Gift of Peace - Regalo de Paz

Symbol of Peace (Símbolo de la Paz)

Good morning Church!!!!

We are continuing our series on the Gifts of Christmas

I want to start with a few symbols that I want to see if you can identify:

Does anyone know what this is?

A Peace Symbol ( Símbolo de la Paz )

What about this one?

Yes!

Another Peace Symbol (Otro símbolo de Paz )

One more...

Yet one more Symbol of Peace (Un símbolo más de Paz )

When you see these symbols, what do you think of? Cuando ve estos símbolos, ¿en qué piensa?

These three images are very different, but they all are very recognizable as signs of peace. Interestingly, not one was developed out of an abundance of peace but rather out of the need for peace.

The First symbol:

Was developed by a British artist and activist named Gerald Holtom in 1958

He created it using flag movements for two letters: N (both diag down) and D (one up one down)

It stood for Nuclear Disarmament

When it came to America, it was used

for the Civil Rights movement, and later

as an protest against the Vietnam War.

The Second symbol:

It started as a victory symbol.

It was used by Resistance fighters in German-occupied territories as a symbol of strength in World War II

British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill adopted the symbol to stand for English Victory.

It eventually stood for the end of the conflict.

Later, in the 1960s, it was adopted as an antiwar symbol by Americans who opposed the war.

The Third Symbol:

As for the dove and the olive branch?

This image was used in many traditions throughout history,

but the Christian symbolism comes from the Old Testament account of Noah,

who sent a dove in search of land after the great flood.

The dove returned holding an olive branch,

indicating that the waters were receding and land was near.

It was a sign of the promise of peace after the storm of God’s judgment.

While we immediately associate peace with these symbols, none were born out of peace. All these images came about because of a desperate need for peace in the midst of conflict and unrest.

Peace is defined as “freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility.”

La paz se define como “estar libre de disturbios; tranquilidad y tranquilidad ".

But it is often in situations that are exactly the opposite that we most recognize our need for peace and the power of the peace God provides.

We see peace most clearly not in the absence of noise, suffering, and conflict but in the midst of it.

This is the world Jesus came to. (Este es el mundo al que vino Jesús.)

The song “Silent Night” conjures calm, soothing, peaceful images in our mind,

and it’s often a worshipful three-minute escape in the midst of our hectic holiday preparations.

But that original silent night was not actually very silent.

The world was not at peace.

There was a divide between God and people.

There was conflict among families and nations.

There was political tumult and Roman oppression in Israel.

There was demanding physical travel forced on Mary and Joseph by Roman politicians.

And there was unrest in the hearts of many.

But in the midst of all this, Jesus came as the Prince of Peace.

Jesus the Messiah was and is many things that the prophet Isaiah foretold He would be:

Isaiah 9:6 NKJV

6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 RVR60

6 Porque un niño nos es nacido, hijo nos es dado, y el principado sobre su hombro; y se llamará su nombre Admirable, Consejero, Dios Fuerte, Padre Eterno, Príncipe de Paz.

But it’s important to remember that Jesus is not just a symbol of peace,

Jesus is peace! ¡Jesús es paz!

And the Prince of Peace offers us the gift of peace this Advent season.

This was part of His original birth announcement made by the angels:

Luke 2:13–14 NKJV

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Luke 2:13–14 RVR60

13 Y repentinamente apareció con el ángel una multitud de las huestes celestiales, que alababan a Dios, y decían: 14 ¡Gloria a Dios en las alturas, Y en la tierra paz, buena voluntad para con los hombres!

Peace is the Fourth Gift in our series on the Gifts of Christmas

We have been celebrating Advent (which means coming, or arrival.

During Advent, we light candles each week to represent aspects of Jesus’ coming to a world lost in darkness.

Lighting the Candle (Encendiendo la Vela)

Would _______________________________ come and light the first four candles

Advent is a season for allowing God’s peace to infiltrate our hearts and minds as we prepare for His coming at Christmas and His return someday.

What an appropriate time and season to recognize Jesus as our peace!

