Advent 2024: Peace - Isaiah 9:6-7

Good morning, everyone.

I'm thankful to open up God's Word with you today to focus on peace.

!

Please bring it back.

And I was just looking back on the last Advent sermon that I did on peace, and it actually

was 2020, like right after COVID had started.

And so it was like another tumultuous time that I actually had to speak on peace.

But this is the Advent season long ago in ancient times, God preparing and promising

to send a Redeemer.

However, as we've said, Advent really just means coming or arrival, and also to focus

on the birth of Christ and His first Advent, but also the second coming, which we greatly

look forward to.

Christ has come.

He is our hope.

He is our peace.

And today, that is going to be our focus, Advent peace.

And when you're learning to preach and to teach God's Word, a lot of the times some guys just

kind of run straight to a text and begin to read it and walk through it.

Another way to do it is actually to kind of create the problem first, and then through

God's Word, show how God meets that particular need.

And I just find it fitting to first talk about why there is an absence of peace in our personal

lives and in our world.

We can't find it.

So the opposite of true spiritual peace, as most of us are aware, is anxiety.

If our elders could count how many times we talk to people in our church, that anxiety is

in those top two or three things that always come up of members in our church, godly people

who are just struggling with anxiety.

And the definition of anxiety in the Scripture, the word, just hurts to even hear it.

It means to be inwardly divided, to be inwardly torn in different directions, so that you're fracturing

basically from the inside out.

You felt that?

Like just different things pulling on you in your heart and in your soul, dividing you so

that you're fracturing spiritually, and then physically following that.

Very real.

All of us have dealt with it.

Some are eating up with it more than others.

But anxiety is a very real and present thing.

It's the opposite of peace.

And we have an absence of personal peace, family peace, national peace, international peace.

We're missing this in our world.

There's been a lot of political unrest and national strife.

Back in 2020, as we remember, we were struck with COVID-19.

And for the first many months, none of us had any idea what was going on.

And it was the first little disruptor, I guess, to our normal, comfortable lives.

And it changed the world in many ways.

One historian calculated that in the last 3,500 years, there's been less than 300 that could

be actually roughly referred to as peaceful.

That's not a lot.

Basically, there's peace in the world just for enough time for both sides to stop and reload

for the next thing.

Do you want to think of it that way?

In the last four to five years, we've watched a lot, a lot unfold before us.

We watched the botched, disastrous, non-strategic withdrawal from Afghanistan that a lot of our

members in our church and other men that I know were sort of the 9-11 generation over the

last 20 years.

There's just all of that disorder fall apart, probably worse than Saigon, leaving many people

behind and many others dead.

We watched the first major war ramp up since Vietnam, which would have been Russia invading

Ukraine.

The CCP in China, saber-rattling to conquer Taiwan and in many places the world.

And about a year ago, in October, we witnessed the evil, wicked, demonic atrocities against

Israel on October 7th.

The slaughter and mutilation of innocents and hostages taken and the war in Gaza that followed.

Iran firing hundreds of rockets and missiles and drones at Israel.

We live in a world without peace.

And many of my military friends scattered all over the place say they get briefed on war to

war, world war ideas with China and other superpowers regularly.

If this does happen, here's going to be our response.

A world without peace.

And on a domestic level, we witnessed crime go up in major cities and small communities.

We witnessed LGBTQ ideology crammed down and enforced in our schools and our society.

And for the last five to four years, there's been just great unrest.

And it's hit you personally, if you're listening to this, from January 2021 to October 2024, this

past October, the Bureau of Labor reported that the overall household expenditures were up

by 20%.

Groceries up 21%.

Energy up 29%.

Auto insurance 57%.

And rent up 23%.

All in the last few years.

Many lost jobs.

Many of you are still struggling to find work, changing jobs, cutting hours, working multiple

jobs just to put food on the table.

But all these different things expose a reality that there is a lack of peace in ourselves,

in others, and in the world.

It doesn't look or sound very peaceful.

It's exposed it.

Because for many years, we just had it so well, we thought.

And it just revealed this false sense of security that we possess.

And so the absence of peace leads people like you and I to search for it.

Because we all long for it.

We want to attain peace in our communities, our families, and the world.

We want to be free from trouble, free from strife, free from fear, free from anxiety and

conflict.

And we long for true peace.

We all do.

Every human does.

