Peace That Christ Gives

The sermon begins with two famous historical narratives to illustrate the fragility of worldly peace. In 1938, British Prime Minister Chamberlain declared that he had achieved "peace for our time" after signing an agreement with Hitler, but less than a year later, Britain officially declared war. Similarly, the United States believed it would avoid the war but after the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, the nation entered the Second World War, which lasted six years and caused 70-85 million deaths. These stories teach that although people desire peace, if those around them or their enemies do not want peace, true peace will never arrive.

The sermon identifies Satan as the most fearful enemy on earth, constantly waging war against God since being expelled from heaven because of his pride. Satan tempted Adam and Eve to sin, thereby breaking their completely harmonious relationship with God, with each other, and with creation. Sin spread to destroy all relationships: between humanity and God, between spouses, between siblings in families, and in society. Satan's purpose is to make people refuse to believe in God. Only God has sufficient power to subdue Satan and deliver us from the authority of darkness, as Colossians 1:13 teaches.

The preacher emphasizes that we ourselves can also be the cause of discord in our families, churches, and workplaces because of greed, selfishness, and jealousy. We have found the enemy and it is ourselves. Two main reasons why the world is always in discord are: (1) sin breaks the relationship between humanity and God, and (2) rejection of the call to receive Jesus Christ as Savior. The sermon analyzes false peace from the world, which comes from Satan through material life: wealth, success, beauty, position, and power. However, this peace is fragile, easily broken, and everything material ultimately ends through death.

God's peace is completely different from worldly peace. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are forgiven all sins in the past, present, and future. This peace does not depend on external circumstances but comes from the Holy Spirit dwelling in the life of each believer. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter and Counselor who is always with God's people in all circumstances and experiences of life, and no one can take away this presence. The peace of Christ surpasses all human understanding, as Paul teaches. Only when Christ rules the earth or when no one commits sin anymore will the world truly have complete peace, as written in Revelation 21:3-4.

The sermon concludes with a twofold call: first, repent of sin, confess sin, and accept Christ to receive forgiveness and be protected, taught, and transformed by the Holy Spirit. Second, examine yourself to see whether you are the cause of discord in your family, church, or workplace. A criterion to recognize whether one truly has God's peace is: wherever I go, do I bring peace and harmony, or do I only bring discord, conflict, and division?