Peace

Notes
Transcript

Prayer

Review of Last Class

Last week, Brian led us in considering the God-like characteristics of Faithfulness and Self Control. Do you remember the three things that hinder us from being faithful? The triple H. It is hard, it hurts, or we have a big head. Sometimes, we need a little bit of motivation to grow in these areas. When fighting sin, i have mentioned this before Heb 12:4 “you have not resisted to the point of shedding blood.” Think upon Christ and strive and battle sin. It is a war.
But it is a sweet war. We do it, not merely out of duty, but love.
Matthew 25:21 ESV
21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
What a motivation for us isn’t it to hear Him say that to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant”. We are called to walk in faithfulness and to exercise self-control. And it is a wonderful thing that God does not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability. That God has given us His spirit to be able to do that. We were slaves to sin, unable to exercise any god-honoring measure of self-control, but we are no longer slaves to sin.
We are able to put on the Lord Jesus Christ to
Romans 6:13
Romans 6:13b (ESV)
13 ...present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
Would anyone like to share how they were able to put into practice or exercise greater self-control or faithfulness?
This week, was a pretty tough week for me. I felt more tired than I normally do and so the temptation was to just sleep and do nothing. I did get some rest, but I also disciplined my body to not neglect reading my word. I had a greater time, though with some difficulty in prayer. But like Brian said, being faithful can be hard. It can hurt. And it can be hindered if we have big heads. So, that was helpful, I pray it was for you as well.
It can be hard, personally, to exercise self-control and to be faithful in all areas. Similarly, it can be hard to keep peace within ourselves and with others because we are dealing with sinners. Generally, when we think of peace, we think of it in the passive sense. When we are in a state of peace. But there is an aspect of peace which is active and which we are responsible for engaging in.

Chapter Review

William Gurnall, Christian in Complete Armor, identifies a fourth type of peace.
“True peace is the blessing of the gospel, and only of the gospel. This will appear in the several kinds of peace, which may be sorted into those four. First, peace with God, which we may call peace of reconciliation. Secondly, peace with ourselves, or peace of conscience. Thirdly, peace with one another, or peace of love and unity, Fourthly, peace with the other creatures, even the most hurtful, which may be called peace of indemnity and service.”
pg 352
Jerry Bridges follows this outline and groups the last two together, in describing peace as threefold
Peace with God
Peace within ourselves
Peace with others
“Untold millions of dollars are spent annually in search of peace.”
Where does the world go in their pursuit of peace?
Job
Family
Wealth
Children
Technology
Food
Why do you think people go towards those things?
Because we, like Adam, have become so confused about the purpose of life and want to avoid the effects of the curse. We are very self-centered and self-focused.
It is so easy to make idols.

Peace with God

“The basis of our peace with God is our justification by faith in Jesus Christ… We cannot have peace within ourselves or with other people until we first have peace with God.”
Before
Alienated and in enmity with God. Objects of his wrath
Colossians 1:21 ESV
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
Ephesians 2:3 ESV
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
After
God is for us and his promises work in all of us
Romans 8:28 ESV
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Personal Peace

Question 1: What causes us to lose personal peace?
Answer:
“We worry, fret, and scheme over distressing circumstances, and we envy or resent other people who appear to get a better deal in life or who mistreat us in some way.”
Question 2: How do we attain personal peace?
Answer: Recall 2 promises Jesus gave.
John 16:33 ESV
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
We will have trouble in this world.
By itself, this is depressing.
He has overcome the world.
In light of this, promise 1 is not a concern. We simply must trust Him at His word.
Question 3: How can I believe both of those promises?
Answer: Recall two specific verses.
Philippians 4:6–7 ESV
6 do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.
This is a call to prayer, to fix our eyes on Him and to depend on Him. There is nothing too large for God.
1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
We should thank God because there is nothing that He is allowing and providentially giving to us that is beyond what we can bear. We are not settling for deliverance from troubles, they are for our good. We are pursuing a greater measure of peace as we pass through them because we know and see our Lord more clearly.
Question 4: Why don’t I experience this peace?
Answer: There are two reasons why this may be.
1. Examine your motives. Are you looking for deliverance or are you looking for peace?
Another way of putting it is to say are we more desirous of pleasure, than we are of being content in the Lord?
2. Look to the Holy Spirit and not to other things as the source for peace.