It's a relentless search.

And we do it in different ways.

Many of you do it with vacations and escapes.

You just think, if I can escape the context I'm in and go have fun and disconnect.

But the problem is, sin follows you wherever you go, and it's waiting for you when you get

back.

Others, you've sought peace through financial stability.

I can just build that bank account up enough.

But we know, particularly in the last four or five years, how that just drops.

And I can't tell you how many men in our church I've talked to who have lost jobs, had to work

multiple jobs just to provide.

Others, by diversion.

Alcohol, drugs, entertainment, online shopping, take your pick.

Others in relationships, you just find that this person is strong and capable.

If I just lean into that person, they will be the one who gives me peace.

But then they turned out not to be Jesus.

And then they crack and let you down.

And in the process, you end up crushing them as well by putting that kind of hope in them.

A lot of people search through peace by health.

They just think, if I just eat right, work out, exercise, if I do the right thing, like,

I will be ready for whatever comes.

But yet, sickness still finds the most healthy of us.

And others, by boosting up your own protection, security cameras, firearms, ammo.

But you have found that, like, the bunker can never be deep enough.

And there never can be enough ammo in the shelf.

You're going to the next gun store and looking at the next gun.

The next, how many ammo, how much ammo can you store away and et cetera.

But even after you have all that, there is a lack of peace.

It's not there.

True spiritual peace cannot be found.

It eludes us.

So, why can't we ever be at peace in ourselves?

And why can't we be at peace with those who are around us, others?

What's burning your soul?

What is it?

I probably, if I named it, if I didn't name it, what is it?

What's tearing your soul apart from the inside out?

So, many people see Christmas and the holiday season as a pleasant distraction away from the burdens and cares of life.

But food, family, fun, that idea, gifts, presents.

The worldly view of Christmas, the, you know, cheer up.

It's Christmas.

It'll all work out.

It's the season to be kind to each other and nice to one another.

Be extra kind to everybody.

But that warm, fuzzy feeling doesn't really help us with, like, how broken our world truly is.

The worldly view of Christmas cannot patch up the world that has been wrecked by sin.

No man-made, superficial peace can actually do that.

So, if you're going to figure out why there's a lack of peace, we know there's a problem.

But with any good doctor, you try to find out, like, the source of that problem, not just the symptom.

The symptoms are we have no peace.

What causes that?

What is the true condition?

And Scripture is not bashful about telling us that.

But the reason we can't have peace within ourselves, with others, around the world, are they're just symptoms of a spiritual condition.

That symptom is, or that source is, that we all have sinned and rebelled against God.

We all have turned away from the God of peace and made war on Him.

Sin causes an absence of peace in an individual soul, collectively as people, than a lack of peace in our world.

It's just a trickle-down effect.

Sin has caused us to rebel against God directly and indirectly.

Hey, those days that we just ignore God, don't think about Him, don't give Him first in our lives,

those are days that we rebel against God.

It isn't just the atheists out there shaking their fists.

It's the times that we ignore Him and count Him as little and insignificant.

And we have no peace because our sin has made us enemies of God, our Creator,

that we were meant to know and enjoy and worship and have a relationship with.

All have sinned and fallen short of His glory.

James says that we all have turned against God and we love sin.

He says,

You adulterous people, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?

Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

This is a picture of spiritual unfaithfulness to God,

holding the things of this world in a greater affection than the one who made them.

That if you find that your life revolves around things, stuff, everything else,

it exhibits that this is being controlled by those things.

Know that God says here that He is jealous for the Spirit He created in you.

A holy jealousy.

He made you.

You belong to Him, but yet you give it to other things.

We have turned against the Creator and worshipped the things of creation.

George Whitefield, the great awakening preacher,

he basically, I remember I'm paraphrasing him,

but he said,

How can you ever dream of peace when God is your enemy?

You cannot be at odds with the sovereign, good, glorious, almighty God and have peace.

You can't be at odds with Him.

Isaiah 57, verse 20, very familiar.

Isaiah 57:20

The wicked are like the tossing of the sea,

for it cannot be quiet,

and as waters toss up mire and dirt,

there is no peace, says God, for the wicked.

God cannot give us true joy and true peace apart from Himself.

There's just no such thing.

So, if you need to be reminded of that reality as a believer today,

or if you're hearing that for the first time,

know that until your own soul is made right with God,

you will have no peace or anything else.

