2nd Sunday of Advent - "Peace"
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— A review or reminder from last week
Hope in a Hopeless world
Hope in a Hopeless world
— Last week our message was to get off the mark and start bring HOPE to world that is lacking.
WE NEED A HOPE PLAN!!!
Increasing your “Hope” is a very subjective and very individualized process, but here are some general strategies that may help:
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
Here is that list of things that will inspire Hope.
1. Adopt “Hopeful” Language
2. Surround Yourself with Hopeful, Faithful Supportive People
3. Learn from Challenges
4. Take Care of Yourself
5. Help Others
6. Increasing hope is a gradual process.
— As you find ways to remain hopeful and faithful… Share them with others, you don’t know who you might be helping
— Take care of yourself… when you feel you lost your way.
— There is always someone who is much less better off than you are.
— In helping others you may find that your hope and faith are rekindled
6. Finally...Remember that increasing hope is a gradual process.
— We as a people that have lost hope did so gradually.
— It will take much time and effort to gain it back.
— Say it often… I choose hope!!
This is the 2nd Sunday of Advent — today we consider “Peace”
This is the 2nd Sunday of Advent — today we consider “Peace”
— Peace is elusive, it’s difficult, some say it’s impossible.
Peace - A gospel centered approach
— In a world marked by chaos, conflict, and uncertainty, the concept of peace often feels like a distant dream that remains just out of reach.
— However, for those who embrace a Christ-centered and gospel-driven perspective, peace takes on a meaning that transcends the challenges in our life and in our world
— Today we will understand better God’s desire for peace
What do we need to know about Peace?
-> Biblical Foundations for Peace
-> Peace, God’s original design
-> Sin disturbs God’s design for Shalom, for Peace
-> Our answer… A Christ centered Peace
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I. Biblical Foundation for Peace — Shalom!
— There is an old Hebrew word that often comes us in our discussions of peace
— That word has been enough when God created the cosmos — Peace and Rest and realizing that it was “good” when he created.
II. Shalom: God's Original Design for Harmony
— The Hebrew word for peace, "shalom," goes beyond the mere absence of conflict.
— Shalom embodies a sense of completeness, wholeness, and harmony that reflects God's original design for creation.
— In Genesis 1, as God surveyed His work, each day culminated with the declaration that it was "good."
— It wasn't until everything was in perfect order that God pronounced His creation "very good."
31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
— That “perfect order” that I am nudging at is at it’s core is
— “Shalom” is peace in its essence, this captures this state of harmony.
So… Why don’t we live in world that’s peaceful?
— There has been a disruption in the universal order that God has laid down… it’s called sin!
— Our personal sin… against God, and against each other.
III. Sin disturbs “Shalom” (Peace)
— Sin entered the world by the decision of two people.
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
— Both Eve and Adam are a party to this sin that came into the world by human rebellion.
— This shattered God’s original plan… a plan he knew and anticipated the need for Jesus
— But there were consequences of this “broken peace”
— The consequences of sin rippled through creation, disrupting the intended peace
and shalom.
— Those consequences introduced brokenness, strife, and separation in our world and in our hearts, minds and bodies.
— Yet, even in the face of humanity's rebellion, God, in His love, initiated a plan of redemption to restore shalom.
— That plan of course culminated with Jesus coming to earth to be that redemption, reconciliation, that “bringer” of peace.
IV. Our only answer is a “Christ-centered” Peace.
— Jesus is the prince of peace
— He is the agent of peace, he is is the beginning, middle and end of the discussion about peace.
— He is the “Prince of Peace”
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
— Christ's life, teachings, death, and resurrection were all integral to restoring shalom or Peace to the world.
— His goal… our goal should be “bringing humanity back into a right relationship with God.”
— That’s a big bite to take...
— Maybe since peace, like Hope is a growing thing
— Use this Advent season to speak peace to our world… one person at a time
— One of the things that enhances our opportunities for Peace is...
