Peace With Jesus
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Merry Christmas!
Finally! It’s here…This week!
Most the time we say the year really flew by…I’ll be honest…I’m not feeling that this year.
I feel as though i lived and experienced everyday. Was it the best year ever? No.
Did some things change? Yes.
But some things haven’t. Watch this...
How many of you still have Christmas shopping to finish?
See…some things never change.
It’s definitely been a year for the books. Thomas and I sat down this last week talking about the last year and things to celebrate at Victory Night. I can’t wait to rejoice with you over the things God allowed us to see happen this year.
However, through the year I’m sure that like me you found yourself a little frantic at times. Maybe anxious or stressed.
What did you do when those times came?
Many people find it through emptying their mind. They find it through “clearing” their thoughts. Many found it through the abuse of subtances they could drink, smoke, shoot up, and change the way their minds worked. They wanted to ignore all that was going on around them and exist in a mindless stupor.
However, the means to peace and relaxation is not found in emptying your mind but in filling it with the peace of God.
Some may find peace and comfort in some things around them. Maybe your family, your job, your home, and other things of this world bring you peace.
Be careful....We said some things never change....but many things do.
As we prepare to open the Word of God today I want you to think on something....Where do you find peace?
You see, we have a great God. We have an amazing God.
Isaiah 9:6-7
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, Upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, To order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice From henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Jesus is a Wonderful Counselor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
Jesus’ birth is one of the greatest gifts ever given to mankind. The other was His death.
You see, God created giving. He’s been giving ever since we’ve been existing.
James 1:17
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
God finished His Christmas shopping early. He gave us the gift of Jesus and continues to give us other gifts in this life. Other than Jesus and our salvation by grace and faith in Him through His death burial and resurrection, God’s gifts change.
Your family, your home, your job, your health…all are amazing gifts from God however…the gifts change.
Your kids grow up and sometimes don’t go the route you thought they would. Your home needs constant maintenance and sometimes depreciates in value. Your job can fire you and not lose any profits. Your health will deteriate. If you are finding your peace in those gifts…your peace is depending upon changing situations.
However, when you no longer find your peace in the gift, you can always find it, in the giver.
When we know that we have God with us, we can find Peace. Immanuel means God With Us and when God sent Jesus His Son to be born as a babe in a manger…He sent Him so that we may know the Prince of Peace.
Open your Bibles to Luke 2 this morning. We are going to look at the first public proclamation of these good tidings about Jesus’ birth.
Luke 2:1-14
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Beth-lehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
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, Good will toward men.
Pray
Notice first
1. The Message of Peace comes at Difficult Times
1. The Message of Peace comes at Difficult Times
Let’s look at the Shepherds in verse 8.
We have this image in our heads of what this looked like externally. The shepherds on a hill side…the sheep down in the valley. Maybe the shepherd sitting underneath a tree and just star gazing. That may in fact be the scene. That may be exactly what is taking place on that hillside.
T'was the night before Christmas and all throughout the land,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a lamb,
The task for the day had been finished with care,
The sheep were all nestled in their grassy beds.
While visions of meadows green danced in their heads.
We shepards were watching our flocks by night,
Never expecting to see such a sight.
When out of the sky the darkness was shattered,
We rose to our feet to see what was the matter
A glory so bright that it shown all around,
Causing such terror, that we fell to the ground,
An angel appeared to give comfort and cheer,
And quickly assured us we had nothing to fear.
"I bring you good news of great joy for all.
A Savior is born in Bethlehem small.
You will find him lying in a manger,
With Joseph and Mary safe from all danger"
More rapid than eagles, a host filled the sky,
Angels prolaiming "GLORIY TO GOD ON HIGH,
ON EARTH, PEACE, GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN".
Then the angels departed and went into heaven.
Let's see what the Lord has told us about,
"To Bethlehem quickly! There's no room for doubt".
However, let’s take a step back and look at the full picture.
Gal 4:4
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
The fulness of time. God chose this time to send Jesus because it was the perfect time to do so.
There are a number of reasons as to why some say it was the fulness of time: The Pax Romana which was peace in the Roman empire, The Roman road system that would allow the good news to be spread across the world, the spiritual decay of the Jewish Culture, and other things. And, while I won’t disagree with those and they sound amazing....let’s look through this lens of Roman rule at the hillside the shepherds were on again.
Think of their families. Think of the life they lived underneath Roman Rule. Think of the difficulties and hardships they faced.
I bet that shepherd was on that hillside doing one of two thing…trying to stay awake…or in the dark of night, alone in his thoughts, exploring the stresses of life and what’s going to happen the enxt day. how are they going to survive if just one sheep gets away.
Where will their next meal come from?
Will they encounter Roman soldiers that will cause them trouble?
When will he get to sleep under a roof again?
These people in scripture are just like you and I.
I believe when they are awake late at night and their mental faculties are diminished, their emotional gaurd is down, they begin to dwell on the same things we do.
Job, home, Christmas presents, personal health, health of friends and loved ones, maybe you think of your faults and regrets. Things you wish you would have done differently.
This shepherd is doing the same thing.
He is living in a difficult period of time. His life is not easy. His life is one that is most likely not filled with constant joy and happiness.
He is just like you.
It’s during times like these we are more likely to be receptive to the message of peace.
Jesus said
Mark 10:25
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Why? because being rich is bad? absolutely not. I believe it is because when a person is rich, when a person is well off, it doesn’t mean they don’t have problems. It is a different set of problems than a person who doesn’t.
