Pursuing Peace
Dr. Marty Baker
July 7, 2002
Galatians 5:22-23
www.stevenscreek.net
Over the last several weeks, we have watched the violence continue between the Israelis and the Palestinians over the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Even last night, Palestinians fired a mortar shell at a an Israeli community the southern Gaza Strip. Heavy gunfights were reported between Israeli and Palestinian forces in the area.1 In the last two years, over 550 Israelis have been murdered and over 4000 have been seriously injured.2
Most of us held our breath this week as we heard of the shooting at the Los Angeles airport. When the dust settled, we learned that it was an deranged Arabic man attacking the workers and passengers of the Israeli airline, El Al.3 The Arab - Israeli conflict dates back to the conflict between Isaac and Ishmael in the book of Genesis. Ever sense then, these nations have suffered through with the pains of war. The Bible encourages us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
If you were to interview someone from the Middle East today and ask them for a definition of peace chances are someone would stare at you with glazed, bloodshot eyes and say peace means laying the weapons down, sending the troops home, and putting the rifles back in their racks. They might even say, "What else could peace mean? Isn’t it obvious? Peace means the end of hostilities."
We all have a sense that peace is about an absence of conflict, hostility, and fighting. However, this is not the whole picture of peace. Jesus says that there is deeper kind of peace that can only come through His supernatural power and the working of the Holy Spirit.4
Over the last several weeks, we have been in a series called, Being the Best You Can Be. It is a series built on the Fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-23.
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
These nine "fruit of the Spirit" are character qualities that we are encouraged to develop so we can become better people. Today, it is important to take the next step in this process as we look at Pursuing Peace.
We all long for peace. We want peace in the Middle East, peace in America, and all over the world. When Jesus talked about peace, He not only emphasized, the absence of conflict, but the importance of spiritual and relational healing.
You cannot be at true peace with others until you are at peace with yourself. But you can never be totally and truly at peace with yourself unless you are at peace with God, for true peace flows from the only One who can give peace. Let’s talk about ways that we can pursue peace. Over the next few minutes, I am going to talk about pursuing
Peace with God; Peace with Yourself; and Peace with Others.
People are looking for peace today in every place but the right place. Some try to find peace in pills or pleasure or possessions but discover too late that these things offer only a synthetic, counterfeit peace that always wears off and wears out.
Pursuing Peace ... Three Kinds of Peace
1. Peace with God
Lasting peace is found in a growing relationship with God. We all know people who avoid church and stay away from anything having to do with God. If you were to ask them, "Are you angry and hostile toward God?" They would say something like, "No, I’m not. As a matter of fact, I am at peace with God."
What does it really mean to be "at peace with God?" This statement typically means that they have an arrangement. They are going to allow God do His thing and they will do theirs. There is no open conflict, but there is certainly not a healthy and growing relationship.5
You cannot find lasting peace when you are at arms distance with God. You were created to have a relationship with God, but that relationship has been thwarted because of sin. When sin entered the world, it destroyed our ability to connect with God. As a result, we live with an unsettledness in our soul until the sin has been erased.
You will never find permanent peace in the center of your soul until you enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Only by confessing your sins, by asking Christ to be your forgiver, friend, and leader of your life can you discover genuine peace. This is the peace that comes from knowing that one has a right relationship with the sovereign God of this universe.
Colossians 1:19-20
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Jesus Christ,
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Colossians 1:21-22
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation--
This leads us to the second point. You can have peace with yourself.
2. Peace With Yourself
When you trust Christ to forgive you of your sins, you will literally stand before God without blemish and free from accusation. The reason that so many people suffer from low self esteem and low self worth is that they do not know their position in Christ.
When you trust Christ with your life, He gives you a new heart, new mind, new soul and a new spirit. All of the old things are gone; the new has come. You are free from the power of the accusations against you. Your sin does not control you anymore. It has been washed away.
Too many of you today live with shame over past sins and mistakes. You listen to a steady stream of inner voices that accuse you night and day. These voices tell you that: You are no good. Nobody loves you. God will never forgive you. If people really knew what you had done, they would not accept as their friend. You are worthless.
