Untitled Sermon

Peace

Can we get It?

A favorite verse of mine is John 14:27. I had decided to do a study on this. When I opened Logos to do it, it bought up the context of the passage, that is vs 25-31. When I followed instructions to list questions to be answered, I found that it was very broad and was nor what I wanted. I then decided to study just one word - Peace. Even this covers a lot of area. What is the definition of peace and is there more than one? To whom does it apply? How is it obtained and how is it kept? Other questions will surely arise before I finish.

Definition: A dictionary definition would be the absence of conflict or war. A Bible explanation is broader.

Peace. Total well-being, prosperity, and security associated with God’s presence among his people. Linked in the OT with the covenant, the presence of peace, as God’s gift, was conditional upon Israel’s obedience. In prophetic material, true peace is part of the end-time hope of God’s salvation. In the NT, this longed-for peace is understood as having come in Christ and able to be experienced by faith.1

1 Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Peace. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 2, p. 1634). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

The definition most widely used would be the absence of war between nations. Many do not think of the conflict within a nation. Look at the U.S. right now. There is conflict and disagreement on all levels. This includes economic, financial, social, political, religious, cultural, etc. Nobody seems to agree. This applies to many nations of the world. We all want peace with other nations but cannot agree to be at peace with ourselves. How the can we promote peace with others?

1 Kings 4:24 For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides1

1 Samuel 7:14 Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath. 1

1 The New International Version. (2011).. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

The most used Hebrew word is shalom means peace, prosperity, success, welfare, state of health, friendliness, deliverance, salvation. It was used as both a greeting and an ending to a meeting. It seems to be still in use today. I believe it is a cultural tradition that may Tapaha still be used but maybe by rote (We always did it this way) and may not carry all the heartfelt connotations of the past .

2 Samuel 3:21 Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

1 Kings 2:13 Now Adonijah, the son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. Bathsheba asked him, “Do you come peacefully?1

1 The New International Version. (2011).. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

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We have talked about peace as absence from conflict. Now we must consider peace in other areas of our life. First let us look at;

“Peace of mind.” This is a peace that is there despite or because of conflict or misunderstanding and occurs during the time of duress. As Jesus spoke to his disciples, he said He would give my peace. This was not the peace the worldly people seek nor can they find it; except they surrender to Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:13 I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So, I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia1

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus1

1 The New International Version. (2011).). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

“Peace of heart” Like peace of mind, this cannot be obtained just by our thinking. It requires surrender to God, and faith that God has every situation under control. This allows us to operate safely in times of heavy pressure.

Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful1

2 Timothy 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 1

1 The New International Version. (2011).. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

“Peace of a good conscience” Our conscience is a guide to our minds and our actions. How we react to situations is in a large part due to how we decide what things we say or do, good or bad. It is a good thing to have a clear mind and a good reputation

Acts 23:1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” 1

Acts 24:16 So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

Romans 2:15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 1

1 The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011),

“Peace in relationships” We will cover three areas here:

Family - Your family should be your top priority after God. You need to spend quality time with them and teach them good family values. This not only includes religious training but values that will serve them well in living in this world. A good reputation is worth more than the effort to obtain it.

. Proverbs 27:10 (NIV) Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,

and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—

better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.  

Matthew 10:35 Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me1

1 The New International Version. (2011)). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Ephesians 6:1-4 (CEV)

1  Children, you belong to the Lord, and you do the right thing when you obey your parents. The first commandment with a promise says,

2  "Obey your father and your mother,

3  and you will have a long and happy life."

4  Parents, don't be hard on your children. Raise them properly. Teach them and instruct them about the Lord.  

Others - This includes all the different people you meet each day. You may be an employer, boss, or employee or even retired or unemployed. Scripture speaks about slaves, but that is not much different form an employee. You need to be good to all.

Ephesians 6:5-7 (CEV)

5  Slaves, you must obey your earthly masters. Show them great respect and be as loyal to them as you are to Christ.

6  Try to please them at all times, and not just when you think they are watching. You are slaves of Christ, so with your whole heart you must do what God wants you to do.

7  Gladly serve your masters, as though they were the Lord himself, and not simply people.  

God - What is your relationship with God? Do you know him personally or do you know about him? There is a difference. This is where the peace that Jesus talked about comes from. To know him is be safe from the coming judgement. And we can be assured of this salvation and this brings a kind of peace you cannot buy with money.

Colossians 2:2 (CEV)

2  I do it to encourage them. Then as their hearts are joined together in love, they will be wonderfully blessed with complete understanding. And they will truly know Christ. Not only is he the key to God's mystery, 

Hebrews 10:22 (CEV)

22  So let's come near God with pure hearts and a confidence that comes from having faith. Let's keep our hearts pure, our consciences free from evil, and our bodies washed with clean water. 

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Now that we have defined peace, we will go on to answer some questions that arise in the context of these verses. Time is measured with year one being Christ’s birth. All before that is BC (Before Christ) and year 33-34 is AD (Anno Domini - the year of the Lord. Logic might tell us this means After Death, but it’s not true.)

The person speaking here is Jesus talking to his disciples, not the general population. What he is relating to them is that it is necessary for him to leave them but one day he will come back. Only if he leaves will the Father send help in the form of the Holy Spirit (Advocate - one who speaks on behalf of another.) When he the Holy Spirit comes, he will lead you, teach you, and remind you of all I have tried to tell you. When he, Jesus, returns he will come first to rapture (bring to heaven), and secondly bring judgement on the world (those left after the rapture.) He was telling them this so that when it happened, they would believe. All during their time with Jesus, the disciples never really believed him.

As to when he would return, even Jesus did not know. He said only the Father knows and said the Father is greater than him. That brings up another question. Is there an order of authority among the Trinity? We are told that they are all equal, but even Jesus did not know the time of his return, and said he only spoke what the Father told him. When he returns to heaven, he will sit at the Father’s right (indicating in our society a right-hand man.) He also said that when He returns to heaven ALL authority will be given to Him, both in heaven and earth. Possibly this was only for his time on earth, but we probably won’t know until we get to heaven. What we do know is that they seem to have different functions to carry out.

He also talks of a Prince of this world (Satan) who is coming. He is already here, since he was thrown out of heaven, but he may be referring to the coming anti-Christ who is controlled by Satan. He always has and will continue to fight God until he is overcome when Jesus returns and put him in jail for a thousand years. At the end of the thousand years, he will be released for a little while to test those saved during that time. As a result, in the end we Christians win and spend eternity with Christ.

Al Jenkins

Oct 2020