Unto Us: The Gift of Peace (Luke 2:8-20)

And I think we have a lot to learn from children about how to receive good gifts from God, even as adults. Because here's the spoiler alert, guys. You don't deserve it. And that's often the thing that prevents us from receiving it. But a gift is not something you earn or deserve. It's something given to you out of love. [00:06:45] (26 seconds)  #ReceiveLikeAChild

And so this morning, we're going to talk about receiving one of the greatest gifts of all, the gift of peace. And it's often the gift that we want most, and yet it's also the most difficult to accept. Because we know we don't deserve it. And that often prevents us from accepting it. And often we only accept the things that we have earned or deserved or feel are entitled to. And again, spoiler alert, you don't deserve it, but it is offered and it has been given. Because he loves you. [00:07:10] (47 seconds)  #PeaceOfferedNotEarned

True peace isn't just about the wrath you've been delivered from. It's about the delight you've been delivered unto. Now hear me, wrath is real. And it is deserved. But God's grace is real. God's grace, his mercy is steadfast. His grace unto us is a gift. It is not earned. It is a gift. And it is something he has given us to delight in. [00:08:31] (34 seconds)  #GiftOfGrace

And so the word humility, it comes from a Latin word meaning low or lowly. Right? There's a theme that's demonstrated by these lowly shepherds as the ones that receive the first announcement. There's a theme throughout the Bible that's being sort of captured and brought to our attention here. Like this is not a sign of weakness. Humility is not weakness. It's actually not insecurity. That's not what humility is. In fact, humility brings a strong sense of strength and confidence with it. Because your confidence no longer is in yourself, but in your king. [00:12:18] (35 seconds)  #HumilityIsStrength

Now, this is one of those familiar phrases that can lose its impact because you hear it so much, right? But I want you to understand, like, these shepherds, for them, this sign would have been utterly astonishing. Like, you don't put babies in mangers, especially not the newborn Messiah, okay? Like, mangers are feeding troughs for sheep and cattle, not cribs for kings. Definitely not the king of kings. This would have been a radical thought. [00:15:42] (28 seconds)  #KingInAManger

Like, this is the celebration of Christmas, guys. Christ has come. The prince of peace has arrived to bring peace to and among those with whom God is pleased. So here's the question. And this is the biggest question. Do you believe God is pleased with you? Do you believe that God is actually pleased with you? You see, peace comes to those with whom God is pleased. And one of the biggest reasons that you may find it difficult to receive the gift of peace is because you find it difficult to receive God's delight in you. [00:19:20] (45 seconds)  #GodDelightsInYou

So I want you to first think about what real peace is. So in a world at odds with God and with each other, in a fallen world twisted by sin, death, and destruction, and darkness, peace isn't simply the ceasing of conflict. In fact, hear me, it's the ceasing of conflict with God. Not only that, but real peace doesn't just mean that you're no longer at odds with God. The gift of peace in Christ means that God Almighty is pleased with you, that he delights in you. Now I want you to take that in. [00:20:06] (38 seconds)  #PeaceWithGod

Not because you're awesome, not because you're perfect, but because you're perfectly loved as a result of what Christ has done for you. This is Christmas. This is the gospel. Like maybe, again, like, hear me. When you're afraid and you're living in that pride and shame, like that's how a world that's motivated that pride and shame of achievement, or sorry, the pride of achievement or the shame of failure would hear that. But again, the gospel is not about you. It's about what's been done for you in Christ. And again, that's where true transformation happens. [00:21:58] (33 seconds)  #LovedNotEarned