Knowing Peace

EPHESIANS 2:14-18 IN THE EARLY 80S •A RETIRED COUPLE WAS ALARMED BY THE THREATS OF THE COLD WAR. •SO THEY UNDERTOOK A SERIOUS STUDY OF ALL THE INHABITED PLACES ON THE GLOBE. •THEIR GOAL WAS TO DETERMINE THE PLACE IN THE WORLD LEAST LIKELY TO SUFFER THE RAVAGES OF WAR. THEY WANTED TO FIND •A PLACE OF ULTIMATE SECURITY. •SO, THEY STUDIED AND TRAVELED, TRAVELED AND STUDIED. FINALLY, THEY FOUND THE PLACE. •THEY MADE THEIR PLANS. •THE SOLD THEIR HOME. •THEY PACKED THEIR POSSESSIONS. AND THEY MOVED…. •CHRISTMAS OF 1981, THEY SENT THEIR PASTOR A CARD FROM THEIR NEW HOME. •THREE MONTHS LATER THE PASTOR WAS PRAYING FOR THEIR SAFETY. •YOU SEE, WAR FOUND THEM IN THEIR PLACE OF ULTIMATE SECURITY. THEIR NEW HOME… •THE FALKLAND ISLANDS •WAS INVADED BY ARGENTINE TROOPS ON APRIL 2, 1982. •WE CAN SPEND ALL THE TIME WE WANT SEARCHING FOR PEACE… •BUT TRUE PEACE IS MORE THAN JUST THE ABSENCE OF WAR. THE PEACE DESCRIBED IN OUR BIBLES •IS A POSITIVE STATE OF HARMONY, •CONTENTMENT AND RECONCILIATION, NOT JUST THE ABSENCE OF CONFLICT… •IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WE HAVE ACCESS TO THIS KIND OF PEACE… WHEN WE TRUST IN CHRIST •WE ENTER INTO AN ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD… •AND THIS KIND OF PEACE IS PART OF THAT RELATIONSHIP…. •TO LIVE IN THIS PEACE, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE OUR PEACE IS WE NEED KNOW HOW THIS PEACE •WAS ACHIEVED… •AND WE NEED TO KNOW WHO THIS PEACE APPLIES TO… •TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT HOW PAUL EXPLAINS THIS PEACE TO THE PEOPLE AT EPHESUS… TURN TO EPHESIANS 2:14 •PAUL HAD JUST EXPLAINED TO THE GENTILES IN THE EPHESUS CHURCH •HOW THEY HAD BEEN FAR OFF FROM GOD… •AND HOW CHRIST HAD BROUGHT THEM NEAR BY HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS… EPHESIANS 2:14–15A FOR HE HIMSELF IS OUR PEACE, WHO MADE BOTH GROUPS INTO ONE AND BROKE DOWN THE BARRIER OF THE DIVIDING WALL, BY ABOLISHING IN HIS FLESH THE ENMITY, WHICH IS THE LAW OF COMMANDMENTS CONTAINED IN ORDINANCES, P.W.U.T.K. WHERE WE FIND PEACE •IF YOU ARE ONLY GONNA GET ONE THING OUTTA THE SERMON TODAY •THIS IS THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO GET… •CHRIST IS OUR PEACE… •LET ME SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME… •CHRIST IS OUR PEACE THAT IS WHAT PAUL MEANS •WHEN HE SAYS… FOR HE HIMSELF IS OUR PEACE •CHRIST IS NOT THE SOURCE OF OUR PEACE… •OUR PEACE IS NOT LOCATED IN CHRIST… •HE HIMSELF IS OUR PEACE •AND THERE IS THIS AMAZING IMPLICATION IN THE WAY↓ PAUL WORDS THIS •THAT MEANS CHRIST AND CHRIST ALONE IS OUR PEACE… •NOW, REMEMBER THIS PEACE IS MORE THAN JUST THE ABSENCE OF WAR… •THIS PEACE IS HARMONIOUS UNITY… •HAVING THIS PEACE MEANS↓ FUNCTIONING THE WAY GOD •CREATED US TO FUNCTION… •SO, IT MAKES SENSE THAT THIS PEACE CAN ONLY BE FOUND IN CHRIST… •THIS PEACE IS ONLY POSSIBLE WHEN WE HAVE TRUSTED IN JESUS CHRIST… •THAT HIS WORK ON THE CROSS PAID FOR OUR SINS… AND BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH •WE HAVE ENTERED INTO AN ENTERAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. •ONCE