Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: Isaiah, chapter 9, verses 6 and 7.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. And the government shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and the peace, there will be no end on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice, with righteousness, from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Father, we thank you for your just amazing gracious love for us.
Father, that you would go to the extent of sending your son, Jesus Christ, our Savior, to this world, as he emptied himself, stepped off his throne, came to us as a human, as a man like us, to walk, to live perfectly, and had to so that he could bear our sins and take away our sins forever through his sacrifice and through his blood.
What an amazing story. What a hopeful story. What a joyous story that we come to celebrate today. Lord, we thank you for this time. And Father, right now we want to give back to you just an offering of our praise and worship because you are so worthy, Lord, we ask these things in Jesus name. Amen.
[00:01:39] Speaker B: Isaiah 43:5. A voice cries in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low and uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people will see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
So, Father, as we light this candle of peace, we ask that you prepare our hearts for your coming. Clear the paths in our lives that keep us from you, and make room in our hearts for your peace and presence.
May we welcome you with open hearts and lives prepared for your glory. Amen.
As you see on the screen as we light these candles, Advent is a time of remembering the coming of Jesus. It's really just means arrival. And so as we light these candles, that's what that is reminding us of, the arrival of Jesus. Welcome. Can you look at the person next to you and say, welcome?
All right, well, or merry Christmas maybe.
Glad that you've chosen to join us this morning.
My name is Pastor Duba. I'm the lead pastor here. And we don't just draw your attention to God's word this morning as we kind of open open his word and see what he has for us this morning. We're gonna start today with this Advent, fourth week of Advent. And so as you see on the screen celebrating Advent Living Hope Church. This has been a time that we have over the last four weeks, or today's the fourth week, looking at these different candles that we will light. The first one is the candle of hope, or the prophet's candle. And that's reminding us of God's faithfulness in meeting, coming through on his promise over hundreds, thousands of years. He said, I'm going to send a savior. And then he did, didn't he? And so we celebrate that. The second candle that we lit was the love candle, reminding us in the story of Jesus being born in Bethlehem. And then last week, Pastor Les walked us through the Joy candle, rejoicing in the fact that Jesus has come into this world. And then today, the candle of what can you say that together? Peace. That will be our focus this morning. The candle of peace or the subject of peace. In the Christmas story, I entitled this sermon today the Advent of peace or the coming of peace in the person of Jesus Christ. So let's pray together just one more time before we get into God's word and really turn our eyes towards what he wants us to see. So if you would bow your heads, let's pray together.
O Lord, we are able to come this morning as we sung some songs about peace, but also rejoicing, knowing that this time of year often brings about joy in many of us. But also we realize there's angst in some of our hearts. This can be a hard season of life for some. But wherever we are today, Lord, help us to turn our eyes and our hearts towards you.
Those here today, I don't know where their relationship is with you, but Lord, I pray that your spirit would work in every one of our hearts, that you would show us, your majesty, show us your power, show us your glory this morning as we spend time in your word, and that our hearts truly would be calmed regardless of what might be going on in our world. We would experience today, this morning, an incredible supernatural peace from you. And that we would be reminded even through that, through your gift of peace for us, of your great love for us. In Jesus name, amen.
Well, Christmas is called the most wonderful time of the year, as the song goes.
But why?
Family dinners with those relatives that you love a little less than maybe some others. Busy travel time, hurried shopping, long lines, the pressure to buy just the right gift, the financial stress, not to mention maybe the stress about getting your Christmas cards just in time. By the way, if you haven't picked up your Christmas cards, that maybe from somebody in the Church, grab them on your way out. Side note there, the end of the year planning and all the peace that that gives.
Getting ready for the Christmas parties that take place, planning to see the relatives that you haven't seen in a long while. Maybe even thinking about church and the potlucks and the parties and the services and the outreach things. Christmas is wonderful, right? Is the most wonderful time of the year. And then there's all these other things that can bring about in us. Maybe not so much peace, but a little bit.
A little bit of tension inside of us. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. But when we think about December, usually the word peace and December don't go together, do they? At least when you look at our calendars, I know for me, and even thinking about the life of the church, when December rolls around, I'm not usually looking to add more things to the calendar. I'm looking to take things away from my calendar. Maybe you know what I'm talking about. Peaceful usually isn't a word that we use. But shouldn't it?
