Peace

So anyway, Advent, hope.

We now move on to the second one, and that is actually about peace.

! There's a famous passage in Scripture that we always use this time of year.

Isaiah chapter 9, verse 2 is when they said there's a people who are walking in deep darkness.

Isaiah 9:2

We've heard that before, right?

Isaiah 9, 2.

And then the prophecy for Christmas comes in verse 5 to 7.

If you've got your phones or what I prefer even more is a paper Bible,

I'd love for you to open up now and follow me as I go through.

Because I think it is really interesting as we go through this passage,

I'm going to unpack a word that we always hear.

We always hear the word peace, but what does it actually mean?

And as I look at Isaiah chapter 9, where there's a prophecy of this child that is going to be coming.

Isaiah 9 · chapter mention

For to us, a child is born, a son is given.

And then it's really Isaiah chapter 9, verse 2.

Isaiah 9:2

If there's a Christmas passage, this is probably it.

So the context of it is,

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.

Those who dwell in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shone.

And then verse 6 is where we're going to kind of jump into a little bit.

For to us, a child is born, to us, a son is given.

And the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

And then it carries on,

Of the increase of his government and of peace, there will be no end.

There will be no end to peace.

And then the passage that Wes came and read for us in Luke chapter 2 is when the shepherds were watching their flock by night.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

And then they're told about the coming of this baby lying in a manger.

And this baby is then going to bring peace.

Because suddenly the angels appear in the sky and they're singing.

They're singing glory to God in the highest.

And there will be peace on earth.

The question I want to unpack for us today is what's a baby got to do with peace?

Why does the coming of a baby bring about peace?

If, in fact, I personally don't use the word peace to describe babies.

Have we met EJ?

EJ, bless her, we love her.

Where is she?

She's in there now, of course.

That's why it's a little bit more peaceful.

It is not, peace is not the word.

In fact, I've, and of course, Christina and I, we're expecting our baby that's coming in March.

And you know what?

If you've been a parent, put your hand up if you've been a parent.

Put your hand up if you've looked after a teeny little baby.

Kara, peace is not the word.

Right?

What I don't understand is when people say, oh, how did you sleep last night, Felix?

And then Felix goes, oh, I slept like a baby.

What?

So you woke up every two hours and then you woke yourself up because you pooped your pants?

Yes.

Baby and peace.

It doesn't really connect.

It doesn't really link.

So therefore, what is it about the baby that brings us peace on earth?

Peace that will know no end.

Because the truth is we don't really live in a world that has peace right now.

You look at Israel and Gaza.

You look at what's happening in Ukraine.

You look anywhere.

Anywhere.

You look within your own families.

There probably isn't peace.

But maybe there's something else we have to do first.

And this is where we're going to need a little bit of interaction.

I did promise Nathan that I was going to pick on him and ask him some questions.

So this is me being really kind and giving you some warning.

What does peace mean to you?

Have a think now.

When Jesus, or when we say peace be with you, what does it actually mean?

What does peace mean to you?

Turn to the person next to you.

If you don't know them, this is a great chance to introduce and say, hi, my name is D.

And peace to me means D.

Okay.

One minute.

What does peace mean to you?

Go.

Go.

Go.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I picked on you two enough.

All right, all right.

Here we go, here we go.

What's peace then?

What's peace to you?

Let's start with Nathan.

Nathan, what's peace to you?

Peace is knowing that God is in control even though you're walking through different things in life.

Peace is knowing that God is in control even though you're walking through different things in life.

Like it.

I really like that.

Peace.

What else is it about peace?

Connie?

I knew it.

Oh, wow.

You preempted and already paved the way.

Man.

What is it?

I'll just.

Being insecure in Christ and.

Oh, finding stillness in body, mind, heart, spirit.

Do I need to use.

Oh, these are longer.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you, Rocky.

Seriously, that earring is so cool.

Peace.

What else is peace?

Shum, what's peace to you?

Being present and undistracted.

Being present and undistracted.

That is good.

That is really good.

One last one.

One last one.

I'm going to go for you, Lawrence.

At the back.

What's peace to you, Lawrence?

Wow, Rebecca.

You guys are getting good at this.

You're like passing it on.

Okay.

Rebecca.

A choice to live in harmony with people around you, even though you may be disagreeing.

Oh, wow.

That's a big one.

That's huge.

And that is completely correct.

Well done, Lawrence.

You married up.

