A Song For Peace-Lovers

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A Song For Peace Lovers Sermon Notes

A Song for Peace-Lovers

Luke 2:8-16

     Peace on earth; goodwill available to all people! This is the hope of the Christmas season that most people long for.   I see in almost all the cards of the holiday – even that ignore Jesus.  I believe we hear so much about peace at Christmas because human beings long for it so much.  Deep down, people know there is a lack of “peace” in this world. Many people think that the Christmas Season is a time to experience it.  As Fred, Ebenezer Scrooge’s nephew said to his uncle in Dickens’ Christmas Carol: “Christmas time is a time of peace; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to… think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!”

     I enjoy Fred’s speech time each time I hear it in any presentation of A Christmas Carol.  I’m sure most people in our world want peace like Fred wanted peace.  Some folks think Christmas should be a time to have more peace in their lives than usual. But, then it doesn’t seem to happen – and they’re disappointed.

     I’ve discovered that people in our day use the word “peace” in many ways.  And, their thoughts about peace are usually good.  1) Sometimes we use the word to mean an end to global conflict, i.e., an end to war and – in our day – terrorism.  2) At other times, we use it to speak of the resolution of disputes with coworkers, family members or neighbors.  In fact, I’m quite sure many of you are hoping, if your family gets together this Christmas season, that people won’t fight as much as they often do.  3) At still other times, we use “peace” to speak of inner well-being – of finding relief or healing from anxiety, shame or guilt.

     The Bible uses the word “peace” in all the ways we usually do in the world. But there is one big difference: When most people in the world use peace in any of the ways I’ve mentioned, they leave out what the Bible says is the most important thing to any kind of lasting peace.  That’s what we’ll talk about today.

     The song we come to in the Bible today, the song of the angels called “the Gloria” in Luke 2:14 is about peace.  The Bible’s prophecies about a Messiah coming into the world had foretold that Messiah will be the “prince of peace” (Is 9:6) and that when Messiah rules the world, his government will be one of “peace that never ends” (Is 9:7).  And so, in keeping with that, when Jesus was born, a huge multitude of angels appeared in the sky to a group of shepherds and sang, “Peace on earth to people of goodwill.”  It’s clear:  Jesus came to bring peace.

     There are few passages in the Bible that speak more clearly or succinctly about God’s promise to bring peace into our lives through Jesus than the angels’ song in Lk 2:14.  It is a very Jewish form of poetry comprised of a couplet with two sentences.  Let me show you how it’s constructed:

Phrase 1:  Glory                                  in the highest                           to God

Phrase 2:  Peace (shalom)                   on earth                                   to people

The Unexpected Addition:                                                                              of goodwill

     What were the angels proclaiming in their song?

Proclamation 1:  Where/when God reigns, you see his glory!  Glory to God in the highest (2:14a).

    The first phrase of the angels’ song sounds majestic, doesn’t it?  However, I’m afraid that few people in our world have any idea what it means.  Let me explain it.  The “glory” of someone means all the admirable qualities of that person.  The athletic glory of the Lakers should be seen on a basketball court – probably not in a synchronized swimming competition.  The skills of the LA Philharmonic Orchestra will more likely be experienced in the Disney Concert Hall than in a football game.

     In their song, the angels begin by proclaiming God’s glory.  By that, they are telling us that all the qualities of God we read about in Scripture are true.  The angels have experienced God in “the highest” and declare to us that God is exactly who he says he is – all-powerful, faithful to keep his Word, just, compassionate and merciful.  This is a concise way of saying, “You can count on God always to be who he is and to act in ways consistent with his character.  He is truthful so he will keep his promise.  He is strong so he will be able to keep his promise and do what human beings cannot do.  He is merciful and will save you when you come to him in repentance and faith.”  This is God’s glory!

     So, this song is a trumpet blast saying, “Wake up, shepherds!  Our glorious God is now going to reveal his greatness!  In fact, you will soon see his glory yourself!”  They really are saying, “When you see this child who will be born, you will see the glory of God!”

