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[0:00] Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.! We greet you this morning with this song of joy and peace.

[0:12] ! All is well. All is well. Let there be peace on earth. Why? How? Because born today, Emmanuel, born is our Lord and Savior.

[0:30] And when the angels first announced that birth 2,000 years ago out on the hillside outside of Bethlehem, suddenly a multitude of the heavenly host appeared, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to men on whom his favor rests.

[0:51] Those angels were proclaiming two things that would be accomplished by this Christ, who is both Lord and King. Glory to God in the highest.

[1:03] That through the life and works of this son of Mary, great glory would come to Jesus Christ. And that's not all. That's a sermon in itself. And that's for another day.

[1:14] But secondly, this Christ child will also bring peace to men on earth. And that's what I want us to consider this morning.

[1:26] Because of this Lord and Savior born of Mary, blessing flows two ways. There's something for God. Glory. And there's something for man.

[1:37] Peace. Amen. Glory to God in the highest. Peace. To man on earth. Well. Those two are connected.

[1:49] That's the great news that. God is glorified. When Jesus Christ makes peace on earth for men. And so he's glorified when men come to peace through the Lord Jesus Christ.

[2:06] Well, we're going to sing later and I'm going to preach now. So settle in. And it's a little different. But this is the theme this morning. All is well. Let there be peace on earth.

[2:19] Now, peace is an important word in the Bible. It's used 250 times. It's used in every New Testament book but one. And you've heard the Hebrew word for peace in the Old Testament, haven't you?

[2:32] Shalom. Shalom. And that's a very rich word that means wholeness. A completeness of well-being. It's holistic prosperity.

[2:46] Where everything is as it is meant to be. As God designed it to be in the creation. Everything in perfect harmony with God, its creator.

[3:00] A universe where literally everywhere you look, all is well. Shalom.

[3:11] Peace. Now, peace has had a checkered history. And I want you to consider with me this morning its three phases. Peace enjoyed. Peace destroyed. And peace restored.

[3:22] First, peace enjoyed. You know, if you've read your Bible, that there was once a time when there was peace on earth. In the beginning, this was a planet where it could truly be said, all is well.

[3:39] All is well. And it was a fourfold wellness. A fourfold peace. Peace in every relationship. Think of it. Number one, there was peace between man and his God.

[3:52] Perfect fellowship and friendship between man and his God. Where God. His create where God's created image bearers. Adam and Eve.

[4:03] Perfectly worshiped and feared. Loved and adored. Trusted and obeyed. And enjoyed. And enjoyed. Their God. And God himself loved them and took pleasure in blessing them.

[4:17] And delighted to do good to them. And delighted in their worship and praise and trust and dependence and obedience. And their joy in him.

[4:28] All was well between God and man. And then secondly, there was peace within man. There was no inner conflict. No struggle of man with man himself, within man's self.

[4:43] Only uninterrupted soul rest and serenity. Now, we're different from the animals in that we have a capacity to reflect upon ourselves.

[4:55] Conscience. And his conscience, man's conscience was perfectly clear. It was never condemning him. Not once. It was always approving of everything he did.

[5:07] As right in the eyes of God. So there was no sense of guilt or fear or worry, anxiety or insecurities. There was not so much as a hint of God's wrath and anger.

[5:19] Only a warm sense of God's pleasure and smile. And the calming assurance within. That all is well.

[5:29] And then there was peace between man and his fellow man. There were just two people on the planet. There was a male and his counterpart female.

[5:43] Adam was male to the perfect wife. Oh, I know some of you men think you have her. But you don't. Adam had the only perfect wife, Eve. And she had a perfect husband.

[5:55] And I know some of you are trying to make yours the perfect husband. But she alone had the perfect husband. That means there were no arguments. There was never any fights.

[6:06] No silent treatment. No cold shoulders. Just warm love. The way it was supposed to be. Perfect peace. Perfect peace. As they each lived for the other and both for the Lord.

[6:18] All was well in their relationship with one another. And then fourthly, there was peace between man and his environment. His surroundings. The soil in Eden was productive and fruitful.

[6:33] It was easy to tend. It was free of weevils and destructive weeds. The animals were not harmful. But were friendly toward man and each other.

[6:43] There were pet bears and monkeys and dinosaurs. Lions and lambs frolicking together. Eden was like one big petting zoo, kids. And the air was fresh everywhere.

[6:56] There was no pollution. There were no droughts or destructive fires. There were no tornadoes or earthquakes. Or hurricanes or floods. Every day was perfect weather.