Really, our world is not much different from the one Jesus stepped into a couple thousand years ago.

We are certainly more technologically advanced,

but our fast-paced, high-tech capabilities in many ways have added to anxiety, stress, and fatigue at the relentless pace of life.

The scenery and process of daily life looks very different,

but still we strive and struggle to subsist and exist.

Our world rages with wars and violence.

Governments and politicians rage and clamor.

While we certainly have so very much to be thankful for in our lives and community and country, peace can and does easily get squeezed out of our ongoing lives easily and often.

Think about this: Have you ever been somewhere that suddenly got very quiet?

Perhaps you’ve been in a building when the electricity goes out,

and the buzz of the lights and computers and appliances is silenced.

Or maybe you’ve been outdoors on a summer night when the song of the crickets stops abruptly.

Sometimes we don’t even recognize the noise all around us until it suddenly stops and we hear the silence.

The same can be true for peace in our lives.

Sometimes we are so used to the hustle and bustle that we don’t even notice the noise, chaos, and unrest until it is gone—

until we take the time to experience peace and allow God to silence the other noises in our life.

During this Advent, we are recognizing a season that helps us take that time to reset our hearts and minds to be still and listen as we wait. Peace is the gift we unwrap today.

Let’s look at several ways that peace manifests itself in our lives.

1. Peace with God (Paz con Dios)

There is a bumper sticker that says,

No God, No Peace. Know God, Know Peace.

No hay Dios, no hay paz.

Conoce a Dios, conoce la paz.

You’ve probably seen it.

Placed on the back of a car, it can sound overused.

But there is actually truth there.

When we know God,

we can experience peace because of who Christ is and

what He did in coming to earth,

living among us,

dying on the cross, and

resurrecting to defeat sin and death.

It’s easy for us to associate His life and work on earth with salvation,

but the apostle Paul made an important note in Romans that we are wise not to overlook.

Romans 5:1–2 NKJV

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5:1–2 RVR60

1 Justificados, pues, por la fe, tenemos paz para con Dios por medio de nuestro Señor Jesucristo; 2 por quien también tenemos entrada por la fe a esta gracia en la cual estamos firmes, y nos gloriamos en la esperanza de la gloria de Dios.

Jesus brings and allows us peace with God, our Creator.

Our first and greatest need for peace is to be at peace with God. (Nuestra primera y mayor necesidad de paz es estar en paz con Dios.)

Our sin naturally separates us from God.

From the time sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden, humans have been at odds with God.

Our sin and His holiness are not compatible.

They are not at peace—they are at conflict with each other.

That’s why no conflict on earth can compare to this need for peace between God and His creation—us humans especially—and it is the reason God sent Jesus to earth that first Christmas.

Through Jesus we can be justified by grace through faith.

And when we believe in Jesus and accept His salvation and forgiveness, we are at peace with God.

The barriers of conflict and sin are removed.

We are right with Him in unity, identity, and purpose.

This eternal peace with the Creator is the greatest gift we can receive this season.

It is available to us all.

It is where we all start with receiving Christ’s gift.

It is where we all must abide and return—we belong to God in Christ.

We are unified with Him. We are His.

May we all lean into and experience the peace of this reality throughout Advent and beyond.

2. Peace Within (Paz interior)

As I mentioned earlier, there is so much to draw us or drag us away from the peace of Christ.

Fortunately, God also knows the unrest we feel within ourselves.

He made you and knows your deepest thoughts, hurts, joys, and desires.

He knows your need for peace within. And He knows the broken world surrounding us and all the unrest clamoring around and against us.

Paul offered us these appropriate words in Philippians 4:6–7

Philippians 4:6–7 NKJV

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6–7 RVR60

6 Por nada estéis afanosos, sino sean conocidas vuestras peticiones delante de Dios en toda oración y ruego, con acción de gracias. 7 Y la paz de Dios, que sobrepasa todo entendimiento, guardará vuestros corazones y vuestros pensamientos en Cristo Jesús.

What a beautiful promise!

