Baby Steps Toward Peace
“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Luke 1:76-79
Intro: Jill is the mother of a two year old little girl. Jill was having one of the worst mornings in her life. The washing machine hose broke and flooded the entire laundry room. She received a phone call from a collection company saying a bill was past due and needed a payment as soon as possible. She called the bank and only had less than $100 dollar in her account. The baby didn’t like the oatmeal she had fixed and so she was playing with it and most of it ended up on the floor underneath the table. Some of it ended up in her hair. Her husband called and said he was going to be late for work that morning because he had a flat tire. Almost to the breaking point Jill put her head down on the table and began to cry. When she did her two year old baby took her pacifier out of her mouth reached over and put it in her mommy’s mouth. All of us have had those kinds of days. There is an old saying, “When it rains, it pours.”
One of the simplest but most powerful and most effective ways to live a happy, victorious, and joyful life is to stay calm when you are in the midst of a difficult situation. When you can be at peace when everything else is chaotic and confusing you are proving that you have something great when you are trusting in God.
Did you noticed the scripture reading from Luke is not talking about the birth of Jesus but instead is talking about the birth of John the Baptist. Zechariah, was a priest in the temple in Jerusalem. He has just shared the prophecy that had been foretold for hundreds of years before about God's plan to bring His righteousness and His plan to bring salvation beginning through Abraham in the Old Testament and even unto us this very day and continuing into the future eternity yet to come. God often chooses to begin His work through tiny and vulnerable babies.
The birth of Cain and later the birth of Abel began the serious demonstration of pain in childbirth as a result of Eve and Adam’s sin and fall in the Garden of Eden.
Exodus begins with the story of the birth of the baby Moses being hid in the tall reeds near the Nile River.
The story of the births of Isaac and Ishmael begins the division of kingdoms and nations as God told Abraham that he would make a nation both of Isaac and God would also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son Ishmael. Because they were both children of Abraham and both heirs to the promises of God. Genesis 21:8-13
The story of Rachel and Leah has significance in the bible. Rachel the beloved wife of Jacob is infertile at marriage and cannot have children at first but Leah the unloved quickly produces Jacob his first four sons (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah), and later then two more sons (Issachar and Zebulun), and a daughter (Dinah). These make half of the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel.
The baby John the Baptist is to play a key role in the theater of ages as he begins the proclamation that Jesus is the promised Hope, Peace, Joy and Love, the Messiah.
And of course the birth of Jesus and the Nativity as God who has unlimited power becomes human in the form of a helpless baby Jesus to save the world.
There are some things every parent remembers: A baby’s first grin or smile or laugh. A baby’s first words. A baby’s first steps.
Today we are going to talk about “Baby Steps Toward Peace.” “Baby steps” are something we also need to learn from and practice. The first “baby step” toward peace is to ask…
I. Are You at Peace with Yourself?
In others words are you comfortable with your actions? Can you live with your decisions? Are you happy as a result of your choices?
Albert Einstein said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”.
So, if you are unhappy with the way certain things are in your life but you keep doing the same actions over and over again then guess what you need to change.
Here is the biggest reason people don’t change. Change doesn’t happen overnight. We don’t get into the mess we are in as a result of one or two mistakes. Most of the problems we face are a result of days, and weeks, and months and sometimes years of living with the same choices and mistakes over and over again. If it took you years to get into this mess. It my take several years to get out of this mess. But I have some “Good News.” You can move out of bad situation and into a good situation. You can improve a terrible relationship if both people are willing to work together to change. You can better your financial condition but it is going to take some baby steps to starting a financial plan and learning to live within your budget. You can find relief for the pain and hurts and brokenness of your past. But you have to be willing to start by taking baby steps out of your past toward peace.
Are there things in your life that you are doing that you know you should not be doing? The answer of every person who hears this question is yes. Everyone of us has things we need to change in our life to find more peace. The biggest reason people fail to change is some of the problems, some of the troubles, some of the difficulties, some of the habits, some of the addictions are so big that you cannot just stop "cold turkey." Baby steps of kindness toward others. Baby steps toward forgiveness. You see baby steps are how we learn to walk.
A baby was born in Jerusalem. His Mother was Elizabeth. His Father was Zechariah. Everyone wanted to name the baby Zechariah after his father or Josedesh, or Aaron, or after some other ancestor. But his mother Elizabeth said, “No! His name shall be called John!” Luke 1:59. Everyone said, “What? There is no one else in all your family by that name.” The Bible says, “Everyone who heard about this reflected on these events and asked, I wonder what this child will turn out to be? For surely the Lord is upon him in a special way.” Even naming this child John was a baby step toward obeying the Holy Spirit and fulfilling the Prophecy. Because this baby John would grow up to become John the Baptist. This little child would be called a prophet of the Most High because he would preach prepare the way for the Lord. He would preach change. He would preach hope. He would preach repentance. He would preach baptism. All the right steps toward peace with God. He would tell the people how to find salvation and forgiveness of their sins. God would give light to those who sit in darkness and guide his people to the path of peace. This baby John the Baptist grew up strong in spirit and would become the messenger who would point the world toward Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace. Luke 2:79 Are you at peace with yourself? What changes do you need to make in your life beginning today? What baby steps do you need to take to be at peace with yourself?
