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"Know Jesus, Know Peace" Acts 10:34-46

Easter sermon

by Clancy Nixon

March 23, 2008

Church of the Holy Spirit

Ashburn, Virginia

www.HolySpiritAnglican.org

Alleluia! Christ is risen! [hand to ear] The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Happy Easter!

The message today is titled "Know Jesus, Know Peace." The good news is that

the risen Lord Christ brings peace to our hearts. By rising from the dead, Christ has won

the victory over sin and death. Christ's resurrection vindicates all his other promises - to

forgive us; to give us eternal life as we believe in him; to give us the Holy Spirit and

power for living. Peace comes through the Lord Jesus. Know Jesus, Know Peace. I

wonder - do you know him?

Trent Johnson tells the story of how his young daughter asked about her

grandmother who had passed away. The girl asked her dad, "Are we going to see Granny

in heaven?" He replied, "Yes, honey, when we die we will see Granny in heaven." "And

then," she continued, "Will we come back to our own house?" "No honey," he replied,

"We will stay with Jesus and Granny forever." She sat up straight and said in her most

shocked voice, "You mean we're gonna stay dead?"

The idea of death as a permanent thing had never occurred to the little girl. When

we get older, we know that the one who has died is never coming back, apart from a

miracle of resuscitation. "The child's burning question, and the adult's stone-cold reality,

both disturb the peace of our living." (Johnson) Most people don't like to think much

about death. Death makes people squirmy and anxious, unless they know Jesus. This is

the message of Easter: When we are reconciled to God, Death is not the final word.

Christ emptied death of its power over God's children. Because Christ is raised, so shall

we be. Yes, Christians die; but we die with the sure and certain hope of the resurrection

from the dead. Not just a resuscitation like Lazarus, who came back to life when Jesus

called him from the dead, only to die again later. Instead, we will be resurrected, with a

new, glorified body that will live forever.

Here's the good news: if you know Jesus, you can know Peace. I wonder - do you

know him?

Acts 10:36 says this: "You know the message God sent to the people of Israel,

telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all."

Jesus was all about peace. Look at both the beginning and the end of his life.

When Jesus first came to earth as a baby boy, the angels proclaimed this to the shepherds

of Bethlehem in Luke 2: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on

whom his favor rests." Know Jesus, know peace. In John 14:27, Jesus said to his twelve

closest friends on the night he would face death: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give

unto you. Not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled; neither

let it be afraid." On the first Easter, the first words Jesus spoke to his ten frightened

apostles, who were hiding behind locked doors for fear of the Jews, is recorded in John

chapter 20 verse 19: Jesus said, "Peace be with you." Jesus brings peace when we fear

death or persecution; he brings peace when we are caught in the shame of our sin; he

brings peace over every other fear known to man, even Charlie Brown's pantophobia.

Who remembers from the Charlie Brown Christmas play what pantophobia is?

Pantophobia is the fear of everything. Know Jesus, know peace. Do you know him

today?

Okay, so Jesus brings peace. How does that happen? What does the peace that

Jesus gives us look like?

Consider the meaning of the word "peace." The Greek word for peace used here

in Acts 10:36, "the good news of peace through Jesus Christ," is eirene. (eye-reeny) This

peace speaks of that which comes when we are reconciled with God. When you stop

fighting against your Creator, and you decide that His way is better than your way, and

you surrender to God then Peace comes. Relief is yours. Salvation is yours. As the

word eirene is used in the New Testament, it is similar to the Hebrew shalom, but it

encompasses and even greater range of meanings and blessings. According to Strong's,

eirene means peace; it means harmony; it means tranquility; it means safety; it means

health, and it means the lack of strife in relationships. This peace means not only absence

of strife, it also means the positive benefits that flow from the state of reconciliation. The

peace of mind that comes because you no longer fear death. You know your destiny, you

know that your true home is in Heaven. This peace can be yours by faith as you believe

in Jesus. Peace is a gift of God Psalm 29:11.

Please open your Bibles and turn with me to the assigned reading for today, Acts

chapter 10, starting at verse 34, on page 1089 of your blue pew Bibles. This story tells

how God's peace can begin to rule in our hearts.

As a result of multiple visions from God, the Apostle Peter traveled to preach in

the home of a Roman centurion named Cornelius and his household. Doctor Luke

records this summary of that sermon. In verse 34, Peter says that God does not show

favoritism. God longs to bring everyone into peace and reconciliation with himself. Why

does that matter? It was Roman soldiers under men like Cornelius who nailed Jesus onto

the Tree. These men were the occupying army of the imperialist running dogs over God's

chosen people! In this passage, even these men were reconciled with God. No matter

how many dirty tricks you may have pulled on your job; no matter how many times you

cheated on your mate, no matter how compulsive your sin pattern or how bad your

particular sins; if you repent and believe, God will forgive you, and then he'll take you

into his family. No matter how many times you mess up, God longs to receive you by

faith into his loving arms. Absolutely no one is beyond the reach of God's love and

forgiveness. Beloved, let that assurance bring you peace.

