How On Earth Do We Find Peace?

                                                     HOW ON EARTH DO WE FIND PEACE?

            What would you say if I were to ask you what the most urgent and essential need in the world is today? At the small Beach Tree Park by Lake Massapoag, the Inter Faith Action Group recently planted Eight Wooden Poles called "The Peace Polls," They contain the message, "Let Peace Prevail On Earth," in various languages. What would that look like?  

            While elaborating on loving one's neighbor, apologist Michael Ramsden spoke of a colleague who, while in Asia, asked his audience to close their eyes and imagine peace. After a few seconds, the audience was invited to share their mental pictures of peace.

            One person described a field with flowers and beautiful trees. Another person spoke of snow-capped mountains and an incredible alpine landscape. Still another described the scene of a beautiful, still lake. After everyone described their mental picture of peace, there was one thing in common: there were no people in them. Ramsden commented, "Isn't it interesting, when asked to imagine peace, the first thing we do is to eliminate everyone else."

            Is peace the absence of people? In our current raging wars between Israel & Hamas, Russia & Ukraine, who can truly unite and bring peace between these enemies? Is it possible to live in peace with each other? Who can truly give peace? Paul's letter to the Ephesians gives us some answers. Our study discovered that the Ephesian Church was born due to Paul's three years of labor of love. The Church in Ephesus was dominated by converts from Judaism and several Greek converts. One can only imagine the conflicts between the Jews and the Gentiles disturbing the peace among them. Paul reminds both of them they are one in Christ. Ephesians 2:1-18

I. Oneness In Christ

            When people move from one country to another or region to another, they often face prejudices from locals, such as being an outsider. This kind of outsider and insider prejudice is not something new people have experienced throughout the history of humanity.

            A similar situation may have occurred in the Ephesian Church, which was predominantly made up of Jewish converts. In his letter, Paul affirmed the Gentiles who may have been experiencing rejection and alienation while confronting the pride and superiority of certain Jewish members.

            Vs. 11, "Don't forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called "uncircumcised heathens" by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts." This explains the simmering animosity.

            Pious Jews considered all non-Jews (Gentiles) ceremonially unclean. They thought of themselves as pure and clean because of their national heritage and religious ceremonies. Moreover, Jews considered Gentiles beyond God's salvation. On the other hand, Gentiles resented Jews for their pious claims. Jews and Gentiles did not hold each other in high esteem.

            Walls of prejudice, hatred, and enmity separated them. Paul pointed out that Jews and Gentiles alike were unclean before God and needed to be cleansed, forgiven, and reconciled to God. In verses 14-18, Paul explains how that reconciliation was brought about. It was Christ himself who brought peace to them. Jesus united Jews and Gentiles and made them into one people through His death on the Cross. He broke down the walls of hostility and prejudice that separated them. Because of what Christ had done now, there were no two factions in the Church of Ephesus, namely Jews and Gentiles, but they both are part of one big family of God.

            Paul calls it the Good News of Peace that both the enemies needed to hear and be reconciled with each other. Because of Christ's reconciliatory work, there is no difference between a Jew and a Gentile; they are in Christ. Have you ever felt separate, excluded, and hopeless? Like the Gentiles, many live in this world without God and hope. Their lives are void of peace and filled with anxiety and fear. Many are searching for love and acceptance. The Good News is that no one is alienated from God's love and peace. How on earth do we find peace?

II. HOW ON EARTH DO WE FIND PEACE?

            We all talk about peace and desperately want peace, but how on earth do we find peace? How can you maintain and live in peace when you find peace? Before we go further, let's address what peace is and why peace is so important to our heavenly Father. First, what is Peace?

            In the secular sense, peace means societal friendship and harmony without hostility and violence. Peace commonly implies a lack of conflict and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups—a state or period without war. Biblical peace is somewhat different. Amid war and conflict, one can remain calm and peaceful when relying on Christ.

            The Hebrew word Shalom, commonly translated as "peace" and used as both a greeting and farewell, has rich meaning. Shalom implies more than a lack of conflict. According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, shalom means "completeness, soundness, welfare, peace." It is translated as "success." Shalom applies to an external peace between two entities—such as individuals or nations—and to an internal sense of peace within the individual.

            Peace is part of God's character, for he is frequently called "the God of peace." After defeating the Midianites, Gideon built an altar to the Lord and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means "the Lord is peace"). Judges 6:24. Paul closed his letter to the Corinthians with these words: "Dear brothers and sisters, Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then, the God of love and Peace will be with you."II Corinthians 13:11.

