THE PEACE OF GOD

Scriptures: John 14:25-31; Philippians 4:4-9

INTRODUCTION

One of the most beautiful words in all of the Bible is “peace.” The Hebrew word “shalom” in the Old Testament and the Greek word “eirene” in the New Testament – those words are used more than 360 times in scripture to describe and proclaim the concept of peace.

It is a word with wide dimensions and deep meanings, ranging from the absence of war to the presence of God’s Spirit. Peace is a constant and continuing theme from Genesis to Revelation, calling us to embrace health, wholeness and serenity in mind, body and soul; encouraging us to live in right relationships with one another through affirmation, forgiveness and reconciliation; and assuring us that if we put our trust in the Lord, we can and we will discover the peace which has been and still is offered to us.

Above all else, the Bible says that peace is a gift from God which we receive, not something that we can manufacture, produce or achieve by ourselves. And if anyone has come here today, searching for, waiting for, hoping for, praying for the peace of God in your life, then this sermon is meant for you.

When the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Philippian Church around 63 or 64 A.D., he was in prison in Rome. Paul had visited the city of Philippi more than ten years before, and developed many close relationships with members of the congregation there. (Acts 16)

But some others in that town, including a hostile crowd of Roman citizens, had objected to Paul’s evangelistic efforts in the name of Christ and forced him to leave Philippi in the middle of the night. Sadly, that persecution had increased over the years, and so Paul was writing to his Christian friends to encourage them to go on and not to give up.

Moreover, they had taken up a collection and sent the money to him, delivered by a messenger and fellow disciple named Epaphroditus who had fallen ill. In his Philippian Epistle, Paul thanks them for their generosity and commends Epaphroditus back into their care.

One final reason for writing this letter was to help resolve a conflict which had erupted between two women in the church named Eudoia and Syntyche which had spilled over into other arguments about doctrine and theology. Paul was worried that their quarreling was endangering the peace and unity of that church, so he encouraged and appealed to them to let go of their dissension and let God help bring them back together again.

And at that juncture in this letter, Paul, in the fourth chapter, wrote these profound and unforgettable words:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let all people know of your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)

Now if you are wondering how a man in prison, living with the anticipation of his eventual execution, could write about the peace of God and tell others not to worry about anything, then let me tell you what I think happened to him.

Paul had spent years of his life struggling with the anxiety of poor health. He called it a thorn in the flesh – exactly what it was, we do not know, and in his second letter to the Corinthians he reports that it wouldn’t let him go. But God helped him find contentment in his pain, as Paul prayed and listened to the Lord’s refrain, My grace is sufficient for you and my power is made perfect in your weakness. (Corinthians 12:7-10)

What’s more, Paul had fought a spiritual war within his own soul. His letter to the Romans reveals the intensity of the battle: For I do not do the good that I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do…O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me? And as Paul cried out toward heaven, the healing power of the Holy Spirit stirred within his soul, saying Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! And the deliverance Paul sought was given to him. (Romans 7:19-25)

So now, years later, he was in a Roman prison, facing the sentence of death. Was Paul anxious about how it would come, or when? Did he stay awake at night, knowing that he would never see his family or friends again? Was he concerned about the churches he had founded and visited, like the one in Philippi, with people he knew and loved who were facing persecution and headed into the eye of the storm?

Surely Paul must have felt all of that and more, which is why I believe that he got down on his knees in that prison cell and poured out his heart to the Lord, just as he had done many times before. And I think what came back to him was the same revelation and assurance he had received from God over and over again: My grace is sufficient for your every need…My power is made perfect in your weakness…Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ the Lord!

And in that moment, Paul was surrounded by the peace and the presence of God. So with joy in his heart and peace in his soul, he took his pen and wrote to his friends in Philippi: Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything, by prayer and thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. In the twilight of his life, Paul knew it was true. And he sent that message to the Christians in Philippi, hoping and praying that they would believe it too.

II.

And that raises a question for all of us in this congregation: do we still believe it today? Do we believe that the peace of God can overcome our fears and anxieties and set us free to become the faithful people He has called us to be?

Living as we do in this modern era which W. H. Auden once called “The age of anxiety,” we know that the velocity of life continues to increase, the volume of our work is often overwhelming, the daily list of priorities and responsibilities is ever expanding and our capacity to cope and keep up with it all has been stretched to the limit.