[7:10] And every night was a perfect sunset. That gave way to a starry, starry night. All was well on planet earth. Spiritually.

[7:24] Psychologically. Socially. And environmentally. All was well. At perfect peace and harmony.

[7:36] Shalom. And how that brought glory to God the creator. To have such a world. Well sadly this peace and joy on earth was short lived.

[7:48] It was soon shattered. By chaos and conflict. And war and misery. What happened? Well we're to the second point. Peace destroyed. And again.

[8:00] You know if you've read the Bible. That it began with Satan. The great disturber. The great disturber. The great disturber. Of the peace. Apollyon. One of the names given him in the Bible.

[8:10] The destroyer. Of God's peace. On earth. And that is the work of the thief. He only comes to steal. To kill. And to destroy. And this angel.

[8:24] Created upright by God. First led. A revolt in heaven. He disturbed the peace there. Led a host of angels. In rebellion against God.

[8:35] Not satisfied with their own place. They wanted to be as God. And not content with that. Satan. Then brought his rebellion. To planet earth. And by his clever lies.

[8:46] And temptations. He deceived Eve. And through her. Tempted Adam. Who joined her. In sinning against God. And siding with.

[8:57] Satan. In this great. Rebellion. And that sin of Adam. Sunk the whole human race. In sin. For by the disobedience.

[9:08] Of the one man. The many were made sinners. And the result of his sin. Was the perfect peace. Was now destroyed. And destroyed. In all four relationships.

[9:18] So we're going back over them again. First. It destroyed. Man's relationship. To his God. That peace. Was destroyed. By joining.

[9:29] Satan. Here he was. Enjoying fellowship with God. And here was Satan. And when. Man and woman. Joined Satan. In his rebellion. Against God. They.

[9:40] Were now. At war. With God. The peace was over. No longer friends. They're now enemies. At war with God. And he with them. James 4. 4.

[9:50] Don't you know. That friendship with the world. Is enmity. Toward God. Anyone then. Who chooses to be a friend. Of the world. Becomes an enemy of God. And if that's true. Of the world. It's also true.

[10:00] That anybody. Who becomes a friend. Of the God. Of this world. Becomes an enemy. Of God. And we sided. With Satan. The God. Of this age. We were enemies. We were proud enemies.

[10:12] And what does the Bible say? God says. He resists. The proud. He opposes. The proud. He's against. The proud. And so sin.

[10:24] Is the point. Of enmity. It keeps the war going. It makes peace impossible. It comes between. It separates us. Between God. God. And it's no small. Obstacle kids.

[10:34] It's not something. Just to be sidestepped. Or. Looked over. It has to do with. Who God is. And who man is. God's own nature. Is too pure. To tolerate sin.

[10:45] And it's too holy. To dwell with sinners. He hates sin. It's obnoxious to him. It's offensive. To his holy. Nature. And he's so righteous.

[10:56] That he must punish it. Wherever it is found. And so all sinful men. Have come then. Under God's wrath. And condemnation. God's punishment. For sin.

[11:06] Which is death. And destruction. In hell. Forever. But the war. Is not one sided. It's not just that God. Is angry at us. For our sins. Man feels likewise.

[11:17] Toward God. An enmity. A hostility. Against God. He doesn't like God. He doesn't like him. Telling him what to do. He doesn't like the fact. That he's righteous.

[11:29] And commands him. To be righteous. And that he's going. To punish him. And so sinful man. Is at war with God. Even as God. Is at war with him. Want evidence of it. See what men do.

[11:39] With his laws. See what men do. With his worship. See what men do. With his name. His day. His people. His word. His gospel.

[11:50] His son. See what they do. With his son. Yes. All peace. Between man. And his God. Was destroyed. By sin. What about. Man's own inner sense.

[12:01] Of peace. His peace. With himself. What happened to that? Well sin destroyed. That as well. Didn't it? That. That sense. That all is well. Between God. And me. Was shattered. God.

[12:12] And conscience within. Is no longer. Approving and saying. You did right. John. You did right. It's condemning. Damn you. For that. John. You will be damned. For that. John. It's accusing.

[12:24] It's. It's condemning. Us. As guilty. Of sin. Deserving. Of God's. Eternal punishment. And that nagging. Conscience within. Gives no rest. But makes us feel.

[12:35] Dirty. And guilty. Before God. And so for the very first time ever. Adam and Eve. Felt fear. And dread. When God came to walk with them.