     Let me say something to you now that I hope will lead you to trust Jesus for the first time – or to surrender your life more fully to God than you ever have before:  When you place your faith in Jesus and Jesus becomes the Lord of your life, you should begin to see more and more of the glory of God growing in you.  That’s one way you can know that your faith is genuine faith and not just religious observance.  You’ll see more and more of what Paul called “the fruit of God’s Spirit” (Gal 5:16-25) growing in you.  More love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.”  (To learn more of this, you can read or listen to the recent messages about this called “Synced” on our LAC website.)  The works of your own flesh should begin to diminish – things like immorality, envy, and fits of anger.

     And the same should be true of our church as a whole.  In fact, Paul said in Eph 3:21 that there are two places that our world should see God’s glory (i.e., his character and ways) in our world: In Jesus Christ and in a church like ours.  Paul wrote in Eph 3:20, “To God be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus.”  That’s why my main prayer for us at LAC is that God will produce his fruit in us so that our world will see His glory and be drawn to trust Jesus as Savior.  May God’s glory in the highest be seen in us!

Proclamation 2: When Jesus comes, he brings peace into the world.  Peace to people on earth (2:14b).

     In the 2nd phrase of the song, the angels address the problem that both the shepherds and we know about very well, i.e., on earth, what we experience day-to-day does not yet fully reveal the glory of its Maker. In particular, people do not experience the peace that all people long for but find illusive.  But, the angels sing, that’s about to change.  The glory of God in the highest is coming to the world in Jesus and will result in peace among people on earth.  That’s the song.  That’s the promise:  Our glorious God in the highest is launching the work that he promised through his prophets.  God sent a child to this world to bring peace. 

     This is Advent Season, which means that just as the shepherds were anticipating the coming of the “Prince of Peace”, we are anticipating the return of the Prince of Peace to finish what he has started.  Let me read you what that will be like:  God’s dwelling place is now among the people. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Rev 21:3-4).

     At the beginning of the sermon, I said that in our world we usually think of peace as being a world without global conflict or terrorism, personal relationships without divisiveness and an inner being free of anxiety, guilt and shame.  That’s all true.  When we are at peace, all those things are true.  But, I also said there is something missing in that list, i.e., that we will have no lasting peace until we experience peace with God.  In Gen 3, the thing that led to a lack of peace was people walking away from God and living for themselves – or, at lest, living life without God.  But you and I have been created to know God.  I tell you without any equivocation:  You will have no lasting peace until you bring God into your life.

     The meaning of the angels’ song is that Jesus came to the glory of God into this world and into the lives of people.  I want you to notice how the Bible makes this point.  Beginning in 2:10-11, one angel appears with this announcement: I bring you good news that will bring great joy for all people.  On this day, in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

     Notice these things.  God coming to the world happened in history:

• On a real day -- It happened on a real day in history. Not a day in some mythological, imaginary story, but a day when “Quirinius was Governor of Syria.”
• In a real city -- in the real world, in the city of David.
• As a Savior -- He came to deal with real problems, to rescue us from all the things we need to be rescued from, past failure, guilt, shame, addiction, disillusionment…
• As the Messiah -- This was the one that prophecies said would be born as a child through a real mother, i.e., the mother we met in Luke 1. 
• As the Lord – The one who will make known the glory of God, meaning that he has the power to defeat all the enemies that ruin our lives and to bring us peace.

     The angel said that this is news – not ritual or philosophy.  This sets our Christian faith apart from other religions.  Our faith is not about religious rituals we must follow in order to please God.  It is good news about something that happened in history that we must believe – and allow to change our lives.  Do you believe the good news about this child?  God’s glory in the highest is real and, through Jesus, God’s glory breaks not only into our world but also into each individual who receives Jesus by faith. “Glory in the highest to God bringing peace on earth to people...”

     But how?  And to which people?

The Unexpected Addition:  God peace comes to “people of goodwill” (2:14c).

