6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

Luke 2:13-14 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

So what is peace?

Peace, noun - Freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions. Harmony in personal relations. A pact or agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity.

I. Peace came to earth through Bethlehem

Micah 5:2 & 5a But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf… 5 And he will be the source of peace…

Isaiah 9:6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

II. Peace comes when we Praise

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

Isaiah 57:18-20 I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them.
I will comfort those who mourn,19 bringing words of praise to their lips.
May they have abundant peace, both near and far,” says the Lord, who heals them.

20 “But those who still reject me are like the restless sea, which is never still but continually churns up mud and dirt.

Psalm 34:1-4 1 I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.

2 I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart.

3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.

4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.

THREE WAYS PRAISE BRINGS PEACE

1. PRAISE SETS OUR MINDS ON GOD. 

2. PRAISE GETS US OUT OF APATHY.

3. PRAISE CROWDS OUT FEAR.

III. Peace comes when God is Pleased

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Psalm 34:14. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

Jeremiah 29:13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.


Philippians 2:12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. “If you want peace, you must prepare for war.” In our spiritual walk, if we want to have peace in our lives we must prepare ourselves for spiritual warfare. There are going to be battles for our souls, it is only by being in God’s Word, in prayer, and fully trusting in Jesus for our hope shall we find peace in the midst of the fight.

Never forget:

1. God brings Hope through Prophecy.

Micah 5:2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.

Matthew 2:6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ ”

Jeremiah 23:5 “For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line.
He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.

II. God Fulfills Hope through Prophecy

Isaiah 7:14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).

Matthew 1:18-23. This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”

1 Corinthians 1:27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

III. God Instills Future Hope through Prophecy

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit; Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, died and buried; He descended into Hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; The Holy catholic Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.   

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit; Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, died and buried; He descended into Hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; The Holy catholic Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.   

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit; Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, died and buried; He descended into Hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; The Holy catholic Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.   

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit; Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, died and buried; He descended into Hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; The Holy catholic Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.   

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit; Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, died and buried; He descended into Hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; The Holy catholic Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.                        

to here Colin's sermon listen here

pastor-russ-s-25th-anniversary-with-pastor-colin-conner

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit; Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, died and buried; He descended into Hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; The Holy catholic Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.                        

1 Peter 3:15b (NLT)

15b And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 

1 Peter 3:15b (NLT)

15b And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 

Be ready to explain it… In the New King James Version that last part reads “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you”

The Greek word here is apologia – a legal term meaning “a formal defense or justification of one's actions or opinions” 

Voddie Baucham defines apologetics as “knowing what we believe, why we believe it and being able to communicate that to others in a winsome and effective way.”

That seems pretty straightforward, but apologetics is something we tend to leave to the formally trained doctors in theology, our modern day wise men. They debate on stages with well thought through arguments, evidence, charisma and confidence. They are the special forces Christians, and we mere common followers don’t identify apologetics as something we can do at our level. 

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit; Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, died and buried; He descended into Hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; The Holy catholic Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.                          Scripture used: John 4:6, 1 Peter 3:18-19, Ephesians 4:7-10

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit; Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, died and buried; He descended into Hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; The Holy catholic Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.

Scriptures Referenced: Matthew 1: 20 Luke 1:34 gen 2:21 luke 1:35 luke 9:34 act5:15 2 cor 12:9 Heb 11:8 Is 55:8

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit; Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, died and buried; He descended into Hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; The Holy catholic Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.

You can Listen to week 2 Sermon www.refuge-ministries.com/apostles-creed-2

Scripture Referenced:

Genesis 1:1

Romans 1:19-20

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit; Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, died and buried; He descended into Hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; The Holy catholic Church, the Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.

1 Timothy 4:16 (NKJV)

Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

John 3:16

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Find Apostles Creed 1 Here