Peace on Earth

Alright let's go. Christmas is in the air. Decorations are up. How many of you decorated at home? Aight now let's fight, how many of you decorated before Thanksgiving? Oh so that’s what we’re doing now…just going straight from Halloween to Christmas like Thanksgiving doesn't exist. I know, I’ve already had the argument with some of you. Christmas is a season and Thanksgiving is a day. We’re past it now. Last week we talked about forgiveness, hey I washed my hands of it. I know that's just a fun argument that we probably won’t agree on until someone just eventually changes their mind about it. And that could be a while, so I'm willing to wait…

No, but in all seriousness, Christmas is a season, and I don’t want us to be too caught up in our culture that we push to the side or totally miss the truth to what we are actually celebrating. We are celebrating the 1st Advent. Which is the coming arrival of the messiah. The birth of the Prince of Peace, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

So I’m going to just jump right into this but let me pray for us first…

Let’s read Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6…

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. NIV

Now this was written 7-800 years before the birth of Christ. Along with quite a few other prophets and prophecies. Have you ever looked up the stats on this? Like the chances that multiple guys, from different times, could be talking about the same guy to be born 1000 years or so later. Well let’s just assume that 8 came true,

(1) Messiah to be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2)

(2) Messiah betrayed for thirty pieces of silver. (Zechariah 11:12-13)

(3) Messiah's clothes would be gambled away. (Psalms 22:18)

(4) Messiah's hands and feet would be pierced. (Psalms 22:16)

(5) Messiah's bones would not be broken. (Psalms 34:20)

(6) Messiah would be born in the tribe of Judah.  (Isaiah 37:31)

(7) Messiah would be called from Egypt. (Hosea 11:1)

(8) Messiah would be buried in a rich man's grave. (Isaiah 53:9)

So here’s 8, from Him being born to Him being buried, 5 different writers. And there’s way more than this. The chances they would get lucky on 8 prophecies is 1 in 100 quadrillion. That’s 10 with 17 zeros behind it.

To get an idea of what that is like would be to cover the entire state of texas with silver dollar coins, 2 feet deep. Then blind fold someone and drop them in the state to have them pick a random coin. They’d have about a 1 in 100 quadrillion chance of picking the right one. That’s just 8.

It got crazier from there. 48 was something like our entire universe filled with something the size of an atom, which is hard to wrap your mind around just how small an atom is. And then the samething, blindfolding someone and having them go out and pick the right one.

I feel pretty safe to say that they ain’t going to do it. Unless someone shows them or tells them where it’s at…you know, kinda like the prophets did. And there weren’t 8, or 48. There were over 300 prophecies fulfilled. It’s almost like there’s an author writing their own story. Like when Isaiah prophecies God saying, I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ …Yea, sounds like it.

So the creator is building up the anticipation for this child to be born, who would change everything. Who would be born of a virgin, bc He had to be. He who had no sin couldn’t be born from man’s seed bc man’s seed is cursed through Adam, and therefore we are all born into sin. Which again reminds us of just how helpless we all are without Christ. But at the same time He is still born of a woman, which gives Him His humanity. And the gospel of Luke records her lineage, which goes back through David and Abraham to get to Adam. That shows us that He has the lineage of the promised seed, that He was of the human race. And then Matthew records His lineage through His adopted earthly father Joseph. That line takes a different route but also goes through David and Abraham, giving Him the legal right to be the King of the Jews.

It’s crazy how perfect it all goes together. But would you expect anything less?? This is a church, so most of us have probably heard the Christmas story a 1000 times. What I want to talk about is who this Prince of Peace is. What does it mean for us? Do we have peace? Is there peace on earth? Doesn’t look like it!

Maybe we should start by defining what peace is. When we think of peace what do we think of? Not getting in an argument with a family member at Christmas dinner? If you’re like my wife and I then it’s putting the kids to bed. So we can get some peace and quiet. Or maybe it's like peace treaties and times of peace. Just the absence of conflict. The bible does speak of peace in that way but it’s really deeper than that. It often points to the presence of something better in its place. So in the old testament, in its original language which is Hebrew, the word used for peace would have been Shalom. Shalom is best defined as meaning completeness or wholeness. Like in reference to stone that is perfect in shape, no cracks. Or to a stone wall that has no gaps and no missing bricks. Shalom refers to something complex, with many parts, but is in a place of completeness. Which is why it will also be used to ask about someone’s well being. When David visited his brothers on the battlefield, he asked about their shalom. The main idea is that life is complex, full of relationships and situations. And when things are out of line then your shalom, your peace, breaks down. Life is no longer whole and it needs to be restored. Which is the basic meaning of shalom when used as a verb, to make complete, to restore. In proverbs, to heal a broken relationship is to bring shalom. And when rival kingdoms in the bible make shalom, it doesn’t mean they just stop fighting, it also means they start working together for each other's benefit. This is the state of shalom that Israel kings were supposed to do but rarely happened. So the prophet Isaiah pointed to a future king whom he called the prince of shalom, the prince of peace. Whos reign would have no end. And through Him God would make a covenant of shalom that would make right all that was wrong and heal all that has been broken. Which is why Jesus' birth is called the arrival of peace. In the book of ephesians Paul says that Jesus is our peace.

