Poetry Where You Live: sermon, A Piece of Peace, by Pastor Ruth Foss, December 23, 2018, Fourth Sunday of Advent, Stertson Memorial United Methodist Church, Patten, Maine

December 23, 2018

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Sunday of Peace Worship Theme:

The Peace of the coming Messiah

Sermon Series:

“The “Advent”ure:

Where Hope Begins”

Isaiah 9:6-7 (King James)

Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV)

Romans 15:13 (KJV)

2 Thessalonians 3:16 (KJV)

“A Piece of Peace…”

The Lord be with you…

Let us pray…

A reading from the Prophet Isaiah…found in chapter 9 verses 6-7. Listen to the Good News that brings great joy to all humankind…

Isaiah 9:6-7 King James Version (KJV)

⁶For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

⁷Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Good Morning. How many of you feel pretty hectic around this time of year? There is just not enough hours in a day for me to get done everything I want to get done. I am running here and there…this store or that store…this Christmas season to that season event. It’s crazy.

You may feel you have no peace at all. Peace on earth…how about a little peace in my life? Just a piece of peace would be nice about now. But even though we are running around…we can still have peace in the chaos of our preparation. You and I can even have peace in the storms of life…all because of that peaceful, silent…well not so silent…night that was invaded by angel song…

Today we continue on a most excellent “Advent”ure…as we will travel to the place where hope begins…the hope of all people… Advent is one of my favorite seasons only overshadowed by the season of Lent. This is where Lent began…in a manger. This is where God’s plan of restoration began. Our destination…the manger…is the pivotal place for God’s promise to humanity.

So, this is the 4^th Sunday in Advent, The Sunday of “Peace”. What peace have you found in this season? How can you have peace not only in this season but into the “Advent”ure of Faith?

I think one way of having peace during the crazy and chaotic moments in…and we will all have those moments…is to find peace in our Divine purpose. So, what stops us from doing that? Fear. It is one of the favorite tactics of the enemy to use against Gods people to immobilize them and keep them from finding peace in their Divine purpose.

Let me explain, you see, within the Advent story, there could have been much fear and immobilization. Let’s look at a few of the key characters in the story…

And that’s to just name a few..

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us:

Philippians 4:6-7 King James Version (KJV)

⁶Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

⁷And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

As we trust in God and His Divine purpose for our lives we may have some fear but we are not immobilized. We take all of that fear captive and bring it to God. As we do, we re given peace in knowing that our God is a faithful God and that He equips us for our purpose and we don’t have to fear.

Fear not only steals our peace and immobilizes us. God want us to have the peace that surpasses all understanding. If that were not so, would Jesus have been called… The Prince of Peace? On that not so silent night, Hope, Love, Joy and Peace came down and is for all who believe if we only would open the present of that first Advent and embrace it in the present life we live.

God offers humanity the same peace that He offered, and continues to offer us, Mary, Joseph and the Shepherds. We need to not let fear, uncertainty, even what others speak over us immobilize us from our divine purpose. And beloved…we have a divine purpose.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit. And may the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

AMEN