The Advent of Peace

Text: Isaiah 26:1-4; Judges 6:11-26; Isaiah 9:6; Luke 2:11-14

Theme: Our God gives peace to those whose mind steadfastly trust in Him.

Date: 12/23/2018 File name: AdventOfPeace.wpd ID Number:

A man by the name of Gideon finds himself in a difficult situation. He is youngest son of Joash. He comes from an obscure family of an un-noteworthy clan of the Hebrew tribe of Manasseh. One day while he is threshing wheat an angel suddenly appears to him.

"When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, 'The LORD is with you, mighty warrior'" (Judges 6:12) The angel commands Gideon to ". . . Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" (Judges 6:14) He promises Gideon, ". . . I will be with you, and you will strike down the Midianites as if they were but one man" (Judges 6:16)

In spite of God's promise to be with him, Gideon is--to say the least--apprehensive. He's not a warrior, He's a farmer. He's not particularly brave and he's not even overly confident in God. "'But sir,' Gideon replied, 'if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midain'" (Judges 6:13).

Gideon does what believers throughout the ages have down when they feel they are in a tight spot. They ask God for a sign. This is exactly what Gideon does (Judges 6:17-23). Gideon goes and bakes some bread, kills and roasts a young goat and brings the items back as an offering to his heavenly guest. He places them upon a rock as he is instructed and pours the broth from the roasted goat over the items. Then the angel of the LORD touches the meat and the cakes and fire shoots up out of the rock and consumes the offering. Gideon exclaims, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!" (Judges 6:22) He assumes he is about to die. He has seen God--and according to Scriptures, no one who sees the face of God can live. But the angle's voice rings out, "[Shawlome]-Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die."

Gideon's response is to build an altar as a memorial of his encounter with the living God and as an act of worship. He gives the altar a name: It is Jehovah-Shalom — The Lord our Peace.

In his experience with God, Gideon caught a glimpse of Jehovah's character. This is not a Lord who seeks to put the fear of God into the hearts of His people. Instead, He seeks to infuse us with a peace that gives us confidence regardless of the outward circumstances we may find ourselves in.

Here in Isaiah, God says to the prophet that In that day God promises to give perfect shawlome — peace to Israel. The “that day” of Isaiah 26:3 refers to the time when God’s Anointed One — Messiah — will enter the world. Thirteen hundred years after God reveals Himself to Gideon as Jehovah-Shalom, and seven-hundred years after God promises “perfect peace” to His chosen people, angels appear to Bethlehem’s shepherds announcing, ““Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”” (Luke 2:14, NIV84)

I. JEHOVAH-SHALOM PROMISED HIS PEOPLE A PRINCE OF PEACE

1. our God desires that His people experience peace

“The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.” (Psalm 29:11, NIV84)

2. and yet, many believers live in a troubled world where peace is hard to come by

ILLUS. In China, the Communist government has instituted a major crackdown on the nation’s 100 million Christians just days before Christmas. Chinese police have arrested prominent pastors, raided churches and charged followers with ‘subverting the state’ — the most severe charge that can be leveled against a Chinese citizen. It’s all part of an effort to bring the religion under Chinese Communist Party control.

Researchers for Open Doors ministries estimate 1 in 12 of the world’s Christians live where their faith is “illegal, forbidden, or punished.”

And you don’t have to travel to a Communist-led or Islamic-led nation to find Christians struggling to live out their faith. Evangelical believers in Mexico are regularly persecuted. Criminal groups persecute believers and churches, issuing death threats and murdering Christian leaders to silence them. These groups view Christian ministry as a threat to the criminal agenda. Meanwhile, indigenous Christians are often punished for abandoning tribal customs, resulting in expulsion from their homes. And Christian denominations outside the Roman Catholic Church experience discrimination as minorities.

