Let There Be Peace

Intro

- Illustration- Looking forward to Christmas

o Dad’s birthday

- But Christmas we know is about so much more that presents, decorations, food, or family. We get to enjoy those things this time of year, but ultimately Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus.

o looking forward to the coming King

o Maybe you have heard the word Advent

§ The arrival of an important person

§ As we look to Christmas, we celebrate the coming of Jesus, the Messiah

o Focus on peace, love, joy, and hope

- This morning we are going to focus on the first of these, Peace

- Luke 2:14- “Peace on Earth”

o Jesus brought peace

o Now remember the world that Jesus was born into. The Romans we’re ruling not only Israel, but much of the known world. The Emperor, in the minds of the Romans, was a god, a great uniter of nations, the savior of the Romans, the one who brought this long period of peace for his people.

o But here we begin to see how Jesus’s birth challenges both the emperor’s status as Savior and the period of peace won him status.

What is Peace?

A. The World has many different ideas of what peace means

1. Simply the absence of conflict or war- peacetime

2. Perhaps you heard your parents ask for it often along with quiet

3. Peace from many people’s point of view is directly tied to outward circumstances

4. To quiet the noisiness of life- this is why I love nature so much- there is nothing quite so peaceful as sitting by a mountain stream with no distractions, no worries or cares

a) But it is often short-lived. We may experience peace for a moment, then it’s back to the craziness of life. Back to the reality of a world in turmoil.

- But as we must do with many things, we must try to understand what peace is according to God’s Word, not simply the world’s understanding of it

B. The meaning of Shalom

1. Something that is whole or complete- many different pieces that fit together to make something whole- like a wall or a puzzle

a) Illustration- Packing the suitcases in the back of the car

2. Taking what is broken and making it whole- restoring

3. Peace with justice

4. So, the absence of conflict is part of the meaning, but it also means the presence of something better- sitting by the mountain stream- removing the noise, adding the serenity of the setting

a) You see, this is the lasting peace that only God can offer

b) God not only withholds the judgment that we deserve, but makes us his children- the adoption that Noah talked about last week

C. Peace with God

1. Rom. 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Peace that doesn’t just remove us from a bad situation, but bestows on us the greatest of all gifts- a peace that restores what was broken and makes things right again

Where Do We Find True Peace?

A. We live in a world full of brokenness

1. COVID, Waukesha, riots, wars, death- how can there be peace with all this going on?

2. Perhaps you have felt this in your own life- you look around at your circumstances and find anything but peace in the midst of all that is going on

B. God is the source of peace

1. Heb. 13:20- May “The God of Peace” equip you with everything you need

a) The God who gives peace

b) “Know God, Know Peace” “No God, No Peace”

2. Song with kids- Phil. 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

a) This is divine peace- goes beyond circumstances or external needs- inner peace

b) It is sufficient even when we cannot understand what is happening around us

c) When we rest in this peace that only God can give, it protects us from the worry, anxiety, and fear that is constantly knocking at our door

3. But there is a problem, this peace that comes from God is dependent on a right relationship with Him

a) But we are by nature enemies of God because of our sin

b) Sin has shattered any hope restoring peace with God

- But God, in his great love and mercy provided a way that this relationship could be restored so we could experience the peace that only God can give

C. Jesus Brought peace

1. This was unexpected- many thought he would bring peace through conquering

2. Isaiah tells us that he is the Prince of Peace

3. Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.

4. Jesus brought peace that didn’t necessarily change outward circumstances, but he brought peace in the midst of the storms of life

a) John 16:33- “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

b) John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

5. Jesus didn’t just bring peace, he is peace- Eph. 2:14-15 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,

a) Jesus restored or made whole our broken relationship with God

- So this is the peace that we can know because

How Do We Spread Peace to Others?

A. In our world today, perhaps even more so than 2 years ago, people are desperately searching for peace. Some quiet and rest amidst the noise and chaos

1. Some people try to find it by staying in the know, keeping up with all that is happening, hoping that things will get better. Others search for peace by simply ignoring all that is happening around them, like an ostrich sticking his head in the sand.

2. They look for peace in financial stability or relationships

3. But none of those things can bring lasting peace

B. As Christians, we should not only know true peace, but we should be so full of this peace that it impacts those around us.

1. Col. 3:15- And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

C. As this peace transforms us, we should be eager to share it with others

1. Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace, who brings news of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (CSB)

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; and Where there is sadness, joy… Divine Master; Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. - St. Francis of Assisi

Conclusion

- Jesus takes broken things and makes them whole- in the midst of our brokenness, in the midst of our pain and struggles in this life, Jesus brings peace

- So as we look forward to celebrating Christmas and the coming of the Messiah, we also celebrate the coming of the only true peace we can experience in this life

- But also we look forward to the peace we can experience one day because of Jesus’s sacrifice

So What?

• Have you allowed worry, fear, or anxiety take hold in your life?

• Do you have the peace that only God can offer?

• Are you sharing that peace with others?