So, the true meaning of Christmas that we celebrate,

even though it's stressful and busy,

and boy, I get drownded in that a lot,

I just want to slow down.

But like, it just seems like there's this inevitable current that you get into,

and you just take off,

and you're just along for the ride for a lot of that stuff.

But, it is an opportunity to pause and elevate our souls to a higher place.

It's good for God's people, particularly,

to put their mind and their heart on the true meaning of it,

and to rediscover what it means to have true inner peace with God.

Just really quickly, Scripture calls God,

God the Father, the God of peace.

Hebrews 13.20

God the Son is the Prince of Peace,

which we'll look at in a moment.

Isaiah 9.6

And God the Holy Spirit is referred to as the Spirit of Peace.

So, He is a God of Peace.

So, how can we know that God of Peace?

But really quick, let me define roughly what peace means

as we see it, like in the Scripture.

Ready?

Peace is the inner confidence, rest, and trust

in God's wise, sovereign control of our lives,

resulting from being restored to Him through Jesus Christ.

Peace is the inner confidence, rest, and trust

in God's wise, sovereign control over our lives,

resulting from being restored to Him through Jesus Christ.

kind of a spin-off of our Old Testament word,

shalom.

In essence, a desire for completeness,

a wish for contentment,

a blessing for satisfaction.

In short, a blessing that all that is good from God

would flow into your life.

I wish all that is good would come upon you.

That satisfaction, completeness, and contentment.

New Testament word,

iron, where we get Irene, the name Irene from,

really means a tranquil state of the soul.

A soul that is at rest.

A satisfied soul.

We can have that by being made right with God

through Christ.

Augustine, one of the earlier guys

that I was reading in my journey to Reformed theology,

his famous quote in prayer to God,

God, you have made us for yourself.

Oh Lord, and our hearts are restless

until it rests in you.

Very true.

So, let's look at three things today.

Jumping into God's Word.

Peace promised.

Peace arrives.

And peace experienced.

First of all, peace promised.

Turning your Bibles to Isaiah 9.

Isaiah 9.

We will start in verse 6.

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given.

The government shall be upon His shoulders,

and His name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His government

and of peace there will be no end.

And on the throne of David

and over His kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness,

from this time forth and forevermore,

the zeal of the Lord of hosts

will do this.

Sounds awesome.

So this was a foretelling of peace.

700 years before that instrument of peace,

Christ actually arrived on the scene.

God would bring salvation to His people.

And if you notice that last part,

the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this,

that's a short way of saying

that nothing is going to stop God

from doing this.

Like, nothing is going to prevent God

from bringing this salvation

and this peace to His people.

He is going to accomplish it.

So long ago, He spoke through Isaiah,

a child is born,

a son is given.

That son, as we are aware of,

is the embodiment of Emmanuel,

God with us.

Isaiah 7,

Therefore the Lord Himself

will give you a sign.

Behold, the virgin shall conceive

and bear a son

and shall call His name Emmanuel.

So the Messiah's character

being tied to God

proves His divine origin

and His character.

He is the wonderful counselor,

the one who makes good

and wise plans

and has the ability

to execute them

on behalf of His people.

He is the very might of God,

the everlasting Father,

a kingly, noble ruler,

the powerful one

who will lovingly embrace His people

as a Father,

the King who also is our Father.

The birth of Jesus,

the Messiah,

has come already.

He's establishing His kingdom

and when that happens,

it won't just happen temporarily.

You study history,

you're going to see kingdoms

and empires just go

from the greatest ones.

We haven't even scratched

the surface here in America

if you read anything about Rome

or anywhere else.

Christ's kingdom will last

for all eternity.

That's what it says right here.

This government,

His throne,

will last forevermore.

You know me,

I'm always feeling around

with some kind of history something.

Picked up an old book

a good many months ago

on King Arthur

who's part history,

mostly legend.

And,

as you're aware,

Arthur was born

in humble circumstances

and became

the rightful king.

And,

as many people

don't really know this,

he was more of a British,

Celtic king

from Wales.

He wasn't like

an Anglo-Saxon king.

So he was Welsh.

The Welsh would be very offended

if you said

he came from somewhere else.

And,

he was born of humble means

and he was born

the rightful king

possessing Excalibur.

