Communion Message
Peace with God through Christ
February 29, 2004
Pastor Leighton Sheley

Ron Mehl writes: A woman caught in a frightening storm in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean had kept all the little children on board from panicking by telling them Bible stories. After finally reaching the dock safely, the ship's captain approached the woman, whom he had observed in the midst of the tempest. The captain asked her, "How were you able to maintain your calm when everyone else feared the ship would sink in the storm?" And as she looked up he noted the same quite peace in her eyes that she had maintained throughout the journey.

The Christian woman explained, "I have two daughters. One of them lives in New York, the other one lives in Heaven. I knew that in a few hours I would see one or the other of my daughters, and it really didn't matter to me which one."

God's peace is a peace that endures even in the midst of life's storm because God's peace comes from knowing that God is in control of our destiny in both time and eternity. God's peace is not a peace that is from this world or very often found in this world, in fact, Jesus said in John 16, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

And elsewhere in John 15 Jesus said, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'The servant is not greater than his lord.' If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you."

Someone has observed that if there is not a conflict between us and this world, perhaps the light of Christ has been subdued in our hearts and lives. There will be conflict in this world. So God's peace is not a peace that is from this world or often found in this world, and it's not necessarily found in our members either.

Paul, one of the great believers, one of the great missionaries of the early church, who wrote nearly a third of our New Testament, as he sat down to write the words of Romans reveals to us his own inner turmoil, his own conflict in chapter 7. He says that which I would like to do, those things which I know are pleasing to God, those things I don't do. But the things that I don't want to do, those things that are not pleasing to God, those are the things that I do. O wretched men that I am, who will save me from this body of death?

He talked about the struggle between the old sinful, rebellious nature and the new nature that Christ has given to us in His Holy Spirit that desires to please God. God's peace is not necessarily found either in this world or in our members. Peace is not the absence of conflict. Peace is the presence of righteousness. Right standing before God; standing right, before God. We are not inherently righteous nor is there anything that we can do to make ourselves righteous. If we are to stand righteous in the presence of God most holy, it is because we have put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and He has made us righteous.

Paul writes in Romans chapter 5, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

Reconciliation -- peace with God through Christ. The Scriptures say when we gather together at times like this around the Lord's Table we should examine our self, and so I'd like to invite you, if you are physically able, to join with me now as we kneel in the presence of our Lord and Savior.

Lord we are so thankful that You are the rock of our salvation and our place of refuge, that our salvation is secure in You, and Lord as we have examined our self we are reminded once again of how often we sin. We think and say and do things that are displeasing to You.

Lord, Your word says if we confess our sin You are faithful and You are just and You will forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Thank you Lord for bringing us peace even in the midst of life's storms. Our destiny is in Your hands Lord. Thank you for providing for our salvation. Thank you for revealing Your salvation. Thank you Lord for the forgiveness and the cleansing of sin. Let's partake of the bread and also the cup.

Thank you Lord, thank you Lord. In Jesus' name we pray, and God's people said...amen.