Sunday, December 30, 2018

SERMON: HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE SPIRITUAL PEOPLE



30 December 2018


I.  Introduction
            -- turn in Bibles to Psalm 116:1-19 

1.  I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.
 2.  Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.
 3.  The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
 4.  Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, save me!"
 5.  The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
 6.  The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.
 7.  Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
 8.  For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,
 9.  that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
 10.  I believed; therefore I said, "I am greatly afflicted."
 11.  And in my dismay I said, "All men are liars."
 12.  How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?
 13.  I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
 14.  I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
 15.  Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
 16.  O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant ; you have freed me from my chains.
 17.  I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.
 18.  I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
 19.  in the courts of the house of the LORD-- in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.

            -- in 1990, one of the most influential business management books of all time was published by Dr. Stephen Covey -- "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" -- this book revolutionized the way business managers looked at running their companies and managing their people -- before, managers simply looked at the bottom-line and managed people as nothing more than another resource -- another tool -- to increase profits in their business
            -- but Covey's book moved management past that and emphasized the value of each individual's efforts in the overall success of the business -- instead of just looking at people as something to be used, Covey suggested that highly effective companies and highly effective and successful people in life had seven habits in common -- all based on valuing the people that worked in their organization -- in fact, Covey argued, these seven habits will not only make you an effective businessman, they will make you a successful person in your personal life as well
            -- the seven habits that Covey lists in his books are:

            1.  Be Proactive -- when problems and obstacles come up in your life, don't waste time blaming people or things -- but focus your energy on moving forward;
            2. Begin with the End in Mind -- in other words, have a vision as to where you want to go;
            3. Put First Things First -- focus on the steps that you have to take to accomplish your vision -- don't waste time and energy on tasks in the future, but focus on what you need to do today to accomplish this vision;
            4. Think Win-Win -- remember other people have goals and visions, too, and work with them to come up with an answer that helps everyone;
            5. Seek First to Understand and Then to be Understood -- in other words, you have to know and understand the people that you are working with first and what their needs are before you can explain your own needs -- as John Maxwell said, "Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care";
            6. Synergize -- by which he means to bring together everyone in your organization and let them contribute to the overall goal and direction of a project;
            7. Sharpen the Saw -- which focuses on self-renewal, including physical, mental, spiritual, and social aspects of life

II.  Habits of Highly Effective Spiritual People
            -- now when you think about it, there's really nothing ground-breaking in Covey's book -- the seven habits he listed are things that most of us knew we should be doing -- not only in business but in our personal lives as well -- we just had never thought of putting them together like this
            -- but sometimes it takes someone like Covey to sit down and synthesize these ideas into one easily readable book that can ignite a spark and start a revival of sorts -- what Covey did here is similar to what Rick Warren did in his book, "The Purpose-Driven Life" -- Warren didn't come up with anything new but simply restated biblical principles in a new way that caught America's attention and revitalized the church
            -- thinking about this, I thought it would be helpful for us to take a few moments this morning as we look towards the new year and do the same thing with our spiritual lives -- you know, I've often said that I don't have an original thought in my head -- that everything I give you is either begged, borrowed, or stolen -- but, truth be told, I think that is true for everything
            -- I think everything that we know and say and do and hope for is merely a reflection of God's word spoken into our lives and into this world from the beginning -- God’s word never changes -- His plan for our lives and His offer of hope and salvation never change -- but the Holy Spirit takes that message and inspires others to share it in different ways to reach different audiences -- the truth is there, whether it’s in the form of a book or a message or even a movie
            -- so, this morning, as we move towards this new year together, I want to share with you the "Habits of Highly Effective Spiritual People" based on Psalm 116 -- there's nothing new that I'm going to be giving you here -- you've all heard this before -- but maybe by presenting it in a new light and repackaging it for you in this way -- you might gain some insight into your spiritual life and the Holy Spirit might be able to speak to you and catch your attention on some changes that you need to make

            -- the three habits I have derived from this passage are:

            #1. Believe and Know God
            #2. Follow and Serve God.
            #3. Praise and Thank God