[12:46] And talk with them. In the cool. Of the day. Their inner peace. And enjoyment of God. Was gone. Destroyed. They're afraid.

[12:58] They run from God. They try to hide. Remember kids. They. They. They dressed up. With all kinds of leaves. And then. Tried to stand still. Among the fig trees. And maybe God. Wouldn't see them.

[13:10] Hiding. From God. Afraid of God. Knowing they're going to be. How can you have. Inner peace. And rest. As long as there is. A living God.

[13:21] Who will judge you. One day. For your sins. And send you to hell. How can there be. Inner rest. Isaiah. Describes them. Describes us all.

[13:32] Under sin. The wicked are like. The troubled sea. Which cannot rest. Whose waves cast up. Mire and mud. There is no peace. Says my God.

[13:42] For the wicked. Ever been to the shore. And here come the waves. Ew. What's all that seaweed. And crud. And gunk. Coming up. And then it drags it back out.

[13:53] And it brings it back in. No rest. For the waves. They just keep going. Bringing up the mire. The mud. The wicked. Are like that. God says.

[14:04] No peace. Says my God. For the wicked. It's hard to be at peace. Inside. When you're just. A breath away. From eternal hell. Those are the haunting thoughts.

[14:17] That sneak in. And ruin. Our inner peace. They're the harbinger. Of the torments. Of hell. To come. What about the peace. Between man. And his fellow man. That too.

[14:28] Was destroyed. By sin. You remember. That perfect. Husband. That Eve had. Well he suddenly. Throws her under the bus. Doesn't he. And says.

[14:38] God it's her fault. It was the woman. That you put here with me. That she gave me. Some of the. Forbidden fruit. And I ate. It's her fault. And Adam's.

[14:49] Perfect wife Eve. Well she is no more. Willing than he. To acknowledge her guilt. And so she blames. The serpent. Now what happens. When you have. Two blame.

[15:00] Shifters. Living. Together. Nothing good. Nothing. Peaceful. Each. Living. For. The other. Has been replaced.

[15:11] By each. Now living. For themselves. And looking out. For number one. And that means. Rolling over. Anyone that gets. In the way. Of number one. And so the peace.

[15:22] Of marital bliss. Was destroyed. By sin. And every marriage. Here knows. What I'm talking about. When I say. That sin. Is the curse. Of every home. What causes. Fights.

[15:32] And quarrels. Among you. James asked. They come from. The desires. That war. Within your hearts. You want something. And they don't. And so you don't.

[15:42] Get it. And so you fight. And you kill. You quarrel. This sinful. Self-centeredness.

[15:53] Is the fallen nature. That Adam and Eve. Passed on to their children. And to their children. And to their children. So that every child. Is born with this. Me first. Sinful heart.

[16:05] And when selfishness. Meets selfishness. It gets ugly fast. Doesn't it? So in the first home. It soon led to the oldest son. Murdering. His younger brother.

[16:16] Thanks to sin. There's no such thing. Anymore. As stress-free parenting. Is there? Mom and dad. You just try to keep the kids.

[16:27] From killing each other. That's. That's now. A problem. Why? Because sin. Everybody wants something. But they don't get it. And sin ruins the peace.

[16:38] And I wonder. If you've worked long enough. Around other people. To learn that there's no such thing. As a stress-free job. Anymore. Either. There's war in the workplace. With self-serving egos.

[16:48] And butting heads. Pride and self-importance. That destroy the peace. Of an otherwise enjoyable job. This wouldn't be a bad job. If it wasn't for the people. I've heard that many times.

[17:02] I'd love being a pastor. If we just didn't have any people. Well. Something's wrong. You see. It's my selfish heart. And your selfish heart. And when they get together.

[17:13] The peace. Goes out the door. And that's what happened. To peace. In families. In the workplace. The curse of frustration. Worms its way. Into our work relationships.

[17:25] And then there's our nation. Well. What do we say about that? The more self-serving people you have. The more spoiled is the peace. So we have all these. Special interest groups.

[17:36] Peace. Thinking only of themselves. And their group. Seeking their good. But not the good. Of the other. We're a nation divided.

[17:47] From the top to the bottom. From the head to the foot. There's no peace in the land. And the international scene. Is no better is it? Marred by blood.

[17:59] And wars. Between nations. Wars of words. As well as wars of bullets. And bombs. Let me read from the charter. Of the United Nations. Chapter one.

