We're turning to 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3, 2nd
Thessalonians chapter 3, and we're going to read from verse 6
to the end. Second Thessalonians chapter 3,
verse 6 to the end. In case anybody's wondering what
happened to 1st Thessalonians chapter 5, we'll resume those
studies in the new year after we've seen the New year end.
This, of course, is commonly associated as Christmas Sunday.
And I was in a person's house last week and they gave me a
little book. They said, here you are
Reverend, here's something for you for Christmas, something for
you to read. And the title of the book was
The Missing Peace and, and it was spelt P/E A/C E.
So that put the theme of peace in my head.
And we're going to be thinking today of the subject of the Lord
of peace. So that's why we're reading this
portion of Scripture. 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3.
We'll read from verse 6. The words will come up on screen
for those online. Now we commend you, brethren, in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw
yourselves from every brother that walk of disorderly, and not
after the tradition which he received of us for yourselves.
Know how you ought to follow us, for we behave not ourselves
disorderly among you, neither did we eat any man's bread for
naughty, but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that
we might not be chargeable to any of you, not because we have
not power, but to make ourselves an example unto you to follow
us. For even when we were with you,
this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither
should he eat. For we hear that they are some
which walk among you, disorderly, working not at all.
But our busy bodies Now them that are such we command and
exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work
and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary
in well doing, and if any man obey not our word by this
epistle, note not man, and have no company with him, that he may
be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy,
but admonish him as a brother. Now the Lord of peace himself
give you peace always. By all means, the Lord be with
you all. The salutation of Paul with my
own hand, which is the token in every epistle.
So I write the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Amen. Amen.
We pray God will stamp with his own approval and blessing this
reading of his own precious and infallible word.
My text this morning is taken from Second Thessalonians
chapter 3, verse 16. Listen to the words now.
The Lord of peace himself give you peace always.
By all means, the Lord be with you all now.
If entitled today's message in the form of a question, Are you
living in light of the Lord's peace?
Now, as Paul wraps up his 2nd letter to these New Thessalonian
believers, he offers in this second letter 4 prayers for
them. The first prayer is found in
Second Thessalonians chapter 1, verses 11 and 12.
Wherefore also we pray also for you, that our God would count
you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of
His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ would be glorified in you, and ye in
him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus
Christ. That's his first prayer.
And then the second prayer is found in chapter 2, verses 16
and 17, and I let you read that prayer for yourself.
The third prayer is found in chapter 3 and verse 5.
He says, And the Lord direct our hearts into the love of God and
into the patient waiting for Christ.
And then a fourth prayer in the form of the words of verse 16.
Let me read it again. Ask yourself as you read, what
do these words mean to you now? The Lord of peace himself give
you peace always. By all means, the Lord be with
you all. I want you to notice that this
prayer, this 4th prayer, focuses on our Lord Jesus Christ who is
the ultimate source of deep, lasting peace in the world.
The peace of Christ is distinct from the world's understanding
of what peace is. You see, the Lord's peace comes
through redemption. It comes through being
reconciled with God. And the Lord's peace leads to an
inner wholeness and having Christ with us at our elbow as
an ever present help. This peace is an absolute
necessity, especially in the midst of persecution.
And this church was facing persecution.
This church was also suffering internal church strife.
There was unruly, disorderly members.
And in the midst of that, Paul says, now the Lord of peace
himself give you peace always by all means.
In other words, the peace of Christ is a great source of
comfort, a great tremendous soundness of mind and grace for
living obediently. This prayer shows that we must
depend on the Lord's grace and strength for every situation
that we face. So I asked the question this
morning, if you're a born again Christian, do you know anything
about this peace? You see, I put it to you, the
world knows nothing about this peace.
This peace is the opposite to what the world understands.
Peace to be the world's is carried to rise by a spurt of
restlessness. There's trouble, fear, anxiety,
conflict, war, bloodshed, which is the opposite, of course, of
what true peace is. And Jesus Christ, remember, was
born, come into the world, live the sinless life, died and
atoning death to bring peace to the earth.
