Sermon Tone Analysis

Good morning, we are in our sermon series 9 Fruits 1 Flavor..

WE are are looking at the 9 Fruit of the Spirit listed in Gal 5:22-23..

Over the last couple of weeks we have talked about the Expression of Love and this morning we are going to talk about Peace..

Peace is really a universal desire of people… Western History is full of peace treaties and negotiations between nation desiring to protect the interests of the people… but at the same time.... Peace is also this illusive aspiration of unrealized hope…

So peace on one hand peace is highly desirable and yet virtually unobtainable for many people

I read recently that - only 8 percent of the time since the beginning of recorded history has the world been entirely at peace.

In over 3,100 years, only 286 have been warless and 8,000 treaties have been broken in this time.

There are around 10 major wars going on right now.. with about 1000 battle fields.

Here is the thing is that..

Peace is more than the absence of war or freedom from civil disorder.

Even in peacetime when a country is not at war many people are not at peace.

Peace is not always related to external conditions and circumstances.

A person might live in a peaceful environment and not be at peace within

This morning we are going to be looking at the Expression of Peace… The Fruit is an Expression because it is not something that is to be inward… but it is to be expressed in and through our lives.. Jesus told us that his disciples were not be know for their beliefs… not to be known for their gifts and talents...Rather the clearest evidence of the follows of Jesus the Expression of Fruit..

Jesus we would be known as his disciples… by our Fruit...

The Fruit of the Spirit is not manufactured --..

Millions have sought (and are still seeking today) peace with God in the wrong place and in the wrong way.

Peace with God is not found in religious ritual.

Peace with God is not found through good works.

Peace with God is not found through the giving of one’s possessions.

Peace with God is not obtained through a monastic or cloistered life of asceticism

The Fruit is produced in our lives organically thorough our relationship of Abiding in Christ… It’s about Abiding in Christ and then living through God’s love…

God himself is the source of Peace… Paul often prayed referred to God as the God of Peace..

Rom 15:33 May the God of Peace be with your all.

Amen.

Rom 16:20 the God of peace will soon crush satan

When it comes to having Peace… we have to Realize that there is no peace outside of his peace..

The Theologian Augustine… said “ ‘

Thou hast made us for Thyself and our hearts are restless, until they find their rest in Thee” Augustine

The Spiritual Fruit of Peace is part of our Spiritual growth and Formation..

Maybe some of you here remember those plaster Molding kits..

Where you had that mix the dry mix of plaster paris into a thick paste… Then your poured the paster into a mold and then you waited a coupled hours for the molds to Set… Once it was dry you could remove it from the Mold… When it comes to Spiritual Formation… it is all the things that God has given to us in Salvation that transforms us into his likeness....

In the book of Philippians Paul deals with the issue of Peace and especially in the context of our relationships… Well having the Peace of God ruling in our lives comes from having the same attitude and mind that is Christ… It comes from all the things that have been poured into our lives… Paul mentions what some these things..

Paul uses the these “If then” clauses to make the point that there are “benefits” things that we ourselves have received from being in Christ...

If there is encouragement in Christ..

if there is comfort in from love

if there is participation in the Spirit.

These are the things that have been poured into the mold… When these things become the reality in our lives they become the mindset or the attitude that we face life...

When your take the mold out of it’s rubber casing.. it is going to resemble Christ… Our attitudes are going to different… We are going be of the same mind toward each other… we are going share the same love… likemindedness… This makes total sense --- If you have two people that are moving towards Christ… being molded by the life Christ… they are going be similar…

What Paul desires for us is that we have healthy relationships with each other… You will notice that

In every healthy relationship your are going find … Encouragement… comfort… participation....

These are essential to any relationships… Take a moment just think through your friendships… Do your friends encourage you?

Do they provide safe place where you can get comfort?

Do they communicate?

The most difficult friendships are the ones that you have do all the work...

Paul says if these things are True…Make the effort…to have the right attitude of being of One mind..The challenge of living with peace is that we live in a world that challenges our Peace with Conflicts… ..