[18:10] Article one. And point one. The purpose. Of the United Nations. Is to maintain.

[18:20] International peace. And security. I say what? How can you maintain. Something that's not there? How are they doing it?

[18:33] Maintaining. Universal peace. In the world. Few things more divided. Than the United Nations.

[18:45] And. It's the indwelling sin. Of people. In those nations. That makes their very mission. Impossible. To maintain. International peace.

[18:58] And security. There's no hope. For world peace. We're a world at war. Thanks to sin. And then what about. Man in his environment. Well that too. Was. Destroyed.

[19:10] That perfect environment. Boy. You just love to go on vacation there. And not have to come back. That place. Eden. It's not like that anymore. Is it? You and I live in it. The created order.

[19:23] That was so peaceful. Has now been cursed. For man's sake. Subjected to frustration. And destruction. To death. And decay. And the cursed ground. Ended man's peaceful.

[19:33] And stress-free. Gardening experience. Now there's thorns. And thistles. And beetles. And bugs. And he barely ekes out a living. By the sweat of his brow. There are wild animals.

[19:44] Now that threaten. The lives of men. There are microscopic. Bugs and bacteria. And viruses. And cancers. Threatening our lives. And our well-being. Disturbing our peace.

[19:55] With worries. Destructive fires. And storms. Of nature. Constantly disrupting the peace. All over the globe. You can't watch the news. Without seeing it.

[20:06] Can you? The environment. All is not well anymore. Between man. And his environment. What a loss. And so we've fallen. From this world.

[20:16] Of perfect peace. Where all was well. To a world. Where peace. In all four arenas. Is destroyed. And all because of sin. Children never believe.

[20:26] Satan's lie. That sin is a little thing. Just look what it's done. To peace on earth. It's replaced it. With conflict. And misery now. And. Eternal damnation.

[20:38] Later. And yet. Though it's been a long time. Since there's been peace on earth. With all things well. Shalom.

[20:49] It's interesting that man. Still have. A keen awareness. Of its loss. And its absence. We miss it. It's as if man instinctively knows.

[21:04] That something's wrong. That things are not as they should be. Every time there's a new terrorist attack. Isn't. Isn't that what we see. It shouldn't be this way. We shouldn't. Have to.

[21:15] To always be. As if there's a sense. That it ought to be. A different way. Where did that come from? I say it's stamped on the DNA. Of man.

[21:26] Made in the image of God. That we were created for shalom. We were never created to live. In sin. And its environment. And all this. This. This destruction. Of peace.

[21:36] On all sides. No. We were made to live with God. And to walk with God. In righteousness. And so to enjoy the fruit of righteousness. Which is peace. And quietness.

[21:47] And confidence. Forever. Isaiah 32. 17. That's what we were made for. We were created for nothing. Less than this. And so man.

[21:58] Made for shalom. Feels its absence. And longs. For its presence. And so we see it. And we hear it in the arts. Listen. As man.

[22:09] Writes. Poetry. And literature. And songs. And makes movies. And paints. Paintings.

[22:21] And you find. It all filled. With this theme. An awareness. That shalom. Has been broken. That it's not the way. It's supposed to be.

[22:32] And then there's this yearning. For peace and harmony. With all things well. We heard it during the bloodshed. Of the Vietnam War. As the new seekers sang it. I'd like to teach the world.

[22:43] To sing. In perfect harmony. A song of peace. That echoes on. And never goes away. I'd like to see the world.

[22:53] For once. All standing. Hand in hand. And hear them echo. Through the hills. For peace. Throughout the land. Man is thirsty. Not just for a Coca-Cola.

[23:06] As it was used. As the jingle. For their marketing. Man is thirsty. For shalom. For peace. Throughout the whole world.

[23:16] A world. A world in perfect harmony. That's what we long for. Can you hear that longing? As man sings. Let there be peace on earth. Oh. Let there be peace on earth.

[23:28] And let it begin with me. And our Bibles answer. Yes. There will be peace. On earth. And no.

[23:41] It will not begin with you. Or me. You've been. Part of the problem. Part of the destroyer.

[23:52] Of peace. You're not the answer. No. It will begin with the seed of the woman. Putting the enmity back where it belongs. Between his seed.

[24:03] And the seed of the serpent. It will begin with him crushing the serpent's head. Peace will begin with the coming of that child to be born.

[24:13] The son to be given. Who will be called among other things. Prince of. Peace. And of the increase of his government. And of the increase of his peace.

