Peace or a Sword?
Notes
Transcript
Peace or a Sword?
Peace or a Sword?
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, Good will toward men.
vs. 14… “…and of earth peace, Good will toward men.”
this proclamation is one that is comforting, consoling and pleasing to our own life...
In a world where peace, freedom from turmoil seems to be out of reach - this is a message of great comfort and consolation...
Peace… Jesus - the one who is the supreme ruler of the Universe, and will one day - set up his kingdom down here on this earth… and there will - for 1,000 years - be peace… the Millinial reign of Christ...
the wolf and the lamb will lie down together Is.11.6-10
the leopard and the kid
calf and the young lion
cow and the bear shall feed together
child shall play on the hole of the asp… -
PEACE will be a reality...
But that’s not now...
There is division
There are misunderstandings
There are battle lines drawn
34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
The angels declared peace on earth - when they announced the arrival of the Lord Jesus...
But Jesus communicated something different to his disciples when he was here on earth...
You see - the peace on earth will be a reality - and it is because of the Lord - but between the mountain peaks -
Jesus’ coming
Jesus’ Kingdom - there was a valley - a valley of:
Persecution
Problems
The end promise of Peace is a reality, but we are not there yet...
34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Jesus was preparing his disciples for what was to come...
Promises give hope
Problems give awareness
Persecution brings commitment and cleansing
Things to look for:
Helpless
16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
Sheep
harmeless as doves
Wolves
Men
deliver you vs 17
scourge you
Councils
Synagogues - religious crowd
according to a August 7 report - Pew Research center -
28% of church attending christians think their church should be closed
51% think social distancing should be REQUIRED
44% think masks should be REQUIRED
41% think attendance should be LIMITED
28% think singing should be LIMITED
WHEN THE PEOPLE WITHIN THE WALLS OF THE CHURCH ARE ALIGNING WITH THOSE OUTSIDE THE WALLS - WE ARE IN TROUBLE!!!
Hated
21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Family
Friends
Relationships will not matter -
part of a reprobate society is that they will be agains nature - rom.1
The disciple would not just be disliked - they would be hated...
HELPLESS
HATED
Hindered
23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
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HELPLESS
HATED
HINDERED
Halted
34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
The life of the believer may come to an end as a martyr
Their existence here on earth may have the beginning and the end...
But what the world attempts to do to cause us to cease is not enough to halt the work of Christ...
Stephen -
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Paul -
6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Peace or a Sword?