Sermons
A Different Kind of Peace
Sun, Jan 05, 2020
Teacher: Tom Blackford Series: Sunday Sermons PM - 2020 Scripture: Romans 5:1-11 & Ephesians 2:11-22
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A Different Kind of Peace
Romans 5:1-11, Ephesians 2:11-22
INTRO:
Good evening. I would like to begin by relating a story that Somerset Maugham, the English writer once wrote about a janitor at St Peter's Church in London. One day a young vicar discovered that the janitor was illiterate and fired him. Jobless, the man invested his meager savings in a tiny tobacco shop, where he prospered, bought another, expanded, and ended up with a chain of tobacco stores worth several hundred thousand dollars. One day the man's banker said, "You've done well for an illiterate, but where would you be if you could read and write?" "Well," replied the man, "I'd be janitor of St. Peter's Church in Neville Square."
I guess the point is trouble can show up from anywhere in our life but it is how we deal with it that is important. Someone wrote, “If you could kick the person responsible for most of your troubles in the seat of their pants, you wouldn't be able to sit down for a week.” Troublemakers are all over this sin cursed world we’re living in, and sometimes it seems we are forever trying to escape them. Most of us do not like conflict and would far rather have peace. But Christians should be pursuing another type of peace from what the world’s idea of peace is. According to Galatians 5:22 all Christians possess peace. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”
It should be of no surprise to us that Christians should possess the fruit of peace in their lives since the Christian’s Father is a God of peace. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Paul writes “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Think about Isaiah, and how he describes the messiah in Isaiah 9:6 – “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
I guess when it comes to peace most of the world thinks about it at Christmas time. Someone said in jest that the phrase which best sums up the Christmas season is “Peace on earth, Good will to all and batteries not included.”
Have you ever heard anyone praying for peace? It’s very common especially at this season of the year. As Christians I believe we should pray for peace but I don’t think the world really understands what they are praying for. They think no more wars, no more murders, no more terrorism, everybody getting along with everybody else.
Folks, the world seeks peace through positive thinking, through tranquillizers, electrotherapy, and that’s wrong. The real question we need to answer is; what is this "peace" enjoyed by those who walk in the Spirit? How does a person come to have this peace? How can we be sure to preserve this peace, and enjoy it to its fullest extent?
Peace is often defined in the negative terms as though peace were simply the absence of conflict, the wonderful time of no struggles. When you think about the peace we find defined within the Scripture it also includes some positives. The Greek word for peace is ‘eirene’, which is defined as "peace between individuals"
One commentary says this about peace as found in some parts of the New Testament: it used in terms of, “the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is". In other words, rather than simply being an absence of conflict, the peace God provides is a condition that is positive in nature and active in fellowship, harmony and concord between individuals.
I. Let me tell you a story about a man who was walking home late one night when he came across a woman, who was standing under a streetlight, looking intently down the street; the man says to the woman “What are you looking for?” The woman replied “My keys” The man said, “Where did you lose them?” she said “Over there” The man said “Why are you looking over here?” The woman replied “The light is better.”
A. You won’t find peace in a beer bottle; you won’t find peace by taking drugs. The point is this; if you are not in Christ you cannot enjoy God’s peace. If you are looking for peace this evening, then you need to look in the right place; not where the world says you will find it, but where God says you will find it and the only place to find eternal peace is in Jesus Christ.
1. Don’t be fooled, there will never be peace in this world, because Satan is still around and Satan doesn’t want peace. There will be no complete peace until Jesus returns and all the righteous will be with Him. Biblical peace comes from Jesus who came to bring that very thing.
2. We already looked at Isaiah’s prophecy; let’s look at it again beginning in Isaiah 9:6-7 – “6. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” To have this peace which the Bible talks about we need to first at least understand where this peace comes from. When Jesus began His ministry here on earth, He started preaching and of what did He preach? He came preaching peace. Acts 10:36 – “"The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ He is Lord of all ”
B. Like I said, folks, it is Jesus who offers us peace and we won’t find it anywhere else in the world because the world is not able to offer it. Jesus Himself said in John 14:27 – “"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
1. Let me share something else about this peace that Jesus offers, we can possess it even if our life is in ruins and we’re going through all sorts of personal problems. What if tomorrow someone would go to the doctor and say “my life is in a mess, my wife has walked out with another man, my kids are hooked on weed and I just can’t handle it anymore”. What would the doctor say? The doctor would say, “Here are some antidepressants and here is the number of a good counselor”.
