Title: Finding A New Peace
Series: New Beginnings for the New Year
Text: Ephesians 2:14-18
Introduction: “Encouraging” The New Members
“Bill and Sue” had recently moved into the city, and had been visiting our church for several weeks. They made friends quickly, and possessed a variety of gifts and talents that would enhance the ministries of our church. Within a short time they decided that God would have them join our congregation. They always seemed to have a smile of their faces, and constantly exhibited a loving devotion to the Lord’s work. We were delighted to have them, and looked forward to helping them find their niche in the ministries of the church.
But within a week of joining, Sue came to my office spiritually depressed and in need of counseling. It seems that an unhappy member had taken it upon themselves to reveal to this couple all the “problems” of the church. They unloaded on them with both barrels blazing, revealing all the real and imagined troubles they knew of. By the time the conversation was finished, Bill and Sue not only were not smiling, they were seriously questioning their decision to join the church.
The old saying, of course, is true; misery does love company. Sadly, when God’s people have lost their peace, they often spend more time recruiting others to be sympathetic to their selfish point of view than they spend trying to rediscover the peace that Christ promised.
For those believers today who have lost their peace, I want to remind you that you can, indeed, get it back. It’s the peace that Jesus promised us (John 14:27), and it’s the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). If you’ve lost your peace, your joy, and your happiness, I want to encourage you today to find this peace anew.
I. THE SOURCE OF PEACE - JESUS. Ephesians 2:14-15
Illustration: A World In Turmoil
The Personnel Journal reported this incredible statistic: since the beginning of recorded history, the entire world has been at peace less than eight percent of the time! In its study, the periodical discovered that of 3530 years of recorded history, only 286 years saw peace. Moreover, in excess of 8000 peace treaties were made—and broken. (Moody Bible Institute’s “Today In The Word,” June, 1988, p. 33. Cited online at http://www.bible.org.)
A. Jesus Broke Down The Wall Of Separation. Ephesians 2:14b-15
Note: The [middle wall of separation] alludes to the separation of the Court of the Gentiles from the rest of the Temple. Between that court and the Court of the Israelites was a sign that read, "No Gentile may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death." This physical barrier illustrated the barrier of hostility and hate that also separated the two groups. As we learn from the book of Acts, even a Jew who brought a Gentile into the restricted part of the Temple risked being put to death. (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (c) Moody Press and John MacArthur, Jr., 1983-2002.)
Illustration: Moving The Fence
Another story from World War II is that of a group of American soldiers who lost their buddy in battle. They carried his body to the only cemetery in the area, which happened to be Catholic. When the priest was told that the dead man was not Catholic he said, "I am sorry, but he cannot be buried here"
The disheartened and discouraged soldiers decided to do what they thought was next best, and during the night they buried their comrade just outside the cemetery fence. They returned the next morning to pay their last respects, but they could not find a grave outside the fence.
When they told the priest of their quandary, he said, "The first part of the night I stayed awake sorry for what I told you. And the second part of the night I spent moving the fence." (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (c) Moody Press and John MacArthur, Jr., 1983-2002.)
1. Jesus Christ removed every obstacle that stood between me and God.
2. He made me new in Him, thereby establishing my peace with God.
3. He “moved the fence” so there would no longer be a source of enmity between us.
B. Jesus Wiped Out The Requirements Of The Law. (Colossians 2:13-14)
1. He has made me alive with Him.
2. He has forgiven me all of my trespasses.
3. He has given me grace and mercy.
4. All of this is accomplished through His death on the cross. (Galatians 2:20)
Note: The cross is God’s answer to legalism, racial discrimination, segregation, bigotry, war, pride, hatred, selfishness, pessimism, and every other cause and result of human strife.
II. THE AVENUE OF PEACE – RECONCILIATION. (Ephesians 2:16-17; James 4:1-3)
A. Apart From His Death On The Cross I Am An Enemy Of God. (Romans 5:8-10)
1. Christ died for me to save me from sin.
2. Christ died for me to save me from God’s wrath.
a. I am reconciled through His death.
b. I am saved through His life.
B. Apart From The Blood Of His Cross I Am In Opposition To God. (Colossians 1:19-20)
III. THE PERFECTION OF PEACE – CONTENTMENT. (Ephesians 2:18)
Note: Duke University did a study on "peace of mind." Factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability are as follows: (http://www.sermonillustrations.com.)