[24:24] There will be no end. No end to his peace. And it will not begin with you or me. But with that one to be born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem. For you Bethlehem.

[24:36] Though you're small among the clans of Judah. Out of you will come one for me. One who will be ruler over all Israel. Whose origins are from of old. From ancient times. And he.

[24:49] Will be. Their peace. Micah 5. Proud self-sufficient man. Has vainly thought.

[24:59] That he can bring about lasting peace. Himself. If we all just tried a little bit harder. To be at peace. To live and let live. To love our neighbor.

[25:12] Well you see. It's all fine and good. When. When you let me live. But when my living. Infringes upon your living. That's where. The conflict comes.

[25:24] You see. It doesn't work. This live and let live business. But that's at the bottom of this. Evolutionary social theory. That holds that by a gradual process. Man is evolving.

[25:34] Higher and higher. Getting better. And better. Coming ever so much more closer. To that. Perfect age of Aquarius. When. The whole world. Was singing in harmony.

[25:46] And the whole environment. And everything will be fixed. And we're bringing it in. One man at a time. As we just try a little harder. To live and let live.

[25:57] So in 1914. H.G. Wells. Referred to the war. That we now know. As World War I. As the war to end all wars. And it caught on. As a catch word.

[26:07] Throughout that war. But two decades later. The world was thrown. Into World War II. And we're no closer today. To achieving peace. Throughout the land.

[26:18] Let alone. Throughout the world. And so this long for peace. Won't begin with you or me. It won't come gradually. By our efforts. It will come suddenly. By the intrusion.

[26:29] Of the prince of peace. Into this world. The prince of peace. The. The peacemaker. Listen how Zechariah.

[26:41] The father of John the Baptist. Put it. As he. Holds his. Son. John the Baptist. Prophesying. About this coming. Prince of peace. And you.

[26:51] You my child. You will go on. Before the Lord. To prepare the way. For him. For the rising sun. Who will come to us. From heaven. To shine on those.

[27:02] Living in darkness. And in the shadow of death. To guide our feet. Into the path of peace. There is a path of peace. But by sin.

[27:12] We've lost the path of peace. Not just one or two of us. But the whole human race. Remember how Paul puts it. Romans 3. His diagnosis. Of the whole human race. He looks them all over. And he says. This is God's assessment.

[27:24] Of the whole human. There's not one righteous. Not so much as one. We're all sinners. And he describes. All the things that we do. In our sin. And he comes to the end. Verse 17.

[27:35] Ruin and misery. Mark their ways. And the way of peace. They have not known. There is a way of peace. But all mankind.

[27:46] Blinded by sin. Has lost it. And Zechariah says. Oh. But the rising sun. Is coming to us. From heaven. And he will shine.

[27:58] On our darkness. And he will guide. Our feet. Into. The way. Of peace. He will do that. And months later. When the long promised.

[28:09] Savior was born. A multitude. Of the heavenly host. Appeared. To announce. This is he. Whose coming. Means glory. To God. In the highest. And peace. To men. On earth.

[28:19] This is that rising sun. He's here. To guide our feet. Into the path of peace. There will be peace. On earth. And it will begin. With this child. Born of Mary. Lying in a manger.

[28:33] And so. Into this world. Without peace. The savior was born. But he was born. Into this world. Without peace. That he might bring it. To peace.

[28:45] So let's go through. Once more. Very quickly. The peace restored. Then thirdly. Peace enjoyed. Peace destroyed. Now. Here's the peace. Restored by Jesus.

[28:56] Son of Mary. First. Peace is to be restored. Between man. And his God. That's where we first. Lost the peace. That's where we must. Regain it. And what was the problem?

[29:06] What was it? That caused the war. With God. It was sin. Wasn't it? That obnoxious. Offensive thing. Called sin. And so there can be. No restoration. Of peace. Until that.

[29:17] Is removed. Now that's a God sized. Problem. And that's why. It took a God sized. Remedy. That's why God sent. His one and only. Son. God the son.

[29:29] To deal. With the sin. Problem. The only mediator. Between God and man. The man. Christ. Jesus. Only he. He can work out. A real. And lasting peace.

[29:40] That will reconcile. Man and God. How does he do that? Colossians 1. 20. God reconciled us. To himself. Through Christ. By making peace.

[29:51] Through his blood. Shed. On the cross. Do you know that. Peace. Only comes to us. Sinners. With blood on it. The blood.