And the true 'cause of this lack of peace, real peace, is of
course, sin. The reality is that many people
are at war with God, at war within themselves, and they
cannot have this peace because they do not know or have God as
the Lord of peace in their heart.
Remember, of course, sin disrupted the original peace in
the Garden of Eden, the entrance of sin.
It led to not only false religion, but it led to fear, it
led to quarrelling, it led to bloodshed.
Such was the effect of sin when we fell into an estate of sin
and misery in Adam. This is the state of the world
today, a state of conflict, restlessness, fear, anxiety, and
many other things. Now, as we live our life in the
world, as we live in this world, are we living in a state of
peace? Are we living in light of the
Lord of peace? That's the theme for today.
Three things very quickly. Look at the text now, the Lord
of peace. We'll pause there.
I want you to think of a recognition of the Lord's
person, the Lord of peace. Notice the clear title, the
emphasis is on the Lord's person.
Now the Lord of peace. We need to link it up with the
words in First Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 23 when he said
and the very God of peace sanctify you holy and I pray
God, your whole spirit and soul and body, we preserve blameless
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Notice the words and the very God of peace.
You see, here's one of the great proofs that indicate and teach
the true and essential deity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
One of the readings tonight will be from Isaiah Chapter 9 verse
six. One of his titles is and his
name shall be called wonderful councillor, the mighty God, the
everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace.
It's a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ, and this prayer
and these prayers that Paul offered were offered to God
through the Lord Jesus Christ. And any and every honest reader
of the Bible would conclude that the Lord of peace is a reference
to the one who is known also as the Prince of Peace, the one who
came to bring peace on earth. And that one who's the Prince of
Peace is linked to the very God of peace.
And it this points us not only to a very distinct person, but
also to the essential and true deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So when you read the words, now the Lord of peace, you're
reading about our Lord Jesus Christ.
And the Christian's true peace doesn't depend on principles.
The Christian's true peace depends on a person.
In fact, our peace resides in him, because the Bible says in
Ephesians 2 and verse 14, He is our peace.
Now that's a tremendous statement, for He is our peace.
Think of the provider of our peace.
You see, our peace is not merely in a set of rules, a set of
principles, or a set of guidelines, but our peace
resides in a person. Here's the true ground of our
peace. Now I know it's impossible in a
sense to divorce peace from what Christ has done, The work of
redemption, the work of reconciliation, peace through
the blood of the cross. I'm well aware that the glory
and grace and giving of this peace, it's not only grounded in
what He's done, but also grounded on who and what He is
in and of himself. He is our peace because he's the
Prince of Peace. He's the very embodiment of what
peace is. This is the true peace that
belongs to the child of God. Think also of the purchaser of
peace we read again in the Bible, in the book of
Colossians, now this time in Colossians chapter 1 and in the
verse 20. And having made peace through
the blood of His cross, you see, when He came into the world as
the Prince of Peace, He purchased the right to be the
Prince of Peace to His people. He purchased the right to be the
Lord of peace. Through his perfect life of
obedience to the law of God and his sacrificial death, He
satisfied God's wrath and law. He purchased peace by the blood
of his cross that was shed in Mount Calvary.
God gave him the gift of peace to give to all who would know
and trust him as Lord and Saviour.
The Lord Jesus Christ, as the Prince of Peace, stands as the
mediator of the New Covenant. In other words, he he mean peace
between God and man. He's the only one true mediator.
First Timothy 2 and five. And he possesses perfect peace
in himself, and he gives it to us as the Father's gift.
This peace is not a mere feeling.
It's not a mere emotion, but it's a deep state of being.
You see, God could not just establish an arbitrary peace
between Himself and fallen sinful to humanity.
Remember, sin is the transgression of the law of God.
Sin is rebellion. Sin strikes at the holiness of
God, the justice of God, the grace of God.
Sin pays wages for the wages of sin is death.
Romans 6 and 23. Sin deserves a just punishment.
I said lovingly, sin deserves hell.
Psalm 9 and 17 says the wicked shall be turned into hell.
And all nations that forget God and the Lord Jesus come into our
world despite it's state and chaos, and he come into this
world to provide peace high by purchasing peace.
