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Advent 3, 2024
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
December 15, 2024
Zephaniah 3:14-20, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 7:18-28
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itunes: bit.ly/pastorjud
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Life is busy. Life is hard. There is a lot competing for your attention. What is most important? Health is important. Education is important. Family is important. Work is important. Finances are important. Safety is important. Sleep is important. Exercise is important. Politics are important. Housing is important. Food is important. Transportation is important. All these things are important. Some of these are issues of life or death. Dealing with these issues can take up all of your time and energy. It runs you ragged. Trying to balance of all these is exhausting. There are so many important things to deal with every day; but what is most important?
The most important thing… is none of these things. The most important thing is where you stand with the creator of the universe. Where are you with God? Are you with God, or are you against God? If the creator and master of the universe is against you, none of the other important things in life really matter. If the creator and master of the universe is for you, the importance of all those other things fades dramatically.
God created you and all creatures. He created everything you can see and everything you cannot see. God has promised that there is going to be a day of judgment when all people who ever lived will stand before the throne of God and be judged. This is the culmination of this creation. That judgment determines if you spend eternity suffering with the devil and his angels in the eternal lake of fire, or if you will spend eternity in the presence of Jesus, the Lamb of God, in the heavenly city of New Jerusalem with the countless multitude of believers.
Being caught up in all the things of this world that seem so important makes it easy to forget about the judgment day to come. You can get so distracted by today that you do not care about the last day. So many people have rejected God’s forgiveness. They are walking around unprotected for the Last Day…they are destined for damnation.
The creator of the universe sent His Son to pay the price for the sins of the world and He offers this gift of salvation to all people. He wants all people to be saved, and yet so many people reject salvation. They keep busy with the seemingly important things of this life; but they are unprotected from the wrath of God.
You are protected. You are covered by the white robe of Christ’s righteousness that covers all your sin. God has given you His peace, His shalom. You are at peace with God. You are at peace with the creator of the world.
God the Father sent Jesus to be the sacrificial Lamb of God and take away the sin of the world. Jesus died, He rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven, but He did not leave you alone in the world. Jesus teaches in John 14:25–27 (ESV) 25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Jesus gives you the gift of the Holy Spirit in your baptism. The Holy Spirit gives you faith to believe God’s Word and to know your sins are forgiven by the blood of Jesus. The Holy Spirit brings you peace with God. In the Holy Spirit you are whole and lack nothing for your salvation. You are prepared for the judgment day. You will live forever with Jesus in the heavenly city. You have the peace of God. The peace of God is beyond anything you can understand. You are safe for eternity.
The peace of God, Shalom Elohim, is yours. And it guards you. Shalom is peace and wholeness. The peace of God is your force field as you go through life in this world with all of its worries and troubles. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and you are surrounded by the peace of God. The peace of God guards you. The peace of God guards your body and soul. The peace of God also guards your behavior.
Now having a guard can mean a couple of different things. Sometimes famous people have bodyguards that are there to protect the celebrity from outside harm. This is a guard of protection.
When people are in jail they have a guard. That guard’s job is to make sure no one escapes or causes trouble. This is a guard of control.
The Holy Spirit does both. The Spirit protects and the Spirit controls with the peace of God. The peace of God guards you from evil in the world. The devil can try to tempt you, but the he has no power over you because you have the peace of God. The devil is like a dog on a chain. He can do you no harm as long as you stay away. In Luther’s Morning Prayer we conclude, “For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me.”
The peace of God also controls. We pray for God to control our behavior. In our evening prayer service we see two examples. In Psalm 141 we pray, “Set a watch before my mouth O Lord, and guard the door of my lips. Let not my heart incline to any evil thing. Let me not be occupied in wickedness with evildoers.” Also in the collect for peace we pray, “give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness…”
Jesus brings peace between you and God. Jesus does not bring peace between you and the world. God’s peace is not the world’s peace. John 16:33 (ESV) 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
The peace of God protects you from the evil one and the peace of God protects you from being evil. You are God’s treasured possession. You are God’s own child. You are the light of the world. You are the salt of the earth.
You are filled with the Holy Spirit and live in the peace of God. You are safe for the judgment day. You are safe for eternity.
There are many things in this life that you have deal with each day; things that the world believes are very important. As you feel worries mount and anxieties grow, step back, take a breath, and remember the big picture. The eternal picture. The big picture -- big beyond understanding. The things of this life that keep you so busy and occupied, even issues of life or death, shrink in significance when you know you are at peace with the creator of all things. As a vessel of the Holy Spirit you bring the peace of God with you everywhere, even into the hardest, saddest, most troubling situations of life. Even in these most difficult times…you have the peace of God. This is mind blowing. It surpasses understanding. You have been made right with God. This is the source of deep joy even in the midst of great sorrow and trouble. Because of this you rejoice in the Lord always.
The peace of God gives you the calm confidence of knowing you are eternally secure even when life here is falling apart. Even in the face of great opposition in this world today, you have peace. “When peace like a river attendeth your way. When sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever your lot, God has taught you to say, it is well, it is well with my soul.” In the midst of chaos and confusion, your reasonableness; your gentleness, your moderation shines through because it is well with your soul. You are prepared for the Last Day.
Life is hard. Making your way in the world takes a lot of effort. But you can keep all these pressures and influences in good perspective. These are just the temporary things of this world. You are safe for eternity. Philippians 4:7 (ESV) 7 … the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen