SPEAKER_00: Uh so a couple preliminary uh comments.
SPEAKER_00: One, they've only given me 20 minutes to preach today, so pray for me.
SPEAKER_00: It'll be a Christmas miracle if that happens.
SPEAKER_00: My time doesn't start yet.
SPEAKER_00: Uh, secondly, please pray that I don't fall into the manger if I step back.
SPEAKER_00: So, anyways, um, generally, if you're new here, we preach um kind of uh we have uh expository preaching where we preach kind of verse by verse in a particular text, generally verse by verse.
SPEAKER_00: Today, uh a little different.
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna do a topical message because today's theme of Advent is the theme of peace.
SPEAKER_00: That's what I want to talk about.
SPEAKER_00: So here we go.
SPEAKER_00: My time starts now.
SPEAKER_00: So uh during the Christmas season, you know, we we sing songs about peace, we sing or we uh send out Christmas cards uh about peace, we read verses about the Prince of Peace.
SPEAKER_00: Yet, ironically, during the Christmas season, perhaps more than any other time of year, like peace seems to be quite elusive, doesn't it?
SPEAKER_00: And it's like fair enough, like no wonder.
SPEAKER_00: Because how many know the holiday season is kind of hectic?
SPEAKER_00: Anyone a little stressed today?
SPEAKER_00: I mean, there's you heard all the Christmas events uh, you know, that we have going on here.
SPEAKER_00: Then you got work parties, you know, Christmas office parties that you have to show up to, and you have Christmas dinners for your crazy family.
SPEAKER_00: You've got to fight the crowds at the malls to find that perfect gift.
SPEAKER_00: And so, with all of that in mind, you know, it's peace is hard to come by.
SPEAKER_00: Peace is very hard to come by.
SPEAKER_00: How what how many of you would just do about anything for just five minutes of peace?
SPEAKER_00: I've got good news for you today.
SPEAKER_00: Through Jesus Christ, we get not just five minutes of peace, but we can have a lifetime of peace through him.
SPEAKER_00: Isn't that wonderful?
SPEAKER_00: So let me read Isaiah 9, verse 6.
SPEAKER_00: Very familiar passage where Isaiah the prophet is prophesying about the birth of the Messiah fulfilled eventually centuries later in Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: He says this, for unto us a child is born, to us a son is given.
SPEAKER_00: The government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, and what Prince of peace.
SPEAKER_00: When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, peace arrived in Bethlehem.
SPEAKER_00: Now, your argument may be something like this: well, okay, Jesus, the Prince of Peace, came, he brought peace to the world, but like, have you watched the news?
SPEAKER_00: Have you been on social media?
SPEAKER_00: It seems pretty chaotic and unpeaceful out there.
SPEAKER_00: Can I get a witness?
SPEAKER_00: Well, here's the problem when we think about peace.
SPEAKER_00: You know, what are the beauty pageant uh contestants always uh always say they want more than anything?
SPEAKER_00: World peace.
SPEAKER_00: Except, do you remember the girl just a few years ago who asked said that her greatest desire was for the whole world to have maps?
SPEAKER_00: Do you remember that?
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's a true story.
SPEAKER_00: So, anyways, you know, everybody wants world peace.
SPEAKER_00: Well, that is not the peace that Jesus came to bring in his first coming.
SPEAKER_00: Now, to be sure when he returns, peace will flood the earth, justice will come, evil will be banished, and we for sure shall forever be with the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: And we look forward to that day.
SPEAKER_00: But that's not the peace that Jesus brought in his first coming.
SPEAKER_00: He said so very explicitly in his um words to his disciples in Matthew chapter 24.
SPEAKER_00: There he's talking about uh the last days, which are the time between when Christ was ascended, when he was raised from the dead and then sended into heaven, and his return.
SPEAKER_00: That's called the church age.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus said to his disciples, during this time, there will be great tribulations, there will be wars and rumors of wars, kingdom will rise against kingdom.