Erma Bombeck, rest her soul, once wrote about a wife and mother who was doing her best to keep everybody together and everything in order while her husband was out of town one week on business. Bombeck describes it this way:

“On Monday, she went to a parent-teacher conference alone to be told that her son stole paper towels from the girls restroom, wrote an ugly word in the dust on Mr. Gripper’s car and was flunking lunch. She said her husband traveled a lot, and the teacher said she should be glad he was working.

On Tuesday, the dog was hit by a motorcycle, the house payment got lost in the mail and her daughter tried to crush a tin can with her hand like the bionic woman and required a tetanus shot. She told the doctor her husband was working out of town and the doctor told her she was fortunate to have a second car.

On Wednesday, the television set blew a tube, the car developed a wheeze and she had to cancel a night out with the girls. Her mother-in-law said ‘Just be thankful you have the children.’

On Thursday, she was making a left-handed turn in her VW Rabbit when a pickup truck plowed into the back of her. As she sat there crying softly, ‘The rabbit died…the rabbit died,” a police officer stuck his head in the window and replied, ‘You’re lucky lady. Nobody got hurt.’

On Friday at the supermarket, she went through the mechanics of shopping – lashing one child to the basket, getting another out of the bean display where he had found a hole in one of the bags, and upon discovering the third child had eaten an unknown amount of fruit, she offered to weigh him at the counter and pay the difference for anything over 53 pounds. The checkout girl, who noticed all of the convenience foods, said ‘You’re lucky to have your husband gone a lot. At least you don’t have to cook big meals.’

On Saturday, she car-pooled to little league, two haircuts, one dentist appointment, baton twirling lessons, the cleaners, the post office and a birthday party. As she pulled into the driveway at dusk, a neighbor yelled over the fence, ‘Well, at least you get out of the house!’

So on Sunday, she dragged the brood to church. As she extended a limp hand to the pastor, he looked at her anxious and tired face and said ‘Glad to see you. And by the way, if you sleep during the service, I will understand.’

He was the only one who did.”

Well, we understand it, don’t we? We, all of us, live in this age of anxiety where at home, there are bills to pay, mouths to feed, bodies to clothe, families to keep together…where at work, there are bosses to please, planes to catch, deadlines to make and career ladders to climb…and out there in the world, the American economy is lagging behind, we’re still trying to find a cure for cancer, politicians are battling each other in Washington, D.C. and people are sitting on a powder keg in the Middle East.

So in this age of anxiety, where can we go and how can we discover and take hold of the peace that was promised long, long ago?

CONCLUSION

Paul wrote to the Philippians that first, we must pray, not only for what we need, but also with thanksgiving for the many blessings we have already received. The apostle was trying to tell them and all of us still today that an attitude of gratitude can and will open our hearts to the peace of God.

Then, said Paul, think positively about the possibilities that God has put in your path – Whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is anything that is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those things. You see, when our minds are focused upon and open to the good gifts that God provides, we will become less fretful and more hopeful as God guides us to the peace that passes our understanding.

And finally, if we trust God, as Paul did in that prison cell, to take our anxiety and tilt it toward anticipation, to release our guilt and turn it toward His grace, and to let go of our fears and let Him fill us with faith, then the peace of God will flow into our lives and we will find the rest and serenity we have been searching for, waiting for, hoping for, praying for, for such a long time.

Down on his knees in that Roman prison, I think Paul heard the words of Jesus that set him free: Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, but my peace I give to you. Therefore, let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27) And if we listen ever so carefully, we can still hear those same words speaking to us today.

A tired father knelt at bedtime with his daughter at the close of a long day. When they had finished their prayers, the father rose and right away started complaining about some worry concerning the next day. The child looked into her father’s troubled face and said, “Daddy, you just prayed.” “I know that,” he replied. And the little girl, with wisdom beyond her years, said, “Well, I think we should either worry or pray, but we shouldn’t do both.

Christian friends - are you listening? Do you believe? Will you open your heart and mind to receive the peace of God which Jesus promised to you? Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you…Therefore, let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Let us pray: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. (Prayer by Rheinhold Niebuhr).