Which Peace are You Experiencing in Your Life?

Which Peace are You Experiencing in Your Life?

By Mike Klikas

Bible Text: Matthew 10:32-36

Preached on: Wednesday, April 16, 2008, 7pm

Tabernacle Baptist Church

7020 Barrington Road

Hanover Park, Illinois 60133

Introduction: Throughout history people have always protested war when it involved their country. No one likes to be involved in conflict and yet we find that conflict is all around us. We hear the cry of the people for peace and yet when true peace is presented to them they reject it. What we are going to do tonight is we are going to look at some different passages, make application, and find out exactly what it means to have peace in your life. What is the first thing that you think of when you hear the word peace? Some people may think of an absence of conflict involving them or their country. Some people may think of a feeling that comes over you. Some people may even think of total victory over their enemy.

There are different passages in the Bible that speak about peace and if we look at them on the surface it would be easy to say that the Bible contradicts itself. However, we know that the scripture does not contradict itself. As we look at this subject, I want you to think about all that is going on in your life and ask yourself if you truly have the peace of God in your life? If you have the peace of God in your life then your life will be filled with conflict. Wait, that doesn’t sound right! If you are thinking that then I’m glad because I am going to show you that conflict and peace grow exponentially, or at least they should, in the Christians life. When conflict is great, peace is greater. The reason this true is because God gives us the grace to have peace in both small trials and great trials. So let’s look into this study of peace to discover and apply truth.

The first passage that we are going to look at is found in Matthew chapter ten, starting in verse thirty four.

Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Matthew 10:35 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.

Matthew 10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

In verse thirty four the Lord tells us that he did not come to send peace on earth, but rather a sword. That is interesting because sometimes a sword is actually needed to achieve peace. What prompted the Lord to say such a thing? The answer is found in the previous two verses.

Matthew 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Do you want to know how to start a good fight? The way to start a really good fight is by telling someone who is lost, especially a religious family member, about the Lord Jesus Christ, the state that they are in and the fact that their religion will not save them. Notice what these two verses say. If you confess the Lord Jesus publicly before others then the Lord will confess you before the Father. But if you deny the Lord publicly he will deny you before the Father. But then in verse thirty four the Lord tells us what the result will be of those who truly love the Lord and publicly confess to everyone they know, including family members.

You will start a war if you start talking about people’s sinful state and the fact that their good works cannot save them. Now there is more to this portion of scripture then just this point. The Jews thought that the Messiah would come and establish His kingdom here on earth and that there would finally be peace in Jerusalem. They didn’t understand that the kingdom of God was not confined to a city on earth. Maybe you thought the same thing when the Lord first saved you. Maybe you thought that finally you would have peace in your life but it seams like the opposite has been true. The problem with this kind of thinking is that like the Jews, you are looking for the wrong kind of peace. Peace is not an absence of trouble. Peace is not a state of mind. Peace is also not a feeling. Peace is having the right relationship with God. Even in the midst of fiery trials a Christians who has the right relationship with God can truly have peace. This is important because of the following verses that we are going to look at. Now this verse says that the Lord came not to give peace but came with a sword. First of all, what is this sword? The word of God is what this is referring to. What does the sword of the Spirit do to men who are lost?

The word of God will take captives those who will surrender their life to the Lord. Others will fight with all they have against the gospel because of how convicting the word of God is to them. Some people may hate you for the Lord’s sake. Regardless of how people respond, one thing is true and that is that there is battle raging for the souls of men and women. The war has already been won but there is still a resistance against the Lord. If you love the Lord and live for him then you will be fighting battles on a daily basis. So as you look at this, it appears that there is no peace. However, we know that there is peace. This is not a contradiction in the word of God but rather showing that in the battles that rage the peace that we have is unexplainable to the lost.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

This tells us that the peace that we can have is a result of being a child of God. There is no peace between the lost and the Lord. The peace comes when a sinner completely surrenders all that he has, all that matters to him, and finally reaches the end of him self. Who can have peace in their life when there is all this sin that is weighing a person down? As we said, the world’s definition of peace is an absence of war or conflict. But the Lord tells us that His peace is different from what the world offers. The world offers a temporal peace that does not last. Maybe that has been your problem. You are looking a temporary peace in your life. You just want things to calm down. You are looking for the world’s peace instead of accepting the peace that the Lord Jesus Christ is offering you. As long as you are looking for a temporal peace here on earth, you will ever really have peace in your life. There is a peace that does exist on this earth, but it cannot be measured in any way by any military or government. This peace existed before the foundation of the world but was manifested a little over two thousand years ago.

