Find Peace at the Heart of Christmas

This morning, we continue our Christmas sermon series called “The Heart of Christmas,” by taking a look at another one of the topics that came with the arrival of our Savior.

We listed the four topics last week. Those topics are:

Hope - we talked about the hope that comes in Jesus. This is not a wishful hope, or a dream or desire for something to happen… it is a guarantee. A promise. God revealed to His people a beacon of hope just when they needed it. Remember… God has not forgotten about you… and the hope, the promise you need is found in Jesus.

Peace. The topic we will talk about today. We find peace in Jesus that cannot be found in anything or anyone else.

Joy.

Love.

These four topics or points all come with the arrival of Jesus. He is our hope… He is our peace… He is our Joy… and He is the greatest gift of love the world has ever received!

In a moment, we are going to look at an amazing part of the Christmas story and how it impacts us to this day, but first I want to talk about announcements.

What do announcements have to do with the heart of Christmas? First off, I need to be clear about what kind of announcement I am talking about.

Announcements are given to inform people of something that is coming up or of something that is coming soon.

For instance, just a moment ago, we highlighted some events that are coming up from the pulpit. Those events are also published in our bulletin and online. We want the church to be aware of things on the calendar so people can be a part of what is going on.

Consider this: what would happen if we scheduled Stronger Men’s Ministry for this Saturday… and then didn’t tell anyone about the event? Guys wouldn’t show up! We would go through all of the work of preparing only to be met with the silence of an empty room.

Announcements are really important to the success of an event! The better the communication, the better the event or service is typically attended!

In life in general, we tend to announce things that we want people to be aware of.

Wedding announcements, birth announcements, pregnancy announcements, engagement announcements, sport, family gatherings, community projects, concerts and cantatas, and the list could go on and on.

And… we have multiple ways to broadcast the announcement to friends, family, and community members.

Social media has kicked the door wide open on this one. Email, text messages, phone calls, television ads, radio waves, newspaper articles and so on. It really isn’t hard to get the word out when we need to.

So… how was it that God announced to the world that Jesus had arrived… when none of these modern day technologies existed? And… what did the world look like when the announcement was made?

Let’s start with the last question… the answer is… the world was broken. The world was doing everything it could to make it from day to day.

Consider the people of God… The Israelites were now living with Roman occupiers. They were sharing the streets with authorities that did not believe as they did. Life… was FAR from easy. Although Rome brought with it new roads, aqueducts, and other amenities, it also brought false gods, heavy taxes, and secularized laws and cultural philosophy.

The people were living in a very broken and chaotic world. The world was in turmoil!

And… how was it that God would announce to this world that Jesus had arrived? God chose the option that… in all reality… the rest of the world would have overlooked.

God does not make a royal announcement in the temple… The Christmas story in the Bible begins with an unlikely group of people. The first announcement of the arrival of Jesus in Bethlehem was given by a multitude of heavenly angels to a group of shepherds who were out in a field watching their flocks to keep them safe at night.

Luke 2:8–14 NIV

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

God makes the announcement to… shepherds! Shepherds in first century Israel were individuals who existed on the fringe of society. They were considered stinky, dirty, and untrustworthy. They lived on their own for months as they traveled with their flocks. It would have been shocking to the first readers of the book of Luke that these were the people God chose to entrust with such an important message.

And today, I want us to consider the content of the message or announcement made to the shepherds. The angels declare that the Savior, the Messiah had been born! Talk about some exciting news! And notice something else here… as the angels go into full praise mode… they give glory to God and proclaim PEACE on those whom God’s favor rests.

PEACE! Much needed and sought after PEACE! Peace had now arrived and was obtainable because Jesus was now on the scene!

Now… consider this: did all of the chaos of the world suddenly stop the moment Jesus was born? Did the Romans pack up their bags and get out of town when Jesus was born? Did the secularized thinking and laws change the moment Jesus was born? Unfortunately… no… the turmoil of the day remained. In fact, much of the world had no idea that Jesus had arrived. And… when a certain ruler heard the news that Jesus had come, he went to great lengths to put an end to His life. The ruler… didn’t want to lose his authority and power!

This might sound like a negative thing to point out but we need to realize something today. When the light of God broke through the darkness of this world, He brought with Him the promise of peace. The world remained in a broken state… but regardless how broken the world was… peace could be found in Jesus.

The reality is, church, Jesus’s birth offers us peace in the middle of our difficulties and stresses.And I want you to really hear this next statement this morning: Peace is not the absence of conflict; it is the presence of Christ.

