CHRISTMAS GREETING CARD SERMON II: PEACE
World leaders talk about it. Church leaders pray for it. Ordinary folks long for it. Yet, there seems to be nothing more elusive than the PEACE that we talk about, pray for and long for. Since the beginning of time, a genuine sense of peace on earth has been hard to come by. Do you ever wonder why?
Thousands of years ago, the prophet Jeremiah threw up his hands in exasperation and spoke the truth when he said, “Peace, peace, they say, when there is no peace.”
Do you detect the prophet’s frustration? Two words uttered by him speak volumes – “they say.”
It is just as true today as it was then that the biggest reason why there is no peace is that peace is something people talk about but do very little to achieve. In fact, as a rule, we tend to do more to deter peace than we do to show that we are determined to make peace our number one priority.
There can be no doubt that the Lord God intended that there BE peace on earth.
Luke 2:8-14 . . . “And on earth peace . . ..”
The peace the angels sang about, in their appearance to the shepherds, Isaiah had prophesied when he declared centuries before the coming of Christ that “Unto us a child is born . . . and His name shall be called . . . the Prince of Peace.”
What the people of the world had longed for, God provided when He sent His Son into the world to be the Savior of the world. God’s provision was hard for people to accept because they had not expected God’s gift to be given to the world in the form of a baby born of a peasant and laid in a manger. Whoever heard of such a thing - a Prince born in a stinking stable?
Folks, we ought to thank God that the Prince of Peace came to this earth in a lowly manner. You know why? Ordinary folks like you and I can relate to that kind of Prince – One who thought it not shameful to associate him self with the likes of poor shepherds in surroundings that were anything but palatial and princely.
In the manner of our Savior’s birth, God made a resounding statement to all the people of the earth – whether they are high and mighty or low man on the totem pole. It does not matter, to the God who created each one of us “in his image,” whether we are rich or poor, fat or thin, lovely or ugly, Jew or Gentile, American or not. What does matter to Him is for the whole wide world to acknowledge His Son as THE Prince of Peace.
One of my favorite Christmas cards has a beautiful white dove – the popular symbol of peace - painted against a background of blue skies filled with numerous stars of the universe. The dove appears to be in flight carrying in its beak a ribbon flowing in the wind. There is one word printed on the front of the card – “Peace.”
The painting suggests to me that the message “Peace on Earth” is to be spread by messengers of Peace throughout the whole world - in the hope that peace will be found in the places mentioned inside the card – “in your home, in your heart, in the world.”
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every home on the face of the earth became the “haven of peace” that God intended?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Christ the Prince of Peace were received into the hearts of each and every individual on earth?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every nation and every tribe in the whole wide world bowed in worship to the King of kings and Lord of lords?
Crowning “Christ the Prince of Peace” as the King of whose kingdom there will be no end will be the order of the day when Christ returns to take His bride the Church out of this world into the realm of glory.
That glorious event will occur when God the Father says, “It’s time.”
When He came the first time, opponents of Jesus did not recognize Him as Prince of Peace, and, because they failed to recognize Him, Jesus felt compelled to warn them of their fate.
Those who did recognize Him, and therefore believed in Him as the Son of God - who had come to bring peace rather than a sword - lined the streets of Jerusalem as He rode into town on a donkey; and the whole crowd, Luke says, “began joyfully to praise God in loud voices, shouting, ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace!’”
Would you agree that anyone who desires peace on earth . . . peace in their homes . . . peace in their hearts and minds can indeed experience the peace of God which surpasses human understanding?
If you were to ask me if there have ever been times in my life when I experienced inner conflict – the opposite of peace – I would have to tell you that, yes, there have been times when I felt uneasy because of situations over which I had no control. There have been times when, due to conflict in my own little world, I felt anxious, had difficulty sleeping, my nerves on edge.
During those times, I longed for the peace that only God can give. So, what did I do? First of all, I came to grips with the reality that I needed help.
Then I sought the help I needed. I asked God for “wisdom” to deal with the conflict, and for “strength” to carry me through. I am here today to tell you that the Lord has never let me down when I asked Him to lift me up!
With God on our side, how can we lose? The whole world may be coming apart at the seams. The entire population may be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Our family situations may leave a whole lot to be desired. Yet, when we get in touch with our heavenly Father and we have a little talk with Him, we ought to feel a whole lot better.
Raymond Beasley was my neighbor in Augusta for many years. As I left each morning to tackle the challenges of a new day, he would be sitting on his porch across the street and, without fail, would call out to me: “Charles, remember; with God on your side, how can you lose?”
Then Mr. Beasley would laugh. Why did he laugh? He knew that if I would carry his “thought for the day” with me all day long I would come back home in a good mood, and I would be smiling rather than frowning. My upside down smiley face would be turned right side up! O, the peace that only God can give!
There is so much in our lives that can be upsetting and cause us to go into a dither. Our daily lives are filled with conflicts that cause anxiety – which is the main reason why medications for the treatment of generalized anxiety are gulped down by millions every day.
Paul’s prescription for getting us through the day needs to be added to our daily dosage of anti-anxiety medications:
“Do not worry so much, but in everything, by praying about it, not forgetting to give thanks to God, tell God your needs. And, you know what? The peace of God will enable you to rise above all that you have to go through; it will take hold within you, and set your mind at ease.”
The only way, though, anyone can experience God’s peace is to walk daily with the Prince of Peace, Christ Jesus!
The only way anyone can walk daily with the Prince of Peace is to invite Christ Jesus to come into their life and be in control. You can invite Christ Jesus to come into your life by simply saying, “Lord Jesus, come into my life and take charge.”
When you let Christ take charge of your life, you will experience the peace of God!
“Into my heart, into my heart,
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus;
Come in today, come in to stay,
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.”
“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin in me.” Amen.
