesus was and what he was going to do. When Jesus healed the man, the crowds became larger and larger. Jesus then went to the home of Peter, where Peter's mother-in-law was dangerously ill with a high fever. Jesus raised her up and cured her, too. Then we are told that at sunset 'all the city was gathered together at Peter's door.' There, in the city streets so to speak, Jesus dealt with needy people. Undoubtedly it kept him busy late into the night. And that was one day!"

Go further back and study more of the life of Jesus, and you will see it was not void of difficulty. Free from pressing urgencies. Immune to distressing circumstances. Yet Jesus faced all of these with complete composure.

When the little ship in which he was sailing was suddenly enveloped in a terrible storm, and everyone else was agitated and afraid, the disciples found Jesus fast asleep amid the raging elements.

When he was a guest at a wedding feast and the wine ran out, the master of the feast became terribly upset, but Jesus remained at ease in the face of this pressing urgency.

When he was accosted by a band of soldiers in the garden, Peter panicked, whipped out his sword and slashed off the ear of one of the soldiers, but Jesus remained completely calm and even paused to heal the ear of the wounded warrior.

When he stood before Pilate.
When he suffered a cruel beating in the soldiers' common court.
When his ears were filled with the ribald laughter of a mocking crowd.
When they spit upon him, stoned him, and nailed him to a cross, he was, in the face of all this, the epitome of peace.
"He was led as a lamb to the slaughter," Scripture says, "without his murmuring so much as a word" (Isa. 53:7).

And it is this peace Jesus offers you.
"Peace I leave with you: My peace I give unto you."
The peace that helped me conquer the storm.
The peace that helped me face the pressing urgency of an embarrassed wedding host.
The peace that enabled me to endure the stress and strain of a busy day.
The peace that gave me victory over sorrow and disappointment.
The peace that helped me conquer the heartaches of suffering.
The peace that made it possible to face the sadness of rejection.
The peace that led me triumphantly through the bitterness of death.
That peace, "my peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
What a precious legacy!

In a book edited by Alton M. Motter, there is a story about a man who lived through the terrible hurricane which swept Halifax, Nova Scotia several summers ago. The winds reached 120 miles an hour and he says, "I remember peering out the window, watching. I saw the results of the wind, and heard the incredible howling and felt the house shudder as I stood and watched entranced. Then the heart of the storm passed directly over the city. I had always heard there was a calm at the center of a storm. I thought the phrase was a bit of literary license. I thought it would be a relative calm, but suddenly the sun came out. There were a few scattered clouds and no breeze at all. I experienced an exhilarating feeling, perhaps because of the lessened pressure. There we stood, in the midst of a magnificent sunny day, at the heart of a tremendous tumult."

Well, beloved, that's exactly what Jesus is talking about. The peace he offers does not set you
apart from the tumult. It is at the very heart of it! In the midst of a world that has seemingly gone mad, you are able to stand, with the help of Jesus, and experience inner serenity because you know God's hand still rests securely upon the affairs of this world.

This is the peace Jesus offers. "My peace."
The peace that passes all understanding.
The peace that conquers in the face of strife.
The peace that remains secure in the midst of trouble.

Let me show you what I mean. A young embryo preacher graduated from the Boston School of Theology. His first five years in the ministry marked him as a man of great promise. Then, suddenly, a severe sickness struck him down. Slowly the tides of suffering rose around "the shores" of his body. One leg was amputated. The other leg withered. One eye failed and then his second eye failed, leaving him in total darkness. His joints stiffened. His spinal column hardened. Finally, he was left with the use of only one arm and hand. Yet, out of this prolonged Gethsemane came a book entitled "God's White Throne," a book he wrote himself. A masterful argument proving -- think of it! -- the absolute goodness of God. Peace in the face of tragedy!

Annie Johnson Flint, who has become known as the poet of peace, was smitten with a combination of terrible diseases including arthritis. And yet, out of forty years of suffering she could write with painfully distorted hands:

"But I looked up into the face of Jesus,
And there my heart found rest, my fears were stilled.
For there is joy, and love, and light for darkness,
Perfect peace, and every hope fulfilled."

It's not possible to escape from fear and failure in this world. When Jesus said, "My peace I give unto you," he didn't mean you would be insulated from the strife of life. Rather, he meant that in the midst of seething unrest your trembling heart can find its peace in him. In the center of distress and difficulty, disease and despair, and yes, even death, you can rendezvous with peace.

How Does This Happen?
Well, that will be the theme of the other six sermons in this series. But, for the moment, let me say this: His peace does not come by merely wishing. If that were true, there would be no "distracted, nervous, harried people in the world." If that were true, "the madness of living" which you see all around you would cease to be, for there isn't one of us who doesn't wish for peace. But, the peace Jesus offers does not come by merely wishing.

Nor does it come through "a difficult, mystic pilgrimage demanding stern asceticism and requiring years to accomplish it." One of the amazing things about Jesus is that he always had a message for simple, ordinary people like you and me. And, as I listen to what Jesus said, it seems there are three basic requirements to be met if you would revel in his peace.


First, you must see your need. You must become aware of your fragility and the urgent necessity for real peace within your heart.

Second, you must realize the peace you need is his peace, not the world's peace. You must be done forever with the folly of thinking you can have the serenity you desire by placing your security in the acquisition of things. As Dr. John Huess, of Trinity Church in New York City, points out:
"(You) must have the good sense to know that getting is not synonymous with living. That saving for a rainy day is quite different from being saved. That redemption is not a banking term. That making a name and a place is no guarantee that you will lay hold of that elusive spiritual treasure known as peace."

Saint Francis of Assisi didn't own the shirt on his back, but he was one of the most serenely happy people whoever lived. Jesus didn't have a home or an extra change of clothes, and when he died they gambled for the "shirt" on his back. But Jesus had a peace which is unforgettable. And he glides across the pages of history as a living rebuke to man's mad scramble to find peace in outward things.

Third, not only must you recognize your need of peace, and more especially, your need of hispeace, you must realize that if you are a Christian the peace Jesus offers is potentially yours already. You don't need to beg for it. You don't need to strive for it. You don't need to struggle for it. You don't need to fight for it. You only need to appropriate it. It's yours already.

"My peace I give unto you," Jesus said. It's not something you earn. Or something you deserve. It is something you receive as a gift when you accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is his bequest to you. And with it -- like him -- you can conquer all.

There's a beautiful old hymn I love very much. It goes like this:
"Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight,
Flows a melody sweeter than psalm,
In celestial-like strains it unceasingly falls
O'er my soul like an infinite calm."

"Peace, peace wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above.
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray,
With fathomless billows of love."

This is your legacy. This is Christ's bequest to you. Have you claimed your inheritance of peace?

The following was printed and distributed to worshipers along with the Order of Worship.
Spiritual Prescription For Today

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give unto you" (John 14:27).

Directions: To be "taken" each morning along with the following daily reminder.
Today I will live in perfect peace for, as a Christian, my inheritance is the peace of Christ. With this peace he conquered every experience of life. With this peace I, too, am more than conqueror.

Dr. John Allan Lavender
Morgan Park Baptist Church
11345 So. Bell, Chicago, Ill.