The Promise 2: PEACE

Bookmarks & Needs:

B: Isa 9:6-7

N:

Welcome

Good morning and welcome! I’m Bill Connors, and I must say that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Don’t the sanctuary and foyer look beautiful this morning? The parlor has been decorated as well, and it’s a pretty good spot for some family photos, in my opinion, as is the end of the foyer. Thanks to all who came yesterday to help deck the halls, although I don’t think we actually used any boughs of holly this year.

If you’re a guest of the Eastern Hills Baptist Church family this morning, I would just like to express on behalf of the entire congregation how thankful we are that you’re here. If you wouldn’t mind, could you take a couple of moments during the service to fill out one of our welcome cards? You’ll find them in the back of the pew in front of you. Then, you can put that in the offering plates by the doors as the close of service, or better yet, you can bring them down to me here at the front after our benediction so I can have a chance to meet you and give you a gift to thank you for being here this morning.

If you’d prefer to fill out an online communication card, you can do that as well. Just text the word WELCOME to 505-339-2004, and you’ll receive a link back to our digital communication card. That also works if you’re an online guest. If you take that route and you’re here in the room, I’d still like to meet you and give you a gift after the service. Thank you all for being here this morning to worship the Lord together.

Announcements

Tonight at 5:30 in Miller Hall, we will be having a celebration in honor of Joe Vivian’s 15th anniversary as our Associate Pastor to Children and Families. It’s going to be a great time of fun and fellowship, so please plan to be here to thank Joe for his 15 years of service here with Eastern Hills.

Next Sunday during Family Worship, we will have the joy of our worship choir, children, and student praise team joining together to lead us in worship with a musical presentation called “One Small Child.” Please plan to be here and invite someone to come and enjoy the music of Christmas!

We’ve already seen a video about this this morning, but throughout the months of December and January each year, Eastern Hills focuses on taking up a special offering called the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. I wanted to paint maybe a bigger picture of this offering for you for a moment this morning. Last year, our goal as a church for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering was $30,000. Eastern Hills is incredibly generous, and we see the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering as a means of really cooperating with other Southern Baptist Churches to provide for the support of SBC missionaries serving around the world, some of whom were sent by this very church. Last year, we gave $44,480 toward our goal, exceeding it by nearly 48.3%. That’s this church family coming together with a purpose and a mission. But what I want you to understand about this Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is that each year, Eastern Hills is one of nearly 20,000 SBC churches and many individual donors that come together to provide for this important offering. Last year, we together gave $203.7M to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, which makes up over 50% of the support that SBC missionaries receive. The goal of the entire SBC last year was $185M, so the entire SBC exceeded our goal by 10%. When we give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, we are partnering with all of these other SBC churches, big and small, because we can do WAY more together than we could ever do apart. I know we just did our Endeavor campaign, but pray and ask the Lord how He would have you give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering during December and January. Our goal is $35,000, and we’ve received $10,596 so far toward that goal... a great start for 1 week!

Several people have already asked about the plan for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We will have our annual Christmas Eve service, which is one of my personal favorite times as a church family. It will be on Saturday, December 24 (of course) at 6pm here in the sanctuary. Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year, and that morning we will not have any Sunday morning Bible Study classes, and will have an abbreviated Family Worship service at 10:30 am, our normal time. We’ll be done by 11:30 that morning. Please plan to be here to celebrate the birth of Jesus with the church family at the close of Advent.

Opening

Advent is the season that prepares us to celebrate the coming of Jesus, it focuses on four different themes: hope, peace, joy, and love. The Christian Church has traditionally seen these themes as the true gifts of Christmas that come from the arrival of Jesus Christ as a baby in a manger. Last week, we took a look at the first theme of hope. We considered a man named Simeon, who had faithfully waited on the arrival of the promised Savior. We learned that our waiting is not an idle laziness, but rather it is an active preparation that is filled with hope. Today, we are turning our attention to the second theme of Advent, which is peace. Our focal passage is from Isaiah 9:6-7 this morning. To honor God’s Word, let’s stand as we’re able and read this passage this morning:

Isaiah 9:6–7 CSB

6 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.

