If you would, let's be turning
to Matthew chapter 10, Matthew chapter 10. And I want to read verses 34. Matthew
chapter 10, verse 34. Think not that I am come to send
peace on earth. I am come not to send peace,
but a sword. He says here, think not that
I am come to send peace on earth. The meaning of this word peace
is prosperity, or one, quietness, rest, or set at one again. And
when I looked up this word to see exactly what the meaning
was, I scrolled down in my ESWORD program and it gives you the
Thayer definition. And it listed these things under
that definition. A state of national tranquility,
peace between individuals, individual peace. And I just saw these and
based on our passage, I wanted to use these as my outline as
it concerns Jesus Christ and as it concerns peace. It was
giving these things, describing what it might mean to have peace
at these levels, if you will. Now our Lord here is telling
his disciples, this is the account of when he is sending his disciples
out two by two. And he's instructing them into
what they will encounter and instructing them on what they
should do. He tells them, I'm just gonna paraphrase these in
the previous verses, but he says, go only to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel. Preach the kingdom of heaven
is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse lepers,
raise the dead, and cast out devils. Take no money for everything
will be supplied. Shake the dust from your feet
as you leave those places that will not hear you. He says he
is sending them as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be
wise as serpents and harmless as doves. He tells them they
will be taken before councils and they will be beaten. This
is all being done as a witness against them. He tells them to
take no thought for what they should say, for their words will
come from the Holy Spirit. Families will rise up against
one another and have one another put to death. They shall be hated
of all men, that is these apostles, these disciples that he's sending
out. If you are persecuted in one city, he tells them, go into
another. The disciples of the master do what their master does.
Do not fear men, but fear God. The Father takes care of sparrows,
the very hairs on our head are numbered. Whosoever confesses
Jesus Christ before men will be confessed by Christ before
God the Father. And if you don't, he won't. Then
we come to, I am not come to send peace on earth, but a sword. So now let's look at peace as
it concerns a piece of national or international for that matter,
peace between individuals and individual peace to one person. We hear at times men talking
about peace. We have to work towards peace
in the world is what they say. This can be in one country or
between countries. I'm not against peace between
countries, nor am I against peace in the country in which I live.
We're to pray for those over us that we may live peaceable
lives. You have men getting together
and talking with one another and coming up with peace treaties. Before the ink is dried, they
have need of creating a new peace treaty. They have to keep their
pen in their pocket because they know it's not gonna last. But
it is no real peace anyway. Even if they were to get to the
point where they were all in agreement and could do things
together and could live together and help one another and do things
for one another, the peace they are seeking is in the wrong place. But it's very doubtful that the
whole nation as well as a nation to nation will even have any
worldly peace. When talking about nations, which
are made up of people, you have many different ideas, many different
ways of doing things. How can two walk together unless
they be agreed, the scripture says. That goes for nations as
well as people, because they both involve people. They cannot
walk together. All you have is absolute chaos
everywhere. And we are seeing that more and
more today. And it's only going to get worse.
The scripture talks about a day when some will cry, peace and
safety. But just when they think they
have found peace and found safety, then it will be too late. First
Thessalonians 5.3 says, for when they shall say, peace and safety,
then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a
woman with child, and they shall not escape. There are some who
say they seek for peace, that they will even name the name
of Jesus Christ, but they are looking for peace outside of
Jesus Christ. Of course, there are those who
are involved in these peace-seeking missions that do not know nor
do they care about Jesus Christ. Even those who name the name
of Christ, Jesus Christ, do not know Jesus Christ. The reason
being, they are missing the one place where peace can be found.
But there are some who do this, who will name the name of Jesus
Christ all day long, but they seem to not be able to read what
the Christ they claim to know and love has said in his word.
