Standing in Peace
Ephesians 6:15
Series: Armed and Dangerous
July 15, 2007
Morning Service
Introduction
Many of you have probably never heard of Mary Ann Baker. Mary’s life was filled with much sorrow and heartache. Her family had been devastated by disease. Her mother and father had died, Mary had been bedridden for months and then her brother contracted the disease.
Mary’s brother left Chicago for a warmer climate and the hope of a cure. Months went by and they sent telegrams back and forth to communicate. A final telegram came to Mary telling her that her brother too had died from the disease.
After overcoming the illness, Mary struggled with grief and sorrow. She could not come to terms with the loss and find peace. Several months later Mary’s pastor asked her to help write a song for service that went along with Mark 4:37-39 about Christ calming the sea.
The words that Mary wrote would become the hymn Master, the Tempest is Raging.
Master, the tempest is raging, the billows are tossing high
The sky is o’shadowed with blackness, no shelter or help is nigh
Carest thou not that we perish? How canst thou lie asleep
When each moment so madly is threatening, a grave in the angry deep
The winds and waves shall obey thy will; peace be still
Whether the wrath of storm tossed sea or demons or men or whatever be
No waters can swallow the ship where lies The Master of ocean or earth and skies
They all shall sweetly obey thy will, peace be still peace be still
Stand firm with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:15
The importance of the shoes
The Roman soldier needed a good boot or shoe because of the variety of terrain that they would be expected to fight on. The Roman shoes were boots that were connected to a plate of metal spikes that covered the sole of the shoe. The spikes were used to create a firm footing in nearly any terrain. The shoes were not just boots but also included the greeves. These were metal plates that covered the shin from the ankle to above the knee.
The shoes allowed the Roman soldier to be prepared for assaults and for defending a position. The shoes provided balance and stability.
The meaning of Peace
The Hebrew word for peace is salom, which conveys a meaning of having wholeness, unity and harmony. The deeper concept of peace flows out of a sense of prosperity, health and fulfillment. Salom became a word for greetings and farewells. It was pronounce mean of blessing. It was the hope of extending God’s peace upon the person. It was a wish for personal welfare. The application of peace in the Old Testament was primarily relational from one person to another.
The symbolism of peace was portrayed in the formal peace offering that was given at the temple. This was an additional offering that followed the sin offering. The peace offering was partially eaten and partially burned. The understanding was that the offering revealed a sense of overflowing joy and fulfillment with God.
The Greek word for peace was eirene which signaled an orderly, prosperous life that could only be obtained without a state of war. This principle was applied to the inner personal life as a state of personal peace. Unlike the Old Testament, the New Testament roots the concept of peace entirely in our relationship with God.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1
Paul makes it clear that the full understanding of peace can only be seen in Jesus. Peace through Jesus is the inner experience that brings wholeness and a new relationship. Without a personal relationship with Jesus, there is no real peace. Jesus brings harmony out of hostility. He brings order out of disorder. He brings unity out of disunity.
Jesus is our peace
1.) He ensures our ability to have peace
2.) He enables us to have peace
3.) He empowers our ability to experience peace
Three Kinds of Peace
1.) Redeeming Peace: This is the peace that we gain with God. We only gain this through the work of Christ on the cross and the empty tomb.
2.) Relational Peace: This is the peace that comes from God. There are times that God gives His peace to us.
3.) Resource Peace: The peace of God which points to God as the source of peace
Why do most Christians not experience this peace?
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. John 14:27
We become too anxious
Jesus does not promise that we will not experience trouble in life. His promise is that we will never go through trouble alone. Jesus makes it clear that He will give us a divine peace that gives us the strength to face the troubles in life. The more difficult that life becomes the greater our need for His peace. The more intense the troubles the more apparent the peace of Christ becomes.
True peace comes from yielding all to the will of God. Let Him have His way, let Him solve the problem, then the heart can be at peace. M. G. Gutzke
We become too afflicted
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
The world pursues a peace that does not truly exist. Many people seek after security in this world and having every single need and desire met. The world chases after a life without conflict, without pain and without demands. Honestly this kind of life doesn’t exist for anyone.
The peace that Jesus offers is completely different. Through Jesus we gain an inner calm, a genuine confidence in God and true safety for the soul. In Jesus, we gain a sense of direction and purpose. We have a hope that persists within conflict that flows from a certainty of eternal life.
We become too afraid
Our world dishes out an incredible amount of garbage. We have to deal with problems in our families, our workplaces and even in our churches. In these times we often give in to fear and doubt. Fear drains us of our courage and commitment. It saps our spiritual strength and steals the power of our faith. Jesus tells us that He will give us His peace but we have to accept it.
Fear is a very real obstacle to faith. There is no way to have faith and to live in fear at the same time. It just doesn’t work. Our confidence belongs in God. When we place our confidence in Him, there is influx of peace that comes to our life.
We become too agitated
The word troubled means to be restless or stirred up. Literally being troubled means that we become agitated by life. There are many times that the demands of daily living drain us of our strength. When we allow the troubles of life to disturb us we lose the opportunity to experience divine peace.
An excellent example of this is seen when Jesus visits the home of Mary and Martha. Mary stops everything and takes time to be with Jesus. Mary becomes absorbed with the details of preparing a meal. Look at what Jesus tells Martha.
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, Luke 10:41
We have the wrong attitude
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
We need to have an attitude of prayer. When prayer is absent our personal attitude will become filled with negative thoughts. Only when we turn from an attitude of anxiety to an attitude of prayer can we experience the peace of God.
When we do this we gain a peace that passes understanding. Simply put, we cannot comprehend the peace that God gives to us. Peace goes against the very nature of this world. True peace comes only from God.
God’s peace guards our hearts and minds. The Greek word for guard was a military term; that meant to guard or garrison a city. God’s peace surrounds our heart and mind like a garrison protects a city from outside attack.
Conclusion
Duke University did a study on "peace of mind." Factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability are:
1) the absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness.
2) Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.
3) Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it.
4) Force yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress.
5) Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune.
6) Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues--love, humor, compassion and loyalty.
7) Do not expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable.
8) Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centered egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness.
Do you allow the daily troubles of life to agitate you? Are you at peace with God today? Are you struggling with a lot of stress? Do you have peace this morning? Are you feeling overwhelmed by life?
