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I. Reading of Scripture
II.
Introduction
The title of this sermon is:
Title | He Will Give You Peace
This is not a platitude.
This is a promise.
God will give you peace!
Because peace is something only God can give.
A. Introduction to Theme
Peace is a fruit of God’s character (Gal 5:22).
Peace is intrinsic to God’s nature — it is who He is! God is the God of peace.
Peace is what we experience in God’s presence.
QUESTION: How do we know if we need peace?
Let me ask it in a more personal way: How do YOU know if you need peace?
The answer is really quite simple: When we realize we don’t have it!
History has shown that some of the most wealthy celebrities and athletes have bought houses and cars and lifestyles without giving any thought to needing money because they had so much of it.
Until the day the manager called to say the money ran out!
Until, they didn’t have any more.
Then they realized they needed it.
Food is the same way.
We can eat and become full without giving any thought of needing food for survival, because we have it.
Until we open the pantry and its empty.
Until we run out.
Then we realize we need it.
We take relationships for granted and fail to properly appreciate them.
Have we not heard it said: “We won’t realize what we’re missing until it’s gone!.”
We know we need peace if we’ve ever experienced a time without it.
And so it is, that
The absence of peace in our lives is a symptom that something is not right in our relationship with God!
I want you to examine your life right now.
Are you at perfect peace?
Peace is a word that has many senses.
It describes wholeness.
It means everything is intact.
Complete.
Sound.
In harmony.
(See BDB, CHALOT, LN).
Are you at perfect peace?
Or is there something that is causing you to experience all of the enemies of peace: fear, anxiety, concern, unhappiness, scarcity, lack, division, war...?
Asked another way:
QUESTION | What is something that you want, but do not have?
When what we want doesn’t materialize in what we have, we don’t have peace.
There is not a harmony.
Things as we see them, are out of balance.
What is keeping you from having peace?
Put a name to it.
Write it down if you can.
What is causing you to not have perfect peace?
Whatever that is for you, that is where God wants to meet you today.
That is where something is not right in your relationship with God.
That is an area you have not given over to God, or trusted Him with.
The message of this Advent Sunday is that God will give you peace today.
But God’s peace is found in only one place — HIM.
Ephesians 2:14 says that Jesus Christ himself “is our peace.”
When sin entered into the world, all of humanity learned in a moment what they always had but had now lost in God — the peace of God.
Peace with God.
As God began the process of redemption, restoring humanity’s relationship with God, that process included bringing peace to the world — the peace of Heaven to Earth.
This is the Christmas message that is good news of great joy for all people, the message announced by the angel and heavenly host to the shepherds in the field:
B. Introduction to the Text | Numbers 6:22-23
When that message of peace was announced to the shepherds, it was not the first time the Scriptures had proclaimed the peace of God.
Have you ever wondered why there is so much depth to the Christmas story?
In its simplest form, the Christmas story is that a baby was born — And yet in God’s story the birth of Jesus involves so much more!
Space is given in God’s Word to the Preparations.
Prophecies.
Provisions.
Angels.
Shepherds.
Wisemen.
Gifts.
Worship.
The Christmas story is what it is NOT because it stands on its own, but because of all that came before!
The Savior that was born had been promised and expected for a long time!
The peace of Christ now come was something hoped for and sought after by God’s people for a long time!
And they were reminded of this promise and peace every year through words of blessing spoken by the mouths of priests.
Perhaps the most powerful blessing is this high-priestly blessing, recorded in the words of Numbers 6:24-26.
Notice that this blessing began with the LORD.
“The LORD spoke to Moses.”
All of God’s blessings begin with God.
Peace begins with God.
Prescriptions will not give us peace.
Possessions will not give us peace.
Our Preferences (having things go our way) will not give us peace.
Only what is given by God will give us peace.
Anything that we have that we think is a blessing, if it didn’t come from God it’s not a blessing.
This is a blessing that began with the LORD and was given through Moses to Aaron and his sons.
Aaron was the high priest.
Aaron’s sons were the priests.
As priests, they stood between God and His people, mediating God’s Word and mediating God’s peace.
While the priests would bless the people at various times, as the people entered the sanctuary for worship or after a sacrifice had been offered (JS) there was this special blessing once a year, on the Day of Atonement.
Aaron, the high priest would enter into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle blood on the mercy seat to picture God’s provision for making His people right with Him.
Aaron would then come out, and bless the people with the words of this high-priestly blessing.
And in speaking this blessing to the people, he was speaking on behalf of the LORD, telling the people what the LORD will do.
Notice how in each of these three verses, The LORD’s name is given.
The LORD, The LORD, The LORD....
With each mention of the LORD’s name is an action that God will do.
For each action that God will do, this blessings also gives a meaning of that action.
The last meaning, is the culmination of the entire blessing and our theme for today: He Will Give You Peace.
III.
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