PRAYER: It’s the last day of the week of prayer for International Missions (First Bilingual Baptist Church (Fruit Avenue), Manuel Longoria)

I’m going to work under the assumption that nearly everyone here has seen the movie, A Christmas Story. If you haven’t seen it, spoiler alert. Sorry. It’s about a young boy named Ralphie who desperately wants “an official Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle” (a BB gun) for Christmas. Most of the movie is about his desperation for this “oiled steel-blue beauty,” as he called it. Roadblock after roadblock after roadblock he meets: “You’ll shoot your eye out.” And then on Christmas morning, after all the gifts are opened, there is still one left hiding behind a desk. Ralphie tears open the paper to find the gift he had been dreaming of and fighting to have. He runs out back and sets up a target to take his first shot, while his mom works on basting the turkey that they’ll have for dinner that evening. It’s a beautiful moment for the family. But this picturesque image of joy rapidly descends into chaos: Ralphie takes his first shot, which ricochets back and hits him in the face, just below his eye. And while his mother tends to his self-inflicted wound (he lied and said it was an icicle), the back door is left open and the neighbors’ dogs come in and eat the family’s Christmas turkey. And adult Ralphie (who narrates the movie) waxes philosophic: “Ah, life is like that: Sometimes at the height of our revelries, when our joy is at its zenith, when all is most right with the world, the most unthinkable disasters descend upon us.” A moment that was full of hope and joy was dashed on the rocks of worldly circumstance and mistakes. Oddly enough, this is sometimes how Christmastime is: for many, it has two sides—the joy of celebration and the grief of pain.

How is it that juxtaposed to the joy and peace of the Christmas season is so often the anger and frustration of the human spirit? Every family wants to experience peace at Christmas. Every individual wants to experience peace at Christmas, but too often, conflict or struggle are what are present.

Much of the Bible is written by people who found themselves in the midst of conflict and struggle as well. In fact, much of the Old Testament is a story of the people of God who are under siege by surrounding nations, exiled to foreign countries, or enslaved to powerful empires. The Old Testament writers often were crying out for God to bring them peace. The prophetic promise that we looked at in our focal passage from the book of Isaiah addressed the need for a new leader who would come and be the “prince of peace.” The Hebrew people believed that God was faithful and that He always kept His promises, and so they eagerly waited for God to send rescue.

The promise of God that was penned by Isaiah was for a coming ruler who would usher in a new government that would have no end. Isaiah wrote that there will be a child who is born, a son, who will be a wonderful counselor, a mighty God, an everlasting father, and a prince of peace. This was not the reality at the time of its writing, but it gave hope and peace to the Jewish people and reminded them that God had not forgotten about them.

It is no secret that we live in a time where there is little peace around us. We can watch the news for just a few minutes and see that all around the world there is struggle and pain. We see it in the lack of water and food in far-off countries. It is a reminder that we live in a broken world. We see it in the unrest in our country. We see it in global pandemics and wars. Sometimes we see it closer to home in our own families when people are at odds with one another. Whether far or near, we can relate to the people of God’s desire for there to be one who would rule over all and bring order to the chaos and healing to the brokenness.

So, if we are honest, we long to see peace come to the world and we long to see God fulfill His promise of one who will rule with love and compassion. Hundreds of years later, the promise comes to pass. The first people to hear about it are a bit of a surprise, especially for the culture in which Jesus came:

Luke 2:8–12 CSB

8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

In a field outside of Bethlehem, there is a group of shepherds who are watching their flocks of sheep during the night. Shepherding is still something that is a part of life in Bethlehem to this day. This is a picture of some shepherds that I saw on a hillside as the tour I was on drove out of Bethlehem this past February. This is the kind of countryside the first shepherds would have been in when they heard the news.

Now typically, when we think about the shepherds in the Christmas story, we think about cute little boys with a staff and a sheet wrapped around them. The shepherds of the ancient Near East were anything but cute. Shepherds were seen as some of the lowest of the low in Jewish society. They were a semi-nomadic group who would live off-grid and travel to find pasture for their sheep to graze in. They were single young men without children. They were not clean. They certainly did not smell good. They were a blue-collar crowd who worked hard and long to earn a living. They were considered second-class and untrustworthy. And yet, these are the first people to hear the birth announcement of the long-awaited one. This fact points to a particular reality: that the peace of Christ is for everyone.

1: The peace of Christ is for everyone.

