LeRoy Dec 18, 2022

The God of peace...

We are one week away from Christmas. When I was growing up, I was told the older that you get the faster time flies by. I couldn’t understand how that was possible, but here we are at our Annual Christmas Service.

This year, we’ve been looking at the book of Philippians. Lately we have looked at The peace of God and the thoughts that we think, so tonight in keeping with this theme as well as a Christmas theme, I’d like to share about the God of peace.

Let’s read,

Philippians 4:4–9 NIV

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

The God of peace will be with you...

There are two things that we can take from this line: our God is the God of peace, and He is with us.

The God of peace

About 730 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah made a prophecy about Jesus,

Isaiah 9:6–7 NIV

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

When we look at the Advent season, it means coming or arrival. Two thousand years ago, people living in Israel were expecting that one day that God was going to send a Messiah that would free His people from the tyranny that they were facing every day.

They lived in an occupied country. They could still worship God. They had synagogues, but they were limited in their control. If a Roman soldier wanted them to carry something for them, they had to stop what they were doing and do what he said.

We have tax laws so we know what we will be charged. If the tax-collector wanted a little extra, they had no way of preventing it. Corruption was the word of the day.

They longed for a deliverer.

When a census was issued, they didn’t get a census in the mail or online to fill out, they had to go back to the city of their family’s origin. Joseph, who was betrothed or engaged to Mary, was ordered to go to Jerusalem.

Just as the Jews of this time looked for a savior to come, we too are looking for Jesus to come back.

1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 NIV

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Tonight, I want to encourage you that there is hope. Jesus will return some glorious day, and He will take us to be with Him and we will be forever with the Lord. When we face sickness, when we are tired and weary, when we are sad and grieving because we have lost somebody close to us, we can have hope that there are better days ahead.

Romans 8:18 NIV

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

It reminds me of the old hymn that goes like this:

There’s coming a day when no heartaches shall come No more clouds in the sky No more tears to dim the eye All is peace forever more On that happy golden shore What a day, glorious day that will be What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see When I look upon His face the one who saved my by His grace When He takes me by the hand and leads me to the promised land What a day, glorious day that will be

There will be no sorrows there And no more burdens to bear No more sickness and, no more pain No more parting over there And forever I will be with the one who died for me What a day, glorious day that will be What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see When I look upon His face the one who saved my by His grace When He takes me by the hand and leads me to the promised land What a day, glorious day that will be Not only can we have peace when we go to be with the God of peace, we can have peace in our lives now. This doesn’t mean that we won’t have hardships and difficulties, but we can have peace because

He is with us.

Here’s Joseph’s part of the Christmas story:

Matthew 1:18–25 NLT

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ ” When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

No matter where you are, no matter what you are going through, no matter how lonely you feel, you are not alone, because God is with us.

Maybe you’ve gone through times in your life where you just can’t feel God, you just aren’t sure that He’s there.

Hebrews 11:1 NET

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.

I am convinced that even though I can’t see God with my naked eye, He has left enough evidence that He is here.

Sometimes it’s the little things like a sunset, or a rain. It could be a phone call received just when you needed it. Sometimes, we think that it was just a coincidence. I believe that it was God whispering, “I love you!”

Let’s look for ways to share God’s love this Christmas season and in 2023. You might just be evidence to somebody that God is near.

I want to wish you a Blessed Christmas season and invite you to come to our Christmas Eve service in Lanigan @ 7:00 PM.

Let’s pray!