Night and day you hear these voices, but let me tell you, these voices are lying to you. You are free from the accusations of your past.
John 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
What is the truth? The truth is found in ...
Revelation 12:10-11
10 ... For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;
You can have peace within because Jesus Christ defeated your accuser. You accuser does not have any authority over you. You are free.
Romans 8:1-2
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
It is important to understand that when you give your life to Jesus Christ, He forgives you of all of your sin. Now listen: It’s time for you to forgive yourself. Many of you have lived in regret for long enough. It’s time to trust Christ with your past, your present situation and your future.
Many of you are unsettled inside because you do not trust Christ with your life.
Allow the peace of Christ to rule in your heart. This does not mean that you will not have problems, but it means that God will be with you in the midst of your problems.
Peace is a matter of focus. Focusing on circumstances will cause constant anxiety, for circumstances constantly change and often spin beyond our control. But God never changes and nothing spins beyond His control.
The reason most people never find peace is because they are looking for it. Peace is not something you find; it finds you when you focus on the God who gives peace.
It would be nice to end this message here, but there is one very important point that we need to consider. Making peace with God is essential; having the peace of God in yourself is important, but we must take the next step, and that is, to make peace with others.
3. Peace with Others
The Bible is very clear concerning our relationship with other people.
Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
We need to be peacemakers and do whatever we can to get along with those we do life with. When conflicts arise, we typically have an opportunity to defuse them or ignite them. It is as if a fire has been started and we have a gallon of gasoline and a gallon of water. We can put the fire out or stir it up. God desires for you to be a peacemaker. How do you do it?
Practical Guidelines for Pursuing Peace
1. Pray for the person the person daily.
The first step in establishing peace is prayer. Talk to God about the situation. Pray for God’s goodness to fill his or her life.
Philippians 4:6-7
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.
2. Pray for yourself daily as you seek to restore peace to this relationship.
Ask the Lord to give you guidance and direction. Pray that you would have a loving attitude and that your actions would honor God.
Be honest. Ask yourself, "How much of this is my fault?" Before you start accusing and blaming and attacking, check your own self out. Am I the problem? Am I the cause of it? Am I being demanding? Am I being unrealistic? Am I oversensitive? Am I impatient? Am I insensitive? Is there a blind spot in my life?
I believe that God will show you the areas that you need to work on before confronting the other person.
3. Set a specific time to communicate with this person.
During this time, be ready to let them know that you desire to resolve the conflict and stop the fighting and develop a healthy, loving, God-filled friendship.
It is important to face the issues and deal with the problem. Lasting peace will not just happen. Conflict must be resolved intentionally, deliberately. It doesn’t just happen. You’ve got to talk it out.
It is also important to choose the right time and the right place. If you do not make any progress and the situation is deteriorating, get some help. Get a third party involved and ask for some advise. Do what you can to resolve the conflict, but realize that it may take several meetings to work everything out. Do the possible, allow God to do the impossible. Again, the Bible says:
Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Peace may not be possible at this present time. You must attempt to reconcile and introduce peace, but if it is not received, then continue to pray for the person and the situation.
4. If the person chooses not to reconcile, continue to pray for the person and the situation.
Pray that God would help you accept the things you cannot control and keep you open for ways in which you can make a difference.
Closing Thoughts:
I realize today that this message speaks into a number of situations. My hope is that you will be open to God’s promptings and will receive His love into your life today. Over the next few minutes listen for the voice of God deep insider your soul. Then respond to His promptings.
Closing Song: Be Still and Know
Prayer:
1 Jerusalem Post Staff, Mortar Shell Fired at Gaza Community, 07-06-02, http://www.jpost.com.
2 http://www.walk4israel.com
3 USA Today Staff, LA Airport Gunman Was Almost Deported in 1996, 07-06-02, http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/0706/airport-shootings.htm
4 Bill Hybels, Living the Supernatural Life: A Study of the Fruit of the Spirit (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishers, 1997), p. 23.
5 Hybels, p. 25.