Shouldn't it? Isn't that what the angels declared in Luke 2:14 when they told the shepherds of Jesus arrival? It's on the screen, this passage. When the angels showed up, they said that there would be peace on earth, peace among those with whom God is pleased. So peace seems to be a key element in the Christmas story. But unfortunately for us, you might know this to be true. Personally, peace is often not a part of your Christmas story, and my Christmas story is it.
But yet it was a key element declared at the first Christmas story, Peace.
So today I have two goals, and it's on the screen here to kind of help us stay focused as we unpack this word peace as declared by the angels, proclaimed by these angels, I will have. We will have two main questions that we'll answer. Firstly, what is this peace that Jesus offers? Because that's what the angels declared. Jesus has arrived. Amen. Jesus has arrived. He even is a part of our life today. And then they declared peace at the arrival of Jesus. What is this peace? And the second question that will ask an answer is, how can this peace that Jesus brings be experienced by you and I today? So those two main questions, maybe write those down somewhere and I hope that we'll answer. I'm sure that we'll answer them in our time here. The first we need to answer right out of the gate. This peace that Jesus offers. We need to understand peace. And so if you have your bulletin with you on the back of it you'll see an outline that we'll be walking through today. On the back, you can fill in the blanks that we'll see today. The first says understanding. You can just write in the word peace there.
Not groundbreaking, that. That's the fill in there. Understanding peace. So let's. First, even thinking about peace, we need to define it. A state of one definition at least, a state of tranquility.
Exemption from the rage or chaos of life around us, the havoc of war. You know this and I know this. Peace can be applied to different parts of our life, right? So there's, for example, there's relational peace, not fighting with people in your life. There's financial peace. Not sure, maybe of where your next meal or payment or rent payment or mortgage payment's gonna come from. If you have financial peace, maybe you don't have that anxiety. There's spiritual peace.
Your relationship with God is good. Or maybe you're walking in obedience. Even thinking about outside of the Christian circles, spiritual peace with whatever God someone might be worshiping, if they have spiritual peace, whatever the God they're in, they worship, I think we're in a good place. There's emotional peace. Your mind and your soul is at rest with where you are in your life, who you are in your life, what you've done in your life. There's these different aspects of peace. Peace is a natural desire for many, regardless of religion. No one you talk to in life, I would assume, is going to deny a desire for peace, right? Most people you interact with, if you offer them peace or chaos, many would not pick chaos, right? And interestingly, sometimes people are so used to chaos that they don't know how to make choices that lead to peace and keep the peace. Do you know someone like that, that you look at their life and you know that they want peace, and yet you look at the decisions that are made and. And it seems to never lead to peace. That can be frustrating, especially watching that from the outside. Now, here's why I bring that. Because peace can be confused for some of us with what is familiar to us. Just because something is familiar doesn't mean that actually is peace. And that's important for us as we move forward, especially considering us as a people without God or before we knew God. We can think that if peace is what is familiar, and I haven't been walking with God for, let's say, 20 years, that would be peace, because I'm familiar with that as far as spiritual peace. But in reality, biblical peace is something different than how we might define peace. Biblical peace. This is on the screen as well. How as God defines it at least, particularly thinking about the Old Testament, there's a Hebrew word called shalom, and that means harmony or wholeness or welfare. It's deeper than a temporary state of affairs. Rather, it's a restored relationship with God. And it embodies what we can experience when we are in a right relationship with God. Biblical Beast establishes a deeper calm than a lack of conflict with those in our life. It's not just, I'm not fighting with someone, but it's a reality experience. When you surrender to the sovereign will and the power of God, it's more than a lack of conflict. And this is key before we get to point one. And it's an experience of how things were supposed to be, not just on an individual level, but on a cosmic, eternal level. Biblical peace is not just an absence of conflict, but the presence of someone, namely the Prince of Peace. It's the assurance and security that is anchored in our soul in the midst of chaos. So biblical peace as we live on this earth is about a right relationship with God. And maybe write that down somewhere is about a right relationship with God, not the absence of relational or natural conflict around us. I'll say that again, as we live on this earth, biblical peace is about a right relationship with God, not the absence of relational or natural conflict around us. And what that looks like is, my life looks good. I think I'm fine. I don't need God. That's what we can easily believe. But the reality is, from what the Bible tells us is that does not actually equal peace. What equals peace is how are you and God. That is the primary place we should decide if we are at peace in our life now. Jesus wants. This is so encouraging. Jesus wants you and I to experience true peace. Amen. Jesus wants that an Advent means arrival or coming. And at Christmas, we celebrate the coming of the only one who can bring peace. But peace to what he came over 2,000 years ago, right?
