The Fruit of the Spirit: Peace

I. Introduction

A. The third fruit of the Spirit is peace – This is the sense of “Everything is OK”.  It is the sense that everything is under control and there is nothing oppressing me or against me. It is a freedom from disturbance, tranquility.

B. Close you eyes and think of yourself at peace – what do you see?

C. Ross Andersen, “Did Humans Ever Live in Peace?” The Atlantic (11-13-23)

II. Peace is rooted in God’s sovereignty (35-36)

A. Explanation

1. Jesus has been teaching from a boat on the sea.  At the end of the day, he has everyone get in the boat to cross the sea

2. Does He know what is to come?  Maybe, but whatever he knows, He knows that the Father knows all things and there is a lesson the disciples still need to learn – That Jesus can calm the seas

3. Jesus will be the only one able to sleep through the storm.  Why?  Because he is the only one who deeply knows the sovereignty of God

B. Application

1. This is how trials begin.  Everything looks normal and we have no clue about what its about to hit us…but God does – Romans 8:28 – And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

2. When you begin to understand the depth of God’s sovereignty there is no reason to fear anything in the plan of God

3. Everything is within the plan of God: Omniscience, omnipotence, Omnipresence, perfectly good, perfectly loving

4. So often we seek to get out of the plan and will of God when it gets scary or uncomfortable, but when we trust in God’s sovereign will there is no place for fear.  We can have peace in all that God is doing

III. Peace doesn’t mean there will be no storms. Peace is ours in the middle of the storms

A. Explanation

1. A Storm arises that is enough to start filling the boat – Serious storm

2. All the men on the boat are fearful except one

3. Jesus is asleep in the stern of the boat – Completely at peace – No fear, no concern, completely unphased by the storm

4. There is a real trial all around the boat, but for Jesus, He is experiencing peace

a. Jesus is still in the center of God’s will

b. God has never left Him nor forsaken him

c. Jesus understands that God has a plan that will be fulfilled in Him and when His plan is finished, He will return to the Father – All is completely well!

B. Application

1. Too often we have a Joel Osteen outlook on life that if we believe in Jesus, He has to make all the bad go away – That is not realistic

2. The world is a messed-up broken place, and difficulties and trials are always going to be a part of life

3. Real peace doesn’t mean the problems go away.  It means that He is with you and will get you through it

IV. Peace comes when we know the power of Christ in comparison to the power of the problem

A. Explanation

1. This is a bad storm – These were known to spring up around the sea and could be deadly very quickly they were known to strike fear in the hearts of the most rugged sailor or fisherman

2. Yet Jesus can have utter peace during the storm - He sleeps peacefully while the others panic

3. When awakened He simply rebukes the wind and says to the sea, “Peace, be still”

a. Peace – In this case he does not use the word “Eirene”.  Here He uses the word σιωπαωwhich means to be quiet

b. Be still – This is an imperative command to “be muzzled”

c. In current language – Chill, muzzle it!

4. This is because Jesus is in complete control of the storm – He has the power over the storm

5. Jesus is the creator of all the elements and there are none that can subdue Him

B. Application

1. Jesus needs only speak and the wind and waves obey Him

2. This is the power of our God over all circumstances – He is in absolute control

3. There is never a reason for us to be outside peace when the God who love us is all powerful over every trial or trouble

V. Peace is the product of knowing Jesus (40-41)

A. Explanation

1. After calming the sea Jesus turns to them and asks, “Why are you afraid?  Have you no faith?”

a. Jesus thinks they should not be afraid

b. He attributes it to a lack of faith as though they should have known that they were safe if they had a real faith in Jesus

2. Instead of being filled with courage under the circumstances they are filled with great fear – They are more fearful of Jesus than the storm for His power – This is because they lack trust in the one who has such power

3. Then they question who Jesus is – They do not truly know who He is. 

a. They will see much more in the days to come and will have a deeper understanding, but this is new and scary

b. They will see Jesus heal the sick, give the blind sight, make the lame walk, and raise the dead.  They will even experience the resurrection, but for now this is a power that no other person on earth possesses, and it is scary

B. Application

1. We know Jesus – We know His amazing power.  We know His sovereignty over all creation

2. Still, many lack an understanding of His power to save

3. Until you know Jesus you will never know the peace He brings

VI. Conclusion

A. To find true peace you must know who Jesus is

B. This is a product of the Holy Spirit residing in you.  He alone can reveal the power of Christ in your life

C. When you come to faith in Jesus and His Spirit comes into you, you have the knowledge of His power and the beginning of peace

D. Peace would be impossible for us were it not for the cross!

1. Ephesians 2:13-14 - But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace.

E. Think of peace.  What did you see? A Forrest brook, a snow-capped mountain, A tree stand, or on a boat fishing?  So often what we don’t see in that picture is people.  For many of us we envision peace that way.  But what if true peace is found in the presence of a person – Jesus Christ

Did Humans Ever Live in Peace?

In an article in The Atlantic, Ross Andersen raises the question: "Did Humans Ever Live in Peace?"

Archeologists have long had evidence of conflict between small rival groups. And the earliest signs of war have been dated to the dawn of civilization (with the Sumerians and Egyptians). But recent discoveries at Laguardia, Spain pushes proof of our warring inclination to the dawn of agriculture. So how far does war go back in our history?

Because war is, by definition, organized violence. Hieroglyphic inscriptions tell us that more than 5,000 years ago, the first pharaoh conquered chiefdoms up and down the Nile delta to consolidate his power over Egypt. A Sumerian poem suggests that some centuries later, King Gilgamesh fended off a siege at Uruk, the world’s first city. But new findings, at Laguardia and other sites across the planet, now indicate that wars were also occurring at small-scale farming settlements all the way back to the dawn of agriculture, if not before.

For nearly a century, anthropologists wanted to know how long people have been engaged in organized group violence. It’s not some idle antiquarian inquiry. For many, the question bears on human nature itself, and with ruinous wars ongoing in Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere, it has become more resonant. If warring among humans began only recently, then we might be able to blame it on changeable circumstances. If, however, some amount of war has been with us since our species’ origins, or earlier in our evolutionary history, it may be difficult to excise it from the human condition.

But Andersen closes his piece with a view of what he thinks is hope:

What separates us most from other species is our cultural plasticity: We are always changing, sometimes even for the better. We have found ways to end blood feuds that implicated hundreds of millions. War may be a long-standing mainstay of human life, an inheritance from our deepest past. But each generation gets to decide whether to keep passing it down.

Possible Preaching Angle:

Andersen's view is common today. It sees humanity as though in constant progress towards perfection. We currently rest at the zenith. His "hope" is for this progress to continue. But a survey of our history reveals that this view is no hope at all. It is simply doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. That is not hope, it is insanity. There is no hope for lasting peace until the Prince of Peace appears (I8usa. 9:6-7).

Source: Ross Andersen, “Did Humans Ever Live in Peace?” The Atlantic (11-13-23)

Is Peace the Absence of People?

While elaborating on loving one's neighbor, apologist Michael Ramsden spoke of a colleague who while in Asia asked his audience to close their eyes and imagine peace. After a few seconds the audience was invited to share their mental pictures of peace. One person described a field with flowers and beautiful trees. Another person spoke of snow-capped mountains and an incredible alpine landscape. Still another described the scene of a beautiful, still lake.

After everyone described their mental picture of peace there was one thing common in them all—there were no people in them. Ramsden commented, "Isn't it interesting, when asked to imagine peace the first thing we do is to eliminate everyone else."

Source: Michael Ramsden, "Is Christianity a Matter of Convenience?" (7-29-15); www.keswickministries.org