Remember what the angels said in Luke chapter two? I am sure most of know this but let’s turn there anyway. Luke 2:11 – 14.

Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

The first thing that we see that pertains to the peace that we can have is the fact that a Savior was born. If Christ had not been born, suffered, died, and conquered death by rising from the dead then there would be no possibility of peace between man and God. We also see the angels praising God because of this and notice what they said in verse 14; Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Peace was only possible because the giver of peace came to die for those who knew no peace. Isaiah 53 says this.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Peace had finally come to men but it was going to be through the chastisement that would be upon the Lord Jesus Christ. It cost God the very best to bring peace to a people who knew only conflict and war with God. There was no peace when the Lord was taken and beaten. There was no peace on the cross. At least that is what the world would say. Yet all of those things were part of the peace process that God the Son went through so that we might finally have true peace even in the midst of the worse possible conflict in our lives. Satan does his best to upset the peace that we have with and through God yet all his attempts are futile. Look back to Luke 2:14 again and notice with me another interesting thing about this verse. The fact that the Bible says good will toward men after the angels say on earth, peace, tells us that this peace is available for all who would repent of their sins and surrender to the will of God. This good will which is the peace that God is offering isn’t for the angels or for those who reject the Lord. If you remember the Christmas story you know that Herod brought anything but peace to that part of the country. So again, if what you seek is a temporary peace then you will do all you can to find this peace and it will escape you every time. Herod looked for peace but only for himself. Herod did not show good will toward man. It may be that while you are looking for this temporary peace that you, like Herod, show anything but good will towards man, all for the sake of your own desire for peace that will not last.

This good will toward men originates only from the Lord. Man does not have good will toward man. The good will toward men is the peace that would be afforded them through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. But for those who have rejected and continue to reject the Lord, there is no peace.

Isaiah 48:22 There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.

Why is there no peace to the wicked? Again, it is because they have looked a temporary peace that will never satisfy them. How many times have we lived like the wicked because the peace we have desired has not been the peace that comes from God? Have you ever heard the expression, “let’s just try to keep the peace.” This saying really strikes home when you think about where we started in Matthew 10. Look back there and let’s continue on in our study of peace.

Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

Matthew 10:35 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.

Matthew 10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

Now thinking about these verses and what we have seen in regards to peace we now know that peace is only possible when we have fully surrendered to the God of peace. That leads us to the next part of this verse and that this, the Lord said that He came not to send peace but a sword.

What is a sword used for? If you want the truth of the fact, a sword is used to take life. Threatening with a sword will do no good. One must use a sword to truly conquer his adversary. God’s word is used as a sword to subdue His enemies. There are many references in the word of God that pertain to the word of God being a sword. I’m sure most of us are familiar with these next verses that we are going to look at, but when you think about them within the context of Matthew chapter ten, it brings out a whole new meaning to them.

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

These are but a few verses for us to think about. The sword of the Spirit is the only offensive part of the armor. It is not a ceremonial sword but rather a weapon that is to be studied and used skillfully. Depending on the sword used, when two or more people would fight, those who survived the fight would have to tend to their sword just as much as their own wounds. There would be nicks within the blade itself and after even one use the sword would never be the same. Sometimes the blades would break during combat and the person using that sword would be at a disadvantage.

The other thing about a sword that we need to know about is that men who studied swordsmanship would devote their life to it because like anything else, if you do not use the skills you have, they will fade in time. What application can we draw from this illustration?

First of all, the Bible is not a ceremonial sword to be displayed but rather is a weapon that commands the respect of the person using it. The Bible is a weapon that is to be studied and used the way that God intended and not the way we want to use it. We do not have to tend to the blade. God’s word never gets dull. Instead we use the Sword of the Spirit to heal the wounds that we suffer in battle.

2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)

The other thing that we need to know about the Sword of the Spirit is when you use it in an improper way someone is bound to get hurt. The one who gets hurt is usually the one that is around the person who doesn’t know how to use the weapon that is in their hand. A scalpel in the hands of person who is not skilled in surgery can be a very dangerous thing. Would you want Dr. Quack and Sniff to perform surgery on you if he had no idea of what he was doing? Of course not, you would want a surgeon who had performed many surgeries. We might say the same thing about anyone who fills the pulpit. But it’s easy to look at everyone else and say you should be this way or that way, or you should have said this or that. What about a little self examination? We do this by using the word of God to examine our own life. This will help safeguard our mouth and thoughts from using the word of God in a critical, non-productive way.