WE ARE IN THIS RELATIONSHIP •WE CAN WALK IN THE LIGHT… •WE CAN ABIDE IN CHRIST… •AND WHEN WE DO THAT, WE HAVE THE PEACE THAT IS ONLY FOUND IN CHRIST… THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT •THING FOR US TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THIS PEACE… •WE ONLY HAVE IT IN CHRIST… •WE CAN ONLY HAVE THIS PEACE WHEN WE ABIDE IN CHRIST… •CHRIST IS OUR PEACE •NEXT PAUL WILL EXPLAIN WHO THIS PEACE APPLIES TO •PAUL IS GOING TO USE A SPECIFIC SITUATION TO DISCUSS HOW THIS PEACE AFFECTS THE CHURCH. •WHEN PAUL SAYS… •WHO MADE BOTH GROUPS INTO ONE •HE IS TALKING ABOUT THE JEWS AND GENTILES… IT IS KINDA HARD FOR US •TO UNDERSTAND JUST HOW SERIOUS THE SPLIT BETWEEN THESE TWO GROUPS WAS… •WE DON’T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN OUR CURRENT CULTURE … •JEWS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO DO BUSINESS WITH GENTILES… THEY COULD NOT EAT WITH THEM… •THEY COULD NOT ENTER THEIR HOUSES… •IF A JEW EVEN TOUCHED A GENTILE HE WAS CONSIDERED UNCLEAN… •AND HAD TO GO MAKE A SACRIFICE… •THESE RULES DID NOT SIT WELL WITH THE GENTILES… THEY KNEW THE JEWS LOOKED •DOWN ON THEM… AND THEY REACTED •BY HATING AND PERSECUTING THE JEWISH PEOPLE… •WE MAY THINK WE UNDERSTAND PREJUDICE…. •BUT THIS LEVEL OF HATRED IS HARD FOR US TO IMAGINE… AND YET CHRIST MADE THESE •TWO GROUPS INTO ONE GROUP… •HE CREATED UNITY OUT OF HATE… •AND HE DID THIS WHEN HE •BROKE DOWN THE BARRIER OF THE DIVIDING WALL, •SOME FOLKS SAY THIS DIVIDING WALL IS TALKING ABOUT THE WALL •IN THE TEMPLE BETWEEN THE JEWS AND THE GENTILES… •OTHERS THINK IT IS TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE RABI’S CALLED THE “FENCE AROUND THE LAW” •BUT I THINK PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT THE HATE OR ENMITY BETWEEN THESE TWO GROUPS… THAT’S WHAT HE BROKE DOWN… •AND THE REMOVAL OF THIS HATE IS •HOW PEACE WAS ACHIEVED… THE REMOVAL OF THIS ENMITY IS HOW TWO GROUPS WERE MADE INTO ONE… •PAUL EXPLAINS THAT CHRIST BROKE DOWN THIS WALL OF HATE BY ABOLISHING IN HIS FLESH THE ENMITY •THIS WORD ABOLISH IS IMPORTANT… •IT DOES NOT MEAN TO DESTROY SOMETHING… •IT LITERALLY MEANS TO MAKE SOMETHING USELESS… OR INOPERATIVE... •TO CAUSE IT TO STOP FUNCTIONING… AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT CHRIST •DID TO THE HATE BETWEEN THESE TWO GROUPS… •HE DID THIS BY FULFILLING •THE LAW OF COMMANDMENTS CONTAINED IN ORDINANCES •CHRIST DID NOT ABOLISH THE LAW.. HE FULFILLED IT… MATTHEW 5:17 “DO NOT THINK THAT I CAME TO ABOLISH THE LAW OR THE PROPHETS; I DID NOT COME TO ABOLISH BUT TO FULFILL.” AND ONCE THE LAW WAS FULFILLED •WE WERE NO LONGER UNDER LAW, WE WERE UNDER GRACE… ROMANS 6:14 “FOR SIN SHALL NOT BE MASTER OVER YOU, FOR YOU ARE NOT UNDER LAW BUT UNDER GRACE.” SEE, THE LAW HAD TO BE FULFILLED •FOR THE DIVIDING WALL OF HATE AND ENMITY TO BE BROKEN DOWN… •AS LONG AS ONE GROUP WAS REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THE LAW…. •AND THE OTHER WAS NOT… •THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN FOREVER FIGHTING WITH… HATING EACH OTHER… AND