Quiet Peace

Call to Worship

Psalm 72:18–19 NIV

18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. 19 Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.

KiDZ Message

SLIDE - KiDZ Message

Open with stick & paper models of animals (tiger, gazelle, wolf, lamb, snake, baby)

Would it be smart to put these things in a room together?

Why, not?

Because the powerful one would hurt the weak one right?

But did you notice the scripture reading today?

Isaiah 11:6–9 NIV

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. 8 The 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.

Today we are learning about peace

But not just peace as is peace and quiet, no were talking about the kind of peace JESUS brings.

It’s the kind that makes the world right.

So, think for a minute (don’t answer), where do you feel like a lamb next to a lion? Where might you be a lion next to a lamb?

On Christmas, when Jesus was born in the world, he was surrounded by people who acted like lions, but he didn’t go trying to hurt them did he?

No, he just lived his life trying to do whatever God told him to

And in the end, even though those lions would eat him, he would rise from the dead! and the lions would come to rest at his feet because he forgave them.

So, if you are feeling like you need some peace, who are you going to turn to so you can find it?

Jesus! that’s right.

Let’s pray

Main Sermon

On-Ramp

SLIDE - Title

Recast the longing for peace in light of the Big Idea: Christ’s peace isn’t the absence of noise; it’s the presence of His just and loving rule bringing order to our chaos.

Share personally about wishing for a pause button in life — wanting a week to catch up, nap, and finally feel peaceful.

Observation: Even if that happened, it wouldn’t last. The to-do list and anxiety would still be waiting.

I believe that...

SLIDE - Big Idea

BIG IDEA: Quiet peace comes from the presence of Christ, not the absence of noise.

Bridge: True peace can’t be earned by control or quiet circumstances. It comes from Christ — and Advent invites us to step away from the world’s noise to receive His peace.

Transition line: Today, Isaiah and Matthew show us how that peace arrives: not in comfort, but in God’s surprising way.

Isaiah 11:1–10 – Peace That Grows Where Life Looks Dead

SCRIPTURE

Verse focus: v.1 “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse.”

Explain the image: Israel’s kingdom is a stump — cut down, hopeless. Yet life grows again.

Point: Christ’s peace is not changed by circumstances. It grows in the ruins.

When your life feels like a stump — that’s the soil God loves to work with.

Cross-ref: John 14:27 “27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

Verse focus: vv.2–5 – The Spirit rests on Him. He judges with righteousness.

Peace is rooted in His authority and justice. He puts things right.

Point: Christ’s peace stands because He reigns.

His peace is not fragile; it’s the peace of a faithful King.

Cross-ref: Ephesians 1:20–22 “20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church,”

– Christ seated at the right hand of God, far above all rule and authority; all things placed under His feet.

Verse focus: vv.6–9 – Wolf with lamb, child by cobra.

Peace reconciles what was divided, hostile, unsafe.

Point: Christ’s peace unites divided people.

It’s not sameness; it’s harmony under one King.

Cross-ref: Ephesians 2:14 “14 For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.”

Mini summary:

SLIDE - Scripture Summary

Peace that grows in hopelessness • peace that reigns with justice • peace that unites what was divided.

Transition: But Isaiah is a promise — John the Baptist shows how hearts prepare to receive that promise.

Matthew 3:1–12 – Peace in the Wilderness and Through Repentance

SCRIPTURE

(Continue showing it — the Big Idea applied through two movements: Peace begins in the wilderness, and peace grows through repentance.)

Movement 1: Peace Begins in the Wilderness (vv.1–3)

John appears in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord.”

God’s peace starts in chaos, not comfort. The wilderness represents the hard, uncertain spaces where we feel anxious or out of control.

Point: Peace is not the absence of struggle; it is God meeting us in the struggle.

Relatable example: The wilderness might look like waiting for answers, financial uncertainty, or relational tension—places where peace feels impossible.

Cross-ref: Luke 22:44 “44 In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.”

– Even Jesus found peace through anguish in Gethsemane.

Movement 2: Peace Grows Through Repentance (vv.8–12)

John calls the people to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” Repentance isn’t about guilt—it’s about clearing space for new growth.

Point: Quiet peace grows from repentance

Relatable example: Confessing bitterness, forgiving someone who hurt you, slowing down long enough to listen—these are acts of repentance that open space for peace.

Cross-ref: Acts 3:19 “19 Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out,”

– “Repent, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”

Mini summary:

SLIDE - Scripture Summary

Peace begins where we feel lost in the wilderness • peace grows where we turn back and let God bring new life.

Reflection & Invitation

So from the stump to the wilderness, Scripture shows us that peace doesn’t wait for life to stop—it comes when Christ reigns in every part of life. because...

SLIDE - Big Idea

BIG IDEA: Quiet peace comes from the presence of Christ, not the absence of noise.

Bring it back to the opening longing: Remember that wish to press pause on life — to stop everything just long enough to catch your breath? Scripture shows us a better way: the stump doesn’t need a pause button to bloom again. God brings peace not by freezing time but by growing new life right where things feel cut down.

Invite Band up

Reflection question (ask slowly):

Am I waiting for life to pause so I can feel peace, or will I pursue Christ’s peace even if it means changing how I live?

The choice: Will you keep waiting for the magic pause button, or will you open space for Christ’s peace to grow — even in the noise?

Will you keep living exactly the way you’ve been, focused on what you’ve been focused on.

or

Will you pursue Jesus wholeheartedly?

Peace also doesn't come from having a little taste of Jesus, it comes from trusting him entirely.

SLIDE - Title

Next steps:

Name one place this week that feels like a stump — tired, empty, or unfinished.

Invite Christ to grow His peace there. Either Christ is not really in charge, or you are struggling to see Him. If you don’t believe He is in charge, bring that doubt to Him. If you do believe, ask Him to open your eyes, even if it means showing you where you need to repent and change.

Take one small action that reflects His rule — maybe reach out to mend a strained relationship, spend quiet time in prayer instead of scrolling, take a real Sabbath rest, offer help to someone overwhelmed, or choose mercy when you could demand fairness.

Transition to Communion:

Peace isn’t found in escaping noise; it’s found in encountering Christ who reigns in the middle of it.

Above all, if your desire this Advent is for some peace and quiet, then orient everything around spending time with Jesus, learning about Him, listening to Him, and obeying Him.

Prayer

Now, let's turn to the table of God, the primary place where Christ told us to encounter him

Benediction:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)