Romans 5:1 says, Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

This is saying that Christ has restored the broken relationship between humans and their creator. Which is why Paul would say Jesus is our peace. He was the complete human that we fail to be. And as a believer it’s He who lives in us. It’s Christ who completes and restores us. It’s bc of His work that we have access to God. And since He lives in us, that means He is calling us to create peace. We are called to be peacemakers, not peacekeepers, there’s a difference. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. And becoming people of peace means participating in the life of Jesus.

So peace takes work bc true peace is not the absence of conflict. True peace is taking what is broken and restoring it to wholeness. Whether it’s in our lives, our relationships, or in our world.

Last week we talked about forgiveness and many of you came up front to release the water, to symbolize releasing that offense. Forgiving. That's a step in the direction of making peace.

It starts with understanding our source. Our source being Christ. And the first thing He did for us was offer us peace internally with our eternity. Something a believer does not have to worry about anymore. So do you have peace with God? Bc Christ has offered it. You just gotta go through Him. I know for me, before I chose to live for Christ, I was looking for peace everywhere except Christ. For me it was sex, alcohol, and partying. And none of it was bringing me peace. Actually quite the opposite. My joy and my peace were just being robbed from me. And ultimately I feel like I was looking for peace elsewhere bc I was afraid of losing my freedom. When the truth is that I wasn’t free at all. I was stuck. But it’s so hard to see it when you’re in it. But the answer is so simple, Christ says, Luke 9:23 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

But once we begin to believe, what’s holding us back from truly walking with Christ and experiencing the true genuine peace that only comes from having a relationship with Jesus. We know what philippians says, let's look at it…Philippians 4:6-7 - 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

And then John 14:27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Many of us probably know these scriptures, but what's the hold up. Like when I see the service industry complaining online that the worst and most rude crowds are the sunday after church lunch crowds. That doesn’t sound like people walking with Christ. Not saying that’s us, but it was the church somewhere. I think where the hold up is, is in Luke when Jesus says, “must deny themselves and take up their cross daily,” and then in Philippians when it says, “but in every situation.” Could be some disbelief still there or probably a little bit of fear. Like God, what are you going to call me to do? If I were to go all in and truly deny myself to follow you. I can still remember those thoughts, and I still have them at times. You know like in the beginning I’m holding back, bc I’m worried what He’s going to call me to do. Are you going to call me to work in kids? Or are you going to call me to move to another country? Now knowing that I didn’t have to worry about Him calling me to do any of that, not with that kind of attitude. I still had a heart issue that needed to be fixed. I still had some dying to myself to do. Then it turned to, wait, are you calling me to get on stage? And talk? Hey I’ll do it bc I absolutely trust you but is there any other way. Like, is that kids option still available? I’m ready now.

But now, I enjoy it. I can honestly say that over the past 9 months I have never felt more alive. I am excited for whatever is in the future. Placing our trust in Christ will be the best decision we ever make. Now you will be called to die to yourself. There’s so much that culture and this world has ingrained in us that is not biblical. And in walking with Christ, He will expose it. Then you’ll have a decision to make, die to yourself or not. If I don’t and I choose myself then I know what I’m going to do, I’ll begin to lose my shalom and I’ll blame God. Or we could die to ourselves and continue on with the one who gives peace which transcends all understanding.

Christ is our source of peace.

The prophets pointed to it and the apostles recorded it. We have everything we need. It’s kinda like, as many of you know, a few weeks ago my family was sick for 2 straight weeks. We went from the stomach bug to the flu. And our poor Ellie was the first to get the bug and the first to get the flu. She was basically sick from Monday to Thursday of the following week. So by Monday or Tuesday of that next week she didn’t want to eat, drink, or take her medicine. She was staying tired and so weak. I was trying to explain to her that she needed to eat, drink, and take her medicine. I was bringing all of it to her and placing it right in front of her. I was trying to explain why she needed it. That her body was fighting and it needed help. Then I tried, ok if you don’t then we are going to have to go to the doctor and get a shot or we may have to go to the hospital. Knowing that would scare her and hopefully encourage her to do it, but it only made her cry. But I couldn’t help but think how this is how we often act towards God. I was giving her everything she needed to get healthy. But the uncomfortableness of eating when she didn’t feel like it was blinding her to what it would do for her.

Most of the time in our walk with Christ, we are called to simply be obedient. In John 14:21  Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

Obedience is another one of those words that don’t sound good to us. Bc of the way we see it used in our culture, so it shapes our world view. But Jesus is saying that obedience is a form of love. It is also a form of worship, the first time we see worship mentioned is in Abraham's obedience to a command. It’s the same as in our relationships, how we are called to submit to one another. Christ came to serve and not be served bc that’s what love is. I think it’s easier to see this in our relationships with one another than with our relationship with God. There are a lot of views of who God is, it’s easy to think He is some mystical force floating around out there. Scripture tells us that He is a person.

