XVI. Peace and War

Luke Chapter 2 beginning a state They were shepherds living out in the fields nearby keeping watch over their flocks at night the angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord Shone around them and they were terrified. The angel said to them do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people today in the town of David a savior has been born to you. He is the Messiah the Lord this will be a sign to you. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a Manger suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying glory to God in the highest heaven and on Earth peace to those on whom his favor rests the word of God to the people of God. Thanks be unto God you may be seated.

The war between Ukraine and Russia has killed or wounded over a staggering amount of 500,000 people. The barbarism and ensuing war in Israel has claimed over 15,000 lies. These are certainly the two most prominent conflicts in today's world at least that we are aware of and the US that's not even touching on the turmoil that's going on and me and Maura and Sudan and ever continuing oppressive rule in North Korea. Now I mention all those things not because I'm a news pundits and I don't ever intend to be one none the less as Christians as human beings for that matter. We have an obligation to be frank and real and honest about reality. Especially when it comes to the topic of Peace, which is what we're going to be looking at today. Many of you are familiar with that all famous phrase a 14 that we read probably using the King James language glory to God in the highest. Peace on Earth Goodwill toward men as you may have heard it before that phrase peace on Earth by the secular World loves that phrase. Even you see it printed on cookie tins at Walmart certainly plastered on Hallmark Christmas cards, and sometimes is light fixtures on people's homes. And that kind of thing is very popular phrase. They're good for is it a Biblical phrase? How do you make sense of that in light of all the conflict in the world today? How do you make sense of that as you look around and you you feel that chaos in the world around the world? You certainly see it in the country in the US. You may feel it in your own home. It's certainly all of us to wonder beer another feel that conflict that chaos that unsettledness in our own hearts. The question before us then is what on Earth does the bible mean when it says peace on Earth. What is it mean when Jesus what does it mean that Jesus came into the world to bring. Peace?

How do we wrestle through this topic? Before we do so are these a bit concerned big topic to be able to dress every little detail and rabbit hole that this the topic of biblical peace brings up, but I aim to provide a foundation that we can all unite around before we do. So before we will still with it hears the sermon in a sentence for you. If you want peace around if you want peace within you must first have peace with him, and if you do have peace with him then seek peace and pursue it if you want peace around and if you want peace within you must have peace with him, and if you have peace with him seek, peace and pursue it. Contact with that means to Russell through that questions. What is biblical piece? Where is that piece today? And then lastly how do we live experience that piece in 2023? What is biblical peace? Peace is not an esoteric generic abstract topic to something nebulous up there that you know that how you wrestle through. What's the definition of it? No, biblically speaking piece is a person. It's a simple as that. What is biblical peace peace is a person since I mean differently if you want to understand what piece is true. Peace is look at God Almighty judges 6:24 Gideon refers to him as Yahweh Shalom or the Lord is peace Hebrews 13:2 calls him the God of Peace if you want to understand what pieces you must begin with God and his word. This is a very basic Foundation various simple essential reality that we cannot Rush past because the secular World tries to figure out they try to wrap their head even their hard at times around peace. But if you do that from a secular standpoint and an endpoint eventually, all you're going to be in the doing is trying to grasp the wind with your hands. Are you must begin with the Firm Foundation of God in his word? Are you my bestie my check? I got that begin with God begin with this word. I got that what is biblical Pista? Two letters to it on the surface you hear about peace just in your own lives in America in the world, you might typically think of the absence of conflict typically think of that. Are you sing a peace in the Middle East? Let's get rid of conflict and then there's going to be peace right you think of that if you're arguing with somebody what piece well, let's just not argue at Keith's right that it's partially true, but that's not the biblical notion of Peace in God's economy biblical peace isn't the absence of conflict, but the presence of Eternal Abundant Life the presence of Eternal abundant Joy. The Biblical Hebrew word. I know that I said a moment ago. What's the Biblical Hebrew word for peace chalone very good. You know your Bible now, you're a Hebrew a little bit. What does Shalom mean shalom means to be complete to be whole and also means to live. Well, it's translated at least in the new international version is translated as Prosperity success blessing safety Health, even friendliness on a couple of occasions for nuances of biblical. Peace. Number one, wholeness of life or body that is your physical body having wholeness of your life in your body number to Harmony between two parties. This is both in relation to Harmony between people one-on-one or two different groups of people, but also harmony with God right person to God people are gone. Number three Prosperity success and fulfillment. So it's kind of just internally inside of the external component to peace then 4:30. Finally victory over one's enemy was ever a Jewish person. I can't even today you greet someone with Shalom what you're saying is made your life be filled with health Harmony prosperity and victory a good words good true that the dictionary definition of this, right but perhaps one of the most Vivid places in scripture to see this and action is Isaiah 11 vs 10:54 turn there if you'd like to follow along Isaiah 11 vs 6 to 11

This is what Biblical piece looks like.

