The Promise of Peace

“I leave the gift of peace with you—my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous!

John 16:33 (TPT)

… everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!”

Certainly there are many things in this world that rob our peace.

For instance, last Sunday we learned of a demon-possessed or at least mentally deranged individual who drove a SUV into a Christmas parade in Wisconsin.

I believe demon possessed due to his violent criminal past and his obvious intent to hurt as many seniors, children and others as he could as he weaved through the parade to hit as many people as possible.

Then there is the announcement this week of the omicron variant of covid.

We don’t know much about it, but we need to be AFRAID!

Probably being terrified in fear is NOT living in the peace of Christ.

Of course the panic-mongering media, spreading the news of a new covid variant, helped provoke a financial situation as the stock market plunged Friday for the worst Black Friday stock market ever.

Industry publication Barron’s said Friday:

Stocks, oil prices, and bond yields plunged Friday as fears surrounding a new, heavily-mutated variant of Covid-19 slammed investor sentiment and ratcheted up volatility.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average had its worst day of the year, falling 905 points, or 2.5% in holiday-shortened trading. The S&P 500 ended 2.3% lower, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 2.2%. This was the worst Black Friday on record for all three indexes.

And then yesterday, Brother Darrell sent me a YouTube link concerning violent encounters in parking lots, people being attacked and killed in heavily populated parking lots.

I don’t know that there have been any incidents in our area, but we do need to always try to be aware of what is going on around us.

The video also talked about a lab in Pensylvania that went into lock down when some vials of smallpox were discovered.

We live in a world full of situations that could cause us great fear and stress.

It is just as Jesus said John 16:33: in this unbelieving world you WILL experience trouble and sorrows

But Jesus tells us not live in response to the trouble and sorrows of this world.

Instead we are to live according to the peace that He gives.

A peace that will overcome the terrors of the world.

A peace that gives us courage and confidence.

As we live in the peace of Jesus — as we live in courage and confidence — we will be witnesses of the difference Jesus makes in our life.

The courage and confidence that Jesus gives with His peace will give us opportunities to speak to people about their need to repent of the sins and ask Jesus to give them His peace as He is the Lord of their lives.

People all around us are looking for peace in all the wrong places:

In political solutions.

In wealth and possessions.

In the bottle or the needle.

Just as they think they have found peace in the things of this world, they find out the truth:

1 Thessalonians 5:2–3 NASB95

2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.

So we need to be filled the peace of God.

We need what He gives in spite of the terrors all around us.

But how do we tap into the peace that Jesus promised?

We do it through prayer.

By communing with Jesus.

As we have “a little talk with Jesus and tell Him all about our troubles.”

As we quiet our minds, our hearts, our mouths and LISTEN to what Jesus would say to us through the Holy Spirit.

Things that promote peace and NOT fear, worry or stress.

We will have an opportunity this afternoon at 5:00 pm to pray and hear the things that give peace at our Christmas Tree lighting/Prayer service.

Each Tuesday at 10 am we have an opportunity to pray.

During the first full week of the year, starting January 2-8 we will fast and pray.

With that thought in mind, I would like to encourage you to do 2 things:

Prayer devotional: Awesome!

This brand new 31-day devotional takes the Sunday night devotions that I have been doing since the beginning of the year a few steps further.

It reveals Jesus in all of the ways we have seen so far this year, but then summarizes those attributes in 31 different ways such as:

The Supreme Jesus

The Awesome Jesus

The Beautiful Jesus

The Resurrected Jesus

The Compassionate Jesus

The Victorious Jesus

and so on

At the end of these 31 devotions a list of 30 or so of the Names of Christ are given with their scripture references.

What this devotional, written by Dick Eastman, will do is help us to refocus on Jesus.

To think about Him in new and deeper ways.

As the old chorus says:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

The stress and worries will grow dimmer.

The terror and constant yammer of the fear-mongering media will grow dimmer.

The aggravations and heartaches of this present darkness will grow dimmer.

And Jesus will grow brighter.

His grace will grow brighter.

His glory will grow brighter.

And completely wash-out every other care and concern.

Another thing you can do is purchase Missionary God, Missionary Bible -

Not just for the devotional

But also for the Bible reading plan to read though the Bible in a year.

If you have never done it, I encourage you to commit to reading through the scriptures in 2022.

We need to focus less on the constant noise of this world and more on the Presence of Jesus.

You know, Jesus.

The One who was born 2000 years ago in the fulfilment of:

Isaiah 9:6–7 (NLT)

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

Jesus IS the fulfilment of the promise of a Prince of Peace.