Jesus Christ tells us he did not come to send peace on earth. What he did come to send, though,
is a sword, the sword of the spirit, the truth of the gospel. This truth will do nothing but
divide What do we read about nations
in Isaiah 40 17? All nations before him are as
nothing, and they are counted to him less than nothing, and
vanity. So there is not a nation that
is not vanity, that is waste or confusion before the thrice
holy God. Now we know this is certainly
true between countries or nations. But we don't have to worry about
another country not having peace with us. Your enemies will be
they of your own household. This leads me to my next point,
peace between individuals. In Matthew 10 verses 35 and 36
we read, for I am come to set a man at variance against his
father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law. A man's foes shall be they of
his own household. What about peace with our neighbors,
or peace with our spouses, or peace with our families? Is there
anyone hearing my voice that has experienced nothing but peace
with everyone around you? I know some who have a pretty
good relationship between each other, but it's not totally without
some upheaval or turmoil at some point in time. Some disagreement
of some kind, usually very petty things, but peace is to be in
unity, or that is one with another. This is definitely sure though.
If you have a child of God who is holding forth the sword of
the spirit, it will cause upheaval and division. Not only that,
it is what Christ came to send forth. If you're holding forth
the truth of the gospel and you never encounter any disagreement,
then maybe what you're saying is not the gospel at all. Now
don't get me wrong, I can be a complete backside and I have
been before, and I will be met with opposition. But if you are
just trying to set forth the gospel of Jesus Christ and him
crucified, and you never meet any opposition to salvation by
Christ and Christ alone, then you are not preaching the gospel.
Because Christ says his gospel will divide. As nations, as individuals,
we cannot get alone because we are all gone out of the way and
we are together become unprofitable. All of our righteousnesses are
as filthy rags in God's sight. Isaiah 64 says, but we are all
as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy
rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the
wind, have taken us away. Our righteousnesses are iniquities
before a thrice holy God. Left in that place, there is
no peace at all to be had. We have read in scripture that
God hates all workers of iniquity. Not works, although God Almighty
hates those works as well, but this says workers. That is, those
who do these works of iniquity, God hates. That's in Psalms 5-5. Iniquity there, the word means
vanity or wickedness. It means unjust or unrighteous.
We have read previously of what God thinks of nations. They are
but vanity. Vanity is wickedness. The reason
this is so is because the nations, the neighborhoods, all of them
are made up of what? Individuals. So let's look at
peace with individuals. What about peace with yourself?
I'm talking to believers now. Are you at peace all the time?
I'm not. There's a very good reason for
this. There is nothing about me by nature that has any peace
about it. I cannot be at peace with anyone
else because I cannot be at peace with myself. There's a reason
for this as well. I have offended God. The scripture
tells us to esteem others better than ourselves. I know we are
to do this, but it just seems I cannot do this. Every time
I try, it seems self gets in the way. I seem to think too
highly of myself. Isaiah 59, 8 says, the way of
peace they know not, and there is no judgment in their goings.
They have made them crooked paths. Whosoever goeth therein shall
not know peace. This is in the Old Testament,
but we have grown no better with time. The New Testament also
tells us this very same thing in Romans 3.17, and the way of
peace have they not known. There may be some who think they
have found themselves and are at harmony with everything, but
they are dreamers. They are liars because scripture
tells us we do not know the way of peace in and of ourselves.
If we are to believe God and we believe what he tells us,
we do not know the way of peace. This is me by nature. I cannot
blame anyone else for my sin, for my transgression, for my
iniquity against God. If you do not believe you have
any transgression against God, then you go on then. You have
nothing to worry about if you have not offended God. If this
is you, then you must be at peace with God. But if you say this,
then you're calling God a liar. So that means you are not at
peace with God. The reason nations cannot have
any lasting peace with another nation is simply because nations
are made up of people. Neighborhoods are made up of
people. It is the individual people who are at enmity with
God and the way of peace they have not known. Not one. We can have no real peace because
there is not one that have known the way of peace. So if Christ
did not come to send peace on earth but a sword, are we to
ever know peace? This leads me to another point.
I did not mention this one before, but it's the most important point.