Well done.

Okay.

You know, when I Googled peace, it was, people would say it's the absence of conflict.

Right?

I've actually got a colleague of Young Life, from Young Life, who's actually in Palestine

right now.

And we're asking him, how can we help you?

What do you need?

And he's just saying, we're just praying for peace.

We're just praying for peace.

Where there is harmony.

Where, in some ways, there is absence of conflict.

But the truth is, that's just one aspect of peace.

A worldly kind of peace, which is, oh, as long as you're not fighting, there is peace.

Going back to being parents of young children.

Mothers just wanting a moment of peace.

Can I just have a moment where you're not fighting?

Where you're not arguing?

Where you don't need me for something?

I just need to sit and relax for one moment.

I need a moment of peace.

But peace, of course, isn't just the absence of conflict.

It's not just the absence of fighting.

Aidan's lying down in a way that looks very peaceful right now.

Because it's a state of mind.

It's not just the absence of conflict.

There's a presence of something else that allows you to remain still in the heart, soul, and mind.

Even when you're still walking through all these different circumstances.

With people who are disagreeing with you on very different things.

Put your hand up if you would say that in this current moment in your life right now, you have peace.

That's good.

Because the hard thing is, how do we get this kind of peace?

Jesus talks about peace as well.

In John chapter 14, he says,

John 14 · chapter mention

Peace I give to you.

Peace, my peace I leave with you.

This peace that the world cannot give.

So do not let your hearts be troubled.

Do not be afraid.

And it's not even about circumstance.

Because John 14, what's happening in John 14?

John 13 is the Last Supper.

Judas then heads off to start in motion,

essentially the betrayal of Jesus that leads to the death of Jesus.

And so John 13 is that.

And John 14, Judas is gone.

Judas is gone to start the thing.

And then Jesus tells the disciples,

Peace I leave with you.

This guy's about to die.

This guy's about to be nailed to a cross.

And yet he says,

My peace I leave with you.

My peace I give you.

It has nothing to do with circumstance.

Ironically, in that season,

it was a season called Pax Romana.

Pax Romana, as historians would describe,

is the peace of Rome.

What that meant is,

actually in that short span of time,

maybe a hundred years or so,

there was peace.

The Roman Empire had taken over so much

that there was peace.

But it wasn't a real peace.

It was a coerced, forced kind of peace.

It was like,

Abide by our rules,

and you won't have any trouble.

It was that kind of peace.

And yet the Jews,

they knew that there wasn't true peace.

The Jews knew that they were still being oppressed.

The Jews knew that they still weren't in the place

that they should have been.

And yet Jesus here is saying,

My peace I leave with you.

My peace I give you.

The world cannot give it.

Do not let your hearts be troubled.

Or afraid.

What does a baby have to do with peace?

And the answer is,

not really much at all.

It's what that baby ends up becoming

that gives us peace.

Because the baby in a manger,

lying swaddled for that moment,

so they could take a photo

for the nativity postcard

that we'll use in 2,000 years' time,

that moment of peace will be gone.

As soon as the cows make an extra loud noise,

wake the baby up,

and then there will be no peace.

But it's what that baby then becomes.

It's who that baby is,

and what that baby ends up doing,

and it's the life that baby ends up living,

and the death of that baby ends up dying,

that gives us the peace.

And I want to unpack that a little bit for us today.

Because when you have peace,

when this baby comes,

this arrival of a baby,

does a couple things.

The first thing it does is this.

It gives us the peace of God.

I'm going to put us all on the spot again.

When you think about the word peace in the Bible,

do any Bible verses come to mind?

Anyone?

Does anyone remember a Bible verse

that has something to do with peace?

Alex?

Peace that transcends all understanding.

Well done.

Round of applause, Alex.

Solid.

Solid.

Rejoice in the Lord.

Again, I will say rejoice.

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.

The Lord is at hand.

Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything,

by prayer and supplication,

with thanksgiving,

let your requests be made known to God,

and the peace of God,

which surpasses understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The peace of God will guard your hearts and minds.

You don't have to be anxious at all.

I love that passage.

It's everywhere.

Philippians chapter four, verse four to seven.

But the key to that isn't actually,

do not be anxious about anything, for me.

The key to that passage isn't even,

put in everything with prayer and supplication,

with thanksgiving.

It isn't that bit.

The key there is the Lord is at hand.

The Lord is near.

So don't be anxious about anything.