Isaiah 11 beginning and verse 6 The wolf will live with the lamb the leopard shall lie down with the goats the calf and the lion in The Yearling together and a child will leave them. A little child will lead the cow will feed with the bear the young lie down together and the lion will eat straw like the ox infants will play near the cobras in the young child will put his hand into the Viper's Nest. They will neither harm nor destroy in all my Holy Mountain for the Earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea and that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the people's Nations will rally to him and his resting place will be glorious that day. The Lord will reach out his hand second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people. That is very beautiful picture of what Biblical piece looks like. Just one little thing. I went out there regarding Bible trivia when I'm a fan of that. But how often have you heard? It said the lion will lie down with the lamb. If you just read that technically not accurate. The meaning is certainly there right? I'm not going to be nitpicky. If you say that you're here your your grandma say that you don't need to correct them like kind of stuff but just the text does say the wolf will live with a man s leave the leopard will lie down with the goat. That's all I've ever heard that one before the leopard lie down with a goat just a little Bible trivia for you. That description of biblical peace Harmony of wholeness of Health that described in the sense the Garden of Eden what happened in Genesis 1 and 2 was perfect harmony. It was very good. And that's also Revelation 21 and 22 at the end at the bookends of the Bible that describes that reality as well in the future. So that's the beginning if that's the end What on earth does that mean for us today in the middle? If we are in fact in somewhere in the middle ages for the second question. Where is the piece that Jesus talks about that the Bible in 4 sizes. Where is that piece today?

Well the piece that Jesus came to bring its first of all peace with God if this isn't news to many of you some of your might be this is helpful gospel reminders. If you want peace around you want peace within you must first have peace with him referring to God Almighty when Jesus came into the world, you did not first of all do so go to bring International Peace.

Contrary to what the disciples wanted. That's what they wanted. That's what a lot of people today one as well, right Jesus Christianity God the Bible. I'll believe it. I'll buy it. I'll follow it. As long as they'll be International Peace. What did Jesus say in self in Luke 21 9 to 10. When you hear of wars and uprisings do not be frightened these things must happen first, but the end will not come right away. Then he said to them Nation will rise against nation and Kingdom against Kingdom. Jesus did it first and foremost to come to bring International Peace. I wasn't even an internal peace. I heard it this morning talking about it and Sunday school. I Chris asked the question something to the effect of what is spiritual growth. Like what does that mean? And you understand somebody mention basically mean to be happy all the time. Are you be joyful and happy all the time and sometimes when you think about P she might think of it in that context. So God came that you okay. I got it. Didn't come to give International Peace yet. So I'll grab that for now. He did come to give me peace in my heart right so that I can weather through every hardship. I face all this snow storms all the turbulence of life. I'm just going to be able to have this perfect poison calm and just be able to weather through it all. Not necessarily. There's truth to that is for the beings for talks about the peace of God surpasses all understanding that there's truth to that. That's not the foremost reason of what Jesus came to bring the foremost reason why he came to bring his peace with him. Peace with God Almighty. That's our greatest need. On the surface, right? I say that Jesus came to bring peace with God. I say that it's our greatest need on the surface you might think. Yeah, but it's another kind of more pressing things in my life right now. Okay, find peace with God might be important but a few examples be frank This Christmas season you may be facing depression of a loved one dying recently. You might be facing the heartache of a relationship where trust was broken and abused. You might be facing the gruesome news of cancer attacking your body. might be wrestling with feelings of self-doubt wondering Does my life mean anything? Is it counting for anything? on and on it goes The bible let me be clear the Bible never downplays any of those realities never Bible doesn't negate them to Bible doesn't say that's not important never ever ever. However, the Bible in part was given to us so that