There is a sense from the very beginning of this Christmas story that the hope, peace, joy, and love that arrive with the birth of Christ is not just for the powerful and perfected. The child who is born is for everybody everywhere. The peace that will come with His leadership and rule is not for the ones who are already in power, but for the ones who are scratching and clawing just to make it another day. If you don’t feel like you are worthy of the peace that is found in Jesus, just know you are in good company. This message of peace is for you.

An angel of the Lord appears to these men out in the fields. Their first response is absolute terror. They are fearful because the glory of the Lord shines around them in the dead of night. It must have been an overwhelming experience. But look at the first words that are spoken to them: “Don’t be afraid.”

The first words spoken over the shepherds, and I believe over us today, are words of peace: Don’t be afraid. This command is found in the Bible over 350 times. Here are a couple of examples:

Joshua 8:1a (CSB)

1 The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged...

Matthew 14:27 CSB

27 Immediately Jesus spoke to them. “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Revelation 1:17b (CSB)

17 He laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last,

Though you may be facing a painful situation, don’t be afraid. You may be facing an unfavorable diagnosis; don’t be afraid. You may be struggling to restore a relationship; don’t be afraid. You may be anxious about the circumstances that swirl all around you; don’t be afraid. And if you feel like maybe I’m out of touch on this, know that this week, I have needed this reminder over and over in a big way.

Here is why the shepherds didn’t need to be afraid, and we don’t either—the angel says that he brings good news of great joy for all people. The command of “don’t be afraid” isn’t an instruction to just ignore your emotions. It’s a command to place your trust in the fact that the coming of Christ was the coming of the Prince of Peace.

I always get anxious whenever someone comes to me and says, “I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?” I always want to answer: I only want one of them, the good news. But, because I usually don’t have a choice, I want the good news last. When I have good news to hang onto, I know that there is still hope.

Maybe you could use some good news today because your spirit does not know peace. In the arrival of Jesus Christ, we are given good news: The Gospel literally means “the Good News.” The good news is this: you have not been forgotten by God. In fact, He has come to be with you in the midst of your struggle. He was born in the city of David, and He is the Messiah and the Lord. He is in charge. He is King. He is the one you have been waiting for.

2: True peace is not the absence of conflict; it is the presence of God.

The peace that Jesus brings into our lives is not necessarily the absence of trouble, but instead it is the confidence that we are not alone. The kind of peace that comes with the fulfilled promise of old looks different from what we may have expected.

Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally, the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered.

The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner. The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?

A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind, and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power. A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil (from A Wardrobe from the King by Berit Kjos).

You see, true peace can be experienced in the midst of the chaotic when we recognize that peace is not about our circumstances, it is about the relationship that we have to Jesus, who is faithful to walk with us through even the most difficult times. Isaiah wrote about this in chapter 26 of his prophecy:

Isaiah 26:3–4 CSB

3 You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, because in the Lord, the Lord himself, is an everlasting rock!

In Ephesians chapter 6, we find what for many is a very familiar passage on the armor of God. This part of Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus refers both to the ongoing conflict that those who follow Christ experience in the world AND the peace that comes from the message of the Gospel. Consider this passage in the context of conflict and peace:

Ephesians 6:11–17 CSB

11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. 13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, 15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God.

This passage doesn’t say that we won’t experience conflict because Jesus has come. In fact, it says that we are a part of a cosmic struggle going on. But in Christ, we have armor and weaponry that we can take up. Notice, however, where Paul specifically refers to peace: when we have our “feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace.” The devil still has his schemes. We still have our struggles in the world. We still will have flaming arrows fired at us from time to time. But because of the Gospel—the good news of Jesus Christ—we can stand in peace.

On that first Christmas morning, the angels bring good news. A child has been born in the town of David, and He will be a better king who will rule and bring peace. The angel is referring to a time when David was king. You might call it “the good ole days.” This was a time that every Israelite wanted to see as a reality once again.

This time, however, it would be even better than it had been David. This time the baby who would be found wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger was the God of the universe, who had come as a human to live among them. The peace would not come from a mortal man, but from the divine. As soon as this announcement is made, the good news inspires song.

Luke 2:13–14 CSB

13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!

The song ends by saying that peace will come to those on whom God’s favor rests.

3: God’s favor comes from being at peace with Him.

The story of the Bible reveals that the most important place where we need to experience peace is not within the relationships and circumstances around us. The greatest need for peace is between us and a Holy God. The book of Romans tells us that the rule that governs over us most is the rule of sin, and it stirs chaos and conflict within us.

