2. Hope of all the Earth

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On this second Sunday of Advent, we are again invited to take time and wait as we long for God’s kingdom to arrive in its fullness. We light the candle of hope again as we remember that we are a people of hope. We know that darkness will not have the last word but that God is the Alpha and the Omega; the Beginning and the End. Today we focus on the peace of God. We remember that God is our comfort and our strength amid the chaos. God is not far from us when the violence and injustice of the world threaten to overwhelm us. We also long for the day when God’s peace will cover the whole earth. In the words of Isaiah 2:1–5

Isaiah 2:1–5 NIV

1 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: 2 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. 5 Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.

We light the candle of peace as a visual reminder that we worship the God of peace, who is with us even now.

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Worship Through the Word:

Hope of all the Earth

Advent Bumper Video

I hope you are all enjoying your advent devotional.  I know most of you are retired and this does not necessarily mean that you are not busy.  However, typically the mornings are less rushed when you are retired, proving better time for devotions.  If you are working, it is sometimes easier to do devotions during a lunch hour or as you prepare for bed.  These devotions are short and lend themselves easily to just 10-15 minutes a day.  Of course, they mean the most when we have time to really meditate on the content.  The prayers he invites us to write are a great means of reflecting on what we have read, and therefore, internalizing it more. 

Last week, we began the season of Advent by remembering that, as Christians, we are a people of hope. We were reminded that in the darkness of those days—the days when the world seems to be broken beyond repair—we serve a God who is always working to bring about the redemption and restoration of all creation.  We were invited to set aside time to wait in trust and eager anticipation of when God’s kingdom will come in its fullness.

Today, on the second Sunday of Advent, we are again invited to take time to wait and to experience the peace of God amid the busyness and chaos of the world. We are no strangers to busyness and chaos. It often seems like there are never enough hours to do everything that needs to be done. We finish our shift at work and head home, excited to relax. But when we get there, we find all sorts of tasks that need to be completed. The holiday season often lends itself to busyness and chaos. During this time and throughout the year, there are countless demands on our time and energy that seem to leave no space for pursuing peace.

 Last week, our text found us in Luke 2:1–7, and we are going to return to that text this morning.  In that same text, we are reminded that the peace of God is not dependent on a lack of busyness and chaos in our lives. Even during the chaos of the Roman census, God was still there.  Stand as we read this beloved passage once again.

Luke 2:1–7 NIV

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

Prayer

Father, please bless this Word which you have provided and which we now receive. Amen!

I. Peace Luke 2:4-7

Even though Mary and Joseph’s lives were different than ours, they were no strangers to busyness and chaos.  

When we consider their circumstances and investigate the details of the account, we realize that they had to travel nearly eighty miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the Roman census—and they undertook this journey while Mary was pregnant.

This was no journey by car that was completed in a little over an hour.  This was an arduous journey with Joseph walking and Mary probably did a combination of walking and riding.  Unlike our traditions of the story, we really do not know how pregnant Mary was at the time.  The scriptures were not always real specific on some of those details.  We do not know if she gave birth right away, or if they were there a few months before she gave birth.  There are speculations from some theologians that it could have gone either way. 

My own opinion is that it was shortly after they arrived.   Not necessarily that same night, but I suspect they were not living in the barn too long.  As the census was taken, I would expect some, if not most, would have been intent on going back to where they had come from.  This would have opened places for them to stay before too long.

If the journey wasn’t chaotic enough, we must compound that with the pregnancy.  If you have ever had a child, you know the stress and changes that come with both the anticipation and the arrival of a child. 

Joseph would have the added stress of coming up with employment as soon as possible.  Not only for housing for him and Mary, but housing with enough space to provide for a child.  He would have wanted finances for any medical assistance needed as well.  Until the birth happened, Joseph probably had no idea what it would require.

If all this were not enough to cause busyness and chaos, you must remember that the people around Joseph and Mary knew that Mary had become pregnant before they were married, so they would’ve experienced shame from family and neighbors over the pregnancy.

Yes, Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem, but you can guarantee that there were many other family and friends that were making that same journey.  All these would arrive in Bethlehem as well, and gossip is not limited to our day.  I am sure that the whispers began as people from Nazareth arrived in Bethlehem and found acquaintances and new friends there.

The truth is...