SPEAKER_00: There will be many, many earthquakes and other natural disasters.
SPEAKER_00: So Jesus never promised that in this life we would be without that chaos in those evils.
SPEAKER_00: No, the peace that Jesus brought is quite different than that.
SPEAKER_00: See, the world's peace is based on circumstances.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus offers a peace that transcends our circumstances.
SPEAKER_00: As a matter of fact, if you go to the book of Isaiah, chapter 9, and you read about Jesus as being the Prince of Peace, the word, the Hebrew word there transfer translated peace.
SPEAKER_00: Anybody know what it is?
SPEAKER_00: Shalom.
SPEAKER_00: It's used almost 300 times in the Old Testament.
SPEAKER_00: Shalom.
SPEAKER_00: Well, what's that mean?
SPEAKER_00: Well, shalom is more than an absence of conflict.
SPEAKER_00: If we it means many things, but it could be summarized like this it means wholeness or completeness.
SPEAKER_00: So here's what here's what that means.
SPEAKER_00: Through Jesus, you and I can be made whole.
SPEAKER_00: We can be made complete.
SPEAKER_00: So I want to quickly talk about three dimensions of Christ's peace that's available to us now.
SPEAKER_00: One dimension is this one element of peace is that is vertical.
SPEAKER_00: In other words, we can have peace with God.
SPEAKER_00: The second is inward.
SPEAKER_00: We can have peace with self.
SPEAKER_00: And thirdly, because of that, there's this horizontal dimension to peace, namely that we can have peace with one another.
SPEAKER_00: Now you may ask, why did God not create a world of peace?
SPEAKER_00: Well, actually, he did.
SPEAKER_00: You can go to pages one and two of your Bible and you read about the creation account, how God created the heavens and he created the earth.
SPEAKER_00: And he looked upon his creation and he saw it was good.
SPEAKER_00: And on the sixth day, he made man in his own image.
SPEAKER_00: And he looked at man and he said, Oh, very good.
SPEAKER_00: Very good.
SPEAKER_00: So God created a world with peace.
SPEAKER_00: As a matter of fact, Adam and Eve were in the garden and they had peace with God.
SPEAKER_00: They dwelt with him.
SPEAKER_00: I just picture them skipping along with God, you know, through the fields.
SPEAKER_00: They had inner peace.
SPEAKER_00: The Bible says they were naked and not ashamed.
SPEAKER_00: In other words, they were pure, they had clear consciences.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, they just had this inner peace.
SPEAKER_00: And then listen to this, married people.
SPEAKER_00: They had relational peace, horizontal peace, a marriage without any turmoil.
SPEAKER_00: Don't look that shocked.
SPEAKER_00: Come on.
SPEAKER_00: But here's what happened.
SPEAKER_00: That's pages one and two of your Bible, page three.
SPEAKER_00: What happens?
SPEAKER_00: Adam and Eve decide, you know what, this is pretty good, but I think we could do a better job than God at calling the shots.
SPEAKER_00: And they disobey him, which is sin.
SPEAKER_00: They want to be their own gods, and so they sin.
SPEAKER_00: Immediately their relationship is broken with God and they forfeit that peace.
SPEAKER_00: Remember, they were dwelling with God, and then immediately after sinning, they hide from God.
SPEAKER_00: So they lost that peace with God.
SPEAKER_00: But they also lost the inner peace.
SPEAKER_00: Now they were aware of their nakedness, and they were trying to cover their shame.
SPEAKER_00: And you know, you think of nakedness, and this is not just an we got kids in here, just an intimate thing, but it's it's not just about the body.
SPEAKER_00: But what's the worst nightmare that everybody has?
SPEAKER_00: It's you're on the stage and you forgot your clothes.
SPEAKER_00: And why is that a fear?
SPEAKER_00: It's not just the fact that you're not wearing clothes.
SPEAKER_00: Like I'm glad I didn't forget that today.
