REWRITING THE CODE:
Spirit-Shaped Peace
A Sermon On:
Galatians 5: 22
John 14: 15-27
PREPARED BY
KEN GEHRELS
PASTOR
CALVIN CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
NEPEAN, ONTARIO
"Daddy, daddy - what do you want? What do you want? Tell us, tell us, tell us!" Three little bodies full of childish energy and rambunctious enthusiasm met their father on the driveway as he pulled in, wiped after a jam-packed week of meetings and deadlines.
As they crowded round, bumping each other, clipping him at the knees, tugging and excited with the thought of father's day just around the corner he silently thought - "Peace; just let me have a little peace."
The sentiment felt even more keenly by the single mom down the block at 9:30 that night when her little rug rats lay awake with the heat & humidity calling for yet another drink.
Peace - just a little peace.
What do you want from life? "A little peace." Isn't that the truth. And isn't that what a lot of people long for, at least in some measure? Don't we all desire peace, especially in our frenzied, high intensity lifestyle that is the 1990's.
Peace - what is it, really? If we have no noise, and no visible conflict is that peace? That's what we often think, isn't it?As long as factions within a church community don't clash violently, as long as the alcoholic parent in the home manages to keep from pushing everyone around and spending all the family's money, as long as the Treasury Board and PSAC keep talking,let's call that peace.
But is it?
The word "peace" is used many times throughout the bible. In the ancient Hebrew language the word used is shalom. Shalom refers to "the state of integrity, harmony and completeness within a person's life" [Winward Fruit Of The Spirit p.99].
When things are the way they should be, complete and smooth and legitimate -- then you've got shalom, peace.
Shalom is having life on the right track.
Peace is not, as dad & mom in our opening illustration suggested, tied to quiet.
-In the quiet of the alcoholic home, after father left, one of the teenage children commits suicide.
-The church is quiet after the conflict because the warring factions have split and now there are two splintered and deeply hurt church groups.
-There is quiet on the labour scene in the Public Service because labour and management are in their own corners making plans for the next go round.
THE PEACE OF THE WORLD AND THE PEACE OF JESUS.
Given all that hear the Gospel words of Jesus: "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give as the world gives."
There seems to be two different types of peace, the peace of Jesus and the peace of the world, in other words of those who will have nothing to do with Jesus. Let's compare them.
That which the world tends to offer up as peace is generally a freedom from distraction and conflict, which enables people to settle down, for a short time at least, to do what they want to do, and live their lives in their own way with relatively little interference. The peace of the world is a flight from some of the more difficult or troublesome situations of life.
It is a peace based on circumstance. And as the circumstances of life change, so does the measure of peace which one experiences, at least the way the world offers it.
Worldly peace says, "just don't bug me. You do your thing and I'll do mine. Back off. Live and let live. Each to their own and somehow we'll all find peace."
That's the claim of lockian liberalism, the so-called gem of the enlightenment. It's the stream of thought that forms the foundation for Western society. And can you see where it has gotten us?
-Can you see through all the haze of pollution spewed into the atmosphere by profit-driven corporations?
-Can you see it through the holocaust of abortions which so many fathers and boyfriends pressure their mates into because they don't want to be burdened by someone else; because they want so-called peace?
-Can you see it through the work schedules and demands that keep families apart, even on the one weekly day of rest?
Peace of the world.
On the other hand, what is that peace that Jesus experienced? Look at his life - certainly it was far from tranquil, far from quiet: -living with minimal clothing and possessions,
-working long hours under often stressful conditions,
-facing tremendous opposition from the nation's establishment and at times the general population and on occasion even from his own family,
-struggling with followers and disciples who seemed awfully thick-headed at times....
"My peace I give unto you...."
Somewhere, driving past all those tensions of mind and body and the noisy distresses of life's circumstances, Jesus enjoyed a deeply rooted inner tranquillity, some sense of rightness about life that went deeper than the constantly changing circumstances he faced; that gave peace.
Look over those verses we read together from John 14, or if you don't have your bibles open, think back to what we read. Consider -- Is there anything there that jumps out at you which might make His life secure and right and ordered? Consider these snippets:
v.16: Jesus asks the Father and gets his wish
v.20: Jesus is in the Father
v.21: The one whom Jesus loves is loved by God the Father
v.23: Where Jesus dwells the Father dwells
v.24: Jesus speaks the words of the Father who sent him
He knew that the path he followed on earth was the path along which God the Father wanted him to walk. He knew that as he was engaged in the busy and often difficult task of walking that path, he was assured of the Love of God. And he knew that never would he be out of touch with the Father.
And can there be anything more fundamentally RIGHT about life than having things squared away between yourself and the Great Master Creator and King of all the universe, the one in whose hands rests your eternal fate? Can there be? Of course not!