Peace is a hard thing to come by nowadays. Peace is something that many long for… be it in their homes, families, work place, community, etc. It seems like everywhere we turn… peace is disappearing… and the absence of peace is having some very real physical effects.

For instance, Mental illness… is on the rise. Especially in the days after the Covid 19 pandemic. People are struggling to navigate through the pressures that come with life in this broken world. AND… the enemy is capitalizing on this truth today.

I found a very interesting article this week regarding this concern and the findings were troubling. The article said this:

A critical issue for churches is to consider how the experience of mental illness impacts attendance at worship services and participation in small groups, Christian education and missional outreach. According to a 2018 study from Clemson University, families with children or youth with common mental health conditions are much less likely to set foot in a church. That likelihood decreases by:

73 percent if a child has depression;

55 percent if a child has conduct disorder;

45 percent if a child has an anxiety disorder;

19 percent if a child has ADD or ADHD.

Is there a relationship between the rise in mental illness among millennials and the precipitous drop in identification with Christianity among members of that generation? Earlier research from LifeWay showed that 55 percent of adult non-attenders believe that people with mental illness aren’t welcome at church.

Did you catch that? We are seeing a rise in mental illness AND many in this struggle do not feel welcome in the church! The cause was not given in the article but… the enemy is creating a divide between those who need peace and those who know peace.

Satan does not want you making a connection with the One who can give you peace despite the circumstance you might be in! God sent His Son to this world that we might find our hope AND new peace in Him… something that cannot be found in this world.

The answer to finding our much needed peace… is found in the presence of Jesus!

This morning, there are a couple of things I want us to look at regarding the peace that is offered through Jesus Christ.

THE PEACE OF GOD IS FOR ALL PEOPLE

The angels had to steady the shepherds by telling them to not be afraid because they were terrified in their presence. The message they brought was good news because a baby had been born who was the long-awaited Messiah—the one who was promised long ago to rescue God’s people. The angels told them where to find Jesus, and before they left on their search, a heavenly host spoke over them: peace to those on whom God’s favor rests. Jesus was ushering in peace.

In one survey, nearly one-third of those questioned said that of all the people mentioned in the Christmas story, they identified the most with the shepherds. The shepherds were average, ordinary people and yet were invited to see the birth of the King of kings. (ministry127.com)

What I find most amazing is that, when God wanted to announce the arrival of his son, he did not do it in the presence of kings or queens. He announced it to the poor and the forgotten. It truly is good news because, if God’s favor was offered to the shepherds, then surely God’s favor and peace is available to us as well.

And we know this is the case because of the words given to us in John 3:16

John 3:16 NIV

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God’s love is NOT reserved for a portion of the world… His love is for ALL the world. Jesus was given for all people… ALL people matter to God.

God desires for all people to experience all that is offered in His Son, Jesus. 2 Peter 3:9 declares

2 Peter 3:9 NIV

9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

God wants NO ONE to perish. That is His desire.

With all of this said, i want us to understand that God’s peace truly is for all people… but not all people will choose God’s peace.

From the time sin entered the world and affected all of creation, the world has been at odds with God. The Bible says we were enemies of God and in rebellion against his rule and reign. Sin did not just stop there, it also caused us to be in conflict with one another and ourselves.

This is why Adam and Eve hid from the presence of God when He was walking through the Garden of Eden. Their sin had broken their relationship with God… but their sin did NOT break the love of God for His creation!

This is why Jesus’s birth was, and is, such good news. It is the ultimate answer to the brokenness that exists because of sin—brokenness between ourselves and God, ourselves and others, and our own inner voice.

This is the way Paul put it as he wrote to the church in Colossae. Paul was expressing the role that Jesus plays in making peace.

Colossians 1:19–22 NIV

19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—

To understand the peace that is ushered in at Christmas time, we must understand that, although Jesus arrived in a cradle, his life would lead to a cross.

Jesus lived a sinless life and willingly offered his life through crucifixion. Paul said it is the blood of Jesus Christ that makes peace between us and God. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross pays for the sin we have committed, it appeases God’s anger toward sin, and it destroys the power of evil in our lives. Being reconciled to God is the key to experiencing peace in every other area of our lives.

JESUS RECONCILES US TO GOD

And this is a REALLY BIG DEAL! Remember how I said sin broke the fellowship with God? The blood of Christ is the only source of peace that make that brokenness whole again!