Peace Through Reconciliation
— The apostle Paul describes the describes the transformative power of Christ-centered peace.
— in his letter to the Colossians. He writes
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
— Christ's sacrifice on the cross became the means by which reconciliation and peace were made possible.
Did you catch that...
“Know God and know Peace…No God and No Peace”
— Christ’s inner peace!
— Extends beyond all of the external circumstance in our lives.
— It also describes internal circumstances
— Just imagine… all of the things that burden us each and every minute of our day.
— The list would be endless… there is always something that Christ’s peace or shalom is needed.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
— This inner peace does not assume that challenges don’t occur… Just know that someone else has been there before
— Not dependent on the absence of challenges but is rooted in a deep, trust in the sovereignty of God who holds all things in His hands.
So what’s our answer… Gospel Driven Peace
— Gospel driven Peace is a message of reconciliation
— This offered by God and it’s our responsibility by the Power of Holy Spirit to use it.
— Listen to Romans 5.1.
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
— This justification is, made possible by Christ's atoning work.
— it establishes a foundation of peace that extends to every aspect of life.
So how do we stay “peaceful” in the trenches of a trial?
— The gospel does not promise a life free from trials, but it assures believers of peace amidst adversity.
Jesus, in John 16:33,
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
— The “gospel-driven peace” enables believers to navigate the storms of life with a confidence.
— this call is grounded in the victory of Christ over sin and death.
The Call to “Peacemaking”
— As recipients of God's peace, believers are called to be agents of peace in the world.
— Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, pronounces a blessing on peacemakers, declaring them to be children of God (Matthew 5:9).
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
— But Jesus wants us to understand that there is a reward for us to be a peacemaker
— The gospel-driven life is marked by a commitment to reconciliation, forgiveness, and the pursuit of harmony in relationships.
— This absolutely mirrors the power of Christ's redemptive work.
Proclaim Peace through Baptism
— We baptize and listen as people confirm their faith in Christ.
— The act of baptism brings the opportunity for peace with God.
— It’s not the water that brings the peace.
— Not the confession that makes peace
— It’s the act of a faithful person and in return God gives us peace.
Proclaim Peace through Communion
— Communion, holds a central place in the Christian faith as a tangible expression of Christ-centered peace.
— The communal act of sharing in the Lord's Supper fosters unity among believers, emphasizing the shared peace that comes through a common relationship with Christ.
Review and Apply
What do we need to know about Peace?
-> Biblical Foundations for Peace
-> Peace, God’s original design
-> Sin disturbs God’s design for Shalom, for Peace
-> Our answer… A Christ centered Peace
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-> Biblical Foundations for Peace— There are strong biblical foundations for Peace.
— God’s desire is for PEACE, in our world and within ourselves.
— Application: Acknowledge the need for Peace that scripture calls for
-> Peace, God’s original design
— God was determined to bring peace to a formally complex, unorganized, mass in space
— He did that for His pleasure and for our benefit
— APPLICATION: Know his plan, reference his plan, rely on His plan, Live His plan
-> Sin disturbs God’s design for Shalom, for Peace
— Strife, pain, sin, arguments, anger drive people away from God’s design.
— We must stop that and work our hearts and minds back into a relationship with Christ
— APPLICATION: Be in fellowship with other believers… Speak peace often
— Leave strife, pain, sin, arguing at the foot of the cross.
-> Our answer… A Christ centered Peace
— Know the Gospel
— Find, know and operate in a world that practices PEACE
Application: In a phrase… “Know Jesus Know Peace, No Jesus No peace.”
Conclusion:
— In a world that often seems devoid of peace, the Christ-centered and gospel-driven perspective stands as a beacon of hope.
— Through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, believers can experience a profound peace that surpasses understanding.
— This reconciles them to God, and empowers them to be peacemakers in a broken world.
— As we embrace the Christ-centered peace, let us live out the gospel-driven call to be ambassadors of reconciliation, bringing the message of shalom to a world in desperate need of the Prince of Peace.