Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are | Part 3 | Becoming One | Chris Voigt

Becoming One
Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are
October 30, 2022

September 1938. Tension as thick as the London fog hung heavy over the city. Less than one generation away from the horrors of World War One, Britain teetered on the edge of yet another war. Six months earlier, Hitler had annexed Austria, laying claim to everyone and everything that could fuel his ruthless march toward the creation of a greater Germany. Now, he vowed to invade Czechoslovakia on October 1.
 
Two days before Hitler’s promised invasion date, he agreed to meet with British Prime minister Neville Chamberlain, as well as Italy’s Mussolini and French leader Daladier. The negotiations resulted in an agreement, known as the Munich Pact, which ceded part of Czechoslovakia to Hitler’s control, as well as establishing a non-aggression pact between Germany and Britain.
 
Returning to London, Chamberlain declared, “Peace for our time!” And for a brief moment, Londoners breathed easier. But five months later, in March of ’39, Hitler annexed the rest of Czechoslovakia before invading Poland in September. The peace agreement proved as flimsy as the paper it had been written on. On September 3, 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany.
 
Dr. Warren Wiersbe writes, “It seems that most peace missions fail. I read somewhere that from 1500 BC to 850 AD, there were 7,500 ‘eternal covenants’ agreed on among various nations with the hope of bringing peace; but none of them lasted longer than two years.”
 
Today, headlines from around the world continue to be filled with reports of war... from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to civil wars in Yemen and Ethiopia, conflicts in Afghanistan, Sudan, Congo, Nigeria, the drug war in Mexico, threats and concerns from North Korea and China, and the ongoing worldwide war against terrorism. There are culture wars, political strife, racial tensions, generational divides, and religious conflicts. With the myriad of things that separate, segregate, and isolate people from one another, is there any hope for lasting peace? Every attempt seems doomed to fail.
 
We are in week three of a series we’ve titled Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are. This week, we’re taking a look at the greatest rescue mission in the history of the world. A mission that makes real peace possible. And not just possible but promised! Join us as we unpack the peace plan that God has put in place for you and for me.
 
Peace, friend.