War is Over - Peace

Welcome

Well, good morning Lifepoint! Good morning. If we haven’t had the chance to meet yet, my name is Dan and I serve as the Teaching Pastor here; really grateful you’re able to join us today!

If this is your first time here, take a moment to scan that QR Code on the seat in front of you.

Introduction

Well, if you have a bible with you, open up to Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1 and we’ll be looking at vv. 15 through 20 today.

Alright—gotta ask—how many of you recognize that song? John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Happy Xmas.

Why would I pick that song?

It’s not nearly a cheery as the other one’s I’ve played for some walk up music, right?

Some of you are too young to know this song…but does anyone remember how it ends? I’m digging deep on this one, I know.

“War is over, if you want it…war is over now.”

And it’s interesting what John Lennon was trying to do with this song—you see at it’s heart, it’s like a lot of his solo work; it’s another protest song. But there was something about this one that makes it so much more recognizable than much of his music. First of all, it’s become a staple Christmas song…it’s one of those that shows up on every Christmas song playlist…it’s the one you hear at the mall, you hear it on the radio…you hear it in movies and shows. But the funny thing is, it’s not that good of a song. Musically and lyrically, it’s pretty boring.

BUT

You see, what John Lennon did with this song is connect sentimentality with longing. He borrowed from the “Christmas Season” a sense of what we all want the world to be like…what we all want to experience…and was able to draw out a longing for the world we actually live in to be more like that world we want! He recognized what the vast majority of us also feel this time of year, even if we lack the ability to articulate why we feel that way.

There is something about Christmas that highlights both the world we want—where people are kind to one another…where there is joy the breaks through the gloom…where there is hope even in the midst of the most dire of circumstance—AND—the world we have…where we see brokenness…chaos…pain and sorrow.

And so he releases this song that borrows all the warm fuzzies of this time of year and at the very end, calls us to put our money where our mouth is. Saying that we can keep all those good feelings year round and actually put an end to all the chaos and war going on in the world around us. And so the whole thing ends with a rousing chorus of: War is Over, If You Want It, War is Over Now.

You see, the reason this song has lasted the last 50 years as one of the greats is because ultimately it’s a song celebrating something that all of us want: Peace.

This morning, we’re continuing in our Christmas series called Love’s Pure Light, and what we’re doing in this series is talking about four words that show up ALL THE TIME this time of year: Hope, Joy, Peace, and Faith. And the interesting thing is that these are not exclusively religious words—though sometimes they get put in that box. But we’re taking these words that so often get cheapened this time of year and showing how they are striking and vivid…that they do in fact articulate some of our deepest needs and longings in this life…and that ultimately have their fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus. And today, we’re talking about that third word; Peace.

Which, surprise surprise, I think is a fascinating word. It’s one we use all the time in our cultural today, though I think we have remarkably different paths to achieving peace. So what I want to do in our short time together is to talk about what Peace is and how we get it. And I’ll say this from the beginning: there will we be SO much we don’t get to talk about this morning! In fact, we will not do much more than scratch the surface…but if there is anything I want you walking about thinking about today it’s this…Jesus brings you peace.

Jesus brings you peace.

And my hope is that we will see this as so much more than a nice sentiment, but a life altering reality that shapes every moment of every day for us.

So, if you’re not there yet, open with me to Colossians 1:15-20. I’ll read the passage, pray, and then we’ll get started.

Colossians 1:15–20 ESV

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

PRAY

What is Peace?

Alright, let’s get started.

Now I know we’re talking about PEACE today, but the obvious question is what does this passage have to do with peace?

Hymn of the Maker and Ruler

Well, to get that, I think we need to hear these words the way Paul’s original audience would have heard it.

We’ve talked about this the last two weeks—remember that Paul, who wrote the majority of the letters in the New Testament—had never visited the Colossian church. He’s only heard about them and so he’s written this letter to address some of the things he’s heard about from them.

But he starts this section off with what many theologians say is one of the most important passages about Jesus in the entire New Testament. In the original language, it’s written more like a poem or song and so it’s likely that Paul is even quoting one of the earliest Christian hymns. And it’s this dense, theologically saturated depiction Jesus, isn’t it?

And I want you to hang in there with me for a second, because we’re going to see in a moment why Paul writes all of this and why it profoundly matters for our conversation about Peace.

But look at v. 15 again.