            -- if you were to read a biography of any great man or woman of faith -- from the Apostle Paul to Mother Teresa to Billy Graham to St. Augustine or any of the heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11 -- they all have one thing in common -- their lives reflect these three habits -- it’s obvious if you look at them -- it’s part of who these people were in Christ
            -- I think it’s important that we hang onto that word, “habit” -- we’re here at the start of a new year, and a lot of us start the new year with a list of resolutions -- a list of our goals for the new year
            -- the idea is that we will get started on them on January 1st and we will successfully meet our goals by the end of the year -- but, it doesn’t always work like that, does it? -- has anyone ever had a problem with keeping a new year’s resolution? -- yeah, all of us -- that’s why the gym that is so packed in January is so empty in February
            -- goals are laudable -- and taking action to meet goals is great -- but until you take the step of changing your goals and your actions into habits, nothing is ever really going to change -- until your actions become internalized and become habits, you’re only going to be going through the motions
            -- that’s one thing Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for -- they were going through the motions of religion, but it wasn’t real -- it wasn’t who they were -- it was just what they did because it was expected of them
            -- but, when actions become habits, they become more than just what we do -- they become part of us -- we do these things because they are a reflection of who we have become -- in other words, we act this way because this is who we are
            -- Billy Graham didn’t get up each morning and say, “I need to pray” -- he got up and began to pray because that is what a man of God does -- he didn’t have to think about it -- he didn’t have to make a conscious decision to do it -- it was part of him -- getting up and turning his thoughts to God and beginning his day in conversation with God was just something he did -- it was part of who he was -- it flowed out of who he had become in Christ
            -- that’s the difference between a habit and an external action like that of the Pharisees -- external actions are just things we check off each day to say we’ve done them -- habits are innate behaviors that we simply do because they are who we are
            -- goals lead to actions and actions should lead to habits -- but actions only become habits when we change who we are on the inside -- this change happens when we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us
            -- the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:16 that we are new creations in Christ -- the old has passed away -- the new has come -- and that means our thoughts and our beliefs and our behaviors begin to change -- we do different things because we are different people -- we have been changed on the inside and our actions reflect that change
            -- that is why I call these three principles “habits” -- because our goal is to do more than just externally conform to God’s word -- our goal should not be to simply check off actions each day and say we’ve done them -- our goal should be to transform ourselves into new people -- to become a person who is so filled with the presence of God that we simply breathe in and out these habits in our daily lives without thinking, just as the great men and women of faith that we read about did
            -- because this is a process, we have to begin externally -- we begin by just doing the actions -- by shifting our daily decisions and behaviors to reflect who it is we want to become -- and, as we do this, we need to pray for the Holy Spirit to transform us and change us through these actions into the men and women that God wants us to be -- to change who we are on the inside until we reach the point where we do these things simply because they are part of who we are
            -- so, let's take a moment this morning and look at each of these habits individually and consider how we might begin this process of transformation in our lives -- making these habits a part of us as we seek to grow closer to God everyday

III.  Habit #1 -- Believe and Know God
            -- look back at verse 1 

1.  I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.
 2.  Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.
 3.  The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
 4.  Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, save me!"
 5.  The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
 6.  The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.


            -- when Rick Warren's book, "The Purpose-Driven Life," came out, the first four words in that book captured the attention of America -- "It's Not About Me" -- those four words, more than anything else, set the stage for the success of that book and the plan for life that it contained
            -- the opening words here of the Psalmist should do the same for us as we look at the habits of highly effective spiritual people -- "I love the Lord" -- those four words mean so much -- these four words should be what defines us as people and what gives purpose and meaning to our lives -- "I love the Lord"
            -- when we say that, we are saying several different things -- first, we are saying that we believe in God -- that is the starting point of any spiritual life -- you have to believe that God is -- you have to believe that God is there -- that He is real -- and that He loves you and has a plan and purpose for your life that is greater than your own -- believing in a personal God who knows you and loves you gives your life meaning
            -- Shia LaBeouf is one of Hollywood's best and brightest stars -- for the last several years, he's been at the top of the box office, with movies like Transformers and Indiana Jones -- in fact, the last Transformers movie pulled in over $200M in it's opening weekend -- but, despite being one of Hollywood's highest paid and most productive actors, LaBeouf told an interviewer in June that his life has no real meaning or purpose -- he said -- and I quote -- "Sometimes I feel like I'm living a meaningless life, and I get frightened -- I have no answers to anything -- What is life about? -- I don't know"
            -- the message is clear -- faith is essential to finding fulfillment and purpose in life -- believing in God is the first step in that process

