Peace starts with me, Live @ Peace series
Romans 12:18, Philippians 4:1-9
Eric A. Snyder, Minister, Farwell Church of Christ
April 7, 2002
A Lawyer was duck hunting in Montana recently, when he attempted to cross a fence into a field to retrieve a duck he had shot. A farmer suddenly pulled up in his pickup truck, jumped out, and asked what he was doing on his property. "Retrieving this duck that I just shot," he replied.
"That duck is on my side of the fence, so now it’s mine," replied the farmer.
The Lawyer said “don’t you know who you’re talking to?”
"No, "replied the farmer, "I don’t know, and I don’t care."
"I am a famous lawyer" . And if you don’t let me get that duck, I can sue you for your farm, your truck, and everything else you own. I’ll leave you penniless on the street."
"Well," said the farmer, "in Montana the only law we go by is the ’3 kicks law.’"
"Never heard of it,"
The farmer said, "I get to kick you 3 times, and if you make it back to your feet and are able to kick me back 3 times, that duck is yours.." .
He thought this over. He grew up in a tough neighborhood and figured he could take this farmer. "Fair enough," he said. So the farmer kicked him in the shin. As he was doubling over, the farmer kicked him in the face, and when he hit the ground, he kicked him hard in the ribs. After several moments, he slowly made it back to his feet. "All right, now it’s my turn,"
"oh that’s all right ," said the farmer. "You can have the duck."
We live in a world that seems like it is always at war with someone. In fact the word “war” is regularly used in out society. As people we are intrigued with conflict and fights. I can remember when I was younger my parents took me to a college football game. These two drunk Guys started causing a scene and my mother stood up and screamed “fight”!
We learn early on that fighting is interesting and entertaining.
We love to see 2 people duke it out. Most of my favorite movies are about fights, conflicts one side against the other. Have you ever stopped to think about how radical the idea of peace is?
I loved Rocky, Air force 1, Die hard, and the star wars flicks. Those were all fictional stories where you cheer for the star. But in our society we have even moved beyond fictional fights, Our attention is all over anything that might have some kind of struggle. We watch as the day time talk shows parade people in front of us and we secretly yearn for a violent confrontation.
Even late night Neilson ratings dub the comedy shows as “the war of Late night television”
A recent movie called “Gladiator” depicts our drive for conflict. The movie is centered around a gladiator in roman times who is forced to fight in an arena for the amusement of others. After he has finished fighting against unrealistic odds he gives us the line that echoes through the hollow core of our empty hearts “Are you not entertained?”.
There is an interesting irony that exists between entertainment and reality. Most of us long for a day when all in the world would be peaceful. A day where we are not worried about rogue nations building nuclear weapons. A day where our children were not asked to go to war. Or a day when we don’t watch innocent people hurting and mistreated on the news.
The world has gotten older, but humanity has not grown up, Technology has advanced but we still have the same nature. And though we wait for a day of peace. Jesus said that day will not come until the kingdom of God is completely here.
Fighting has been popular for a long time. Ever since sin entered the world there has been the potential for war. Cain when he killed his brother was the first written example of a fight and murder was recorded in the Bible.
And much like that occasion, when we fail to do right in God’s eyes we unleash a plethora of evil possibilities.
Jesus was a peacemaker. He said if someone hits you on your face give them another chance to do it again. He was a man who was powerful and expressed his rage but never once did we see it come out in the form of fighting. In fact when they were in the garden and the men came to arrest Jesus, Peter drew a sword and started slicing. And when he cut a guard’s ear off Jesus picked it up and put it back on. And he said to Peter: violent people die violent deaths.
The author of Romans knew clearly what Jesus was trying to Get at. Because we find ourselves in
Chapter 12 verse 17&181 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
This is one of our texts for the next 4 weeks. If it is possible, as far as it depends on You, Live at peace.
1. As Far as it depends on you.
Jeff Foxworthy tells a story about going home and finding crayon writing on the wall so he asks his 2 year old who did it and she tells him that the dog did it. He said that will start to bother you as a parent because we’ve had that dog for 10 years and now he starts writing on the wall.
But that’s who we are. As kids we all learned the phrase early I didn’t do it. Some of us have never grown out of that.
But this text is not just making a statement it’s asking a question. God is saying I know you don’t think it’s your fault. I know you were not the one who pulled the trigger but I have you ask you anyway.
When are you going to start accepting responsibility for the condition of your surroundings?
A woman burns her thighs on the hot coffee she was holding in her lap while driving, she blames the restaurant.
Your neighbor crashes into a tree while driving home drunk, you blame the bartender.