CHRIST NULLIFIED THIS HATE •IN HIS FLESH THAT MEANS IT WAS DONE BY HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS… •THE LAW REQUIRED SACRIFICES FOR SIN… •AND CHRIST’S DEATH ON THE CROSS PAID FOR ALL SINS.. PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE… THAT IS WHY IT FULFILLED THE LAW… •EVERY SIN EVER HAS ALREADY BEEN PAID FOR… •THEREFORE, THE LAW IS FULFILLED… •AND THE TWO GROUPS ONCE SEPARATED BY THE LAW •ARE NOW ONE GROUP UNDER GRACE… IF YOU HAVE EVER WALKED •ALONG THE BEACH AT LOW TIDE, YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED •HUNDREDS OF SMALL POOLS ALONG THE SHORE. •EACH POOL IS SEPARATE FROM THE OTHERS… •ANY LIFE IN THESE POOLS IS ISOLATED. AT HIGH TIDE •AS THE SURF SURGES IN THESE POOLS FLOW TOGETHER, •AND ALL THE LITTLE DISTINCTIONS ARE LOST IN A SPLENDID UNION. •THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE CHURCH. •BEFORE CHRIST WE WERE ALL SMALL POOLS, ISOLATED FROM EACH OTHER. •BUT CHRIST IS THE HIGHEST TIDE, •SURGING IN AND UNITING US ALL AS GOD’S CHILDREN MADE INTO ONE GROUP IN CHRIST… •WITH NO BARRIER WALLS BETWEEN US.. IN EPHESUS CHRIST DID THIS •WITH JEWS AND GENTILES… •TODAY CHRIST DOES THIS ALL OVER THE WORLD… •WITH FARMERS AND RANCHERS… •WITH BIKERS, AND SURFERS… •WITH YOUNG AND OLD…. •BLACK AND WHITE… DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS… •REGARDLESS OF WHAT WALLS MIGHT SEPARATE US… •CHRIST HAS ABOLISHED THOSE WALLS BY HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS… •HE HAS MADE ALL GROUPS INTO ONE CHURCH… •NO MATTER WHO WE WERE BEFORE↓ WE ARE NOW BROTHERS & SISTERS •IN CHRIST… WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD… •WE ARE CALLED TO LIVE IN PEACE AND UNITY WITH ONE ANOTHER… •BECAUSE CHRIST HIM SELF IS OUR PEACE AND HE ESTABLISHED PEACE AMONG US •BY HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS.. EPHESIANS 2:15B–16 SO THAT IN HIMSELF HE MIGHT MAKE THE TWO INTO ONE NEW MAN, THUS ESTABLISHING PEACE, AND MIGHT RECONCILE THEM BOTH IN ONE BODY TO GOD THROUGH THE CROSS, BY IT HAVING PUT TO DEATH THE ENMITY. P.W.U.T.K. UNITY LEADS TO PEACE •THE REASON CHRIST BROKE DOWN THE WALL WAS… •SO THAT IN HIMSELF HE MIGHT MAKE THE TWO INTO ONE NEW MAN, •PAUL USES A FASCINATING WORD FOR MAKE… •IT MEANS TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT HAS NEVER EXISTED BEFORE… WHEN CHRIST UNITED THE JEWS •AND GENTILES AND FORMED THE CHURCH •HE WAS CREATING SOMETHING COMPLETELY NEW… •SOMETHING THAT HAD NEVER EXISTED… •THE TEXT REFERS TO THIS CREATION AS •ONE NEW MAN GALATIANS 3:28 EXPLAINS THIS.. THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, THERE IS NEITHER SLAVE NOR FREE MAN, THERE IS NEITHER MALE NOR FEMALE; FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS. AND WHEN CHRIST MADE US ALL ONE •HE WAS… ESTABLISHING PEACE,…. •THIS PEACE IS AMONG THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS… THE CHURCH… •CHRIST HIMSELF IS THIS PEACE… •BUT THE PEACE OF CHRIST APPLIES TO MORE THAN JUST PEACE BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH… THIS PEACE APPLIES TO GOD •IT IS