[30:02] Of Jesus. The precious blood. Peace making. Blood. Sometimes. We measure. The cost. Of peace. By the lives. And the blood. Shed.

[30:12] To give it to us. What is. What is this. Peace. God. Takes on flesh. And. Sheds his blood. To win the peace.

[30:24] For us. His life. Laid down. In death. For us. Reconciling us. To God. By Christ's. Physical body. Through death. He had to die.

[30:34] To win the peace. Peace. That's the only way. Our sins. Could be removed. And so God. Made him. Who had no sin. To be sin. For us.

[30:46] And then he took him. To the cross. The place of punishment. And there he. Punished him. For his people. He gave. To Jesus. What we had.

[30:57] Coming for our sins. Because. Our sins. Were put. On Jesus. And. Now. He gets. The punishment. For sin. That's why. Isaiah says. Of him. The punishment.

[31:07] That brought. Us. Peace. Was upon him. That's what happens. On the cross. Someone's being. Punished. For sin. And Isaiah says.

[31:18] It will be. This. Servant. Of the Lord. Who will suffer. The punishment. That will bring. Us. Peace. That's how. He reconciles.

[31:28] Us. To God. That's how. He makes. Peace. Between God. And man. He takes. The punishment. Himself. And where. Sins are punished. They're forgiven. They're blotted out.

[31:39] They're gone. And where sins are forgiven. All is well. All is well. Therefore. Being just. It doesn't happen.

[31:49] For everyone. Just because. Jesus came. And died. It's. It doesn't mean. That you're at peace with God. No. Being justified. By faith. We have peace with God. You must put all your faith.

[32:00] In this Savior. Nothing. Of faith. And confidence. In your religion. Your good deeds. Your goodness. You must come. With nothing good to say. And cast yourself. Upon the Savior.

[32:11] And those who are justified. By faith. Have peace with God. Through our Lord. Jesus Christ. But you see. That's just half the problem. Our sin. That brings God's wrath. And anger. What about man's.

[32:22] Animosity. Toward God. Well Jesus solves that too. By his Holy Spirit. Who. Creates. A new heart. That no longer. Hates God.

[32:34] No longer. Seeks. Independence. But now. Wants to come. And trust. In this God. And obey him. And fear him. And worship him. And enjoy him. It's a new heart.

[32:45] Given by the Lord's Spirit. And that deals with. The enmity. On our side. So it's gone. On both sides. We were separated. We were without God.

[32:57] And now he himself. Is our peace. Who's. Who's brought us near. Through the blood of Christ. So. Man and God.

[33:07] Now restored. Kids. That's the first domino. Domino. And when the first domino falls. What's going to happen to the next. Three. They're going to fall too. Aren't they? Peace.

[33:19] With. God. Between. Man and God. Means. Peace. On the inside. Means. Peace. With relationships. Means. Peace.

[33:30] With. Our environment. So. The peace. Within man. Is restored. No longer. Is my conscience. Condemning me of sin. I have a savior.

[33:40] Who died for my sins. I have a new heart. Within me. That seeks. To please God. And so the echo. Of conscience. Within. Says. Christ.

[33:50] Has suffered enough. To forgive. My sins. So if God. Satisfied. Conscience. Says. I'm satisfied. And Jesus.

[34:01] Has satisfied. The father's wrath. By bearing it himself. And so now. My conscience. Says. I'm. I'm good. With you too. John. You've got a savior. For sin. It no longer.

[34:12] Condemns. And damns. Me. I now have. A smiling God. And therefore. A smiling. Conscience. Within. And for the first time. In my life. I'm at peace. Within. I'm at peace.

[34:23] With myself. Peace. With God. Produces. Within man. The peace. Of God. That calm. Realization. That all is well. The war is over. Between God.

[34:34] And me. He's no longer. Against me. He's now for me. So let. The storms. Rage high. The dark. The dark clouds. Rise. They won't worry me.

[34:46] For I'm sheltered. Safe. Within the arms of God. So instead of fear. And anxiety. And dread. I have this blessed peace of God. That passes all understanding.

[34:57] That guards my heart. And mind. In Christ Jesus. Yes. In this world. You will have tribulation. But in me. You will have peace.

[35:11] Though you will have trouble. And tribulation. In this world. I have overcome the world. So take heart. Note from a dear pastor friend.

[35:21] When he learned of Josie's cancer. Said this. What a comfort. To know that all is well. Between us. And him. Who rules all. That's exactly it.