“He is the image of the invisible God…” is Paul’s way of saying that Jesus is not just a good teacher about who God is, which is sometimes how people like to think of Jesus today. This is just not idea the New Testament has about Jesus. To be the image of the invisible God means to see Jesus is to see God. And if that we’re not enough, keep reading v. 16.

Colossians 1:16 ESV

16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

In other words, the totality of the world we experience today…what we see, taste, touch…and even the things we can’t see: every particle, atom, and molecule, AND the laws of nature that “govern” them we’re and are created through him and for him!

This is one of the most radical statements made in the entire bible!

And I think this is the overarching point Paul is making here in this section: that the world as we know it has a maker and ruler. And in as much as the world we know was made through and for him, the world and all of creation finds it’s full purpose when it is aligned with it’s maker and rule. Creation glorifies God, in a sense, when it functions the way it’s created to function. When grass grows, when the lava churns, when streams babble [EXPAND]…and this is for all of creation! There is not one aspect of this world that thrives and flourishes apart from the right alignment to the Maker and Ruler.

The right question now, is “What does any of this have to do with “Peace’?”

Well, when you think about how you would even define peace, words like thriving, flourishing, eventually come to mind at least in terms of the result of peace. We think of words like secure, protected, assured, seen and known and content…not striving for anything else.

The Hebrew word the bible uses in the Old Testament is the word shalom…which may be one of the most important words in the entire old testament! It essentially means “right.” And you can experience rightness in relationships with others, relationship with God, and you can experience rightness in your own soul.

Alignment with Yourself

But here’s where things really start to get really interesting…at least for me.

Today, if I were to ask you about PEACE and how you think of peace, there are at least three arenas where you’d want to experience peace, right? You might think of broadest category and follow John Lennon’s example and think about war. It’s hard not to think of the war in Israel and the one in Ukraine right now when you think of PEACE. And by PEACE there, you aspirationally mean more than a ceasefire. You mean that even the root causes of conflict and hatred are no longer part of the equation. How you actually achieve that is another story, but that’s at least what we want.

You might also think of relational peace with a friend or family member, right? Like there is some fight that has been ongoing, some pain or wound that has lingered; maybe even for years that you’d like smoothed over. And peace in that situation is more than just agreeing not to talk about it any more or pretending that it didn’t happen, peace is a healing of the relationship.

But, I think we’ll find that the kind of peace that we are most interested in today—at least culturally—is not GLOBAL PEACE or RELATIONAL PEACE, I think the kind of peace we’re interested in is best described as inner peace.

There is a huge market today for helping people achieve inner peace. And this is not anything new. I think you can go back to the farthest stretches of human memory and find people writing and thinking out loud about something like inner peace. But let me give you a definition from the most popular “mindfulness” apps available today; the Calm app.

They define Inner Peace this way:

Inner peace is a state of tranquility where you feel at ease with yourself, others, and the world around you. It's about being fully present and comfortable in your skin; less impacted from anxiety, worry, and stress.

When you experience inner peace, you accept who you are — your strengths, flaws, desires, dreams — everything that makes you uniquely you. You also feel more accepting of the world around you and the situations that are unfolding so you’re less negatively impacted by anxiety, worry, and stress.

And it might just be me…but I feel this seismic shift in the worldview articulated there.

Think back to what we just talked about with what Paul said in Colossians 1…that the world as we know it has a maker and ruler…and that all of creation actually finds it’s purpose, fulfillment, thriving and flourishing in it’s right alignment and right relationship to the maker and ruler…

But here, in just a few short words, I think we find not only the dominant ideology in the world today, but the polar opposite of what Paul has articulated. That inner peace — thriving and flourishing—is not found in alignment with our maker and ruler but is found in alignment with our true selves.

You see the modern worldview says, if you want to know how to experience peace—you have to look deep within—discover who are you are on the inside and then orient your life in such a way that you genuinely reflect your truest, most authentic self. And when you think of if that way, I think you start to hear echos of so many of the conversations our culture is having right now about being true to who you are…about being your best self…about your orientation and not letting anyone else define you…we are have having profound identity conversations!

And listen, I’m not trying to knock inner peace…we crave it in this world because we need it in this world. But I would point out that seeking peace by looking inward makes a very daring assumption: that what you find when you look inward is good. That you will find, in your heart of hearts, a more pure version of yourself.

But is that true?