It does mean that life itself can be more comfortable. Silk sheets over animal skin. Vacation to Paris France vs vacation to Paris Texas.
So this message of peace that God sent to the world in the fulfilment of time wasn’t during good times. It was during bad.
It’s during your bad times that you can experience God with you better than any other. It’s during your bad times that you can not only hear this message of peace but understand and apply it.
Can you recieve the message during good times? Absolutely…but it doesn’t mean the same as when times are tough.
Hear this message today of how to have Peace with Jesus and if you are one going through a difficulty…use it. If you are in a good time of life…receive it and store it away in your heart because one day…you will need it.
It’s during this lifetime we know there will be difficulty…The Lord doesn’t promise good things for those of us who live on earth.
John 16:33
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Peace is found in Jesus not the world.
That’s why we must understand
2. The Method of Peace isn’t of this world.
2. The Method of Peace isn’t of this world.
It’s the world that says to empty your mind and just relax. Concentrate on inner peace and it will come. Turn your mind off to the things that are happening around you b y distracting yourself with entertainment.
Turn on netflix. turn on the video game, pick up your phone and get on social media.
This is the equivalent of sweeping your problems under the rug. This provides a very surface level, superficial peace that lasts for only moments. Then once you turn your brain back on, the problems are still there and nothing has changed.
Peace is not found in empty thoughts. It is found in deep thought and meditation....on God.
Psalm 29:11
11 The Lord will give strength unto his people; The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Listen to the verses that come before this one. See what David has done before declaring strengh and peace to the people of God.
Psalm 29
A Psalm of David.
1 Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, Give unto the Lord glory and strength.
2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: The God of glory thundereth: The Lord is upon many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; Yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; The Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, And discovereth the forests: And in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.
10 The Lord sitteth upon the flood; Yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.
11 The Lord will give strength unto his people; The Lord will bless his people with peace.
He declared the greatness of God. He declares His glory, His sovereignty, and His strength.
He thinks deeply about God and all the He is. David declares these truth to the reader and singer of this Psalm, I believe, to point out where that peace and strength come from.
As you are going through life, this pandemic, this holiday season, through the loss of loved ones, through the various difficulties we can face in life, don’t empty your mind of the problems that are around you.
Recall who your God is. Recall how amazing He is. When we put our faith in Christ we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God and the Holy Spirit is the third person of the GodHead.
When Jesus first references the Holy Spirit He gives Him a title...
John 16:7
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Comfort and peace do not come from an emptiness of mind but from a fulness of the spirit.
Because peace is not found in the world, it is found in Jesus.
A continual concentration on God as your provider of peace will help when the difficult times come. However you won’t recieve the message of peace best until you are in that difficult time.
The Holy Spirit is the ultimate provider of Peace to those who believe in Jesus. As Christians though we are to be the reminders of peace.
What do I mean by that?
3. It’s our privilege to share the good news of peace with others
3. It’s our privilege to share the good news of peace with others
Notice verses 15-18
Luke 2:15-18
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Beth-lehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
The Angels came and delivered the news of peace on earth and good will toward men to the Shepherds. The Shepherds went and saw Jesus. Then what did they do?
They were told of Jesus, they went by faith to find Jesus, which I like to think of as a picture of us coming to Jesus by faith for salvation, and then what did they do?
They made known abroad what the angels said to them. They shared the message of peace with those around them.
We are the reminders of Peace. Peace through Christ has come. Yet we walk around as though peace is unattainable.
Why? Because you are human and forget. I forget stuff ALL THE TIME.
When you have a trial of life, you forget. When you suffer financial loss, you forget. When others are against you, you forget. When a pandemic happens, you forget. When health difficulties come, you forget.
You forget that we have God with Us.
Immanuel came about 2000 years ago and brought peace on earth and good tidings of great joy.
When we have our difficulties when we have our trials, when we face the pains that life can bring, we forget Immanuel.
Just as Peter who had his eyes on Jesus in the storm and then looked away at the storm, we look at the world and forget the one who is keeping us on top of the water is right before us. All we have to do is keep our eyes on Him.
Does it mean the storm ends? No. it means we can have peace in the storm. How? Recall the greatness of God. Remind those around you and then glory in How He brings you through.
Christmas is a time we celebrate the birth of Jesus, It’s a time we rejoice over Immanuel, God with us. It serves as a reminder as to how you should live throughout the year. God is not just with us....God is with you. And it is your privilege to share the good news of peace with others.
Time of Response
Time of Response
You could be here today and not know peace because you don’t know Jesus.
You could be sitting here because someone made you come on Christmas. Maybe your here out of obligation.
Maybe your here because in the difficulty of this year you hoped to find peace and hope.
Peace and hope are found in Jesus. You have those by putting your faith in Him for salvation.
John 3:16
KJV 190016 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God does love you. Loves you so much He sent Jesus to die for you.
Now you are faced with a decision…will you continue finding salvation in your own works or in the finished work of Christ?
Ephesians 2:8–9
KJV 19008 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Your first have to admit your sinner
Romans 3:23
KJV 190023 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
I’m sure each of us could do that.Next you believe
Romans 10:9
KJV 19009 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Then confess. Confess Jesus as your Savior and call out to Him
Romans 10:13
KJV 190013 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
IF you’d like to do that today I’d like to help.
“Dear Jesus, I know I’m a sinner, I believe you came to die on the cross and rose from the dead. I put my faith right now in you and ask you to come into my life and change me from the inside out. Amen.”
Having God with you can bring peace. Do you live with that peace or have you forgotten? Let today’s message serve as a reminder that when you have God with you, you have peace.
PRAY