It's interesting that what is the most definitive discourse on peace in all of the Bible comes from Jesus Christ suffering, in great pain. And that's what we were reminded of during the Passover service a week ago. And we know without His sacrifice for our sins, there could be no salvation, there could be no peace. But Christ knew and understood the great purpose for which He'd come to this earth, a purpose that superseded everything else. It might seem strange that someone could have real peace while anticipating the most horribly agonizing trial of His life. He spoke these encouraging words in the night just before His arrest, and before His crucifixion that followed, and He said, "We need not be afraid." He said that the peace He gives is something the world cannot give. He said, "Peace is what I leave with you." He said, "My peace, I give to you." And we actually quoted that during the Passover service last week. Near the end of His ministry on earth, Jesus Christ promised His followers that He would leave them with His peace. And this promise would strengthen the disciples' belief and faith in the plan of God, you would think. Well, near the end of His human life, Jesus made a great promise. What was it like to learn directly from the Master Himself? Your faith would be immensely strong, right? You'd have no doubts about your religion, right? You would be a powerful Christian example, right? And you'd be on an emotional high and have spiritual peace, right? Otherwise, you might become disillusioned." So now transfer this whole thought to the time when Jesus Himself walked the streets of Jerusalem, imagine you were there with your sandals on. You know, "Don't expect a perfect congregation. Sometimes a new person attends one of our UCG congregations and the pastor has to warn them. And learning to live in a Christian community can be messy. Those churches had their immediate problems. We know the Church is the people, the Ecclesia, and the Church is regular people. There seemed to be a lack of peace at times. It would have been easy to become fed up even if you're one of the earliest Christians. Hopefully, no one writes a letter to us, right? And that list is just from Paul's letters to Corinth. Or how to deal with members that were consorting with prostitutes, problems concerning marriage, divorce, gossip, leadership styles in the congregation, members taking each other to court. Problems like arguing over how to conduct worship services. Seems like those congregations weren't perfect either. But when you read the letters, it can be a little bit disconcerting. They were written to congregations like us who gathered together. Letters to the Romans, the Corinthians the Ephesians, the Galatians, the Colossians. They were written to far-flung regions of the Roman Empire. What was the Church like when it was made up of people who personally knew Jesus, who personally knew Mary and the apostle Peter? What was it like to have the apostle Paul as your pastor? Wouldn't it be great to worship with those people? Wouldn't it be a peaceful church? Where would you find a congregation like that today? Think about the apostle Paul's letters. Let me ask you something you may not have thought about.
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