Now I am going to ask you a second question:
II. Are You at Peace with Others?
I recently heard a person say, “I love Christmas, but when the in-laws and the out-laws come is when I lose my peace.” The word “Peace” appears some 429 times in the bible. It has about eight different variations of meaning in the Old Testament and about seven different variations of meaning in the New Testament.
There is story told of a Baptist church who was searching to hire a new pastor. In the Baptist churches they do what is known as “Calling a Pastor.” A search committee of deacons narrows down a list of potential Pastors. They invite him to come and preach and after the congregation meets with him they take a vote on whether or not to hire him as the pastor. So a new pastor came and after the service they voted and informed the pastor he was hired. They had a dinner planned and so as they sat around talking over the meal one of the deacons said to the new pastor the vote was “almost unanimous.” This kind of alarmed the pastor so he asked, “What was the vote?” The deacon said, the vote was 230 yes and 2 votes no. The pastor spent the first six month trying to find out who the two no votes were. When he found out who the two were he spent the next six months trying to please those two people. At the end of the year the church voted and fired the pastor. This time the vote was 230 to fire him and 2 votes to keep him.
Luke 6:26 says, “Be weary when everyone speaks well of you.” Let me tell you. You cannot please everybody. The bible says in Acts 5:29 “We must obey God rather than be pleasers of people.” But it also says, in Romans 12:18 “As much as it is possible, as far as it lies within you, live at peace with everyone.”
Let me tell you I am nobody’s judge. God is the one that we will all have to stand before and give an account of our actions and decisions. Peace is not merely the absence of conflict. Peace is also an action word. Baby steps toward social justice. Baby steps toward equality and freedom, release from poverty. Baby steps toward helping the lost find God. “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.” Ephesians 2:14 There are barriers and walls that people build between themselves and others all the time. Some are intentional because of disagreements or differences of opinions that are sometimes pretty small when you really look at the big pictures in life.
I have been a pastor for many years and most of the things that people tell me that have caused divisions in their family, brother against brother, or sister and against sister, are things that are very tiny when compared to the major things in life. Yet they are the things that cause them to hold grudges. It can be a miscommunication: I meant to say something one way but it came out another. It can be that I said it one way but someone heard it another way. We need to keep the focus on the main thing being the main thing. Our Mission is to make disciples so that Christ can transform people’s lives.
Matthew 7:2 says, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”The church, the community of faith is instructed in the bible to not gossip and spread rumors, and slander, and whispers, and insult and judge someone. So we have to really practice hospitality. The bible says, “Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you.” Romans 15:7
Demographically between 40 and 60 percent of people who live within close driving distance of this church has no church relationship. The majority of people you meet on the street do not know the name of the pastor to call when they face an unexpected grief. Most of the people you know do not know the sustaining grace and peace that a church group offers. They take their children to sports events. They go out for entertainment. They have a better relationship with the mechanic who changes the oil in their car than a pastor of the church. They have a better relationship with the server at the restaurant they frequent than they do with people in the church. Church people must love each other. We must be intentional about loving others and welcoming strangers who come into this build. Or if they have been out of church for several months it is really difficult to come back because that first Sunday is scary when everyone turns and looks at them. Or if they have never been here before at all there is a lot of pressure on a first time visitor. Do you need to take a baby step in growing your capacity and attitude toward welcoming and loving others? Let’s think about that this morning when we make our way to the table for communion. Are you at peace with yourself? Are you at peace with others?
One final baby step. And this is really the most important baby step of all.
III. Are You at Peace with God?
The meaning of the word Peace in the bible implies quietness and rest. Another meaning of peace is a type of “reset or fresh start.”
Silent night, Holy night,
All is calm, All is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Don’t you want to sleep in heavenly peace? Peace is not something you reach out and touch with your physical hands. Peace is not something that is visible with the eye. If I asked you to draw me a picture of peace we would get many different variations of images. If I asked you to describe peace we would get many expressions of feeling as answers. But this one thing I know for sure, every step you take toward being at peace with your self is a step you take toward being at peace with God. Every step you take toward being at peace with yourself, every step you take at being at peace with others is a step you take at becoming at peace with Jesus the Prince of Peace.
If you lack the sense of peace within yourself can you find it? If you need to forgive and find peace with someone else. If you are lost and don’t know the way to find peace with Jesus. The answer is “Yes you can.” Indeed, the way to find peace really begins within baby step toward the manger and the birth of the baby Jesus. None of us are truly born with peace. It is something that has to be acquired by every one of us.
This morning I went by the hospital to visit a member of this church who is almost 90 years old. Mr. Pack fell last evening and broke his hip. He is in our prayers. While there this morning he told me that 65 years ago he made a decision to start attending church and including this Sunday he probably only missed a total of about 20 times all together. I told him that he did not have to count this Sunday as one of those absences because I had brought the church to him. He reached up and gave me the biggest hug. His decision 65 years ago was a baby step that led to a life time of major steps toward peace with God.
Everyone has the capacity to be at peace. The trouble is there are too many things that distract us, so many problems to solve, questions that need to be answered, difficulties to overcome, temptations to avoid, and sin and other things. That is why peace is so elusive. There is a way to find peace. Peace comes through surrender and peace comes through becoming part of a church community of faith. What do you need to take a baby step toward peace in your life?
Closing: Are you at peace with yourself? Are you at peace with others? Are you at peace with God?