[35:32] Isn't it? The battle's over. Between him and me. So all is well. He now rules all things. For me. Not against me. But for me. What a comfort. What peace.

[35:47] Peace within. What about man. And fellow man. You know. Something amazing happens. When men come to know. The peacemaking God. They themselves. Become peacemakers.

[35:59] That's what Jesus says. In Matthew 5. 8. How do we know those. Who belong to Jesus Christ. The kingdom of God. Well. They're the peacemakers. Look around. You'll see them.

[36:11] Blessed are the peacemakers. For they will be called. Sons of God. It's a mark. It's a tattoo. It's a stamp. It's a. It's a brand. You can tell. Who are. Who belong.

[36:22] As children of the peacemaker. Their peacemakers. How does that work? You can't. You can't come to this God. Who is at war with you. And find him. To be so gracious.

[36:32] And merciful. And loving toward you. That he. Cancels the debt. For Jesus sake. And now says. We're at peace. Without. Showing. A peaceable heart. To others. We can't receive mercy.

[36:45] And. Not show mercy. As a lifestyle. No. It cannot be. If we don't show mercy. It only shows. That we haven't. Received it. So there's this. This wonderful thing.

[36:56] Yes. When we get right. With God. It affects our human relationships. And. Marriage is different. And. And work associates. Are different. And. Our neighbors are different. And. Well it's just all.

[37:08] New. A new creation. The old is gone. The new has come. And that's what. Christ has accomplished. Through his death. He brought Jews and Gentiles.

[37:18] Together. Into one new humanity. That he. Reconciled to God. Ephesians 2. Through the cross. Through himself. Reconciling people. That had. Differences.

[37:30] Like Jews and Gentiles. Bringing them together. And that's what. That's what peace with God does. It brings people together. So as men come to peace with God. They also come to peace with each other.

[37:42] And peace on earth begins. In God's family. As his children live together. In peace. And though this peace is real. It's not perfect. Is it? It gets ruffled.

[37:54] That's due to the failures. Within us yet. We're not yet perfect. And when we are perfect. It'll be perfect peace. Between us. And it's also due to the fact. That there are many. People living around us.

[38:05] Who are not the children of God. Who are not for peace. Have no new hearts. That pursue peace. With all men. Oh but it will be. Perfectly restored. When Jesus returns.

[38:16] In judgment. And casts into hell. All those who are his enemies. And are not at peace with God. Through repentance. And faith in Christ. And then he will create. A new heaven. And a new earth.

[38:28] The home. Of righteousness. And the only people. That will live here. Are those who are righteous. Made righteous. Through the blood.

[38:38] And righteousness of Jesus. Put to their account. And by the Holy Spirit. Making them righteous. Because when we see God. When we see Christ. We'll be made like him. And there'll be no more sin.

[38:49] No more selfishness. No more self-centeredness. Me firstness. And that's why there'll be perfect peace. With everyone. Who lives on the. New earth.

[39:00] The home. Of righteousness. And then men will beat their swords. Into plowshares. And spears. Into pruning hooks. And military weapons. Will be turned into agricultural implements. And the nations will never again.

[39:12] Take up sword against nations. And nor will they train for peace. And for. Train for peace. Train for war anymore. And then my people. Will live in peaceful dwelling places.

[39:23] In secure homes. And in undisturbed places of rest. Yes. It's when Jesus comes back. Come and see the works of the Lord. The desolations he has brought.

[39:33] He makes wars cease to the ends of the age. He breaks the bow. He burns the shields with fire. This is what he does. He brings peace. In a world. Remade.

[39:45] By him. By his power and judgment. And all will worship the sun. For accomplishing what men could only dream about. And long for. And write songs about. But never accomplish.

[39:56] He will bring it about. Peace to men on earth. Teaching the world to sing in perfect harmony with each other. And the Lord Jesus will not stop making peace.

[40:06] Until it is reached to man in his own environment. And so the curse will be removed from the whole creation. Is now yearning for this day. And when Jesus comes back.

[40:18] All the frustration and decay built into the creation will be gone. No more curse creation. It was cursed because of man's sin. And when man is redeemed from sin. The curse will be lifted.

[40:31] And the whole creation will be what it once was. What it was meant to be. Back in perfect harmony. And then the meek will inherit the earth. And delight themselves in an abundance of peace.

[40:44] And once again the wolf will lie down with the lamb. And the leopard will lie down with the goat. And the calf with the lion. And the yearling together. The cow will feed with the bear. And their young will lie down together. And the lion will eat straw like ox.

