December 2007 Advent Series – “Why
Christ Came: Peace”
Ephesians 2:13-22
Sermon preached at Curwensville Presbyterian Church – December 9, 2007
Prayer Introduction: During these four Sundays of Advent we are looking at 4 reasons – corresponding to the four Advent candle lightings – Why Christ Came: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy. Last week we looked at the sure hope that we have in Christ. Christ did not come to bring us hope, but to be our hope. One of the sermon requests for next year was on the assurance we can have of our salvation. Yes, you can know that you are saved – because Christ is our sure hope.
This morning we are
going to look at
READ
I. No Christ, No Peace: Peace-Faking & Peace-Breaking
During the children’s time we recalled the bumper sticker: “No Christ, No Peace. Know Christ, Know Peace.” Under the first part of that: “No Christ, No Peace” comes the fraudulent Peace-Faking and Peace-Breaking.
It has been said, “Peace is not the absence of conflict from life, but the ability to cope with it.” In this sinful world, we are always going to face conflict. Peace-Faking is the natural escapist response as a fraudulent means of coping. And it typically comes in three ways:
The most common is probably Denial (not the river in Egypt). Lots of people simply try and deny that there is a problem.
I’ve lost track of the number of people who have unresolved conflict with someone and they say, “Oh, I’m over that.” And I say, “No, you’re not. If you were, then you would be back together.”
Forgiveness is not saying, “That’s okay” (what was done was not okay); but saying “I forgive you.” God says, “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” (Isaiah 43:25). To forgive means choosing to remember the sin no more.
Have you heard the saying, “What you eat doesn't give you ulcers – it's what's eating you.” Admit there is a problem.
The second common escapist response is Flight. Either actively running away from a problem – “this may include leaving the house, ending a friendship, quitting a job, filing for divorce, or changing churches;” (Ken Sande) or is the more passive aggressive refusal to do what should be done to resolve the conflict properly.
Thomas À Kempis said, “All men desire peace, but very few desire those things that make for peace.”
Obviously there are times when you may TEMPORARILY need to flee – abuse, or when emotions need to calm down; you may need a bit of time to pray – but it should be temporary.
You’ve heard about the family that was doing family devotions at the beginning of Advent – and the father wanted to see what his children remembered from the year before. "Who can tell me what the four candles in the Advent wreath represent?" he asked. The eight-year-old jumped in with wisdom and exuberance. “There's love, joy, peace, and ... and ... " "I know!" the six-year-old interrupted: “Peace and quiet!”
We need moments of peace and quiet; but true peace is not gained from remaining quiet.
The third escapist response is Suicide. Ken Sande writes, “Suicide is never the right way to deal with conflict. Tragically, however, suicide has become the third leading cause of death among adolescents in the United States, partly because so many children have never learned how to deal with conflict constructively.”
D.L. Moody, with great wisdom said, “A great many people are trying to make peace, but that has already been done. God has not left it for us to do; all we have to do is to enter into it.”
So Peace-Faking is seen in the escapist responses of Denial, Flight and Suicide. The other extreme is Peace-Breaking, which is seen in the three attack responses:
The most common may be Assault (not the bottle next to a pepper). Assault can come in the form of physical violence, or in verbal attacks. It is the attempt to intimidate another person into submission. A person can actually think that they are promoting peace – by winning the conflict, no matter what the cost.
There’s a cartoon that shows a church member leaving the sanctuary and saying to the pastor: “I'd like to see you love MY neighbor.”
There are many people who naturally go into attack mode in the midst of conflict. There’s a classic Peanuts cartoon with Lucy saying to Charlie Brown, “I hate everything. I hate everybody. I hate the whole wide world!” Charlie Brown says, “But I thought you had inner peace.” Lucy replies, “I do have inner peace. But I still have outer obnoxiousness”
And there are plenty of Lucys out there.
Increasingly common is the attack response of Litigation. The court cases have gotten completely out of control. Have you heard about the Congressmen who is suing God to prove how you can sue anybody for anything? Last I heard, the courts said God was out of their jurisdiction.