            Peace is one of God's great blessings to those who follow Him. Gal 1:3, "May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and Peace." God commands his people to seek and pursue peace. (Jeremiah 29:7), "work for the peace and prosperity of the city." Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." Matthew 5:9. To be effective peacemakers, one must first experience the three-dimensional peace of God.

III. The three-dimensional peace of God.

A. Peace with God: Peace with God doesn't come automatically. All of us have sinned. As Paul said, we were the enemies of God, separated from him by our evil thoughts and actions. Col 1:21. That was the bad news, but the good news is that God reconciled us to himself through the death of Christ. Because of what Christ has done for us, we can live in peace with God.

B. Peace with Others:  In addition to giving us peace with God, Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross opens the way for us to enjoy peace with one another. That is the essence of Paul's writing in Ephesians 2:1-18. This peace is often called "unity." (Ps.133:1). Unity is not simply the absence of conflict and strife. It is the presence of genuine harmony, understanding, love, and goodwill between people. God calls us to do all we can to "live at peace with everyone." Rom 12:18. This peace with others directly results from obeying the second great commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matt 22:39). This kind of Unity is essential to a compelling Christian witness in our communities. To love others, one must have peace within themselves.

C. Peace within Yourself: How on earth do we find peace within ourselves? Only in and through Christ may we experience this inner peace. This internal peace is a sense of wholeness, contentment, tranquility, rest, and security. We all want this peace, yet it eludes most people.

            With our own efforts, we can not obtain this internal peace. It is a gift God gives those who believe in Christ and obey his commandments. "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" Isaiah 26:3. Jesus gave his disciples a gift before leaving the earth. "I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid." John 14:27. Are you living without hope and peace? To experience internal peace, you must be reconciled to God by trusting in Jesus and seeking harmonious relationships with those around you.

 

 

 

 

 

             

 

 

 

 

The Dead Are Made Alive

                                                  THE DEAD ARE MADE ALIVE!

Our Pathway to Christian Living series taught us how blessed we are with every spiritual blessing in Christ. This pathway leads us through the apostle Paul's letter to the Church in Ephesus. As we learn these incredible spiritual truths, we appropriate them to our lives and hopefully become devoted followers of Christ. Our last stop in the journey unveiled three amazing things that happen to a saint who spends time in prayer. Through prayer, we will know God, find hope, and discover the abiding power of the Holy Spirit.

Wilma and I love the fall season in New England. It is gorgeous. Walking in the neighborhood, we are disturbed by noticing horrifying decorations of Halloween on people's lawns. A popular post-apocalyptic series, The Walking Dead, re-surfaces during this time. Particular Churches in Boston host events like Candle Light Halloween and Halloween Concerts. I cannot understand why so many are fascinated with Zombies, horror, and dead people.

My sermon is titled The Dead Are Made Alive. It is not about how to celebrate Halloween or about dead people. It is about the spiritually dead people, who they are, and how they can be made alive and live productive lives loving God and others. We will discover these spiritual truths and their impact on our lives in Ephesians 2:1-10.

I. The Dead Are Made Alive (Ephesians 2:1-3)

            The chapter opens with these words, "Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins." Who was the apostle Paul referring to here? Were they false prophets? Were they unbelievers and the enemies of Paul? No! They were God's holy people, faithful followers of Christ in the Church of Ephesus, yet he says they were dead people once.

Paul writes of the great gift God has given them through His Son. Because of Jesus, they are not merely bad people made good but dead people made alive. To fully grasp this truth, we must return to Adam & Eve's sin through disobedience and its ramifications on humanity.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they brought both physical and spiritual death into God's perfect world. Romans 5:12, "When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned." Without exception, we were dead spiritually because of sin. Though we are living, we are spiritually dead.

Before we surrender to the Holy Spirit's urging, our spirits are dead to the things of God. Romans 8:6-8, "So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. That's why those still under their sinful nature's control can never please God." How does a person controlled by sinful nature behave?

Here are a few signs to observe. They refuse to obey God. Instead, they obey the devil. They follow their passionate desires and inclinations of their sinful nature. Paul explains the behavior of the sin-controlled or spiritually dead people's behavior in his letter to Titus. 

Titus 3:3, "It wasn't so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, easy marks for sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back." (The Message). We see so many people are controlled by their sinful nature.

            For that reason, we see so much evil, hatred, and crime by people, including Hamas's recent brutal acts. They are not just evil but pure demonic. According to Paul, the devil controls these people's lives. We quickly judge others and say, you see how sinful and wrong they are.

