Advent - Peace on Earth

I. Introduction

A. Advent - anticipation of the coming of Christ; celebrating the past, acknowledging the present, and believing for the future.

B. Romans 15:13 (NIV) - “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

We are filled with peace just like joy; you can’t manufacture peace. It must be received. As in joy we’re positioned through repentance to receive.

John 14:27 (NIV) - “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.”

Peace is a person, the context is the Holy Spirit.

Peace is tied to trust in Romans 15:3.. Peace rises to the level of trust; and the more you trust the more you surrender.

C. Luke 2:14 (NIV)  “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

D. “On earth” - Peace is possible in the present.

E. “Shalom” in the OT or “Eirene” in the NT is not just about stopping conflict, it is about being made whole.

Peace is when a complex systems of moving parts is complete as every part takes its place and connects with the others. (Think of a 5,000 piece puzzle but way larger and complex.)

Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of perfect love. And if it takes conflict to get there, so be it.

F. Jesus was the promised peace for the world…It was prophesied that the prince of Shalom would come in Isaiah. He would come and start putting it all back together again.

II. Peace on Earth

A. Peace in our Being

Are your personally whole? Are all parts of you put together and in sync or is there a struggle within you?

Romans 7:21–25 (NIV) - “So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Peace with God - In the innermost chamber we have peace with God. We have been made whole and connected to God.

Romans 5:1 (NIV) - “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Yet that peace isn’t fully realized yet in the rest of our being. And in fact the rest of our being is sometimes in conflict. James call this doubleminded (James 4:8).

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 (NIV) - “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”

Let that last part sink in…He will do it! You will be healed and made whole. Receive it by surrendering to the Holy Spirit and unleashing Him into your entire life. (Pastoral Counseling).

B. Peace in our Relationships

Are all you relationships whole? Are you truly together or is their division and struggle?

Ephesians 2:14 (NIV) - “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,”

Most New Testament letters have the same context, Jew and Gentile peace. The blood of Christ removes all hostility between us and God but also each other.

Paul consistently makes the same plea: We are all one in Christ, He is our peace. We must submit to the hand of Christ and let Him build the temple of living stones together.

Matthew 5:9 (NIV) - “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

What is the difference between a peacekeeper vs. peacemaker. A peacekeeper props up brokenness to avoid conflict whereas a peacemaker is ok with demolition.

To rebuild there has to be some tearing down. So do the work of inner healing and wholeness and tear down the lies you have believed. Stop propping up dysfunctional relationships in your life based on lies.

C. Peace in our World

Is our world at peace? Is it all together with no division?

Isaiah 9:6–7 (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. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.”

There is this larger picture yet beyond you personally and relationships to societal peace, even global peace.

Separation and conflicts resulted from crunching of the fruit to the tower of babel in Genesis 11 to the beginning of restoration of the races in Acts 2 at Pentecost to it’s culmination of the healing of the nations in Rev 22:2 when we can finally be fully one again healed by the Tree of Life.

Proverbs 16:7 (NIV) When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them.”

Political or Social peace it’s not when two groups stop fighting or being violent, it’s when they actually start working together. Only then is the biblical ideal of peace achieved.

And through our peace we build together again. Not a tower to make a name for ourself but a temple of the Holy Spirit made up of living stones to the glory of God.

III. Conclusion

A. Does your reality need peace. Your personal being, relationships, our world? Is the promise for real, will Jesus eventually bring peace to the whole earth; make it whole?

B. Again the question is not if peace is given but if it is received and embraced. Will you receive the peace of Christ this Holiday season?