SPEAKER_00: But when you are naked, you are at your most vulnerable state.
SPEAKER_00: And see, because of our the sin of our own hearts, the self-shame, we don't want people to see the malevolence, the depravity of our own hearts.
SPEAKER_00: So they lost that inner peace, and then finally they forfeited peace with each other.
SPEAKER_00: The first thing they do, this is so funny.
SPEAKER_00: When Adam uh is confronted by God about his sin, he goes, uh, Eve made me do it.
SPEAKER_00: And then I think Eve blade the serpent, right?
SPEAKER_00: So there's this blame game going on.
SPEAKER_00: And here's the deal, guys.
SPEAKER_00: You and I have all sinned.
SPEAKER_00: Adam and Eve weren't the only ones.
SPEAKER_00: Therefore, in and of ourselves, we do not have peace with God.
SPEAKER_00: We cannot have inner peace, and we cannot have peace with each other.
SPEAKER_00: But the great news of the Christmas story is this Jesus came as the Prince of Pea to restore each of those dimensions of peace.
SPEAKER_00: Number one, he restored peace with God.
SPEAKER_00: Let me read you Romans 5, verse 1.
SPEAKER_00: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, in other words, when you come to Jesus Christ, believing upon his death, burial, and resurrection, when you repent of your sin and turn to him as Lord, you are made righteous in Christ.
SPEAKER_00: You are justified, your legal standing is good before the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: You are declared righteous.
SPEAKER_00: And then Paul says, because of this, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: And if you're not in Christ, you do not have peace with God.
SPEAKER_00: The Bible says you are an enemy of God.
SPEAKER_00: So here's the deal with that.
SPEAKER_00: You know, most people know in the world, if they believe in a God at all, they know that they're not right with God.
SPEAKER_00: They know they don't meet that standard.
SPEAKER_00: So what do they try to do?
SPEAKER_00: They try to be really, really good, really, really kind, and do enough good works so that perhaps one day they can earn that merit so that they can receive eternal life and be accepted by God.
SPEAKER_00: But the Bible says that all of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
SPEAKER_00: We cannot be saved by our own works.
SPEAKER_00: That's why Jesus came.
SPEAKER_00: He was tempted in every way, yet without sin.
SPEAKER_00: And he died the death due to us.
SPEAKER_00: And it's not just death, he bore God's wrath on our behalf.
SPEAKER_00: He became our substitute on the cross.
SPEAKER_00: So then through him we could have life.
SPEAKER_00: As Ron said earlier, there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood.
SPEAKER_00: And in my blood cannot be shed for myself, that would not bring me forgiveness because I have sinned.
SPEAKER_00: It takes a holy man, a righteous man, to step into my place, and that's who Jesus is, and that's what he did.
SPEAKER_00: We get peace with God through Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Secondly, we get restored inner peace.
SPEAKER_00: Have you noticed people are on this quest for peace?
SPEAKER_00: Listen, I don't care how much yoga you do, Hunter, I don't care how much you uh meditate, you will not find lasting inner peace.
SPEAKER_00: The world says this if you want peace, look within.
SPEAKER_00: Look within.
SPEAKER_00: The Bible says, You want peace, look to Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Look to Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: John 14, 27.
SPEAKER_00: I love this.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus said, My peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.
SPEAKER_00: Not as the world gives, do I give it to you?
SPEAKER_00: So he says this let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
SPEAKER_00: Listen, there's all kinds of things going on in our world right now, isn't there?
SPEAKER_00: That could cause our hearts to melt with fear, fear.
SPEAKER_00: But Jesus says, Oh, I'm in control.
SPEAKER_00: If you're in me, you don't have to be troubled, you don't have to walk in fear.
SPEAKER_00: I'm giving you a peace that the world does not give.
SPEAKER_00: It's a peace that passes all understanding.
SPEAKER_00: So he restored peace with God, he restored our peace with self, our inner peace, and finally he restored the horizontal peace, one with another.
