Advent of Peace

Today we celebrated the grace of God in real time. We welcomed Winter into the family of faith through baptism and prayed that his first steps with Jesus would ripple encouragement through our whole church. We asked the Lord to mark us with His presence, because apart from Him we are just going through the motions. Like Moses in Exodus 33, we prayed a bold prayer: “If Your presence doesn’t go with us, don’t let us go up from here. Show us Your glory.” I asked the Lord to make that more than a line in Scripture—to make it our posture in this season, and to awaken our city with a hunger for His Word and righteousness.

From there we turned to the Advent of Peace in Luke 2. The angels’ song isn’t sentimental trivia; it is God’s declaration that His favor rests on those who belong to Him, and that heaven’s peace has come near in Jesus. The first Christmas wasn’t calm. Israel groaned under Rome, Herod schemed, and Mary and Joseph scrambled for shelter. But into chaos came a Person, and the difference for us is that we don’t merely stare at a manger; we look to King Jesus who rules, redeems, and fights our battles.

I shared my own story of moving from inner turmoil to peace when Christ saved me. Before grace, Scripture says we are at war with God; in Christ, we are justified and have peace with God. That peace isn’t the absence of conflict; it’s the settled presence of God in the thick of it—wisdom for hard choices, strength for grief, and joy even in tears. We smiled over a family story at a funeral because resurrection hope reframes sorrow. By contrast, the world’s “peace”—whether trophies, titles, or applause—expires. Even legends find that when the game ends, the heart still aches. Jesus alone satisfies.

I invited those who don’t know Him to receive Him today, and I invited believers to renew their trust. At the Table, we remembered the cost of our peace—the body broken, the blood poured out—and examined ourselves. We didn’t take the bread and cup as a ritual, but as a proclamation: Jesus died, Jesus rose, and Jesus is coming. Let’s walk into this week as people marked by His presence, spreading His peace wherever we go.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Unless You go, I won’t move. God’s people are distinguished not by talent, programs, or polish, but by God’s presence. Moses wouldn’t take a single step without the Lord’s nearness, and neither should we. Praying “show me Your glory” is an act of holy dependence that orders our ambitions and slows our hurry. It says that fruitfulness without fellowship is failure. [17:54]
• 2. Peace is presence amid conflict. Biblical peace doesn’t promise a pain-free life; it promises God-with-us in the storm. The Spirit steadies our inner world so we can make wise choices when the outer world is chaotic. Peace becomes the courage to face reality with God’s hand on our shoulder. It is the calm that flows from being fully known and fully held. [38:14]
• 3. From enemy to friend of God. Before grace, we don’t merely “struggle”; we stand opposed to God, even if our lives look put-together. In Christ, justification is not a feeling but a verdict—peace declared from the bench of heaven that reorders the heart. That settled peace displaces inner hostility and opens a life of communion and obedience. Friendship with God is the fountainhead of every other peace. [35:12]
• 4. Fix your eyes on King Jesus. The manger is precious, but the One who lay there now reigns. In chaos, we don’t appeal to nostalgia; we appeal to His lordship, His wisdom, and His victory. Peace grows as we relocate our gaze from threats to the Throne. Worship is the practical habit of re-centering on the King who fights for us. [32:25]
• 5. Proclaim peace at the Table. The bread and cup preach: our peace was purchased, not presumed. Examining ourselves isn’t morbid; it’s mercy—turning from what fractures fellowship to the One who heals it. Communion sends us back into the world as carriers of reconciliation, not just recipients. We remember, we repent, and we rise to embody His peace. [47:23]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:25] - Winter shares Scripture
• [02:19] - Winter’s baptism and celebration
• [03:06] - Exodus 33: Presence and Glory
• [17:54] - Bold prayer: Show us Your glory
• [19:10] - Intercession for salvation and revival
• [30:12] - Advent of Peace: Luke 2
• [32:25] - From manger to King Jesus
• [35:12] - From war with God to peace
• [38:14] - Peace is not absence of conflict
• [43:19] - The limits of worldly peace
• [47:23] - Invitation and preparation for the Table
• [53:50] - Communion: instructions and participation
• [61:53] - Closing announcements and candlelight service

1. In Luke 2:13-14, what are the two main things the angels declare, and to whom does God’s peace come?
2. What specific kinds of chaos surrounded the first Christmas (political, personal, practical)? [30:12]
3. What bold request did Moses make, and what condition did he put on moving forward? [17:54]
4. How was biblical peace defined in contrast to simply avoiding conflict? [38:14]

1. If “peace on earth” is announced to “people He favors” (Luke 2:14), what does that suggest about peace being a relationship with God more than a change in circumstances?
2. Moses would not budge without God’s presence. Why might that posture protect a person from empty busyness or fruitfulness without fellowship? [17:54]
3. If a person is “at war with God” apart from Christ but is given peace with God through being justified by faith, what does that teach about the difference between inner calm and the verdict of reconciliation? [35:12]
4. Why does fixing one’s eyes on the reigning King (and not merely a sentimental manger scene) change how a believer faces chaos and fear? [32:25]

1. Where do you need to pray, “Unless You go with me, I won’t move”? Be specific (a decision, a relationship, a schedule). What would waiting on the Lord practically look like for you this week? [17:54]
2. Name one area of current conflict or pressure. What is one simple practice you will use to welcome God’s presence in it (for example: a breath prayer, a short Scripture you’ll repeat, asking for wisdom before you answer)? [38:14]
3. Where have you been chasing “peace” through trophies, titles, applause, or achievements? What is one step of repentance and re-centering you can take this week? [43:19]
4. When threats feel big, how will you fix your eyes on King Jesus instead of the noise (a worship song, a Scripture on your lock screen, five minutes of kneeling prayer)? Name your plan. [32:25]
5. Do you truly belong to Jesus—or are you still at odds with Him? If you sense He’s calling you, what would it look like to respond in faith today? [35:12]
6. The Table proclaims that peace was purchased, not presumed. Is there a relationship you need to pursue for reconciliation or a confession you need to make before the week is over? What is your first step? [47:23]
7. How could you carry peace into our city this week—one person to encourage, one act of mercy, one Scripture to share? Let’s name a plan and pray for a hunger for God’s Word and righteousness as we do it. [19:10]