But wait a minute before passing judgment on others. Remember, before the Holy Spirit convicted us, we used to live the same way. As Paul notes, we were all subjected to God's anger by our very nature. Our spirits are dead to the things of God. We have no good within ourselves. Just as a corpse cannot do anything to help himself, we cannot save ourselves or make a move to cleanse our sins. We are dead spiritually and need a life-giver. That's where God comes in.

Vs. 5, "But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead." This was what the prodigal son's father said to his older son. Luke 15: 32, "We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!

Like the prodigal son, we were once lost, but now we are found. We were dead, and now we have been made alive in Christ. It is all His doing. Only by His grace have we been saved, not because of our good works. Where did God place us once He made us alive in Christ?

II. We are seated with Christ in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 1:20, "This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now, he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else not only in this world but also in the world to come." Ephesians 2:6, "For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus."

When we read these two verses together, we see the work of God. He raised Christ from the dead, made him sit in the heavenly places, and made us sit with Christ. Let us consider the implications of the word "Sit." Many of us work these days while sitting. In the olden times, people worked hard in the fields, and once their work was finished, they sat down and rested.

The word sit in these verses reveals the secret of a heavenly life. In the real world, a child doesn't start walking or running from birth. It learns to trust and depend on its mother for sustenance. Then gradually sits up and learns to walk. Similarly, our Christian life doesn't begin with walking immediately but with sitting. It starts when, by faith, we see ourselves seated together with Jesus Christ in the heavenly places. Most Christians make the mistake of trying to walk and run to be able to sit. On the contrary, we should begin our walking by sitting with Him.

Our natural reason says if we cannot walk, how can we ever reach our goal? What can we attain without effort? How can we ever get anywhere if we do not move? But in Christianity, it works the other way around. Christianity begins not with doing but with what has been done.

Paul's letter to the Ephesians began with, "God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (1:3). He has raised us to sit with Christ to enjoy what He has done for us, not work frantically to achieve it. Walking implies effort, whereas God says we are saved not by works but by grace. (2:8). Sitting is an attitude of trust and rest.

What does it mean to sit down? Listen to Watchman Nees's explanation. "When we walk or stand, we bear on our legs all the weight of our own body; but when we sit down, our entire weight rests upon the chair. Walking makes us weary, but sitting makes us rested and refreshed. We relax at once when seated because the strain no longer falls upon our muscles and nerves but upon something outside of ourselves. So also, in the spiritual realm."

            Being seated with Christ in the heavenly realms means believing and resting in the finished work of Jesus on the Cross. Realize that our good works won't save us, but we are saved by God's grace so that we might do good works to show the world God's care and love.

            Sitting with Christ also means transferring the weight of our burdens, a load of grief, anxiety, and concerns about our lives, present, and future to the Lord. We will let Him bear the responsibility and cease to carry it on ourselves. That is how God has always wanted us to live.

            Let me connect these two spiritual truths. Every human being in the world exists in one of two categories: spiritually dead or spiritually alive. Are you spiritually dead or alive today? Religion cannot make a spiritually dead man live, nor our good works. Only Christ can make a dead man live again. If you are spiritually alive, learn to sit at the feet of Jesus like Mary and many of his disciples did. Rest in Him. Learn from Him. Trust Him, and live for Him. 

 

              

 

The Ministry of Giving

                                              THE MINISTRY OF GIVING II Corinthians 9:1-14

You have heard it said, "It is better to give than to receive." Is it in the Bible? Yes, it is a Biblical principle. To show he worked to supply his needs and those with him, the Apostle Paul reminded the Church of Ephesus of these words of Jesus. Acts 20:35, "And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Though there is no record of Jesus saying these words, the principle is consistent with his teachings and actions. When it comes to serving the community through giving, even the secular world understands it and is pretty good at it. For instance, look at the philanthropic acts of the rich, the successful, and volunteerism from all sectors. Someone wrote this in a blog:

"The importance and benefits of giving back to your community. "Donating your time to support those around you is extremely beneficial for you and your community. It will enrich your life, familiarize you with your community, and connect you to people and ideas that will positively impact your perspective for the rest of your life. Helping your community is an opportunity for you to grow as a person to understand better how you fit into the world around you. It is statistically proven that people who volunteer regularly are physically and mentally healthier. Individuals who have volunteered throughout their lifetime typically live longer and have better psychological well-being."[1]

 

My message today is not to induce guilt in those lacking in giving nor to twist the arms of those already giving and make them give more. My heart is to share with us what the Bible says about giving and how you, I, and our Church will benefit through our giving. I Cor 9:1-13.

I. Why giving is a hallmark of a Christian?

We see the first act of God's giving in Genesis 1:29-30 when God made a provision for humanity by giving them fruit, seeds, plants, birds, and animals as food for their survival. God expresses his love through giving and wants His children to excel in the grace of giving.