What does the arrival of baby Jesus do for us when peace?

It tells us that God wants to be with us.

That God would choose to leave heaven

and come and be with us.

Emmanuel, God with us.

Don't you have that person

that if you were to walk into something

that was scary for you,

if you have that person with you,

suddenly it will just be calm.

We had this in the first few weeks

when my children went to a new school

and it was like,

daddy, can you walk with me

all the way to the door?

As far as you possibly can

before you get taken away by security.

And if I could, as a parent,

I would love to even sit

in the dining hall with my kids,

sit in the classroom with my kids.

Or when Ruben's going to try and play basketball

in the playground,

I would love to be there with him.

Don't you have that person that,

oh, if that person was here,

it would just calm me right down.

Right?

Do we have those kinds of people?

There's a scene in Avengers Endgame

where there's the big battle.

Thanos is coming with his whole just army.

And then it's like,

oh man, this doesn't look good.

But of course it's Marvel,

so it will end up good.

Apart from more recent Marvel entries.

And so we're like,

oh my goodness,

something's going to happen.

Something's going to happen.

But then Captain Marvel comes.

Captain Marvel,

one of the most powerful superheroes.

And the moment she comes in,

he's kind of like,

oh, Captain Marvel's here.

We're going to be just fine.

The arrival of baby Jesus

tells us that God wants

to actually be with us.

I don't know what you're nervous about.

I don't know whether it's going into work

because work is just going to be brutal this week

as we head up to Christmas.

I don't know if it's because of the gossip

that you have with the colleagues

that you have around you

and you're just like,

oh, this is going to be hard.

Or maybe it's the Christmas family meal

that you have to go to

where you have to field those same questions

from the uncles and aunties

that you get all the time,

which gets you all anxious and worked up.

What if I told you

the arrival of baby Jesus

reminds us that God wants to be with you.

And because he is near,

because he is at hand,

you have the peace of God

that transcends understanding.

What does that mean?

It means it doesn't make sense.

It means you don't really understand

why you have this peace,

but you do.

This happened for us

during the fifth wave

when everyone was leaving Hong Kong

and it was just a mess

and people were just like,

what is happening?

We're going to be shut down.

There's going to be three tests

that we all have to do

and all the people that we knew

were heading out.

And I was like, you know what?

God, what do you want us to do here

in this season?

And he's like,

just have a peace

that surpasses understanding.

Any meeting that you have,

any lunch that you have,

any coffee that you have,

any time that you have with people,

let them see the peace of God in you,

which is what?

Man, things aren't going well.

Things are pretty busy and hectic.

Yet James seems to have this peace

that doesn't make sense.

This peace of God

that surpasses understanding.

The arrival of baby Jesus

gives us that peace.

I like to think that Joseph,

his dad,

had the same peace.

Can you just put yourself

in Joseph's shoes for a second?

I think he couldn't have survived

what he was about to go through

were it not for the fact

that he had the peace of God with him.

So he's engaged to Mary.

And then Mary comes to him one day

and says,

Hey Joseph,

I know we're about to get married,

but I need to tell you something.

And then she tells,

well,

so actually I'm pregnant.

And then Joseph is like,

how did that happen?

There was no biology,

sex education at that time,

but it was like,

you're pregnant?

How did that happen?

Oh my goodness.

Can you imagine what that would mean

for people in that society?

That the girl that you're actually

about to be getting married to

is now pregnant.

And then the girl says,

Oh, don't worry.

Don't worry.

Nothing bad has happened.

The baby comes from the Holy Spirit.

And then Joseph must be like,

Huh.

Huh.

It would almost have been easier

if it was something else.

But now I'm going to have to explain

to all our village

that my fiance is pregnant

because of an invisible force

got her pregnant.

This is going to be fun.

The peace of God,

the Tristan's understanding

that allows us to have this peace

even when things don't make sense,

even when circumstances

don't make sense.

The arrival of baby Jesus

reminds us that God

wants to be with us.

And if he's with us,

then it's all going to be okay.

It's even,

he's even more powerful

than Captain Marvel.

Of course,

there's an even more beautiful

biblical gospel truth

in that scene at the end

because it's not the power

that wins the battle.

It's the sacrifice.

It's the sacrifice of

Robert Downey Jr.

May he rest in peace.

Though I hear he's actually coming back.

Anyway,

that's a different thing.

The peace of God

that surpasses understanding.

