Christ is Our Peace

2022 SBBC, and 2023

Isaiah 9:6

Christ: Our Peace

WWI was the war to end wars, or so they thought. After millions were killed, the onlooker could certainly deduce that a war of this magnitude should end all other conflicts. During this war, to end all wars… a truce was called for a day… on Christmas day. It is called the Christmas Truce of 1914.

The truce was called from Christmas Eve through Christmas Day. So, with a country destroyed, millions dead, and as the blackness settles over the land… the sound of bombs exploding begins to cease and faintly disappear. The sound of gunfire dwindles down to silence… into an eerie silent night.

Then French voices begin to sing… carols are recognized… English voices… even German voices are lifted up in the night air and fill the silence…

By morning, the soldiers that were just shooting at one another, came out of their trenches and met out in No Man’s Land… and more singing was heard. Gifts, food and cigarettes, were exchanged. Family photos were passed around. Soccer balls appeared and games were played…

For one brief day… there was peace. For one brief day, there was an appearance of love, unity, friendship and peace… And then the truce was over…

What did this peace lack? It lacked permanence.

That is what we are looking for in this world, and that is what we are looking for in our lives, in our families, and in our churches – We are looking for permanent peace, peace that lasts and remains forever.

In the home, families are looking for peace. Mom would come into the room and would speak in a certain tone with a firm facial expression, “I need/I want some peace and quiet!!!”

But, the peace… and quiet… never lasted very long.

It was like someone once said, “Peace is that glorious moment when everyone stands around reloading...”

That is all this world can offer. It does not offer a gift of peace that will last.

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As we are looking at Christmas time, we are looking to a gift that has come to us, we are looking at a Person who has come to us… to the One Who is called “Our Peace.”

The true meaning of Christmas, the central truth of the Christmas story does not focus of gifts that are temporary, or gifts that do not last. The true meaning and focus of Christmas is on an Eternal Gift, a Gift Who is called Immannuel/God. The Child of Christmas is God, and He is our Eternal Peace.

Christmas… listen... is about Peace coming to us.

Now, you may be looking at the text and you see that He is the “Prince of Peace.” But Ephesians 2:14 clearly says that Christ, Himself, is our Peace. Christ is the Prince of Peace, the Source of Peace.

So what? Everyone is looking for peace. And when our peace comes from a person, from this Person, it is this Person that we must seek. It is this Person we must have and stay close to.

Where have you been looking for peace? Who have you been looking to for peace?

If it is clear that peace cannot be found in any other thing or person but this One Person… that helps us a great deal. It keeps us from going the wrong direction and it keeps us going in the right direction.

It keeps our minds and hearts from being carried away by the world, by other people, by the things of this world, the news and so on.

Where are you going for Peace, outside of Christ? Where are you filling your life with in order to keep Peace, if not Christ? These things or people, just may be your idols.

And to put it bluntly… they are your idols. And they will fail you and keep you miserable. You will become frustrated with them and go off to find something and or someone else...

Only to repeat a pattern of misery...

H.G. Wells - Teacher, writer, novelist, historian - Famous for science fiction novels. A man with a brilliant and an imaginative mind. He was on the cover of time magazine; he influenced many; he conversed with the mighty; He was wealthy, very well connected, had many girlfriends and multiple wives… and this was his quote:

“The time has come for me to reorganize my life, my peace - I cry out. I cannot adjust my life to secure any fruitful peace. Here I am at 64, still seeking peace. It is a hopeless dream.”

That is what worldly peace is: A hopeless dream.

Real peace. Lasting peace. Eternal peace is hopeless… unless God intervenes and brings Peace to us. And this is what He does...

Church Family, Believer and Unbeliever Today: We must look beyond the temporary, beyond this world, to find the ultimate reality and source of all peace… and that is why we are looking to the manger and to the Risen Lord today.

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*How does Christ bring peace to our lives today?

Christ brings peace between God and men.

1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News of God coming to us to save us, is a message that communicates that God has come to put an end to the hostility that exists between God and men, because of sin.

a. Man does not have peace with God because of sin, the sin debt, shame, guilt and condemnation. But praise God, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).

b. Because Christ has come, through His Life and work, He has reconciled heaven and earth and has made peace through the cross.

c. The whole world groans for redemption, and praise God, Christ is born to redeem, to restore and to make all things new. Romans 8:22

Listen: This is not a temporary truce. This is the action to end the war and to make us His countrymen, forever. God has brought Jew and Gentile, slave, and free together into One Body - Through Christ.

There is not a superior person or group of persons. We have Peace with God through Christ, and now, as the Family of God we have peace with one another… through the Son… Who has brought us together… by His Blood.

*We have Peace with God. We have Peace; we live in peace with our brothers and sisters… In Christ.

2. There is also world peace that is coming, because Christ came and because Christ is coming again.

a. This world will not war forever. The war will cease. Evil will cease. The fight will cease. Christ will come and put an end to all of this and peace will be established in His Kingdom.

b. When Christ reigns supreme and the nations are living in obedience to Him, then there will be a world peace (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:2-4). And in the end, with a new heavens and a new earth, glorification and peace will be complete.

c. All evil, Satan, and the forces of wickedness will be no more, and there will be no more sickness or death.

There will be Absolute Peace on earth, forever!!

Someone is saying right now, “Brother, I am saved, and I need peace today inside of me.”

3. Jesus is our Peace today and forever as a Christian. I believe that Christ is the only hope we have for subjective/inner peace today, a peace that quiets and stills the soul, and keeps us from falling apart.

*Light some candles, get a back massage, go fishing and hunting every once in a while… But do not neglect to Draw Close to you Eternal Peace Daily.

a. John 14:27 – Jesus says “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

1. Christ’s peace is an aggressive peace that wars against the circumstances of life. His peace can drown out worries and anxieties.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 - The Lord of Peace can and will give you peace and in every way...

It is a supernatural peace given to you by God as you come to Him in faith and as you exercise faith day by day and moment by moment.

“How do I exercise faith to have peace?”

Philippians 4:6-9 - In everything… pray, ask, seek, knock, make your requests be made known to God. Cast all your cares on Him. Give thanks to Him always. Think, meditate on the goodness of God, the good things from God, the pure things of God; think upon His truth and everything praiseworthy… and imitate godliness...

“Being godly keeps me in peace?” If you have the Holy Spirit inside of you… you will not have peace living in your sin. Romans 8:6 - The sinful nature leads us to death, but living by the Spirit leads us to life and peace. Isaiah 57:21 - There is no peace for the wicked.

Your lack of peace is letting you know something. “What do I do?” Confess it and turn from it… and experience Christ’s peace again!

Believer and Unbeliever… Christ is Your Peace!

Christ died and rose again for us. The Father sent the Son, the Son gave up His life so that we could have peace and everlasting life… and He says that He will be with us to the very end and will come back for us…

These are eternal promises from the eternal Peace, and when your mind and heart rages in this life… there is a Peace, there is a manger, there is a Light, there is a hope… There is good news to bring to your soul.

Sing:

“When peace like a river attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.”

There is only One Life Giving Peace Who will always provide the Peace that you are looking for. And He is Immanuel, God with us, now and forever.

No Christ… will equal… no peace every time. But if we will know Christ, we can and will know peace in this life… and ultimately and perfectly in the life to come.

Do you know peace today? Do you have peace today?

Prayer: 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 ESV

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

Go to the Prince of Peace, Christ, Who is our Peace… and may we grow in peace today.