There are “Five great enemies to peace: greed, ambition, envy, anger, and pride” (Petrarch). Look at most court cases – and you will see at least one of these at the heart of it.
The most violent attack response is Murder. We might say that Christians would never resort to murder. But remember the words of Jesus, “You have heard that it was said…‘Do not murder and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:21-22a). Harboring anger and contempt in our hearts is murderous.
So Peace-Faking involves the escapist responses and Peace-Breaking involves the attack responses. It may even be that a person starts with an escapist response; but eventually turns to an attack response.
Thanks be to God, there is a way to true Peace-Making.
II. God is the Peace-Maker
God is the Peace-Maker. In our passage – in verse 14 – we see that Christ Himself is our peace. Once we were far away from God and his promises. May we never lose sight of God’s amazing grace – by which he reached out to us, His enemy.
God was not a Peace-Faker. He didn’t deny there was a problem; but clearly says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
God didn’t run away from us, but came to us as a baby born in the lowly manger.
Nor did God commit suicide. Christ sacrificed himself not to bring peace, but to be our peace. Because Christ sacrificed himself, no further sacrifice is needed to restore peace between man and God.
It is said, “Christ as Savior brings peace with God; Christ as Lord brings the peace of God.”
God wasn’t a Peace-Faker and God wasn’t a Peace-Breaker. He didn’t assault us. Instead, God “destroyed the…dividing wall of hostility” (verse 14).
God didn’t take us to court to win a battle over us; in the heavenly court Christ has won the battle for us – so that God pronounces us not guilty.
God didn’t pour out his anger and wrath on us; but on the Christ so that he might pour out his love and blessing on us.
It is said, “You cannot have the peace of God until you know the God of peace.”
We caused the conflict, but God neither responded with escape or attack. Instead, he offered a Peacemaking Response. And through the power of God working in our hearts we can respond as peacemakers as well.
III. Know Christ, Know Peace: Peace-Making
To know Christ, means to know peace. We have become children of God and so we have become Peacemakers. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).
Ken Sande names six peacemaking responses:
The first is to Overlook an offense. There are some conflicts and disputes that are so insignificant, and unintentional – that they can be quickly forgiven. Who knows how many times my wife has forgiven me when I said something thoughtless in a moment of being so tired I couldn’t see straight?
“Peace rules the day when Christ rules the mind” (Anonymous).
The second peacemaking response is Reconciliation. This involves the person who was wronged pointing out the offense; the offender confessing, and the offendee forgiving.
Is this not what God has done? In His word, God calls attention to our sin. We must confess, and He always forgives. This was made possible through Christ.
Verses 15-16 of our passage point out the way in which Christ has reconciled both Jews and Gentiles to God through the cross; so that all those – regardless of their ethnicity – who have placed their trust in the cross of Christ are reconciled to God; and can be reconciled to one another.
Notice, by the way, that it is the person who is offended that is to seek out the offender. Just as God came to us to show us our sin, and to demonstrate his willingness to forgive – following confession – so if you have been hurt it is you who needs to go and be reconciled.
At the same time, if you know that you have hurt someone, it doesn’t hurt to go and confess.
Let me summarize the other four peacemaking responses of Negotiation, Mediation, Arbitration, Accountability by saying there are times when we may need a third party to help restore peace.
Christ is the Mediator between God and us; and Christ sometimes calls us to seek out a mediator – a Christian friend, the pastor or an elder – to help.
Herbert Hoover said, “Peace is not made at the council tables, or by treaties, but in the hearts of men.” It can be at a dining room table, or on a living room couch, or in the chairs around the pastor’s study where the mediating activity takes place; but true peace is made in our hearts when we let the Holy Spirit enter in.
Notice the role of all three persons of the Triune God in verse 18 of our passage, “For through him {Christ} we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”
Why did Christ come at Christmas, to give us access to the Father by the one Spirit of God who dwells in the hearts of all true believers.
May the peace which passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. After all that’s why Christ came.
MAY THE TRUTH SET YOU FREE – AMEN!