AWESOME THAT CHRIST PROVIDES PEACE FOR US WITH ONE ANOTHER… •BUT THIS PEACE IN THE CHURCH WOULD BE POINTLESS IF WE DID NOT HAVE PEACE WITH GOD… •AND PAUL CONNECTS PEACE WITH EACH OTHER TO PEACE WITH GOD… AND MIGHT RECONCILE THEM BOTH •IN ONE BODY TO GOD THROUGH THE CROSS, •THE WAY HE WORDS SHOWS A CONNECTION BETWEEN PEACE WITH EACH OTHER AND PEACE WITH GOD… •CHRIST REMOVED THE ENMITY BETWEEN US… UNITING US INTO ONE NEW MAN… AND CHRIST RECONCILED •THIS ONE NEW MAN TO GOD… •TO RECONCILE MEANS TO RESTORE A BROKEN RELATIONSHIP… •TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO HAD A FALLING OUT… •AND CHRIST RESTORED US TO RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD WHEN HE PUT TO DEATH THE ENMITY… •NOW, THE FIRST TIME IT TALKED ABOUT ENMITY… •IT WAS HOSTILITY BETWEEN JEWS AND GENTILES… •BUT THIS ENMITY… IS THE HOSTILITY BETWEEN MAN AND GOD… •BEFORE CHRIST WE WERE ALL HOSTILE TO GOD… ROMANS 8:7 BECAUSE THE MIND SET ON THE FLESH IS HOSTILE TOWARD GOD; FOR IT DOES NOT SUBJECT ITSELF TO THE LAW OF GOD, FOR IT IS NOT EVEN ABLE TO DO SO, AND NOTICE HOW PAUL SAYS CHRIST •PUT TO DEATH THE ENMITY •JUST LIKE CHRIST’S DEATH ON THE CROSS BROKE DOWN THE HOSTILITY BETWEEN JEWS AND GENTILES.. •HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS PUT TO DEATH THE ENMITY BETWEEN MAN AND GOD… •THE SAME PAYMENT FOR OUR SINS THAT UNITED US WITH ONE ANOTHER… UNITED US WITH GOD… •CHRIST IS OUR PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER… •AND CHRIST IS OUR PEACE WITH GOD… •THESE TWO THINGS ARE LINKED.. •WHEN I SIN… I HAVE MESSED UP MY PEACE WITH GOD… •I AM STILL SAVED… I AM STILL HEADED TO HEAVEN… BUT WHEN I SIN…. •I AM NOT WALKING IN THE LIGHT… •I AM NOT ABIDING IN CHRIST… •AND REMEMBER CHRIST IS OUR PEACE… •SO THIS MEANS… I AM TEMPORARILY NOT AT PEACE WITH GOD… •AND THIS LACK OF PEACE WITH GOD WILL INEVITABLY LEAD •TO A LACK OF PEACE WITH FELLOW CHRISTIANS… •AND THE REVERSE IS TRUE AS WELL… •WHEN I AM NOT AT PEACE WITH MY FELLOW CHRISTIANS… •I HAVE STEPPED OUTTA THE LIGHT… •I HAVE STOPPED ABIDING IN CHRIST… WHO COMMANDED US TO “LOVE ONE •ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.” •AND I AM NO LONGER AT PEACE WITH GOD… •I WANT YOU TO PICTURE THE PEACE OF CHRIST AS A TRIANGLE… •THE TOP POINT IN THIS TRIANGLE IS GOD… ONE OF THE BOTTOM POINTS IS YOU… •AND THE OTHER BOTTOM POINT IS EVERY OTHER CHRISTIAN IN THE WORLD… •IF YOUR PEACE WITH GOD IS BROKEN… •IT BREAKS YOUR PEACE WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS… IF YOUR PEACE WITH OTHER •CHRISTIANS IS BROKEN… •IT BREAKS YOU PEACE WITH GOD… •JESUS EXPLAINS THIS CONCEPT WHEN HE SAYS IN ↓ MATTHEW 5:23–24 “THEREFORE IF YOU ARE PRESENTING YOUR OFFERING AT THE ALTAR, AND THERE REMEMBER THAT YOUR BROTHER HAS SOMETHING AGAINST YOU,” LEAVE YOUR OFFERING THERE “BEFORE THE ALTAR AND GO; FIRST BE RECONCILED TO YOUR BROTHER, AND THEN COME AND PRESENT YOUR OFFERING.” THIS IDEA, THAT PEACE WITH •ONE ANOTHER IS LINKED TO PEACE WITH GOD •IS ONE OF THE REASONS UNITY IS SO IMPORTANT… •WHEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM GETTING