Dakota Community Church
December 9, 2012
Peace on Earth
Luke 2:8-20
So And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Glory to God – peace to men!
Jesus in the song you wrote
The words are sticking in my throat
Peace on Earth
Hear it every Christmas time
But hope and history won't rhyme
So what's it worth
This peace on Earth – (From Peace on Earth – U2 “All That You Can’t Leave Behind”)
Hope and history don’t rhyme – so what’s it worth?
What did these angels come to announce and has it turned out to be a false message?
Look at the news tonight; did God accomplish the announced objective?
Just as the majority who awaited the Messiah did not and in fact still do not believe that He has come, the majority are misinformed because of their own preconceived notions.
They awaited a conqueror; not a suffering servant.
They awaited a political enforcer; not a spiritual healer.
They awaited an earthly kingdom; not an eternal other worldly one.
They interpreted with carnal intent and missed the work of a spiritual God – same with the peace on earth message.
What the angels announced to those lonely shepherds – has come to pass and is coming to pass everyday! On this planet, this sick, sinful, fallen planet; we now have:
1. Peace with God
Because our sins are forgiven
Colossians 2:6-15
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
The written code that was against us that stood opposed to us (THE LAW) has been taken away.
It has been nailed to the cross!
You want to come to God, you want eternal life – but God cannot receive you because you are a lying, thieving, murderous adulterer who hates God and serves only himself.
The written code is against lying thieving murderous self lovers like you.
Now Christ comes and takes the punishment you deserve.
The code is nailed to the tree – completely finished in Christ!
Everything that stood between you and a HOLY GOD has been removed once you are in Christ!
God offers peace to men on whom His favor rests.
2. Peace with each other
Because vengeance is removed with the knowledge of a just God
The gospel brings peace to all of our lives, regardless of offenses against us.
Only because of the gospel can peace rule and reign on earth.
1 Corinthians 4:4-5
My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
The gospel says that Jesus has died and forgiven me, has absorbed God’s wrath towards me and will in the end righteously and justly judge all offenses that were not absorbed on His cross.
So revenge and vengeance really don’t even need to be on our radar. Because either the offense against us was absorbed in the cross of Christ and God will save and redeem the person or He will justly and righteously judge the action against us. So I don’t need to punish you for how you wounded me.
God has all that taken care of.
He’ll rescue you, save you and lead you to repentance, or He’ll destroy you on the Day.
To not see this is to be saddled with an exhausting amount of baggage.
It is so sad when people won’t let go of the offenses committed against them, - not to make light of the offenses - some of them are horrific.
In not letting those offenses go, they carry it with them and destroy all their other relationships, “I’m not going to let this go because to let this go would let them off the hook.”
So you drag this anger and bitterness around, harming yourself and everyone you love.
How is that getting even with your offender?
To wound yourself, to lack intimacy in your relationships with others and to really walk in bitterness and anger in order to get someone back destroys you, not them.
Do you think they’re losing sleep going, “Oh, that person that I knifed in the back doesn’t like that I did that. I just can’t sleep”?
Do you think that that’s happening?
“All the more right for me to hang on to my hate.”
No, all the more crazy for you to.
You don’t have to. God has this. - So we can just live open-handed.
Now that doesn’t mean every relationship needs to be restored.
You don’t pretend the abuse never happened and let the abuser babysit your kids – NO
Report that stuff and remove yourself to a safe place – but let it go – leave it at the cross.
Don’t mishear what I’m saying. What I am saying is you need to forgive and you can forgive, because you have been forgiven and you know justice will be done!
3. Peace within
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Are you still waging war against God?
There is peace on earth this Christmas – come to the cross
Are you still carrying baggage of hatred and bitterness?
There is peace on earth this Christmas – come to the cross
Are you filled with anxiety and inner turmoil, consumed with what others think & longing for rest?
There is peace on earth this Christmas – come to the cross
PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net
Follow Dan on twitter: @DanCormie
