The Wrong Shall Fail, The Right Prevail

Welcome, please open your Bibles to Luke 2.

Rundown for the coming week- Wednesday (Prayer), Friday (Eve Eve), Sunday (Christmas)

Henry Longfellow- “And in despair I bowed my head: ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said, ‘For hate is strong, and mocks the song; Of peace on earth, good will to men.’"

Coming home to chaos- kids screaming, some crying, some angry.

One angry, one crying, one tattling, one singing loudly.

Could it be an accurate representation of the world that we see around us?

Angry- those who are mad, filled with angst.

Crying- Saddened by the state of things, current situations, lonely, depressed.

Tattling- Looking for the errors in another.

Singing loudly- Doing their thing with no thought given to their fellow man.

We often feel that peace in the world, even peace in the heart, is a fiction, a fairy tale. Imagined, made up, pretend.

This is where the author found himself for a verse. But ultimately, we wrote another.

Henry Longfellow- “Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: ‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men.’"

Our song for the day focuses on peace. Peace made possible. Peace offered generously. And peace that relies on the God who is not dead and does not sleep.

Do we believe that the words of this song could actually be true?

Let’s see what the Bible has to say.

Read Luke 2:8-14- And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Pray.

Peace defined.

How would you define it? Likely depends on your current situation. Described in your situation of life? In your mindset? In your behaviors?

Charles Spurgeon- “When the newborn King made His appearance, the swaddling band with which He was wrapped up was the white flag of peace. That manger was the place where the treaty was signed, whereby warfare should be stopped between man’s conscience and himself, and between man’s conscience and his God.”

The lack of a battle with God.

Romans 8:7- For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

Colossians 1:21-22- And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him... in God.”

This is, after all, the greatest peace we can enjoy, is it not? All other peace is inferior.

John Calvin- “Until men have peace with God, and are reconciled to him through the grace of Christ, all the joy that they experience is deceitful, and short of duration. Ungodly men frequently indulge in frantic and intoxicating mirth; but if there be none to make peace between them and God, the hidden stings of conscience must produce fearful torment.”

We ought to be men and women who seek the most meaningful peace. The question is whether or not it is available to us. The angels seem to promise that it very well could be. Let’s explore our text.

1. With whom is God pleased?

Always one line that seems to be left out in the songs that we sing.

Qualifier given for the recipients of peace.

One of the reasons we know the angels are not singing about world peace- this peace is not offered to everyone.

Peace is given among men and women with whom God is pleased.

Do you see the problem? We don’t often feel that God is pleased with us.

We can understand the texts read earlier about enmity or warfare between us and God.

When we evaluate our lives, our decisions, our thoughts, our apathy, we cannot imagine God taking pleasure in us.

Yet, here we find the promise of peace among those with whom God is pleased, which seems to assume that He is pleased with someone, so who?

Most basic answer, He is pleased with His son.

Luke 3:21-22- Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

God looks on His Son with pleasure, He delights in His Son.

This is of little hope to us unless the goodness of Jesus can be given to sinful man.

1 Corinthians 1:28-30- God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption...

Why do we have no ability to boast in the presence of God? We are in Christ Jesus because of Christ Jesus.

Jesus is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption. We are given the very righteousness of Jesus.

Clearly, this is a big deal. We are not made neutral, but instead given the status of Christ. God is pleased with Christ, God is pleased with us.

Psalm 147:11- ...but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Those who hope in God’s love are a delight to the Father, He takes pleasure in them, He is pleased with them. And they receive peace.

That is one side of the equation. How God feels toward us. How might we feel about God as a result?

Psalm 70:4- May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”

We rejoice and are glad in God. We recognize His greatness.

Notice what is important here- not proclaiming that my salvation is great, but that God is great!

Peace has been made, enmity and warfare has ended. God is pleased with us, we are pleased with Him.

2. Peace is proclaimed in the most terrifying of circumstances.

Why should this peace be valued so greatly?

Important to understand that warfare with God was the previous state.

Difficult to convince many of this truth. Good life, grew up in the church.

Peace is greater valued as the turmoil increases.

What gives more relief? A $10 debt cancelled or a $1000 debt cancelled?

Comfort in blizzard conditions.

Notice the situation of the shepherds- put yourselves in their field that night.

Experiencing something as never before. Shepherds were filled with great fear with the one angel.

Told not to fear, but then the sky lights up.

What was the transformation that took place in the hearts of these shepherds? Why did they fear?

Likely more than a new experience. Likely thought themselves the recipients of judgement.

Certainly have OT precedent here. And these Shepherds are seemingly aware of the OT.

See an angel, fear the worst. But good news is offered.

Where is peace given to you today?

Let’s end with two brief points of encouragement this morning.

3. Proclaiming and Responding.

We ought to proclaim with the angels and respond with the shepherds.

Proclaim the good news of the incarnation.

Perhaps this ought to be a starting point for our evangelism. God came to us. Can we fathom this important point?

Before Jesus died, Jesus became man so that He could die. He condescended.

Communicate God’s love toward man with more than the cross.

Everything Jesus did showed His love for God’s people.

Respond with investigation.

The good news of peace with God beckons us deeper.

Who is the Giver of this peace? What has been done to bring peace? What does a life of peace look like?

Shepherds were told of the Christ child and didn’t simply go back to their flocks, they explored.

Interesting when we can’t be bothered with time in God’s Word, time in prayer. We become bored, so we go back to life as usual.

Shepherds had an opportunity to see Jesus, they took it. Will we?

4. Finding the Prince of Peace.

2 Thessalonians 3:16- Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

Where is this peace to be found? Only in Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the possessor of peace, He is the source of peace, He gives peace, and peace is found in His presence.

If you want peace, you need more of the Lord of peace.

Renounce all else as a source of true peace.

We look everywhere but never find it.

James 4:4- You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Henry Longfellow- “Till, ringing, singing on its way, The world revolved from night to day; A voice, a chime, a chant sublime, Of peace on earth, good will to men.”