The Peace Bringer

Good morning! Welcome to the Vineyard. If this is your first time, my name is Kevin and I’m the pastor here. Our vision at the Vineyard is simple - we want to embody Jesus to our neighbors. This happens by growing in three ways, through what we call our pillars.

First, is Presence. We want everyone to experience the presence of God. This is what transforms us to love him and others. God’s presence is where we become fully alive. We want you to know the Father.

Then, Formation. God doesn’t just love us; he is forming us to be his people who can carry his life and love to those around us. Formation is where we learn to embody the Jesus way of life. We want you to imitate the Son.

Finally, Mission. Being on mission is how we join God in the work he is doing to bring his reconciliation, justice, and mercy to earth. This is how he is bringing healing and renewal to the world. We want you to partner with the Spirit.

Presence. Formation. Mission. Be thinking about your next step. Where is God calling you to go deeper with him?

Suggest a way to grow in all three - become an intercessor! Sacrifice one hour to pray for our church, our leaders, our ministries and mission, our protection, and for the power of the HS.

Pray...

Intro

Today is the second Sunday of Advent. We began a series called The Gospel BC: The Story of Jesus in the Old Testament. Today’s message is called The Peace Bringer.

Ps 121:1 “I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?”

This is the question asked by people of every generation. Where is the person - the leader - who will come and restore peace and harmony to my life? Human leaders so often let us down. Just think of some of the promises made by presidents in this country:

Woodrow Wilson promised in 1916 to keep the US out of the WW1, which he broke a year later when he declared war on Germany.

Herbert Hoover pledged in 1928 to end poverty in America. This promise was broken by the greatest depression in our nation.

Franklin Roosevelt promised in 1932 to maintain a balanced budget, and in 1940 to keep the US out of WW2 - both broken.

In many of our lifetimes, we remember George H. W. Bush’s campaign pledge , “Read my lips: No new taxes” which was broken in his 1990 budget compromise.

We shouldn’t judge them too harshly, for we may have done the same thing they did. The truth is that many times we aren’t capable of leading our own life well, must less a nation.

Yet there is a longing for leader who will come and do what is right for all. Who will keep their promises. Who will judge fairly and not give preference to the powerful and special interest groups. Where can we find this kind of leader? This is what we are looking for in every election cycle exposed by the phrase “if we could only get the right person in the White House”.

Humanity is looking for one who can restore harmony and set the world - and our own heart - at peace. This was also true in Isaiah’s day. What I hope you see today is that Jesus is the one who comes to restore peace to your life.

A coming leader

Read Isaiah 11:1-10. Let’s work through this as we look at the characteristics of this coming leader.

Isaiah, and the nation of Israel, had been let down over and over by its kings. In the previous chapter he likened Israel and its kings to a mighty forest that had been leveled. The once mighty nation was being chopped down bit by bit by invaders from the North. But now he sees something hopeful. That out of the stump of Jesse a new shoot will rise up. Jesse is the father of King David, the greatest king of Israel, and from this root will come a new king and leader - a new David.

But this David won’t be like the old David and those of his failed line. This new David will rule in the fullness of God’s Spirit. This is understood by the seven-fold description of the Spirit that rests on him - the Spirit of the Lord, wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. Seven is the number of completion - think God resting from his work on the seventh day. This new David will lead in the fullness of God’s Spirit - the Spirit will rest on him without limit.

This new David will rule with complete goodness. He will rule based on how things are and not how they may seem on the surface. He will restore equity to those who have been wronged, and he will destroy the the work of the wicked with the words of justice that come from his mouth. While this can get obscured in translation to English, this new David will accomplish this because this is who he is at his very core - a person of justice and righteousness.

