“Christmas Beyond the Wrapping Paper” part 2 God’s Gift of Peace
Brian A. Moon
A number of years ago now I had the opportunity to go spend a week on a houseboat floating down the St. John’s River in north Central Florida. It was a busy week leading up to this trip and when we arrived I found myself getting the boat ready and loading all of the items we would need for the trip instead of relaxing. That night when we finally got to where we were going to anchor for the evening and had eaten dinner I climbed up onto the roof of the boat and sat down on a lawn chair tired and worn out. As I sat there looking up into the pitch black night sky at all the brilliantly shining stars and listened to the complete silence of the setting I experienced an amazing peace and calmness like nothing I had ever experienced.
As I look back on that moment I realize now just how special it really was because peace is something that is in short order today. The holiday season is upon us and it is in full swing this year. The Christmas decorations and sales were beginning this year before Thanksgiving and now they are everywhere you go.
It is impossible to walk into a mall these days and not have to wait in line for 30 minutes or not to be bumped into, stepped on, or pushed to the side by that rude old lady who just had to get the last cinnamon sugar pretzel at Aunt Annie’s…
As I was driving the other day I saw a light display on a persons house and it said “Peace on Earth” in big red and green light bulbs. I had to laugh at this because I was stuck in traffic on McMullen Booth Road with some person honking and waving their middle finger at me to move so they could pass by me on the grass. Is this what Christmas time is all about, hurrying to the mall, fighting through crowds, fighting traffic to get home and then running out again because you forgot the wrapping paper? What about that sign I saw that said peace on earth? What about this peace, where can I get some? Another item in that persons yard with the peace on earth lights was a manger scene. It was complete with a plastic Mary and Joseph, a little baby Jesus and even the Wise Men and camels. This little scene is a reminder to us all tonight of the true meaning of Christmas. It is about gifts, but not the ones that come in bright shinny paper, but instead it is about God’s gifts to the world through his Son Jesus.
The Bible says, “Though he was God… He laid aside His mighty power and glory, taking the disguise of a slave and becoming like men. And He humbled himself even further, going so far as actually to die a criminals death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8 TLB
2,003 years ago now God looked down upon this earth that he had created and saw that we need things like hope, and peace, and some way to be free from evil and sin, So he sent down his Son Jesus in the form of a little baby boy that would change the world forever.
The Bibles record of this says this, “In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord…’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’ Luke 2:8 – 14 NRSV
Underline the last words “Peace among those whom he favors”
God’s gift of Jesus was a gift of peace for you and me today. It is because of Jesus that we can have peace on the inside, peace on the outside, and peace with God. Let’s look at the first one of those, God’s gift of Jesus means:
Peace on the inside
Duke University did a study on "peace of mind." Factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability are:
1) the absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness. 2) Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression. 3) Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it. 4) Force yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress. 5) Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune. 6) Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues--love, humor, compassion and loyalty. 7) Do not expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable. And the last one which I find most interesting is:
8) Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centered egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness and peace.
I always love it when the scientific community proves what God has done for us for thousands of years.
The Bible says, “I go to bed and sleep in peace, because, Lord, only you keep me safe.” Psalm 4:8 NCV
I don’t know about you, but inside my head a thousand things go on during the day. I have so many things to do, things to remember, so many inputs from senses, so many distractions that I go crazy from it all sometimes. Did you know that you are bombard by over 20,000 sensate images in one day as compared to around 5,000 just 50 years ago. Because of TV’s, computers, and so on your brain is overwhelmed by all that is put into it in one day. In fact you can only handle about 13,000 inputs a day before you go on freak out mode.
But despite all of the craziness of today’s world God can still give you peace on the inside.
The Bible says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3 NLT
Circle the words “perfect peace” and “fixed on you”
That is the key to perfect peace on the inside right there; that is God’s gift of peace to you, to fix your thoughts on God. Through all of the confusion and distractions of life, fix your thoughts on God. He gave the world Jesus as a gift to be an example of the perfect life, and that is what Jesus did. He stayed in constant contact with his Father in heaven. He thought about him throughout his day and he communicated with him. You can do the same thing, as your day goes by talk about it with God, share with him your thoughts, feelings, and needs. Listen to him, focus on the things of above not the things here below. If we take advantage of the peace on the inside that God offers by fixing out thoughts on him, by remembering him throughout the day this is what will happen:
“If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 NLT
God gave Jesus to show us how to do this, if we follow his example of talking with God throughout the day and listening to him we can experience God’s gift of peace this Christmas season.
Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered. The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.
The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace? A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky ledge; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power. A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.
I share that story because not only does God’s gift of peace work on the inside, it is also good for:
Peace on the outside
Jesus says, “I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have trouble, but be brave! I have defeated the world.” John 16:33 NCV
Jesus was God’s gift 2000 years ago at Christmas time so that we can have peace because he lived this life perfectly. He defeated the world’s distractions and stresses, but also he died on a cross to take away all of the times that we failed to live up to perfection, which for me is everyday. Jesus paid the price for all of our shortcomings and sins, he died to take them away. But then he rose from the grave of our sins and proved once again that he had conquered the world and everything in it. What this does for us is that is sets us free to now live in peace even if the whole world is falling apart around us. If you accept what Jesus did for you, if you allow him to come into your life and save you, then you have the power to be at peace no matter what is going outside.
The Bible says, “The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end; I will keep forever my promise of peace." So says the Lord who loves you.” Isaiah 54:10 TEV
God says to us “I gave up my Son Jesus to come and show you how to live in peace even when the world is falling apart because I love you, and because I love you I will never fail to give you peace.”
When relationships crumble, God will give you peace.
When tragedy strikes, God will give you peace. When your circumstances are frightening, God will give you peace. When fights are breaking out all around you, God will give you peace. The peace of God does not depend on external circumstances. It comes directly from the Lord and it is placed in our hearts. There is always going to be uncertainty in the world, but God has given you a gift that is able to conquer anything in, under, or above this earth.
Jesus says, “I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn’t like the peace that this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid.” John 14:27 CEV
You might be able to find bits and pieces of peace like I did on the roof of that house boat looking up at the stars, But to have real peace, the kind of peace that can stand up to all the world can throw at it can only come from God’s gift of Jesus. The final peace that I want us to look at is:
Peace with God
There has been a problem with mankind since the fall of man back in the Biblical story of the Garden of Eden, which has led to most peoples lack of true peace. That problem is we have chosen to go our own way, against God’s way, and as a result caused all kinds of evil and sinful things to come into this world. But God gave his Christmas gift to us, he gave us Jesus and now we can have peace with God despite our corrupt state.
The Bible says, “God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold the world guilty of its sins.”
2 Corinthians 5:19 NCV
Jesus is the bridge between our messed up, sinful nature and God’s perfect nature. When he died for us he brought us back to God and made it possible for us to be a part of God’s family. Jesus made the way for us to have peace with God.
Former Beatle, George Harrison died in December 2001. During his final days his wife and child, and his sister, Louise were at his bedside. It was Louise’s presence that was especially poignant. You see, she and George had been feuding with each other for almost forty years. Their feud began when Louise opened a bed and breakfast named "A Hard Day’s Night". The rift was healed only when George realized he would probably die from his cancer. Louise reports that their reconciliation was difficult but satisfying. "We sort of held hands like we used to do" she said. "We used to talk for hours about life and God and the universe. We were able to look into each other’s eyes again with love. It was a very, very positive and loving meeting,"
This episode tells us exactly what reconciliation is - two people who have been at odds with one another, coming together in a renewed and restored relationship.
A relationship where they are able to "look into each other’s eyes again with love." This is what it means to reconcile with God. The tragedy of course, is that George and Louise took so long to reconcile, that they missed out on so much. Similarly, it is a tragedy when we wait so long to be reconciled to God. God wants to offer you peace tonight, the Bible says,
“Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1 TEV
This peace can be yours if you invite Jesus to come and be your leader and savior tonight. If you have never started a relationship with God through Jesus then will you pray this prayer with me?
Prayer: God I need you to come and save me from all of my shortcomings and sins. I am sorry that I have chosen to go my own way. Please come and continue your saving work in my life and give me help to follow you. Give me your peace. Thank you for sending Jesus to save me. Amen.
If that was you then in the Bible it says God will give you the power to be saved and that one-day when you die you will spend forever with him in Heaven.
Also if that was you then may I be the first to welcome to God’s family. God is so good and so loving, tonight I hope we all can say from this moment on that God is our peace.