     Who are these people of goodwill who will receive peace?”  You may know that some versions of the Bible translate it as peace comes to people “upon whom God’s favor rests”.  But, that translation doesn’t help us answer the question of who they are. And the original word in the Bible was simply “goodwill”!

    In the Dead Sea Scrolls, the phrase “people of goodwill” speaks consistently of those people whose deepest desire is to know and please God.  And, in the early church, those people of goodwill who begin to experience God’s shalom are all kinds of people.  What they all shared is that they all repented of their sins and self-directed lives to believe on Jesus and to follow him by faith.  So, just think of the people of goodwill who begin to know God’s peace in the Gospel of Luke:  People of goodwill are people like Mary the young virgin mother who obeyed God even when it seemed that this would ruin her life.  She experienced peace.

     Keep reading Luke and you will discover that “people of good will” are lepers, desperate prostitutes, a faith-filled Roman Centurion, a wealthy and repentant tax collector, etc.  The point is this: The angels’ song is a song announcing that with the birth of this child, there is now an opportunity for all people to experience healing from all the inglorious impact of evil in the world.  It is the song of God’s offer of the peace that comes from hearing God say, “Your sin I will remember no more.” 

     In Luke 2:8-14, the specific and highly unlikely “people of goodwill” are shepherds.  The Pharisees of that time said that there were six professions that were unworthy of respect. One of those was shepherding. A shepherd was not permitted to give testimony in a court of law. A shepherd was not allowed to enter a synagogue, because the requirements of his job kept him ritually unclean. In Numbers 14:33, people who had engaged in serious wrongdoing were punished by being forced to be shepherds.

    But, one day in history, a multitude of God’s angels clearly told shepherds that they can be among the people who experience the peace of God.  Two thousand years ago, God delivered highly sensitive, vitally important news to shepherds, to those considered by most to be the opposite of “people of goodwill.” 

     God still offers this good news to shepherd-like people. When you hear the angels’ song, I want you to marvel that the Prince of Peace came for you. Be stunned again with the remarkable truth that God searched you out with his “good news of great joy.”  He has never given up on you, even when you were indulging in sin or resistant to his invitations. He loves you so much that he comes to you now and asks, “Do you believe in Jesus?”  Have you made him your Savior and Lord?  Have you believed the good news about Jesus?  Then you are one of the “people of goodwill” that God promises to bring his peace to.

     My prayer for you today is that you will experience God’s peace. Jesus has come to begin to bring about that peace in your life. You must first find peace with God.  That happens when you trust Jesus by faith. God then declares you right with him on the basis of Jesus’ dying in your place on the cross.  Peace with God flows into peace within your own soul.  God removes the basis of guilt or shame by cleansing you.  And then you can offer peace to other people – in your family, school or workplace.  And if that seems either too hard to imagine – or too wonderful to imagine, I can only say it comes because the glory of God comes you’re your life when you trust Jesus.  He can do the impossible.  He is Immanuel: God in you and God for you.  He is God with you. 

Glory in the highest to God and peace on earth to people – to all people of goodwill.

Chinese Translation

A Song for Peace-Lovers: Chinese Translation

平安使者之歌

路加福音2：8-16

      在地上，平安歸於祂所喜悅的人！這是很多人對聖誕節的盼望。我在幾乎所有的節日賀卡上都看到這個盼望，甚至包括那些忽略耶穌的卡片。我相信，我們在聖誕節期間聽到如此多關於平安的信息，是因為人類非常渴望平安。在內心深處，人們知道，這個世界缺少“平安”。許多人認為，聖誕節就是經歷平安的季節。正如在狄更斯的小說“聖誕頌歌”之中，弗萊德，阿布尼茲·史古吉的外甥對他說的話：“聖誕節是一個平安的季節，一個仁慈、赦免、給予並快樂的節期；這是在一年長長的歲月中，我所知道的唯一的時候，男人和女人們似乎都同意……將那些低於他們的人視為邁向墳墓的同行者，而不像在其它旅途那樣，將他們視為異物。因此，舅舅，雖然我沒有因這個時候而得到一小塊金銀，然而我相信，我已經、並且也將會得到益處，但願上帝保佑這個時刻！”

