“PEACE” (GAL. 5:22)
INTRODUCTION:
1. There are some things that governments cannot do.
2. One of the things that is impossible for governments to do is the creation of total peace.
A. No matter how much money is spent, there will always be a lack of peace somewhere.
B. A battle or a war will always be fought.
C. Crime in homes, neighborhoods and cities will always leave a lack of peace.
3. Even if governments could completely wipe out violence they cannot make everyone have peace of
mind.
4. Governments can help promote peace but they are incapable of creating total peace.
I. UNTOLD BILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT ON PEACE AND, WHILE SOME OF THIS MONEY HAS BROUGHT FORTH GOOD RESULTS, TOTAL PEACE HAS NEVER BEEN ACHIEVED.
A. The Bible is a book that deals with the subject of peace.
B. According to Gal. 5 “peace” is a fruit of the Spirit.
C. When we look at this part of the Christian life a distinction needs to be made.
D. Our definition of peace may not be the Biblical definition of peace.
E. The leaders of the nation may say, “The war is over; we have reached a peace agreement.”
F. This kind of “peace” is little more than an end to the fighting.
G. Those who have been fighting probably still hate each other.
H. There is still bad blood between those who were killing each other.
I. Even though some say, “We have a peace agreement” the peace is not anything to boast about.
J. In the Bible, “peace” has a different meaning.
K. Not only is the meaning different; this word is extremely important.
L. The word “peace” occurs in every NT book except 1 John.
M. In the original text the word can be found 92 times.
N. The NT is a book of peace.
O. To really understand and appreciate peace, we must start with the OT.
P. In the first half of the Bible, “peace” is mentioned about 280 times.
Q. The basic meaning of peace in the OT is “tranquility”.
R. It meant that people were “well, complete, safe and sound.”
S. In the OT we are also introduced to another idea – peace comes from God.
T. Isa. 45:7 “I make peace … I am Jehovah.”
U. The NT opens with God making peace.
V. Lk. 1 has Zacharias “prophesying”. 1:67
W. John’s father said several things about Jesus.
X. One of the things he said is in v. 79. READ.
Y. Jesus is man’s guide to peace.
(1) A man inspired by the spirit of God said governments are not going to provide peace.
(2) In that day and time the Roman government was very interested in peace and did an excellent job of keeping it.
(3) Perhaps they tried as hard as anyone ever will to make peace.
(4) True peace, God said, comes from somewhere else.
(5) John’s father said that peace would not come from economic prosperity.
(6) It would not come through military might.
(7) Neither would it come from good mental health.
(8) Peace would come through Christ.
Z. This message was repeated by the angels. Lk 2:11-14 – READ
A. When Paul said the “fruit of the Spirit is peace”, he made a statement that points us to Jesus.
B. When we think of Jesus we may think of his death.
C. The Lord’s death and peace are tied together. Rom. 5:1 says … QUOTE/READ.
(1) Part of a Christian’s peace is “with God”.
(2) I cannot speak for you but I will speak for myself.
(3) If there is a God who can …
(a) Shower cities with fire and brimstone;
(b) Use a sea creature to swallow up a man;
(c) Destroy mankind by a worldwide flood;
(d) Drown mighty soldiers in a sea;
(e) Use something like an earthquake to kill over 250 people;
(f) Create a plague that destroys close to 15,000 people;
(g) Rain down giant hailstones that kills wrongdoers;
(h) And uses bears to end the lives of 42 people;
(i) Then I want to be on peaceful terms with such a God
(4) I do not want to be someone this God classifies as an enemy.
(5) Yet the Bible says that men are opposed to this God.
(6) Rom. 5 says this God views accountable men as “enemies, sinners, and ungodly”.
(7) If this is a common spiritual state of man, a pressing question must be asked: “How can we have peace with this God?”
(8) This is a need we have. This is an absolute must. It is the most important question we will ever ask.
(9) This is something no one will want to be without in eternity.
(10) Rom. 5:1 says that peace comes through Christ.
D. If we “walk by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16) we have this peace.
E. If we are Christians, we are friends with God.
(1) No matter how miserable our lives may be;
(2) No matter how distressing things are or ever get;
(3) We have the most important thing in the world.
