TITLE: “Gospel Shoes of Peace"
INTRO: Tell a lot about a person by the shoes he wears
- Your shoes are making a statement about you.
- Cowboy boots - you’re saying you’re macho, mountain man
- Wingtip shoes - Accountant, Engineer
- Tassels - cool & hip
- Sandals - California
- No shoes - from southern California
SERIES: How to Dress for Success (Learning how to dress, spiritually speaking)
TEXT: Ephesians 6:15
(read)
REVIEW: Paul is under house arrest in Rome, chained to a Roman soldier and he is writing
this letter & describing the armor & giving an analogy of our spiritual armor that the
Lord provides us with.
-Romans were experts in warfare; they covered the world (mainly through hand to hand
combat)
-Soldiers knew a slip in close quarters meant certain doom.
-Roman military scientist came up with a helpful idea so their soldiers would not
slip.
-(Shoe like boot with very thick souls, put spikes or nails into souls protruding
downward) acted like cleats in football or baseball, give you better traction.
REMEMBER: Belt of Truth - respond to the Word of God.
Breastplate of Righteousness - Jesus Christ righteousness
Today - Talk about Gospel shoes of Peace
- Anybody that has been in hand to hand knows the importance of having sure footing.
Ex...Professional boxers put resin on the shoes so they don’t slip in the ring.
TS: What is this peace Paul is talking about (this Gospel of Peace) Talk 3 aspects of Peace…
I. Peace with God
A. War with God - before we became Christians the Bible says we were at war with Him. We were enemies of God.
1. Thought Satan at war with God - right, but he led mankind into rebellion against God (Garden of Eden or mankind has been in rebellion ever since).
-Romans 1:18 "The wrath of God is being revealed from Heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness".
B. Words: Godlessness - implies a lack of reverence (respect) for God. Wickedness - implies injustice towards fellow men.
Suppress the truth - whenever truth starts to exert itself it makes them feel
uneasy so they hold it down (suppress it) by argument or denial.
Ex. Counseling people (truth, argument & denial)
-Because they are trying to suppress the truth from within
- The first step to recovery is to admit you have a problem.
C. Good news - Romans 5:10-11 (read)
- Son dying on the cross - (reason why we can have peace with God.)
1. Last week - Doctrine of justification (being right, declared righteous)
This week - Doctrine of reconciliation
Romans 5:1 "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ".
D. 3 pieces armor GK verb form is in the middle voice meaning we believe and God acts.
- We believe & God belts us up.
- We believe & God puts on the breastplate of righteousness.
- We believe & God puts shoes of peace on us.
E. Benefits of having peace with God
1. He will extend His peace to flood over our lives - our mind & hearts will be bathed in His peace & it won’t matter what circumstances we are in.
- 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 & do not be afraid."
II. Peace within ourselves_- God will not only make peace with Himself but also with ourselves.
A. God gives us armor to respond to enemy attack - Gospels Shoes of Peace are a response to the enemies attack of distractions. (floods the communication channel with noise)
-Pointing out flaws, - Church (hypocrites, Pastor, worrying about color of walls, size of bulletins, too many choruses, not enough hymns, etc.)
-Start concerning ourselves with unimportant details, we get off track & start majoring in the minor things.
B. Distractions will cause us to worry, anxiety, tension cause us to miss the peace of God.
-Some here today have allowed the devil to rob you of your peace in Christ. I’d challenge you as Pastor or friend, not to major in the irrelevant things of life (let’s get on with the work God would have for us, winning souls).
C. Lord’s promise - Phil 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God & the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts & your minds in Christ Jesus".
God basically saying bring your problems to me & in return I’ll give you My peace.
ILLUSTRATION: During dark days of WW II, London was being bombed by Germany. Invasion seemed immanent, hundreds were dying, fires were burning day & night, British people ready to give up & their leader, Winston Churchill, would come on the radio and give the British people encouragement & strength to stand against the enemy.
-That’s what God does in our life, encourages us and builds us up in His strength.
James 4:1 "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?"
- God can calm those desires within us that cause fights & quarrels
Ex. Teen Challenge, young folks that can get up and give testimonies of their lives when once they were at war with God but now they know Him. The violence has stopped, found peace that God has to offer. STORY: Barker was a missionary from Great Britain who spent over 50 years in Portugal preaching the gospel, often under adverse conditions. During WW II situation became so critical that he took the advice to send his wife & children to England for safety. His sister & her 3 children were also evacuated on the same ship. Barker remained behind to conclude some missionary services. The Sunday after Barker’s loved ones had left, he stood before the congregation and said, "I’ve just received word that all my family have arrived safely home." He then proceeded with the service as usual. Later, the full meaning of his words became known to his people. He was handed a wire before the meeting informing him that a submarine had torpedoed the ship and everyone on board drowned. Barker knew that all on board were believers and the knowledge that his family was enjoying the bliss of Heaven enabled him to live above the circumstances in spite of his overwhelming grief.
TS: Peace God gives us within ourselves will also give us peace with others.
III. Peace with others
A. Families and friends - we can have peace within our families. Politicians have it wrong, the problem with American violence is not drugs, it’s not guns, it’s not the schools or the welfare system. It’s the breakdown of the family.
-A lot of the trouble comes when there’s no peace and harmony in the home.
-Read newspaper - parents locking a child in his closet for months in the dark, • boy about 4 years old, only weighing about 30 or 40 lbs. Father believing it’s not his child.
Other cases of parents throwing their children against the wall, landing them in their cribs (bankshot). Baby dying from head injuries.
Problem: Because there is no peace from within.
B. Enemies - people we just don’t like (usually your boss)
1.People that start trouble with us. Sometimes it’s hard, we slip and lose our victory and say something we shouldn’t. (Ever have that problem? No, neither have I.)
2.Illustration: friend about standing in line at airport and this fellow in front of him yelling & screaming at poor little ticket lady, complaining about everything from A to Z. (She’s just standing there smiling and nodding her head). After left friend asked if she was a saint, admiring her on handling such a rascal. She smiled and said "He’s going to Florida but his bags are going to New York".
**Improper way to handle your enemies...
Matt. 5:39 "But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."
KEY: To protect our hearts from getting hard.
Ex. Reginal Denny case, young men beaten him senseless. Forget & forgive, (even shook hands and hugged them). Let past be past.
KEY: Understand who source conflict is and where they are and know our purpose (remember our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the devil and his clan).
C. We are to be peacemakers - Gospel shoes of peace to bring peace, not to destroy it.
(Don’t be a troublemaker) A troublemaker rocks the boat then convinces people that there truly is a storm at sea when there really isn’t.
CONCLUSION: If you’ve come and your feet are sore, ingrown toenail & feet are all cut up, put on the shoes God has provided. (Put them on so the enemy does not stomp on your toes!)
Gospel Shoes of Peace
I. Brings Peace with God
II. Brings peace within ourselves
III. In return, bring peace with others
Storms of life may be raging havoc on the top of the sea, but underneath the waves of fury can not be felt because your down at the bottom. Like Christ and His peace that surpasses all understanding, we can endure all hardships with Christ’s peace.