      每一次當我以任何形式聽到“聖誕頌歌”中弗萊德的這段講話，我都非常享受。我確定，世上大部分人都像弗萊德一樣渴望平安。有些人認為，在一年之中，聖誕節應當比其他時候有更多的平安。然而好像事實並非如此，這令他們很失望。

      我發現，在這個時代，人們以很多方式來使用“平安”這個詞語。他們關於平安的想法是好的。1）有時候我們用這個詞來表達全球紛爭的結束之意，比如戰爭的結束，在當今的時代，就是恐怖主義的結束。2）另一些時候，我們用這個詞來談到與同工之間、家庭成員或者鄰舍之間爭執的結束。其實你們之中很多人都希望，若是自己的家人在聖誕節期間一同聚集，他們能不像往常那樣爭吵。3）還有一些時候，我們用“平安”來代表內在的安寧，包括從焦慮、羞愧和內疚之中得到緩解。

      聖經中對“平安”的使用，包括了我們通常使用的所有含義。然而這中間有一個很大的不同：當人們用我上面提到的方式使用平安這個詞的時候，他們忽略了聖經中所提到的持久的平安所需的最重要的因素。我們今天就是要講一講這個因素。

      我們今天要談到的聖經中的這首平安之歌，是天使在路加福音2：14稱為“榮耀之歌”的，就是關於平安的。聖經關於彌賽亞降世的預言告訴我們，彌賽亞就是“和平之子”（賽9：6），當彌賽亞統管世界的時候，“祂的政權與平安必加增無窮”（賽9：7）。因此，為了承此預言，當耶穌降生的時候，一隊天使向一群牧羊人顯現並歌唱：“在地上，平安歸於神所喜悅的人。”很清楚，耶穌來是要為世人帶來平安。

      聖經中有幾段經文，清晰簡潔地談到，神應許我們，要藉著耶穌和路加福音2：14中天使的歌聲將平安帶入我們的生命中。這是一首非常有猶太文化特點的詩歌，它由一個兩個排比句組成。我們來看看它的結構：

第一句：榮耀      在至高之處        歸於神

第二句：平安      在地上            歸於人

意外的附加詞語：                    祂所喜悅的

天使在他們的歌聲中宣告了什麽信息？

宣告之一：無論神何時何地作王，你都能看到祂的榮耀！在至高之處榮耀歸於神（2：14）。

天使之歌的第一句聽起來很威嚴的，不是嗎？不過，恐怕世人當中沒有幾個人能真正理解其中的含義。讓我來解釋一下。某個人的“榮耀”是指這個人所有令人欽佩的素質。湖人隊的榮耀應該展現在籃球場上， 而不可能在花樣遊泳的比賽中看到。洛杉磯愛樂樂團優美的演出更可能在迪斯尼音樂廳被經歷到，而不是在足球比賽之中。

在歌聲中，天使首先宣告神的榮耀。他們藉此宣告，我們在聖經裏讀到的神一切屬性都是真實的。天使們都在“最高之處”經歷了神，並且向我們宣告，神全然像祂所說的那樣 --- 無所不能，信守應許，公正仁慈。簡明地說，你可以依靠神，祂永不改變，祂的作永遠符合祂的屬性。祂是信實的，所以祂會堅守承諾。祂是剛強的，因此祂有能力信守諾言，做到人所不能做到的事。祂是仁慈的，當你帶著悔改和信心來到祂的面前，祂就拯救你。這就是神的榮耀！

因此，這首歌是一個非常響亮的宣告：“警醒，牧羊人！我們榮耀的神現在就要向世人顯明祂的偉大！事實上，你很快就會親眼看見祂的榮耀！”他們的意思是，“當你看到這個即將出世的孩子時，你就會看到神的榮耀！”

