Sunday, January 01, 2006
2nd Sunday of Advent: PEACE Dec. 11, 2005 Sermon Notes
Note: This post is taken from loose outline notes of the pastor. Actual delivery and message may be slightly different. Sermon may be available on videotape. Check with pastor in comments section below for availability.
Text: John 14:27; 16:33 see also Matthew 1:20-5; Matthew 2:13-21, and Luke 1:26-38
Today we light the candles of hope from last week and this week's candle of peace. You know, peace I think in many cases is misinterpreted by today's experts to mean the absence of conflict. How rare indeed! I tend to believe that the proper definition of peace is calm and having assurance n the face of conflict.
Let's look no farther than the Christmas story. Joseph and Mary were heavily involved in personal, societal, and religious conficts in their young lives. Here we have a young man and woman whose lives are blown away by this amazing announcement. First. let's look at Joseph.
Good ole Joseph, an upright and righteous man we are told, a carpenter. Granted, not Bill Gates but someone who could be a good provider. Now, here is Joe, finding out that his fiance is pregnant, and the talking around the community begins. Joe cares about Mary and wants to just quickly divorce her and try to rebuild his reputation. However, an angel of the Lord appears to him and sets him straight on the whole mattter. This was no indiscretion. This is divine will. This is a great miracle and gift. (Matthew 1:20-25)
Look also at Mary, she had to be worried. Because, back in the day, you oculd get stoned and I don't mean chemically intoxicated, for having a child out of wedlock, especially when you were engaged to be married. However, the angel of the Lord appeared to her as well, and comforted and praised her as being blessed among women. Mary was so relieved that she burst into the song now known as the Magnificat. (Luke 1:26-38)
Later, when it was revealed that Herod was going to seek out the Christ child to murder him, Joespeh and Mary were given peace when they were told to leave Bethlehem and go to Egypt. That had to be of great concern to Joe, who was a new father and did not want to move his young family ove such a good distance. And of course, both parents had to be worried about this ruler wanting their child dead. However, once again, the angel of hte Lord appeared and gave Joe peace.
How do we get our peace? We get it through the knowledge of Christ, of His Father's plan for salvation for us, in the remission and repentance of our sins, and in the knowledge that we are saved. You see, we know we are looked down upon by the elite. We know we have targets on our backs because of what we believe. However, through Christ, we can have peace even in the midst of Conflict, even as jobs are uncertain, friendships are on wobbly ground,and the future seems bleak, we can still have peace because we know we are saved through Christ. And that story began, that assurance of peace began, long ago when a carpenter was assured that his wife was true.
You know, another thing about peace. I believe in the old adage by President Reagan, peace through strength. In order to have peace as a Christian, we need to hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. We need to trust and be hopeful in other people, but we need to be ready when they let us down, with the weapons of the word of God and forgiveness. We need to be ready to go out and take a stand, and be willing to fight for it. Too long have we believed that peace is the absence of conflict. That has led to circumventing of some of our values and the assault on Christians we have today. We do not desire conflict, but we can have peace in the midst of that conflict by trsuting in God, calling upon Him, trusting n the salvation of His Son. Then we know, whether we rise or fall we will be awash in His divine care forever. That is the true peace. The peace given by the hope in a starry night, a star westward leading, where we are still proceeding, searching to be ever closer to Him.
Text: John 14:27; 16:33 see also Matthew 1:20-5; Matthew 2:13-21, and Luke 1:26-38
Today we light the candles of hope from last week and this week's candle of peace. You know, peace I think in many cases is misinterpreted by today's experts to mean the absence of conflict. How rare indeed! I tend to believe that the proper definition of peace is calm and having assurance n the face of conflict.
Let's look no farther than the Christmas story. Joseph and Mary were heavily involved in personal, societal, and religious conficts in their young lives. Here we have a young man and woman whose lives are blown away by this amazing announcement. First. let's look at Joseph.
Good ole Joseph, an upright and righteous man we are told, a carpenter. Granted, not Bill Gates but someone who could be a good provider. Now, here is Joe, finding out that his fiance is pregnant, and the talking around the community begins. Joe cares about Mary and wants to just quickly divorce her and try to rebuild his reputation. However, an angel of the Lord appears to him and sets him straight on the whole mattter. This was no indiscretion. This is divine will. This is a great miracle and gift. (Matthew 1:20-25)
Look also at Mary, she had to be worried. Because, back in the day, you oculd get stoned and I don't mean chemically intoxicated, for having a child out of wedlock, especially when you were engaged to be married. However, the angel of the Lord appeared to her as well, and comforted and praised her as being blessed among women. Mary was so relieved that she burst into the song now known as the Magnificat. (Luke 1:26-38)
Later, when it was revealed that Herod was going to seek out the Christ child to murder him, Joespeh and Mary were given peace when they were told to leave Bethlehem and go to Egypt. That had to be of great concern to Joe, who was a new father and did not want to move his young family ove such a good distance. And of course, both parents had to be worried about this ruler wanting their child dead. However, once again, the angel of hte Lord appeared and gave Joe peace.
How do we get our peace? We get it through the knowledge of Christ, of His Father's plan for salvation for us, in the remission and repentance of our sins, and in the knowledge that we are saved. You see, we know we are looked down upon by the elite. We know we have targets on our backs because of what we believe. However, through Christ, we can have peace even in the midst of Conflict, even as jobs are uncertain, friendships are on wobbly ground,and the future seems bleak, we can still have peace because we know we are saved through Christ. And that story began, that assurance of peace began, long ago when a carpenter was assured that his wife was true.
You know, another thing about peace. I believe in the old adage by President Reagan, peace through strength. In order to have peace as a Christian, we need to hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. We need to trust and be hopeful in other people, but we need to be ready when they let us down, with the weapons of the word of God and forgiveness. We need to be ready to go out and take a stand, and be willing to fight for it. Too long have we believed that peace is the absence of conflict. That has led to circumventing of some of our values and the assault on Christians we have today. We do not desire conflict, but we can have peace in the midst of that conflict by trsuting in God, calling upon Him, trusting n the salvation of His Son. Then we know, whether we rise or fall we will be awash in His divine care forever. That is the true peace. The peace given by the hope in a starry night, a star westward leading, where we are still proceeding, searching to be ever closer to Him.
# posted by Mark : 4:13 PM