There should be no difference between us and the pastor when it comes to studying the word of God. Does he have more time to study? The answer to that question is obviously yes, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t have good quality study ourselves. What are the results of being a poor student of the word of God? Turn to Galatians chapter 1 please.

Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

Galatians 1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Galatians 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Another gospel! There are many false gospels in the world. How can you tell they are false unless you know the true and only gospel? This is what I meant when I said that others are usually hurt by the person who doesn’t know how to use the sword that is in their hand. Either they are not skilled with that sword or they twist it to meet their own needs. What is the warning in this passage? The warning is that a man will be accursed if he preaches any other gospel than that of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What are some ways in which we can misuse the word of God and preach another gospel? There are generally two major ways in which this can be done. The first is legalism and the second is liberalism. Legalism seeks to control a person by rules and regulations that are contrary to the word of God. Legalism seeks to control behavior without ever affecting the heart. It is a pharisaical kind of control that says look at all I do and yet there is no love for God or God’s people.

Isaiah 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Matthew 15:1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

Matthew 15:2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

Matthew 15:3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

We don’t have time to cover these other verses, but read the book of Romans and you will how Paul addresses both legalists and liberals.

Liberalism says I do what I want because I’m saved. Those who are liberal in their beliefs say that all things are lawful for them. However, they presuppose upon the grace of God by thinking that they can do what they want and God will forgive them. The other facet of liberalism is that they think they can do what they want because they think they are no longer under the law as a result of being saved. We have always been under the law. But we are not saved by the law.

Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

What this is saying is that just because we are saved doesn’t mean we can do what we want. In fact, it is quite the opposite. We are now controlled by the Holy Spirit and not our flesh. We know the law and since we know the law we cannot violate the law because of our faith. Lying is a sin regardless of whether a person is saved or not. The way we establish the law through faith is by doing our best to keep the law and repenting when we have transgressed the law. The Bible says that sin is a transgression of the law.

So in both cases, liberalism and legalism are dangerous to the Christian faith and are detrimental to the young Christian and the lost. One will drive them from repentance, legalism, and the other will point them to a false accursed gospel, liberalism. Neither of which will bring true peace to a person because neither are based on the fact that we are guilty before God and that God loves us enough to save us.

Let’s now head back to Matthew Chapter 10 and wrap this up.

We have seen what peace is and what the world calls peace. We have seen that there is only one true sword out there and when it is used properly it is the most powerful weapon known to man. It is able to conquer the rebellious hearts of men ad women, boys and girls. We have also seen the dangers of a false gospel. Now lets look at the battles that will lie ahead of us and how in the midst of those battles we can still have God’s peace.

Matthew 10:35 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.

Matthew 10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

Why will a man be at variance with family, and why will his foes be of his own household? This of course is talking about the redeemed of God and their family members who are lost. As I have told you before, my mom and I argued about knowing that you can have assurance of salvation. Because of the legalistic teachings of the Catholic Church, she believed you couldn’t know until you stood before God. By then, it’s too late. My Father wouldn’t talk to me about the Lord and when he did, it wasn’t very kind. The moment I started living for Christ was the moment that I realized there was a problem between my parents and God.

Yet the word of God comforted me because I had the hope that God would work in their hearts. You see, when you get saved, you don’t make enemies. The enemies already exist and they, just like you were, are the enemies of God. But by skillfully using the word of God to expose and hopefully cut out the sin that has made them the enemy of God, by God’s grace through his word, you can be used by God to bring true, everlasting peace to those who are the enemies of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ said that He wasn’t bringing peace but a sword. There can be no peace in a person’s life until they are reconciled to God through the word of God. How are you helping in this fight that is raging between the lost and God? Are you presenting a false gospel to the lost by the way you live? Are you presenting a pharisaical gospel by the way you are living that wishes to control others behavior, instead of letting the word of God change their heart? Or are you using the word of God the way God intended and letting the Holy Spirit work in man’s heart? Are you letting the word of God work in conjunction with the Holy Spirit in your heart? Only when you do this will you truly have peace in your life which passeth all understanding. Only when you do this will you be able to tell others of the true, everlasting peace that you have. Then, you will be able to skillfully and lovingly expose the sin in a persons life so that they too can repent and have the peace that God offers to all those who are his own. Which peace are you experiencing in your life?