The disservice that our internet culture has done for us is that there is very little peace in people’s lives anymore.  Most people fret about bills, even though they continue to jack up their credit card debt to get things they want.  When most people look at the world, they have little hope.  Some have adopted a fortress mentality– let me crawl into my own cave or fortress and do the things I want to do and not worry about anyone else’s problems, because I can’t even deal with my own.  Of course, the problem with this kind of thinking is that other people’s problems do affect me, because the drug addict steals my car to pay for his habit, etc.  The other problem with the fortress mentality, at least for Christians, is that God has called us to live in this world as agents of redemption.  Christians are the salt and the light, according to my Bible.  With the gift of freedom and life has come responsibility to care for others and to be a vessel God can use to bring His peace into the world around us.  We are His agents for peace!

If you missed last week, I would ask you to listen to the CD we just passed out, because our guest speaker, Rev. Bill Fuller, did an outstanding job of setting up what your elders believe is God’s heart for us this Fall.  Bill talked about how to change the spiritual climate in Florence, and to do it Jesus’ way.  Jesus’ way begins by being convinced that we are agents of change and that God has called every one of us to make a difference in the world.  Then he looked at Luke 10 to see Jesus’ principles for how to be agents of change– speak peace to those around us; fellowship with others around us; meet needs of those we fellowship with by praying for them and their needs, that God would work on their behalf; and then, as we are asked, which will happen as we do these other things, share with others the reason for the hope within us.  Thank you to those of you who stepped out last week and tried what Bill asked us all to try!  I have already heard several reports of interaction you had with others in restaurants or other places which blessed others– a woman who was going through a divorce, a woman whose husband was addicted to drugs and just left her and her 2 little ones, an opportunity to minister to a relative whose marriage is struggling because of his ungodly habits.  These kinds of interactions will lead to people hearing about Jesus– people who have prayed a prayer to receive Christ, but really have no idea what that looks like to walk out the Christian life finding out how to walk it out as God links them with this church, and others who have sensed rejection from Christians in the past experiencing the grace of God and as a result, coming to faith in Jesus Christ. 

This morning, we will pick up where we left off, by looking in more detail at the first key principle from Luke 10 which Bill shared with us.  Our theme is this: God has designed us to live, relate to others and minister to others in peace.

I. God has designed for us to live in peace.
One error people make as they think about living in peace is that they believe that peace depends on circumstances and other people around you acting in a certain way.  This is false!  Biblical peace is not dependent upon others.  The reason this is so is because you don’t have any control over other people.  You shouldn’t even try to control other people.  That isn’t your job.  God has not given that job to you, but has given you the job of controlling yourself!  This is why Paul gives the condition for peace in Romans 12:18– “as far as it depends on you, live at peace.”  So don’t worry about how others act as much as you focus on your own actions.  You are to do everything within your power to be at peace with others. 

Why is this so important?  Bill talked about this briefly last week, but one of the things which ought to draw others towards us and towards Christ is the peace which surrounds our lives.  Let me ask you this question, “When Jesus walked the earth, did people enjoy being around Him or not?”  People loved to be near Him.  Children enjoyed being near Him.  What does that tell you about His character?  It tells us that Jesus exuded joy and peace.  How do we know this?  Let me ask you.  Do you enjoy being around people who are not at peace– for example the person who constantly complains about things?  You know the type– if they aren’t complaining about their latest ailments, they are complaining about the weather, about the government, about their spouse, or fill in the blank.  Is that attractive to others?  Do you enjoy being around others who are angry all the time? No!  Nobody does.  People who are at peace with others are at peace with God and with themselves.  In fact, if you hang around a group of people who are at peace with God and at peace with themselves, then it changes the whole climate around them.

One of the things I loved about working with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship as a Campus Minister was hanging out with other InterVarsity staff.  Ann and I loved staff conferences and even student conferences.  Sure, we enjoyed the ministry itself, but the most attractive thing was being around other IVCF staff.  They were mature, hard working, godly people who loved Jesus and were sacrificing much to reach students with the gospel.  When we worshiped together, or hung out together, it was fun!  One of my students commented to me one time that it was a witness to her watching the staff play frisbee golf together, which was one of our favorite activities.  While students were still arriving for a conference, several of us would play a round of frisbee golf before diving into an intense week of ministry together.  As she watched us just hang out together, it was very attractive to her.  She wanted what she saw us enjoying– true fellowship with one another, where we were at peace with the Lord and with each other.  Joy was present because peace was present.  This is attractive to others.

The opposite is also true.  Have you ever been in a room where two people were part of a group and these two people held unforgiveness towards each other?  It sends a chill across the room.  I don’t even have to know that 2 people are angry with each other to feel the climate in the room.

You see, we are supposed to smell like Christ.  What?  What does Christ smell like?  Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 2:14‑15, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.  For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”  The fragrance of Christ needs to be in our homes, in our church, in our place of employment, in our cars, or anywhere in the world where more than one Christian has gathered for any reason! 
In Mark 9:50, Jesus told his disciples, “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”  This is God’s will for you.  When you live at peace with God and then with others, there is a whole lot less stress in your life, and life is infinitely more enjoyable.  The byproduct of peace is that we attract others to the gospel, which has given us peace in the first place.