When we receive the gift of forgiveness that is offered to us by faith, we become friends of God and he offers us his power to help us navigate the difficulties of life.

Some may believe that being made right with God means they will never face any problems. This is not the case. Pastor and speaker Dr. Tony Evans says it like this: “Peace does not mean you won’t have any problems. Peace means that your problems won’t have you.”

Church, we can face problems… and still be at peace. We can walk through the valley and fear no evil!

The peace offered to those on whom God’s favor rests does not equate to the absence of conflict. We may still have circumstances that don’t go our way or challenging relationships to navigate.

What it does promise is the presence of God in our lives; and if He is with us, there is nothing we should fear. We can go to him for guidance and strength.

We can lean on him when we get weary. He promises to bind up our wounds when we are hurt.

God wants you to know His peace today… by knowing Him through the gift of His Son, Jesus! With His forgiveness comes the truth and knowledge that EVERY SIN has been forgiven!

In Christ, the old is gone and the new has come. Every past mistake, personal struggle, or worry for the future is met with the love and grace of God.

We also make peace with others because of the forgiveness of God given to us. When we come to recognize the grace given to us, our hearts are transformed to offer grace to others.

Bottom line is: peace becomes our new reality.

Yes, we might find ourselves in a broken and difficult world… but we can now have peace through the One who has come to set our lives free. Trouble is in this world but take heart, church, and never forget that Jesus has overcome this world!

There is NOTHING in this world that God’s peace cannot overcome. There is no level of panic that cannot be quieted and comforted by the presence of our Savior.

The answer many are looking for can only be found through reconciliation with the Father. Jesus took on your brokenness… He took on your turmoil… He took on your hardship… and nailed it to the cross. He has the power to deliver you.He did all of this… that your fellowship with God might be restored.

Sin ushered in the chaos we know… the blood of Christ has the power to restore and redeem your reality. God did not create you for sin, chaos, turmoil, or anguish… He created you for His glory… for His love… and for His peace. God wants ALL people to know His peace today.

And when peace becomes our new reality… it also becomes our new purpose.

PEACE IS OUR PURPOSE

The world doesn’t need anymore bad news. The world is full enough of bad news. What this world needs is a huge dose of good news… and messengers who would carry and share that news today.

What the world needs more of is people who have the peace of God in their hearts and who are willing to share that peace with others.

It is not optional for us to embody this peace. It is an expectation that Jesus has for his followers.

Consider this: The shepherds did not keep what thy had experienced to themselves. Look at what the Word goes on to say in Luke 2:16-18

Luke 2:16–18 NIV

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

This news was just too good to keep to themselves! I imagine there was no way these guys were not going to talk about what they had experienced!

God expects us to share His peace with others. In fact, Christ commissioned His disciples to go into all the world to tell the good news. We… like the shepherds… have a story to tell… and it’s a really good story!

We are to be messengers of God’s peace… but we are also commanded to live out His peace in our lives.

Jesus instructed His followers to be… peacemakers… to have about them the attitude of peace.

Matthew 5:9 NIV

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Why would God go this distance with this message? BECAUSE HE DOESN’T WANT PEOPLE LIVING WITHOUT HIS PEACE! God’s Peace is for everyone! He made the way back to peace through His Son… and now He calls those living in peace to declare to the world that peace can be found in Jesus!

The angels told the shepherds that peace was available to those on whom God’s favor rests. Jesus said something similar when he stated that peacemakers will be blessed, and they will be called children of God.

When we are willing to seek reconciliation with others and fight for harmony rather than sowing dissension, we are identified with the heart of God who longs to reconcile the world to himself. We look like the Father, and we are recognized as children in his family. We find peace at the heart of Christmas because God desires us to be in right relationship with him, with ourselves, and with others.

God wants you… to be at peace today. God wants you… to lead other to His peace today.

Remember, the absence of conflict is not peace… the presence of Christ brings peace.

He came that we might be saved. He came that we might be forgiven… He came… that we might find peace in Him.

Prayer

I want to speak to the broken… to those who feel like things are spinning wildly out of control. Outwardly you present yourself as having it all together, but inwardly, you are struggling.

I want you to know today… that Jesus is in this place… His peace is real… and His Spirit is calling out to your heart.

The shepherds had to get up and leave the place where they were in order to find Jesus. If you are here and you need peace, are you willing to raise a hand as an action step of giving this situation over to God? Are you ready to find peace in Him?

Closing prayer

May we continually find peace in You.

May we be messengers of the peace that can only be found in You.