Seek the Peace That Is Above

December 7, 2025
Sermon Audio

CENTRAL TEXT: John 14:25-27; 16:32, 33; Matthew 10:34-39; John 16:28-33

John 14:25 “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.

Matt. 10:34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

John 16:28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”

John 16:29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30 Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 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.” 

CALL TO WORSHIP: Isaiah 9:2c,6-7  

READER 1 - “Advent is a time of waiting. During this season, we remember and celebrate Israel’s waiting for the birth of the Messiah, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And in this season, we also remember that we, the Church, are in another, larger season of waiting: waiting for Christ to return, as he said that he would. In this sense, we are in-between advents. Last week, the first candle was lit, the Hope Candle, which invites us into a hopeful anticipation of the Coming King. And now, this second candle is the Peace Candle, reminds us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, restoring our relationship with God.”

READER 2: From Isaiah, chapter 9
2c The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,

PRAYER - “Let’s pray together. --- Lord God. Thank you for sending your son, the Prince of Peace, to repair our relationship with you. Draw us to confess to you how we have broken our relationship with you and one another and help us as we come together in worship to celebrate the peace that you brought to us in your Son Jesus. And it is in His name, and for His glory, that we pray. Amen.”

PRAYER/SCRIPTURE READING/CONFESSION OF FAITH: Romans 8:1-6

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

The Word of the Lord!

Thanks be to God! 

BENEDICTION: Numbers 6:24-26

LEADER: May the Lord Bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace

ALL: Amen!

RELATED SCRIPTURES:

Micah 7:1-7

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

  1. When you are uptight or out of sorts, what simple things do you do to help you calm down?
  2. The basis for His unique peace is attested to earlier in chapter 16. Read back a bit to the top of that chapter and compile what “these things’’--i.e. Teachings–are. Why would they/are they a reason for encouragement against all that you feel and fear?
  3. Jesus doesn’t really specify what distinguishes the peace he leaves and gives from the peace the world offers. How would you tease out the idea into more specifics? What kind of peace is offered and on what basis?
  4. Summarize Jesus’s teaching in the passage from Matthew 10. How is what He says there not a contradiction of what we heard Him say in John 14 and 16? What is the difference between peace in general and peace in Him?
  5. Have you ever been in a situation when you had to choose loyalty between a close relation (like those mentioned in Matthew 10) and the Lord? Would you be willing to share–even if you might have to concede the close relation “won out”? What did you think or feel? Why is Jesus asking us to make those sometimes difficult decisions? Why is there good in that, even if it is accompanied by possible heartbreak?
  6. Why is it meant to be a consolation for us to see how Jesus treats those He knows will soon abandon Him?
  7. Among the claims Jesus makes in the so-called “upper room discourse” that these passages come from (John 13-17) is that the Father, who is His father and their father–it is He Himself who loves you (John 16:27). How does the cross and the resurrection confirm that claim? What difference would it make to you in this very moment if you were persuaded of that claim’s truth? Honest answers only.
  8. How do you need to cultivate new habits of mind for the sake of recovering His peace at any time? How are we to understand both the necessity but also the limits of those habits of mind? 

ILLUSTRATIONS:

Dec 7, 2025

QUOTES:  

Earlier this year, someone started a viral trend of asking ChatGPT this question: If you were the devil, how would you destroy the next generation, without them even knowing it? Chat’s responses were profound and unsettling: “I wouldn’t come with violence. I’d come with convenience.” “I’d keep them busy. Always distracted. I’d watch their minds rot slowly, sweetly, silently. And the best part is, they’d never know it was me. They’d call it freedom.” 
- Jonathan Haidt
Fear is not a Christian habit of mind. 
- Marilynne Robinson
A household of human beings whose life is not based on faith is in pursuit of an earthly peace based on the things belonging to this temporal life, and on its advantages, whereas a household of human beings whose life is based on faith looks forward to the blessings which are promised as eternal in the future, making use of earthly and temporal things like a pilgrim in a foreign land, who does not let himself be taken in by them or distracted from his course towards God, but rather treats them as supports which help him more easily to bear the burdens of 'the corruptible body which weighs heavy on the soul'; they must on no account be allowed to increase the load. 
- Augustine
Do not be anxious for the shadow of a great name, for the close friendship of many or for the particular affection of men. These things cause distraction and cast great darkness about the heart. Stand firm and do not let your peace depend on the words of men. True peace is found in God, not in the judgement of others. 
- Thomas à Kempis
The care that is filling your mind at this moment, or but waiting until you lay the book aside to leap on you—that need which is no need is a demon sucking at the spring of your life. "No; mine is a reasonable care—an unavoidable care, indeed." Is it something you have to do this very moment? "No." Then you are allowing it to usurp the place of something that is required of you this moment. "There is nothing required of me at this moment." Nay but there is—the greatest thing that can be required of man. "Pray, what is it?" Trust in the living God... "I do trust him in spiritual matters." Everything is an affair of the spirit. 
- George MacDonald, “The Cause of Spiritual Stupidity”
Do not fear Babylon, it has no power over you—it has already been judged—it is all merely dust and smoke and ruins—do not take it so deadly seriously anymore, do not let your hatred and zealousness consume you, for it is all so temporary, so temporary—it is not even important anymore—other things, however, are indeed important—remain firm in faith, hold fast to Christ, do not be touched by Babylon, remain sober, and do not let fear overwhelm you—listen to God’s voice, the Almighty, who says: fallen is Babylon the great. 
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, sermon on Revelation 14:6–13 (1935) 

BOOKS / DOCS

“The Devil’s Plan to Ruin the Next Generation: I asked ChatGPT how it would destroy America’s youth. Its answers were unsettling — and all too familiar.” Jonathan Haidt