“Peace at Christmas: Sermon Advent 3 2022
Ecclesiastes 1: 1-11, John 14: 12-14, 27-29
It feels good to be back in this holy place again. I truly have missed each and every one of you. I have longed to be here and feel the magic of our worship together. So, let me say alleluia! Now we can feel the wonder of God’s presents again as He ministers to us and allows us to open our hearts in worship, this is nothing new, He has ordained our worship many years ago and he keeps us together today. I know, I feel it. We are a family……a family put together here in this time and place in history to be his beloved children. So let us carry on. Let us be about who we are….. and let us reach for the stars as we seek to carry on the ministry of our Lord and Savior.
This is a special holy time of the year, and may I say, a special time in our lives. Advent 2022. I can remember when I was in the 5th grade thinking how old I would be in the year 2020. I thought wow that is an eon in time. And now here I am in the year 2022 thinking where did all that time go?
And then I thought about my own age and remembered something very important, that we all need to know, the words of the Preacher King, Solomon. One of the wisest men who ever lived. Now I have officiated over many funerals….said final goodbyes to many good friends and family members. I have been honored to do so. On many occasions I have read and preached these words. Let read them to you:
Ecclesiastes 1: 1-11
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
What does man gain by all the toil
at which he toils under the sun?
A generation goes, and a generation comes,
But the earth remains forever.
The sun rises, and the sun goes down,
and hastens to the place where it rises.
The wind blows to the south
and goes around to the north;
around and around goes the wind,
and on its circuits the wind returns.
All streams run to the sea,
but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they flow again.
All things are full of weariness;
a man cannot utter it;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
nor the ear filled with hearing.
What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there a thing of which it is said,
“See, this is new”?
It has been already
in the ages before us.
There is no remembrance of former things,
nor will there be any remembrance
of later things yet to be
among those who come after.
You may thinking to yourself, “OK, now I depressed”. Everything we do, according to Solomon is in vain? All of our work, our hopes and our dreams are for nothing? What kind of wisdom is this? Well, Solomon is putting all of us “little gods” in our place. He is telling us that we are nothing, and everything we do amounts to nothing, the only thing that really matters is God.
Just look at the way we treat God. The Advent season is a time to prepare our hearts and homes for the birth of the Christ child, his son. But do we ever really think about or THANK God for what He has done for us. We have allowed the popular culture to steal the truth of Christmas, Instead of celebrating God giving us the greatest Gift of all, Salvation, which we didn’t deserve, our modern culture has done everything to change the truth for a lie. Christmas is not about shopping, parties, gifts and myths. It is not about Macy’s Christmas Parade, Big Brothers Big Sisters Christmas Tree sales, it is not about Hallmark Movies, it is not about Black Fridays…… and mostly, mostly, IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU AND IT IS NOT ABOUT ME.
It is about a loving Benevolent God, whose love for us was so strong, he sent his own son to die in our place, paying the price of our debts so that we can be with him in heaven forever. His Holy Children. Now that is a gift!
And now we know where Solomon was coming from. If it is about you, if God isn’t your main reason for existence, then you are a fool….. for all these earthly things will pass away and be destroyed.
Advent is a time when we celebrate the first coming of Christ and prepare for His second coming. Are you ready?
Let us learn from Solomon. He says, All things are vanity.
He says, What good is it to gain wealth?
He writes; “I said in my heart “come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself” So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun."
You never know how things will turn out. Just look at John the Baptist. Jesus said that there has never been a man born of woman greater than he. Yet, he was martyred. He died a horrible death. He was beheaded.
So, the Theme Of Ecclesiastes is that, “IN THE END ALL YOU REALLY HAVE IS GOD.
And that is what I want to leave you with. Everything you hold dear, can be lost in a second. You can lose everything, your health, your money, your home and even your family and your own life.
So when you think of it that way, there is only one thing left and that is peace with God: and peace is the most beautiful thing in all the world; We are reminded of Peace on earth goodwill toward men at this time each year. It is the time when we look for the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. YES, this is the season of peace, It is the most powerful thing, it is the most blessed thing, it is the most personal thing that one could ever attain. peace of mind or peace with yourself, Peace with others and your neighbors; but most of all you will have peace with our Father.
John 14:27 Our Savior tells each of us:
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
How can we not honor Him Above all things, for everything else is vanity? The material things of this earth will pass away….Only Christ is forever. So let us resolve to dedicate what is left of our time, to accept the real Gift of Christmas, Jesus Christ; To make Christmas about Him and the peace he gives us. Let us remember his love, let us remember his birth , let us remember his death……….but most of all, let us remember that our Father sent him here as an innocent baby, to save the likes of us.