you and I so that everyone would have our priorities straight. This is true both regards to the negative things in life. But also the positive things the example, of course those things I just described as the negative things we experience in life. They are bad. They are a result of the fall and whatnot. There are bad. I'm not going to dispute that at all. But God's word reminds us of the greatest problem the greatest pain that we face and that is our hostility against the Lord. I'll unpack that in just a moment on the positive side when it comes to the good things in life, right? I mention some of those earlier I eating a wonderful meal with your family during Christmas time or Thanksgiving hearing beautiful string music with the flute is a good gift from God, but that's not the greatest gift. Not at all. The Bible was given to us to remind us there's something greater out there something more important than these Earthly realities. And that's true when it comes to peace with God our greatest problem. If it we are at war against the Lord, we are his enemies if you don't believe me listen to Colossians 1 21 this describes our condition before we meet Jesus. Once you plug into the church, once you were alienated from God and we're enemies in your mind as shown by your evil Behavior Romans 8:7 the Mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God Romans, 5:10 also declares that we were God's enemies. This is very strong language. The Bibles depiction of humanity is not neutrality. It sounds like everybody's just kind of neutral. There's not necessarily any good people not any bad people. Everybody is just kind of in the middle and that's not at all the picture. It's just clearly describes. We are at war against the Lord. What's the problem with that? What's the problem with that? The question multiple answers to that with simple one practically speaking. If you refuse the Prince of Peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is Yahweh Shalom. He is the God of Peace if you refuse him if you turn your back against him, that's what hostility truly is right is giving people the cold shoulder and being antagonistic against them. If you do that against the Wellspring of Peace the Wellspring of Life the Wellspring of Joy if he's right here, right? You're supposed to Face him. Enjoy him. If you turn your back on him what's left the chaos of the world genus of the world the Brokenness that sin produces But the beautiful message of Christmas. All right is found in Isaiah 9:6 and if you're familiar with this verse the beautiful message of Christmas. Jesus came to reconcile us to turn us around to restore that broken trust that broken relationship that we had so that we can have peace with our King. Isaiah 9 verse 6 to us a child is born to us a son is given the government will be on his shoulders and he will be called wonderful counselor, Mighty God Everlasting father Prince of Peace of the greatness of his government and peace. There will be no end. Brothers and sisters. I remind you today. If you want peace around and you want peace within you must first have peace with him and I'm here to remind you and tell you the Prince of Peace has come so that we can have that peace with our maker. That leads us to a third final question. Right. That's what what is biblical piece. I got that Shalom is wholeness. Where is that? Peace with its peace with God and how can I experience that today in 2023? I'm fully cognizant of the fact that I'm speaking too many Christians here. I don't know the heart condition of everybody in this room, but I'm speaking too many Christians are any of your stories and testimonies. And I remind you of basic gospel truth. I've heard it said before that the gospel I think is by JD greear for this one from sometimes you might think of this kind of basic gospel message. I just rehearse for you as the doorway into Christianity, but I've heard that before I heard that when I was young, I am a Christian. I've heard the gospel message. I'm a Christian now, let me get on to the more important things. The Deep thing is that practical thing that's not at all the illustration. The more apt illustration is the gospel that diving board and the gospel is also the pool you dive into the gospel Waters. And that's the the one that you swim in throughout your whole life. None of us ever graduate from the basic reality of the Gospel that you're never too smart. You're never too much her for it. Having said that for a Christian for you who are Believe In Christ who are part of the true church. It is legitimate to ask how shall we didn't live? How do I got relationship with the Prince of Peace? I do have that but how do I translate that to my horizontal experience with other people? That is a fair question. If you have peace with him seek, peace and pursue it that comes from 1st Peter chapter 3 verses 10 and 11 