Finding Serenity with the Prince of Peace: Spiritual Insights
He Shall Be Called • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsIsaiah knew that peace was not simply a state of no physical war. Peace had to do with both a physical sense of safety and a spiritual sense of wholeness. Israel needed to know that all this peace was coming.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction (5m)
Introduction (5m)
All I Want for Christmas is Peace and Quiet
All I Want for Christmas is Peace and Quiet
We all want some peace at some time over Christmas
We all want some peace at some time over Christmas
Want to find personal fulfilment - to be happy in our jobs, family, relationships. Want good health - peace from illness - ourselves and others. Want peace with God - respite from wrestling with the contrast of who we are at our worst over who we are at our best.
We want to find peace and quiet in our own ways
We want to find peace and quiet in our own ways
But somehow we struggle to find it.
Explanation (5m)
Explanation (5m)
The answer is to receive the gift of shalom from our Prince of Peace
The answer is to receive the gift of shalom from our Prince of Peace
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Prince of Peace = Shar Shalom
Prince of Peace = Shar Shalom
The one who removes all peace-disturbing factors and secures the peace.
Not like human kings - rely on bloody conquest. Didn’t seek to conquer Rome or enter into peace treaty.
He relied on a bloody sacrifice instead, to bring us the true peace we need.
This true peace isn’t simply the absence of conflict
This true peace isn’t simply the absence of conflict
Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Shalom is where you find yourself when God is present.
What many sense when they enter Hall, cathedral, thin spaces.
It is not just part and parcel of the world. It is something beyond, supernatural.
Shalom is dependent on being in right relationship with God
Shalom is dependent on being in right relationship with God
About seeking forgiveness when we have done wrong; about God’s grace - the One who loves us even when we cannot love ourselves; it’s about the ever-present reality of a new start in life - moment by moment. It’s about his love and concern for us.
Application (5m)
Application (5m)
So, we come to Christmas Eve wanting peace and quiet
So, we come to Christmas Eve wanting peace and quiet
Peace in our lives, in our jobs, in our relationships, in our health concerns, in our family life, in our hearts.
How can we find this peace this Christmas?
How can we find this peace this Christmas?
Isaiah says almost nothing about what we as human beings will or ought to do to bring about the peace we seek.
The peace Jesus brings has nothing to do with our skills, talents, efforts, or even luck
The peace Jesus brings has nothing to do with our skills, talents, efforts, or even luck
All we can do is “see the great light”
All we can do is “see the great light”
See it - or him - and trust him. The Prince of Peace is the one who knows God’s plans for us. We can trust him, without knowing all the details. We can trust him with our happiness and security. We can trust him with our joys and with our worries.
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight
Next Steps
Next Steps
Hope and Fears baskets
Hope and Fears baskets
2 x baskets, post it notes, pens
Video: The Everlasting Light | 4:00