And yet this Prince of peace, maybe not for you, maybe at times not for me, doesn't seem to give me peace all the time. I mean, do any of you experience peace all the time? Everywhere you go, you never experience anxiety or an anxious heart or stress, any of you. But Jesus came to be as the Prince of peace into our world to give peace. So is there some disconnect here? Did he fulfill the promise that he said he would?
Is he who is who he says he is? Because you and I love these. The idea of peace in our life. And we look to Jesus for peace, but yet we can still experience this level of tension in our souls.
So has Jesus really brought peace to this world?
Well, let's look today at four ways that Jesus offers peace. But as with any gift, the experience of this gift is left not to the giver, but to the receiver. And that is key as we consider the gift of peace that Jesus offers. You could write this in point one on your outline. Jesus brings, or gives the brings peace to guilty hearts. He is, in definition by doing this, the restorer. And I intentionally use that word here, the restorer. As I mentioned moments ago, Jesus did desires us to experience the right relationship with God, like humanity once used to have. So let's take a step back for a moment. Peace in our life or in the world around us is a dream that we all or many have because we feel the effect of brokenness. Any of you feel the effect of brokenness in the world if you don't turn on the TV or check the news, the world is broken around us. We feel the effects of this. You look at the news and you see there is wars or rumors of wars. There is chaos even in the midst of creation. In the world that we live in, there's floods and there's earthquakes. You can see brokenness around us. It's not hard to see brokenness around us. And we know that when there is brokenness, there is no longer peace. Now, I see this on a regular basis. For example, if I'm playing with my son, we're playing with his Legos or something, and I build something or he builds something and he's having a great time. Maybe we build some little airplane or something and we're playing with it or whatever, and then something bumps it or it falls and then it breaks. Do you think he's still experiencing peace?
No. If you've ever been in a car accident before and something breaks, how many of you feel great peace in that time?
Most of the time in our world, when we see something broken, peace no longer abides with us. This is also true in relation. When there's a broken friendship, there's often no longer peace, but rather distance or gossip or blame shifting. In a broken marriage, for example, there often is no longer peace, but rather there's fighting or there's anger or there's crying. But it wasn't always like this. And that's the point. The world wasn't always broken. Biblical peace used to be a reality in this world.
So it's not a matter now of asking the question, what is biblical peace? Because we've answered that. But now to this point, when was biblical peace? When was biblical peace? In the beginning. It's on the screen. In the beginning, God saw all that he had made and it was what?
Very good, isn't that when there was peace, it was very good. There was no problems to solve. There was no wars to stop, people to counsel or criminals to punish. There was no arguments, there was no fights. There was no broken things that needed fear. Then the turning point for all of humanity, God's best creation, that of which was very good, pivots on the first rebellious act against the person of God.
And that was sin. Eating a small piece of fruit off a tree. And yes, the physical act was small, but the spiritual significance massive.
And as we fast forward some thousands of years, we praise God for this. It was only outmatched at the cross, the power of sin. That act of sin was only outmatched when Jesus said, I can pay the consequence. But that's a little later on, when humanity's relationship with God broke, conflict showed its ugly head. Why? Because all conflict, as you and I know, and brokenness in this world are a result of that sin and the sins thereafter. God made everything, yes, very good, as Genesis 1:31 says. But when sin entered the world, brokenness for the first time was experienced, wasn't it?