The way of peace. If Christ did not come to send
peace, then where can we find peace? Here is the thing. He
did not come to send peace, He came to make peace for some. What He came to do was send a
sword, something that will divide families. But we must have peace
with God, and for sure, God must be at peace with us. The offense
we have committed against God deserves His wrath and punishment. We had to have a substitute who
would take the full wrath of God in our stead. for those of
his whom he chose from before the foundation of the world.
Those for whom it was said, he shall save his people from their
sins. This is the way of peace, Christ
and what Christ has done. If you would, let's turn to Ephesians
2 real quick. Ephesians 2, if you wanna follow
along. Ephesians 2. Ephesians 2 and verses 13. 13 through 17. But now in Christ
Jesus, ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath
made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition
between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even
the law of commandments contain in ordinance for the making himself
of twain one new man, so making peace, and that he might reconcile
both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity
thereby. and came and preached peace to
you which were far off and to them that were nigh. Jesus Christ made peace with
God on his people's behalf. God does not have any wrath towards
us and in fact has never had any wrath toward us because of
what Christ shall accomplish and now has accomplished. God is at peace with those for
whom he chose. But he does not just leave us
there. He came and preached peace. Jesus Christ came and proclaimed
himself. The one who is his people's peace
with God. He came and preached that gospel
of peace of himself. Luke 179 says, to give light
to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. to
guide our feet in the way of peace. The way of peace is the
one who is our peace, because he has made peace with God for
us. In giving us his gospel, we then,
by his life-giving power and by the Holy Spirit, we are then
enabled to hear this sweet sound of peace. In doing this, it gives
us peace with God. What does that mean exactly or
what does that look like? We no longer disagree with what
God says. We know because of Jesus Christ
and what he did that we are at total enmity before God. We know
that we have not known the way of peace. And when we get to
thinking we know anything, the Lord of peace brings us back
around to seeing him who is our peace. Those times when this
flesh seems to win the battle and it seems we are falling into
deep, dark despair, thinking, am I a child of God or no? He
brings us peace once again by showing us in his word the very
peace of our soul. that very storm in our soul where
God has been pleased for us to battle this flesh and we continually
come into this tempest, then Jesus Christ is there to say,
peace, be still. He has calmed the storm and he
calms the storm if you know what I mean. This peace, when he enables
you to see it, is a peace that you can see. It's a peace that
you can taste. It is a peace you can hear. Listen to that peace for a moment.
That peace is a singular thing, and that causes one to rest. For the children of God, the
way of peace leads to individual peace. Now because of this flesh,
we will not see this peace completely and fully. But God has promised
that he will return one day. In him returning, then we will
see him as he is. And then we will know peace in
person and in a person. If we die, scripture says this
is to be present with the Lord. If this happens and we are in
Christ, then we will know peace in person and in a person. Either way, the goal is the same,
to look upon Him who is our peace, the one who has made peace. For
the child of God, this individual peace leads to peace with the
brethren. 1 Thessalonians 5, 12 through
14, we read, and we beseech you, brethren, to know them which
labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish
you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's
sake, and be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren,
warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the
weak, be patient toward all men. I know this is specifically talking
about those who are elders, those who are pastors, but we are all
to be at peace among ourselves. We can only do this in Jesus
Christ and specifically in the gospel of Jesus Christ and him
crucified. I'm thankful for this group.
I think, you know, for myself anyway, I think I've been around
you all for about 37 years, and I see the same familiar faces.
We've been together for a long time. God has been gracious to
allow us to be at peace among ourselves. He has enabled us
by giving us a love for his gospel. And in doing that, we look for
that to be the one and only endeavor that we have here, is to set
forth the gospel. I've said this before, but there
are some who say, you preach peace, peace, where there is
no peace. But they themselves seem to think
that what they know is their peace. They say if you say there
can be those in an Armenian church who are saved, then if you say
that, you are lost, because you are preaching peace, peace, where
there is no peace. They get puffed up in what they
know, that they will not even listen to what someone's saying.