SPEAKER_00: You know the Bible says that we are to walk in peace with each other.
SPEAKER_00: John 13, 35, Jesus says, By this, all people will know that you are my disciples.
SPEAKER_00: And here's the key your love one for another.
SPEAKER_00: We are supposed to we are brought into a new family when we become saved, and we're supposed to be gracious and patient and loving towards one another.
SPEAKER_00: It pleases God, but it's also a signpost to the world pointing to the glorious kingdom of God and all that He has for us and the peace that is available through Christ for every person.
SPEAKER_00: Not only are we to be at peace with each other, we're to be at peace with the world.
SPEAKER_00: Let me read you one more scripture here.
SPEAKER_00: Uh Romans 12:18, if possible, not always possible to be at peace with people out there.
SPEAKER_00: It takes two people.
SPEAKER_00: He says, but here it is.
SPEAKER_00: As much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
SPEAKER_00: Can I preach for a second?
SPEAKER_00: Here's what that means.
SPEAKER_00: You don't have to comment on everybody's post that you don't like.
SPEAKER_00: You don't have to defend yourself.
SPEAKER_00: Why do you feel like when somebody says something against you online or in person that you have to make a case for yourself?
SPEAKER_00: If God be for you, who can be against you?
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: We are supposed to.
SPEAKER_00: Now that doesn't mean that we let every, you know, we just ignore every conflict, but we ought to be slow to offense.
SPEAKER_00: We ought to be slow to offense.
SPEAKER_00: And again, that is to show people the forgiveness that we have in Christ.
SPEAKER_00: We are then to be, you know, we've received God's peace and we are to be, I'll say it like this, we're to be agents of his peace.
SPEAKER_00: So how then do you walk in that peace?
SPEAKER_00: Well, if you're here today and you're not a believer, here's the only way you can walk in that peace, and that is to be in Christ.
SPEAKER_00: I want to point you to a very familiar Christmas passage, Luke 2, 13 and 14.
SPEAKER_00: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God, saying, You know this, glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among those with whom he's well pleased.
SPEAKER_00: Now, some of you are going, wait, that's not the way I learned that verse.
SPEAKER_00: How did you learn it?
SPEAKER_00: Peace on earth, and all right.
SPEAKER_00: That's goodwill towards men.
SPEAKER_00: That's the King James translation.
SPEAKER_00: And I'm sorry for you, King James only people, but scholars almost unanimously agree today that that's not the best translation.
SPEAKER_00: I won't get into the Greek and the manuscripts.
SPEAKER_00: I don't have time.
SPEAKER_00: So you just have to trust me on this and do your own research.
SPEAKER_00: But the correct translation is what the ESV says.
SPEAKER_00: And it's this glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among those with whom he's well pleased.
SPEAKER_00: And that's an important distinction.
SPEAKER_00: And here's why.
SPEAKER_00: The peace that Christ offers is not universal.
SPEAKER_00: People who are not in Christ, they don't get his peace.
SPEAKER_00: It's only those in Christ that get his peace.
SPEAKER_00: So if you're not a Christian today, I would invite you to believe upon him, submit to him as Lord.
SPEAKER_00: Let today be the day of salvation.
SPEAKER_00: We had we've had several salvations over the last month, and one in particular was just so moving.
SPEAKER_00: Um a guy by the name of Ace, he's a college student, not or excuse me, young adult, and he's out working in Louisville.
SPEAKER_00: He's not here this morning.
SPEAKER_00: But when he um was uh received the Lord, and then when he was baptized, he came out of that water and he looked different.
SPEAKER_00: And he said to Pastor Ben, who baptized him, he said, Man, I feel different.
SPEAKER_00: That peace through Christ comes immediately.
SPEAKER_00: When you receive Christ and you come out of that water, the waters of baptism, you immediately, like this isn't a process, you move immediately from death to life, from darkness to light.
SPEAKER_00: Praise God.