2. Folks, as Isaiah has already told us, Christians have the best counselor in the whole universe and that’s Jesus. Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that even in the middle of tribulation you can have peace. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.''”
II. Peace With God - The peace which Jesus brought involves many things, one of which is the most important peace of all, peace with God. If you have your Bibles with you please turn to Roman 5 where we’re going to read some of the greatest texts within the Scriptures. Romans 5:1 – “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
A. In other words peace with God comes to those who are justified by faith. Look what happens when we have this peace with God. Romans 5:2-5 – “2. through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4. and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
1. When we have that peace with God it makes us happy, so happy all we want to do is rejoice. When we rejoice it fills us with love, even in the midst of hard times and tribulation we are filled with love. Look at the next verse.
2. Romans 5:6-9 – “6. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him!”
3. That peace and joy and love was only made possible by the loving sacrifice of Jesus' blood. That peace and joy and love is still possible for us to enjoy today because Jesus rose from the dead.
B. That’s what Paul tells us in Romans 5:10-11 – “10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”
1. Folks, the tomb wasn’t the end. Jesus being nailed to the cross wasn’t the end. Jesus dying on it wasn’t the end. As Robert Lowry the Hymn writer wrote, “Up from the grave he arose; with a mighty triumph o'er his foes; he arose a victor from the dark domain, and he lives forever, with his saints to reign. He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!”
2. In the words of the Hebrew writer in Hebrews 7:25 – “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them.” Peace with God is still an offer for those who aren’t yet Christians and He reminds those who are Christians that you are still at peace with Him.
III. Peace With Man - Another peace which God has to offer is peace with man. You see, folks, when a person finds peace with God first, then they can go on to find peace with their fellow man. It’s no secret that the Jews and Gentiles couldn’t stand one another. The Bible is full of examples of their hostility towards each other. But in Christianity those called Jews and Gentiles or circumcision and uncircumcision found they could be at peace with one another. The world cannot offer that peace.
A. That’s Paul’s point in Ephesians 2:11-14 – “11. Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands 12. that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ. 14. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of division between us,”
B. It might be good for any Christian to pause now and then and look up to God and remember the way their life was before they began to follow Christ. The Jews and Gentiles hated each other but when Jesus’ peace is introduced and understood, all men can be at peace with each other. I notice something else; it was only made possible through the same act which makes peace with God possible, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
1. Isaiah says in Isaiah 57:19-21 – “19. "I create the fruit of the lips: peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,'' says the Lord, "And I will heal him.'' 20. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21. "There is no peace,'' says my God, "for the wicked.''”
2. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:15-16 – “15. having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16. and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.” For all Christians, the cross means the renunciation of self, the denial of self, followed by union with Christ. It is in Jesus where the new man has a new life, a new name, a whole set of new value-judgments, and a new mind, the mind of Christ.
3. That peace wasn’t just for the people of Jesus’ time; it is for you, me and everyone here tonight. Jesus didn’t just come to preach peace to the people in His day; He came to preach peace to all of mankind as Paul tells us in the next verse. Ephesians 2:17 – “He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.”
C. That peace is really amazing because it offers three other wonderful things. 1st of all Paul says in Ephesians 2:18 – “For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” Through Him, Christ ...by one spirit, the Holy Spirit, to the Father, God. In other words, Jesus’ peace gives us direct communication to God. No more going to the earthly priests and asking them to pray to God for us, we can do that ourselves. We have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, who intercedes for us.
D. 2nd Paul says in Ephesians 2:19 – “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,” Paul says that this peace which you can have is a peace where all can be fellow-citizens with the saints, a peace where all can be members of the family of God.
E. The 3rd thing is what Paul says in Ephesians 2:20-22 – “Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit”. [para] Paul says that Jesus’ peace is a peace where all can be a temple in the Lord. We can all be a home where God will live in us in the form of His Spirit. We are joined together in the congregations of Jesus Christ into a dwelling place where God dwells in all of us, the church of the living God.
IV. Peace With Self - The final side of peace I would like us to look at this evening is peace with self. Peace within ourselves only comes when we possess being at peace with God and being at peace with those around us through Jesus.
