Prince of Peace
He Will Be Called • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Intro
SERIES — He Will Be Called
Isaiah 9:6 (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.
These are all describing the coming king. Each of these are characteristics of God that Jesus embodies for us.
Wonderful Counselor — the way he communicates
Mighty God — his power and authority
Everlasting Father — relationship with his subjects
Prince of Peace — the type of kingdom he would bring
Me/We
Now as we get started today, how many people would say they want peace in the house today? Show of hands?
We’ll pray for all you chaotic people who didn’t raise your hands.
Jesus came to earth to provide us with two types of peace — vertical and horizontal.
Vertical — peace with God — This is only available throught the atoneing sacrifice of Jesus.
Horizontal — peace with others — talking about your relationships.
How many of you know that it’s people who keep you from having peace?
mother-in-law comes and always knows how to parent the kids better than you
boss at work, he always knows how to finish the project
teenager, mom you have no idea about anything, why can’t I stay out on a school night?
husband won’t take out the trash
People are the problem with our peace, more precisely it’s our relationships with people.
But Jesus is called the Prince of Peace… He even calls us to be peacemakers…
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
This means that you and I are called to be peacemakers. Brandon, that’s easier said than done… especially with...
Mother in law
Sister
husband
If he’s the Prince of Peace, how can he help us have peace in our relationships, especially this time of year?
I’m glad you asked… b/c he said this on the night before that he would be elevated to Prince of Peace.
Scripture // John 13:34-35, Matthew 18:21-35
John 13:34–35 (NIV)
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
In other words — this behavior will mark you.
Who likes NFL football in here? Packers — when I wear their colors they mark me. Jesus said by loving one another you are wearing my jersey — my colors. B/c that’s what it means to be a follower of mine.
But if we’re being honest… that’s a lot easier said than done, isn’t it?
B/c relationships are hard and complex. They are multifaceted and dynamic. They ebb and flow with emotions and with circumstances. Taking all that into consideration the thing that destroys relationships the most, or that steals peace in our relationships is this right here.
Unforgiveness
Unforgiveness > bitterness > hate “and hate is the path to the dark side”
You know this to be true. Margret at work said something behind your back, you found out. Stew on it. It leads to bitterness — general discontent towards that person, you’re just low-key angry with them. Which over time transforms into hatred. This is you can’t stand the person. I hate being around them.
It’s so important that Jesus taught it in the parable - not a well-known parable and not one that gets a lot of airtime, but you know those are my favorite.
Peter asks the same question that we ask when we talk about this subject.
Matthew 18:21(NIV)
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
You’ve been there.
Matthew 18:22 (NIV)
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Which is just to say you just keep forgiving. You don’t stop forgiving, living with a posture of forgiveness.
Matthew 18:23–25 (NIV)
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
The example everyone understood — today a banker.
Matthew 18:26–27 (NIV)
“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
Wow, the people in the crowd were not expecting this, kings never did this.
Matthew 18:28–30 (NIV)
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
Now, this is what the crowd expected the King to do — not the other guy.
Matthew 18:31–34 (NIV)
When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. (You needed help and I helped you) Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
The crowd says “serves him right” I can’t believe that guy!!!
This is an accurate illustration b/c when someone is offended a debt has been created.
Isn’t that how you say it? They owe me… an apology, right? It’s in that context that Jesus says...
Matthew 18:35 (NIV)
“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Yikes…Jesus — no one is getting that tattoo. Now one is sharing that on Instagram.
And here’s what this is not saying…
Doesn’t excuse or justify the wrong
You need to let that person back into your life
It’s simply saying that as a follower of Jesus — forgiveness should mark us as followers of Jesus.
Application
Brandon, I want to forgive but it’s so hard. You’re absolutely right, it is hard. Especially when it was someone you love who hurt you.
Here’s the truth about forgiveness.
Forgiveness is a process, not a one-time event
…But just like all processes it starts with a first step
Here’s the reason this is helpful — forgiveness frees your soul.
When you hold onto bitterness and eventually hatred, you’re the one who is trapped. And Jesus came to set you free and give you peace.
Forgiving them leads to peace for you.
Sometimes this means you can forgive and renew that reconcile that relationship, other times the offense is so bad you can’t go back it wouldn’t be safe. You don’t always have to reconcile to have peace sometimes you can simply forgive them.
It feels unnatural and we want justice, but justice isn’t ours to take. The Lord takes justice, he’s the only true judge. We are called to cancel the debt.
We
Charles Spurgeon, one of the most influential English preachers ever said...
You forgive me, and I forgive you, and we forgive them, and they forgive us, and so a circle of unlimited forbearance and love goes round the world.
Charles Spurgeon
“Forgiveness Made Easy” sermon (1878)
Charles Spurgeon
That’s the kind of world Jesus came to give us. A world where people freely and openly forgive when they have been wronged. They don’t seek justice by their own hand, they’re not the judge.
Now, pause for just a moment and think how much better would the world look if we focused on that. On forgiving and wiping debts. Not every relationship can be restored but every person can be forgiven.
Would your life look different? Would some bitterness be washed away? Some hate or discontent that could be overcome?
Extras
Ephesians >> Paul wrote this letter to a church that deals with some issues of unity and conflict, which he addresses in this section.
Remember, at first people thought the Gospel was just fr the Jews, even Peter thought that >>> Recount that interaction from Acts.
Not only is it the Jews, but the Greeks and the Romans and all the others are in conflict with one another b/c some people say Greeks are unclean, and Romans don’t want to worship Jews. They are in disagreement and bc of that they are in conflict. All of them believers, conflict b/c they don’t things eye to eye — have you ever experienced that before? Conflict with…
Mother-in-law b/c she thinks you are raising kids wrong
the uncle who always shows up to the family gatherings drunk and ruins everything
GF bc she doesn’t understand why you want to wait until marriage
You’re going to hear the apostle Paul break these down into two different groups.
Jews: believers who also carry the requirements of the law and place them on others
Gentile: believers who carry some of their old tendencies but won't follow the law
He reminds them of something.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
Meaning — Jesus came to destroy the barrier between people. This is how he is the prince of peace, he levels the playing field and ensures that he is the only way to the father.
Roman, Jew, Greek, Persian — doesn’t matter >>> sinner in need of a savior.
Jesus came to bring peace for all people. Even you and me, Jesus is our peace.
15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
Through his action, Jesus made peace not only between us and the Father but between these two groups also.
He breaks all barriers, racial, political, and cultural.
17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
The peace was both vertical and horizontal.
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
Meaning we are now one family brought together under the banner of Jesus Christ.
Application
Paul claims that Jesus broke down the barriers of division and conflict in the 1st century between the Jew and the Gentile.
Believe it or not He can break down the barriers in your life also.
with your husband
with your FIL
with your sister
with your boss
Jesus and his way of life can bring peace to those places.
Where in your life do you need some peace? Have you invited Jesus into that area?
You don’t need to do this alone. The Prince of Peace wants to step in.