What a rich practice!

What a powerful peace that we can experience!

Look at these phrases:

God’s peace “transcends all understanding.”

It defies our world and our circumstances.

It fills us when everything going on around us is not conducive to peace.

In other words, it shows itself most strongly in circumstances where peace just does not make sense.

Maybe that’s a tragedy or an illness or a conflict or a heartache.

No matter how bad your situation, God is there . . . with you . . . offering the gift of His peace that is stronger than whatever difficulty you face.

Notice too that while this peace is calm and restorative,

God’s peace is also strong and active.

It has the power to “guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

It is strong enough to defy our worst nightmares.

I think one thing that’s interesting about this verse is that we often take it as a type of formula.

If we can just manage to pray and thank God and ask Him about everything, then we’ll get God’s peace.

While Paul was describing those actions as part of a practice of peace, we should remember that this is not an automatic formula.

We must remember that God gave the gift of peace in the form of a person—Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

The verse just before this passage says, “The Lord is near” (verse 5).

And that’s an important starting point.

Jesus’s presence with us is the reason we do not need to be anxious.

He is the reason we have peace within.

He is Immanuel, God with us, who offers us the gift of peace beyond understanding that guards our hearts and minds in Him.

And as we practice the actions of prayer and petition and thanksgiving, we do so to connect with Him.

Peace comes as a result of the transformation we experience as the Holy Spirit shapes our perspective and realigns our heart.

Our troubles may rage on, but the Spirit gives us new eyes to see and the peace of Christ guards us and calms us and changes our outlook.

May this be the practice and power of peace that we experience in Advent and beyond.

3. Peace to Come (Paz por venir)

So we have looked together at the gift of peace with God and peace within.

But what about peace without?

What about the situations we can’t change,

the relationships that are broken,

the chaos we can’t calm,

the hurt we can’t heal,

the violence we can’t understand?

What do we do with the need for peace in our world?

This again is where we recognize the two-pronged nature of the Advent season.

We wait for Christ’s coming at Christmas, and at the same time we wait for His return.

The peace we long for in our world is a peace that is still to come.

It is a final restoration promised but not yet realized.

In the meantime, we wait with longing for the day when God’s peace will reign in all the earth.

Until then, we can turn to the words that Jesus spoke to His disciples.

We can hold onto them closely until we see Him face-to-face.

John 16:33 NKJV

33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33 RVR60

33 Estas cosas os he hablado para que en mí tengáis paz. En el mundo tendréis aflicción; pero confiad, yo he vencido al mundo.

Again, we see God’s recognition of the brokenness we live in and among.

He knows.

He understands how and why we can become discouraged, but here He encourages us to remember the person of peace, the Prince of Peace.

In Him, we have and find and remember peace for our present and future.

There is a peace today, and there is a complete peace that is yet to come.

In the time between, we trust in Jesus’s promise that He has indeed overcome the world.

And in the meantime, we return to Jesus.

It’s a similar process to what Paul described in Philippians 4.

It’s a continual returning and renewing with our Lord and our God.

It’s the deepening of our relationship with Him, and it shapes us and holds us and carries us to all that we are and all we can experience because of Him.

Where is your chaos today?

Where is your warfare and unrest?

Let me encourage you that the Prince of Peace is greater.

His peace is more powerful.

This is the peace I long for.

As we celebrate the Advent season of waiting, let’s recognize that we wait with longing for God’s peace to be made perfect in our world.

Let’s also remember that the peace of Christ is also here and now and waiting to fill us all.

Prayer: God, thank You that in this season of Advent we can unwrap Your gift of peace. Help us to live in the peace You provided through Jesus, rest in the peace You give in the midst of life, and trust in the peace of knowing You have overcome the world. Fill us and hold us with Your peace as we encounter You and experience the depth and richness of life You provide both now and forever.

Benediction: “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

2 Thessalonians 3:16 NKJV

16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 RVR60

16 Y el mismo Señor de paz os dé siempre paz en toda manera. El Señor sea con todos vosotros.