And,

his rule

was to both rule over

and unite

the people

of the British Isles

to bring about

unending peace

and prosperity

to the British Isles.

And,

Arthur

sacrificed himself

by dying in battle

to secure

his kingdom.

On and on

the parallels,

right?

But,

Jesus

is the true

born king

who rules

by right

and power,

not our

consent.

Jesus

will

unite

his people

and he will

bring about

an unending

kingdom

of peace.

As Arthur

died on the battlefield,

Christ died

on the cross

to secure

his kingdom.

Jesus

is called

the prince

of peace.

His noble reign

will last

forever.

Boy,

that will be

great.

I hate to

shock you,

but there's

no president,

no matter who

you voted

for,

they're not

going to be

the prince

of peace.

It doesn't

matter who

you voted

for.

Only Jesus

is going to

bring about

everlasting,

perpetual peace

to the nations.

This is what

God's word

says.

Believe it

and be

satisfied.

Messiah will

rule with

perfect justice

and righteousness.

Man,

that's something

that we have

been missing

in our world.

The mark

of his kingdom

that will

have no end.

So yes,

there's going

to be,

between now

and then,

conflict

and strife

in the world.

But,

that doesn't

deny or

disprove that

Jesus is the

prince of peace.

It only really

shows why he

came and the

need for him

to come,

to bring about

that perpetual

peace.

So this was

peace promised,

again,

700 years

roughly before

Christ came.

This brings

us to point

number two.

Peace

arrived.

So,

we have just

a couple

places for

you to look

at,

but look

at Luke

Luke 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2.

Our very

familiar,

what we

refer to as

the Christmas

story or

Nativity

story,

whatever you

want to

call it.

Some country

people call

it the

Nativity

story.

We will

look at

Luke 2

Luke 2:8

verse 8.

This is

peace

arrives.

And in

the same

region,

there were

shepherds

out in

the field

keeping

watch over

their flocks

by night,

and an

angel of

the Lord

appeared to

them,

and the

glory of

the Lord

shone

around them,

and they

were filled

with great

fear.

And the

angel said

to them,

fear not,

for behold,

I bring

you good

news,

gospel,

of great

joy it

will be

for all

people.

For unto

you is

born this

day,

in the

city of

David,

a Savior,

who is

Christ,

the Lord.

And this

will be a

sign for

you,

you will

find the

baby wrapped

in swaddling

clothes,

and laying

in a

manger.

And

suddenly,

there was

with the

angel a

multitude,

the heavenly

hosts,

praising God

and saying,

glory to

God in

the highest

and on

earth,

peace

among

those with

whom he is

pleased.

Underline that

last part.

So,

if you're an

outdoor person,

you've been

out in the

wilderness,

out in the

mountains by

yourself,

and particularly

like when the

sun goes down,

very calm,

how quiet it

is.

And imagine,

like all of a

sudden,

there are angels

there talking

to you,

the shock

that they must

have felt.

But Christ

came here,

he humbled

himself to be

born in

Bethlehem in

a stable

to poor

parents,

humble

accommodations,

not five-star

hotels or

castles.

He came

as shepherds,

as his

witnesses,

not religious

elites,

the humble

magi,

not powerful

kings,

and all of

it just to

frame the

mighty God

who came

here to

save us

with humility.

Christ took

on himself

flesh and

came to

save the

world that

he created.

Just get

your head

around that.

Angels

announces

arrival to

these lowly

shepherds.

And Jesus,

our Messiah

King,

arrived.

Notice,

glory to

God in

the highest

and on

earth,

peace among

those whom

he is

pleased.

Note that

God's peace

isn't just

a general

goodwill

to everybody.

It's not a

reward.

God's peace

is not a

reward to

those who

have good

will.

That's not

what this

says.

Rather,

it's the

gift of

God's

sovereign

grace,

his good

pleasure,

namely

towards his

redeemed

people,

those who

would trust

and give

their lives

to the

Messiah.

And so,

a beautiful

picture here

of Christ

arriving.

Just for

sake of time,

I'd like to

just keep

reading more,

but we'll

just stop

there with

the arrival

of peace.

This is the

first advent.

Right?

This leads

us to

point three.

Peace

experience.

So,

not only can

we have

peace,

right,

we can

experience

that peace.

How do we

do it?

It's out

there.

It's available.

How do we

have it?

Look at

Romans 5.

Go over

to Romans 5.