Brokenness, complete transparency with God was gone. Clearly seen when Adam and Eve, who used to walk around unclothed, suddenly said, I have to cover myself. Because they knew that there's a broken relationship now, something that never used to be broken before. There was complete transparency. Everything was beautiful. Remember the word shalom. Whole was broken. The wholeness of God's beautiful creation was broken. And they said, I need distance. I need to hide myself. And God said, that's not what I made. I didn't make broken things.
And yet there was brokenness that stepped into this world.
And two of probably the most powerful words in all of scripture but God.
But God didn't want this brokenness to remain. He wants peace between mankind and himself. And before the foundation of the world, God had a plan to bring peace to all who would please him. And that's what the angels declared, right? Peace to all with whom he is pleased, with all who obey him or follow his. And that is important for us to know when we see, wait a minute, there's peace that was declared. But I'm not experiencing this. It has to be understood by us. Friends, it's this.
Are we following Him.
That's how we experience the peace of God. God created a world of perfect peace, and he put man in it. God, in his incredible loving kindness, sought to bring peace back to humanity. That's the restoring part of God, this restoring nature of God. How is he going to do this? By sending the prince of peace.
Jesus, in his first coming, he didn't come to fix all the world's problems. That's later on. That's coming. That's the second advent, his first coming. He came to fix the world's biggest problem. And that was a broken relationship with who?
God.
Now, Christmas is often a time when we watch movies that celebrate redemption. And it's always the happy ending and the happily ever. How does it go? Happily ever after, right? That's just how it goes. And the kids come home. Maybe even in our life today, the kids come home and we're celebrating the relationships that we have. And maybe when the parents might be hoping for the wayward child to be coming back. There's a longing in the hearts of mankind that what is broken will be restored to wholeness. And oftentimes the season of Christmas accentuates this desire in most of us, doesn't it? It's Christmas is coming. Maybe they'll come back now Christmas is coming. Maybe this will be fixed. Maybe we'll have a good time again because Christmas is here. This should point us to the one who actually brought true peace, shouldn't it?
Jesus at Christmas.
Our sin is what brought brokenness. And that's just not. And this sin is not based on our opinion or our culture's view of morality. Rather, sin is, according to the Bible, a crime against God. And thus it makes us guilty, worthy of punishment before God. Maybe you know this. Maybe this is a different way of looking at this. Even more so as people who sin. Humanity is not just one who is far from God. But what does Romans 5, 8 say? That we're not just far from God, but we are enemies of God. So now we learn something new about this brokenness that happened in the world. It wasn't. We were whole and walking with God. Consider The Garden, Genesis 1 and 2. Walking with God. Things were lovely and wonderful, and then sin happened. And now there's distance. Now that often happens in our life, doesn't it? When something breaks, we usually just separate from the other person. But what happened with us and God was not just separation, but what the Bible says was. Now you went from being friends, from being close. Not just distance, but enemies. Now we are opposed to the throne of God. And that is what sin is. It's me saying to God, I don't want to do things your way. I want to do it my way. I know better than you. And now a jealous and holy God says, no you don't. How dare you.
And so the consequence for sin because we are enemies of God is death is eternal separation from God. He doesn't just say, oh, we can exist for apart for a while. But he says, no, there's a problem between us and you will never experience peace as long as there was this kind of conflict. Now remember, this is heavy and there's two words in the Bible that I said a moment ago that are maybe the two most powerful words in scripture. What are they?
But God so loved the world of people he had made perfect but then rebelled against him that he gave who? Jesus. And here's what Isaiah 53 says about Jesus. We're spending a little bit more time on point one. We'll go quicker through points two through four. Here's what it says about Jesus was despised. He was rejected. This is the one who came to pay the price for our rejection of man.
Rejection of God. He then was rejected by men. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
This was Jesus. One who men hid their faces. We didn't look to him and esteem him. No, we despised him. He took upon the grief that we carry. That separation from God. He carries the sorrows. Yet we esteemed him. Not lifted up, but rather we struck him down.
And more so, and this is so powerful here it says smitten by the word. Smitten means struck down or killed by who?
