Real Peace Ephesians 2:11-18 I. Introduction: In 1965 U Thant, the Secretary General of the United Nations, was invited to speak to 67 scholars and statesmen from 19 countries of the world. They had come together to talk about the requirements for world peace. One question he put to this gathering was, Why is it that, for all our professed ideals, our hopes, and our skills, peace on earth is still a distant objective seen only dimly through the storms and turmoil s of our present difficulties? This time of year we hear about hope, love, joy and peace everywhere we go. We are continually being reminded of what the angels said to the shepherds, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:14) Or even as we read this morning in Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. And then we all ask, Why can t we have peace? Some even feel betrayed; Jesus has come so where s the peace? But then we read other verses in God s Word and we begin to wonder. Turn to Luke 12:51-53 this doesn t sound like peace at all. Now turn to John 14:27, our text for the morning. Contrary to the expectations of the world, the peace Jesus brought wasn t peace throughout the world or for all mankind. His peace is a peace between God and man it is a supernatural peace. The world bases its peace on its resources while God s peace depends on relationships. The world depends on personal ability, but the Christian depends on the power of Jesus Christ. In the world, peace is something you hope for or work for; but, for the Christian, peace is God s wonderful gift; it is received by faith. Unsaved people enjoy a type of peace only when there is an absence of trouble; Christians enjoy peace in spite of trouble because of the presence of power of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:27 we can see 4 features of divine or supernatural peace. We see its description or nature, its source, its contrast, and its results. First, its description or nature. 1
II. Supernatural Peace A. Its Nature What is the Hebrew word for peace? SHALOM Shalom means more than the absence of war or problems. Shalom means wholeness, completeness, health, security, and even prosperity everything which makes for a person s highest good. The only way to have this shalom-type peace is to be right with God. Then one can have peace with God as well as the peace of God. Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve, mankind has been at war with God. Romans 8:7 says, The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. From birth everyone is against God; turn to Romans 3:10-18. As God said in Genesis 8:21, The imagination (or intent) of man's heart is evil from his youth. Humanly speaking, it was not possible to have peace between man and God. But as we read in Ephesians 2 earlier this morning, Jesus came to make it possible to have peace with God. He came to reconcile Jew and Gentile with God. Or as Colossians 1:19 & 20 say, God was pleased to reconcile to Himself all things by making peace through his blood Jesus blood shed on the cross. Or as Paul wrote in Romans 5:1, Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because Jesus paid the price for our sins, when we accept His gift of eternal life, our sins are forgiven. No longer are we enemies of God, we have become sons and daughters of God. When we are saved, we not only have peace with God, we also have, as Philippians 4:7 says, The peace of God, which transcends all understanding. As the rest of the verse 7 says, this peace of God will protect believers from doubts, fears, worry, and distress. It is independent of outward circumstances. 2
Peace isn t just a wish; it is an integral part of a Christian s life. Paul wrote in Romans 14:17, For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. As we allow the Holy Spirit to fill us, we will experience peace. B. Its Source In the second half of the sentence in John 14, we see the source of this peace: My peace I give you. On the night before He is crucified, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is telling His disciples that He will give them peace. But as we see in so many verses, peace doesn t just come from Jesus, peace comes from all 3 persons of the Trinity. For example, in Romans 1:7 we read, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. In Galatians 5:22-23 we are told that the fruit of the Spirit includes peace. For the disciples the promised peace would come at Pentecost. But from then on, whenever a person makes Jesus His Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside him right away and the believer has peace immediately. This is the same peace that allowed Christ to be calm as He was tried first by the Sanhedrin and then by Pilate. Turn to 1 Peter 2:23. If, as we are reminded in Hebrews 12:2, we look to Christ, we, like Christ, will have peace in the midst of any problem or hardship. C. Its Contrast In contrast though, real peace cannot be found in the world. There are wars between and within countries; there are fights between individuals. For a particular location or people there may be a short time of peace, but it will soon disappear. As someone wrote, Washington has a large assortment of peace monuments. We build one after each war. Over and over the Bible reminds us that world peace really isn t possible. In Isaiah 48:22 we read, There is no peace," says the LORD, "for the wicked. In Romans 3:17 which we read earlier, we saw that the way of peace the ungodly do not know. People can work hard and be as sincere as 3
possible, but world peace will elude them. As Jeremiah 8:15 puts it, We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there was only terror The only true peace is peace with God. The whole world will never know peace until Christ returns and establishes His throne. Then as it says in Isaiah 2:4, He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. But until then, the only way to have peace on earth is to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and then you will have peace with God and peace of God. D. Its Results Finally, in John 14:27 we see the results of God s peace, untroubled hearts and no fear. We don t need to be troubled or fearful; but for this to be the case, we need to pursue peace. That s why Jesus commanded His disciples (and us), Do not let your hearts be troubled. In II Timothy 2:22 Paul tells Timothy, 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. We are all to pursue peace. In Isaiah 26:3 we read, You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. If we are to have peace, we must be steadfast or immoveable, trusting in God. As it says in Philippians 4:6-7, we must not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. God s peace doesn t come naturally, it must be pursued. III. Conclusion: The Good News of the angels the Gospel is that the war between God and mankind can end. Jesus came to pay the penalty so that Christians can have the peace that passeth understanding real 4
peace. All you have to do is to let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15) When you do that, then nothing will be a bother. Turn to Paul s testimony in II Corinthians 4:8-9, 17-18. So, do you have this peace or not? If you do, congratulations, keep on trusting God and letting the Holy Spirit fill you that s the key. If you don t have this peace, let me ask you a question: Have you ever given yourself to God? Have you ever said, God, I am a sinner. Please forgive me of my sins. I accept the gift of Jesus death for my own ands ask to be one of Your children.? If not, why not give your life to God today so that you can have His peace. Then you will have the greatest gift of all eternal life. If you are a child of God, or as we say in church, you are saved, but you don t have peace, listen to these words of David from Psalm 32:3-5. If you have unconfessed sin or unrepentant sin in your life, you can t have God s peace. Unconfessed sin is a barrier between a Christian and God. If you want God s peace, the barrier the sin must be removed. This morning as we sing our closing with a hymn, if you want to have peace with God and the peace of God; come to the front of the sanctuary and we will pray together and help you find God s peace. As an old hymn writer put it, Do you want peace, real peace, wonderful peace? Let Jesus come into your heart. 5