It took 10 days to get a message to Europe delivered by ship .
When the great Atlantic Telegraph Cable was laid it just took moments, the first message flashed Aug 16/1858 "Glory to God in the highest; on earth, peace and good will toward men." (14 words, 69 letters – Twitter allows 140 characters)
‘Social Message’ in the poster.
You could send twelve words for your 5 shillings = $30 today
This is the first great need of mankind. The time is coming when peace will be universal on the earth. In the meantime peace can become the individual possession of each one.
Indeed, this is really essential to universal peace.
"Peace with God "--A Peace Outside of Myself.
Peace is difficult to define. It may be understood as harmony, unity, agreement.
Romans 5. 1, implies a previous state of of warfare
"We have peace," not we make peace.
"Peace with God" can never be ours without personal surrender to God on our part
- Sin has spoiled it all
Results of Sin
Brings Death
Seductive
Undermines Faith
Infuses Hopelessness
Hurts
Weakens Resolve
Self-Seeking
Pollutes Our Minds
Brings About Failure
Guarantees Judgment
Five Steps to Peace With God
1. Change Your Attitude
- Toward sin
- Sin is deadly wicked & deceitful
- Ps 139:23 - Search Me O God ...... wicked way
Eph 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
2. Change Your Focus
- Is my heart fixed on God
Colossians 3:2-4 (KJV)
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.- Passion for God
- You can’t spot clean (With “Tide-To-Go)
- Spot may be gone but the garment is still dirty
3. Change Your Diet
Colossians 3:16 (New International Reader's Version)
16 Let Christ's word live in you like a rich treasure. Teach and correct each other wisely.
- Remember your first cigar, beer, chew?
- Could not stand it could you?
- Get the desire by repeating over/over
- Get into the Word
- Repeat it over & over
- The way to kill sin in your life is to feed it Scripture.
- Scripture is poison to sin
- Get into a reading plan & Memorize
- Whatever really controls your mind, controls your behavior
Ps 1:1-3
4. Change Your Worship
- We dream think and talk about what we desire
- Dream Think and talk to God of his desires
- The best way to fight against sin is to fight it on our knees. - Philip Henry
- God shapes the world by prayer
Ps 2:8 Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance,
- What God thinks is so much bigger & better than what we can ever think
5. Change Your Habits
- We give into our desires
- To have a garden you have to pull weeds
Key to changing habits is Obedience
- Obedience is the only way to get the weeds out
- Like exercise a little bit at a time
- Over time you are stronger healthier
- How Am I Doing In These Areas?
An Inward Look
How’s My Relationship With Christ?
- Is my heart cold towards God?
- Has sin made me indifferent to Spirtural Things?
Checked Against the Word
- Convection of sin
- Love for Christ
- Love for Others
Imagine A doctor calls, “I’ve got good news and bad news.
- Bad news is that you’re going to die within a month.
- Good news is that if you significantly change your lifestyle right now and for the next month and beyond, you’ll live a long and happy life.”
- Could you make the change?
- Could you turn on a dime and go another direction with your life? - After all, this is a real choice for many people, so you’d think the odds would be fairly high, especially if you were told that if you don’t change, you’ll die.
- Sounds like a no-brainer. I’ll change. I’ll change.
- No you won’t. - odds are 9 to 1 that you won’t.
- Of course, you’ll say, “Yes, I’ll change.” And of course, you’ll begin to make those changes in lifestyle, eating habits, recreational pursuits and so on. But it’s not long before your enthusiasm tapers off, and soon you’re back to square one. No change. No chance.
Case in point: People who’ve had heart bypass surgery, most definitely a life-and-death matter, are directed by their doctors to change their eating habits, stop smoking, exercise, significantly alter their lifestyle. They know they should make those changes — know that they’ll die sooner than later if they don’t — yet multiple studies have shown that in just two years after such major surgery, 90 percent of these patients have not significantly altered their behavior.
You better change or die
John 6:40 (AV)
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
