Gerry van der Wende: The Peace-Bringer

The Peace-Bringer

December 9, 2012

Luke 2:14

Introduction

Peace
We live in a world that does not know the way to peace
Peace is an elusive commodity
Ted Turner, founder of the Turner Broadcasting System & the Cable News Network, & owner of the Atlanta Braves. He is rich & powerful, & he is also strongly opposed to Christianity
Some time ago in Atlanta, he told a gathering of contributors to CNN’s World Report that he wanted to see if anybody had a real vision for a world at peace & in harmony with the environment. So he bankrolled a competition to find & produce a book that would present a workable plan for world peace.
He reported, "Out of 10,000 manuscripts submitted, we did not find one plausible treatise on how to get to a sustainable, peaceful future." Then he added, "Without a feasible plan, the prospects of creating peace are grim."
And he is right. Man doesn't know the way to peace.
On a personal level as well, people are plagued with anxiety, their lives are in turmoil
They don't know the way to peace
Even in the church, we are afflicted by similar things as the world experiences
And we too, worry about how it will all turn out!
But at the time of Jesus' appearance in Bethlehem as a baby boy, the angels sang "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men"
Today we are going to take a look at three ways in which God wants to give peace in our lives

Jesus brought us peace with God

At the root of our lack of peace, lies the unfortunate events of Genesis 3, when man rebelled against God and sided with the enemy
That day a process was set in motion, which continues to the present time
Each person, when they are born, has an inbuilt rebellion against God
Romans 8:7 - "The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God"
There was no way in which man can rectify this in-built rebellion. We refer to this as the depravity of man
No matter what I do to rectify this, the core reason always remains, I hate God
The only way in which this can be overcome, is through Jesus forgiving us for our sins and our sinful nature
He desires to change us and mold us into people who are no longer rebellious, but are at peace with Him
Jesus came in the flesh, to make it possible for us to have peace with God!

Jesus gives us peace with each other

James 4:1-3 "What causes fights and quarrels among you?"
We are continually faced with situations where people cannot get along
It usually has something to do with one or the other wanting to get their own way, instead of trusting God to take care of their needs
Even in the church we have quarrels, and gossip and slander
This is not God's intention for his people
God intends for us to live in peace
Once we have invited Jesus into our life as our Savior and Lord, we are to allow him to do his work inside us, rather than give in to our fleshly desires
But so often we allow our inner man, that sinful nature, to get the upper hand.
Jesus makes it possible for us to have peace with each other
When we don't, we are listening to our carnal nature, not God

Jesus gives us peace inside

The Bible is full of references to fear and anxiety
But Jesus teaches us to be anxious for nothing
Phil 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus"
When we make our requests known to God, they are in the best hands possible
God has promised to supply our needs, as we walk in synch with Him, putting Him first in our life
We may not understand how he will do this, but that is what the walk of faith is all about
We can have peace inside, no matter what the storm may be around us.
God takes care of his children
Matt 7:9-11

Conclusion

So be of good cheer
God's heart is for us, he sent Jesus his son, to this earth, to reconcile man with himself, so that man no longer needs to live in rebellion
He gives us a new heart, a soft heart like His, so we can live at peace with those around us, by putting to death the heart of stone, our sinful nature
And he gives us peace inside, a deep peace that conquers turmoil and anxiety
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid

Ministry

Gerry van der Wende