I can’t speak for every single one of us, but I’m not sure I could say that about myself…I’m not sure I could say that deep down I really am just a good person—because so often, I am surprised by what surfaces in my life from “deep down”. I am surprised by my anger—EVEN IF I DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF HOLDING IT IN! I am surprised by lust—EVEN IF I DO A GOOD JOB OF HOLDING BACK. And I’m pretty sure, if we’re honest, we would all have a similar analysis of our own lives.

Interestingly enough, this is the very analysis that the Scriptures have about us—talking about the human heart, the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah says:

Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV)

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

In other words…what we find when we look within is broken. What we find when we look within is not the ideal. What we find when we look within is what the bible calls: sin. And this is not me saying that on the inside, we are all as bad as we possibly could be. No! But what I am saying is that what we find on the inside, in an of itself, is not inherently good.

And if that’s true, then what does that mean for looking within and finding alignment with your true self?

Friends, at best, it means we are playing a very dangerous game. At worst, we are engaging in a fools errand for peace that simply cannot be found within ourselves.

You see, the Scriptures describe a very different path toward true peace that does not begin with alignment to ourselves.

Following Paul in Colossians 1, you find true peace not by looking within but by looking above! You find true peace not in finding inner alignment with your true self, but by finding alignment with your maker and ruler!

And this is part of what makes the biblical worldview so unpalatable in our modern age. Because it challenges the most basic assumptions we hold so dear! You see, we are born thinking that we are the center of the universe! No one had to teach me how to be the main character of my story, right? It’s part of what it means to be human! So when Paul talks about Jesus as the maker and ruler of the UNIVERSE, he is talking about the one who rules and reigns over me and my story…over you and your story…and that, friends, is not something our culture has prepared us to accept…

And so I think the conversation actually moves from finding inner alignment to our selves to finding true and right alignment with our maker and ruler; to talk about peace and experiencing real peace is first a conversation about a right relationship with God himself.

And this is exactly what Paul talks about as we keep working through Colossians 1!

Alignment with God

Look with me at v. 19:

Colossians 1:19–20 ESV

19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

And what I think is so beautiful about this is that Jesus, the Maker and Ruler of this world is the one who first moves to make peace with us! See, our brokenness, our sin that we all have, does far more than just mess with our hearts. It means that we are actually in rebellion against our Maker and Ruler. On our own, you see, we do not see Jesus as our King, we see him as a threat. We see Him as an enemy threatening our own kingdoms and what we are trying to establish for ourselves.

But the gospel story tells us that while we were enemies of God, He lovingly and willing stepped down into our world. And this King did not come to conquer his enemies my taking our lives, but by giving His! This is what Paul’s talking about at the end of v. 20! That on the Cross, Jesus lovingly and willingly stepped into the place of His enemies, dying the rebel’s death that we should have died and being raised again from the dead…offering to ALL who would put their faith and truth, pledging their allegiance to HIM…offering new and everlasting life! More than that, offering us a right relationship with the maker and ruler of this world!

Paul says it this way in Romans chapter 5:

Romans 5:1 ESV

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

Friends, this is the peace we are looking for! And we find it, not by looking within, but by looking ABOVE! In Jesus, we find peace with God who no longer sees us as enemies but as his CHILDREN!

This, after all, is what the angels who proclaimed Jesus birth to the Shepherds in the Fields were looking forward to:

Luke 2:14 (ESV)

14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

This is the peace the Jesus brings and accomplishes FOR US by His work on the Cross in our place! It is the peace established by our Maker and Ruler, with our Maker and Ruler, SO THAT we now life FOR our Maker and Ruler. It is the peace of being aligned, not to ourselves, but to Him! And what we find in that peace with God is something that is far greater than we could have imagined.

You see, rightly aligned to God, we find the kind of inner peace that we’re so desperate for!

Because in a right relationship with God, we find that the maker and ruler, the sustainer of all things in this world, knows us and sees us. He is not like a distant ruler, but a close Father, who Jesus says knows what we need before we even open up our mouths to ask…who delights to give good gifts to his children…we find him to be a provider for all of what we need who does not fail, who does not forget about us…who is with us at every moment, who walks with us through the valley of the shadow death…who invites to to come to Him and bring all of our burdens and what pulls us down, to cast all of our cares and anxiety on Him and in that promises to sustain us through it all.

Peace does not mean you now know the future, but that you Know the one who does!

For those who do not have this peace

Invitation

For those who need help practicing this peace

Psalm 55:22 ESV

22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Celebrate Peace with God

Communion

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.