3. but a lack peace can be sourced in other events

a. there are believers, even in this auditorium this morning, who are struggling with anxiety, or disappointment or fear or apprehension

b. you see troubles on every side and peace of mind and soul is not one of the blessings you consistently experience

1) perhaps, like Gideon, you find yourself saying, 'if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midain'" (Judges 6:13)

4. perhaps we need to re-acquaint ourselves with what the peace of God is all about

A. THE PEACE OF JEHOVAH-SHALOM IS NOT AN ABSENCE OF WORLDLY CONFLICT

1. in the secular culture of 1st century Israel, peace was the absence of conflict, and the presence of prosperity

a. that definition goes to prove the old adage, “That the more things change, the more they stay the same”

b. in Western culture our concept of peace remains the absence of conflict, and the presence of prosperity

1) when there is tranquility, economic prosperity, and social stability in our lives we consider that peace

2. that is not the peace of the Scriptures

a. God’s peace is attitude of the soul were the believer experiences a sense of well-being even when tranquility, economic prosperity, and social stability are absent from our lives

3. true peace is a gift from God, and is part of His redemptive work in our lives

a. Jesus promised his disciples a peace that was wholly unlike anything the could find in the world

“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 14:27, NIV84)

b. God’s peace is able to protect the heart and mind of the believer in Christ because the God of peace walks with believers as we live for Him

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7, NIV84)

4. the Christians peace of mind and soul comes from the Spirit of Christ who indwells us, and not from either the absence of conflict, or the presence of prosperity

a. our peace comes from the knowledge that “ ... in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NIV84)

B. JEHOVAH-SHALOM WANTS HIS PEOPLE TO KNOW THE PEACE THAT TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING

“I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints — ... .” (Psalm 85:8, NIV84)

1. there was a time in King David's life when he found himself fleeing from Absalom during his son's rebellion and attempted coup d'etat

a. David felt intense pressure and his soul was in turmoil

b. but David fixed his thoughts on God and remembered the joy that came with trust in Jehovah-Shalom

1) comforted and at rest despite overwhelming danger, David concluded:

"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety" (Psa. 4:8)

2. the Hebrew word for peace is shalom

a. it is a multi-faceted word occurring over 200 times in the Old Testament

1) about 25 times it is used either as a greeting or a farewell

a) when it is used in such a way it implies a blessing upon that person's life

ILLUS. It would be as if upon greeting a good friend we would say, "God bless you! I wish for you prosperity, health, wholeness and harmony in your life."

2) when a Hebrew greeted a friend with "Shalom!" he was wishing that friend all these good things

b. shalom was also a word which implied the absence of strife or tension or hostility between individuals or nations

3. the word shalom takes on its deepest significance in the Book of Psalms and the OT prophets

a. two-thirds of the uses of this word express the fulfillment that comes to human lives when they experience God's presence

b. for us, as well as David, peace in difficult circumstances is a result of our relationship with God

4. but this peace with God does not come through our efforts

a. it has always been God who initiated peace on the behalf of His people

C. THE PRINCE OF PEACE WILL BRING QUIET REPOSE TO HIS PEOPLE

1. it was the OT prophets who announced God's promise to give His people a leader who would lead his people into peace

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6, NIV84)

2. this is perhaps the most quoted Messianic prophecy of the Old Testament

a. the people of Israel looked forward to the day when "of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end" (Isa. 6:7)

b. for a nation of people who had frequently experienced war with their enemies, persecution by their neighbors and subjugation by foreign powers this was indeed a powerful hope

3. but the prophecy also tells us that this peace will not be purchased cheaply

a. how will the Prince of Peace secure the peace of his people?

b. Isaiah gives us a hint of the price of peace in his description of the suffering servant

"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isa. 53:6)

II. THE PRINCE OF PEACE MAKES POSSIBLE PEACE WITH JEHOVAH-SHALOM

1. let's jump ahead 700 years past Isaiah's prophecy to the night sky over the small Judean village of Bethlehem

2. shepherds are gathered around a small fire

a. some are fitfully trying to sleep on the rough and rocky ground

b. others are milling about recounting the days activities, perhaps a few are even arguing over politics and religion

c. a few may have even turned their attention to the night sky and quiet contemplation of Jehovah's mighty creation

3. abruptly the still darkness is pierced by light and a symphony of praise as angels announce the birth of the Messiah

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”” (Luke 2:13–14, NIV84)

A. MAN'S GREATEST NEED IS PEACE WITH GOD

ILLUS. In his book Born Again, Chuck Coleson writes of his conversion experience during the height of the Watergate Scandal. A friend had been witnessing to him. One evening that friend began to read from C.S. Lewis' book Mere Christianity. As Coleson listened he heard how pride keeps men from God. Coleson testifies that it was a painful experience — "Agony" — he wrote. He writes: "I saw myself as I never had before. And the picture was ugly." He continued to search and read. Again and again he came back to C. S. Lewis central theme: "Jesus Christ is God." Upon his confession of Christ Coleson writes: "I felt old fears, tensions, and animosities draining away. I was coming alive to things I'd never seen before; as if God was filling the barren void I'd known for so many months, filling it to its brim with a whole new kind of awareness. There came something more: strength and serenity, a wonderful new assurance about life, a fresh perception of myself and the world around me."