II. IN CONSIDERING WHAT HAS BEEN SAID, WE HAVE PEACE. THIS PEACE COMES THROUGH CHRIST. THE FATHER SENT CHRIST INTO THE WORLD SO THERE COULD BE PEACE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND MEN.
A. Christians should be well aware of what heaven has done.
B. Most should also know that many times in the NT Christians are told to follow heaven’s example.
(1) For example, God loved man.
(2) Christians are told to do the same; we are also to show love to man.
(3) God has been merciful to man; Christians have the same duty.
(4) God has been longsuffering with man; Christians must have the same attitude.
(5) God withdraws from sinful people; those in the church have the same responsibility.
C. Heaven has worked to make peace with man.
D. Guess what is true for us.
E. We, too, have a responsibility in the area of peacemaking.
F. Most remember from the Sermon on the Mount the beatitude that says, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
G. Christians are to be people who strive for peace.
H. This striving for peace is to be all-inclusive. Rom. 12:18 says … QUOTE.
(1) Paul knew that some have no interest in peace.
(2) No matter how much effort we put forth there will always be some who want war.
(3) The conflict that was fought in Kosovo is supposedly over.
(4) Yet frustrated Albanians want to attack and kill Serbs.
(5) Some of the Albanians have no interest in peace … to them the “end of the war” means very little. Some will not allow peace to prevail.
(6) Nevertheless, Rom. 12:18 says, “make an all-out attempt to be at peace”,
(7) “As much as in us lieth” is the command.
(8) Those who try to make peace in the world are usually verbally battered; some are physically assaulted; more than a few have been killed.
I. God decided that part of our Christian walk involves making peace. Are we?
J. One of the places where we need to be peacemakers is in the body of Christ.
(1) We are supposed to help promote peace in the church.
(2) Paul made this clear in 1 Thess. 5:13 – READ.
(3) There is to be peace in the church.
(4) Some make no attempt to make the church peaceful.
(5) Others work to destroy peace.
(6) Both choices are wrong.
(7) We can be peacemakers in our every day walk of life and we can be peacemakers in this congregation.
III. PEACE CAN ONLY COME WHEN CHRISTIANS HAVE THE RIGHT TYPE OF MIND.
A. To do everything that has been said, we need the right attitude.
B. The Bible says we will have one of two attitudes.
C. These two choices are made clear in Rom. 8.
D. Paul said that some will choose the “mind of the flesh” … others choose the “mind of the Spirit”.
E. You may not have made this connection but these two choices sound a lot like Gal. 5.
(1) Rom. 8 has the “mind of the flesh”.
(2) Gal. 5 refers to the “works of the flesh”.
(3) Rom. 8 tells of the “mind of the Spirit”.
(4) Gal. 5 has “the fruit of the Spirit”.
F. Rom. 8:6 says … READ.
G. If we are trying to live as the Bible describes, we will have peace.
H. We will have peace with God.
(1) We can be confident knowing if our life is snuffed out … we have no worries.
(2) We are not concerned by death or about death.
(3) We can speak about death and be at peace.
I. At times I wish I could be a doctor. I would like to witness patient’s reactions when they are told:
“The tests are back; you have a month to live.”
J. Surely there are people who lose all emotional control.
K. Some must gasp. Others must blurt out, “There must be a mistake.”
L. Doctors surely hear, “There is something you can do to prolong my life.”
M. I wonder how many times doctors hear a peaceful reaction from patients.
N. How many physicians hear statements like these?
(1) “OK. Thank you for the report.” or, “OK. My time has finally come.”
(2) The word “peace” for Christians means that we can hear a terminal diagnosis from a doctor and be at peace.
(3) Jesus said He offered peace that the world cannot give. He was right.
O. When we have peace with God, and we know we have this peace, we have one of the most
valuable possessions man will ever have.
P. Because we have this peace, we can be peacemakers.
CONCLUSION:
1. Do you have the peace the scripture describes?
2. Do you want it?
3. It is available to each person who is a Christian.