The question I have for you here

in this first point is this.

Do you display that peace?

Do you display that peace

that surpasses understanding

to the people that you have

in your life,

to your sphere of influence?

When people talk to you,

when people spend time with you,

do they like,

man,

there is a peace about JP

that I just can't simply understand.

He just makes me feel like

everything's going to be okay.

We're supposed to be

the type of people

when other people spend time with us,

they will feel as though,

ah,

you know what?

Everything's going to be okay.

Because the arrival of baby Jesus

gives us that peace

from within.

Because it's saying,

God wants to be with us.

The second is this.

The arrival of baby Jesus

tells us something about peace

that's really necessary.

And it's what Rebecca

talked about here is

when we truly understand

what the arrival of baby Jesus means,

it means that we have peace

with other people as well.

That there is a peace with others.

There's another passage

in the scripture

that talks a lot about peace.

That says,

Jesus,

he himself is our peace

and it's Ephesians 2.

Can you turn with me

to Ephesians 2?

I want to show you

a few things there.

Ephesians 2,

let me tell you

a little bit of the context.

I just said that

we live in a world

where everyone's

fighting each other.

Everyone's just

arguing

with each other.

The context here

for Ephesians 2

is that the church

was started

was that there were

two groups of people

within the same church

were arguing.

Have you ever heard of that?

How ridiculous

and ludicrous

does that sound?

That people within a church

would argue with each other

and yet here we are.

They're arguing.

The Jews against the Gentiles.

They're looking at each other

going,

oh, you guys shouldn't be here.

You guys,

oh, you don't do faith

in the right way.

Dr. Alex and I

were having a lunch

a couple days ago

with a good friend of Alex's

and he was asking me,

hey, if Christianity is true,

why are there so many denominations?

Why are there so many people

arguing about

so many different things?

Why does it seem like

you don't,

you guys don't even

seem to have the answer?

You're just fighting.

You see,

if we truly understood

the arrival of baby Jesus

and the message

that that comes with,

we would have peace

with others.

And Paul's actually

writing about that

that I want to unpack,

but I want to tell you

first of all

that it has something

to do with humility.

In order to have peace

with others,

that baby Jesus

that comes

lying in a manger,

swaddled up,

what's that trying to show us?

Is trying to show us

that this battle is won

not through force,

but through humility.

That Isaiah 9 one,

he's a wonderful counselor.

He's mighty God,

which actually in another version

is basically mighty warrior.

Psalm 46 says,

the nations rage,

the kingdoms totter.

He utters his voice

and the earth melts.

That's how strong

and powerful this God is.

And that's why he says,

be still and know

that I am God.

If I open my voice,

you are going to melt.

So stop fighting

is what he's saying.

He could come

and force peace onto us,

yet he comes in the form

of a baby

in humility.

The arrival of baby Jesus

gives us peace with others

because we're reminded

that in order to get peace,

it starts with humility.

It starts with knowing

what he's done for us.

It's not just the absence

of conflict.

It is actually

the presence of humility.

Ephesians 2.

Ephesians 2 verse 13

Ephesians 2:13

says this,

but now in Christ Jesus,

you who once were far off

have been brought near

by the blood of Christ.

For he himself

is our peace

who has made us both one

and has broken down

in his flesh

the dividing wall

of hostility.

He's saying,

Paul's saying,

hey look,

there's two groups here.

You've got the Jews

over this side,

you've got the Gentiles

over this side,

you've got the people

who used to be KFCI

this side,

and you've got the people

who used to be

the gathering this side.

You have two sides

and it does not make sense.

Jesus came

and preached peace

to those who were far off

and to those who were near

and they break down

that dividing wall

of hostility.

By the way,

those two sides

we should never need

to label again.

We are one church.

In fact,

there's plenty of people

here who were neither.

Paul's saying,

we are one.

Why?

Because Christ himself

is our peace

and he came

and broke down

that dividing wall

of hostility.

The arrival of baby Jesus

breaks down any walls

because through humility

those walls

are broken down.

The question

that we have then is,

are we proponents

of that peace?

do we truly recognize

that?

If it carries on

in Ephesians 2,

it says this,

verse 16,

verse 15,

by abolishing the law

of commandments

expressed in ordinances

that he might create

in himself one new man

in place of the two,

so making peace

and might reconcile

us both to God

in one body

through the cross,

thereby killing

the hostility.

