Awaken – “The Peace You’re Looking For”

For a month or so we’ve been talking about spiritual awakening and have been telling the story of the awakening that took place in Falmouth beginning in 1809. This week we look at a specific family that was influenced by – and then influenced – that awakening, Suzanna Fish and her husband Thomas. Suzanna was deeply worried about being “good enough” to be a Christian, which brings up the question: how good is “good enough” – and how can I know if I am?  How can I have peace about my relationship with God?

1. Finding Peace…Finally (Ephesians 3:17-19)
   
   • After being reassured by the pastor and joining the Congregational church in 1804, Suzanna Fish still didn’t find the peace she was looking for; she still struggled with being “good enough.” But on May 12, 1812, in her home on Quissett Harbor, she finally made the decision to trust Jesus. He entered her heart, and “light broke in on [her] mind and [she] was filled with joy and peace unspeakable.”
   • The Apostle Paul wrote about experiencing such a peace in Ephesians chapter 3, in what’s known as his “high-priestly prayer.”  “May you experience the love of Christ… then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”
   • Experiencing this gift of life ourselves – enjoying the “unspeakable joy and peace” that Suzanna Fish received – gives us three things that only a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ can give us:
     
     1. Freedom from the Burden of Good Enough – We may think of ourselves as a “good person,” and others may tell us we’re “a really good person,” but how do we know if we’re “good enough” to please God?  When we encounter Jesus, he frees us from the burden of being “good enough.”
     2. Freedom from the Darkness of Loneliness – Our loneliness isn’t about being alone, per se – you can be in a crowded room and still feel desperately lonely. Loneliness is about acceptance, about being known and valued for who you are. When we trust Jesus to save us, he says to us “I know you – everything about you – and I love you and accept you just as you are.”
     3. A Story I Didn’t Write – We live under the weight of trying to impress others with our “story” – our public, cultivated image of who we are, why we matter, and what we’re living for. But in Jesus there is only one story – his Story – and he is writing us into it. The only applause we need to live for is his, which takes the pressure off of trying to write our own story.
2. Reflecting Heaven (Luke 15:3-7)
   
   • Suzanna Fish’s conversion – and the Quissett Revival that broke out because of it – was celebrated in Falmouth by the Congregational Church for over 80 years. Each year on May 12^th the congregation would go down to Quissett Harbor to celebrate and give thanks for what God had done there.
   • The joy and peace of knowing Jesus experientially is something worth celebrating. Jesus himself told a famous story about how heaven celebrates when each “one” comes to a saving faith in him – much like a shepherd would celebrate if he found a lost sheep that had wandered away from the herd.
   • We too are called, as Jesus’ followers, to celebrate with heaven when each “one” declares their faith in Jesus. As a church we get to do that when we celebrate baptisms, as we’ll do again next Sunday.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE

These passages may provide additional insights related to the subject of this week’s message. All verses are NLT unless otherwise noted.

Isaiah 26:3-4; John 14:27; Romans 5:6-11; Romans 15:13; Galatians 2:16; 1 Peter 1:8-9

Video of the Week: Shalom/Peace by the Bible Project

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

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1. How similar is Suzanna Fish’s story to yours? Have you struggled at times with being “good enough” to please God (and people)?  Explain your answer.

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2. How do you know when someone has peace in their lives (peace with themselves and/or peace with God)?  What does that look like?

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3. Read Ephesians 3:17-19 again. What do you think it means to be “made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God”?  What does that look like?

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4. Throughout the history of God’s people, he’s given us rules to follow – the 10 Commandments, for instance, plus Jesus’ “2 Commandments” (“love God and love your neighbor”). In your view, is the purpose of following these rules to make us “good people” who “please God”?  Why or why not?

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5. One of Cape Cod Church’s Five Commitments is that “We Build a Culture of Celebration That Reflects Heaven.”  What do you think that means – and how should we go about doing that?  

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6. Which do you think is the bigger obstacle to someone surrendering to Jesus and accepting his free gift of grace: “I’m good enough,” or “I could never be good enough”?  Explain your answer.

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