THE SHEPHERDS' STORY (Luke 2:8-14)
Now let me take you back to that night—that HOLY NIGHT—when everything changed.
There were shepherds out in the fields, doing what they always did—watching over their sheep through the long, dark night. These weren't fancy people. These weren't religious leaders. These were working folk, doing an honest day's—or night's—work.
And suddenly—SUDDENLY—the glory of the Lord shone around them!
Can you imagine? One minute it's dark and quiet. The next minute, GLORY EVERYWHERE!
The angel said: "Fear not! I bring you GOOD NEWS of GREAT JOY for ALL PEOPLE!"
And then—oh, then!—a whole HOST of angels showed up singing:
"GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST HEAVEN, AND ON EARTH PEACE TO THOSE ON WHOM HIS FAVOR RESTS!"
PEACE ON EARTH - THE ANNOUNCEMENT
Listen to what those angels declared:
"PEACE ON EARTH!"
Not peace in heaven—we know there's peace in heaven! Not peace for a select few—but peace ON EARTH! Peace for ALL PEOPLE!
The angels announced that night what the prophet Isaiah had promised:
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given... And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, PRINCE OF PEACE!" (Isaiah 9:6)
The PRINCE OF PEACE had arrived!
ROMANS 5:1-5 - THE PEACE FOUNDATION
Now let me break this down from Romans 5. Paul says:
"Therefore, since we have been JUSTIFIED by faith, we have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ!"
We Were at WAR
Before Christ, we were enemies of God. Our sin put us on the wrong side of a holy God. There was a war going on—rebellion in our hearts, separation from our Creator.
But Jesus came to END THE WAR!
Verse 1: "We have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ!"
The fighting is OVER, church! The battle is WON! The treaty has been SIGNED in the blood of the Lamb!
We Stand in GRACE
Verse 2: "Through him we have obtained ACCESS by faith into this GRACE in which we STAND!"
We're not tiptoeing around, hoping we don't get kicked out. We're not barely holding on by our fingernails. We STAND in grace! We have ACCESS to the Father!
We Rejoice in SUFFERING
Now here's where it gets good—here's where Paul gets radical:
Verses 3-4: "Not only that, but we REJOICE in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope!"
The world says: "I'll have peace when everything is going right." But Paul says: "We rejoice EVEN IN SUFFERING!"
Why? Because:
Suffering produces ENDURANCE (we get stronger)
Endurance produces CHARACTER (we get better)
Character produces HOPE (we get expectant)
Hope That Won't Let You Down
Verse 5: "And hope does not put us to shame, because God's LOVE has been POURED into our hearts through the Holy Spirit!"
Not dripped. Not sprinkled. POURED!
Like oil running down Aaron's beard! Like rain in a drought! Like mercy in the morning!
God's love has been LAVISHED on us through the Holy Spirit!
THE GIFT THE WORLD CAN'T GIVE
Jesus said it plain in 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."
The World's Peace:
The world says:
"Get more money—then you'll have peace"
"Get the right relationship—then you'll have peace"
"Get your health right—then you'll have peace"
"Get everything under control—then you'll have peace"
But that peace CRUMBLES when:
The money runs out
The relationship falls apart
The diagnosis comes back
Control slips through your fingers
Christ's Peace:
But Jesus' peace?
It's there when the money's tight
It's there when relationships are tested
It's there when the doctor gives bad news
It's there when everything is falling apart
Because HIS peace doesn't depend on your circumstances! His peace depends on HIS PRESENCE! His peace is based on HIS PROMISE! His peace is secured by HIS POWER!
EPHESIANS 2:14-18 - JESUS IS OUR PEACE
Paul tells us in Ephesians:
"For HE HIMSELF is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has DESTROYED the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility!"
Jesus didn't just bring peace—HE IS PEACE!
He broke down the walls:
The wall between Jew and Gentile—DEMOLISHED!
The wall between slave and free—DESTROYED!
The wall between male and female—TORN DOWN!
The wall between Black and white—SHATTERED!
"His purpose was to create in himself ONE NEW HUMANITY!"
One family! One body! One people under ONE LORD!
And how did He do it?
"Through the CROSS, by which he put to death their hostility!"
The cross is where peace was PURCHASED! The cross is where the war ENDED! The cross is where love CONQUERED!
FOR OUR PEOPLE - A WORD
Let me speak to my people for a moment.
We know what it's like to long for peace:
Peace in our streets
Peace in our homes
Peace in our communities
Peace in our nation
Our ancestors sang about peace:
"Down by the riverside, I ain't gonna study war no more"
"I'm gonna lay down my sword and shield"
"Gonna put on my long white robe"
They knew that true peace doesn't come from this world's systems. They knew that real peace comes from the PRINCE OF PEACE!
And church, we're STILL singing that song! We're STILL believing that promise! We're STILL trusting that the One who brought peace between us and God will one day bring peace to all the earth!
THE CALL TO ACTION
So what do we DO with this peace?
1. RECEIVE IT
Stop trying to earn it! Stop trying to work for it! Jesus already paid for it!
Accept the peace He offers! Believe the promise He made! Rest in the grace He gives!
2. REJOICE IN IT
Even when times are hard! Even when troubles come! Even when the enemy attacks!
Paul said, "We REJOICE in our sufferings!"
Not because suffering is good, but because GOD IS GOOD even in suffering!
3. REFLECT IT
Jesus said, "Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS!"
We're called to:
Bring peace to our families
Bring peace to our neighborhoods
Bring peace to our churches
Bring peace to our world
Not by our power, but by HIS SPIRIT! Not in our strength, but in HIS NAME!
4. REMEMBER IT AT HIS TABLE
In just a moment, we're coming to communion—the Table of Peace.
The bread - His body broken to break down every wall The cup - His blood shed to end the war between us and God
When you eat that bread, remember: The war is OVER! When you drink that cup, remember: The peace is WON!
CLOSING CHARGE
Church, the angels announced it to shepherds on a hillside:
"PEACE ON EARTH!"
Paul declared it in his letter:
"We have PEACE with God!"
Jesus promised it to His disciples:
"MY peace I give to you!"
So this Advent season:
Don't let the chaos steal your peace
Don't let the worry rob your joy
Don't let the enemy convince you the war isn't over
The PRINCE OF PEACE has come! The battle is WON! The victory is YOURS!
Can I get an AMEN?
Now let's come to this Table and celebrate the peace that was purchased for us!