God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, for our he took it upon himself. He was crushed for our iniquities upon him was the chastisement or the correction that brought us peace. Jesus saw not just the distance that we have between us and God. But he said, I see that you are enemies. And I'm going to stand in the gap to bring peace between both of you because you can't do it by yourself. He was pierced for our transgressions. We've gone astray. We recognize that Scripture sees that we've gone our own way. Yes, starting in the garden. But even today you and I go our own way, don't we?
And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Here's what that's saying in maybe different language.
God sent God to become human so that God could make peace with God by killing God so that mankind could be right with God.
God sent God to become human. That's the incarnation. So that God could make peace with God. The problem in our relationship was God said, you are sinners. I am holy. We have a problem here. You've committed a crime that needs to be paid, but you can't pay it. So Jesus will pay it to make peace with God by killing God. That was Jesus on the cross so that mankind could be right again with God. God is saving us from the injustice and wrath of God by inserting himself between the two of us. That's Jesus standing in the gap. One pastor said this. I put it on the screen. If you're new to Christianity, whatever else you might think about Christianity, maybe wherever you are, realize that this is the center, is the heart. This is the essence. God. Substituting God to bear the punishment of God to make peace with sinners. It is not Christianity is not man saying, I have to try harder to get to God. I have to try harder to get to God. I have to try harder to get to God. I feel distant from God. I have to do more. I have to do more. I have to work harder. But rather it's God saying, you couldn't do it and you still can't do it. So I'll do it for you. I will come, I will make myself flesh so that you can experience peace with me. That's how much God wants us to experience peace.
He was willing to go the distance.
This is what Christianity is about.
So that's the first main point. We'll go quickly here through points two through four. This is so key, so firstly, so key for us to know we were guilty before God. Jesus bridged the gap. Secondly, he also offers us peas. That's an offering. Would you like no longer to have guilty hearts? Jesus can do that. Secondly, how about anxious hearts? He is mighty. Point two on your outline, Jesus brings peace to anxious hearts.
To anxious hearts. If you're here today and you've trusted in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, does that mean that you no longer have anxiety in your life? Stress? What are some things that cause you to be anxious? You could just throw it out there. Anybody. What caused you to be anxious? We're not judging here.
Family, needs. What else causes you to be anxious? Money, relationships, politics, work, food, everything.
Hey, we appreciate honesty.
There's so many things, right?
You think about health problems, think about people you have broken relationships with. Work stuff that comes up. Your bank account, family at Christmas. Is it wrong, though, to be anxious as a Christian, is that wrong to experience stress in our life? I'll just say this. No.
But these anxieties. These anxieties oftentimes aren't things that we can control. Sometimes they just pop up inside of us.
They come inside of us, sometimes even without even us knowing in great deal why they are there. Our minds and bodies, they can be unique like that. But this is so important for us. Our anxieties and our stresses and our conflicts inside of us should be used as a signal for us, to signal us to turn our eyes upwards. So the reality is, yes, those anxieties are going to be present. The question is, is this. Not if they're gonna come, but. Cause they're going to. The question is this, what are you gonna do when they come? Cause for some of us, we see those anxieties and those stresses, and we sit in it and we mull on it, and we mull on it and we mull on it. And I could do that for years for some of you and for some of us, we know these things. We could just keep going over and over and over instead of saying, wait a minute, this should be a signal for me to turn my eyes towards heaven, towards scripture. Now, what does scripture tell us about anxiety? 1. It doesn't say that you're never gonna be anxious about anything, but it does tell us what to do when we're anxious. Let's look at just four passages on the screen, specifically thinking about this concept of anxiety or anxious hearts. Firstly, notice something key in all of this. There's an instruction for us as followers of Jesus in how to respond to anxious hearts. Look what it says. Colossians 3, 15. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you are called in one body. And be thankful. Notice there's two things that we're called to do. One, be. What? What's the last word? Be thankful. To take our eyes, our minds focus off of just that matter, whatever that thing is that we're anxious about. But to look at all the other blessings of God and then the first thing, and let. That's actually a command.
Look to the peace of Christ. Look to the power and the person of Christ and remember him.