            -- the second thing we say when we exclaim, "I love the Lord," is that we know God -- in verse 1, the Psalmist says that God heard his cry of mercy -- in verse 2 he says that God turned His ear to him and the he would call on God as long as he lived
            -- to love God is to know God -- it is to have a personal relationship with Him -- this means that you can speak to God and know that He hears -- that you can go to God with any of your problems -- with any of your needs -- with any of your worries and cares -- and you know that the God of all the universe -- the Lord God Almighty -- will stop and listen to you and speak back to your heart because He cares
            -- when I use the term "know" here, I am not just talking about head-knowledge -- I'm talking about heart-knowledge -- I'm using the term "know" in the same sense that the Bible does when it says that Adam knew Eve -- a better term might be "experienced" -- it means that we know a person intimately, inside and out, with our head and our heart and our emotions and our whole being -- that is what we mean when we say that we know God -- that is what we should be striving for
            -- that is why we pray and speak with God -- that is why we read His word -- that is why we listen for His voice in the church and in His people -- so that we can get to know Him better and experience Him in our lives
            -- it’s not a matter of just checking off a box every day -- of saying, “I read the Bible today” or “I prayed today” -- it’s a matter of communing with God because we know Him and love Him and want to be with Him

            -- the third thing we imply when we say, "I love the Lord," is that we know what God has done for us -- look back at verse 3 

3.  The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
 4.  Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, save me!"

            -- this was the state of our being before we came to know God -- we were trapped by sin and death -- we were sentenced to eternal separation in outer darkness -- we had no future -- we had no hope
            -- but when we cried out for help, God heard us and sent His Son to the earth -- through Jesus' death and resurrection on the cross, our sins have been forgiven and we have been ushered into eternal life with Him -- all we have to do is receive His free gift of salvation
            -- the Psalmist said that God was gracious and righteous and full of compassion -- He saw our needs -- He heard our cries -- He had compassion on our souls and He poured out His grace and righteousness into our lives
            -- that is why the Psalmist can say, "when I was in great need, He saved me" -- we know and recognize what God has done for us

            -- these three things taken together are what we mean when we say "I love the Lord" -- we mean that we believe and know God -- this is the first habit of a highly effective spiritual person

IV. Habit #2 -- Follow and Serve God
            -- verse 7 

7.  Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
 8.  For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,
 9.  that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
 10.  I believed; therefore I said, "I am greatly afflicted."
 11.  And in my dismay I said, "All men are liars."
 12.  How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?
 13.  I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
 14.  I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
 15.  Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
 16.  O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant ; you have freed me from my chains.

            -- the second habit of a highly effective spiritual person is to follow and serve God
            -- a few years ago, I read a story about the Stephens family in Katy, Texas -- they were going out to eat one day with their 8-year-old son, Tyler, when they passed a homeless man holding a sign -- just like you probably do everyday when you go to town
            -- Tyler noticed the man and said, "Let's take that man something to eat" -- Tyler's father looked at the man -- looked at the way he was dressed -- the location where he was sitting -- thought about the fact that it was starting to get late and there wasn't many people around and he replied, "That's a great idea, but it's probably not a safe for us to stop and do that"
            -- when they got to the restaurant, Tyler had big tears coming down his cheeks -- when his father asked him why he was crying, Tyler said, "What good is an idea if that's all it ever is?" -- they bought food and carried it to the man

            -- I think Tyler's question to his father is one that all of us who name the name of Christ should stop and ask daily -- "What good is an idea if that's all it ever is? -- What good is believing and knowing God if we do nothing more?" -- ideas -- and Christians -- without action are useless
            -- to truly live out the Christian life -- to be a highly effective person in our spiritual lives -- we have to put our faith in action -- we have to do more than get saved and sit in the pews -- we have to pick up our cross and follow Christ and serve Him by serving others
            -- look back at verse 7 

7.  Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
 8.  For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,
 9.  that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
 10.  I believed; therefore  I said, "I am greatly afflicted."
 11.  And in my dismay I said, "All men are liars."
 12.  How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?

-- the Psalmist points out that God has done so much for him -- He delivered his soul from death -- He wiped away the tears from his eyes -- He put his feet on a firm path
            -- thinking about how good God has been to him, the Psalmist asks, "What can I do in return? -- how can I show Him my love?" -- and then he answers the question
            -- verse 13 

13.  I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
 14.  I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
 15.  Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
 16.  O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant ; you have freed me from my chains.