[40:56] And they'll neither harm nor destroy. And all my holy mountain. And there'll be no more sickness or disease. No more death or mourning or crying or pain. For that old order of things is passed away.

[41:06] Behold I've making everything new. And then you will go out in joy. And you will be led forth in shalom. The mountains and hills will burst into song before you.

[41:17] And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. And instead of the thorn bush will grow the pine tree. And instead of the briars the myrtle will grow. And this will be for the Lord's renown. For his glory.

[41:30] For an everlasting sign which will not be destroyed. A perfect peace. Between man and his environment. And then all will be well.

[41:43] Everything as it was meant to be. And then the saying will be completely fulfilled. Glory to God in the highest. And peace to men on earth.

[41:55] And how God will be glorified then. For restoring the peace. That had been destroyed. And doing so through his son.

[42:06] Our savior. Jesus Christ. Do you know peace is so much a part of the gospel. That there are places in the New Testament. That refer to it.

[42:16] And the Old Testament. That refer to it as the gospel of peace. Because it proclaims peace. You see there's this war between God and man. And yet he sends his preachers.

[42:27] Out into this world. To preach what? Peace. To stand and say for God. Be reconciled to God. He's willing to put down his enmity and wrath.

[42:41] If you will put your trust in his son. If you will take the terms of peace. He will be at peace with you. And what are the terms of peace? They're very clear. Repent and believe the gospel.

[42:52] Turn from your self-independence. Turn from your own way. And turn to Jesus Christ. That's the terms of peace. But the peace treaty is good.

[43:04] It's good today. You know if you trust in this Savior. And ask him to save you this morning. You will go home at peace with God. You came this morning perhaps at war with God. And it's seen in the war within.

[43:15] In the war in all your relationships. In the war with the environment. You see it everywhere. But you can be at peace with God. You can know all is well between God and me. Because the peace treaty of the gospel.

[43:28] Promises peace. Jesus is our peace. Don't settle for the false pieces. There's many false pieces being preached. Peace, peace when there is no peace. It was the problem in the Old Testament.

[43:40] It's the problem today. No, there's only one way of peace. His name is Jesus. And he's the one who has come. As the rising sun from heaven. To shine upon us.

[43:51] And to lead us in the way of peace. I urge you to come and to receive him today. And dear Christian, to enjoy him as your peace.

[44:04] Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote on a Christmas day in 1863. I heard the bells on Christmas day. Their old familiar carols play.

[44:17] And wild and sweet the words repeat. Of peace on earth. Goodwill to men. Longfellow had recently had a double tragedy.

[44:30] The awful burning of his wife in a fire. And a serious injury of his son in the American Civil War. So the song goes on. And in despair I bowed my head.

[44:43] There is no peace on earth, I said. For hate is strong and mocks the song. Of peace on earth. Goodwill to men.

[44:55] But then pealed the bells more loud and deep. God is not dead. Nor doth he sleep. The wrong shall fail. The right prevail.

[45:05] With peace on earth. Goodwill to men. The angels didn't sing that to mock us. To mock our lack of peace.

[45:18] But to get our eyes off of ourselves. And on to him. Who had just been born. The prince of peace. Who will bring this peace. Let's worship him together.

[45:31] Let's pray. Praise the Lord, O my soul. And forget not all his benefits. Who forgives all your sins. We thank you, our Father, for your word.

[45:44] That has reminded us this morning. That all of our peace with you. With ourselves. With each other. And with this environment in which we live. Hinges on Jesus dying for our sins.

[45:57] Not in part, but all of them. And so we thank you that those who have fled for refuge to Jesus Christ. Can go home today. Singing in our hearts.

[46:08] No matter what is happening. What Satan is saying and tempting. And the world is doing to us. And circumstances around us. That it's well. With our soul.

[46:20] Lord, would you bring each person here to soul rest. You said. Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden. And I will give you rest.

[46:31] Rest for your soul. We thank you for that rest. A rest that we find in Christ. And we pray that you would help us then.

[46:42] To have beautiful feet that carry this gospel of peace to others. That demonstrate the power of our Prince of Peace. By living at peace with each other in our homes.

[46:53] In our churches. In our relationships. And that who are looking forward. To the day when he will return. And establish. A new order. Where the whole universe is in perfect harmony.

[47:08] With God the creator. And then glory. Will come to you. That's what we want. For what Jesus has done. We praise you for him.

[47:19] And we thank you for giving him to us. And we praise you in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

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