Canton South Church of the Nazarene - Weekly Guide 12/21/08
He will be Called: Prince of Peace
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." Luke 2:10-14
Welcome: We are glad you have joined us on this 4th Sunday of advent. We are going to learn about Sar Shalom today. Join us as we worship God through singing, giving, prayer, and hearing his word.
PRINCE OF PEACE
sar (sar); the one in charge, lord, chief, general.
shalom (shaw-lome'); rest, tranquility, wholeness, completeness.
If you would before we begin take out your worship folder. Your worship folder has several important things in it. First, the care card please fill these out and place them in the offering plate later in the service. Second, your GPS unit. This is a great tool and make use of it write down how God is speaking to you so you can remember when you leave.
So has everyone finished their shopping? Who still has shopping to do? I tell you what it seems to me the best time to shop is Christmas eve at 5:30 in Wal-Mart. I know they close at 6:00, but really it is the best time because there is nothing left. So you can really get it all done in just a few minutes. Has anyone here ever regifted? I am not a big fan of regifting unless it is like a white elephant thing that shows up every year. Boy do I have stories about white elephant parties. My kids like those Wal-Mart gift cards with pictures on them. I tell them they are not to take but they take them anyway. So I have a drawer full of them. Well they are emptied not even been used. Never activated. A few of my siblings all of them received those gift cards. Oops I guess they are in for a surprise.
In some ways it goes right along with this time of year. This is just a crazy time of year for some people. All the activities people running around and they are just getting stressed out. I mean I know some of you know what I am talking about. For other people it is the spending and January is coming and you are like how am I going to pay for all of this. And you are stressed out. For others you go to family gathering to have a family Christmas and it is more like a jerry Springer Christmas. And my question is where is the peace? Our passage today and the last few weeks is Isaiah 9:6. and say it with me prince of peace. So we have had this journey on what Jesus will be called when he comes and the last one is prince of peace. I am telling you though that first Christmas was not a pleasant one. It was not peaceful. In our passage the angels are like do not be afraid or in some translations peace. And herod gets wind of the birth and is like kill all he boys under the age 2. not peaceful. And then nine months pregnant and they go on a trip on a donkey. They get there and everything is booked up. and you know Mary is like I don't care I'm nine moths pregnant get me someplace. And joe he is like I made a deal and got us a stable with the animals and animal stuff. And then the baby comes and can we say no epidural no peace. That's right you didn't thing about that you that Jesus was an easy deliverer. Yeah right no epidural. No peace.
Christmas eve candle light communion service. With the candle and the snow falling outside and the communion as a family it is perhaps one of the most peaceful times. But my question is where is the peace that peace the rest of the year?
We all know this peace removes anxiety. Peace removes our fears. Peace calms me when I am disturbed. So where is this peace. I guess it all goes to what your definition of peace is. so let's look at that for a moment. In Hebrew we have the words Sar. Now this words means the one in charge, captain, chief, general, LORD. Ok now this word as words often do they get into other languages and we begin to have the development of the word Czar like a Russian Czar. Which is king, and then on the other side of the world it develops first into like C zar then into Caesar. Like Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar. The second Hebrew word for you to learn today is shalom. Tonight if you go with us to celebrate Chanukah people may say shalom to you. it means peace. Rest, wholeness, tranquility, or contentment. So when you combine these two words y6ou get Sar Shalom. And that is our prince of peace. In some other ways to say it Jesus is the captain of rest, the general of tranquility, the chief of wholeness, the lord of contentment. Under Jesus under Christ we have peace.
Much like this little lean to we have here when we are under sar shalom we have peace. Does that mean I can do whatever I want - turn to Him- and have peace? Does that mean I can be irresponsible and reckless and selfish and immoral and get my girlfriend pregnant but pray and have peace? Does it mean I can have a fight with my wife, and go to church and have peace? Does it mean I can charge up all my credit cards, read the bible and I will have peace? No it doesn't because when we act those ways we are not acting as people under Christ under sar shalom we are action outside of it.