A.  People’s lives are often filled with busyness and chaos .

It does not matter what era you live in, what culture you live in, how wealthy or poor you are, or whether you’re single or married.  Busyness and chaos are part of life.

There are constant demands on our attention from our jobs, our families, our friends, and our communities.  We work long hours and find that we still cannot get everything done.  And this does not even include the things we want to do.  We often make things busier and more chaotic by trying to squeeze in time for the things we like.

During the holidays, we spend time with our families and friends.  We may have a wonderful time and vow we will get together more often, but then the year rolls around and we find we have not managed it for another year.  

On top of the things we want to do and the people we want to spend time with, we often desire to be the kind of people who care for our neighbors and look after one another in the church.  But even this is overwhelming as the needs seem never-ending.

I have always felt that the needs of the poor are best cared for by the church instead of by the government.  When I mention this, people panic saying it is too great for the church to handle.  My personal belief is that this is because the government made it so.  If the church had handled it in the ways God dictates through His word, we would not have so many!  Either way, it just lends itself to more busyness and chaos.

It is not just our personal lives that are filled with tasks and chaos.  The truth is that...

B.  We live in a world filled with chaos.

If you watch any news, whether local, state, nationwide, or worldwide, what do we find? 

•     Wars and violence that we feel we have no control over.

•     We see loved ones suffering and feel helpless.  It may be due to unemployment, illness, addiction, financial stress...whatever the issue, once again we feel we have no control and chaos seems to rule our lives.

•     We hear of the damage done by natural disasters in our world and see the devastation but cannot see how we can make a difference.

We often feel like we are surrounded by overwhelming chaos.  This is so normal, that we talked about these same things last week.  We referred to them then as the darkness that seems to reign around us. 

However, there is something we need to understand, and this is where we turn things around.  You see...

C.  Chaos is not of God for God only brings order .

God demonstrated this from the beginning. Look back with me for a moment.

Genesis 1:1–2NASB95

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

What was this formless, dark void?  Chaos.  Darkness churning.  Nothingness.  And with a spoken word what did God do?

He separated parts...He created form...He filled with life…and He brought order.  There was no disorder until there was disobedience.  God didn’t bring the chaos and disorder, sinful creatures did.  Satan, and then man and woman. 

Does this mean that God failed?  Not at all.  God could have wiped out the disease instantly.  But He didn’t.  Have you ever asked yourself why not?  Why didn’t God just wipe them out and start over?

I have a thought on that.  God wanted us to be able to think and respond in true love for Him.  True love cannot be forced but must come from a free will choice.  By making us creatures who can choose, it is only a matter of time before we fail because we are not gods.  We are not perfect.  We learn through experience.  I think God knew that His created beings would need to see what the world is like without His leadership and control.  We need to learn through experience that God really is our only hope.  When we get to eternity, we will have the experience of what this world was like under the control of men compared to the eternal experience under God’s perfect reign and control, and we will never have any desire to go our own way again.

We may have to wait until Christ’s return for completed peace, however,

D.  God calls us out from chaos to experience His peace here and now.  Romans 5:1-2

And all that is required is faith.  You see, at the heart of our chaos, is the emptiness in our soul for God and His control.  Have you ever seen a child that is never supervised and allowed to do whatever they wish?  They are out of control.  They live in turmoil and chaos.  They long for rules as rules and structure bring security.

We were created for a purpose, but that purpose is found in God.  Without that purpose, we look at all the chaos around us and we feel insecure.  We need the order and structure that God provides to feel secure.  However, when we place our faith in Jesus and our relationship with God is restored, we begin to see we have purpose.  We have structure.  This chaos has a momentary purpose, but one day this purpose will be fulfilled and our true purpose restored.  We will never live in this chaos again.

Romans 5:1–2NIV

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

God in His mercy invites us to experience the peace of God here and now.  His Word provides us peace as we read about how He has brought order to bad situations in the past.  We experience His peace when we read about His promises and all that He has for us in the future.

Mary and Joseph experienced peace because of the promises of God.  They knew God’s Word.  They recognized the part God had called them to play in it.  And they found peace even in the chaos of relocation, pregnancy, and wagging tongues.

Mary and Joseph knew that the baby was to be God’s Messiah who would usher in the reign of God. They trusted that God would bring about the redemption of Israel through this baby.  And they experienced the peace of God as a comfort and a hope during the chaos and busyness.