Here’s the exciting part of the vision. This new David, this perfect leader, will bring the peace and harmony we so desperately desire. His peace will not just be the cessation of hostilities but the unification of that which was formerly divided. Aggressive predators - depicted as wolves, leopards, lions, and bears - will now lie down in harmony and peace with those who had been their prey - the lambs, young goats, calves, and cows. No longer with they cause hurt and pain in the kingdom of this new David. Why? Because now all people will be filled with the knowledge of God. This isn’t knowledge as we think of it - the knowledge of facts and figures - but experienced knowledge. This intimate knowledge will change the world from the inside-out.

The Peace Bringer

Isaiah saw the need for and saw on the horizon this new leader from David’s line. Someone who could finally bring the peace that was so badly needed. He and those of his time may have thought that Hezekiah, Ahaz’ son, might be this promised One. Hezekiah was a good king. He made many reforms in Israel and restored the worship of God. But Hezekiah would ultimately die, and his reforms would be lost. It would actually be 700 years before people would hear the announcement that this promised leader - this peace bringer - has finally come.

The Gospel reading for the second Sunday of Advent begins, Matt 3:1-3 “In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ ””

Every great king needs a forerunner to announce his coming. John is that forerunner and his message was very simple. “Turn around, for the king of heaven, the prince of peace, has come.” He is announcing that Isaiah’s vision of a new leader has finally been realized. Jesus is the one who comes to restore peace to your life.

Looking back at Isaiah...

Jesus is the root of Jesse that was promised, that we have longed for.

He is the one who came in the fullness of the Spirit. Jesus says of himself, John 3:34 “He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.” You only have to hear his words to hear the truth and rightness they contain. With his word he slays the wicked, causing them to rise again as faithful followers with a new heart.

He is the only one who can give us real and lasting peace. It’s a blessing when human leaders behave justly. But in the end all of them let us down. We can’t trust them because they are like us - fallen and subject to the same brokenness as we are. We can’t look to ourselves for peace either. Left to our own devises we mislead ourselves. We make terrible bosses of our life.

Jesus offers real peace, but it is in reverse order. He doesn’t begin with the kingdoms of the world, but within our own heart. The first peace he brings is between us and God. By his death and resurrection, he shows us the extent of God’s love, he defeats sin and the grave, and he reconciles us to Father God.

He makes peace a reality between us and our neighbor. Whether we have been the wolf or the lamb, the lion or the calf - and we have been in all of those positions towards others - he brings an end to our animosities toward each other and the wrongs we inflict on one another. He creates a peaceable community called the church. And the promise we have is that one day he will return to make what he is his doing in our hearts a reality for the whole world.

A leader to believe in

Here is a leader you can trust. Here is a leader you can give your life to, who you can entrust your future to. Jesus is the leader who can give you the peace you need - peace in your heart with God and others. Peace that you can’t accomplish on your own.

Jesus wants you to experience his peace in your heart. Not as a concept but as a lived reality. You may not be able to make outward peace happen, but you can enjoy inward peace. Peace is a person. Have you ever said ‘yes’ to letting Jesus be your leader, your peace bringer? Invite to respond...

You may know Jesus, but you’ve had your peace stolen by the cares of life. The circumstances surrounding you have blinded your eyes to the peace bringer. Jesus wants to restore your peace today by taking your eyes away from your problems and re-focusing them back on him.

There’s a famous image that is painted in several cathedrals across Europe called The Wheel of Fortune. (Show image). The outer circle depicts the fortunes of life. At 12 o’clock the king sits high, at 3 o’clock he’s falling and barely hanging on. At 6 o’clock he’s in rags and lying on his back. Then at 9 o’clock he’s making the climb back up. At the center of the wheel is Jesus the king. The point of the image is that the wheel of fortune is going to turn. Life is going to happen. If our focus is on the outer edge - the circumstances of life, then peace will evade us. The image invites to put our focus, not on the chances of life, but on the certainty of the king who sits enthroned over it all. The apostle Paul says it this way, Phil 4:6-7 “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

In this moment, God is calling us to renew our focus on the only real Peace Bringer, Jesus. Jesus comes even now to restore peace to your life.

Ps 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”