Secondly, Isaiah, chapter 26. We'll see some crossover here. Verse three, you, God, will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed or steadfast on you because they trust in you. We're called here to do something, keep our minds stayed on Christ, rather than. I see these things. Okay, I see them. Am I going to let my mind fixate on these things? Or am I going to turn back and say I'm going to remember the power of God in light of these things. I'm going to hold both of these things up to God in prayer. Considering look at also John 16:33 I have said these things to you that in me you may have what peace in the world you will have.
Say that together, tribulation, hardship, trials, problems. But take heart, I have overcome the world. Notice what he says, that in me you may have peace. He didn't say, in the problems of the world you will have peace, but in me finding now there's the instruction finding ourselves back at the feet of Jesus. I'm anxious. You hit your knees and you rest in the fact that you know that Scripture calls us to be still and know that he is God, not the problems next to you are God. Philippians 4, 6, 7 well known passage here. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. We see some clear instruction there.
Prayer, petition, thanksgiving, bring them to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding. In other words, the problem might not go away, but God will offer you peace, will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus. That reminds us this peace that we can have is through Christ. It's not through other things in this world. There's an author, his name is Edward Welch. He's the author of and this is a great book by the way, When People Are Big and God Is Small. He's the author of this book. He says this if you have ever walked among giant redwoods, you will never be overwhelmed by the size of a dogwood tree. Or if you have ever been through a hurricane, a spring rain is nothing to fear. If you have ever been in the presence of Almighty God, everything that once controlled you suddenly has less power.
The reality is we'll get anxious. The question is this is what will we do with that? And God promises that if we look to him and his promises, our anxieties will begin to wither and our peace will begin to blossom.
Maybe you have this prayer. I know I do. I saw this phrase somewhere and I thought it was very appropriate to this point. I want to be so anchored in Christ that chaos around me does not produce chaos within me. I want to be so anchored in Christ that chaos around me does not produce chaos within me. Point three on your outline, Jesus not only brings forgiveness to our or peace to our guilty hearts, he doesn't just Bring peace to our anxious hearts. He also brings peace through his perfect counsel. Pastor Les read this passage from Isaiah 9, 6, 7 earlier. Unfortunately, I would say, I think appropriately. Unfortunately, this passage is almost only read at Christmas time, but it's very applicable outside of Christmas time. But noticing the first few lines, we consider, yes, now we understand why it's read at Christmas time. For to us a child is what born. This is the Incarnation. To us a son is given. A couple weeks ago, I spent a whole sermon just on this passage. Just hone in, zoom in on the one name of Jesus. He's called the. I underlined it on the screen as well. He's called the wonderful what?
The wonderful counselor, Mighty God, everlasting Father Prince of what? Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end. Here's the point here. If we consider the person of Jesus Christ, we see this when he's in charge, there can be peace.
When we submit to his authority, to his counsel, to his wisdom, there can be peace. Following Jesus words bring peace. Because you know you're standing with Jesus in whatever might be going on. Isn't there so much?
Isn't it wonderful to be able to step back when things are chaotic in your life and say, you know what? I know that in the midst of all these things, I've done what this told me to do. My problems aren't all fixed out there. There's still chaos out there. But I'm able to stand with the word of God, spending time with him, saying, my conscience is clear. Isn't that a wonderful feeling to be able to sit before God and say, I've done what you have told me?
God's word reveals the character of God. When we follow His Word, we can expect to experience peace which may not lead to relational peace. Even Jesus said, didn't he, I did not come to bring peace. But a sword like, there's going to be conflict between mothers and fathers and sons and daughters. There is going to be conflict, yes, out there, but with the most important relationship in your life between you and God, there will be peace. I interact with lots of people at various times in their life who are not experiencing peace. And sometimes they come to me asking maybe for counsel about something or asking how they might be able to experience peace in their life. Maybe marriage or friendship or spiritual things, or parents, parenting, or emotionally, whatever those things may be. Oftentimes, not all the time, but oftentimes when we start walking through their life together, kind of just like, what do you do on Monday and on Tuesday, what have you been doing in this relationship or that relationship? Oftentimes we find that the counsel of God's word is not being followed. Is that surprising to you?
When there's chaos, like, why is this happening? Oftentimes we can go back and say, well, I guess I'm not doing that. I guess I'm not doing that. It's one thing to profess the wisdom of God, but it's another to do what it says.
