In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes that the primary mission of the church is not to engage in political or social activism, but rather to share the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. The speaker highlights the simplicity of this message, which is that Jesus came into the world to save sinners, died for their sins, was buried, and rose again. This message, preached by Paul in the early days of the church, continues to produce amazing results today. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of having peace with God, which can only be achieved through the blood of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.

A few years ago, a magazine editor asked 51 newspaper editors of the United States what headlines they would most like to print. Some 40 editors replied. The majority wanted good news about world peace. Here are some of the headlines which the editors chose, which, in their way of thinking, would create the most interest. 1. Cold War Ends as Russia Agrees to Arms Control. 2. Russia Overthrows Communist Regime. 3. Russia Agrees to Real Cooperation for World Peace. 4. Anti-Red Revolt Sweeps Moscow. These are only a few of the headlines chosen, but at least they indicate that our country is most of all desirous of world peace, and it would be difficult for us to think of anything greater unless it would be that every individual had peace with God. It may seem strange, but it is nevertheless true that the very thing that man is crying for, God is offering in the person of His Son. The difficulty is that mankind is not willing to accept peace on God's terms. It is needless to say that if every individual is at peace with God, the whole world will be at peace. But who is going to start? The sad commentary on the human race is this, that in general we want world peace without being at peace with God, without having the hideous sin question settled. God has not promised world peace until the Prince of Peace shall come, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is good to know that two of the newspaper editors who replied to the headline question gave evidence of having some knowledge of the Word of God. The editor of the Youngstown, Ohio Vindicator sent this one as a choice headline, Christ Returns to the Earth. The editor of the Houston Post sent a similar one, Christ Returns and All Dead Arise. These two showed that they believed there was only one way to world peace, and that was the return of the Prince of Peace. And as those who know Christ as Savior, we have found a great consolation in being assured from God's own word that there will come a day when the instruments of destruction will be banished from the earth. I can almost hear you say, that will be wonderful, and so it will. But I know something more wonderful than that, to be at peace with God already. If you have the choice of living in a world of peace, being destitute of the peace of God in your soul, or living in a war-stricken world with a deep-settled peace in your soul, which would you choose? The latter, of course, which proves that world peace is a secondary issue to individual peace with God. Let me ask you, do you have peace with God? If not, you are in some little manner hindering the progress of world peace. Does it seem reasonable that you should anxiously wait for the Russians to change their mind, while all the time you have done nothing regarding the great individual peace question? That individual peace with God that you need is available, for according to Colossians 1.20, Christ has made peace through the blood of his cross. You cannot find peace with God on any other terms than through the blood of his cross. I am afraid that too many are resting on an imaginary ground of peace. By that I mean the confessioner has made a little talk with God regarding some questionable things, and has asked God to accept his terms of peace. And without getting God's approval, he talks himself into believing that all is now well, and God has accepted his terms. Again I repeat, you cannot find peace with God on any other terms than through the blood of his cross. All other grounds are imaginary, and not approved by God. I ask you, my friend, are you resting on an imaginary ground of peace? Or have you seen the sin question settled by God on a righteous basis, when God took all your sins and laid them on his thumb, when he hung on Calvary's cross? The blood that flowed from Emmanuel's veins tells me that my sins have been righteously dealt with, and my peace with God is found entirely in the blood of his cross. To know that the sin question is forever settled to God's satisfaction gives me peace and boldness to come into his presence. On the 11th of November, 1918, I heard the church bells ringing as they proclaimed peace, and I can well remember the thrills of joy that followed. I also remember the happy day of August the 14th, 1945, when the Japs surrendered, bringing an end to the Second World War. But I can tell you of a greater day than either of these when, for the first time, the joy bells in my soul began ringing when I stood by faith beneath the cross of Jesus and took Christ as my Lord and Savior and found that my peace with God was established on the written word of God, not something imaginary, not something that I talked myself into, but a divine reality. The armistice bells of the end of World War I and those of 1945 did not mean that we have permanent peace. We had hoped that they meant permanent peace, but alas, they did not. The peace that I found in Christ was and is permanent peace, for the joy bells of satisfaction ring louder today than they did the day I was born again, and they have never ceased to ring during that time, and I have thee a guarantee from God they never will. Let me ask you the third question. Do you have permanent, settled, abiding peace with God? The reason so many church workers are in a state of confusion is because they're not quite sure of their mission. Some of them are striving to build a better world, while others are equally sure that we are called to erect a warless age of peace. Others are sure that our task is to purify politics and make democracy function. All of these ideals are good, but they are not the primary mission of the church. After we are saved and certain of it, it is our privilege to tell others of the wonderful Savior we have found, of the peace we have found in knowing Christ. We have a very simple message to present, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. This is the message that Paul preached, and it produced amazing results in the early days of the church period. It's the message that still produces amazing results today. Fellow Christian, let's keep on preaching peace by the blood of His cross. I haven't found any other message that produces satisfactory results. It's wonderful to see a restless, sin-burdened soul find permanent peace by coming to Christ for salvation. If you, my patient listeners, stand in need of peace, if your life is filled with turmoil, the peace you need is available, but you must receive Christ as your Lord and Savior in order to get it. No man ever lived What had especially hedged him about, he would never have survived to be the sin offering at Calvary. Yet at the same time, no man possessed greater peace than that which Christ manifested. That same peace, He promises to those who will trust Him as Lord and Savior, and all who have trusted Him, have known His abiding peace and have been quieted by His peace be still. May it be yours to have peace with God, an assurance that your sins are forgiven, and thus you can make your little contribution to the peace of the world.