And here he's called the Lord of peace, the Prince of Peace, who
possessed perfect peace in and of himself in his own nature,
come into our world to purchase peace, the peace that was lost
in Eden in the fall. And he came as the mediator, He
came as the Redeemer, He came as the reconciler of man to make
peace by the blood of his cross between our holy God and sinful
man. I want you to think also of the
promise of peace. There's a famous text in John's
Gospel in John chapter 1427. He said to his disciples in the
upper room, Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you
not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
You see, He not only provides peace, He not only purchase
peace, but He promises peace. And this is what He says.
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you.
Not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
You see, His peace is so different from the world.
The world's peace is false. It's superficial, it's
temporary, it depends on circumstances, but Christ peace
is deep, it's solid, it's durable, and glory to God is
independent of circumstances. You can have peace in the storms
of life, unlike the world's peace.
Christ peace holds firm in the midst of troubles.
You think of some of the getting news past days of cancer by the
doctor. You think of somebody who's lost
their job baby in the mouth of Christmas.
You think of somebody who's going through a a bad and a a
difficult divorce. You think of somebody who's
going through a day of trouble and remember this is a church
that was experiencing trouble, persecution from without, unruly
and disorderly members from within, false teachers coming in
and they're questioning the second coming and they're saying
to the people, your dead loved ones, forget about them.
They're gone. They'll never ever see them
again. And it's causing a lot of
consternation. And Christ comes as the Lord of
peace, who provides peace, who purchased it with this promise.
My peace I give unto you. I want you to think also about
the purpose of peace. In Jeremiah 29 and verse 11, he
says this. For I know the thoughts that I
think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not
of evil, to give you unexpected end.
Maybe right now, this morning, this Christmas, Sunday, you're
going through a dark and difficult period.
And what's missing from your life is the missing piece.
If you think of a jigsaw puzzle, it's not a complete picture
because there's pieces missing, maybe even one piece, P i.e.
CE. But I'm thinking about P/E A/C
E, the missing piece in people's hearts and lives.
And as far as you're concerned, your future's bleak and
blearing. Nothing's going right,
Everything's going wrong. You're facing hardship and your
difficult circumstances. And I say to you this morning
this don't be misled by your circumstances.
Don't depend on your circumstances.
Our circumstances change, including mine, just like the
weather. But ponder what is in the heart
and mind of God, this holy God He's saying to us today as far
as His purpose is concerned. For I know the thoughts that I
think toward you, saith the Lord.
Thoughts of peace. As God Almighty is in heaven
this morning, He has thoughts of peace toward those who are in
Christ. Not thoughts of evil, but
thoughts of peace to give you an expected end.
The Lord is thinking of His people this morning.
The Lord is thinking of you here with all your difficulties and
with all your problems. He is thinking of giving you an
expected end according to His will and purpose.
He's our heavenly Father. He's provided Christ as a
wonderful Saviour. For those who are born of the
Spirit are indwelt by the Spirit.
It's part of His Master plan. What tremendous encouragement.
I want you to think very carefully of the recognition of
the Lord's person, the Lord of peace.
The Lord of peace has provided peace how He purchased it, and
He promises it and He proposes it as part of His divine purpose
and plan. Notice secondly today if you
look again at our text. A revolution of the Lord's
profession. Now the Lord of peace himself,
what is he going to do? Give you peace always?
By all means, think of the word give.
Christmas is a time for giving, isn't it?
And we're thinking about the greatest gift of all now.
Thanks beyond the God for his unspeakable gift, the gift of
his Son, Jesus Christ speaks of profession.
And here's a revelation of God's provision.
And one of the things that God gives in Christ give you peace
always by all means. And the provision of the Lord's
peace has a threefold aspect and dimension.
Now remember, keep in context. These believers are going
through difficulty, and you're maybe going through difficulty
this morning. They're going through an.
Intense period of persecution, some were being martyred, put
into gaol. They're battling false teachers
that have come into the church. They're dealing with unruly
church members. Some church members because of
they heard about the second coming of Christ, they decided,
you know what, we'll quit our job.
We're not going to work anymore. We're going to go up to the top
of the hill and we're going to sit and we'll get our Bibles and
we'll read and wait until the Lord comes.