It's one thing to profess the wisdom of God, but it's another to do what he says. Maybe spend a moment either now or later on before we go to point four and ask this question. Maybe ask God where you're not following him. Ask God, where am I not following? Your wisdom, your counsel, your guidance, and ask him to make that clear to you. And then choose to turn around that word is just truly choose to repent.
Go before God and say, God, I feel like I have this problem in my life and I don't know what's going on. Is there a part of my life that's not aligning to your Word? And if so, point that out to me. I want to know because I want to experience the peace that you desire for me.
And then stop and listen. Be quiet for a while and see what he shows you. And then listen and obey. Remember, God wants peace in your life. God wants that, and he will show you if there's something going on that's causing tension problems. Remember, there's financial peace or emotional peace or spiritual peace. There's relational peace. These things matter to God, and His Word speaks about them. Let's look at point four before we stop.
Jesus brings peace to broken relationships. He reconciles. Jesus reconciles. If you have your Bible, I encourage you. Just maybe flip over to Ephesians 2 if it's open in front of you. Ephesians chapter 2. I want to read a portion of Scripture that just takes this concept and communicates it more clearly than I could ever do. So it's worth just reading directly from God's Word in this place. Here, chapter two of Ephesians, verses 11 through 22, Ephesians 2. And firstly, it shows us that broken relationships, primarily us and God, is mended through the person of Jesus. And secondarily, it shows us that broken relationships in our world can also be mended through the person of Jesus Christ. Listen what it says. Therefore, remember that at one time, you Gentiles and I'll pause here and there as we read through this. That is one Group of people who were known to be polytheists, people who worshiped idols and did not follow God. One time, you Gentiles in the flesh called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision. That's a different group. That's the Jews, which is made in the flesh by hands. Remember that you were at one time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Now, there's something key that we need to get before we look at verse 13. Here's what that clarified for us. It doesn't matter if you are a pagan worshiper or if you are a Jewish person worshiping God in the wrong way, but you're pretty close compared to these people. Both of them are far from God. Okay? So it doesn't matter if man, you do all these things over here, that's totally anti God or you're over here. Like I go to church, I read my Bible sometimes and I pray every once in a while. But my relationship with God isn't right. Both groups are alienated from God. Just because one is closer doesn't mean that you're right with God. You're only right with God. Regardless of what camp you're in, regardless of your history, regardless of the sins that may have marked your past, no matter what your history is and no matter how clean your life may be, those things are washed away in the person of Jesus Christ. Isn't that a good thing, friends?
So good. But now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off have been brought near by the. What?
You can say it out loud. The blood of Christ, you who were far away. For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of his commandments expressed in the ordinances that he might create in himself one new man in place of two. Here's two people. Two people groups that were far from God, far from Him. Remember that distance that we talked about? Now, peace because of Jesus, verse 16. And might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. The problem between us and God, the hostility, the enemies that we are. We can see full arc here. Is made perfect in Jesus Christ. Jesus brings together people. Jesus modeled love and grace and mercy. And he says when those things are modeled, reconciliation happens. You know, the antithesis of that of love, hate. When hate is communicated or is broken relationships the opposite of grace that of which Jesus communicated is bitterness, unforgiveness. There's distance, there's brokenness, compassion that Jesus showed, the humility that Jesus showed when those things aren't communicated. You know this from your real relationships, don't you? It doesn't go so well, does it, when there's pride and arrogance. Why did Jesus do these things? For peace. Jesus was a model for us of what he wants us to demonstrate in our real human relationships.
If a perfect God can make peace with fallen humanity, how much more should humanity be able to make peace with humanity?
If God. That distance can be bridged in Jesus, how much greater can we bridge that gap? So maybe think in your life right now, are there broken relationships that I need to work on mending?
Is there people that I need to demonstrate the kind of love or compassion or humility or kindness that Christ demonstrated towards me? Even if it doesn't seem right, they should have to do something first, we might say. But Jesus said, I came first and I showed love first. Before you even did anything to express a desire for reconciliation. I did the work, and he's calling us to do the same.
Jesus. I read an article recently. I'll close with this.
