Christmas @ River Church 2018

103 Years ago, Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand & his wife Sophie of Austria was assassinated on June 28, 1914. Earlier in the day, someone had attempted to kill them by throwing a grenade under their car but it exploded under the car following the couple. Later, Franz insisted on seeing the wounded in the hospital, but when the drivers went the wrong way and attempted to back up, the motorcade stalled. Nineteen year old Gavrillo Princip, a Bosnian, seized the opportunity and walked up to the car and shot Sophie and Franz.

This incident sparked a global conflict which became WW1.

Austria declared war on Serbia

Russia declared war on Austria

Germany declared war on Russia

France declared war on Germany

Britain declared war on Germany

Something so simple did not need to escalate into a global conflict. 20 million people died. mainly because of a war tactic called trench warfare. You establish a postion ands then you dig in and hold it. You establish your postion and you hold on. The battle lines did not move a lot… nothing was accomplished.

1914 Christmas Eve. On the western front, someone stepped into the middle of the lines, and declared a truece on Christmas Eve. Germans, French and British had something in common was that they were Christians.

The common thing that caused them to look at each other and communicate, was Jesus. The next day, the troops would not fight and had to be reassigned because they would not shoot each other.

The army even passed a rule - no fraternization with the enemy. Why? BC if you know them, you won’t kill them.

This was called

The Christmas Truce of 1914

We live in a culture, a world much the same. The war is not with guns and bullets, but it’s a war of beliefs. People are hurling ammo (hate) towards each other. Our country is mired in trench warfare. No one wants to change their position. Rep. Dems, Families, ...

The hatred that has over taken social media and our country is scary.

We need to meet on the battle line and come out and have a Christmas Truce.

The Christmas Truce of 2018

We need to come together and have a truce.

Truce: a suspension in the fight.

How does it work? Same way it did in WW1

What has to happen for a truce to begin?

Someone has to take the first step.

We the church needs to be who takes the first step.

Joke - couple doing the silent treatment. He wrote a card to his wife please wake me up at 5 am. When he woke up at 9 he saw the card, it’s 5 am wake up.

Willing to drop our weapons

Focus on what unites

We are Christians, We are Americans, We are Westbankers...

When we do this, God does something miraculous.

We leave changed.

Why not?

This is not the way our world does this. It’s called

Conflict Resolution

Reconcile Conflict

Reconciliation: to bring back together by bringing the balance to zero.

That’s what Jesus did for us. When he came into my life, we did not discuss it. We did not try to resolve our conflict, Jesus just brought my balance to zero. He reconciled me to God.

ILL - reconcile a bank statement

God wants to bring your heart balance to zero

Ephesians 2:14–16 NLT

14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

Through Jesus, God brings our balance to zero

Then he asks us to do the same.

2 Corinthians 5:18–19 NLT

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.

When we are reconciled with God, He gives us the assignment to reconcile with others.

Not saying that there are not discussions to be had, but you really can’t resolve conflict, but if God is working in your life, you can reconcile conflict.

Give us a year of your life and see what God can do

There are some of you here that have taken that challenge and it changed your life.

Let

2019: A year of Reconciliation

God is in the truce business. The first truce was not in WW1, it was on the night that we celebrate.

Christmas was the first truce.

Luke 2:10–14 NLT

10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

That’s why

Hark the herald angels sing. Glory to the newborn king. Peace on earth and mercy mild. God and sinners reconciled.

Prayer time

We all have conflict

Give us the ability to lay down our weapons and come together in a truce.

families, work places, ...

If you are hear and you are not reconciled with God. You are walking around feeling like you are unworthy… God wants to bring your balance to zero.

Sinners prayer -

Candle lighting time… 8 to 10 minutes

Song - what a beautiful name it is...

Wrap of Truce of 1914 -

They sang a carol together - Silent Night

Ushers light people on the end of row’s candles… and they do the same...

Wrap - You’re reconciled with God… let him bring your balance to zero and then you do the same with others and you will have peace you never imagined.

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