And then when they got hungry, then they come down knocking on
your door and saying, I'm hungry, have you any dinner?
And then they maybe brought the wife and the children and, well,
I, I have no money to buy food. Well, can you provide for us?
That's what was going on. And, and, and they were refusing
to work and provide for their families.
And each of these situations in themselves were creating
tremendous tension and strife in the church.
They were creating difficulty and division and it was
impacting on the individual, but it was also impacting on the
congregation. And yet, Paul.
When he prays the 4th time and it's interesting, it's only one
time in the New Testament. Only one time the Lord Jesus has
called the Lord of peace. There's only one time in the Old
Testament he's called the Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9 and six. So here we have a corresponding
text to 9 and six. In Isaiah, the Prince of Peace
is called now the Lord of peace. I'm well aware there's other
reference to the God of peace in the Bible that's a reference to
God the Father. I'll just read them out to you.
Romans 15 and 33. Romans 16 and 20.
Philippians 4 and 9, 1st Thessalonians 533, Hebrews 13
and 10. That's a reference to the God of
peace. That's a reference to God the
Father. And then of course, the Holy
Spirit is also the source of this peace because remember,
peace is part of the fruit of the Spirit He produces in US.
Galatians 522 and Romans 14 verse 17.
So all members of the Trinity are involved in this provision.
God is Father, Christ is the Prince of Peace, the Lord of
peace, and the Spirit of peace. The Hebrew word for.
Peace, you know, we, we meet each other in the streets down
in Belfast or wherever and we say hello, how are you?
And we have a little conversation down in Ballymoney.
I've said before they say, what about you?
Maybe other places have their own form of greeting, but over
in the land of Israel, when they greet each other, Jew meets Jew,
they would use the Hebrew word Shalom.
Now what does that?
Mean well, it's a form of greeting, but it's more than a
greeting because that Hebrew word has got 3 senses or a
threefold dimension or three aspects that are interconnected.
The word Shalom means be safe. Be safe, brother.
Sister, it also means certainty. Be certain even in the midst of
difficult circumstances. And it also means enjoyment.
I hope you're safe. Brother, I hope you're certain
and fixed in who you believe in. I hope and pray, brother, you're
enjoying all the blessing God has for you.
Because that's the full meaning of that Hebrew word peace.
And you see that's. The way Paul means it, it's not
just the absence of strife and war.
But it's a. Reference to safety and
well-being. It's a reference to.
Inner wholeness and contentment and certainty.
It's a reference to. True contentment and enjoyment.
I want you to think of the security of peace with God.
The Bible says in Romans chapter 5 verse one.
Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. See peace with God comes as a
gift from Jesus Christ through justification by faith.
Christ peace starts with giving us peace with God.
It's an objective peace. It's a legal status of being at
peace with God through the forgiveness of sins.
The forgiveness of sins is not just a feeling.
Oh, I feel forgiven. It's a fact.
The Bible says in. Hebrews 10 verse 17 and thine as
sins and iniquities. Well I remember no more.
God is making a promise, putting the the sin in the sea of
forgetfulness, casting it behind her back, never to bring it up
again. All sin of thought, word and
deed remember what we are by birth, by nature, by practise.
We're sinners before God. We're hostile to Him.
We're we're in a state. Of war with him.
We're alienated from him by wicked thoughts and deeds, but
by His grace, through the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ, he
come into the world and He provides peace by purchasing it
and promising it as a gift. And here's his.
Purpose. To give you an.
Expected end. By his grace.
Christ purchase that peace by the blood of his cross.
See many people. Today, live without Christ.
They don't know him. And they have a false sense of
peace, not true and genuine peace, but a false peace.
And there's many reasons for that false sense of peace.
Many think too highly of themselves.
They don't see themselves as guilty sinners in need of
salvation. They think too lowly of God.
They know nothing of the justice and the holiness of God.
They just focus on God as love, that that's what they've heard.
They don't even know what that really means.
Many people have a. False piece of unbelief.
Why? Because they're ignorant of who
they really are. Ignorant of their true identity
before God. Ignorant of who God really is.
They don't read their Bible. They don't hear the.
Word of God in the House of God in the day of God.
