PEACE

*SING OPENING LINE OF WHITE CHRISTMAS…

WE GIVE A LOT OF THOUGHT TO WHAT CHRISTMAS SHOULD LOOK LIKE, BUT THIS MORNING I WANT TO WRESTLE WITH THE QUESTION:

SLIDE: WHAT DOES PEACE LOOK LIKE IN YOUR MIND?

VACATION LOCATION

QUIET

FAMILY

AS CHRISTIANS, WE CELEBRATE TODAY THE CANDLE OF PEACE BECAUSE WE BELIEVE JESUS HAS BROUGHT TO THE WORLD.

WHEN I LOOK AT THE WORLD, I DON’T KNOW IF THE WORD PEACE IS EVEN IN MY TOP 10 DESCRIPTIONS OF WHAT THE WORLD LOOKS LIKE.

SO, HOW ARE WE TO UNDERSTAND THIS CELEBRATION TODAY? HAS THE PROMISE OF JESUS TO BRING PEACE FALLEN SHORT IN SOME WAY? OR HAS PEACE COME AND WE AREN’T LOOKING FOR IT?

SLIDE: THE PEACE OF GOD CAME AND MANY MISSED IT.

IT’S A PARADOX.

THE PROPHECIES ABOUT THE MESSIAH FOUND IN THE HEBREW BIBLE ARE BETWEEN 300-500 DIRECT PROPHESIES OR ALLUSIONS THAT GOD IS GOING TO RAISE UP ONE WHO WILL BRING PEACE.

YET, THE FIRST RESPONSE OF THE NEWS OF HIS ADVENT FROM MARY IS “HOW WILL THIS BE?”

THE CHRISTMAS STORY TELLS US IT’S A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NEITHER JEWISH NOR FROM ISRAEL WHO SEE HIS SIGN AND COME TO FIND HIM AND WORSHIP HIM.

WE EVEN SING ABOUT THIS IN OUR CHRISTMAS CAROLS THAT EVEN THE ANIMALS LO IN WORSHIP FOR THEY KNEW WHO HE WAS.

ISAIAH 1:3 ESV

English Standard Version Chapter 1

3  The ox knows its owner,

and the donkey its master’s crib,

but Israel does not know,

my people do not understand.”

AND WHAT EXACTLY DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE SAID

READ: MATTHEW 10:34 ESV

Matthew 10:34 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

I THOUGHT HE IS THE PRINCE OF PEACE! WHAT IS JESUS SAYING HERE?

WE’RE CAUGHT BETWEEN THE EXPERIENCES OF LIFE AND PROMISES OF GOD

THIS IS WHY WE CELEBRATE ADVENT.

BECAUSE JUST LIKE WITH HOPE, WE LOOK AT THE WORLD IN LIGHT OF CHRIST’S FIRST ADVENT AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT GOD’S NOT FINISHED UNTIL PEACE HAS COVERED THE EARTH.

SLIDE: HOW DO WE FIND PEACE IN A RESTLESS WORLD?

THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS: LOOK UP

LOOK UP FROM THE WORLD

THE FIRST REASON WE DON’T FIND PEACE IS WE ARE LOOKING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.

IT’S NATURAL TO BELIEVE ONLY WHAT OUR SENSES CAN EXPERIENCE

THE PEOPLE WE LOVE ARE IN THIS WORLD

OUR FUN AND MEMORIES HAPPEN IN THIS WORLD

WHEN WE LIVE FOR ONLY THIS WORLD WE MISS THE PEACE OF GOD THAT HAS COME AND COMING

WE ARE LOST LOOKING FOR PEACE IN PLACES THAT CANNOT PRODUCE IT

NO AMOUNT OF MONEY CAN CHANGE A PERSON’S HEART TO CARE FOR ANOTHER

NO AMOUNT OF PLEASURE CAN KEEP US FROM WORRY

NO AMOUNT OF SAVINGS CAN DELIVER US FROM TROUBLE

WE NEED PEACE THAT CAN OVERCOME THE WORLD

JESUS TELLS US WHERE WE CAN LOOK TO FIND THAT PEACE

READ: JOHN 12:31-32 ESV

SLIDE: WE FIND PEACE LOOKING UP TO THE CROSS

WE WANTED A KING LIKE THE KINGS WE KNOW, BUT GOD SENT US THE KING OF KINGS

THE KING WHICH ALL OTHER KINGS WILL BOW

AND INSTEAD OF COMING TO TAKE THE THRONE HE TOOK THE CROWN OF THORNS

ISAIAH SAW HIM:

Isaiah 53:1–5 ESV

Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

SLIDE: JESUS CAME TO BRING US INTO PEACE WITH GOD

WE CAN HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH THE PEACE CHRIST BROUGHT US IN HIMSELF

BUT GOD’S NOT FINISHED YET

LOOK UP TO THE CLOUDS

ONCE WE RECEIVE THIS PEACE WITH GOD WE ARE NOW ON MISSION WITH GOD

WE ARE ON MISSION NOT TO KEEP THE PEACE, BUT TO MAKE IT

WE MUST LIVE THE KINGDOM LIFE JESUS CAME TO TEACH US

JESUS ESTABLISHED HIS KINGDOM IN HIS FIRST ADVENT AND HE WILL REIGN IN THAT KINGDOM IN HIS SECOND ADVENT.

THE WAY TO FIND PEACE AS A FOLLOWER OF JESUS IS TO LOOK UP TO THE CLOUDS FOR HIS RETURN.

READ: JOHN 14:27 ESV

INVITATION

WE HAVE THE PEACE THAT CHRIST GAVE US THAT WAS HIMSELF BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN HE RETURNS AND BRINGS ALL THINGS TOGETHER UNDER HIS DOMINION.

THERE’S A PEACE STILL TO COME

THERE’S A PEACE THAT WILL CAUSE ALL THE BROKENNESS AND PAIN OF THIS WORLD TO PASS AWAY

THERE IS A PEACE THAT JESUS HAS PROMISED THAT THOSE WHO BELIVE IN HIS PEACE AND OBEY HIS WORDS WILL BE WITH HIM FOREVER

THERE IS A PEACE THAT WILL WIPE AWAY EVERY TEAR FROM OUR EYES.

IF YOU’RE LOST, LOOK UP TO THE CROSS

IF YOU’RE TIRED AS YOU FOLLOW JESUS, LOOK UP TO THE CLOUDS

CHRIST IS OUR PEACE, AND HE DOES NOT GIVE AS THE WORLD GIVES

PRAY