One of my

favorite

explain the

gospel to

somebody

passages.

Romans 5,

Romans 5:6–10

verses 6

through 10.

Just read

verse 1

with me.

Therefore,

since we

have been

justified by

faith,

we have

peace with

God

through

our Lord

Jesus Christ.

There's your

summary verse.

Okay?

If you want

peace,

you have to

have peace

with God.

And the

instrument of

that peace,

the conditional

part,

is through

Christ.

Not anything

else.

Like,

you can't

fill in

that blank.

It's just

Christ.

Alright?

Then you

jump down

to verse 6.

For while

we were

still weak,

at the

right time,

Christ died

for the

ungodly.

So,

our gospel

is not

God helps

those who

help

themselves.

We are

weak.

ungodly.

Verse 7.

For one

will scarcely

die for

a righteous

person,

though perhaps

for a good

person one

would dare

even to

die.

But God

shows us

his love

for us,

and that

while we

were still

sinners,

Christ died

for us.

Since

therefore,

we have

now been

justified

by his

blood,

much more

shall we

be saved

by him

from the

wrath of

God.

for if

we were

enemies,

we were

reconciled

to God

by the

death of

his son,

much more

now that

we are

reconciled,

shall we

be saved

by his

life.

So many

good things

in there,

but look

at the

words that

scripture

uses to

describe

us

before

we were

in Christ.

They're not

great words.

Weak,

helpless,

ungodly,

sinners,

enemies.

Those are

not things

you want

to be

described

by,

of those

who are

outside

Christ.

In

Celtic

history,

Scotland

Irish,

Welsh

history,

a lot of

you know

the pagan

Druids

would consider

the mistletoe

to be a

sacred plant.

And when

enemies met

under the

mistletoe,

hanging from

the sacred

oak,

they would

lay down

their weapons

in their

arms and

they would

embrace

peace.

The kiss

of peace

under the

mistletoe

wasn't a

romantic

idea at

that point.

It was

the way

enemies

would make

peace

with one

another

under the

mistletoe.

God

has

graciously

brought a

means of

peace to

us by

us kissing

the sun

at the

cross.

Underneath

the cross

of Christ

we can

have peace

through him

Jesus

to reconcile

all things

to himself,

all things

whether on

earth or in

heaven,

making peace

by the

blood of

his cross.

Colossians

1.20

So God

is basically

saying,

yeah,

though you've

rejected me,

though you've

rebelled against

me,

though you've

given your

love,

your money,

and your

time to

other gods,

you've

spurned my

rightful rule

over your

life,

by my

grace,

I have

made a

way for

you when

you couldn't

make a

way to

me.

I've

offered

you peace

through the

blood of

my son.

Many of

us are

aware of

Psalm 2,

the prophecy

of the

coming king

Jesus.

What does

it say at

the end,

kiss the

son,

lest you

perish in

the way.

We are

to kiss

this Messiah

and make

peace with

God through

him.

So Christmas

is a chance

for us to

celebrate that

idea that

God sent

his son in

order that we

might not have

strife with

him, but

have peace

with him.

No longer

enemies, but

friends and

sons.

We can have

peace knowing

that Christ

died in our

place and

suffered as

we just

read.

Not soft

words, saved

us from the

wrath of

God.

You will

have no

peace if

the wrath

of God

is still

over you.

But knowing

that Christ

bore your

punishment,

shed his

blood so

that you

could be

made right

with him.

That word

justified is

mentioned many

times in this

passage in

Romans, but

shorthand to

be made

right, to

have right

standing with

God, only

to be done

through Jesus

who reconciled

us to

himself.

I was

thinking of

the hark

the herald

angel sing,

glory to

the new

born king,

peace on

earth and

mercy mild,

God and

sinners

reconciled.

You will

not be

experiencing

peace if

you are

not

reconciled

to God

through

Christ.

Great

gospel in

our

Christian

hymns for

Christmas,

so eat

those up.

And we

can experience

that true

inner peace

by having

this divine

part in

being

reconciled

to God

through

what his

son has

accomplished.

He was

born for

this purpose.

And we

can experience

this peace,

it's not

just like,

yeah,

I can

have peace

with God,

but you

actually can

know it

and experience

it.