A. Giving the first fruits of our labor is a form of worship that honors God.

Wise King Solomon encourages us to follow the principle of bringing our first fruits to God. Proverbs 3:9-10 says, "Honor the Lord with your wealth and the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine."

How does this apply to the modern culture? You honor God when you bring Him the first fruits of your increase. Offering the first fruits, in contemporary times, would be giving a portion of your paycheck each time you get it or a portion from the addition in your business to God. It demonstrates that God is the number one priority in our lives, and we trust Him. God says if we honor Him with our first fruits, we will be abundantly blessed to become a blessing to others.

B. Giving is an expression of our Love for God and others.

            God's love for humanity was not expressed in mere words only but through solid actions. God demonstrated his love by sending his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, into this hostile world. John 3:16. Jesus expressed his love by giving up His life voluntarily on the cross so that we might live forever in eternity with Him. God expects us to show our love through our actions.

I John 3:18-19, "Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God." Our generous giving measures our Love for God and others to those in need, especially to our brothers and sisters in the family of God.

 

C. Giving breaks the grip of greed in our lives.

Greed is the opposite of giving. Greed is self-centered, always wanting to satisfy one's selfish needs and desires. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, saying you have greedy hearts (Matt 23:25). Paul warns Ephesians saying greedy people will not inherit God's Kingdom (Ephe 5:3). In the parable of the rich fool, Jesus warned his disciples to "Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own." Luke 12:15

One of the criteria for the Church leaders is not to be greedy ( I Timothy 3:3). Wouldn't it be helpful to adopt this criterion for all our congressional leaders? How can we break this choking grip of greed? Through generosity! So, let's embrace generosity and let go of greed.

D. God meets the needs of the poor and the needy through our generous giving.

Throughout the scriptures, God made provisions for the poor and the needy through the generosity of people, even more so the rich. God instructed the Israelites, when harvesting the crops of their land, not to harvest the grain along the edges of their land or pick up what the harvesters dopped. They were for the poor and the foreigners living among them. Lev 23:22.

God commands us to care for orphans and widows and not to mistreat foreigners. Exodus 22:22–23). James says that caring for the needs of orphans and widows is part of religion, "pure and faultless" (James 1:27). Caring for those in distress is not optional but a command from God.

Deuteronomy 15:10-11, "Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need." God is mindful of the needs of the poor, and so are we. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul lays out a pattern through which the poor and the needy are cared for in God's family and outside. It is something He wanted all the churches in the region to follow.

II The Ministry of Giving II Corinthians 9:1-14

I encourage you to read II Corinthians eight and nine, two beautiful chapters on how we can grow in the gracious act of giving. Macedonian Christians excelled in the ministry of giving. Though they were plagued with troubles and poverty, their spirit of giving did not dampen. Instead, they were filled with abundant joy that overflowed in their rich generosity. The ministry of giving is for all of us. Here are a few things we can learn from the Corinthian Church.

First, be eager to help the believers of God's family everywhere, beginning with your local church. Second, we should give willingly, not grudgingly. Third, our blessings are in proportion to our giving. If you give little, you receive little, but if you give more, you receive more. Jesus shared this principle with his disciples to teach them how to give generously.

Luke 6:38: "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back." It is like the investment principle.

Fourth, when it comes to giving, our attitude matters more than the amount. You can write a check for $1000 with a grumpy attitude or give $10 with gratitude and joy in your heart. Fifth, giving should never be forced but is voluntary, and each one should give as they have decided in their heart but give it cheerfully. For God loves a cheerful giver. Sixth, remember that God provides us with everything generously so we can become generous. We can only give back to God and others what we have received from God in the first place.

What are the benefits of the ministry of giving? First, the needs of the struggling believers are met, and they joyfully thank God. Second, through our ministry of giving, people will glorify God. Third, our generosity proves to other believers that we are obedient to the Good News of Christ. Fourth, believers will pray for us when we help them through our giving.

How do we start this beautiful ministry of giving? Begin with our tithes and offerings. In the OT, God set a standard of 10% of all the produce to be brought into the temple of God for its upkeep and the welfare of the Levites, the poor, and the needy. I close with a quote from a wealthy Christian businessman, R.G Letourneau, who gave 90% to God and lived by 10% of his wealth. "It is not a question of how much money I give to God, but how much of God's money I keep for myself."  All we have is His! May God help us all to excel in the ministry of giving.

 

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[1] https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/efacademyblog/importance-giving-back-to-your-community/ 10-3-2023