seek. Peace and pursue it first Peter 3 chapter 10 and 11, which is actually recording Psalm 34:14, but it says anyone who would love life how many of you either love life or want to love life, right? Whoever anyone who would love life and wants to see good days. What did I have to do? They must turn from Evil do good. They must seek peace and pursue it part of the way you experience that whole full life is by seeking peace and pursuing it. So, how do we do that? Well, it's both end seeking and pursuing Desiring it and acquiring it. Little example I can 2007. The Nintendo Wii was hot on the market. You don't recall what that is. How many cc how many of you do not know. What a Nintendo Wii is? If I cannot know what it is, let me see your hand some of you know mine today right for the Lord. So it's a Nintendo gaming system for the TV on the market that came out the year before but it is cotton wind is just super popular surging amongst all young people and families and really a new one is just a very Noble thing and this was the day before Amazon when you can just buy everything online and have it shipped your door. You actually had to go out to the store still. And I remember this is bigger than my mind cuz that's the hero that I wanted that the Nintendo Wii. All right. So if somebody says if if a parent says, you know what I'm looking to buy a Nintendo Wii for my kids I'm seeking one, but they never drive around Walmart or Target or Best Buy or GameStop or the mall are they actually seeking it? They might say that I might talk highly of seeking it of wanting it. But if you don't actually pursue it you're seeking is in vain your desire is in vain. Text Christian, it's not enough for us to merely talked about being people of peace or to talk about the prince of peace and a peace in general. But never practically pursue it in our daily lives. They go hand-in-hand you have to seek it and you have to actually pursue it with and how do I do that? How do I share it how to how do I be a peacemaker? And she just talked about Matthew 5 blessed are the peacemakers for they will inherit the earth. How do I seek? Peace?

few guiding principles for you All right, but you have to understand that the challenge I'm facing. This is a huge topic, right? You can have sermons each sermon to talk about a sermon on peace in the world. You have a sermon to talk about peace in the nation. You grab it for me to talk about peace in the community. Peace in my family. Peace in my own heart, right? There's a legitimate sermon for each of those as you pursue. Peace. Here's three guiding principles for you to help you as you do so. I want one last little thing I mentioned before I dive into that really quick. Regarding like regarding the Nintendo Wii U seek it you pursue it and you hold onto it, right? But with Biblical peace you seek at you pursue it and part of the way you pursue it is by sharing it. I tell something you just go out and you look for it for your own life your own heart know you seek it like giving it that's a very important Point. How do you hear something three guiding principles for you? As you pursue peace is Christian's number one seek Peace by pursuing the Holy Spirit. seek Peace by pursuing the Holy Spirit the Fruit of the Spirit love joy and what? peace peace is not an isolated character traits. You may have heard this before regarding the fruit of the spirit. It's not as though, you know, I'll be sitting all the fruit of the spirit except for patients. I need to grow in my patients. That's what I need to focus on. No, you need to give me the fear of God in your life. The spirit of God, you you come to learn him who he is trust him follow him more than all of those things will grow in your life the same thing with peace. Peace in my life from One Piece of My Heart in one piece my family, it's not just an isolated thing. The pursuit of Peace must be at pursuit of the Holy Spirit. Listen to Hebrews chapter 12 verses 14 to 16. Make every effort to live in peace with everyone. That the world stops right there and says amen make every effort to live at peace with everyone. What's the next phrase at the world ignores and down place and to be holy? It's both and Holiness and seeking peace living at peace with others. You need the Holiness of God the righteousness of God and only then can you truly have peace with other people without Holiness? No one will see the Lord this also verses 15 and 16 see to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and then no Bitter Root grows up to cause trouble in the file mini see that no one is sexually immoral Where's God this like you saw for single for who who for single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. You see all that in their the pursuit experience a piece is coupled with Holiness. It's coupled with an absence of bitterness. It's coupled with sexual Purity. Are