T/S How do live from the place of Peace...

1. Develop a Healthy Attitude towards Others.

A Man had been struggling with his neighbor for many years and decided to finally write him a letter to express his feelings..

A letter to a neighbor reads:

Dear Jim.

We've been neighbors for six tumultuous years.

When you borrowed my tiller, you returned it in pieces.

When I was sick, you blasted rap music.

And when your dog went to the bathroom all over my lawn and you laughed.

I could go on, but I'm certainly not one to hold grudges.

So I am writing this letter to tell you that your house is on fire.

Cordially, Bob.

That’s unhealthy view of how to deal conflict…

Philippian chapter 4 - is Paul’s final appeal to the church to stand together in unity… Paul deals with in his final words to the church at Philippi… He brings up a conflict between two women who are key leaders in the church… .

Paul presents the Problem —

slide

Two women, Euodia (Euodias in some translations) and Syntyche had been workers for Christ in the church, perhaps deacons.

Their broken relationship was no small matter: Many had become believers through their efforts (see 4:3), but their quarrel was causing dissension in the church (hence Paul’s plea for unity in 2:1–4)

It was more than a passing disagreement.

It had the potential of splitting the church into two groups.

You could turn this into modern day parable --- where there have been influential people that have split up churches.. it could have been Joe and Sandra…

We can imagine how easily conflicts happen in your own house… they normally start out over the smallest things and esculate… When it comes to conflict in your home or in the church… the faster you resolve something the better… the longer we let something fester the less chance you are going to resolve the issue…

There doesn’t seem to be any sin or theological discrepancies.

.

What was needed was they were to work out there difference --- the faster the better so..Paul pleased with them to set aside their differences and agree with each other in the Lord.

Paul simply say deal with these offenses..

Paul involves Clement and others who would help mediate and help restore these two women in their relationship… Paul sees the church as a place of cooperation.. where we together… work through … to advance the cause of Christ and the gospel....

We all understand the potential of offenses... that…they should get our attention… However we should also allow God grace to be at work in our lives…

Health Does not mean perfection.... Rather

Healthy communities work through conflict… heathy Marriages, Healthy families, Healthy people… Help each other and grow through conflict so that we become better people.

Paul goes beyond just admonishing these two women.

Embedded here is an entire manual of conflict resolution.

He gives step-by-step instructions for restoring peace in the face of animosity and bitterness

How?

How do we Get to the place of being like minded?

a. Be filled with His Joy... Lead from the place of Joy..

One of the ways we can deal with Conflict is to maintain our joy..

slide

Paul’s admonition to the church to be full of the Joy of the Lord.. Paul says, Rejoice in the Lord and again I say rejoice… The message Bible Celebrate God all day...revel in Him..

These words do not sound like the words of a man stuck in prison… Don’t you think it is a little unusual for someone in prayer to be talking about Joy and Peace.

Paul is chained as a prisoner in jail, and he's writing this letter about joy.

This letter is about contentment.

Now, if you are in a prison cell by yourself, separated from your family, your friends, and everyone, and you can write a letter back to the church, what are you going to write about?

Telling everyone else to be happy?

Telling everyone else to be content?

It doesn't make any sense that Paul was somehow at peace.

But he was saying: I'm okay.

I'm in a prison cell, I'm fine.

I'm over here, I'm fine.

*Francis Chan

But Paul tells us that he has learned some important lessons through the difficulties of life…

Paul learned something about Joy… that he has learned to content in all situations… but it is because His joy came from within…

Paul’s attitude teaches us an important lesson.. Our inner attitudes do not have to reflect our outward circumstances… Paul is full of Joy because he knew that regardless what happened, Jesus was with him…

The difference between happiness and Joy… Happiness is all about happenings… if good things happen we are happy… but when bad things happen we can get depressed… Joy on the other hand is connect to delighting in the Lord… Things are always in flux… and change… but if our joy is fixed in Christ it will hold us...

Rejoicing doesn’t only guard our hearts against discouragement but also against devisions… it is impossible to rejoice and to harbor resentment towards someone...