Your grandchildren are without manners, you blame television.
The process of living at peace demands that you take responsibility.
See the bad news is that there will always be fights wars and conflicts but you can have a greater peace in your life today. The Bible calls it the peace of God and it goes beyond what we understand. In order to completely grasp this kind of peace we have to hear God and act on his questions.
Are you denying responsibility for your life? God says I know you had it tough when you Got sick or when your marriage Got rocky but you can’t deny responsibility.
How are you going to get honest with God and give him your burdens when you won’t even get real about what those burdens are?
You need to accept responsibility for your life and your choices. It’s impossible to give your life to Jesus if you never owned your choices and owned up to your life.
So the author is asking: have you accepted responsibility?
But he is also asking Do you believe peace depends on You?
I know you have not signed the mid east peace accord but are you doing what you can to live at peace with those around you? There may be an extent to which you can do nothing to live peacefully but you need to exhaust every opportunity to defuse the situation.
The truth is, in general the followers of Jesus don’t have a strong reputation for being the most peaceful people in the world. Which is incredibly ironic because Jesus was the best of the peacemakers yet following his peaceful example is probably one of the most difficult aspects of the believer’s life.
If we are doing our best to live at peace with all people, we must learn to treat people properly. Throughout the ages self professed Christians had committed horrific acts of violence and carried on wars in the name of the peacemaker.
Today we aren’t burning down Muslim’s homes but our cynicism and bitterness show up at the restaurant, in line at the store, on the Job.
It’s in the resentment of overtime, and the waitress who doesn’t jump at the drink order. It’s found in our church attendance when the minister says something that hurts.
Living at peace means putting aside all of those things which keep us from bringing people into the presence of Christ. There may be times when someone will not live at peace with you but the command says “as long as it depends on you” How often of your fights depend on you? More often than I’m willing to admit.
2. Peace with God
Earlier I mentioned that we have to take responsibility for our life if we are going to turn our lives over to God.
The truth is peace comes from God. I can’t have peace with God until I have claimed responsibility for my will. But after we claim responsibility we have to surrender our lives to Jesus.
Before you can have real peace with others you have to find peace with God. There is a lot made about people finding God and making peace with God but I can tell you it’s not something that you get to do at the end of your life. It’s something you need to do to start your life in Jesus.
The Bible says that at one time we were all strangers, aliens and enemies of God. Maybe you never pictured your life that way. You might say I was a stranger but I was not an enemy. I didn’t know him but I never rejected Him.
Do you know what the definition of enemy is? It’s simply this, someone who is not on your side.
Under those criteria the Bible has us all pegged it says at one time we all lived like that.
Colossians 1:21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
So it wasn’t just our indifference that made us enemies of God it was Sin.
That’s what sin does it separates us from the one who wants to know us, It will devour us if it is given the chance.
A man purchased a white mouse to use as food for his pet snake. He dropped the unsuspecting mouse into the snake’s glass cage, where the snake was sleeping in a bed of sawdust. The tiny mouse had a serious problem on his hands. At any moment he could be swallowed alive.
Obviously, the mouse needed to come up with a plan.
What did the terrified creature do? He quickly started covered the snake with sawdust chips until it was completely buried. With that, the mouse apparently thought he had solved his problem.
The solution, however, came from outside. The man took pity on the little mouse and removed him from the cage. No matter how hard we try to cover or deny our sinful nature, it does not change who we are. Sin will eventually awake from sleep and shake off its cover. Were it not for the saving grace of the Jesus, sin would eat us alive
Ephesians 2:1-5 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.
3. Personal peace
I am always intrigued by the process of personal peace because first we have to own responsibility then Give it to God.
Yet at the same time in is only in God that we find our true identity. And Only in Christ do we find complete peace that is from God.
Philippians 4 says 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.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.8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
It is only when we have learned to Rejoice in God’s presence that we arrive in a place where we experience the peace of God.
It is a peace that passes understanding and gives us identity. It is a peace that focuses and hones our understanding and re centers our lives around Jesus.
Personal peace comes from owning responsibility and getting right with Jesus.
I don’t know where you’re at today/I don’t know if there is stress in your life or if your life is so hectic. I don’t know if you are struggling with bitterness or envy. But I can make this promise. God knows.
And he’s not just having fun getting ready to watch the snake feed if you need a peace that is permanent. He is waiting to take you up.
Coming to Christ does not mean your financial problems will go away or your tough spots disappear it does mean that you can have a peace that your friends and family will not understand.
You can have a peace that can only be found by experiencing God in your life.