Verse 43 says, "Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins

through his name." With forgiveness comes freedom and peace. All of us have done

something of which we are deeply ashamed, or we've said something, or thought

something that shames us. Several times during his public ministry, Jesus said to

somebody, "Your sins are forgiven." And in the upper room on his last night on earth, he

referred to the Communion cup as his "blood which was shed for many for the

forgiveness of sins." We are reminded of it every week as we prepare for communion.

Jesus linked our forgiveness with his death. With forgiveness comes freedom and peace.

There's freedom from fear of death you can live with him in peace forever. There is

freedom from loneliness with Christ you are never alone. There is freedom from

bitterness as you forgive others, you receive peace. Granting forgiveness is setting a

prisoner free, and then discovering that the prisoner was you. If you're like Clint

Eastwood in his movie, one of the "Unforgiven," you are not free, so you cannot have

peace. Peace with God and with people comes only through forgiveness of sins. Only

Jesus can forgive you all your sins. No Jesus, no peace.

Verse 44: Before Peter finished his sermon, the Holy Spirit came on (most

translations say "fell down on") everyone who heard his message, both Peter's Jewish

friends and these Romans. Verse 45: The Holy Spirit was poured out upon Cornelius and

his entire household, for they praised God in tongues in the middle of Peter's message!

Come, Holy Spirit, and fall down on us today! Bless us with your power fall down on

us again.

I want to play a video clip for you now that will explain better than I can many of

the reasons why to know Jesus is to know peace, why Jesus is the Prince of Peace. As

you watch the video, go ahead and praise God out loud if you want. It's Easter let's

celebrate. Give the Holy Spirit freedom to fall on you.

[Play the video clip "That's My King" by Doctor Lockridge]

Amen! Jesus is the King of this church, and the king of every church that bows

the knee to him and to his Word. Our King is the Prince of Peace. King Jesus wants to

rule in peace in your heart and mind today, this very hour. The peace that passes human

understanding can be yours today. Do you know Jesus? Do you really know him? Does

he rule with peace in your heart and mind?

Now we'll have an opportunity to pray to receive the peace that King Jesus offers.

This prayer is for those who have never believed in Jesus as the Savior or the Lord of

their life before today. You can know the peace that passes understanding today by

making Christ your Lord and Savior. You can have peace in this life, and peace forever

with him.

If you're ready to do that today, you can pray this prayer on the screen with me. If

you're not ready to pray this, please just hang in there while others pray it. If you`d like

to rededicate your life today to the Prince of Peace, you can pray it out loud as well.

Please read along with me on the screen as we pray.

"God, I need your peace in my life today. I'm a sinner in need of a Savior and

Lord. I need your forgiveness to exchange my shame for my sins for your peace. I

confess my sins to you now silently..... I also forgive others their sins against me....

Lord, I receive your promise to forgive me my sins. I receive the peace that comes from

your forgiveness. I'm ready to do your will. I invite you to be the Lord of my life.

You call the shots from this day forward. You raised your Son Jesus to eternal life, and I

want to live forever, too. Thank You, Lord. Amen."

If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, congratulations! Before you leave

today, if today is your first day of new life, please let me know personally.

As we close, I'd like to ask everyone to participate in our annual Spiritual Survey.

Please pick up your service leaflet and tear off the Response Card flap. We will all fill

this card out during the next few minutes. If you need a pen, please raise your hand, keep

it raised, and an usher will get one to you. Please answer all the questions on it,

especially the one I'm going to ask you now. Look at the bottom, where it says A, B, C,

D, E I'll explain these, and then I'd like you to circle one of these letters.

If you'd say, "Praise God, Christ has been the Lord of my life for a while now. That

prayer you prayed I prayed a long time ago, before I came to Church of the Holy Spirit."

Would you please circle A You've been living with Christ as Lord for a while.

If you'd say, "I'm saved, but I didn't make a commitment to Jesus as Savior or Lord

of my life until I came here to Church of the Holy Spirit." Please circle B you began

new life with Christ as your Lord since you came to Holy Spirit sometime in the last

seven years.

If you'd say, "Just now when you prayed that prayer, I prayed it too, for the first

time." Alleluia You are risen with Christ today! Please circle C I'm believing in

Jesus today.

If you'd say, "It sounds good but I need to take more time to thank about it. I'd like

to check it out." I'd appreciate you circling D if you'd like more time to consider God

before committing your life to Him.

If you'd say, "At this point, I don't intend to give my life to God. I just don't believe

it yet." If that's you, I'd ask you to be honest and circle E.

I'd like to ask you to put your name and contact information on the card as well.

That would really help us. I promise that we won't badger you! You can pass the card in

when the offering plate comes by.

If you would like someone to pray personally with you today, there are prayer

ministers standing at the left aisle who would be glad to pray with you during the

communion time, whether for confession, for healing, or spiritual power, or for any other

need.

Now I'd like to have the Band play soft instrumental music for one minute for you to

fill out your cards before we move on. ...

Remember that question the little girl asked earlier-- "You mean we're gonna stay

dead?" The answer is, "No honey, we're not going to stay dead -- we're going to stay

alive!" Amen!