II. God has designed for us to interact with other in peace.

Let’s unpack this a little further.  There are several different levels of peace.  Peace does not mean “I can’t say anything or it might make him mad.”  That is a person using anger to control another person.  The person being controlled is not at peace!!  Peace does not mean that we do not speak the truth in love– the opposite is true.  True peace, the kind that the Lord desires for you to have, works it’s way into our hearts and lives as we gain and keep a right perspective on circumstances, and as we make peace a high priority in our relationships with others. 
What brings peace in my relationships with others?  First and foremost, forgiveness.  I’ve told you this before, but what sets us apart as Christians, as those who belong to Jesus Christ is not that we never sin against each other.  I will reach that place when I meet Jesus face to face, but not before.  I do not want to intentionally sin, ever.  I can look you in the eye and tell you that is the desire of my heart.  But the truth is that sometime today, I will probably get in my flesh– the ugly head of self will rise up and say or do something my spirit does not want.  When that happens, others can get hurt.  I am not making excuses for my sin, you understand.  It is my sin and I am responsible for the sin and how it affects others.  I confess my sin to the Lord and ask for others to forgive me if they have been hurt.  This is the gift the Lord has given to us.  Then, the person I hurt needs to forgive me.  When this happens, there is peace again.

I still remember the story one of my seminary professors told about waiting for his teenage son to get into the car before church.  Dr. Larson was pastoring the church and had told his son in no uncertain terms when he had to leave to arrive on time, because he was leading the church and couldn’t be late.  After waiting for 5 minutes and beginning to smolder underneath, he finally laid on the car horn...  And his son stumbled out of the house with shoes and socks in hand and tie draped around his neck.  The car ride to church was very quiet and very quick.  Dr. Larson didn’t say anything but was still smoldering underneath...  They each were in their SS classes, and Dr. Larson remembered that it was communion that day.  He got up from his class and found the room where his son was sitting.  He knocked on the door and asked his son to come out.  He apologized to his son and asked his son to forgive him for his attitude, impatience and anger.  His son shrugged it off and said, “That’s okay dad– I was late.” and returned to his class.  No matter what his son really felt, the right response was to be at peace with others.  When you have sinned against them, you ask them to forgive you.  Dr. Larson owned his wrong attitude and asked forgiveness from his son, even though his son played a role in the situation.  He didn’t justify his sin by pointing at his son’s wrong actions, but did the right thing and asked his son to forgive him.  This brings peace in our relationships with others, which is God’s will for us.

III. God has designed for us to minister in peace (even in hostile situations).

We read I Peter 3:8-12 a few minutes ago, but I want to look at this passage for a moment with you.  Look at verse 9– Peter tells the reader that he or she is to give others a blessing instead of an insult.  You have been called for this very purpose– that you might inherit a blessing. 

Let’s look at the character of the Lord for a second.  Let me ask you this question, “Do you often revile God?”  Do you forget about His will and ways and presence and live your life for yourself?  God chooses to bless you, even when you have forgotten about Him or rejected Him.  We are imitators of God our Father.  We have been born again so that we reflect the nature of our Father– we have been given a new heart, which means new spiritual DNA so that now we look like our Lord!  Now, if you know Jesus Christ today, you not only belong to the family of God, but you have a new set of priorities.  These priorities line up with what our Father asks from us.  God desires for us to share the peace we have been given from God with others.  This is what the good news is!  We can now live at peace with God and with others, and we will enjoy this relationship of peace forever!
The context for I Peter is tribulation!  Peter tells us that these Christians have suffered grief and all kinds of trials– persecution.  Even though they are being persecuted, Peter tells these Christians to bless others, even when they are persecuted– insulted, reviled.  To support this affirmation, Peter quotes from the Old Testament Scriptures, from Psalm 34.  The central portion of this text tells us to do good to all, and then “to seek and even pursue peace” (11).   We are to follow after peace in our relationships with one another.  If we seek the Lord, His promise is that we will find Him.  To find the Lord and His peace is valuable.  Then, when we have His peace, we look for ways to give it away to others.

We used to tell students on campus that there was a reason they were on this campus and their was a purpose for them being here.  The reason had something to do with getting training and a degree in a certain discipline of study.  The purpose was bigger than this.  God had a purpose for them which had something to do with them coming into a deeper relationship with Him, and something to do with allowing God to use them to influence other students with the gospel.  A student named Brian wanted to meet other Christians who were ready to really live for Jesus Christ.  He began coming to the fellowship and loved the worship and the efforts to reach out in a meaningful way with the gospel.  But mostly, he loved the sense he had when he was with other students in the fellowship of the peace that permeated this group of students.  This is why he got involved in the ministry.  Then he led other students to give away blessings to others— to pray with people and to share their faith with other students who did not know Jesus.