God's Peace - 1 Series

God’s Peace - 1

November 27, 2022

Today is my 51st anniversary! Are you going to wish me happy anniversary?! Well, thank you! But you have absolutely no clue why you’re wishing me happy anniversary. Let me show you a picture from 51 years ago today. This is what I looked like as a 13 year old on the day of my Bar Mitzvah.

Wasn’t I cute? I know . . . what happened to me?

51 years ago, or about 446,000 hours ago, I stood, very nervously, I might add, and read from the Torah in the Synagogue. I chanted, which you won’t get me to do. Of course it was on a Saturday and as I was thinking about today, what struck me, and what I remember is the focus and anxiety I had on that day. I prepared for it, I practiced, I met with a tutor, so that I could annunciate every Hebrew word perfectly from the Torah. If you made a mistake, you were corrected. I wrote a speech, I got all dressed up and away I went. We had a party at night with tons of great food and a huge sweet table. That’s something you need to experience.

So, what’s my point in taking you back down memory lane? On this November 27th as I consider my intense anxiety, my nerves, the fact that I almost turned the lights on, which you don’t do on the Sabbath. How do we move beyond our anxiety? How do we find peace in this crazy world?

I mean, we’re on Black Friday weekend. The festivities started back in September and October. Sales come early and often. More stores are staying closed on Thursday to give families time together. That’s nice, but we’re into the season of peace – less – ness.

There’s no such word as peacelessness. But that’s part of what’s going on. Add to the holiday rush, sickness, inflation, insecurities about life, family issues, work issues and where in the world do we find peace?

So, for the Advent season, I’m going to focus on peace. We’re going to talk all about peace and my hope is that each week, you’ll have another nugget to take home that will help you experience the peace of Christ. Not just during the Christmas season, but all year long.

If you were given the opportunity to have one wish this Christmas season, what would it be?

More money, which isn’t necessarily bad, it can be . . .

A relationship, because you want community.

Maybe fame or success or happiness or health.

Maybe you’d wish for more wishes. That’s illegal.

I want to read a Christmas passage, which so many of us know, so, we kind of glance over it. In the birth story of Jesus, Luke tells us - - -

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” – Luke 2:8-14

The angels told the shepherds, glory to God in the highest and peace on earth.

What's interesting is when Jesus would talk to people, greet them in coming and in going, he would often say, "Peace be with you." Or after something would happen, even something traumatic, He would say, "Go in peace." The apostle Paul would start a letter saying, "Grace and peace be with you.”

He could have said grace and health. Or grace and joy. Or grace and power. Or grace and Tik Tok fame. But he didn't. He said, "Grace and peace be with you."

I really believe so many people really want this in life. We just don’t know how to receive this peace. So, we replace peace with addictions and other issues. We grab at things which are not necessarily healthy for us as we strive after not so good things. In many respects, it’s a lack of being content. And Paul told us we must learn how to be content. So, contentment and I’d even say peace are not natural for us to fine on our own.