Peace - The Best Christmas Ever

The Best Christmas Ever – Peace

Isaiah 9:6-7

Good morning and thank you for having me here today. As a pastor myself, I don’t often get to visit the churches I serve as a Presiding Elder. I have the privilege of serving as the Presiding Elder of the churches of the Presiding Elders. That means my territory covers from the Red River to the Rio Grande, so when I get to visit one of my churches I truly see it as an honor. I also want to say that I have heard for years how amazing this church is. I have been friends with Mike Kerzee since we were working our way through the Board of Ministry and I often heard from him about how amazing you are. Then, over the past year or so David and I have been able to work together on the Cabinet. I have and continue to hear with joy about the amazing ministry of this church.

But enough about all that, we are here today to open God’s word as we move into the 2nd week of Advent… the week of Peace. Last week was a time of looking at hope… At Brownwood, we looked at the fact that Jesus is the light in the darkness. You do realize that light and dark cannot coexist in the same space. I remember when I was a child and on vacation with my parents, we spent a week camping at Inks Lake State Park. From there, we went and visited Natural Bridge Caverns, Longhorn Caverns, and Interspace Caverns. I believe it was in Interspace Caverns there in Georgetown that we hiked down deep into the earth and walked into this huge room. I think they called it “The Great Room” and it was amazing. The water had carved these beautiful inverted wave patterns in the roof of the sandstone and limestone. The walls were carved with these undulating patterns. You could see the different colors of the stone where the powerful rushing water had carved this room. Then, as we were still taking in the enormity and beauty of the space, the guide began to warn us that we were about to experience total darkness. Parents were told to grab their kids and hold on to them. Everyone was told to stand very still… then ‘Click’… they shut the lights off. It was total darkness. There was no light anywhere. You literally could not see your hand in front of your face… and after what seemed like an eternity of people bopping their nose trying to see their hand, the guide lit a single candle. That one candle chased the darkness from that huge room. One candle gave hope in was seemed like a certainly hopeless situation.

That is what Christ is for us. Jesus is the hope for this world. Jesus Christ is the light of the world that chases away the darkness and it is in that truth that we find hope.

But this week is all about peace. It’s hard to imagine a world of complete peace isn’t it. We watch the news and see the war between Israel and Hamas, between Ukraine and Russia… We hear all this about the wars and rumors of wars all around us. We look at the division in our country. Or, let me get a little more personal… consider the division within our churches… consider the division within our families…

It is impossible to imagine a week of peace and tranquility within our homes, much less a world filled with peace and tranquility. So, what is the remedy? How do we live in peace and tranquility?

If you want to answer with the Sunday School answer, that’s OK… Jesus!

Turn with me in your Bibles to Isaiah 9:6-7. Isaiah spends the first 8 chapters talking about all the ways Judah and Israel have abandoned God. How the people of God have been unfaithful. He pours out all these warnings and judgements. He tells about the coming Assyrian invasion and all these bad things that are about to happen… then we get to chapter 9 and the title reads, “Hope in the Messiah.” The people are living in a dark time, but Isaiah reminds them that the people who walk in darkness will see a great light. In the midst of the darkness, Isaiah first offers hope, then we come to this passage:

Isaiah 9:6-7

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.

The government will rest on his shoulders.

And he will be called:

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

His government and its peace will never end.

He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David

for all eternity.

The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

PRAYER

Peace. It sounds so good doesn’t it. Just the word is like a breath of fresh air. We hear this word Peace and we think of a time without war. We think of a time without conflict. We think of a time of rest, but it really is so much more than that. The word we translate as Peace is the Hebrew word Shalom. It is a word that carries with it a meaning of wholeness of completeness of mind and body. It is harmony between parties. It is prosperity and success, it is victory over one’s enemies. When you go to Israel, or visit a Jewish synagogue here in the states you will be greeted and wished farewell with the word Shalom. It is a blessing, like saying, “May your life be filled with health, prosperity, and victory.

I don’t know about you, but that is the kind of peace I want. That is what I want in my family. That is the peace I want in my church. That is the peace I want in my community. That is the peace I want in our world! Amen.

As we seek that peace, there are some things I want to make sure we remember. First of all, Jesus warns us that living in this world will not always be easy.

That is our first point today…

You WILL have trouble.

I’m sorry to burst your bubble in Advent, but you will have trouble. Jesus promised as much.

In John chapters 14-16, Jesus is comforting his closest followers and preparing them for a time when he will not be physically with them. In John 16:33, Jesus 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.”

Jesus didn’t sugarcoat it… straight up – You Will Have Trouble! But he doesn’t leave us there, Jesus gives us hope too… because Jesus has already overcome the world!

We can trust Jesus. We can trust what he says. We can trust what he did. Jesus came to us… Emmanuel, God with us… Jesus came and lived with us, or as Tex Sample translated John 1:14… Jesus came and pitched tent with us… He lived with us and showed us how to live and to love… He gave his life for us, but that isn’t the most powerful part… His death wasn’t the end, No, death lost its sting when Jesus rose again!

When we walk with Jesus, we will have trouble… we may not know peace as we think of it, but in Christ we find the Shalom we need. Shalom looks beyond the trouble of this life. Shalom doesn’t mean there will be no trouble, it means we will have peace, we will be complete, we will be whole, we will know victory in the midst of trouble.

That is a peace beyond our understanding, and that’s my second point about peace today…

In Christ, We know a Peace that Transcends Understanding.

