Pastor Jon Burgess
December 15, 2019 - W1950

Make Room for Peace

Making Room

Pastor Jon Burgess

December 14 & 15, 2019

Mele Kalikimaka! Welcome everyone at New Hope Oahu and online!  

One night as the shepherds were doing their job (just as they did every single day) suddenly, angels appeared and lit up the night sky! They gave the shepherds a glorious message that the Savior, the Christ Child is born! 

In Luke 2:10-11 NLT “…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!  Verse 14 says: “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

The shepherds were afraid—just as we would be if an angel showed up in the middle of our workplace!  The angel said, "'Don't be afraid. The Savior is born today in Bethlehem.” He is also known as the Prince of Peace. I'm really needing that right now! I'm so glad that Peace on Earth is a reminder to us at this time of year, when we experience the least amount of peace!  I want to discover why we don't have that peace; and how can we make sure that we are walking in the peace that was promised to us because Jesus came! 

As I’m working on this message, I get a text from a friend who works at Pearl Harbor that said, "You gotta pray! We're on lockdown.  There's been a shooting!"  I felt a sinking in my heart—peace is nowhere to be seen! We must understand that the moment we leave a peaceful place, we don't actually leave peace because Peace isn't a place—Peace is a Person… 

1. Peace Is Personal Because Peace Is the Person Of Jesus

If peace really is a person, that means it's for all of us who know the person of Jesus Christ!  So, if we want our peace back, we must get back to Him!  Wherever you're watching from, Emmanuel (God with us) is literally with us everywhere we are, saying, “I promised you peace.  I'm with you!” The way to make room for peace is by focusing on Him, so, if you are in turmoil, chaos, and losing your mind, may I just encourage you to get back to Peace. It’s not an emotion or a feeling—it’s a Person!  Jesus came all the way from heaven to bring peace into each of our circumstances; Paul says in…

Ephesians 2:13-18 NIV says: “¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

If this is your first time here at church, or if this is your first time watching a message at New Hope, I have good news for you—the peace that Jesus is offering is for you!  He came and preached peace.  Did you see that in verse 17?  This is what the angels were proclaiming! 

Whenever a pastor gets up to preach, God makes sure that he's living the message before he preaches it!  My goodness, have I needed this word about Jesus being my peace! You see, our oldest son Elijah, is actually an on?fire missionary right now.  He graduated from high school and immediately went to the mission field with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). His base was in Australia, and he trained there for three months, then went for three months to Indonesia, Nepal, and (their last month) India. Just a few days ago, he was supposed to fly out of India and back to Australia for his final week, so he could be home on Christmas day.  Then Parliament in India passes an immigration bill into law that fast tracks everyone—all immigrants coming into India of any religion, except for Islam. The day before Elijah and his team are to fly out, the whole country erupts! There's rioting in the streets, cars turned over, things set on fire, and people being killed! Basically, the whole country goes on lockdown, and my son and his missionary team are told they cannot go anywhere—there’s a travel ban! No flights are leaving the country—you’re stuck! I just want my son home!

To make matters worse, their visas would be expiring soon—an expired visa becomes problematic when trying to fly out of a country! My son is halfway across the world, and I can't do anything about it!  Or can I?  Wait, Jesus is my Peace.  He is not just with me, He's also with Elijah in the middle of that storm!  I wish I could tell you that I have walked in perfect peace the entire time, that would be a lie—I have been toggling back and forth between panic and peace—but this message has actually been my anchor!  

If peace is not an emotion, but a person, then you and I can have peace even when walking through the most disturbing situation! Jesus showed me a beautiful picture of His one arm around me and His other arm around my son. And He wants to hold you in your seemingly insurmountable desperate situation or circumstance, too.  You may ask, “How do I do that, Pastor Jon?”   

2. Make Room For Peace Trough Participation With God’s Plan For Redemption

This is not a passive thing. There's a Plan of Redemption that was enacted with the birth of Jesus and, ultimately, fulfilled through His death and resurrection! I find it interesting that the angels prophesied peace on earth, goodwill toward men—but we read the opposite…

Matthew 2:1-3 NLT says: “Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,² “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” ³ King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.”

