Peace Through Conquest

Welcome

Announcements

Just Started our New Reformation Study this morning. Join us next week

We begin a new phase in our Puritan Study this Wednesday. We move from learning who the Puritans were to what they believed, and how that has shaped our church today.

Starting Sept 26th I will begin my first special series as we spend 6 weeks exploring The 5 Solas of the Reformation. Learning how it was that the faith that we practice today was rediscovered through trial and turmoil beginning 504 years ago. This will culminate in a Reformation Day Celebration on the evening of Oct 31st. 504 years after Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the castle door in Vittenburg.

Our farmers market is continuing for two more Saturdays, ending on the 25th of Sept. We will then be having a potluck dinner as a means of thanks to all of our vendors, and inviting them to church on Oct 10th. So plan for dinner after church that day.

Lastly we invite you to join us here in the Fellowship hall after church today for a lunch and visitation time.

Prepare for Worship

Call To Worship

Responsive Reading

pg 243 - Isaiah 9:6-7

Isaiah 9:6–7 (ESV)

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Confession

Prayer of Confession

Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our sinfulness, our shortcomings, and our offenses against you. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love.  We have failed to see the hope that you provide for us. We fail to fully trust in your plan. Trusting in our own wisdom above yours, we seek that which glorifies us rather than you. Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we are ashamed and sorry for all we have done to displease you.Forgive our sins, and help us to live in your light, and walk in your ways, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Assurance of Faith

Hear the good news! Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life has gone; a new life has begun.

Rom. 8:34; 2 Cor. 5:17

Believe the good news of the gospel: In Jesus Christ you are forgiven.

Thanks be to God!

Confession of Faith - Join meon the back page of the Westminster Handout as we read our Confession of faith, Traditional version

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church*, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Worship

Song 1 - 319 Breathe on Me, Breath of God

Song 2 - 332 Oh How Good it is

Song 3 - 364 How Firm a Foundation

Prayers of the People

Prayer Request

Lords Prayer: Found on the back cover of the Westminster Hand out

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy

kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us

this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our

debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.

Amen.

Peace Through Conquest

Last Week we talked of God’s dealing with His people through the use of Covenants and Commandments

We saw how God throughout history has provided for His people the means of salvation, establishing different administrations of His ultimate Covenant of Grace, the Covenant expressed first in Genesis with the promise of a Messiah

Today we pick up in the same area as we left off last week. Looking at Eph 2:14-17

Ephesians 2:14–17 ESV

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.

I ask today, do you feel in a place of peace? Peace in your own mind and heart? Peace in your Home? Church? City? State? Country?

So we have to ask is Paul waxing poetically, or did we just miss the message of Peace?

Jesus brought Peace

Paul tells us that Jesus is our peace, that he created in himself a new man of two, so making peace, and that He came and preached a message of peace to those near and those far.

How do we understand this peace in a world so devoid of peace?

What is peace?

In Hebrew “salom” - peace from war, peace, tranquility, contentment, friendship, also completeness

In Greek “eirene” - national tranquility, peace between individuals, harmony, concord,

of Christianity, the tranquil state of the soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatever sort that is

the blessed state of devout and upright ment after death

Do we see any of these forms of peace in our life?

What peace do we seek from Christ?

Why do we need Peace?

What is the opposite of peace? distress, strife, conflict, and discord

What do you accomplish each day of your life is nothing but conflict?

Christ has given us peace so we might accomplish that which he Sent us.

Point 3

Jesus Brought a Sword

Matthew 10:34–38 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

“Bringing Peace”

So Jesus tells us that He did not come to “bring” peace - in Greek it says to throw down, to cast down

seems He is saying that with His coming that He would instantaneously establish peace

But rather He brings the Sword, in conquest

Peace is not attained instantaneously.

There can be no peace in the presence of enemies. As long as they exist they disturb the peace.

Covenant of Peace

How do we know that the peace that Jesus has brought is come through conquest and not pacifism?

Jesus in Matthew in Ch 10 was sending His diciples on conquest to spread the word of the coming of the Kingdom of God

Later in Matthew 23 we see Jesus excoriating the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy, for their unbelief, He tells them that their failures as priests actually shuts people out of the Kingdom, when they make a convert they make them twice the child of Hell they are themselves. He tells them their house is left to them desolate.

What we see here is a fulfilling of OT prophecy found in Malachi.

This covenant was established with Phinehas in Num 25:10-13

Numbers 25:10–13 ESV

And the Lord said to Moses, “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’ ”

God established peace with the line of Priest so long as they were jealous with God's jealousy. They were to want for God’s people to live a righteous life, and seek after Him alone.

Priests of Jesus time failed to heed the warnings given in Mal 2:1-12

Malachi 2:1–12 ESV

“And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts. My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.” Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!

This was an enemy of peace that Jesus came to destroy. The corrupted form of worship that had arisen in Israel. In casting those woes, Jesus brought the sword against His enemies, Resulted in the destruction of the temple and the form of Judaism that had stood for so long. Ending the Mosaic administration of the covenant.

Jesus began His conquest for peace by destroying the very thing that kept His people separated, the part of the law that was filled with ordinances and had become corrupt as people sought to earn their way into heaven.

Sub Point 2C

Peace Through Conquest

So how do we then experience this peace brought by Christ in Ephesians

Internal Peace

First we submit to Christ, have belief in Him and His sacrifice.

Find peace in our salvation. Knowing He is in control

See our discontent with our lot as sinful, and an enemy to be overcome.

Paul says that Christ is our peace. He is the source of it, he is the one who imparts it to us through the Spirit.

We must turn daily, moment by moment to seek the guidance of the Spirit.

Peace in our communities

In our Homes

Spirit Led environment, defeating the enemies within our homes

Removing conflict

If we can not succeed in this small space, little hope outside of there

In our Church

Find the enemies of Christ that may reside here

Seeing only shared labor in Christ

Begging the Spirit to help us to live as we know Scripture calls us to live

Not seeking our own wants and desires

Rejoicing in common ground

Who will want to be part of the church at all if they see only conflict

In our local community

Serve the local community, show the peace that God brings when we work together - i.e. other churches

Stand for truth at the local level, refuse to compromise with the enemies of God, no peace wherein enemies reside, God only blesses faithfulness

Be a refuge for the weary

Peace in our world

Christ will defeat all of His enemies, one by one, he does it day by day

Evangelize, speak the truth and trust the Spirit to do the work. Peace comes to this world only when the world is filled with those who believe

We can only see that victory when we are faithful in living Christ like in our area of influence. Start small.

Conclusion

Our faith is not one of despair, and conflict.

Our hope is not found in a feigned internal peace that we proclaim simply because we know we are going to heaven.

Our Peace is found in the present. Its a peace found in conquest, individually and collectively. Trusting Christ

overcoming discontent

living in such a way as people around you see that faith and that trust in Christ

being an influence in the world around us

The peace promised in our Christ is not one delivered instantaneously through an unexplainable miraculous change of the nature of the world. It is one that will be established through the victory of righteousness over evil. We each play a part in that. Our church plays a part in that. We must seek to find our part and faithfully execute our mission. Knowing that it is not our own plan, or even our own power, but trust in God, a faith that is so robust that we simply follow the Spirit day by day doing as He guides.

Doxology

Closing Prayer

If anyone has any questions or concerns feel free to catch me afterwards. And a quick reminder we do have plates in the back for anyone who desires to worship through giving today. The plate to the right is general giving, and the one to the left is specific for our missions giving.

Join us as we sing the doxology:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below, Praise Him above ye Heavenly Host, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.