Fruit Of The Spirit -Peace Series

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT – SON- RIPENED FRUIT - PEACE

Philippians 4:1-9

Today were looking at the fruit of the spirit: PEACE

Peace is very much on our minds as we deal with the war on terrorism.

Every Family here would like to get their service boys and girls

back home again safe and sound, not in a box or a bag.

We’d like the bombing to stop, the guns to be shelved.

But peace has always been elusive.

Society of International Law, in London, states that during the last 4,000 years

there have been only 268 years of world peace.

85% of all history concerns itself with WAR.

In all the years over 8000 peace treaties were made--and broken.

Because true peace is not to be found outside of the human heart.

It is to be found inside through a relationship with our Creator God.

Peace is not a state of mind, or a circumstance in nature,

It is a condition of the heart.

It is a fruit of the Spirit

A gift from God.

When our heart is out of kilter, then our peace is out of kilter.

There is a story a few years ago of when

Jack Kennedy was president and

Golda Meier Premier of Israel, and

Nikita Khrushchev was Premier of the Soviet union.

All got together for a peace conference decided to pray about the concerns on their heart.

Nikita Khrushchev asked God: if there would ever be peace between the United state and Russia. And God said: Not in your lifetime, Not in your lifetime.

Jack Kennedy asked God-will there be peace in America between the Blacks and the whites. God said Not in your lifetime, not in your lifetime

Golda Meier asked God- will there be peace between the Arab and the Jews? God said; Not in my lifetime, Not in my lifetime.

Man was made to worship his Creator,

And If we are out of sink with God

There will never be peace in the soul.

Real Peace consists not in the absence of danger but in the presence of God

Today I want you to look with me at

Three kinds of peace God has for the Christian believer.

First we want to look at the

I. UPWARD PEACE- PEACE WITH GOD.

One of the most beautiful names given to our Father in heaven is

“The God of peace” Romans 16:20

Isaiah 9:6 “And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”

Have you seen the bumper sticker that reads,

"No Jesus, No peace”!

Then underneath it are these words,

"Know Jesus, Know Peace."

That’s not only a clever bumper sticker, it’s also Biblically accurate.

If you know Jesus you will know peace.

If you don’t know Jesus, there will be no peace in your life.

Our whole world turn to pills, promiscuity; self help programs and Spirits.

Some turn to God.

Someone suggested that 5 million people go to sleep at night with the aid of a sleeping pill. One man was so addicted to the pills that he set his alarm clock at 12:00 every night to wake himself up so he could take his sleeping pill.

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Once we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, once we have repented of our sins & are faithful to Him in Christian living we discover a peace with God.

THIS IS AN UPWARD PEACE.

NO LONGER ESTRANGED FROM GOD.

No longer SEPERATED.

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, …His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. …For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

Ephesians 2:14-17

How many of you still can remember the battle you had

To let go of yourself and to trust God.

The formula for UPWARD PEACE.

Come only when there is a rooting out,

Pulling down, destroying, the false ideals, gods, attitudes, and thought processes.

That are in conflict with Christ.

That is what can cause turmoil and tension.

No man can serve two master.

I remember as a young boy climbing the windmill on our farm.

I got up about 15 feet in the air thinking of going the full 60,

when I paused to look down.

My heart stopped.

My hands froze.

At 15 feet I as terrified and traped.