Romans 8:6–7 CSB

6 Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so.

When we find ourselves lost in sin, our spirits are at odds with God. We don’t submit to Him and we won’t submit to Him because we think we know better. Isn’t this the headwaters of every conflict that we face? Are we not at war with one another and harming one another because, in the end, we think we know what is best, as James wrote:

James 4:1–4 CSB

1 What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from your passions that wage war within you? 2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God.

When we are in a state of enmity with God, then we find that we lack true peace.

It is as a powerful prayer that Saint Augustine of Hippo once said:

Lord and Giver of all good things, the magi traveled for miles to bring the Christ child the first Christmas presents. So, may we, too, remember with thankful hearts the love that comes with each present we open. We also thank you for the love you have for each of us, and we thank you for the many gifts that you give us, especially the gift of love itself. Amen.

—St. Augustine

You see, the birth of this promised king is the coming of a new rule for the entire world, and that rule begins inside each and every one of our hearts. This baby grew up to be a man who offered Himself on the cross as atonement for our sins. The peace that we find at Christmas comes from surrendering in faith to the lordship of Jesus Christ. It reorients our hearts, and it makes us friends of God. So, though the world may be in chaos around us, we find a comfort and a confidence in knowing that we have been made right with God through the blood of Jesus and that He is with us. His presence in our lives brings us peace.

Maybe today you recognize that the reason there is no peace in your heart is because you have not at peace with God. That peace is available to you today. Because of God’s grace, we can, in faith, trust Jesus with all parts of our lives. Jesus died for our sins so we can be forgiven. He rose from the grave so we can live forever. Trust in what He has done, and surrender to Him as Savior and Lord, and experience the peace that only a right relationship with God can provide.

Application for believers:

I wanted to take one more moment this morning to remind those of us who already follow Christ that we still need to hear and believe the Gospel if we are going to experience true peace. I don’t know about you, but I can be easily distracted by things. I can take my eye off the ball. This doesn’t mean that I’m not saved, but it does mean that I forget that true peace is found in my relationship with God through Christ, and not in the pleasantness of my circumstances.

Luke 10:38–42 CSB

38 While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.” 41 The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Doesn’t Martha sound like many of us at Christmastime? Distracted by our many tasks? The sad thing is that while she was bustling all over the place, trying to make everything “just right” for Jesus, she was missing what was most important: time with Him. The Prince of Peace was sitting in the next room, and all she could think about was dinner FOR HIM instead of being WITH HIM. She was missing out on the Lord’s favor, unlike her sister Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to what He said.

Closing

Yes, things need to be done. Presents need to be wrapped. Trees need to be trimmed. Traditions need to be observed. But my prayer for each of us this Christmas is that we will make time to just take our eyes off of the chaos in the world, the hustle and bustle of the season, and the stress and strain that swirls around us and inside us, and find our way to the foot of our Savior, who came as child but who was and is in fact our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace.

If you haven’t ever trusted in Jesus for your salvation, then you’re not at peace with God. It’s that simple. The Bible says that if we’re not in Christ, we stand opposed to God. The remedy that God has given for that conflict is Jesus—He took our place in death for our sins and beat death by rising from the grave. Surrender to the Prince of Peace in faith this morning. If you have questions about salvation, or you are today surrendering to Jesus in faith, come and let us know so we can celebrate with you. If you’re online, please let us know as well.

If you’re already a follower of Jesus, and you believe that Eastern Hills is a place where you can be a part of a church family, grow in your faith, and serve Christ, and you want to join this church family through formal membership, please come and let me know that also.

If you need prayer this morning, we would love to pray with you. If you need to pray at the steps, you’re welcome to do so.

Our invitation song is also a good time to give.

PRAYER

Closing Remarks

Men’s ministry: Planning on reserving space at TopGolf Tuesday night, 12/13 from 6-8 pm for fellowship and fun. It’ll be just $10 per person. Text FORE to 5053392004 as soon as possible (making the reservation on Tuesday morning). Come and hang out, even if you’re not golfing. No cost if you don’t play (other than buying your own drinks and food).

Bible reading (2 Chr 2)

Prayer meeting this Wednesday night, continuing the prayers of Paul

Instructions for guests

Benediction

Romans 15:13 CSB

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Go in peace, beloved church family. See you this evening.