War and Peace

Let me start with this statement from Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. (Matthew 6:24)

Matthew 6:24 NKJV

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Some of you may remember the Avengers; Infinity War, the movie, it is on track to become the highest grossing superhero film of all times. As both the Avengers and Guardians continued to protect the world from perils too large for any one hero, a new, more dangerous threat emerges when Thanos sets out to collect all 6 Infinity Stones.

With this power, Thanos plans to take control of the entire universe and impose a twisted plan on the cosmos. The Avengers and Guardians must unite to secure victory.

When the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy meet for the first time, neither group knows the others allegiance. During the battle, Dr. Strange realizes that both teams may be fighting for the same cause.

Have you noticed that, in both the Marvel universe and ours, what we serve changes how we live. Allegiance direct actions.

Edwin Starr wrote a song some time ago title “War (What is it good for. The lyrics go like this: War (What is it good for?) and the answer was -- Absolutely (nothin)

In my life time there have been many wars or what some describe as conflicts;

· Korean War (1950-53) (I just missed this one)

· Algerian War (1954–62)

· Vietnam War (1954–75)

· Namibian War of Independence (1966-88)

· Six-Day War (1967)

· War of Attrition (1969–70)

· Persian Gulf War (1991)

· And the list goes on ….

Title:

Our title for today is “War and Peace”

Scripture:

Psalm 120:6-7

“6 My soul has dwelt too long With one who hates peace. 7 I am for peace; But when I speak, they are for war.”

Introduction:

Last week, the message was on The Power of Prayer, which is one of the six weapons of warfare that we have in our arsenal. They are:

The Power of Prayer

The Power of Godly Living

The Power of Faith

The Power of Truth

The Power of Love

The Power of Hope

Just encase you forgot.

You know, I can’t imagine the total number of Americans who have given their lives for our country, the countless wars or conflicts that the US of A have been involved in. But God knows the number and name of each one, and we remember and are grateful for their sacrifice!

Despite your opinions of various political situations, everyone can agree that we’re tired of being at war! We don’t want our soldiers dying in battle.

Today let’s look through the lens of Scripture and to bring the Scriptures to bear on how we view war as Christians. When looking at the words — battle, war, and peace— The Bible speaks of five realities about war bubble to the surface. I want to present those realities to you today.

Biblical Realities:

· God Is at War.

· Wars Pervade History.

· Wars Come from Within.

· Wars Will Increase.

· Wars Will Cease in the New Heaven and Earth.

1. God Is at War.

In considering the issue of war, this is the place to start. There are actual spirit beings in cosmic war between the forces of God and the forces of Satan. This war began in eternity past when Satan and his followers were cast out of heaven. This account of the ongoing war in the Book of Revelations 12:7-9 (Is. 14:12; Rev. 12).

Revelation 12:7–9 “7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

Isaiah 14:12 “12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!”

Luke 10:18–20 “18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.””

Isaiah 34:4–5 “4 All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; All their host shall fall down As the leaf falls from the vine, And as fruit falling from a fig tree. 5 “For My sword shall be bathed in heaven; Indeed it shall come down on Edom, And on the people of My curse, for judgment.”

You see, war has been endless from that point on.

Most worldly observers tend to dismiss cosmic war as something superstitious. But the entire Bible holds to the worldview that God is at war.

It records and teaches that war exists in the unseen realms and those wars have a direct bearing on the well-being of human beings and the environment of this earth.

2. Wars Pervade History.

Someone has said that the history of mankind is the history of wars. Pick up any history book and you’ll see this is accurate. What about the Bible, our one-and-only sacred book? It’s full of war! The first recorded war in the Bible is in Genesis 14:2 when an assortment of kings went to war near the Dead Sea in the days of Abraham.

Later, when Israel came out of Egypt into the Promised Land, they were a virtual war machine.

The wars continued into the eras of the judges and kings of Israel and Judah against nations like the Philistines, Assyria, and Babylon. The prophets spoke of wars that would pervade human history. So, whether you pick up a history book at school or a Bible at home, war permeates the pages. But why? This leads to our next reality:

3. Wars Come from Within.

Classically, we think of war as open hostilities between nations or political factions carried out by weapons. But war goes beyond that. War is basically a condition of hostility and opposition by which injury is inflicted against the opposition to gain a victory.

Lets stop for a minute and look at a few facts of life. Wars don’t just happen between nations or states. They happen in marriages, families, at the workplace, in churches, and among people who used to be friends.

James 4:1–2 says, “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.”

Pride promotes Strife in all of us. And this leads to our next reality:

Pride has started a lots of fights, families ave split; relationships have ended; churches ad slipt as well as denominations. Nations have gone to war just because. Look at Ukraine and Russia today.

Which brings us to the fourth biblical reality …

4. Wars Will Increase.

If you’re tired of war, expect to be fatigued. Wars are part of the human landscape. Things are not going to get better. With all our learning and technological advancements, we haven’t learned how to get along in the world.

Instead, we’ve learned how to annihilate much of the globe. There will be periods of rest from war, but the trend line is upward. Jesus, speaking of the end times in Matthew 24, when He predicts the great Tribulation—that period at the end of this age when the world will experience unprecedented war and destruction.

The apostle Paul says that people will be saying, “Peace and safety”, but this is false. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 (NKJV) says this

3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

You see Sudden destruction will come in the form of the last Great War as Christ returns.

And this leads to our final Biblical reality:

5. Wars Will Cease in the New Heaven and Earth.

History is moving somewhere. It’s going towards a predetermined plan that God is overseeing. Unregenerate mankind will continue to slug it out. At the same time, the gospel of peace will go forth to the four corners of the earth.

When the trumpet of God is sounded, Christ will call for His elect, the church, from the four corners of the world. Then He will descend as a mighty warrior and defeat the hostile armies of the world (Rev. 19).

All the former things like death and war and sorrow will pass away forever. Until that day, what can we do in a world of war and unrest with no end in sight?

Application:

So you may be asking how, how can I stop or prevent these things from occuring. I believe that on person can make a difference.

Just two easy steps:

1. Prefer Peace.

2. Wage Peace.

Prefer Peace.

Psalm 120:7 reads: “I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.” The singer’s plight comes to light in this Psalm. He wants peace. His enemies want war. I believe we need to defend ourselves, but we need to value peace above war. We need to pray for wisdom for our leaders. We need to value the souls of the enemy. We need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

2. Wage Peace.

We know what it means to wage war. Why not wage peace? Here are two key ways we can wage peace:

A.Share the Gospel of Peace with Others.

In Ephesians 6:15, Paul tells us to cover our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. The best way to stop war in the world is not through military might; it’s through changed hearts.

B. Make Peace in Your Own World.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matt. 5:9). Paul said in Romans 12:18, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” Let your every action be an action of peace; it will change your world.

Conclusion:

Are we putting our hope in political parties, guns, and bombs or in the gospel of the kingdom of God? Do we have a passion for love and justice in the world? Are we saddened by violence, destruction, and war?

Are we thankful for the sacrifice made by those who fight for our freedom? Are we committed to being peacemakers in our world? May Jesus and the New Testament determine our worldview and not the culture and policies of our day.

I want to close with this story from an unknown writer:

In 1555, Nicholas Ridley was burned at the stake because of his witness for Christ. On the night before Ridley's execution, his brother offered to remain with him in the prison chamber to be of assistance and comfort. Nicholas declined the offer and replied that he meant to go to bed and sleep as quietly as ever he did in his life. Because he knew the peace of God, he could rest in the strength of the everlasting arms of his Lord to meet his need. So can we!

Source Unknown.

“War and Peace”

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