Peace With Men

A mark of a believer.
Matthew 5:9, Romans 12:18, 14:19, Colossians 3:15, Hebrews 12:14, 1 Peter 3:10-11
Question: Practically, how can I have peace with believers?
Answer: 4 ways:
Remember that we are fellow members of the same body.
Keep in mind that it is Christ’s body of which we are members.
Recognize that the cause of discord often lies wholly or partly with us.
Take the initiative to restore peace
Question: Practically, how can I have peace with unbelievers?
Answer: 2 ways:
If we have offended an unbeliever, it is our responsibility to take steps to restore peace.
We are in no way to seek revenge.

Verse/ Lecture

There was a man who struggled with finding peace. He was always anxious about everything. One day, all of a sudden this man was whistling, smiling, and seemed to be free from his anxiety. When asked about what happened? He said, well i pay someone $2,000/month to worry for me. So now I don’t have to worry.
Where are you going to get the money for that? He said, I dont know but that’s his problem to worry about.
Well, we have a God who does not charge us. He calls us to Philippians 4:6 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Philippians 4:6 ESV
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Why?
1 Peter 5:7 ESV
7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
The next time you are growing in anxiety, recall the goodness of our God.
**********************************
Why should we seek to have peace with others?
Because then life will be easier
Because we are commanded to by God
Because others are made in the image of God.
**********************************
We have a memory verse, I had skipped it, but let’s take a look at it now.
Romans 12:18 ESV
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
I remember when I was younger being disciplined by my parents when I was not being respectful and towards my siblings. We got spankings, but sometimes my mom would get “creative”. We would have to kneel on rice for several 10’s of minutes. I remember one time we were so upset with one another that we were tied to one another until we could make peace with one another.
Does peace depend on us? In that case it definitely did, because we were not going to be untied until we had made up. Sometimes it does depend on us, other times it is out of our control. But this verse is within a larger context of love.
Romans 12:9–21 ESV
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

How can we be more peaceable?