This morning turn with me to our text where we see the announcement of the fulfilment of God’s promise of peace:

The Shepherds – PEACE - Luke 2:8-14 / Isaiah 9:6

The Promise of Peace

First, think about the promised that Messiah of Isaiah 9:6-7.

Isaiah 9:6–7 NASB95

6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

First, he will be a child born to us.

Not a gravity-defying superhero sent in a space ship.

Not an archangel sent with legions of angel armies.

A baby.

Jesus is the fulfilment of that promise of a baby.

Philippians 2:7–8 NASB95

7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Second, this scripture promises that His NAME will be .... Prince of Peace.

Messiah has a lot of names in this promise, but the one on which we are focusing this morning is: Prince of Peace

Even 2,600 years ago the world was a war-weary place — how the people longed for peace.

Jesus is not just NAMED the Prince of Peace, He is the embodiment of Peace — of Shalom.

Third, that His government, His Kingdom, that rests fully, absolutely upon His shoulders, would not just be full of peace, but there will be NO END to His peace.

Messiah didn’t come to dole out little dollops of peace here and there.

He came to give an increasing peace that has no end, no limit.

As He said in Matthew 28:18

Matthew 28:18 NASB95

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Jesus has full authority to give us unlimited peace.

Finally, the zeal of the Lord of Hosts, the Lord of Angel Armies WILL accomplish this promise.

There is no slumbering, no laziness on God’s part.

The promise was made by God and He WILL fulfill it.

He is ready to fulfil it a the earliest possible time — but not before the “fullness of time” spoken of in Galatians 4:4

Galatians 4:4 NASB95

4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

That “fulness of time” came 2000 years ago when Jesus was born of a virgin and laid in a manger in Bethlehem.

The promise of peace was fulfilled.

The Fulfillment of the Promise

Our text in Luke 2 tells us that God’s announcement of His promise fulfilled was given to Shepherds through the lips of angels.

It began with the angel of the Lord encouraging the terrified shepherds to not be afraid.

It ended with a multitude of angels praising God and saying:

Glory to God in the highest.

How worthy of glory is the God who sent His only begotten Son into the world!

How worthy of glory is the God who has sent the Prince of Peace into the world!

This multitude of angels announced that through this Baby would come the promised peace to those with whom God is pleased.

With whom is God pleased to give His peace?

This peace is upon and within those who accept Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ — as their Savior and Lord.

That’s who God showers with His favor.

It is the peace of shalom, the peace of well-being, harmony and security.

What a difference from the Pax Romana that Rome imposed by force on its kingdom.

A few weeks ago, in our Wednesday adult study of the Commands of Christ, we see that Jesus has called US to step in for angels and announce the Prince of Peace.

To tell those with whom we have contact about the peace that Jesus gives.

Why?

Because WE know the truth of the peace of God —we have experienced it.

Romans 4:24–5:1 (NASB95)

… as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead [are credited with righteousness and justification], 25 [Jesus] was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

I am struck by the 2 scriptures I read at the beginning of this message.

In John 14:27 & 16:33 Jesus promised us a peace that is greater than the fragile peace that the world gives.

His peace endures in the face of all worldly terrors..

The peace that Jesus gives makes us courageous and confident.

Have you experienced that kind of peace?

[Invitation to be saved.]

If you did that this morning, please contact us.

The Lord’s Supper

Let us celebrate the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Let us celebrate the coming of Messiah.

The coming of the Prince of Peace.

The accomplishment of the Mission of Messiah.

Jesus came to earth 2,000 years ago.

He lived a sinless life.

He died on the cross in our place.

His shed His blood for our salvation.

He was buried in a tomb

But 3 days later He defeated death and rose from the dead.

Just before He accomplished Mission on the Cross he told His disciples in:

Luke 22:15–16 NASB95

15 And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

Before they would share the meal together, there had to be preparation.

Let us prepare to eat this meal together:

1 Corinthians 11:27–31 NASB95

27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.

Before we partake together, let us receive and hold the emblems of this meal so we can all partake at the same time:

You don’t have to be a member.

Worship team, come.

Everyone, come.

Song: Amazing Grace (My chains are gone)

Bread:

Luke 22:19 NASB95

19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

David Davenport prays.

1. End prayer with prayer from Seder:

i. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, who brings forth bread from the earth.

Cup:

Luke 22:20 NASB95

20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.

Prayer by Konnie Davenport

1. End prayer with prayer from Seder:

i. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Jesus is coming back

1 Corinthians 11:26 NLT

26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.