So my wife and I have been married 5 eventful years. Crammed 3 kids into 4 of those years. So you know just taking it slow and getting to know each other. Ok maybe we aren’t taking it slow but we are still getting to know each other in many ways. They say it’s like 7-10 years when a lot of marriages fail. People wake up and realize that they don’t even know the person they’re married to. One of the first things we were told when getting married was not to go changing each other. I don’t need to try to change her into who I want her to be, bc that’s not who she is and it won’t work. I just need to learn who she is and what she likes, and do those things. If I’m making her into who I want her to be then one day she’ll wake up and realize that she is someone else. Then when she begins to find herself, I won’t know who she is. All because I didn’t love her, I loved myself. So instead, I want to find what she likes and do it so that I can love her the way she wants to be loved. Like I know that when we lay down to go to bed, I just want to read my bible, say my prayers, and go to sleep. But every night, without fail, that motor cuts on and she wants to talk. So I listen and I try to engage in the conversation. And she doesn’t abuse it bc she knows I want to go to sleep.

Well God is a person and He has preferences. People have preferences. In a good relationship, you find what that person prefers and you do it out of love for them. It’s not about you. This is christian worship. Finding what God’s preferences are and getting on board. Like a few weeks ago when John talked about how sometimes he wants to go to church and then sometimes he wants to want to go to church. We still do it out of obedience bc we know it’s what God wants. I say all of this bc in essence this is what it’s like to walk with Christ. It’s a relationship and relationships take work. And this is the relationship we must have if we are going to have the peace that surpasses all understanding. So that when the storm is hitting and the waves are crashing in, we aren’t freaking out like the disciples, maybe we have the peace Jesus had that allowed Him to be sound asleep in it. If we want peace to rule in our lives, God must rule in our lives. He himself is our source of peace.

Let’s look at another verse. John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

So again it’s not that we won’t have troubles in this world. Let me read you this quote from a commentator: The peace that Jesus spoke of was obviously not exemption from conflicts and trials. He Himself felt troubled by His impending crucifixion (12:27). Rather it is a settled confidence that comes from knowing that one is right with God (cf. Rom. 5:1). As the believer focuses on this reality, he or she can experience supernatural peace in the midst of trouble and fear, like Jesus did.

I absolutely believe that our focus and our perspectives play a major role in our day to day walk. I’ve said before, I like to picture myself kneeling before God. Having the end in mind. Trying to see the world and my life through His eyes, that can really center me and give me a perspective through God's eyes of what truly matters, that can help tremendously as I go out into a broken world. Bc we all know, this world will try you.

Like we talked about earlier though, we are called to be peacemakers. Not peacekeepers, a peacekeeper may just sit back and never address the issue bc they want to keep the peace. That’s not love or healthy. Now there’s always a time and a place, and how you go about addressing an issue can be a big deal. But Christ was truth and grace. Not one without the other. As peacemakers we are to restore and make whole again. One runs from conflict. The other runs TOWARD it to create peace.

A peacemaker, from a Biblical perspective, is one who is actively trying to reconcile people to God and to one another. It’s about helping people reconcile who have broken relations among themselves, but more importantly, with God. Which in part is why we evangelize. To bring someone, who doesn’t know God, peace or shalom. By introducing them to the source of peace, Jesus Christ.

And there’s clearly a lot of peace to be made. We are in a broken and fallen world. I could pull up a news app right now and just go down the list of all the craziness in our world. But there will come a time when all will be made right. When what’s broken will be made whole. Revelation 21:3-4 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Pain, grief, death, anxiety, anger. These things are absolutely a result of the fall. Of when sin entered the world. As believers you can rest assured, you can have peace, in knowing that Christ is coming back to fix all of that. And as believers we get to share in it. In a world that has no pain or death. As believers, we are children of God with an inheritance. This world is broken, but God is not.

Let me read one more verse to you. Luke 2:8-14 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.”

So if you don’t know the story, over 3000 years ago there were people across different generations who were said to have heard from God. Throughout history there have been many people who have said they heard from God. For the Israelites, 1 false prophecy and you’re now considered a false prophet. The punishment for a false prophet is death. So it was a pretty big deal. The prophets of the bible were recorded and stood the test of time. Many of them spoke of a child to be born, a prince of peace, like what I read earlier from Isaiah. Well 1000 years or so later, that child was born. And if you’re like me and you like numbers then that’s why I read those stats earlier. Bc the chances these guys were lying and not hearing from God are basically zero. So if they aren’t lying, then they did hear from God. And this child is the messiah, the savior of the world, the Prince of Peace. I better know Him. Bc as the scriptures tell us, He lived a perfect life and had no sin but took the punishment for our sins on our behalf. So that if we have faith in Him then we will be made clean and will be adopted into the family of God. And not only that, but that He will also sanctify us. That through a relationship with Him we will begin to bear family resemblance and look like a member of the family of God. Until one day we will inherit the kingdom and live in His presence.

So until then, we experience the kingdom through a relationship with Christ. He is our source of love, of joy, and of peace. Now let’s sing His praises bc He is worthy. And bc He wants us too. Or better yet, bc He commands it!