A. In other words, when Jesus brings us peace with God and man, peace within ourselves naturally follows. Paul also describes this peace this way in Philippians 4:6-7 – “6. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
1. Paul says that this peace blesses the soul from within. That’s something else this world cannot offer, because Paul says this peace comes from God. Paul says this peace surpasses all understanding. That word guard there is a Roman military word and what Paul is saying is this peace that we have from Christ protects and it serves as a fortress to guard our hearts and minds. But again it only comes through Christ Jesus.
2. We get migraines and ulcers and high blood pressure and work ourselves into early graves and we’re miserable and we snap at people when our tempers are high. We’re like that because of all the stuff we’re worrying about and we say, “Why does God let this happen to me”? Do you know what God who is up heaven is probably thinking? God is up there thinking - “Why don’t they pray?
3. Paul doesn’t say, “If you pray about everything God will always give you everything you ask for”. What Paul does say is, “when you start regularly praying to God you are going to get what you need most of all in your life. You are going to get the experience of His touch in your life”. Paul says, “you are going to get a peace that will flood your life so much, that you can’t even explain it, but you cannot explain away either.”
4. This is hard to talk about because there are some who never felt that peace and would think I’m sounding crazy. There have been times in my life where I have just poured out my heart to God, and the peace that God sent was so present, I literally felt it. I can’t explain it. The Bible says, “It’s beyond understanding” It’s God’s gift to you, to take away your worry.
B. Folks, Christians have something special. Our peace comes from the relationship we have with our God. Our peace comes from the assurance of heaven for those who are faithful. Our peace comes from the knowing that the blood of Christ is continuously washing our sins away. Our peace comes from knowing that our salvation is assured and already taken care of. We don’t have to stress about whether: Am I getting to heaven or not. That’s what the Christian peace is and the world cannot offer that.
V. We must never forget that Jesus, as the Prince of peace, even before He was born - He had peace in mind for us. Even on the night of His birth, it was pronounced by an angel in Luke 2:11-14 – “11. "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12. "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.'' 13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!''”
A. When He started His ministry He came preaching peace. He died on the cross to make peace possible with God, and with ourselves. When you think about His kingdom which He established after His death and resurrection, peace was and still is the key feature of that kingdom.
B. Paul tells us in Romans 14:17-19 – “17. for the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.”
C. We need to consider this evening where are we searching for peace? I know some folks that go looking for peace in their local tavern on a Friday night. They think forgetting their troubles is peace, at least for the moment. Those folks are not here. I know some folks look for peace when they read the astrology page in a newspaper or tabloid. They think peace is knowing what will happen. They are not here and their future is still in doubt. Some are unhappy with their home lives and are thinking if I just divorce my spouse and find a new one and that will give me peace. They lack understanding and they are not here. There are many that haven’t made peace with God yet. When they go to bed at night they worry about their future in eternity.
D. Peace is only found in Christ and its Christ who replaces the world’s idea of peace in our hearts with His peace. Paul says in Colossians 3:15 – “let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” For that to happen we first need to allow Jesus to give us His peace as Paul prayed for the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians 3:16 – “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.”
CONCLUSION:
Wouldn’t we all want to have that sort of peace in our life to the very end—to our last breath? Do you want that peace with God? Don’t you want to be a peace with your fellow man? Do you desire to have that peace within? Do you really want to experience that "peace which surpasses all understanding"? -- Too many times I hear people say at funerals, ‘at least they are at peace now’.
Let me be honest with you, if they are not Christians, if they’ve not been baptized into Christ, being at peace is far from their condition. Matthew 13:47-50 – and I paraphrase; "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”.
Now I don’t know about you but that sounds to me more like torment than it does peace. Folks, we cannot find peace with God after we’re dead, we need to accept that peace now. All you have to do is obey what Jesus said to His disciples shortly before ascending into heaven.
Matthew 28:18-20 - "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
It’s very simple, isn’t it? If you want Jesus to be with you to the very end of the age, if you want that peace in your life, you need to be in Christ. The way you get in Christ is to do what Jesus says. Believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God, and to openly confess that faith. Then motivated by that faith repent and be baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit for the remission of your sins, and continue to follow the Good Shepherd by faith. Loved ones, the peace that Jesus offers is a different kind of peace from what the world has to offer.
Invitation: ???
Reference Sermon
Mike Glover
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Chardon, Ohio 44024