Paul knows a little something about adversity doesn’t he… We can read in 1 Thessalonians that Paul tells us to rejoice in everything. A little something you may not have known, When Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians he was the bees knees… he was the cream of the crop… he was the top dog… he was respected by the Jews because he was a Pharisee… well educated… a citizen of Rome so he had a freedom others didn’t have… he was part of the upper-crust of society… and the Christians liked him too… he had stopped arresting them and was preaching with them. Life was good for Paul. But not long after that, Paul started to face adversity. Some of the other Apostles and church leaders were disagreeing with some of what he taught. The Romans and Jews started arresting him. He was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, snakebit, jailed, and left for dead. After all that, you would think he changed his tune… maybe he would say, rejoice sometimes… or maybe, when you suffer try to find the things to rejoice in… right… that would be reasonable. But what does he say:

In Philippians 4:4-7, toward the end of his life, Paul writes:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

He not only says to rejoice always, he doubles down… he says it again…

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Then he goes on…

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.

Whatever is going on in our lives, we present our requests to the Lord… the way to peace isn’t in hanging on to the anxiety. The way to shalom isn’t living in the fear of what could happen… or being suspicious of our circumstances… No,

In Christ:

We trade anxiety for peace

We trade fear for rejoicing

We trade suspicion for faith

And when we do that, the peace – the Shalom – the wholeness of God will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. This peace is personal but difficult to explain. It is beyond our understanding… but it is true. Maybe the best way to explain it is with a story.

It was over 20 years ago now, but I knew that God was calling me back in to ministry. I had left the ministry for a number of reasons and was working for Farmers Insurance in their claim department. I had been a liability adjuster investigating claims and helping people through their injury claim, then I was an automobile adjuster helping people and shops work together to get their vehicles repaired. By 2001 I was a supervisor in the Waco Claims office and was on track to move up further in the company, but in 2002 I knew it was time for me to resign, attend Seminary, and serve in the local church. Here’s the problem – I couldn’t afford to resign. I was the breadwinner for our family… and I was doing all right with that in my position.

I had set everything up to start Seminary in January of 2003 and I had let my employer know of my intentions early so we could train my replacement. I then started cleaning up old files… I still had a job and could keep it as long as I wanted it… in other words, I hadn’t given my formal notice.

I kept looking for a job. I talked to the District Superintendents in Waco and Temple… I talked to all the churches in the area. I couldn’t find a ministry job anywhere. I went to the local Bible Book Store, they weren’t hiring… I even went to the Saturn dealership – I didn’t figure I’d make a good used car salesman, but I could probably sell a Saturn – you know, the no haggle price thing they did back then. Here it was, the beginning of December 2002 and I had a decision to make. Was I going to resign from my job and trust God, or was I going to keep the security of my job to support my family?

I still remember the day I walked into the corner office to talk to my manager and tell him that I would work through the end of the year and that was it. He asked me, “Are you sure you want to do this?” and I said, “I don’t have another job and I’m scared to death, but yes.”

I walked out of his office, sat at my desk and put my head in my hands… I was thinking “What have I done?” but for some strange reason, I had a peace about it… I knew God was with me…

And my phone rang. It was Grady Brittain, pastor at Salado Methodist Church asking if I wanted a job. You want to know the best part? The salary was exactly what I needed to keep our head above water.

In the midst of that time of uncertainty, the Peace of God which transcends all understanding guarded my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. That peace was a gift… And that is my final point for today…

The Peace of Christ is a Gift to You.

Have you ever read through the gospels and found yourself marveling at all the different situations Jesus found himself in, and how He always seemed to keep His cool?

Think about it; He was interrogated by the leading Jewish leaders of the time. On multiple occasions the crowds tried to grab him and kill him. And on top of it all, He willingly chose to travel day in and day out with a man who He knew would betray him over to death.

What was it that Christ knew that we don’t?

Really, think about it for a moment. What did Christ know that we don’t?

I realize He was literally God incarnate, and that He probably knew billions of things that we don’t. I think we can all agree on that. But the point I’m trying to make is that Christ had complete and total trust in who He was and what He was doing. He trusted the Father, and because of this trust, because of his faith, He was able to have peace in any and every situation. It’s a powerful truth.

And Jesus has this kind of peace for you and I too.

Listen to what Jesus tells the disciples in 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.”

Friends, peace is a gift of Jesus - It’s different from the things the world gives - And just like any other gift, it’s your responsibility to receive it well.

Let me repeat that…

just like any other gift, it’s your responsibility to receive it well.

You can receive a gift and leave it in the box, throw it in a closet, or stick it on a shelf and never look at it again, or you can receive that gift, open the box and let it change your life.

That is what this peace of God that transcends our understanding is all about.

The world is offering us all kinds of things in the place of God and God’s peace. The devil wants nothing more than to fill your life with stuff that blocks out Jesus and the peace that he gives.

So, let me ask…

What have you received from the world lately?

This month?

This year?

Are you ready to receive peace today?

The Best Christmas Ever Will Be Marked by Peace

We have hope because of who Christ is and what He’s promised to do in and through our lives. He is the light that shines in the darkness and we can share the light of Christ with others by sharing the hope we have.

But today friends, we know that we can also have a peace that transcends understanding by letting go of all that troubles us and giving it to the ever-capable hands of Jesus.

In return, His gift is peace...divine peace...soul-quenching peace. Shalom!

What do you need to let go of today?

What do you need to place into the hands of Christ?

What do you need to do, today, to receive His gift of peace?

Let’s pray together.