Pastor Tim Janiszewski - "One Hope for Peace"

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Messages of Grace

(Past Recorded Sermons)

This Sunday

Nov. 13, 2016

Sermon Title:
"Our Only Hope for Peace"

Scripture:
Ephesians
2:14-22

November 10, 2016

Dear MLEPC Members and Friends:

Before turning to this coming Sunday, we take a brief look back at last Sunday. We celebrated our annual Ingather Worship at both our Contact and Heritage services. During the Offering, we received 108 Financial Commitment Cards, along with many Time and Talent Sheets. As we look to finish well in 2016 and then to make a strong start in 2017, thank you to everyone who contributed. For those of us who were unable to attend and to participate, please plan to get your cards and sheets to our Stewardship and Finance Teams, so that we can plan well for a future filled with exciting ministry to the glory of God. Please place these in the offering plate in coming Sundays or drop them off at the church office. We invite everyone to give of time, talent, and treasure so that our joy in Jesus may be full. Thank you.

This coming Sunday, we'll continue our sermon series,
The Start of Something New, in which we find in Ephesians 2:14-22 that Christ is making "one new man" out of two groups that formerly were alienated and opposed to one another. The two groups were the Jews and Gentiles, both of which had little positive to say about one another. The Jews commonly referred to the Gentiles as "dogs" (in a negative sense of the word), and the Gentiles believed that the Jews were out to undermine everyone but themselves.

How could there possibly be a way through to true and lasting peace between these two antagonists? From a human perspective, the entire thing seemed hopeless. Yet the Apostle Paul is bold to assert that in Jesus Christ alone, they can enjoy peace that transcends their ethnic and cultural differences. He breaks down the "dividing wall" between them--a likely reference to the wall in the Jerusalem Temple that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the inner portions of structure that were open only to Jews. An inscription on that wall threatened death to any Gentile who dared to venture beyond it.

But when it comes to access to salvation with God, Jesus breaks down the dividing wall as Galatians 3:26-28 reminds us, "²⁶You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, ²⁷for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." And once people are united with God through Christ, they then can break down the walls that separate them from each other.

What a timely message this is, as it comes on the heels of the Presidential Election. In both Hillary Clinton's concession speech and Donald Trump's victory speech, both spoke of healing wounds and rallying the country to unite in moving forward. This may prove difficult in view of how contentious the race was, with many derogatory things being said across political and ideological lines. Can the country somehow galvanize quickly in the wake of such rancor? It will not be an easy task.

What we do know, however, is that when people come to faith--true and living faith in Christ--He is the bond who unites them in a way that human efforts cannot produce. He makes them real brothers and sisters in the Spirit of God so that they know each other as fellow citizens of heaven, members of one family, and a common dwelling place for God's Spirit Himself. He alone is our real hope for peace.

Let's be instruments of His peace in one another's lives. And let's demonstrate His peace in unity as Mt. Lebanon Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

Pastor Tim

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