I remember attending a July 1st fireworks display a number of years ago. We had a seat very close to the display. Very close and VERY loud! Particularly loud that year. We thought it terrific, but one of our kids found the noise terrifying. And not until safe in Daddy's arms, with arms wrapped tightly around did the little one settle down. I remember putting my arms down and hearing, "Daddy, put your arms up here again." I looked down a little later and my child was fast asleep.
In the midst of a very uncertain situation, the security of having dad's strong and familiar arms wrapped tightly around and close by, made things OK and made sleep possible.
"Be anxious about nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace that passes understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4)
"He that spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things" (Rom 8.32).
"I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom 8.38-9).
The strong arms of a heavenly father wrapped tightly around his children.
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you."
Do you know the setting in which Jesus speaks this offer of peace? It is the Last Supper, the night before he is arrested and taken to his death. Jesus knows even as he speaks these words what will happen to him and how his death, and his death alone can open the way to heaven for people. He knows that he is blazing the trail for a renewed relationship between sinful people and a perfect God. And it is by walking in the trail of Jesus that we can experience the beginnings of peace, a peace that passes all understanding.
Peace begins by giving our lives to the "Prince of peace" (Is 9.6).
The forgiveness of sins and assurance that all who believe become adopted and precious children of God the Father in Heaven is the springboard to a life of peace.
I said earlier that peace happens when there is a basic rightness in life. That begins with our relationship to God.And with His arms wrapped tightly around us we can tackle many other challenges that face us in this broken, mixed-up world.The Father wraps His arms around, and sends His Spirit into us. And the Spirit begins to reorder us inside - reshaping, reworking, rewriting the moral and spiritual code within our most inner selves so that it reflects God Himself.The Spirit begins to make peace grow and spread and bear fruit.
"The fruit of the Spirit is... peace."
As the Holy Spirit reminds us and makes us aware of the caring arms of God the Father wrapped around us we can begin to re-examine our relationship to self. How do we feel about ourselves?
And the Spirit places the thought in our heart:"My child, how SHOULD you feel about someone whom God loves and cares for and considers precious?
How SHOULD you feel about someone whom Jesus died for?
My child, how SHOULD you feel about someone for whom the angels in heaven threw a party when you turned to Jesus?"
For some people that is hard to accept. A biblically sound respect for themselves, for who they are and how God values them comes slowly. Perhaps they have been damaged by incest or abuse. Perhaps they have been told so often, maybe by classmates or even parents, that they were no good and wouldn't amount to much. And their self-esteem is in the basement or lower. They are not content with themselves, not at peace with themselves. Statements about God's care seem too good to be true, the stuff of Cinderella fairy tales, except that for them it is after midnight.
In such cases others who have been given peace with themselves are called to help these injured ones work towards peace within - Through Christ-centered counselling and friendship and prayerful intercession for the Holy Spirit to bring his gentle healing touch and to grow the fruit of peace in this person's soul. And it calls for the patience and determined fellowship of the Holy Spirit-directed Christian community to surround that person in love.
The fruit of the Spirit is....PEACE.
Not only does peace spread to relationships with self, it spreads to relationships with other human beings. Perhaps we have been taken advantage of by someone, perhaps someone close whom we trusted. They shafted us royally. And we feel as though we want to really let them have it. Certainly we can't forgive them. And possibly, oh how good it would feel to drag them into court and really let them burn!
And the Holy Spirit whispers in our hearts, "My child, how did you treat God? And what was His response to you?"
Oh, it may not be easy. Cultivating peace sometimes can make a person sweat. It can be very hard work. But as the Spirit works within us it is necessary work. "So far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." (Rom 12.17) "Strive for peace with all men." (Heb 12.14)
And what God demands He will, through his Spirit, provide the needed strength to accomplish.
Seek peace with all men. That is why the scriptures in several places call for believers to pray for government, that they would be bringers of peace.
And that is why, over and over and over again throughout the bible, Old and New testament, we read of God's concern for the plight of the downtrodden and disenfranchised of society. And why the Holy Spirit doesn't leave us satisfied with having life come together, right, for just ourselves. He propels us forward to work for rightness, for justice, for wholeness
-- for peace --
throughout creation.
For nature that is choking with toxins, ravaged and plundered.
For children that grow up with the injustice of rank poverty.
For people groups oppressed.
Believers bringing forth Spirit-shaped fruit of peace, work for that.
They do that as individuals.
They do that through existing public institutions.
They do that through specifically Christian peace-bringing, Holy-Spirit directed agencies such as Citizens For Public Justice or Christian Reformed World Relief Committee or the Mennonite Central Committee or Christian Labour Association or Birthright or local soup kitchens and food banks or SWIM.
And they do it hearing these words of Jesus echo in the background:
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Mt 5.9).