 -- I will call on the name of the Lord -- I will fulfill my vows -- I will serve Him

            -- I heard a story one time about a Greek professor who had survived the atrocities committed by the Nazis in his homeland during World War II -- as a result he had dedicated his life to establishing an institute to heal the wounds of war among his countrymen and women.
            -- at the end of his presentation at the conference, he reached in his worn leather billfold and pulled out a very small round mirror
            -- as he held the mirror up, he explained what it was all about -- One day when he was a small child during World War II, there was a battle in his hometown with the Germans -- after the battle, he found the broken pieces of a mirror from a German motorcycle laying on the road near his house
            -- he took the largest piece and began to smooth it down by rubbing the edges on a rock and ended up with this small round mirror that he kept in his wallet
            -- the professor said that he became fascinated by the fact that he could reflect light into dark places where the sun would never shine – in deep holes and crevices and dark closets -- It became a game for him to try to get light into the most inaccessible places -- over the years, he kept the little mirror, and would take out from time to time and continue the challenge.
            -- he said, "I grew to understand that this was not just a child’s game, but a metaphor for what I might do with my life. -- I came to understand that I am not the light or even the source of light. But light – as truth, understanding, and knowledge – is there, and it will only shine in many dark places if I reflect it. -- I can be the reflected light that changes people.”

            -- this is what God wants from us -- He wants us to reflect His light and shine it into the darkness of this world by following and serving Him where He leads -- there's a lot of darkness in America today -- you don't have to look far to find it -- and our calling as Christians is to speak life into death -- to shine light into the dark
            -- the life of every great hero of the faith was characterized by this one simple fact -- they cared about others and they served God by serving those who needed their help -- as Christians, we should be striving to meet the physical and spiritual needs of others -- this means more than just throwing money at ministry -- this means getting your hands dirty -- going into the places where Jesus went when He was here -- visiting the people Jesus visited when He was here -- ministering to and serving them and meeting both their physical and spiritual needs
            -- before you leave here today, ask yourself the question, "Where is God calling me to serve? -- Where is God calling this church to serve?" -- and then go out and do it

            -- -- we've always heard that people who are lost tend to walk in circles -- a few years ago, there was a study published in Current Biology where scientists devised an experiment to find out if this was true or not -- they put volunteers in the middle of a forest in Germany and in the middle of a desert in Tunisia to see what would happen
            -- when the people could see the sun or the moon or some elevated distant landmark, they could move in a straight line -- but when cloud-cover or moonless nights prevailed, the hikers began walking
hopeless circles -- the authors of the study concluded that people need absolute cues such as the sun or moon to keep going forward
            -- that's what following and serving God does for a Christian -- it keeps us from going on circles -- it keeps us from going round and round and walking and getting nowhere -- following and serving God puts our path on the path and helps us move forward and become more mature in our faith -- it gives direction and purpose to our faith
            -- that is why following and serving God is the second habit of highly effective spiritual people

V.  Habit #3 -- Praise and Thank God (verses 17-19)
            -- the final habit of highly effective spiritual people is to praise and thank God -- look back at verse 17 

17.  I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.
 18.  I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
 19.  in the courts of the house of the LORD-- in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.

            -- verse 17 calls to mind one of the praise songs that we occasionally sing in church -- "We bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord" -- remember that? -- this song and this verse remind of something that I think we've forgotten -- praising and thanking God for what He has done is a sacrifice that we offer to Him
            -- under the Old Testament law, the people of Israel were required to offer specific sacrifices to God periodically -- these included sacrifices for sin -- sacrifices for the birth of a child -- or sacrifices of thanksgiving for something God had done in their lives
            -- because of the way worship has evolved the years, we tend to approach worship passively now -- just look around you -- the setting of the church encourages passivity -- the congregation sits in pews focused at the front -- just like you were audience at a concert or play or movie -- and it implies that all the action takes place up here -- and that your role is just to view it and enjoy it -- this is especially true in larger churches where there is less interaction between the worship team and the congregation
            -- but that's not what God intended our worship to look like -- our worship should be both corporate and personal -- when we come to church on Sunday, we should be approaching it as an offering to God -- we should come in reverence and awe and offer up our whole being in praise and thanksgiving as a living sacrifice to God
            -- worship on Sunday morning should be a time when we come together as one body and one people and tell God, "Here we are -- we are yours -- do with us as You will -- because of everything that You have done, we offer ourselves to You -- we are fully and wholly Yours"
            -- when we come together to worship, the sole question on our minds and in our hearts should be, "How can I praise God today? How can I experience God today?" -- we should always come to church as active participants -- not passive observers
            -- however, this final spiritual habit is not just reserved for Sunday mornings -- it is to be a way of life -- we should be constantly thanking and praising God with our voices and with our hearts and with our actions
            -- Terry Tekyll, the author of "The Presence-Driven Church," says that we should make a practice of singing hymns to God throughout the day -- as we drive from place to place -- as we go about our daily activities -- because when we offer praise and thanksgiving to God, our souls draw near to Him and He draws near to us
            -- the lives of the spiritual giants that we know and read about are characterized by times of praise and thanksgiving -- just look at the Psalms -- just read through Paul's epistles -- and you'll see passage after passage where they cry out to God in praise and thanksgiving
            -- praise and thanksgiving energize our walk with God and keeps the focus of our life on Him -- that's why this is the third habit of highly effective spiritual people

