1 - Introduction - Living like a real Christian PEACE

Secondly, people of peace follow well, even when the crowd are going in the opposite direction. In our Church we often refer to something we call “prevailing wisdom”. This is the wisdom that is determined by the majority. I am not suggesting for a moment that we don’t listen to the advice of other people, but often we hear God’s call calling us to go in the face of prevailing wisdom and we find that the path of peace will lead us in the opposite direction. Prevailing wisdom is a very powerful thing. A great example of this can be found in the story of Pontius Pilate,which we read about in all four of the Gospels, where Pilate, knowing full well that Jesus was innocent, succumbed to the prevailing wisdom of the crowd and condemned Him to crucifixion. The world’s voice is a powerful voice in our ears as we listen to the media and to advertising and, if the truth be known, we tend to program our thinking by asking the question, what would other people say? When you do this you are following the road that will never lead you to peace. The path of peace, that Luke refers to, will lead you to a place of peace, that will generally lead you against the popular opinion of the crowd. Prayer Thought: As you consider these two characteristics of people of peace won’t you ask yourself the question, is my Christian faith causing me to make choices that may go against my better judgement and are my choices leading me against the flow of prevailing wisdom? Maybe ask God to reveal some of these possible shortfalls and resolve today to walk more closely the path of peace, knowing full well, that it is the God of peace who will sustain you as you do so. SUNDAY Psalm 23 Today’s reading, Psalm 23, is a psalm that speaks of incredible peace. We read of peace in the green pasture; peace on the path of righteousness; peace in the valley of the shadow of death; peace in the presence of my enemies and peace in the House of the Lord forever. Many theologians have debated as to when David would have written this psalm, most have advocated that he did not write this psalm at a time of circumstantial peace, but he wrote this psalm at a time of turmoil and conflict. It is this peace of God that has been our theme for this last week. Verse 3, however, gives us a great characteristic of those who walk the path of peace that we referred to yesterday in Luke 1 v 79; it can simply be encapsulated in the phrase that people of peace follow Christ despite the cost involved. Can I state quite boldly today, that if your faith has not cost you something I wonder if you have the real deal. Could it be that since you have entered into a relationship with Jesus that it might have fallen into the category of a convenient relationship, where you tend to follow God on your own terms. As I read the Scriptures I

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