Christmas is supposed to be peaceful isn't it? Is it just me or has Christmas gotten very hectic. Sometimes I find myself worrying more and more about the thousand functions, all the gifts we have to get, etc. I worry about my Christmas lights, with that one tiny section that just won't light.
Where is the peace on earth that the Christmas cards talk about?
That's a western problem, we've missed the peace that Christmas brings. 2000 years ago, Jesus was born, and we are told that He is our peace.
Today I want us to look at this peace. Because the peace that Christ brings is amazing and it's what we need not just this time of year, but all the time.
I want to show you three characteristics of Christ's peace that will encourage to experience this peace.

Christ Brings Peace that is Above Circumstances

How quickly our circumstances can rob of us our peace.
Stress, hardships, sickness, etc. All of these serve as "thorns in the side" and they do more than cause immediate hardship or pain, they cause a more lasting trouble - they take our peace.
You find yourself tossing and turning in bed at night, anxious or upset. You have no peace.
Why do we let the world get us down like that?
I think it is because we don't fully understand the peace that Christ brings us.
Look at what's going on with Micah. He is giving a prophecy to the rich Hebrews that everything they have will soon be taken. The Assyrians are going to overtake us. Yet we have the promise of peace! (v. 5).
Hebrew shaloam: it means completeness, soundness, welfare, peace. It is a Hebrew greeting. If you lack shaloam, you lack some important component in your life. If you lack shaloam you are letting your circumstances get the best of you. Yet Christ brings shaloam
We think of peace in Western idiom - harmony in relationships, absence of confrontation. But that's not the biblical definition of peace. Peace is a state of being complete in Christ - To a point where you rise above your circumstances.
Paul writes, 2 Thess. 3:16 - "now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance."
This peace is the result of Christ living in my heart
This peace is assurance I am safe in His hands.
Do you have peace above your circumstances? That's what Christ brings

Christ Brings Peace that is Beyond Understanding

How do strong Christians go through such turmoil and remain strong.
illustrate Horatio Spafford in 1843 after losing his 4 daughters and wife to a sinking ship penned the song, It Is Well with My Soul.
How can someone find peace amidst that type of pain - only through relying on Christ.
Micah could look the Assyrian invasion in the eyes with peace only because of the promise of the peace of God - the Messiah Jesus Christ.
Paul says in Phil. 4:7, "and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

When Christ was born, that peace that was promised had entered the world. But that was just the beginning.
Jesus grew and began his ministry. Then after being put on the cross he conquered sin and death and rose from the grave. When he ascended into heaven Acts 2 tells us he left the Holy Spirit to be with us. Comforting us, teaching us, encouraging us.
Through faith in Jesus Christ his peace is always available
There is never a moment where you are seperated from the peace that Christ brings.
You see we can't begin to understand how God gives us peace in the midst of all sort of horrible circumstances, but he does, and the great thing is it's always there.

What characterizes your life? Worry, frustration, anxiety, depression? There is no peace in that.
We need to see today that we only find peace in the person of Jesus Christ, and only when we are submitting to Him as Lord of our lives can experience this peace that surpasses all understanding.