VI.  Closing
            -- a few years ago, the contemporary Christian band Barlow Girls had a song called “Beautiful Ending” that asked the question, "At the end of my life, will it be beautiful?"
            -- that’s a great question -- at the end our lives -- when it’s all said and done and we look back over a lifetime of walking with God, what will we see?
            -- will we see random circles and broken promises? -- will we see lives that look like a rollercoaster -- with many ups and downs and no consistencies? -- will we see lives that failed to accomplish great things for God?
            -- or, will our lives be beautiful? -- will they have been effective and successful? -- will the way we have lived and the people we have become made a difference in the lives of someone else?

            -- that is our goal with the three habits of highly effective spiritual people -- to live lives pleasing to God -- to end our lives well -- to make who we are and what we have done something that made a difference here and in eternity -- to stand before the throne of God and have Jesus say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant"

            -- this week -- as we begin 2019 together -- my challenge to you is to think about these three spiritual habits and to compare them to your lives right now -- are you living your life to its fullest potential? -- are you actively living out these three spiritual habits in your life? -- and, if not, will you make whatever changes you need to move forward with Christ?
            -- let us pray

Sunday, December 23, 2018

SERMON: HE WILL BE OUR PEACE -- ADVENT WEEK 4




23 December 2018

I.  Introduction
            -- turn in Bibles to Micah 5:1-5a

1 Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
    for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
    on the cheek with a rod.

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans[b] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times.”

3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned
    until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
    to join the Israelites.


4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
    in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
    will reach to the ends of the earth.

5a And he will be our peace

            -- a few years ago, I bought my first Kindle -- I was a late adopter of this technology, because I just loved the feel of having a real book in my hand and I wasn’t sure I would get the same enjoyment out of reading a book on a screen
            -- but, I’m a hoarder when it comes to books -- I love to buy books -- and, finally, after getting tired of stacks of books all over the place and book cases that were literally falling apart from the weight of unread books, I decided I needed to make a change and I bought my first Kindle -- I became an instant convert to this technology
            -- where before I would have to carry multiple books with me to study and to read when I left home, now I could carry an entire library right in the palm of my hand -- I could switch from book to book without having to lug anything around
            -- and, one thing I learned about the Kindle that I really liked was that I could highlight passages and Amazon would remember them -- before, I would underline passages and take notes as I read, and then I’d have to go back and put my highlights and notes into a file -- but with the Kindle, it records all my highlights and notes for me -- I don’t have to do anything else -- and I can go to a website and download all the passages that I highlighted and paste them right into a word document with no extra effort at all
            -- Amazon does this for everyone who reads books on the Kindle -- and I know all the concerns about loss of privacy and corporations knowing everything about you -- but that’s a small price to pay for this convenience -- one interesting result of this technology is that Amazon analyzes everyone’s highlights and publishes a list of the most highlighted passages in various books, including the Bible -- it’s really interesting to see what passages strike a chord or leave an impression on others across this planet

            -- does anyone know what the most highlighted passage in the Bible is? -- I would have laid money that it was John 3:16 or Psalm 23 or the Lord’s prayer -- but, no, that’s not it
            -- the most highlighted passage in the Bible is Philippians 4:6-7 -- “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
            -- why is that passage the most highlighted passage among readers of the Bible in the world today? -- what does that mean? -- what does that tell us?
            -- it gives us insight into the emotions and concerns of people in our modern age -- people are worried -- they are anxious -- they are concerned -- and they’re all looking for the same thing -- peace -- the peace of God and peace with each other -- right now, among readers of the Bible on Amazon, peace is our greatest wish and desire

            -- you know, that makes sense -- the question was once asked, "If you could choose what you want most in life, what would you ask for?" -- and the most common answer was "Peace."

