Heavenly Peace
Stephen Whitney
Luke 2:8-14
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who risked his life to oppose Hitler because of the persecution he brought upon the Jews, said, ''Peace is the opposite of security.'' Security is doing everything you can personally and physically to make yourself safe from danger, disaster or something that would harm you.
We tend to hold tightly to things that we believe will make us secure such as: Social security, IRA's, insurance policies and alarm systems. These things give us a sense of personal security because we believe they will help us in a time of trouble.
True peace is inward not outward security; that is why peace is the opposite of security. The feeling of security is the result of outward events, while peace is an inward feeling of contentment.
Peace is the result of believing Jesus Christ died for your sins.
John 16:33 Jesus told his disciples, ''In me you will have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation.''
You can have personal peace in spite of outward circumstances.
M. Henry - ''Through Christ we have peace with God, and so in him we have peace in our own minds.''
EMOTIONAL REACTION :8-9
Shepherds :8
Shepherds - watched over the sheep in the hills around Bethlehem.
The sheep they took care of were used as sacrifices in the temple just six miles north of this little farming town.
Barclay wrote, ''It is a wonderful thing that the first announcement of God came to some shepherds. Shepherds were despised by the orthodox people of the day. They were unable to keep the details of the ceremonial law; they could not observe all the meticulous hand-washings and rules and regulations. Their flocks made far too constant demands on them and so they were looked down on.''
Fear :9
Glory of the Lord - visible manifestation of God's presence.
J.B. Philips - The splendor of the Lord blazed around them.
It was like the bright light Paul saw on the road to Damascus.
Filled with f ...
Stephen Whitney
Luke 2:8-14
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who risked his life to oppose Hitler because of the persecution he brought upon the Jews, said, ''Peace is the opposite of security.'' Security is doing everything you can personally and physically to make yourself safe from danger, disaster or something that would harm you.
We tend to hold tightly to things that we believe will make us secure such as: Social security, IRA's, insurance policies and alarm systems. These things give us a sense of personal security because we believe they will help us in a time of trouble.
True peace is inward not outward security; that is why peace is the opposite of security. The feeling of security is the result of outward events, while peace is an inward feeling of contentment.
Peace is the result of believing Jesus Christ died for your sins.
John 16:33 Jesus told his disciples, ''In me you will have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation.''
You can have personal peace in spite of outward circumstances.
M. Henry - ''Through Christ we have peace with God, and so in him we have peace in our own minds.''
EMOTIONAL REACTION :8-9
Shepherds :8
Shepherds - watched over the sheep in the hills around Bethlehem.
The sheep they took care of were used as sacrifices in the temple just six miles north of this little farming town.
Barclay wrote, ''It is a wonderful thing that the first announcement of God came to some shepherds. Shepherds were despised by the orthodox people of the day. They were unable to keep the details of the ceremonial law; they could not observe all the meticulous hand-washings and rules and regulations. Their flocks made far too constant demands on them and so they were looked down on.''
Fear :9
Glory of the Lord - visible manifestation of God's presence.
J.B. Philips - The splendor of the Lord blazed around them.
It was like the bright light Paul saw on the road to Damascus.
Filled with f ...
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