I.INTRODUCTION-- Ephesians 6:13-18 "Take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:"
A.For several decades since WWII, peace in the Middle East was discussed.
B.This week, another conference, and another agreement on that peace.
C. When such events occur, it is popular in many religious circles to quote the prophecy from Isaiah 2:4 "And he (God) will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

1.The problem with applying this passage to the problem of world peace is that they do not read verses 2 and 3: "And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many peoples shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem."


2.God's peace plan only effects world peace, indirectly.

II.LESSON--
A. God has a plan for Peace. Acts 10:34-36 "Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him. 36 The word which he sent unto the children of Israel, preaching good tidings of peace by Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all.)."
1. Prophecies of a coming peace preceded the Gospel of peace. Isaiah 57:19-21 "I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith Jehovah; and I will heal him. 20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."
2. For the time of peace, there is need for a man of peace.
a. Isaiah 9:6-7 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever."
b.Zechariah 9:9-10 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass. 10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off; and he shall speak peace unto the nations: and his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth."

3. The man Jesus is identified with this peace at his birth. Luke 2:14 (The Angels cried) "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased."

4. The Peace message doesn't quite appeal to all hearers. Luke 19:41-42 "And when he drew nigh, he saw the city (Jerusalem) and wept over it, 42 say-ing, If thou hadst known in this day, even thou, the things which belong unto peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes."
B. The "Gospel of Peace" has two fronts.
1. Peace with God.
a.We create enmity with God by sinning.
(1)Romans 8:5-7 "For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace: 7 because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be:"
(2)James 4:1-4 "Whence come wars and whence come fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your pleasures that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleasures. 4 Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God."
b.We must first be reconciled to God.
(1)2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (Paul spoke for the Apostles, when he said) "We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God. 21 Him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him."
(2)Romans 5:8-11 "But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through him. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life; 11 and not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation."
(3)Romans 5:1 "Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;"
2. Peace with man.
a.Ephesians 2:11-22 "Wherefore remember, that once ye, the Gentiles in the flesh......were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition, 15 having abolished in the flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace; 16 and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 and he came and preached peace to you that were far off, and peace to them that were nigh: 18 for through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father. 19 So then ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, 20 being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone; 21 in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit."
b.This peace among brethren is a goal of the Christian.

(1)Romans 14:19 (After a discussion of things that might cause stress among brethren, Paul says) "So then let us follow after things which make for peace, and things whereby we may edify one another."

(2)2 Corinthians 13:11 "Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfected; be comforted; be of the same mind; live in peace: and the God of love and peace shall be with you."
c.We should also live in peace with those who are not brethren. (1)Hebrews 12:14 "Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctifica-tion without which no man shall see the Lord:"
(2)Romans 12:18 "If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men."
III. CONCLUSION-- The most important peace conference that can be held is your meeting to be reconciled to God....and it will follow that you will be at peace with all men. 1 Peter 3:10-11 "He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: 11 And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it."