            -- in this world of hostility and discord -- with broken marriages, split families, hatred, rebellion, selfishness, financial anxiety, worry and concern -- people are looking for peace
            -- they’re searching for it through whatever avenue they can find -- drugs, alcohol, immoral relationships -- entertainment -- escapism -- pleasure, self-satisfaction -- positive thinking
            -- many people believe that peace is defined as the absence of trouble in their lives -- so they refuse to face the problems in their lives, thinking that by avoiding the issues, they will find peace -- but, search as they may, they’re never going to find peace in this world -- or peace in their lives -- because the world has never held the answer to true peace
            -- the answer to true peace is only found in one place -- and we find it here in this prophetic passage from the Book of Micah
           
            -- this morning we lit the fourth candle of Advent -- the candle that symbolizes Jesus as our peace -- so, let’s turn together now to Micah 5 and see what we can learn about finding peace this Christmas through Jesus

II.  Scripture Lesson (Micah 5:1-5a)
            -- look with me now at this passage, beginning in verse 1

1 Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
    for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
    on the cheek with a rod.


            -- Micah is one of the twelve minor prophets in the Old Testament -- and they’re called “minor” prophets, not because their messages were not that important -- but because of the length of their books -- the books of the minor prophets contain only a handful of chapters as compared to the major prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah
            -- Micah was a prophet during the time the nation of Israel was divided into two countries -- Israel, or Samaria, to the north and Judah in the south -- living in Judah during the reign of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, he prophesied the coming destruction of both these nations because of their idolatry and evil practices
            -- in fact, that’s exactly what is being prophesied in verse 1 -- in this verse, Micah is telling the city of Jerusalem to get ready for war -- that a siege was coming against them -- and that Israel’s ruler would be struck on the cheek with a rod -- meaning that both Israel and Judah would be utterly conquered and destroyed
            -- and we know from history that this happened -- Israel was conquered by the Assyrians and Judah by the Babylonians -- and their people were carried off into captivity in these respective countries
            -- this was a hard time for the Israelites -- even the days leading up to the final siege of Jerusalem were times of war and conflict -- famine was common and people were hungry and destitute and worried -- they saw no hope -- they saw no future -- and their fears were realized when Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem and destroyed it in 587 BC, about two hundred years after Micah wrote these words
            -- this was a hard prophecy that foretold of  trouble and war and hostility for the Jewish people -- this was the setting and context into which the next verse was spoken

            -- verse 2 -- “But…”
            -- stop right there -- that is one of my favorite words in scripture -- “but”
            -- do you know what that word means? -- it means something is changing -- it means that God is putting a comma where we have put a period
            -- for the people of Israel living in the reality of Micah’s prophecy -- experiencing war and conflict and violence -- going about their day with little food and no money -- they had no hope -- they saw nothing ever getting better again
            -- but then the Lord God Almighty Himself spoke from heaven and said, “Yes, this is what you are suffering as a consequence of your sins against Me, but… -- But, I am going to do something -- I am going to change your lives -- I am going to make a difference and a way and a hope where you had none before -- yes, you’re living this way now, but just see what I am about to do”

            -- verse 2

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans[b] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times.”


            -- one thing to note here is that verse 2 is a direct quote from God Himself -- if you’ll notice in your Bible, this verse is in quotes -- these are not the words of Micah, but the words of God Himself speaking to Micah -- God is speaking hope directly to the people of Israel in the midst of their captivity and sins -- in this verse, God promises the coming of the Messiah -- the Savior who will save the people from their sins and restore Israel once again
            -- we learn here that the Savior will be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah -- a little town just outside of Jerusalem -- out of this insignificant little village will come for God the One who will be the ruler over Israel -- whose coming was ordained from eternity itself