And he came

and preached peace

to you who were far off

and peace to those

who were near

for through him

we both have access

in one spirit

to the father.

There is no special access

because you're a Jew.

There is no special access

because now you're a Gentile.

We all go to the father

the same way.

It's through Jesus.

You are one.

You are one.

The question is,

are we proponents

of that peace

or are we actually

sitting on the sidelines

with our arms crossed

looking across

at the other side

of the fence

going,

those people.

The arrival of baby Jesus

should remind us

of the humility

where it's like,

man,

we are all one.

Jesus in his sermon

on the mount

says,

blessed are those

who are the peacemakers

for they shall be what?

Anyone know?

Known as the children

of God.

Ellie, yes.

Blessed are the peacemakers

for they shall be called

the children

or the sons of God.

If you truly understood

who you are in God

as a child of God,

as a son

and as a daughter of God,

you would be a peacemaker.

You might then ask,

okay,

so what does that look like?

I'll tell you

what it looks like.

All of us

who are in a workplace

or in some kind of field

or actually

any of us

who are surrounded

by human beings,

by family,

by friends,

tell you what you

are about to see

during this Christmas

as you spend time

with these people.

There is conflict.

There's people

talking bad stuff

about other people.

There's people

who don't like other people.

There's people

who are annoyed

at other people.

You know what

you're supposed to be

as a child of God?

You're supposed

to be the peacemaker.

I think those of us

who are working

in offices

will especially

know this right now.

Ken's just smiling

because he knows

it's a battlefield

out there.

We're supposed

to be peacemakers.

What does that mean?

What does that look like?

It means when you're

at the coffee machine

and someone's

talking bad

about someone else

and telling it to you,

you're supposed

to say,

yeah,

but maybe

there's another side.

We're supposed

to help them

understand

another perspective

because your goal

is peace.

It isn't,

oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Wait till you hear

what they said to me.

That's not

the right answer.

We're supposed

to be proponents

of peace

where we,

as children of God,

because of the arrival

of baby Jesus,

have the humility

to kind of take ourselves

out of the equation

and bond people together.

Can you have,

do you have people

in your life right now

who are fighting

who you think,

maybe there is something

I could do.

Maybe I could help

in some way.

Maybe it's just

to help one side

dissipate their frustration

so they can understand

the other side

a little bit more.

Do you have that person

in your life?

Do you have those people

in your life?

Because the arrival

of baby Jesus

brings with it

peace.

Brings with it

a peace that comes

from humility.

And I'll tell you one thing,

it's not easy.

Being that proponent

of peace is not easy

and it's going to be hard.

But it gives me

to my final point.

The arrival of baby Jesus

not only gives you

the peace of God

that surpasses understanding,

it not only grants you

peace with others,

ultimately,

ultimately that peace

comes from one place.

The peace with God.

Ourselves.

That's the key.

if we understand

that actually

the arrival of baby Jesus

tells us that God

wants to be with us

because at the core of it,

the core problem

that we have,

the core problem

that each of us have

is that we have been

separated from God.

That we have been separated.

Why is there so much

conflict within our families?

Why is there so much

conflict within our churches?

Why is there so much

conflict in our city?

It's because we have all

been distanced

and separated from God.

The arrival of baby Jesus

first and foremost

is addressing that situation.

That Ephesians 2 passage

of the verse 12

says this,

remember that you were

at that time

separated from Christ,

alienated from the

commonwealth of Israel

and strangers to the

covenants of promise,

having no hope

and without God

in the world.

You say, hey,

before you talk about

unity together,

let me remind you one thing.

You were separated.

You were lost.

You were blind.

You had no hope

and without me.

But Jesus came

and preached peace

to you.

I was watching a TED talk

with Christina

the other night

and it was the title,

which they're always

really kind of

catchy titles.

It was like

the single parenting skill

that every parent

should have.

And of course,

as parents who are failing

on a daily basis,

we were attracted

in to watch it.

And you know what

the one trait

that they said,

the recommendation

they had for parents is?

To be good at repairing.

The speaker was saying,

actually,

that's the main thing,

to be good at repairing

because you're going

to make mistakes.

You're going to sever

your relationship

with your child

in some way.

You're going to be

disconnected some way.

When you end up shouting,

the example she had

was if you're shouting

at your child

across the kitchen

because they're being

sport and entitled

and then you end up

shouting

and then they leave

and then they slam

the door behind them,

all of that,

be good at repairing

was the answer.

