Advent Week 2

* The candle positions in the wreath top, bottom, left, right are positioned based upon where the person lighting the candle stands. So the "top" position would be the farthest candle from the lighter, bottom closest, left would be to the lighter's left, right would be to the lighter's right.

Advent week 1 – Hope: Prophecy Candle (purple)-Top Advent week 2 – Peace: Bethlehem Candle (purple) - Bottom Advent week 3 – Joy: Shepherd’s Candle (pink)-Left Advent week 4 – Love: Angel’s Candle (purple)-Right Christmas Eve-Purity: Christ’s Candle (White)-Center of Wreath

Lighting Advent Candle                                           David & Kim Johnson

The second candle on the Advent wreath represents Peace. Building on the meaning of the Prophecy Candle, this second candle recalls that after all of the division, destruction, and dispersion of the kingdom in the Old Testament, there might finally be peace on Earth – Jesus is coming, and so is his Kingdom of Peace.

Response: “We light this candle as a sign of peace.  May the Word sent from God through the prophets lead us to the way of salvation.  O come; O come Emmanuel.”

From Chaos to Calm: The Gift of Peace Because of Christmas

Luke 2:4–7; John 14:27; Col 3:15

“We came in peace for all mankind.”

That was the motto for Apollo 11.

On the moon rests a plaque with those words.

The Sea of Tranquility is the home for that plaque, and it is likely to stay undisturbed there for longer than we can imagine.

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, as emissaries from earth, left a message of peace.

Peace has been on the mind of humankind from the beginning, but it remains an elusive dream.

Perhaps there is so little peace on earth because there is so little peace in our hearts.

Peace is tranquillity in the midst of a storm.

Once Jesus was in a fishing boat with His disciples.

A terrible storm arose, and the frightened disciples turned to Jesus for help.

To their amazement then and our astonishment now, Jesus was fast asleep.

How does one sleep in a storm-tossed boat?

The disciples pleaded for help, and Jesus quieted the storm with His words.

When life rages, Jesus grants peace.

As the disciples discovered, they couldn’t find peace in their efforts, in their wishing, or in their skills.

They found peace by turning their faces from the storm and looking at the unbothered Savior.

He was the perfect image of peace;

He was the One who brought peace to the storm, and He remains the Author of our peace.

Peace is not elusive; it is not hidden from our sight.

It’s a prayer away.

Happiness is learned.

Living in and with peace takes practice, but the Source of peace is ever present.1

Today is a reminder of that source of peace and the peace He brings to our lives when we allow Him.

1 Thomas Thomas Nelson Publishers, What Really Counts: Your Guide to Discovering What Matters Most in Life & Letting Go of the Rest (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2023).

Luke 2:4–7 NASB95

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. 6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

What began that peaceful night in Bethlehem long ago continues today.

1. Journey through Joviality

Luke 2:4 NASB95

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

The God who worked out this intricate plan written hundreds of years earlier, still is at work in our lives to this day.

It literally took an edict from Caesar Augustus for Joseph to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

No man would willingly take a very pregnant woman 80 miles by donkey

No, God had to set that up internationally

That edict had to be at a specific time for Mary to go with Joseph to give birth to the baby in Bethlehem, the city of David.

God works generationally

What has God done over the years to prepare you and I for this very moment?

He caused someone to write these words down so that we would have them 1000s of years later.

He caused human beings to be so concerned about other humans that they risked there lives to translate these scriptures.

So that today, you and I, have them in English and many other languages.

What about this church?

More than 175 years ago God organized a group who chose to worship Him and soon created a church called FBC Marshallville

Here we are today, worshipping the same God our predecessors worshipped on this very property.

2. Faith-filled Footsteps

Luke 2:5 NASB95

5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

Mary faithfully followed the Leading of the Lord

The journey, I am sure, was not pleasant for her.

The journey on God’s path rarely is pleasant.

Judging by Jesus’s journey, I don’t think our journey with God will ever be pleasant

But it will always turn out for good.

He has promised us that.

3. Peaceful Presence

Luke 2:6–7 NASB95

6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

While in Bethlehem, Jesus was born.

He was wrapped in cloths

His first bed was a manger because He was born in a stable.

From those humble beginnings we see Jesus making this statement some 30 years later

John 14:27 NASB95

27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

The peace of God is beyond our understanding.

Jesus left us that peace

He did not leave the kind of peace the world wants.

He gave us true peace.

Paul says to the church at Colosse

Colossians 3:15 NASB95

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

You and I are not called to a worried, harried, chaotic life.

We might choose that but we are called to ...

Let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.

We are called to that peace

We are called to one body

We are called to be thankful.

I cannot overstress the joy that peace brings in life.

When the disciples saw only the storm they were fearful for their lives.

They believed the only power they had was their own hands.

They believed the only resources they had were on that boat.

As it turns out, they were right

Jesus is the source of peace.

He embodied everything the Disciples needed that day.

He arose

He spoke

The storm, the seas, they all abated.

Jesus embodies everything we need even today.

Maybe we can’t go to the back of the boat and wake Him.

But we can live in an attitude of prayer.

We can live anticipating His intervention in every area of our lives.

We can understand that I am not my source for anything.

Jesus, God, The Holy Spirit-They are my source.

The world thinks we operate on human power

Therefore; power is very important in this world.

But we are not of this world.

A child in a manger in a stable in Bethlehem is Peace

God’s power does not look like the world’s power.

Kings came to worship the infant in the manger

Kings also came to destroy the infant but God’s power is stronger than evil.

Human power is really powerless.

Human power relies on fear.

Perfect love casts out fear and the Peace Jesus left us is perfect peace from perfect love.

Will you follow me down this road of peace?

It is curvy

Often it is treacherous

It has beauty many cannot recognize

All of it requires great faith in our Lord to be our Shepherd, our Lord, our Deliverer.

With Jesus as our Deliverer we will all be unified.

We have but one Source of Power-Jesus

We have but one Deliverer-Jesus

We have but one Leader-Jesus

All others will be set aside for the true Deliverer

We unite in prayer

We unite in worship

We unite in helping others

In all that happens we give thanks.

As we spoke 2 weeks ago...

Thanksgiving is for the glory of the Father.

When we give thanks in all things it is because we trust God for all things.

Even when things appear bad, very bad, we still give thanks trusting God to provide the good.

We may never see the good but we know it is there.

Conclusion

From Chaos to Calm: The Gift of Peace Because of Christmas

Does chaos reign in your life today?

It doesn’t have to

Jesus left us peace that surpasses all understanding, all that is required is that we choose to live in it.

We can choose that today if we have chosen to surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We’ll never have peace in our own strength.

Only in full surrender is there peace.

I don’t know if any in this room has chosen that route but today is the day if you have not chosen full surrender, do it today.

387 Blest Be the Tie

1.Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love; The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above.

2.Before our Father's throne We pour our ardent pray'rs; Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, Our comforts and our cares.

3.We share our mutual woes, Our mutual burdens bear; And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear.

4.When we asunder part, It gives us inward pain; But we shall still be joined in heart, And hope to meet again.