            -- there are several things that we need to see in this familiar Messianic prophecy that foretells the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem at Christmas -- first, you’ll notice that the Messiah is called the “ruler” and not the “king” -- that’s intentional -- there were pagan associations with the term king, and it was Israel’s desire for a human king that led to its eventual downfall -- this tells us that the Messiah is not going to be like an earthly king, but will be a ruler like God
            -- next, if you’ll notice there, the Messiah will be ruler “over” Israel -- not “in” Israel -- this implies the breadth of His reign -- He will rule over all the people of God, not just the Jews and not just the people who are in the land of Israel itself -- His reign is more than just an earthly nation, but an eternal kingdom
            -- and, finally, we see that the coming of the Messiah was part of God’s will and purpose even before the beginning of time -- this verse says that the Messiah will come out of Bethlehem “for Me” -- for God -- it had been decreed by God in the very beginning -- “from ancient times” -- that the Messiah would come to rule over Israel and to the Savior and Deliverer of the world
            -- “from ancient times” is better translated as “from eternity” -- the Hebrew word used for “eternity” here was only used in association with God Himself -- this makes it clear that the Messiah is none other than God Himself -- the One who will be born in Bethlehem is the eternal Son of God -- not an earthly king
            -- this term also shows that the Messiah was the ruler from time immortal -- from eternity -- in other words, the Messiah who is being born in Bethlehem will not “become” the ruler of Israel -- He has always been God and King since before there even was an Israel or a world -- this prophecy is a realization of the coming of the King to be our Immanuel -- God with us here on earth

            -- verse 3

3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned
    until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
    to join the Israelites.



            -- Micah prophesies here that Israel will be abandoned -- despite what the other so-called prophets were saying in his day, the nation would not survive -- they would be defeated -- they would be destroyed -- God would, in essence, abandon them to the consequences of their sins
            -- by saying this, Micah is referring to the turning of the nation away from God -- as they chose to depend on foreign kings and idols for their deliverance, God withdrew His presence from them
            -- in a similar way, when the Jewish leaders rejected Jesus as their Messiah, God abandoned them by withdrawing His presence from them and turning His attention to the Gentiles and to the Church of Christ -- this will remain the case until the end times -- the time of Jacob’s trouble -- the Tribulation period described in the book of Revelation -- when the Jewish people will finally repent of their sin of unbelief and turn back to God and to the true Messiah
           
            -- Micah tells us that the time will come when the “rest of his brothers will return to join the Israelites” -- this foretells the time when the church of Christ will be united with the Messianic Jews from the Tribulation period in the Millennial Kingdom -- the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth

            -- verse 4

4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
    in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
    will reach to the ends of the earth.

5a And he will be our peace

            -- as you know, we are in the season of Advent -- that word means “coming” -- and at this time of the year, we celebrate the coming of Christ at Christmas -- the birth of the Messiah in the little town of Bethlehem
            -- but, Micah speaks here of the second Advent -- the return of the King -- the time when Christ will come again and usher in His reign here on earth
            -- Micah tells us that Jesus will be our Great Shepherd -- He will lead us and guide us -- He will be our ruler and our King
            -- it will be a time of peace and prosperity -- and we will live secure in His presence -- protected from all harm

            -- Micah ends these thoughts with this great proclamation, “And He will be their peace”
            -- peace -- just what the world is looking for -- not found in this world -- not found in any of the places the people are looking for -- but found only in the person of Jesus
            -- peace is not a precept but a Person -- the Messiah is our peace because He is the Prince of Peace

            -- when the Bible speaks of peace, it doesn’t speak of it the way we normally do -- when we speak of peace, we recognize it as the absence of conflict -- the absence of war -- in other words, peace is what we experience when war and conflict and hostilities cease
            -- but, the Bible realizes peace as not the absence of something, but the presence of God permeating all -- the Hebrew word for peace is Shalom -- it is defined in the positive, because it not only erases war and hostility, but it brings with it serenity and harmony and restoration -- it makes all things right -- it restores what once was back to God’s original plan

            -- Shalom results in several different expressions of peace in our lives and in this world
            -- the first is peace among men -- the traditional definition of peace as we understand it -- the absence of war and hostility
            -- the second type of peace is peace from God -- that internal feeling of comfort and support that lets you survive daily in the chaos and the struggles of life
            -- the third type of peace is peace with God   -- this is the peace of Christmas -- this is the peace of the cross -- this is the peace that only Jesus can bring -- this is the peace that Micah is talking about in this passage