You see sar shalom Jesus will give peace and remove peace for all his purposes. When you act outside sar shalom when you sin let's not beat the bush here when you sin and you act in foolish ways sar shalom is not there. And I want to say this yes Jesus give us that peace, peace that defies understanding, but he can remove it for my benefit. I know you are like what are you saying. I am saying when you are under the sar shalom Jesus can remove his peace to somewhere else. Somewhere where you need to be.
Sometimes he even removes it when I need to be moved somewhere else. His removal of peace can disturb me when I am wrong. It can disrupt me when I am comfortable, it can draw me to him when I am away. I am searching for his peace. I know in my soul something is not right and I keep looking for it. sometimes the sar shalom is removed because we need to seek the sar shalom. Sometimes he removes it to show us and build us up like Habakkuk. Sometimes we need to find that peace because we are not focuses on him. We expect things to go great all the time but they don't and sometimes when you don't have peace it may be that he removes the peace to get you to draw closer to him. Maybe something has happened in your life and to get you to draw close to him the peace is gone.
So maybe peace has nothing to do with how you feel, but it has everything to do with whose lordship are you under? Are you under your own? Outside like this or are you under the sar shalom?
SAR SHALOM IS THE PEAC
. WHO COMFORTS YOU.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:6-7
The sar shalom is the peace. And our first teaching note here he is the peace who comforts you. Listen to what Jesus had to say in john 14:27. peace I leave with you; my peace. It does not say you peace, or his peace or the governments peace. It says my peace. Jesus' peace. And then it goes on I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
So when your world is falling apart. The sar shalom with give you comfort in that he is in control. Let me tell you a story. My friend Keith Day. Died about 10 years ago. Keith had been struggling with cancer. Things were looking great he was doing so good. And then one day he got sick again. Everyone was hurting and God gave me something and I was like yeah right like I am going to say that. But finally I yielded to God and told people when we talked about keith god is good. It was a group of friends that we all hung out with keith. The tears flowed and the response was all the time god is good. Keith parents found Jesus through his death. During that time the sar shalom comforted those of us who were hurting. Now for some of you. you can relate, or there is far worse things you are going through. Family things, financial things. God's comfort is there for you. Philippians tells us. do not be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So you can't make these request outside the sar shalom you have to be under the sar shalom. Offer them up and the sar shalom will fall on you because it covers you.
. WHO SAVES YOU.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For (Christ) himself is our peace.Ephesians 2:13-14a
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
The other thing I want you to write down is the sar shalom who saves you. Romans 5:1 therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The peace is removed so we draw toward him. In us we know there is something missing and it is that peace. And we are drawn to it. now I heard about this experiment and I want us to try it. everyone who has ever told a lie, even from birth raise your hands. And all you with you hands up look at the other people and call them big fat liars. We all have sinned and fallen short, right? Now who has ever stolen something? Those of you who do not tithe you steal from god every week but we won't get into that. Stole anything took something not yours even with the oh I was going to give it back or it was public right? Now who has ever looked lustfully at another person don't raise your hands. There is a line people. By your own admission you are all lying thieving lustful people. De we deserve the sar shalom of God. There is nothing we can do to earn it. we can't do all these good works to get it. Jesus has to save us and wipe our slate clean and then we can find the sar shalom. Jesus saves you and brings peace to you. the sar shalom is the name that saves you. Ephesians tells us but now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself is our peace. Our passage once again Isaiah 9:6 you can have this peace in your life. All you have to do is call on his name. Confess him as lord as Sar shalom over your life and live under him.
Life Group Questions
1) How would you describe your normal state? Very peaceful? Mostly peaceful? Occasionally stressed? Off-the-charts high strung and anxious? Explain why?
2) Read Philippians 4:6-7. Describe a time when God gave you an unexplainable peace.
3) Jesus is the Sar Shalom. He gives his peace and he can take it away for his purposes. Can you describe a time when Jesus used the "absence of peace" to get your attention?
4) Are you at peace with God (through Christ)? Talk about why or why not.