A. Factor 1: Refuse To Harbor Suspicion And Resentment. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Illustration: Barometer
A man who lived on Long Island was able one day to satisfy a lifelong ambition by purchasing for himself a very fine barometer. When the instrument arrived at his home, he was extremely disappointed to find that the indicating needle appeared to be stuck, pointing to the sector marked “HURRICANE.”
After shaking the barometer very vigorously several times, its new owner sat down and wrote a scorching letter to the store from which he had purchased the instrument. The following morning on the way to his office in New York, he mailed the letter.
That evening he returned to Long Island to find not only the barometer missing, but his house also. The barometer’s needle had been right—there was a hurricane! (E. Schuyler English. Cited online at http://www.bible.org.)
Proverbs 29:11
A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back.
1. Those who harbor suspicion and resentment will have no room for peace.
2. Nursing a grudge is a major factor in unhappiness.
B. Factor 2: Stop Living In The Past. (Luke 9:62)
1. Past mistakes cannot be undone.
2. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.
3. Past successes do not guarantee future victories.
C. Factor 3: Don’t Waste Time And Energy Fighting Conditions You Cannot Change. (Matthew 7:6)
1. Some battles are not worth fighting.
2. You may be trying to keep things the same when God wants them to change.
3. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it.
Illustration: The Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
D. Factor 4: Stay Involved. (Hebrews 10:25)
1. Force yourself to stay involved with the living world.
2. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress.
The progression:
a. I become unhappy, for whatever reason. I am miserable on the inside, but I refuse to admit it.
b. I start to look at others with suspicion, questioning their ideas, their methods, and their motives. I’m also noticing more errors in the pastor’s sermons.
c. Every week I become aware of more flaws in the members of our congregation. It’s funny how I never noticed those things before now. I must be growing spiritually.
d. It soon dawns on me that I am right and everyone else is wrong. I find great solace in the fact that God agrees with me.
e. My personal devotions and my prayer life start to slip, but that’s OK. I don’t need that stuff as much as everyone else does.
f. I find that those who are wrong begin to team up against me. Now it’s me and God against the world. The battle lines are drawn.
g. It is now my duty and responsibility to point out the errors of others since they don’t seem to get it. But somehow I just can’t get them to agree with me.
h. I start waning in my involvement in activities, and then my church attendance. Since everyone else is wrong, and because they are all against me, there is little reason to go. It’s all their fault.
i. The church no longer meets my needs. It was once a really spiritual church, but now it’s just another bunch of hypocrites. I’m unhappy, and it’s all their fault.
j. I’m not going to that church any more. Everyone hates me. They’re all wrong except me and they won’t admit it. I’m growing unhappier by the day; and it’s all their fault.
E. Factor 5: Refuse To Indulge In Self-Pity. (Romans 12:2a)
Illustration: Tattoo
Once walking through the twisted little streets of Kowloon in Hong Kong, I came upon a tattoo studio. In the window were displayed samples of the tattoos available. On the chest or arms you could have tattooed an anchor or flag or mermaid or whatever. But what struck me with force were three words that could be tattooed on one’s flesh, “Born To Lose.”
I entered the shop in astonishment and pointing to those words, asked the Chinese tattoo artist, “Does anyone really have that terrible phrase, ‘Born To Lose,’ tattooed on his body.”
He replied, “Yes, sometimes.”
“But,” I said, “I just can’t believe that anyone in his right mind would do that.”
The Chinese man simply tapped his forehead and said in broken English, “Before tattoo on body, tattoo on mind.” (Norman Vincent Peal in Power of the Plus Factor. Cited online at http://www.bible.org.)
1. Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal.
2. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune.
F. Factor 6: Cultivate The Old-Fashioned Virtues - Love, Humor, Compassion, And Loyalty. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)
G. Factor 7: Find Something Bigger Than Yourself To Believe In. (Proverbs 16:18-19)
Note: Self-centered egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness.
Conclusion: The Complete Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen.
(Reinhold Niebuhr. Cited online at http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/special/serenity.html.)
We need to remember that one of the fruits of the spirit is peace (Galatians 5:22). The problem with many of us is that we equate peace with having things our way. We still haven’t discovered that we can disagree without being disagreeable. When selfishness kicks in we lose our eternal perspective. We become miserable and cranky, and determined to make others feel the same way. But Jesus Christ offers us peace; “the peace of God which passes all understanding.” When we find that we have lost that peace, I suggest that we look inward to find the problem, look upward to find the solution, and then look outward to discover that the church is not nearly as bad as we have been led to believe.