If you say God cannot save someone who is currently in an Arminian
church, then you are saying that God could not bring Abram out
of the Ur of the Chaldeans. If you are saying that God could
not, you are saying that God could not bring Saul out of persecuting
the church of God and wasting it. I know of several folks,
not even in this assembly, who have said they were in an Arminian
church. And by Arminian, I mean any church
that in some way puts man into the way of salvation in any way.
But in this assembly, I know there are some who were attending
in an Armenian church, and God brought the gospel to you. I'm
not going to apologize for what God does in his purpose. Now,
he did not leave them in that place, or he did not leave the
Armenians in that place. One of the two, either God runs
you out, or he runs everyone else out. You will not be able
to stay and listen to that Armenian doctrine for long. We're not
talking about someone who believes that man is in some way a part
of the salvation of sinners. If a man believes that they have
part in their salvation, they are not saved. We are just talking
about there being some in those places who God has given them
light. I will preach anyone, to anyone,
the peace of God. I will preach to anyone the gospel
of peace. Because without that peace, you
and I will never know peace. I, just like the apostle Paul
who was persecuting the church of God and wasting it, I, just
like Paul the apostle who was persecuting the church of God
and wasting it, in my own way, I may have not been killing Christians
or putting anyone into prison, But I was saying, I will not
have this man reign over me. I would murder in my mind those
who told me of this peace. I was as all of us are by nature. We are Arminian, all of us, because
scripture says we are all gone out of the way. We have turned
everyone unto his own way. That means you have turned to
a way of man, and that is Arminianism. You don't start out in the way
of God. We all start out in our own way, whether we are in an
Armenian church or a sovereign grace church. At heart, we all
start out as Armenians. I had someone argue with me on
this before. He tried to say he has never
been an Armenian, but I know what scripture says. It says
we have all turned to our own way. So unless you are bowed
down to God, to God you will remain an Armenian even if you
believe the doctrines of grace. Jesus Christ who is our peace,
scripture says he is, but Jesus Christ who you are to know if
you are ever to know any peace. I think it might be better to
say if he knows you, then you will know the peace of God. Outside
of Jesus Christ, there is nothing but chaos. I'm talking about
even in individuals. This leads to the family not
being at peace, and this leads to nations not being at peace.
Without Christ, there is nothing but chaos, no matter how many
peace treaties we sign. The fact is, the only peace there
is to know is to know that God does not have any wrath against
me. The only place you will know this is in Jesus Christ because
he is our peace. And if you would, turn with me
last time, 1 Peter 3. 1 Peter 3. 1 Peter 3, and I want to read beginning
in verse 8 through 12. Be ye all of one mind, having
compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous,
not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrary
wise, blessing, knowing that ye are there unto called, that
ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life and
see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil and his
lips that they speak no guile. Let him askew evil and do good. Let him seek peace and ensue
it. For the eyes of the Lord are
over the righteous and his ears are open unto their prayers,
but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. It says to
seek peace and ensue it. The word in Sioux means to persecute
or given to. If Christ is our peace, and he
is, and he made peace, and he did, then we should be given
to seeking his face. This we do by his word. We listen
to, we proclaim, we talk about him whenever we can. What are
we told in the scripture in Ephesians 6 verse 14 and 15? Stand therefore,
having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the
breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation
of the gospel of peace. That same gospel which he who
is peace preached unto us himself is that one and self-same gospel
we preach to others and we ourselves try to hear. We are to be prepared
to tell others. That's what it says there, feet
shod, with the preparation of the gospel of peace. If someone
wants to hear, if someone asks the question of the hope that
lieth in you, then you are to be ready to tell them of this
gospel of peace. That gospel being that Jesus
Christ is our peace because he made peace with God for us, having
shed his blood on that tree. This causes me in the midst of
chaos and turmoil to know peace. It makes it well with my soul.
You know, in many of the epistles, the apostles wrote to folks some
things, and I would like to leave you with this as they have said. Not in the exact same words,
but this is what they said. May the God of peace, the God
who is peace, give you grace, mercy, love, and peace until
the day of Jesus Christ. Amen.