III.  Closing
            -- several years ago, I had the opportunity to hear a message from Don Richardson, who wrote the book, "Peace Child," based on his experiences living with the Sawi people in New Guinea -- before Don and his wife Carol arrived, this primitive tribe had never seen white people before and still lived much as their ancestors had for centuries upon centuries -- head-hunting cannibals who fought terrible wars against the other tribes in the region
            -- as a missionary, Don believed the word of God was hidden in the culture of all people -- in other words, Don believed the redemptive story of Christ could be found somewhere in the rituals and understanding of all people -- and as he and Carol struggled to learn the Sawi language to share the gospel, he desperately looked for a way to bridge this primitive culture with the understanding of God's redemption through Christ
            -- but he couldn’t find anything among their rituals or practices that he could relate to salvation through Jesus -- he told them about the Messiah and the Lamb of God -- he told them about Jesus' death and resurrection -- but they didn’t get it -- they didn’t understand
            -- Don wrote that he felt like he and Carol had failed -- after several months of living with the tribe, nothing had been accomplished -- no one understood the gospel -- no one responded to Jesus' offer of forgiveness of sins -- they continued to fight each other with tribal factions battling and killing one another within sight of the Richardsons' jungle home
            -- finally, filled with fear and frustration, Don made the painful decision to leave -- "we're doing no good here -- we can't even stop them from killing each other -- we can't bring peace to the tribes, much less bring them peace with God" -- but when he told the tribal leaders of their decision, the leaders begged them not to go -- "If you will stay, we promise to make peace in the morning."

            -- the next morning Don and Carol Richardson witnessed an incredible ceremony -- the tribe they were staying with drew battle lines with a hostile tribe adjacent to their home, with the warriors lining up on either side of a clearing -- you could feel the tension in the air -- death stalked the jungle -- normally, the tribes would engage and only a handful of men would survive
            -- but that morning, something new happened -- one man from the Richardson’s tribe picked up his newborn child and dashed across the clearing -- his wife ran after him, screaming and begging for her baby to be given back to her -- unable to catch him, she fell to her knees on the ground and sobbed for her infant.
            -- The child's father presented his newborn baby -- his only son -- to the enemy clan -- "Plead the peace child for me," he said. "I give you my son, and I give you my name."
            -- a short time later, someone from the other tribe performed the same agonizing ritual in reverse -- and then everyone returned to their homes -- no one died that day

            -- Don didn’t understand what had happened, so he went to the tribal leaders for an explanation -- "This is the peace child," they said. -- For as long as those peace children remained alive, the two warring factions were bound to each other in peace.
            -- finally, Don had found the example of redemption that he had looked for for so long -- he went to the men of the village and told them the story of another Peace Child -- the ultimate Peace Child given to humankind by the one true God
            -- the chiefs and warriors who had been unresponsive to the traditional Bible stories sat spellbound as Don explained how Jesus was our Peace Child -- how He had been given to bring peace to all people
            -- and, within a short time, a few of the warriors began to understand the gospel and to receive Jesus as their Savior -- first a few and then finally hundreds of the Sawi people received Christ -- and the word of God's Peace Child spread among all the tribes of the region
            -- Several years after this event -- on a Christmas day -- hundreds of Sawi people from every tribe on the island -- tribes that had warred and cannibalized each other for many years - gathered together in peace for a feast for the very first time.
            -- a Sawi preacher stood up and read in his own language a scripture that few people in the history of the world have ever understood so clearly: "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulders, and He shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
            -- Don Richardson wrote that this was the most meaningful Christmas they had ever experienced

            -- that’s what this passage from Micah is all about -- that’s what Christmas is all about -- as J.I. Packer wrote,"the Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity—hope of pardon -- hope of peace with God -- hope of glory" -- all because of Jesus -- all because God didn't give up on us, but sent His only Son in exchange for peace with us
            -- In Chapter 2 of the Gospel of Luke, we read that after Jesus was born, angels appeared to shepherds who were there in the fields outside of Jerusalem and proclaimed to them the birth of a Savior -- the birth of the Messiah -- and promised peace and good will to them from the Father above -- they promised peace would come through Jesus
            -- it is that promise of peace through Jesus that brings us together today on this last Sunday of Advent
            -- as we close in prayer, let us pray that we know that peace in our hearts this Christmas -- and that our homes and our hearts would be filled with His peace this season
            -- let us pray