I'll tell you better than. That they don't want to find the
truth. They don't want to know the
truth. And that's the sad.
State imagine somebody sitting in their sitting room and
they're about to be consumed by flames and you're shouting at
them get out before you're burnt to death and just remain
sitting. Or imagine you're down at Port
Rush or Newcastle and somebody sitting at the beach and you see
a giant foot of 20 foot wall of water coming heading toward the
beach and there's somebody about to be blown away by this tsunami
of water and you're shouting at them and they just remain
sitting there. But that's the picture.
A false. Sense of peace because of
unbelief, a false sense of peace because of their good works and
religious rites and ceremonies. There's nothing wrong with good
works and religious rites and ceremonies.
They have their place, but not the ground of salvation.
The Bible says for me grace, He is saved through faith, not, not
of yourselves, the gift of God, not of works, lest any man
should boast, Titus said. Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy he has
saved us. And how many have a false sense
of peace, not only because of unbelief and ignorance, not only
because of good works and religious rites and sermonies,
but even a false piece of universalism if you ask them
about God. Do you know about God?
Yes, God is love. That's all they know.
They don't know that he's holy. They don't know that he's just.
They don't know that he's true. They don't know that he's a God
of wrath. That's all forgotten.
That's all ignored. That's overlooked.
People assume that their. Religiosity, their church
attendance, their good works will get them eventually.
To heaven and earn. Them a place there.
And they protest to. Me, and I'll tell you what they
say, but preacher, I'm not a mass murderer, preacher, I'm not
a rapist preacher, I'm a basically good person.
And of course there's. Plenty of people to come along
and tell them, ministers and elders alike, peace, peace when
there is no peace because they're ignorant themselves.
A false sense of peace is a real problem.
The Bible. Says there is no peace to the
wicked. Isaiah 57 and 2 Thomas Watson
said this one of the Puritans the.
Seeming. Peace a Sinner has is not from
knowledge of his happiness. But from.
Ignorance of his danger. It's like sitting in the room
and it's in fire. It's like sitting at the beach.
In the wall of water is coming. Peace that comes.
From Christ. Is peace with God that comes
first as a gift through justification by faith in Him.
This peace also comes through sanctification by the Holy
Spirit. We can read that in First
Thessalonians 5 and 23. We can't enjoy and know peace if
we're living an open sin and disobedience to His commands.
Many have tried and failed. Whenever David sinned with
Bathsheba, adultery, murder, lies, drunkenness, he was robbed
of peace. He was in a state of inner
turmoil. He was engulfed by fear and
despair. In other words, it impacted upon
Him impact them physically, mentally, emotionally, and
spiritually. Thomas Watson again says you
might as well suck health out of poison as peace out of sin.
If you would have peace, then make war with sin.
Go to Christ's blood for peace. Let the blood of Christ, which
satisfied and pacified the wrath of God, Let not pacify and
satisfy your guilty conscience. For if Christ's blood is sucked
in by faith, Christ gives peace, not only the security of peace
with God, but think of the speciality of peace of God.
This is a subjective peace, peace in the storms of life,
That inner wholeness I talked about, a soundness of mind, a
true contentment, a strength even in the face of great
sufferings. You see, Christ peace is such a
gift that you can hold firm amidst the trials.
Again go back to hearing about cancer or again hearing about a
divorce situation or hearing about a loss of job are hearing
about somebody falling in hard times and if people fall in hard
times, remember them, pray for them that the Lord will help
them do good to all men. The Bible says especially they
who are the household of faith and in the midst of this church
there was persecution. As I've said, there were those
who quit the job and were depending on the handout of
others. The response teaching about the
second coming and loved ones peace in the church had been
disturbed and Paul is writing to this church and he says now the
Lord of peace himself give you peace always, not only safety.
But also. Certainty, peace with other
believers, even if other believers are different.
And we're all different, aren't we?
And yet we're all special to the Lord.
You see, Remember, in Christ there's no distinction.
In Christ we read in Ephesians 2 and 14.
For He is our peace, who have made both, 1 and have broken
down the middle wall of partition between us, having
abolished in His flesh the enmity.
Even the law of commandments contained an ordinance for to
making Himself of Twain one new man so making peace.
Again in the book. Of Colossians in Colossians
chapter 3 and in verse 11 we read where there's neither Greek
nor Jew circumcision nor uncircumcision barbarian Cynthia
and Bond they're free, but Christ is all and in oh
different personalities, different backgrounds, different
perspectives and let's remember that sin rides resides in each
one of our hearts and we need to constantly work at peaceful
relationships and and that's what Paul was dealing with here.
There was those in the church who were behaving disorderly.
He mentioned that three or four times.
He mentions it here in chapter 3 verses 14 and 15.
There were those disciples who were unruly individuals that
refused to work, impacting family and friends and members.
And Paul wasn't aiming to achieve peace by covering sin.
No, he confronted sin. He, he, his approach was to deal
with sin and then to pray for the Lord's peace to be
experienced in every circumstance.
Think about the spirituality of this peace.
This inner peace is peace and difficult circumstances and
situations. This inner peace is brought
about through prayer. Remember what he says there in
the book of Philippians. He says in Philippians chapter 4
and verse 6, be careful for nothing, but in everything but
prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your request
be made known unto God. And the peace of God which
passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus. The peace of God is connected to
prayer and you can in prayer you can ask for this gift.
You can ask for this safety in Christ.
You can ask for this certainty. You you you can.
Ask for this enjoyment, praying to the Lord of peace to give
this peace to you so that you can know and experience this
safety, certainty and enjoyment. You, you're standing in Christ,
so often are standing in Christ. We're not so good.
At keeping with our spiritual experiences what the Lord is as
the Lord of peace. That's what he will be an actual
experience in reality. But we have to ask them the
spirituality of this piece and I finished this morning the
reception of the Lord's presence, not just the
recognition of the Lord's person and the revelation of the Lord's
provision, but think of the reception of the Lord's
presence. If you notice the text as we
finish, he says this. In.
Thessalonians, the Lord be with you all.
God with us. It's not what Emmanuel is all
about. God with us.
His promise is. At all times, in every way, in
all circumstances, in every situation, this peace is
continual. This peace is pervasive.
This peace addresses every aspect of life that this, this
promise comes from Him. My peace I give unto you the The
reception of the Lord's presence comes with a promise.
And what is that promise? I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee. So with the promise here there's
a presence. The Lord be with you all.
You can rely. On the promise you can receive
His presence. You can rejoice in His presence.
He has promised He will never leave us nor forsake us.
His. Presence is real.
Could I say this? Morning as we finish in your
mind, it's an inner turmoil at this moment.
Don't focus on your troubles. Don't have a pity.
Party with yourself. Focus.
On this truth. The Lord of Peace.
Is with us. He's utter help.
This has to do with peace in the church.
Seek to be a peacemaker in the church.
Don't be engaged. In warfare and division, don't
be unruly, don't walk disorderly.
Be at. Peace in the home, lots of
homes, there's friction. There's little knowledge of the
peace with God, little knowledge of the peace of God.
So many of us live selfishly and live lives of self indulgence
where we need to come full and total surrender to the Lord.
We need to set aside what I think and what I feel and and
and and and and what I am of a mind to present.
This is also. Peace to do with the individual,
the Lord be with you all. It's not done to.
Pray this. Even though the Lord.
Has promised. I will.
Never leave you nor forsake you. Even though we know the Lord is
with us, it's right that we pray because we've got to constantly
have this experience, to know it experimentally that the Lord is
with us in the journey. So I finish with this.
Have you got peace with God? Do you know the peace of God?
Do you know this peace that Jesus gives?
The peace. Of justification by faith, The
peace of reconciliation through the blood.
Let your mind be. Filled with the Lord, His
thoughts for you. Don't let it be filled with
depression. Don't let it be filled with
turmoil, discord. This Christmas time, take to
heart these words now. The Lord of peace himself give
you peace always. By all means, the Lord be with
you all. There has to be a recognition
and a reception of the Lord's presence.
May the Lord take these few words and bless them to you this
morning. Thank you for coming, thank you
for listening, and I pray that the Lord will help us to know
this piece at Christmas time.