我希望我下面要說的話，能夠帶領你相信耶穌，或者使你比以前更加完全地將你的生命交托給神：當你把信心放在耶穌裏，並且讓耶穌成為你生命的主，你就會開始看到越來越多神的榮耀在你裏面生成。唯有這個方法，才可以使你知道，你的信心是真實的還是僅僅是一種宗教形式。你會看到越來越多地看到保羅所說的“聖靈的果子”（加5：16-25）在你們裏面長成，你會有更多的仁愛，喜樂，和平，忍耐，恩慈，良善，信實，溫柔和節制。”老我的作為會開始減少，包括不道德，嫉妒以及惱怒等事情。

我們作為一個教會，也理當如此。事實上，保羅在以弗所書3：21說，世人應當在兩個地方看到神的榮耀（包括祂的屬性和作為）：在耶穌基督裏，和在教會中。保羅在以弗所書3：20寫道，“但願祂在教會中，並在基督耶穌裏，得著榮耀。”正因如此，我的禱告是，神使我們結出聖靈的果子，以至使世人能夠看到祂的榮耀，並且得以使耶穌成為他們的救主。願至高之處神的榮耀彰顯在我們之中！

宣告之二：當耶穌來到世上的時候，祂為世人帶來了平安。平安歸於人(2：14)。

    在這首歌的第二段，天使提到了一件牧羊人和我們都非常了解的事情，那就是，我們每天所經歷的，無法全然彰顯造物者的榮耀。尤其，人們無法經歷他們所渴望的平安，那種平安只有在虛幻中存在。然而在天使的歌聲中，改變即將來臨。在至高之處，神的榮耀藉著耶穌來到世間，使世人得到平安。這就是天使之歌，這就是神的應許：至高之處榮耀的神藉著先知所預言的工作就要完成了。神差遣愛子將平安帶給世人。

      現在正是耶穌降臨節的日子，正如牧羊人期盼將要來的“和平之子”，我們也在期盼這位和平之子再來，完成祂所開始的工作。讓我給你讀一讀將來會發生的事：“神要與人同住，他們要作祂的子民，神要親自與他們同在，作他們的神。神要擦去他們一切的眼淚，不再有死亡，也不再有悲哀，哭號，疼痛，因為以前的事都過去了。（啟21：3-4）。”

      在講道開始的時候，我說過，世人通常認為，平安就是一個沒有全球紛爭或恐怖主義的世界、沒有分歧的人際關系、沒有焦慮、內疚和羞愧的內心狀態。這些都是確實的。當我們擁有平安的時候，這些事情都是千真萬確的，但是我也說過，其中缺少了一些重要因素。比如，除非我們經歷神裏面的平安，否則我們無法擁有持久的平安。在創世紀第三章說到，導致缺少平安的事情，就是人們遠離神，為自己而活，至少是在沒有神的光景中活著。但是你和我被造的目的就是要認識神。我可以毫不猶豫地告訴你，除非神進入你的生命中，否則你不會有持久的平安。

      天使之歌的意思就是，耶穌將神的榮耀帶入這個世界，帶入人們的生命中。我希望你能註意到聖經如何講到這個主題。在2：10-11一開始，講到一個天使宣告：我報給你們大好的信息，是關乎萬民的。因今天在大衛的城裏，為你們生了救主，就是主基督。祂就是救主彌賽亞。

      註意看，神在歷史上真的來到世間：

•     在真實的一天 ---- 這件事發生在歷史上真實的一天。不是在一個神話或想象的故事之中，而是在“居裏杻作敘利亞巡撫”的時候。

•     在一個真實的城市之中 ---- 在真實的世界中，在大衛的城裏。

•     成為救主 ---- 祂來為要解決真實的問題，將我們從一切該蒙拯救的事情中拯救出來，包括過去的失敗，內疚，羞愧，不良嗜好，幻滅……

•     作為彌賽亞 ---- 這就是先知說要從真實的母腹中誕生的嬰孩，我們在路加福音第一章讀到了這位母親。

•     作為主----彰顯神榮耀的那一位，祂有權柄打敗所有毀壞我們生命的仇敵，為我們帶來平安

天使說這是一個信息 ---- 不是儀式或者哲學。它將基督徒信仰和其他宗教區分開來。我們的信仰不是為了要討神喜悅而必須遵守的宗教禮儀。它是在歷史上真實發生的大好的信息，我們必須要相信、並允許它改變我們的生命。你相信關於這個嬰孩的好消息嗎？至高之處神的榮耀是真實的，藉著耶穌，神的榮耀不單降臨世間，而且進入每個藉著信心接受耶穌的人心中。“至高之處，榮耀歸於神，在地上，平安歸於祂所喜悅的人。”

