Advent Continues: Light The Candle Of Peace Series

Sermon – Advent Continues: Light the Candle of Peace

Scripture Text: Isaiah 9:6 - 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.

Isaiah 26:3-5, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength: For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.”

Luke 2:8-14 “That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Introduction: In unstable times, we all need the gift of peace now more than ever. Perhaps you or someone you love is fighting cancer and you are facing a lot of fear and uncertainty. Or perhaps you are facing other challenges, whether it be physical, social, or economic. These difficulties, whether cancer or otherwise, threaten our peace, that feeling of tranquility and calm.

Yet, even as fear ramps up and threatens our calm, what if there is a gift of peace that we can experience in the midst of it? What if this peace was actually what you needed most, the answer to whatever problems threatens you today, tomorrow or in the coming weeks? The second candle of Advent is the candle of peace.

Reading the Old Testament books of History, the Prophets, and the Psalms, it is easy to see only the sinfulness of man and the judgment of God. God is love yet the love of God will not allow a Holy righteous God to overlook the sinfulness of mankind. Sin is judged because of the love of God. It was God’s love that drove Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden. It was His love that provided a way of their reconciliation with God. What Isaiah promised the coming Messiah would be, the prince of peace was echoed and proclaimed to the shepherd in the fields near Bethlehem.

The first people to be told the news that Israel's Messiah had been born were a group of shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem. God's gift of such a Savior was evidence of his good pleasure towards humankind and his desire that people everywhere be brought into a relationship of peace with him. Isaiah not only proclaims Jesus to be the Prince of Peace, he promised that believers can be kept in perfect peace. How do you keep your mind in perfect peace? To be kept in this perfect peace, our mind must be stayed on the Lord. If our mind is stayed on ourselves, or our problems, or the problem people in our lives, or on anything else, we can't have this perfect peace. This is the heart that says with the Apostle Paul, Philippians 4:11 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

In a world filled with war and violence, it’s difficult to see how Jesus could be the all-powerful God who acts in human history and be the embodiment of peace. But physical safety and political harmony don’t necessarily reflect the kind of peace He’s talking about. In John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

The Hebrew word for “peace,” shalom, refers to the calm tranquility of individuals, groups, and nations with nothing missing and nothing lacking. The Greek word for peace means “unity and one accord. Paul uses that Greek word to describe the objective of the New Testament church. But the deeper, more foundational meaning of peace is “the spiritual harmony brought about by an individual’s restoration with God.”

Romans 5:8-10 describes what God in sending his son, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.