Prince of Peace (2)
Christ in Christmas • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
Before we get started, I would like to say a few words about last week, now that I have my emotions somewhat in check.
The Christmas Story :by Leanne Guenther
Once upon a time,
A long, long time ago.
Begins the story of a baby,
That most of you should know.
His daddy’s name is Joseph,
And Mary was His mom,
This babe was very special
He was God’s only Son.
Some angels came from heaven,
And they began to sing.
To the shepherds in the fields below,
“Glad tidings do we bring!”
A bright star lit the heavens,
To light the magi’s way,
To the baby in the manger
Who was born on Christmas day.
And all who gathered round Him,
Rejoiced and praised His birth.
For the babe, the King, named Jesus,
Is our Savior here on earth!
Let’s dive into our verse for today
For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
For the past few weeks we have gone over how Christ as wonderful counselor gives us the godly wisdom we need to burn with that fire,
Christ as mighty God gives us the ability to burn with His strength even in our weakness, and
Christ as Eternal father shows the faithfulness and enduring nature of Him to burn brighter than ever before.
Today, we will see how Christ as prince of peace shows us how to live with true peace and burn hot in a chaotic world.
Jesus as the "Prince of Peace" means He is the divine ruler who ends humanity's war with God through His sacrifice, bringing spiritual wholeness (Shalom) and inner tranquility, not just worldly calm, reconciling us to God, uniting believers, and ultimately establishing His eternal kingdom of perfect peace. He fulfills the prophecy by providing forgiveness and restoring our broken relationship with the Creator, offering a deep peace that withstands worldly troubles.
There are five specific aspects of Christ as the Prince of Peace we will look at today
The first one is
Prince of Peace:
Reconciles Us With God
This should not be something unaware to the majority of you, our sin separates us from God.
Jesus humble birth in a manager to His death on the cross, pays the penalty, making peace between God and humanity possible.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is a few point in today’s society that says there are many ways to get to God. This is a lie straight from the devil himself.
The only way to God is through the Prince of Peace. It is His life and death that establishes our peace with God.
and through him to reconcile
everything to himself,
whether things on earth or things in heaven,
by making peace
through his blood, shed on the cross.
Now that we know that He reconciles us with God
Prince of Peace
2. Spiritual Wholeness
We can remember that the Hebrew concept of Shalom means the absence of conflict or peace, but here it means more than absence of conflict;
it's completeness, harmony, and well-being, found through Jesus.
For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace.
He is the complete embodiment of peace.
“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.
When we have troubles, we tend to lean on our ability to control every aspect. I do this all to often.
We must learn to lean on the Prince of Peace, that is when our hearts stop being troubled or fearful.
Prince of Peace:
3. Peace With Others
By reconciling people to God, He enables harmony between different groups (Jews & Gentiles) and calls believers to be peacemakers in the world
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
If you ask me, the hardest thing about having peace with God’s people, is the people part.
People are difficult, they have their viewpoints that are opposite from yours, they have different outlooks on life, but the Prince of Peace gives us the ability to have peace with others.
Peace is not weakness. Standing up for what is right can be peaceful.
At work, I teach a class on interpersonal skills. I teach that how you act or react can escalate or deescalate any situation. How your tone and facial expressions can remove a volatile situation.
Honestly, it is only Christ presence in me that I go into situations in a peaceful manner.
So now have gone through reconciliation with God, spiritual wholeness, and peace with others
Prince of Peace:
4. Future Eternal Peace
His birth and life on earth, his death on the cross, establishes His reign as the one who will bring ultimate justice and peace on earth at His second coming.
Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and with justice he judges and makes war.
Remember, Shalom means more that the absence of conflict. Sometimes conflict is necessary for peace. He will not come the second time as a humble baby in a manager, but as the king of kings and the lord of lords conquering the world with peace.
On that day the Lord will become King over the whole earth—the Lord alone, and his name alone.
Wood for the Fire
Hold on pastor. You said there were five points to today’s message. There is! It belongs here!
Prince of Peace:
5. Inner Peace Brought on by the Holy Spirit
Now bare with me because this Christmas message is about to take a 180.
It has to because we are going into a season of fire for the church. and that means we need to stoke that fire.
Inner peace can only be brought on in your life through a relationship with Jesus Christ. With that relationship, you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you.
You can only have that relationship is you cultivate that relationship.
You must work at this relationship. It is not a one day a week type of relationship.
Very few relationships work if you only talk one time a week for an hour.
Oh pastor I have no peace in my life! Yeah cause you live like the devil Monday through Saturday and expect a loving Christian relationship on Sunday.
You made your temple a box that the Holy Spirit is stifled. And guess what! That is the only unforgivable sin.
Don’t stifle the Spirit.
Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
I am strong about this because the only way to have inner peace even in the greatest of turmoil is to be empowered by the one thing we stifle constantly, the Holy Spirit!
I pray the same way Paul prayed for the Ephesians.
I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit,
Yes, this Christmas time is to reflect on the birth of our Savior, but He left us with a gift that we put on the back burner.
The Holy Spirit. That was the ultimate gift He left for us. The Spirit of God living inside of each and everyone of us who has accepted Christ as our Lord.
We want to be a church on fire, we must tap into the fire the Holy Spirit gives to us.