1. through Christ Jesus Chuck Coleson found what all men need ...

a. peace with God that comes through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ

B. JEHOVAH-SHALOM OFFERS YOU HIS PEACE THROUGH HIS PRINCE OF PEACE

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," (Romans 5:1, NIV84)

ILLUS. One of the church’s favorite Advent hymns is It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. The third stanza reminds us that life can sometimes dish out great difficulties. The author of the hymn writes: "All ye, beneath life's crushing load, Whose forms are bending low, Who toil along the climbing way With painful steps and slow. Look now! for glad and golden hours Come swiftly on the wing: O rest beside the weary road, And hear the angels sing!"

1. life can bring crushing loads to bend us low

2. being a child of God does not give us immunity from the crushing loads of life

a. there is hardly a soul here today whose life has not been touched by tragedy or heartache or setback or failure

1) like the hymn intones, we toil along the climbing way with painful and slow steps

3. in spite of these crushing loads, the angel's message to the shepherds is a great joy, and the promise of peace

a. to these shepherds the angels herald the good news

1) their burdens can be lifted

2) their darkness can be turned to light

3) their pain can be healed

4) their sorrow can be turned to joy

5) their disappointment can by turned to expectancy

4. what is man's most crushing load men bear?

a. it is the burden of sin

b. the word Savior implies that we need to be saved from something

1) saved is a synonym for rescued and delivered

2) it implies that there is a threatening or dangerous, or desperate, or deadly condition from which we need to be rescued

5. the condition that is so dangerous and deadly — the situation that threatens your eternal life is the ugliness and sinfulness of your sin

a. but the good news is that God came into this world with a purpose — to save men who are hopelessly lost in their sin

““For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16–17, NIV84)

b. through Jehovah-Shalom’s Prince of Peace you can have peace with God

c. on the night that the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, he told the carpenter,

"You will call him Jesus, for he will save His people from their sins."

6. to that end, the Son of God died for His elect upon a cross of shame

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:24–25, NIV84)

ILLUS. Amy Grant, a popular Christian singing artist, once recorded a song entitled, It's Not a Song. The lyrics go like this: "It's not a song until it touches your heart. It's not a song until it tears you apart. After what's left of what's right and what's wrong, till it gets through to you, it's not a song."

a. God's plan of salvation is the same

b. God came into the world to live and suffer and die so that you and I might have the peace of God that passes all understanding

1) it's a peace that riches or possessions cannot give

2) it's a peace that education and professional degrees cannot give

3) it's a peace that social standing or prestige cannot give

4) it's a peace that isolation or solitude cannot give

c. but God's Hymn of Redemption does not bring love and joy and peace until it touches your heart and tears you apart and brings you on bended knees to the Savior

d. but there are many in our society — perhaps a few here this morning — who repeatedly hear the Christmas story, but you’ve never grasped its meaning

ILLUS. One of my favorite stories is about Orville and Wilbur Wright. They were bicycle-makers by trade, and were obsessed with trying to create a flying machine. They had tried repeatedly to fly their airplane, but without success. Finally, on a December day, on the wind-swept sand dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, they did what man had never done before. They actually flew. Elated, they wired their sister Katherine. The message was simple: "We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas." With all haste, Katherine ran down the street to the local newspaper, shoved the telegram into the hands of the city editor. Here was the news scoop of the century – man's first powered flight! He read it carefully and then smiled, "Well, well! How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas."

e. don't let the trappings of the season blind you to the reality of what the season is all about

Our God is Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord our Peace. He has sent the Prince of Peace — Jesus Christ — into our lives that we might have peace with God. God's son came to give peace to a world that seems torn and shattered by violence and hatred. He came to give spiritual peace to the souls of men. That peace is available to you this morning.