And how she said

that you should do it

is to go back

to that point

of disconnection.

So if you were fighting

with someone,

let's say Danny and Grace

are fighting about something

and of course Danny's wrong.

So Danny's got to figure out

how to repair the connection.

The thing to do

is to go back

to that moment.

let's say Danny

then apologizes to

Hey Grace,

that moment there

in the scene

where I left the toothbrush

on the left side

instead of the right side,

my bad.

That's like,

I know how that made you feel.

Even though I think

it might be the other way around.

Danny's like,

this is such a stupid example

because it's the opposite.

The whole point

of the TED Talk

was saying

you've got to be good

at repairing.

You've got to go back

to that scene.

Hey,

do you know what I said

to you there

in the living room

the other day?

Actually,

that was out of order.

And actually,

I said it

because I was frustrated.

I said it

because of this.

You go back

to that scene

and you repair it.

In some ways,

she also said,

actually,

that's essentially

why counseling

is so good,

why therapy

is so good

because you get

a space

where you sit back

into a spot

where you go back

to that,

you process

that moment

of disconnection

with someone else

in a safe space

and that's when

the repair begins.

Why does

baby Jesus,

prince of heaven,

prince of peace,

come to this world?

Because he's trying

to go back

to that moment

of disconnection

and he's trying

to repair

that disconnect

that you and I

all have

the moment

we choose

ourselves

over God.

Romans 5,

1 says,

we get peace

with God

through Jesus.

Until you remember

and you recognize

that actually

you're distanced

from God

all the way

from your OG

ancestor,

Adam and Eve,

when they chose

to go their own way,

when they chose

the flesh

over the spirit

that leads to death

as opposed

to life and peace,

until you recognize

that you were

separated from God,

then you won't

get the peace

of God

and you won't

get the peace

with others.

It starts

with that.

Jesus coming

to this world

is trying to go

back to that

point of disconnection.

The Garden of Eden

is where the point

of disconnection

comes,

where Adam

would even go,

God,

can you really

be trusted?

Did you really

say what you said?

Should we really

follow you?

Jesus,

baby Jesus,

comes back

to the earth

and goes back

to another garden,

the Garden of

Gethsemane

and he repairs

and he surrenders

his will

and he says,

God,

not my will,

but yours.

Why?

Because he had

our separation

in mind

because he was

going back

to that scene

of disconnection

to bring about

reconciliation.

That is why

we have a baby Jesus.

That's why

Christianity

remains to be

the only one

that addresses

the issue

that we have

which is disconnection

because we have

a God

who comes to us

in the form

of a baby

and says,

I want connection

with you.

No other religion

does that.

All the other ones

say,

hey,

we've got to

figure out

a way

to become

perfect

so we can

get to that

place.

The truth is

we can never

get to that

place.

The truth is

the only way

we can get

to that place

is if that

place comes

to us.

That's what

the arrival

of baby Jesus

does.

Let me finish

with asking you

this.

Would you

welcome

the arrival

of baby Jesus

in your life?

Would you

welcome the

peace of God

that surpasses

understanding?

The peace

that doesn't

make sense?

Can you

commit with

me as

you leave

this place

to go back

into the

world that

you're in

and have

a peace

that doesn't

make sense?

So the

next time

someone's

complaining

in your

company about

the future

or is worried

about something,

you can display

to them a

peace of God.

Why?

Because

the arrival

of baby Jesus

tells you and

reminds you that

God wants to

be with us.

In fact,

God is with

you right

now.

He is near,

he is at

hand,

so you don't

have to be

anxious about

anything.

Can you

display that

kind of peace

of God that

surpasses

understanding?

And secondly,

when I asked

you, hey,

are there people

in your lives

that you're

not at peace

with?

This is the

season to do

it.

Because there

is a baby

that comes to

show you what

humility looks

like.

That baby,

God himself,

who if he

uttered his

voice,

everything,

everyone would

melt,

and yet he

chose to come

in the form

of a baby.

That means

there's someone

in your life

that you can

display the

same level

of humility

to.

And you're

like, oh,

but what if I

humble myself

and then they

trample all

over me?

Then they

trample all

over you.

The Lord,

the King,

the one who

ends up bringing

redemption and

reconciliation to

the whole world

was nailed to

a cross.

for you.

You can be

a doormat

because your

savior went

onto the

cross to

die for

you.

