Perfect Peace
Unwrapping Christmas • Sermon • Submitted
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Intro
Intro
In the first message of our Christmas series, Ps Steve talked about the Living Hope found in Christmas and last week Ps Bryan talked about the Extravagant Love of God revealed in Christmas
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
This week we are looking at the Perfect Peace that can be ours because of Christmas
Peace on Earth
Peace on Earth
Luke 2:8-
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
The peace the angels were talking about was not the end of strife or conflict — if that was what they meant then God failed!
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
The peace the angels were talking about was not the end of strife or conflict — if that was what they meant then God failed!
The peace the angels were talking about was not the end of strife or conflict — if that was what they meant then God failed!
This statement has two parts — heaven and earth
The glory of God in heaven is about to be revealed to humanity on earth through Jesus
Jesus came to bring a peace between heaven and earth
This is where every other kind of peace comes from
The emphasis is on God and what he has decided to do, not on what we will do — God’s favour and goodwill towards humanity is the reason for what is happening, not humanity’s good behaviour
Jesus came to bring a peace between heaven and earth
God’s goodness has brought this about, not our goodness
God is announcing that he is making a way for the broken relationship between God and people to be healed and restored.
This is where every other kind of peace comes from
Peace with God
Peace with God
Add “PEACE WITH GOD” to centre of whiteboard
Jesus came to bring a peace between heaven and earth
Humanity’s rebellion against God — our decision to live without God and do our will our way — produced a broken relationship with God and brokenness of every kind in our world
Through the angels, God is announcing that he is making a way for the broken relationship between God and people to be healed and restored
Rom 5:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 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.
This is the whole point of Christmas!
Jesus didn’t come so that we could have a holiday, sing carols, and give gifts to one another — we do all those things to celebrate and remember that Jesus came to bring the gift of peace between God and humanity
This is where every other kind of peace comes from
If we have placed our faith in Jesus as the one who has forgiven us of our sins and made peace between us and God, we not only have peace with God, but we can experience the peace of God in every circumstance of life
Peace of God
Peace of God
Add “PEACE OF GOD” to top of whiteboard
Jesus didn’t just come to make peace between God and humanity and then desert us — he came to make relationship possible
Peace and Relationship
Peace and Relationship
Relationship with God is what we were created for and what our hearts long for...
“God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol [gasoline or electricity], and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there.” ― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
The peace of God flows out of a relationship of peace with God - there is no other way to experience the peace of God
God didn’t just send Jesus so that we could know facts about God, but so that we could know God in an experiential way! So that we could know God personally!
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:
The peace of God comes from relationship with God made possible through the Holy Spirit who comes to live in us when we place our faith in Jesus
The New International Version Chapter 14
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
The ongoing peace of God comes from ongoing relationship with God
The peace of God comes from relationship with God
Peace and Prayer
Peace and Prayer
When we trust in God our response to troubling circumstances will be prayer...
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This peace is “of God” — supernatural in origin
This peace “transcends all understanding” — it is supernatural in quality
We may not understand the “why” or the “how” of the situation we are in, but we can have peace when we know who is with us
God doesn’t promise that we will escape all trouble because we are Christians, but he promises to be with us in trouble
Peace reigns when God’s reigns, anxiety reigns when we reign
Trust and Peace
Trust and Peace
Peace and Trust
Peace and Trust
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
If we have placed our faith in Jesus as the one who has forgiven us of our sins and made peace between us and God, we not only have peace with God, but we can experience the peace of God
Faith in God’s Love
Faith in God’s Love
The ongoing peace of God comes from ongoing relationship with God
“perfect peace” = “peace, peace” — all encompassing peace
The peace of God in our hearts and minds comes from from fully trusting in God without reservation
“Trust in the LORD forever”
We are only able to keep our minds fixed on God if we trust him
Peace doesn’t come from faith/trust itself, but from the object of our faith/trust
Peace comes from knowing the object of our trust
When we fully trust God we will enjoy peace, when we trust in ourselves anxiety will always follow because our wisdom, ability, and resources are limited — and we know it!
We are to trust in a person — in the LORD
“for the LORD GOD is an everlasting Rock”
Even when we are shaken, he is not; even when circumstances move us, they do not move God
The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1–39 (a) Hymn of Thanksgiving (26:1–6)
To trust one’s ability partly and God partly is the surest prescription for insecurity and anxiety (8:11–22; 57:19–21). That person will never know the wholeness (šālôm) which having all his or her commitments in one place may mean. This is not to say that we denigrate or deny God-given abilities. But it is to say that we refuse to believe the lie that we are independent and have in ourselves the keys to ultimate success in life. The person who refuses the blandishments of such an idea and steadfastly looks to God can know an inner oneness which makes possible a confident outlook on the darkest scene. For our mortality, short-sightedness, and weakness, we receive in exchange God’s immortality, omniscience, and omnipotence. That is security.
Jesus didn’t come to make peace and then desert us — he came to make relationship possible
“Trust in the LORD forever”
Peace doesn’t come from faith/trust itself, but from the object of our faith/trust...
When we fully trust God we will enjoy peace, when we trust in ourselves anxiety will always follow because our wisdom, ability, and resources are limited — and we know it!
Phil 4:
We are to trust in a person — in the LORD
“for the LORD GOD is an everlasting Rock”
Even when we are shaken, he is not; even when circumstances move us, they do not move God
When we fully trust God we will enjoy peace, when we trust in ourselves anxiety will always follow because our wisdom, ability, and resources are limited — God’s are not
Trust and Prayer
Trust and Prayer
We may not understand the why or how of the situation we are in but we can have peace when we know who is with us
When we trust in God our response to troubling circumstances will be prayer...
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This peace is “of God” — supernatural in origin
This peace “transcends all understanding” — it is supernatural in quality
We may not understand the “why” or the “how” of the situation we are in, but we can have peace when we know who is with us
God doesn’t promise that we will escape all trouble because we are Christians, but he promises to be with us in trouble
Peace reigns when God’s reigns, anxiety reigns when we reign
Trust
Trust
How do we know we can trust God?
Peace comes from knowing the object of our trust
Christmas reveals that God is trustworthy — he is worthy of our trust
God is trustworthy because of his character of integrity and his nature of love
God kept his promise — this wasn’t the first time God said he would rescue us
God initiated this!
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Remember, God initiated this!
Why does it matter? Because it tells us that God is good-willed towards you — God loves us!
We won’t trust someone if we don’t think they love us
God is trustworthy because of his character of integrity and his nature of love
How does a baby bring peace?
Peace with God is not achieved, it is received — by simply believing
It is received by faith
Jesus brought peace when he came as baby
Jesus became our peace when he died on a cross and then rose again
Peace with God is not achieved, it is received — by simply believing
Application
Application
Do you need to receive peace with God today?
Jesus came as a baby, but he came so that he could die for our sins and rise again to give us peace with God
Peace with God is not achieved, it is received — by simply believing the message that God sent Jesus to make peace with himself through his life, death, and resurrection
Do you need to receive the peace of God today?
The peace of God comes from trusting him without reservation — his integrity and love
Set your mind on him and his character
From remembering what God initiated and accomplished because of his love for us!
Give your anxieties to him in prayer and leave them with him