      然而怎樣如此呢？平安歸給誰呢？

額外補充：平安歸與“祂所喜悅的人”（2：14）。

那些神所喜悅的、得到平安的人是誰呢？和合本的聖經把它翻譯為“神所喜悅的人”，而在聖經中的原文是“心存善意的人”。

在死海古卷中，“心存善意的人”指的是那些深切盼望認識神和討神喜悅的人。而且在早期教會，開始體驗到神的平安的人包括了所有的人。他們所共有的特點是：他們都認罪悔改，並因著信心，信靠和跟隨耶穌。因此想一想在路加福音中，那些開始認識神的平安的心存善意的人們：

心存善意的人就是像是童貞女瑪利亞那樣的人，即使外在環境看起來會毀了她的生

命，她卻仍然順服神的旨意。她經歷了神的平安。

繼續讀路加福音，你會發現，“心存善意的人”是麻風病人，絕望的妓女，一個充滿信心的羅馬百夫長，一個富裕和願意悔改的稅吏等。重點在於：天使的歌聲宣布了這個孩子的降生，使世人有了一個機會，從罪惡的影響之中去經歷神的醫治。這是一首神賜平安的詩歌，世人從中聽到神說“我將永遠不再紀念你的罪”。

在路加福音2：8-14中，最不可能“心存善意的人”，就是牧羊人。當時的法利賽人說，有六個行業的人不值得尊重。其中之一就是牧羊人。一個牧羊人在當時是不允許在法庭上作證的。牧羊人也不允許進入猶太教堂，因為他的工作使他不潔凈。在民數記14:33記載，任何人若犯了嚴重錯誤都會被強制牧羊而進行處罰。

然而，在歷史上的這一天，眾多的天使明確地告訴牧羊人，他們可以經歷神的平安。兩千年前，神將至關重要的消息傳遞給牧羊人，就是那些被大家排除在“心存善意的人”之外的那些人。

      神在今天仍然將這個好消息賜給那些與牧羊人相似的人們。當你聽到天使的歌聲時，我希望你能驚嘆於和平之子為你降世、並且神將“大好的信息和大喜樂”帶給你的這個事實。祂從未放棄你，即使是當你沈溺於罪惡的時候，或拒絕祂的邀請的時候。祂是如此愛你，祂來到你面前問你說，“你相信耶穌嗎？”你有沒有接受祂作你的救主？你相信關於耶穌的大好的信息嗎？那麽，你就是神應許要將平安帶給你的“心存善意的人”。

      今天，我的禱告是，希望你能經歷神的平安。耶穌來到世上，為要將平安帶進你的生活。你首先要在神的裏面找到平安。當你藉著信心信靠耶穌的時候，這個願望就得以實現。然後神就宣告，耶穌在十字架上代替了你的位置，使你得以與神和好。神的平安流入你的心中。神除去了你內心的愧疚，潔凈了你。於是你就有能力為他人提供平安----在你的家庭中，學校裏或工作中。如果這聽起來很難想象，或者奇妙得難以想象，那麽，我只能說，當你因著信靠耶穌，使神的榮耀得以進入你的生命中時，這一切都會成事實。祂可以成就一切不可能的事。祂是與你同在的神。

在至高之處，榮耀歸於神，在地上，平安歸於神所喜悅的人。

榮耀歸給神，

Greg Waybright 博士

主任牧師

 

祂的荣耀，

格雷格Waybright博士
主任牧師

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