Now, if

you get to

a point where

you are

getting so

taken advantage

of that you

end up on

a cross,

then come

and talk to

me.

We'll try

and figure

out a

solution.

But until

then, I

think there's

still humility

that we can

show.

I think there's

still peace.

And if you

are a child

of God,

then you're

not supposed

to just let

people walk

all over

you.

Not to

say that's

what you're

going to go

out and

do.

Hey, everyone,

walk all

over me.

But you

have a

peace of

God that's

like, you

know what,

whatever happens.

I'm just

going to be

as faithful

as I can,

as kind

as I can,

knowing that

my savior

lives and is

standing right

next to me.

so there's

nothing that

you can do

to me that

is going

to affect

my situation.

It's not

going to

hinder my

promotion because

if God wants

my promotion,

he will

promote me.

And if God

wants me to

be popular

and be able

to succeed

in a certain

arena of my

life, he

will do it

for me.

So I don't

need to

scrounge and

I don't

need to

strive and

strain and

stress for

it because

God is

with me.

Can we

be that?

Can we

be the

peacemakers

because we

are children

of God?

And finally,

would you

humble yourself

at the

throne of

Jesus?

Would you

humble yourself

by the

baby in a

manger,

recognizing

that he

came to

save you

and me,

that we

were separated,

we were

disconnected,

we chose

our own

way, we

turned our

backs on

God, yet

now we

have peace

with him.

That word

peace, the

Old Testament

word is

shalom.

We heard of

that?

Shalom.

What does

that mean?

Shalom means

wholeness.

It's

complete.

It's not,

okay, so

when I think

about peace

sometimes, I

think about

a lake,

calmness,

no human

beings around,

not even my

children, well

definitely not

my children,

nor my wife,

just complete

utter silence,

just me,

that's peace.

But that

isn't real

peace that the

Bible talks

about.

The word

shalom means

that things

are complex,

things are

complicated, yet

there is a

wholeness to

it because

everything fits

together in

the right

place.

Who's old

enough to

remember what

you used to

do in

Microsoft

Windows where

you have

defragmentation?

Who remembers

that?

Oh, Albert,

I know you

got me.

Albert and

Paul, the

guys with

the same

hairstyle as

me, we

got this.

I used to

love doing

defrag.

I mean, I

didn't really

know what

I did, but

you just got

this picture,

this logo that

the puzzle was

like getting

fixed.

We all, yeah, I

mean, my wife

always gives me

grief about my

wardrobe because

like, I'm,

anyway, so.

And after a

while of using

wardrobe or your

bookcase or your

bookshelf, everything

just goes into,

like, it starts

getting messy,

right?

Whenever you do

anything in life,

it starts to get

messy.

I know Ellen

likes to organize

her phone apps in

the right color, and

it's all, her phone

screen is just

immaculate.

Mine starts off that

way too, but then

suddenly you start to

download apps, and

then you go to

Shenzhen and you

have to download all

these new apps, and

then suddenly my

whole screen looks

completely different,

and then I need a

defrag.

I need someone to

come in to help

tidy everything up.

That process of

defragmentation, what's

that haming for?

Shalom.

Wholeness.

Complex.

Yet complete.

I believe that's the

kingdom of God that

we're heading to.

I believe that's the

shalom that baby Jesus

is bringing.

And it starts with

us.

Would you let this

baby, and what he

does, and his life,

and his death, and

his resurrection,

defrag your life,

organize it back into

a way where you have

shalom.

When you have

shalom, you will

have the peace of

God, you will have

peace with others, and

you will have peace

with God.

That is what we're

aiming for.

Peace has come,

and our king is with

us.

Jesus, we thank you.

That you would leave

heaven's throne as the

prince of peace, and you

would come into the dark

world that we live in, and

that you would bring light,

that you would bring

peace.

peace.

And so we pray for shalom

over every single person

in this room.

We live complex lives, in a

complex city, in a complex

world, that so often feels

incomplete, and it truly

isn't complete.

Until you come.

would you bring

shalom.

shalom?

Would you bring those who

feel distant to you

back into your arms?

Would you meet us at our

point of disconnection, and

repair, and reconcile us to

God the Father?

Jesus, this Advent season, we

await your arrival.

Arrival filled with humility

and peace.

Thank you, Lord.

And it's in your name, the

name that all governments, the

whole world, will rest on.

Where there will be peace

that has no end.

It's in your name, that name,

that we pray.

Amen.