Jesus said

to his

disciples,

we were

reading in

John 14

earlier today,

and John

John 14:25

14,

verse 25,

telling his

disciples before

he is going

to be

arrested and

beaten and

crucified,

he said

this to

them,

these things

have spoken

to you,

to his

disciples,

while I'm

still with

you.

But the

helper,

the Holy

Spirit,

whom the

Father will

send in

my name,

he will

teach you

all these

things and

bring to

remembrance

all that

I have

said.

So there's

a good

one,

the Holy

Spirit helps

us remember

what Jesus

said,

not just

tells us

anything

all the

time,

remember

God's

word.

Then Jesus

says,

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

nor let

them be

afraid.

So peace

is not

just the

absence

of strife,

conflict,

and turmoil.

There's not

a single

place in

the Scripture

that peace

isn't mentioned

outside of

craziness.

It's always

in the context

of something

going on

that's like

not awesome,

a lot of

strife,

a lot of

conflict.

This idea

that our

souls,

we can say

all is well,

right?

that true

spiritual

peace

manufactured,

not manufactured

by human

hands,

but by God

himself we

can possess.

Jonathan Edwards

once commented

about this

passage.

He said,

the believer's

peace is

both the

strength,

beauty,

and dignity

of the

saint.

The beauty

and dignity

of the saint.

It's like

this garment

we put

on that

makes us

stand out

in a world

full of

strife

and conflict.

The beauty

and dignity

of the saints

is the peace

that Christ

gives.

The settled

confidence

that your

soul is

not at war

with God

anymore.

It is

right with

God through

what Christ

has accomplished.

It's a

possession and

a privilege

that he has

given us

as saints.

The world

can't have

this.

It all

comes only

through

Christ.

We read

this earlier

today.

Again,

we don't

get peace

by not

facing the

facts and

turning around

and trying

to push

the negative

thoughts out

of our

life,

but rather

turning in

God to

help us

overcome

those

realities.

I've

learned it.

Not just

the absence

of danger,

but it's

also feeling

protected.

And no

matter what's

going on

around you

by a sense

of God's

real presence

with you,

God's

peace with

you,

regardless

of what's

happening

out here.

Isaiah 26

that we read

earlier,

you keep

him in

perfect

peace

whose mind

is stayed

on you

because he

trusts in you,

trusts in the

Lord forever,

for the Lord

God is an

everlasting rock.

I wrote

that verse

in my

whiteboard

in the

hospital

back in

my recovery

days of

early

transplant.

I had

those

three,

four month

stays in

the hospital.

My mind

was not

at peace.

I was

trying really

hard to

remind myself

of that

reality.

But it's

peace in

the midst

of the

storm,

not the

absence

of the

storm.

They can

exist

simultaneously.

And a lot

of people

here will be

able to tell

you many

stories of

having the

peace of

Christ when

everything else

is burning

down around

them.

Paul wrote

to Timothy,

Now may the

Lord of

peace himself

continually grant

you peace

in every

circumstance.

The Lord

be with you

all.

2 Timothy

3.16

So a good

reminder for

us is that

Jesus never,

never

promised his

followers anything

would be easy

and comfortable.

Not one

promise in

the scripture

says that.

Never

promised security

and comfort

in this

world.

Christ doesn't

want you to

be comfortable

in this

world.

To the

contrary.

He doesn't

want you to

get comfortable

in this

world.

He wants

to shake

you up

to remind

you that

this is

temporal

and fleeting

and we

need to

put our

minds on

eternity.

But he

promises

something great

to his

people.

I'm going

to close

with this.

John 16

33.

Jesus said

to his

disciples,

I've told

you these

things so

that in

me you

may have

peace.

In this

world you

will have

tribulation,

trouble,

trials.

But take

heart, I

have overcome

the world.

So as long

as we are

united to

Christ, we

also will

overcome.

come.

So just a

reminder to

use this

season, and

I'm preaching

this to

myself, that

we can have

and experience

that real

peace with

God through

what Christ

has accomplished.

And ending

on a jolly

note, Spurgeon

at a Christmas

sermon, he

says,

feast,

Christians,

feast.

feast.

But in

your feasting,

think of the

man in

Bethlehem.

Let him

have place

in your

hearts.

Give him

the glory.

Think of

the virgin

who conceived

him.

But think

most of

all of

the man

born, the

child given.

I will

finish again

by saying a

happy Christmas

to you all.

Let's pray

together.