1. Have genuine love.
Here we read a long list of imperatives, commands. Do this. But notice how it begins, “Let love be genuine.” Genuine love drives this behavior. In a few weeks, Brian will discuss the trait of love, so we will not spend much time on this other than to point out the fact that peace, real peace is driven by love. We need this. We need to recall this. When you get so upset with your spouse about a particular issue and are tempted to throw in the towel, how would the relationship change if you recalled your love for them. A love that is rooted in the fact that:
Romans 5:8 ESV
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
It is genuine, not fake. It is not a passing, automatic statement, but a real one. This is not merely a habit that we build. It is not a behaviour modification. It is something that springs from the heart. One of the aims of love is peace. We see that very clearly in this passage. Vs 11 says we are to serve the Lord. Connecting to a prior verse
Romans 12:1 ESV
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
The first section deals with those within the body of Christ. The second half of the passage deals with those who are our enemies. In all cases, though our peaceableness is reflecting Christ, the prince of peace.
It also demonstrates that we are sons of God.
Matthew 5:9 ESV
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
2. Be active
Notice the energy found in vss 9-13.
- abhor, hold fast, outdo, do not be slothful, be fervent, serve, rejoice, be patient, be constant, contribute, seek to show hospitality.
With those who you share most in common with, seeking and striving and maintaining peace is easier. It is not completely without any conflict because we are still affected by indwelling sin. But we have a common union and common motivation and purpose in all of our dealings.
Questions:
What does the pursuit of peace look like with other Christians who we do not agree with on secondary points of doctrine? I.e. baptism or the continuation/cessation of gifts
What does the pursuit of peace look like for a brother who is in sin?
It means we confront him in order to gain peace. We do not simply overlook or accept it. We need to be conscious and aware that not all situations warrant the same response.
Point 1. Have genuine love.
Point 2. Be active
Point 3. Do good to your enemies
Paul is very clear here.
What are the things that are described as being done by our enemies?
persecute you (notice nothing specific is mentioned, it may be in all sorts of forms)
curses, slander, speaking evil, disparaging, harming physically, imprisoning, exiling, killing
Benjamin Keach: was frequently seized while he was preaching a sermon.
- 1664- near fatal incidence. Guards came while he was preaching and violently tied him and threw him on the ground and intended to ride over him with their horses, but at the very last moment an officer appeared and saved him. He was brought to a prison.
- Later in 1664, he publishes his primer for children which attacks paedobaptists, he faces great persecution. 2 weeks imprisonment, 4 hours in pillory (2 hours in one town and 2 in another), burning of his books, 20 lb fee were his judgment. No copies of that original book exists. He reprinted it later on by memory. This would have dissuaded another man, but this renewed his commitments. During one of his pillory times, he saw that he had a captive audience watching him. So used that opportunity to preach the Gospel. He knew that a person's soul was of more importance than his own suffering at the time.in the pillory- Jane Grove held Bible while he preached to them.
do evil
What is the reaction of the believer? How far do they go to seek live peaceably with all?
Bless
Sympathize with everyone(rejoice with rejoicers, weep with the weeping)---We are like Christ. Heb 4:!5- he was tempted just as we are, so he can sympathize with our weakness. We are attuned to the weaknesses and actually have sight to see it in others because of the Spirit.
Live in Harmony with one another*************************
Philippians 4:2–3 “2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.”
Unity has been emphasized multiple times in this letter, one mind, one love, one spirit, full accord, count others more significant than yourselves, look out for the interests of other. Agree in the Lord. We do not know the difficulty, but they are to agree. That bond of love ought to be maintained. The focus is not in the disagreement. Notice how lovely Paul speaks. He calls them to agree and highlights how useful they had been in laboring with Paul. But notice this, their names are in the book of life. He comforts them, while also calling them to not determine a winner and decide who is right and who is wrong. They are not even called to make a compromise. They are called simply to not let it be a disruption of the unity that they have in Christ. It may require them to compromise, it may require the wrong person to admit and relent. But the focus is not peace for peace sake, but unity in Christ.
How different would our interactions with others we disagree with be if our aim was not simply to settle the matter, but to come together in the Lord? How about in our marriages? You are both citizens of heaven, will you agree in the Lord?****************************************
We are not wise in our own eyes, we are humble. Willing to associate with the lowly.
Repay with good instead of evil
We feed our enemy if they are hungry, we give them water to drink.
ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND- NOT ALL WILL WANT PEACE
So far as it depends on you! It takes two people for peace to exist. Some may not want to restore the relationship. A wayward child may never accept the truth of the Scriptures and seek to go their own way. We can love and we can do good. We can bless and we can pray without compromise. But if that person does not want to live in peace, peace will be absent. But that should not be found on our side.
As a man, I want to fix everything. Maybe you are the same. Remember that you cannot fix everything and you cannot heal every broken relationship. Jesus is our redeemer and the one who restores all things, not us. Sometimes, we must also no longer try to make peace with a person who consistently rejects it.
Titus 3:10 ESV
10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,
One more thing to keep in mind- PEACE MAY BE COSTLY
It will costs us our time, sweat, words, energy, and tears at times. May I encourage you to press on and seek peace. When you are tempted to doubt,
Philippians 4:8–9 ESV
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
There is a moving story told by Clement of Alexandria which tells that the man whose denunciation of the Apostle James had led to his arrest by Herod Agrippa, was so impressed by his testimony to Christ in court that he himself became a Christian, and was led away to execution along with James. On the way he asked James for forgiveness, and James looked at him for a moment and said "peace be to you" and kissed him. So both were beheaded at the same time."
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