Listen what it says. Thinking about this mending of relationships, Jesus did a powerful thing at a conference in 2009. One evening, a group of Chinese students, a group of Taiwanese students, and a group of students from Hong Kong met in a large banquet hall to worship. They were Christians and to reflect. Large dividers separated these students. However, these walls represented the animosity that each historically had towards one another. And they thought that it was best to worship with their own people.
Though they were all Christians, a part of the family of God. While praying, the Chinese students sensed God asking them to invite others from other countries in to worship with them. The Taiwanese and Hong Kong students, in much prayer, welcomed.
They removed the dividers and joined as one body for a powerful time of worship. And in that moment, quite literally, walls were broken down. They were moved because of Jesus. They said, I'm willing to look beyond our differences and recognize that we're all going to be in heaven together. And that's worth rejoicing in.
Here's the question for all of you today, for all of us today.
Will you fall into the hands of Jesus and let him take control of your life and finally experience the peace that you have been longing for? God puts a desire in every one of us for a desire of peace. And he says, I'm the only one who can meet it.
God wants ultimate peace for you.
Do you want that?
Let's pray.
Lord, we are grateful this morning that you did the work, you bridged the gap.
You saw us far from you and you said, I want those people.
I want them to be my own. I want them to experience the peace that they had originally at creation. I want them to experience wholeness.
I want them to experience me.
You did the work to bridge that gap. And even for us here today, who know you have trusted in you, Lord, in the midst of us having anxious hearts, help us to run to you that our anxieties, our struggles, our stresses, our tensions that we experience, Lord, that you would remind us to keep running back to you.
And though the problems may not go away, that we would be able to live with a peace that surpasses understanding, that is the understanding of this world.
And the peace that we carry around with us would be an incredible witness to those that we interact with.
That those that we see day in and day out, the people we work with, our family members and our friends, Lord, they would see a anchored faith in a peace in us because of our faith. And that in and of itself would cause them to ask, how?
And we can just say, jesus, we thank you. We praise you for that opportunity you made possible for us. In Jesus name, amen.
We're gonna stand and sing a closing song. And if you're maybe thinking about that, maybe there's something you're struggling inside of your own soul and you're thinking, I would love that kind of peace. I've never experienced. Experienced it. I've never trusted in Jesus. Maybe I should think about that. Yes, today is the day to do that. I would love to pray with you or talk to you about that. Pastor Les Wood as well. There'll be a couple people at the back who would love to pray with you if you'd like to do that. Let's stand and sing together.
[00:48:24] Speaker C: Breathing our air Behold what light has come and the dark cannot contain it the Savior of the world is finally oh, come let us adore him Let us adore him Behold the Father's love beyond all contemporary he's not there for he is risen Every heart prepares him Through Jesus Christ the King of heaven oh, come let us adore him Come let us adore him for he alone is worth we give you all the glory we give you all the glory we give you all the glory Christ the Lord we give you all the glory Glory we give you all the glory we give you all the glory Christ the Lord we praise your name Forever we praise your name forever we praise your name forever Christ O Lord oh come let us adore him Let us adore him for he alone is worthy Christ the Lord O come let us adore him Come let us adore Morning alone is worthy Christ the Lord.
[00:52:12] Speaker B: A great way to end he is Christ the Lord Amen as you know, as we've been walking through the last four weeks, we've been lighting different candles. The white one has yet to be lit. It's the Christ candle and we're gonna light that on Christmas Eve. So come back on Tuesday night at five and we'll light. We'll go through and light all these candles again and then light the Christ candle. It'll be a great time of singing and time in God's word. Let me pray and then we'll take off. Lord, thank you for your great love for us.
Thank you that we can come and adore you. We can come worship you because of what you've done. Because you came into this world, you became flesh small little baby because you wanted to become like us. So that we can experience whole relationship with you again.
We pray that as we go today, as we leave here in a few minutes, that we would truly be ambassadors of peace in the world. That we would recognize that because we have peace with you, we can make peace with others. We can show others the great peace that we're able to experience in a right relationship with you. Help us to be bold in our conversations with our friends and our family. That you'd be glorified in those times. In Jesus name, amen.