ALONG WITH EACH OTHER… •IT AFFECTS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD… WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT •CHRIST DIED TO BREAK DOWN THE WALLS THAT SEPARATE US… •HE DIED TO RECONCILE US TO GOD… AND TO ONE ANOTHER… •WHEN WE ARE NOT AT PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER… •WE ARE REJECTING PART OF WHAT CHRIST ACCOMPLISHED AT THE CROSS… SEE, CHRIST DIED FOR EVERYONE… •NOT JUST FOR THE FOLKS WE GET ALONG WITH… •PAUL IS USING THE JEWS AND GENTILES TO EXPLAIN THIS CONCEPT… •BUT THIS IDEA APPLIES TO EVERYONE IN THE WORLD… •NO MATTER HOW DIFFERENT THEY MIGHT BE.. EPHESIANS 2:17–18 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; FOR THROUGH HIM WE BOTH HAVE OUR ACCESS IN ONE SPIRIT TO THE FATHER. PEACE REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUND •DID YOU NOTICE WHO CHRIST PREACHED PEACE TO… •HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; •THESE WORDS COME FROM A COUPLE OF VERSES IN ISAIAH… •AND THOSE WORDS…. YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY.. •THOSE WHO WERE NEAR… •THAT IS ACTUALLY A COOL WAY OF SAYING… EVERYONE… •SEE… EVERYONE IS WITH NEAR OR FAR… •IN THIS CASE PAUL IS REFERRING TO THE JEWS AND THE GENTILES… •THE JEWS WERE “NEAR” TO GOD THROUGH THE COVENANTS… THE GENTILES WERE FAR FROM GOD… •THROUGH CHRIST’S DEATH ON THE CROSS THESE TWO GROUPS WERE MADE INTO ONE •AND THE ONE GROUP, THE CHURCH, •WAS RECONCILED TO GOD… •BUT THIS SAME PEACE OF CHRIST HAS BEEN PREACHED TO ALL THOSE •BOTH FAR AND NEAR… •THE PEACE OF CHRIST IS PREACHED TO THOSE RAISED IN CHURCH… •AND THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER ENTERED A CHURCH… •THOSE LIVING IN CHRISTIAN NATIONS↓ HAVE THE PEACE OF CHRIST •PREACHED TO THEM… •AND SO TO THOSE LIVING IN LANDS WHERE CHRISTIANITY IS OUTLAWED… •THE PEACE OF CHRIST IS BEING PREACHED TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH… •AND IT MUST BE PREACHED TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH BECAUSE.. CHRIST IS THE ONLY PEACE WITH GOD •IF PEOPLE ARE TO ENTER INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD •IT MUST BE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.. •PAUL EXPLAINS THAT THIS IS THE CASE FOR BOTH THE JEWS AND THE GENTILES WHEN HE SAYS.. •FOR THROUGH HIM WE BOTH HAVE OUR ACCESS IN ONE SPIRIT TO THE FATHER. THAT MEANS THE ONLY WAY •ANYONE GETS TO THE FATHER IS THROUGH CHRIST… •SEE… EVERYONE IN THE WORLD IS EITHER A JEW OR A GENTILE… •AND SINCE BOTH OF THESE GROUPS HAVE THEIR ACCESS TO THE FATHER THROUGH CHRIST.. THE ONLY WAY… •ANYONE HAS ACCESS TO THE FATHER IS THROUGH CHRIST… •TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE FATHER MEANS… •TO HAVE A WAY TO APPROACH HIM… •IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS… YOU CAN’T EVEN GET NEAR HIM… NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE TO •ENTER A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH CHRIST… •YOU CAN’T EVEN GET NEAR HIM… •YOU CAN’T EVEN GET ACCESS TO GOD… •BY ANY MEANS OTHER THAN THROUGH CHRIST… AND OUR ACCESS THROUGH