these all go together? If you want peace in your life pursue, the holy spirit is very important. That's why you must have that God word focus in your life. number to Seek Peace by encouraging others seek Peace by encouraging others Again, remember Keith is not the absence of conflict. That's part of it. That's only one side of the coin peace is the presence of Harmony holness and even friendliness if it's possible. Romans 14 verse 19 let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to Mutual edification encouragement and peace go hand-in-hand. You think about peace? I'm thinking. Both in the context of the meal around the table, but also you and your own neighborhood. If you have a neighborhood you live in the countryside not kind of thing in the neighborhood. You might easily think of being a peaceful neighbor is somebody who doesn't cause a stir are you just mind your own business you you keep your own yard and never bother anybody that's not biblical piece write biblical piece is having a presence of Harmony of wholeness even friendliness, if possible the same thing with round the table a table and silence isn't just a peaceful table this early, right? You know that some of y'all sat around the table that's been dead silent. There's been anything far from peace. There's that tension and there's that bitterness no peace is the presence of joy of encouragement. And the thing about it is you be the instigator of it you take the initiative and you encourage someone. Send somebody a text. Send somebody a little card say hey, I'm praying for you. How are you doing? Let's let's catch up sometime. Tell your own family that encourage them with words tell the store clerk of the janitor. When you go out shopping you appreciate them for working in the the busyness of this holiday season and all the rudeness that they experienced just encourage people seek Peace by encouraging others and finally just a little submarine reminder of what we just been talking about seek Peace by swimming in the gospel. Seek Peace by swimming in the gospel the more that you and I understand the gospel message the more that we are rehearse in the basic elements of it's not novel. It's not anything revolutionary. If you've grown up in the church, right, you've heard this message hundreds. If not thousands of times. You can never outgrow it swim in it. Listen to it be reminded that you were once alienated from God, but now you are reconciled to Christ. Once you had hostility with him. Now, you are his beloved son or daughter remind yourself of these precious truth because as you and wash your heart in that only then will you be able to share that peace with others the way that you treat others should be rooted and born out of a love for what God has done for you. It's the entire point of the gospel. God says I've done this for you now go share that with others if you don't understand if you don't rejoice in what he's done for you, you will not be able to share with others. two brothers and sisters remind you the foundation for sharing peace is celebrating, but got the reconciling work of God in Christ seek Peace by swimming in the gospel. Brothers and sisters that's a little little intro for you the topic of Peace. Biblically speaking. What are the initial reasons of why I wanted to bring that up is because we've been going through the Baptist faith and message the past several weeks and there's one in there and it's titled peace and War and then conclusion as we've been doing with several of the other doctrinal statements. We're going to recite that together and little less thing for next week next week Lord willing. We'll be talkin about the doctrine of salvation explicitly and unpacking with that is because that's also in one of the bullet points that we confessed me believe a lot of overlap or some distinctive. What salvation is an impact that next week. We'll just put that on your radar. So you're aware of what's coming. Will you please recite with me what we the church declare regarding how we really ought to live after the Prince of Peace has been working on Hearts recite this with me. It is the duty of Christians to seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness in accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ. They should do all in their power to put an end to war. The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of Our Lord. The Supreme need of the world is the acceptance of his teachings and all the Affairs of men and nations in the practical application of his law of Love Christian people throughout the world should pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace. Will you join me in 15 no brief for the prayer from 2nd Thessalonians 3:16, then we'll close with the doxology. The may the Lord of Peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way the Lord be with all of you. Amen.