13th August 2006  

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT - PEACE!     Pastor Linton Smith

I was chatting the other day with a man from an African country. I asked him what life was like in his country. His reply surprised me. Good – we have not had a war since the 1960s.

That made me think. For many people in our world today war is a way of life. In millions of hearts there must be a longing for peace.. for the day described by the prophet Isaiah..

Isaiah 2:4.. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

Until that day.. in a world at war.. we can have peace, the peace that Jesus gives.

o        HE GIVES US HIS PEACE.

John 14:27.. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Peace.. His peace.. not as the world gives..  not simply the absence of conflict.. but a deep inner peace.. tranquillity.. undisturbed by what is going on around us.

o        HE GIVES US HIS PEACE WHEN WE BELIEVE IN HIM.

Peter was invited to share the good news about Jesus with a Roman soldier and his friends. After a few words, he said..

Acts 10:36.. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

He describes the good news as the good news of peace through Jesus Christ.

Paul describes it the same way..

Ephesians 6:14,15.. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

The gospel of peace.. the good news of peace.. good news about peace.. good news that brings peace.. when we believe it.. and believe in Jesus.

When we believe in Jesus.. when we admit we are sinners in need of forgiveness.. believe He died in our place.. and rose again.. and come to Him..

o        JESUS GIVES US PEACE WITH GOD.

Peter told the Roman soldier and his friends that Jesus had been raised from the dead.. and that God had appointed Him judge of the living and the dead.  That is a thought that should terrify us.. and does when God makes this truth real to us.. and then.. when we believe in Jesus.. the terror is calmed. Peter says..

Acts 10:43.. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

John Newton.. Amazing Grace..

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear And grace my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed

Paul struggled to find peace with God.. by trying hard to please God.. and failed miserably.. but then.. he believed in Jesus.. and later said..

Romans 5:1.. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ..

Peace.. with God.. and a whole new life. He wrote to the Corinthians..

2 Corinthians 5:17-19.. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.

Reconciled to God.. sins forgiven.. at peace.. and now a messenger of peace.. this peace.. of reconciliation.. we appeal to you.. be reconciled to God.

John Stott describes how a student responded when he discovered this..

The burden of my past life was lifted. I felt as if a huge weight.. had gone. With the relief and sense of lightness came incredible joy.  I was free of my past. I knew that God has forgiven me, and I felt clean. I wanted to shout and tell everybody [The Cross of Christ p42].

That is the peace Jesus gives us first of all.. and then..

o        JESUS GIVES US THE PEACE OF GOD.

Paul writes.. Philippians 4:6,7.. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Do not be anxious.. Perhaps he thought they were anxious about him.. in prison.. facing possible execution.. but his words speak powerfully to us today.. for even in times of peace.. and plenty.. we find things to worry about..  The antidote is to take everything to God in prayer.. everything.. hand it all over to God.. then we will know the peace of God.. which transcends all understanding!

There is an old story about a man who was trudging along the road.. a heavy sack on his back.. Someone came by in a horse and cart.. offered him a lift.. he accepted.. The driver looked around to see him.. sitting on the cart.. the sack still on his back.. Drop it on to the cart.. it will be alright. No.. you are already carrying me.. I cannot expect you to carry my burden as well!

Hand our burdens over to God.. and we will experience His peace!

That is one thing we need to do.. Paul writes about another in..

Romans 8:6.. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace..

When our minds are controlled by the Spirit of God.. the Spirit of Christ.. then we have life and peace.. when our minds are controlled by the Spirit.. we think like Jesus.. we value what Jesus values.. and then we have peace..

Two examples..

We see others being praised by people.. and we are left out.. Think like Jesus and we will value far more the praise of God the Father.. and peace will reign.

We have plans for a long, healthy life.. then illness comes along.. terrorist attacks disrupt our plans.. Think like Jesus.. and our focus will be not on this world.. but on heaven.. peace will reign. Turn your eyes upon Jesus..

Let the Spirit rule our minds. When He rules.. we have the peace of God.

Jesus gives us peace with God.. the peace of God.. and..

o        JESUS GIVES US PEACE WITH FELLOW BELIEVERS.

At the time when Jesus was here in human form Jews and Gentiles were anything but the best of friends..

David Stern.. Jewish New Testament Commentary.. This enmity between Jews and Gentiles had four components: (1) Gentile envy of the special status accorded by God to Israel in the Torah. (2) Jewish pride at being chosen. (3) Gentile resentment of that pride. (4) Mutual dislike of each other’s customs. [p585]

Added to this.. In Jerusalem.. the inner court in which the Temple stood..was surrounded by a wall, a one and a half meter stone barricade. In 1871 one of the notices on this wall was found. It reads, No foreigner may enter within the barrier and enclosure round the Temple. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death. [Stott/Eph p92].

With that as background.. and the fact that not long before the Jews had falsely accused him of bringing a non-Jew into the Temple [Acts 21:28] and because of that accusation he was now in prison.. Paul writes..

Ephesians 2:11-18.. Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men) -  remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Separate.. excluded.. far away.. but now.. dividing wall broken down.. brought near.. no longer two.. but one new man!

What a change! Former enemies now stand on common ground.. on grace.. on what Jesus did for them on the cross.. and have access to the Father by one Spirit. Jesus has made one ‘new man’ out of the two.. thus making peace!

Now, the challenge.. found often in the New Testament.. is to live in peace

Romans 14:19.. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Colossians 3:15.. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.

1 Thessalonians 5:13.. Live in peace with each other.

Ephesians 4:1-3.. As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.. by being humble.. gentle.. patient.. bearing with one another in love.. In other places.. Paul would say.. forgiving one another as Christ has forgiven you..

A great reminder of the importance of unity.. and the power of forgiveness in Radio Bible Class/Our Daily Bread this week [9-8-06]..

When we believe in Jesus.. we are on the pathway of peace.. peace with God.. the peace of God.. peace with fellow believers.. and

o        JESUS GIVES US PEACE THAT OVERFLOWS INTO ALL OUR RELATIONSHIPS.

Jesus wants His people.. His church.. the local church..  to be a place of peace.. with that peace overflowing into the community..

He wants His people to live at peace with all people..

Romans 12:17,18.. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

A realist.. as far as it depends on you.. responsible for our own actions and reactions.. not for those of the other person..

Hebrews 12:14.. Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Peace – without compromise. Don’t give in to the pressure of those who mock your life in Jesus.. stand firm in seeking to please Jesus first of all.. and at the same time.. make every effort to live at peace with all men..

And Jesus wants us to go beyond that.. to being peacemakers!

Matthew 5:9.. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

He may be thinking of patching up quarrels.. but I think He has a lot more in mind than that.. God the Father is the great peacemaker.. He gave His Son.. to die.. to reconcile us to Himself.. and now Jesus says.. we will be called His sons and daughters.. like Him.. if we make that message known.. and give people opportunity to be reconciled to God.. and start out on the pathway of peace.

Can we do it? No we cannot.

But the Holy Spirit can.. and praise God.. He lives in us.. Trust Him.. rely on Him.. and we will be surprised by what He does.