Isn't that an interesting reaction?  Understand that Herod was paranoid; historically, he was insane.  He killed anybody that was remotely a threat to his throne—including his own family members!  So, when the wise men/kings show up and tell him about the King of kings, King Herod is not happy—in fact, he was deeply disturbed! And I thought, peace on earth?  Everybody is bothered!  The Greek word for deeply disturbed means agitated, troubled, inward commotion, and disquiet—it actually means to move back and forth.

Whenever Jesus shows up, a response is demanded:  Either agitation (I am disturbed) or peace (I am delivered). If we want to be on the side of peace at the arrival of Jesus—we must surrender! I had to lay down my plan and change my prayers for Elijah from: “God, I want him here by Christmas,” to, “God, just keep him safe. However, you get him here, that's fine.”  I was self?centered—it was all about me wanting my son home; but when I surrendered my plan and took hold of God's plan, realizing that He was doing something in my son that wouldn't have happened had this not happened; and He was doing something in me, too! Let’s be participators and peacemakers!

I think about Julie Smith, who has been serving as a volunteer in our church for 15 years. She has an awesome shop on base at Pearl Harbor. If you're ever in the area, visit her shop—all the proceeds go to charity. Julie told me a story of what happened when the shooting was going on at Pearl Harbor—everything was on lockdown!  She was having a sale for children, so had a lot of mothers and children in her shop, when suddenly all hell breaks loose on base, and everybody is panicking!  They followed protocol and got everybody inside her shop and locked the doors, but other mothers with children came banging on the door, looking for shelter from the shooter!

Julie was unlocking the door to let them in when a woman inside said, "No, no, no, you can't unlock the door. You're going to put the rest of us in danger!"  Julie turned to her and said, "Listen, I'm not about to stand here and let those people and children be exposed to what’s happening.  It's my shop and I'm letting them in!"  If you know Julie, she's got some spunk!  Don’t mess with her!  So, she opens the door, and lets people in.  She wasn't irresponsible—she was providing a place of peace and refuge in a moment of danger and panic!

This is how we participate in the Plan of Redemption: We run resistance from the King Herods and those who don’t want us talking about Jesus or don't want us to open the door in times of panic to offer refuge. Be willing to risk so someone else can know the peace of Jesus!

3. Make Room For Peace By Paying Attention To What Jesus Is Doing Right Now

Sometimes we get distracted by false images that everything must be perfect, pristine, and well?decorated at Christmas; but I want to give you freedom to not have it all together—the Christmas story was messy!  Many things may be pulling for your attention and there's no room for what Jesus is doing.  Do you know who else was having difficulty paying attention to Jesus?  The holy family.  Yes, Joseph and Mary!  The following scriptures are not a part of the Christmas story, but Jesus is still a child, technically, so I'll throw it in here:

Luke 2:41-44 NLT says: “⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. ⁴² When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. ⁴³ After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, ⁴⁴ because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.”

Peace is purposeful and not passive.  Joseph and Mary started home to Nazareth after the Passover festival, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem in the temple, and His parents didn’t miss him at first! Have you been assuming that because you're doing traditions, singing carols, and coming to church that you're actually doing this with Jesus?” I don’t want to find myself in the new year with my head spinning, wondering what happened to my relationship to Jesus? Peace is a person, it requires participation—it will happen intentionally!  

With Elijah stuck in India, I've been fixing my thoughts on the Lord through scriptures, obviously.  But in the middle of the night and sometimes during the day, even while writing this message, I would sing a song that my parents sang over me when I was a child and afraid at night. "He is my peace. He has broken down every wall. He is my peace; He is my peace," until I found my way back with Him as the center, so that when news would come about riots spreading, tear gas, and people dying—I would go back to singing!  

I don't know what you've been walking through, but the peace of God is here because Jesus is here!  You can cast all your cares on Him, if you know Him personally. Once again, peace is a Person, His name is Jesus!

Study Questions:

1.      Share an experience you had when you lost your peace. How did you get it restored?
2.      Explain what peace is, if it’s not an emotion or feeling.
3.      What can we do to make room for peace?
4.      If you’re in a fearful situation, what can you do to bring peace?