Peace with each other

Relational peace

This evening, we’re starting a brand new series based on this very famous text. A series that I’m hoping will be a landmark series for our church. During these next four weekends, we are going to look at four descriptions of the babe born in Bethlehem that may be the most-needed elements in our society at this time.

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan –

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; On those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; They rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. –

On those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy;

They rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. –

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, The bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. –

The bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.

Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. –

In other words, all the garments used for war can be thrown away because there will be no more war.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, And the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. –

And the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." Peace on earth. Goodwill toward men.

Peace on earth. Goodwill toward men.

Wonderful Counselor,

There’s a home somewhere where the Mom and Dad aren’t getting along. They’ve been threatening divorce, and neither of them really wants it, but they don’t know how to get the fighting to stop. Neither do their kids.

Mighty God,

There’s a guy in high school. He’s feeling pretty harassed and pushed around by the worry of what everyone thinks of him. Meanwhile, he’s still trying to figure out what he thinks of himself.

Everlasting Father,

There’s a man at a job he really doesn’t like. It’s stressing him out as the company puts more and more on him and expects him to just keep doing it.

Prince of Peace. –

There’s a single mom, trying to make the finances work out. She didn’t plan for her life to be this way, but it is.

There’s an elderly lady, living by herself. Her family doesn’t really keep track of her very well, and her retirement isn’t going to last. Life seems to have fewer reasons for her to have peace.

Today, we’re seeing how Jesus brings us peace with each other.

As we learned from our previous walk through Acts: Feelings between Jews and non-Jews have often been tense. That didn’t just start happening in the past 100 years! It was very much in play during the 1st century as Rome held the Jews under its thumb. There was no love lost from the Jews toward their oppressors.

But I got to thinking about this text. I wonder what it was like for a formerly Jewish person to read this. I wonder what it would have meant for those people who were insiders, with a 2,000-year heritage of being God’s chosen people. What would it have been like for those insiders to read about how God accepts into His Kingdom even people who are way off? What would it have been like to read about the end of your mistaken right to look down on everyone else?

Do you see where I’m going with this?

Ephesians is written to “the other guys,” and that’s Gentiles. But I find another dynamic at work today – a tendency that we have as English-speaking Americans, as Christian Church members, as people who meet in a building on the east side. I think we could probably gain more insight from this if we would flip it around and think of ourselves as the insiders who sometimes need to be convinced that others have been allowed to be a part of this too.

Jesus has a plan for peace on earth.

 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,

15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.

Jesus brings peace on earth between people in the following ways

1. By taking away privilege and exclusivism

Paul says that Jesus has destroyed the barrier between Jews and non-Jews – between the insiders and the outcasts – by rendering the Law useless. No longer would outsiders be outsiders, because no longer was the Old Covenant the key to a person’s relationship with God. Jesus brought something new.

Think about this. Do you realize how much potential we have to make people on the outside feel like they can’t fit in with us?

We know one another. Some of us are related, and some of us have known each other for many years. We have developed some traditional things between each other and as a group, like our dinner after service.

We don’t have to abandon all traditions, all words that someone might not understand, all music, or get rid of our traditions. The problem is when we get so entrenched in those things that they start to make others feel like they could never fit in – kind of like a Gentile in 1st cent. Ephesus. But we do need to be intentional about helping people see that they belong with us.

You might get that done by just striking up a conversation with your neighbor you haven’t met, or by inviting a co-worker to a small group meeting.

You might get it done by letting someone who feels like he could never be good enough to follow Jesus that you’re in the same boat, and then explain what grace means! Jesus meant for that to happen. He did it all the time. That’s one of the ways He brings peace on earth between people. Another way is…

2. By uniting us all in forgiveness through His blood

Ephesians 2:19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

V19. Members of God’s household – part of a family! You’re not just a guest around a table or someone invited to a service or a dinner. You belong to this family!

Vv20-22. God’s Building – the word here is the one more often used of the innermost part of the temple – the most holy place – where God lives!

But here’s an important thought as we enter our decision time today:

Sometimes people confuse the invitation to Heaven with who’s going to go to Heaven. Jesus died for everyone. Jesus invites everyone, and that invitation takes accepting

Will you accept today?

An invitation is just that – an invite. Not everyone will accept.

Pray with me please