CHRIST •TO THE FATHER IS… IN ONE SPIRIT… •NOW THIS COULD MEAN WE ALL HAVE ACCESS TO GOD THROUGH THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT… •OR IT COULD BE TALKING ABOUT OUR ACCESS TO GOD THROUGH CHRIST IN UNITY… THE SPIRIT OF UNITY •THE SPIRIT OF PEACE •BOTH THESE IDEAS ARE POSSIBLE FROM THE TEXT… •BOTH THESE IDEAS ARE TRUE… •THE KEY THING HERE IS THAT ALL OF HUMANITY… BOTH JEW AND GENTILE… ONLY HAVE ACCESS TO GOD •PEACE WITH GOD.. •THROUGH JESUS CHRIST… •AND THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS WHICH PAID FOR OUR SINS.. A YOUNG LADY WAS DYING, •A FRIEND CAME TO VISIT HER, •AND AFTER NOTICING THE OVERWHELMING PEACE THAT FLOWED FROM THE YOUNG LADY… •HE ASKED HER A QUESTION… •HOW CAN YOU HAVE SUCH PEACE WHEN YOU SUFFER SO GREATLY… THE YOUNG LADY POINTED •TO HER HAND, "THERE IS NO NAIL THERE. •HE HAD THE NAILS; I HAVE THE PEACE." LAYING HER HAND ON HER BROW, SHE •SAID, "THERE ARE NO THORNS HERE. HE HAD THE THORNS; I HAVE THE PEACE," •TOUCHING HER SIDE SHE SAID, "THERE IS NO SPEAR HERE. •HE HAD THE SPEAR; I HAVE THE PEACE." •CHRIST IS OUR PEACE… •THERE IS NO OTHER PEACE… •HE IS OUR PEACE WITH GOD… •HE IS OUR PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER… •CHRIST IS OUR ACCESS TO GOD… •OUR ONLY ACCESS TO GOD… WE CAN SPEND ALOTTA TIME •IN THIS LIFE LOOKING FOR PEACE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES… •WE CAN SEARCH THE WORLD OVER FOR PEACE… THE ABSENCE OF CONFLICT.. •THINKING THAT IF WE JUST GET FAR ENOUGH •FROM ALL THE STRUGGLE AND STRIFE OF LIFE WE WILL FIND SOME PEACE… •BUT TRUE PEACE IS MORE THAN JUST THE ABSENCE OF WAR. THE PEACE DESCRIBED IN OUR BIBLES •IS A POSITIVE STATE OF HARMONY, •CONTENTMENT AND RECONCILIATION, NOT JUST THE ABSENCE OF CONFLICT… •IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WE HAVE ACCESS TO THIS KIND OF PEACE… WHEN WE TRUST IN CHRIST •WE ENTER INTO AN ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD… •AND THIS KIND OF PEACE IS PART OF THAT RELATIONSHIP…. •TO LIVE IN THIS PEACE, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE TO FIND PEACE •JESUS AND ONLY JESUS IS OUR PEACE… IF WE LOOK FOR PEACE •IN ANYTHING ELSE WE WILL ONLY BE DISAPPOINTED. •ALL OTHER PEACE IS COUNTERFEIT PEACE… •ALL OTHER PEACE IS A PALE REFLECTION OF THE TRUE PEACE OF CHRIST…. WE NEED KNOW HOW THIS PEACE •WAS ACCOMPLISHED… •CHRIST PUT TO DEATH ENMITY BY HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS… •OUR HOSTILITY BETWEEN OURSELVES AND OUR HOSTILITY WITH GOD… •WAS DEFEATED WHEN CHRIST PAID FOR OUR SINS… AND WE NEED TO KNOW •THAT OUR PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND OUR PEACE WITH GOD ARE LINKED… •IF WE MESS UP ONE… WE MESS UP BOTH… •FINALLY WE NEED TO KNOW THAT THE ONLY ACCESS TO GOD IS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST… AND WE RECEIVE THIS ACCESS •WHEN WE PLACE OUR FAITH AND TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST… •THAT HE IS GOD COME IN THE FORM OF A MAN… •THAT HE LIVED A SINLESS LIFE AND DIED ON THE CROSS TO PAY FOR OUR SINS.. •THAT HE ROSE AGAIN AFTER THREE DAYS…