SPEAKER_00: So come to God today if you're not in Christ.
SPEAKER_00: So what if you are a Christian?
SPEAKER_00: Because a lot of Christians they don't seem to walk in a lot of peace.
SPEAKER_00: Can I get a witness?
SPEAKER_00: So here's what you do: two things quickly.
SPEAKER_00: Number one, you live for God's glory.
SPEAKER_00: You live for God's glory.
SPEAKER_00: Luke 2, one more time, and suddenly there was an angel with a great multitude of heavenly hosts praising God, saying, This listen, glory to God in the highest and peace on earth.
SPEAKER_00: The angels get it in the right order.
SPEAKER_00: Glory to God, then peace.
SPEAKER_00: If you want to have peace, you must live for the glory of God.
SPEAKER_00: The moment that you try to sit on the throne, the moment you try to sit on the throne of your own life and you want to go your own way and you walk in sin, and you think, ah, I know what the Bible says, but I think it'll be all right.
SPEAKER_00: You will lose every ounce of peace that you have in Christ.
SPEAKER_00: If you try to make your name great, like if I ever do this from the pulpit, if I my goal is ever to say, Oh, uh, I hope they see me as a great uh, you know, preacher, man, my peace will be gone and I'll be chastised by the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: No, our goal is to make his name great.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: And then also, if you're here today and you're a believer and you're not walking in God's peace, we looked at this last week.
SPEAKER_00: You've got to have faith in God's promises.
SPEAKER_00: You have to rehearse the promises of God.
SPEAKER_00: We saw this last week, Romans 15, 13.
SPEAKER_00: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in what?
SPEAKER_00: Believing.
SPEAKER_00: And particularly here, uh, Paul is reminding them of this great hope, the the church in Rome, that Jesus Christ is returning and he will bring perfect peace and perfect joy to the earth.
SPEAKER_00: But in the meantime, as you rehearse those promises that will be fulfilled, you can experience peace right now.
SPEAKER_00: So read the word, believe God's promises and rehearse them in your mind day in and day out.
SPEAKER_00: So, how many of you have seen, Ron?
SPEAKER_00: I thought you were going to take my closing illustration.
SPEAKER_00: You didn't, but how many of you have seen the chart have seen the Charlie Bound Christmas story?
SPEAKER_00: Like a ton of times.
SPEAKER_00: Well, there's a a beautiful scene at the end of that show, and uh this never watched it.
SPEAKER_00: This was pointed out.
SPEAKER_00: Give credit where credit is due by Matthew.
SPEAKER_00: And to be fair, you want to make sure to give your father credit because you never noticed it either, correct?
SPEAKER_00: So, David, if you're watching, credit goes to you for this.
SPEAKER_00: But in the very end, how many of you remember Linus?
SPEAKER_00: And Linus is a pretty anxious boy, and he always carries what?
SPEAKER_00: Little security blanket.
SPEAKER_00: I had a blanket growing up.
SPEAKER_00: How many had a blanky, like a security blanket growing up?
SPEAKER_00: All right.
SPEAKER_00: Jack, you still carry yours around.
SPEAKER_00: Listen, so Linus is, you know, he's anxious, and everything is going wrong in the show.
SPEAKER_00: And then all of a sudden, as Linus begins to read the Christmas story, he gets to this line where he quotes Luke good news of great joy.
SPEAKER_00: And there's a something very subtle that happens.
SPEAKER_00: He drops the block.
SPEAKER_00: Here's the deal.
SPEAKER_00: Many of you are anxious today.
SPEAKER_00: I get it.
SPEAKER_00: It's an epidemic in our world today, anxiety.
SPEAKER_00: So, what do you do when you're anxious?
SPEAKER_00: You get in the word and you remember Christ came, the Prince of Peace, and you remember He's coming back again.
SPEAKER_00: And you can drop your security blanket and find peace in the Lord Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: So amid the hustle and bustle of the season, may you walk in the peace of Christ today and every day.