Advent 2: PEACE
Passages (NIV): Isaiah 9:2, Isaiah 9:6-7, Mark 4:35-41
Preacher: Mark Kingston
We are in the season of Advent, and this week we lit the candle of Peace. But if we aren’t careful, "Peace" becomes just another Christmas decoration - a sentimental cliché lost in a pile of "Season's Greetings." We need something stronger than that. We need to see peace clearly, stripped of the fluff. To do that, let's start with a fresh image.
Big idea #1: Think of peace as a seed
It starts small, but it is designed to grow into something massive.
The problem is that when most of us say "peace," we are holding the wrong seed packet. We are trying to grow a plant called Escapism - the mere absence of conflict, noise, or stress. That plant is fragile; it withers the moment the phone rings or the diagnosis lands.
The Bible hands us a different seed. It is called Shalom. This isn't just the absence of war; it is the presence of wholeness. Shalom means flourishing. Shalom means restoration.
Big Idea #2: A seed is only as good as the soil you plant it in
Most of us plant our peace in the soil of our circumstances.
We say, "I will be peaceful when the storm stops," or "I will be calm when the bank account is full."
The disciples in the boat made this mistake. They planted their peace in the concept of "Smooth Water." So, as soon as the storm hit, their soil washed away, and their peace died instantly. They panicked because their peace was rooted in something vulnerable. Their fragile peace only returned when Jesus calmed the waves.
Jesus models the alternative. He sleeps on a cushion in the middle of a hurricane. How? Because He planted his peace in the Soil of the Father.
Jesus lived as he taught: He "steeped his life in God-reality." (Matthew 6:33 - The Message). He knew that while the weather changes, God does not. God isn't vulnerable. God isn't weak. Because Jesus was rooted in the unshakeable nature of God, the storm outside couldn't touch the peace inside.
Big Idea #3: Once the seed is planted, it must be tended and watered
Where you focus your attention really matters. The Apostle Paul tells us to fix our minds on "whatever is true, noble, right, and pure." Why? Because what you focus on is what you grow.
If you water your soul with 24-hour tv news/social media outrage, envy, and fear, you will grow a bumper crop of anxiety. But if you focus on God’s character - if you water that seed with his promises - Shalom puts down deep roots. Jesus slept because he was full of the reality of God. The disciples panicked because they were full of the reality of the waves.
Big Idea #4: This leads to the final stage: The Overflow.
What grows in you will eventually spill out of you.
This is why Jesus could calm the storm. He wasn't doing a magic trick; He was ministering from his overflow. The Shalom-Peace inside him was so thick, so heavy, and so powerful and Holy Spirit anointed, that it spilled out of Him and crushed the chaos around him. Healing and wholeness followed him because that is what He was full of.
So, here is the plan for "Peace on Earth”: It starts with you and me. Don’t wait for the Government peace treaty or the storm to stop. Start by asking God for the seed of his Shalom-Peace. Plant it in the deep soil of His unshakeable love and water it by choosing each day to turning your eyes from the waves to the King. Give Him your full attention.
And as God grows that peace in you, it will eventually become too big to contain. It will overflow out of you, into your home, and into this world. That is how we weather the storm. This is one way Peace on Earth will come!
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Let’s be honest
"Peace on Earth" can feel far away. As you pause now, be honest with God: Does your internal world feel like a 'silent night' or a loud storm? Tell Him exactly where you are; He meets you there with grace, not judgment.The Better Seed
It’s human to just want a vacation from trouble (Escapism), but Jesus offers Shalom—a wholeness that holds you together. Will you ask Him to plant that deep peace in you today, even if your circumstances haven't changed yet?The Soil
We often think, "I'll be okay when this is over." Instead of waiting for the storm to stop, invite God into the boat: "Father, help me root my security in Your unchanging love right now, rather than waiting for a solution to my problem."The Watering: What are you feeding on?
It is easy to feast on fear when the news cycle is endless. But we grow what we feed. Instead of just trying to force your mind away, ask God for a holy shift in appetite: "Lord, I find myself watering my anxiety. Give me the grace to turn my mind toward 'whatever is true and noble,' so that peace grows inside me instead of fear."The Overflow
Overflow isn't something we strain for; it happens naturally when the cup is full. Instead of trying to force peace into your relationships, simply relax into God’s presence. Will you pray: "Father, I’m done striving. I trust that as I abide in You, Your peace will touch the people I love in Your way and Your time."
WATCH THE SERMON
There was a technical problem with our recording this week - so no sermon video this week.