We can have that same experience, that same peace.

1.  We can know God’s peace even when our lives are filled with busyness and chaos.

This does not mean we never get overwhelmed.  This does not mean we never worry or never struggle.  However,

2.  The peace of God enables us to entrust ourselves to Him.

Just like Mary and Joseph did.  When we get overwhelmed, worried, stressed, those are times when we seek solitude and comfort in His presence.

The spiritual retreats we have done this year are a practice for you to learn to do these for yourself.  Group retreats are good as well.  However, they never replace what it is like to do these on your own.  A group retreat cannot always be pulled together when you need it most.  There are times when I plan mine out one week ahead because I feel the stress and know it is time.  I need to pull aside and cuddle up to my God, allowing Him to fill me with His peace.  When finding His peace is my only objective, I never fail.  Sometimes I try to slip a bit of work in there and I do not always complete what I hoped, but when my only objective is to be with Him alone, I never fail.  I always come home feeling refreshed and at peace.

God wants us to have His peace.  For this reason, He calls to us to come away with Him.  You see...

3.  Amid the busyness and chaos, the peace of God invites us to breathe , to make space to rest .  Matthew 11:28

Jesus tells us so in Matthew 11:28.

Matthew 11:28NIV

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

We were created for this relationship.  Psalm 42:1

Psalm 42:1NIV

1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.

It is when we draw away from the busyness and the chaos, that we find our peace in God is here and now.  God never holds it away from us.  He is always offering for us to draw near to Him so He can share His peace with us.

There is another way we experience this peace, and that is through the church.

E.  We are invited as the people of God to turn from busyness and experience the peace of God in and through one another .

This is why Sabbath is so important.  Sabbath is not just about our being with God, but also about being with other people of God.  The church is important to us spiritually.  Many people have not discovered this yet, but I fear it is because they have not found the right church or they have had a bad experience in the wrong church.

The church is to be a loving environment of people who love God and come together to worship Him and experience His peace together.

There is yet another reason we experience God’s peace here and now and that is...

1.  Our present experience of peace comes from our confidence that one day the peace of God will reign over the whole world. Isaiah 11:6-9

In the advent video this morning, the narrator quoted Isaiah 11:6.  The prophet Isaiah speaks in this passage of the peace we know will one day come when God’s reign is completed.

Isaiah 11:6–9NIV

6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8The infant will play near the cobra’s den, the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

We long for that day and we draw peace from the knowledge that it is the reality that we will one day know.  We have confidence because God has fulfilled His promises of the past and so we know He will be able to fill the ones yet waiting to be fulfilled.

We need to understand that...

a. The peace of God is not simply freedom from worrying or the absence of conflict.

To say that our current experience of God’s peace leaves us devoid of all worrying and conflict is just not realistic.  We are human and we live among the chaos and stress of this current existence.   No, the peace I am talking about is the peace that the Jewish people wish on one another when they greet one another with the term “shalom.”

The Hebrew word shalom means peace, but its meaning extends far beyond the mere absence of conflict; it signifies wholeness, completeness, well-being, safety, prosperity, and harmony in all aspects of life.

Romans 5, read earlier states it well.  It is a deep peace of the soul that comes from a right relationship with God.  It is expressed well by Horatio Spafford who wrote the hymn, “It is Well, With My Soul,” even as he sailed over the very spot where his daughters were drowned when the SS Ville du Havre went down in 1873.  He wrote…

When peace like a river, attendeth my way.

When sorrows like sea billows roll.

Whatever my lot, He has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul.

This wellness of the soul, is the peace of God.

Church tradition shows that many churches used to participate in greeting one another with the phrase, “May the peace of Christ be with you.”  Perhaps this is something we should do again.  It should be our desire to pass on this peace to others.  For ultimately...

b. Shalom is the flourishing of life and relationships.

This is something we should desire for all.  It is a peace in which all of creation is brought into proper relationship with God and the rest of creation. 

Conclusion

Today we are reminded that our God is a God of peace, so we are called to be a people of peace who are not shaped by the busyness and chaos of the world but by the peace of God that brings life and healing. During this season of Advent, we are invited to set aside time to live in the hope and peace of God. May our hope in the peace of God, that is the restoration of creation, lead us to be a people of peace who actively work for peace in our lives, in our communities, and in our world.

Prayer

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