 Hey, man, so keep your place there in Luke chapter 2. Merry Christmas, everybody. So this morning, we're going to look at the true meaning of Christmas. I'm going to explain to you what that is and what it isn't from Luke chapter 2 this evening. So you're going to keep your place there. And we're going to look at that in just a few minutes. But the true meaning of Christmas, I'm pretty sure that most people don't know what the true meaning of Christmas is this morning. I was looking at the news this morning after finishing writing up my morning sermon here. And I was looking at the, and I saw a news article that was talking about Christmas movies and what people are debating about what Christmas movies are, meaning movies that have been made that capture the meaning of Christmas. And the big debate from this article was whether or not Die Hard was a Christmas movie. All right? And this was, of course, an action movie with just violence and killing and swearing from the 80s. And people in the article were like, of course, it's a Christmas movie because it captures the true meaning of Christmas. And I'm just like, what has happened in this country? So I'm going to tell you from Luke chapter 2 from the Bible this morning what the true meaning of Christmas actually is this morning. And it's not anything that Hollywood has produced. I'll just give you that tip up front. Look down at Luke chapter 2 and look at verse number eight is where we'll start this morning. And there was in the same country shepherds abiding in the field keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, an angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid. So I want to just capture what the angel of the Lord talks about here and tells these shepherds because basically the angel of the Lord gives the meaning of Christmas to us here in these next few verses. So the angel said unto them, fear not for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. So the angel is saying I've got good news for you and he's about to tell them what the meaning of that good news is for unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. He shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. And suddenly there was an angel with a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying. So the angel first of all tells these shepherds that this child has been born. He tells them where this child is gonna be. And then he says this child is a savior. Okay, now look at verse number 14 which is really gonna be our focus this morning. He says glory to God. This is what the angels, the heavenly host and these angels are saying. They're basically telling you what the meaning of Christmas is in verse number 14. It says glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill towards men. So the title of the sermon this morning is peace on earth. That's the title of the sermon this morning. I heard somebody quote this last week some another media figure that doesn't understand what Christmas is talking about. And they said this, they said the overwhelming message of the New Testament is peace on earth. And I'm just like, okay, you know, this is somebody who clearly doesn't understand the Bible. But you'll notice in verse number 14 the heavenly host is saying glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill towards men. They did not say peace on earth. They did not say that peace on earth is what is happening here. Turn to Matthew chapter 10. So what does verse number 14 mean? What is verse number 14 that these angels are singing, saying and on earth peace, goodwill towards men, what are we talking about? You know, look, if it meant peace on earth in verse number 14, this must be a false Bible prophecy. Because since this time of Jesus being born, literally hundreds of millions of people have been killed through war and all kinds of other conflicts in the world. So clearly that Jesus did not actually bring peace on earth. If that was the goal, it failed. But that is not the goal. As a matter of fact, the quote that you see on Christmas ornaments, I mean you see this on decorations, on Christmas race, peace on earth. It's all over, it's quite a tagline. But the term peace on earth is actually in the Bible a couple times and Jesus is actually talking about it. Look at Matthew chapter 10, but he says something very different. So we need to reconcile Matthew chapter 10 and another verse that I'm gonna read for you with. Luke chapter 2 in verse number 14. Look at Matthew chapter 10 verse 32. Whosoever there shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my father which is in heaven. This is Jesus talking of course. Verse 34, I think not that I have come to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace but a sword. You see what Jesus says here? Jesus said he did not come to bring peace on earth. Look at verse number 35. For I've come to set a man at variance against his father and daughter against her mother and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. He that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. This is another explanation of the, of the, you know, he that doesn't hate his father and his mother. This is exactly what Jesus is talking about. He's saying if you love those things more than me, you're not for me. And he takeeth not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it and he that loveth his life for my sake shall find it. So the meaning of Christmas, look, I mean, this is what, you know, people will tell you out in the world today is oh, the meaning of Christmas is family and that the exact, that's the exact opposite of what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying that, you know, I come to not bring, I didn't come to bring peace on earth, I could set you at odds with your family. I could set you at odds with the people in your own. That's the kind, that's the complete, that's the completeness of the division that I bring is what Jesus is saying. Is that it could divide even the strongest family bonds that you have in your life is what Jesus is saying. I did not come to bring peace on earth. It's a super popular phrase though. And it's what people like to say Christmas is all about. Oh, what's Christmas all about? Peace on earth. Let's have a Christmas ornament that says peace on earth and I'll hang that in my living room and it's just, it's a nice thought. And people like it, but the only time that exact, turn to Luke chapter 12. The only time that exact phrase is, the only times it's used in the Bible is when Jesus is literally saying this is not what I came for. This is the opposite of what I came for. Look at verse number 51 of Luke chapter 12. Look at verse number 51 of Luke chapter 12. Again, Jesus says, suppose ye that I am calm to give peace on earth. So I guess the exact opposite of the New Testament is peace on earth is what Jesus is saying. So anybody that says well, the overwhelming message of the New Testament is peace on earth, they have it exactly wrong. Jesus is saying, suppose ye that I am calm to give peace on earth, I tell you nay, but rather division. For from henceforth, there shall be five in one house divided three against two, two against three. Again, he goes into just how, and the reason he uses the household and the division there is because Jesus says that it's no bond should be stronger than the bond that you have with him. So if that division is necessary, then it must be necessary. I mean, we're coming up here against 2024, which is unfortunately a presidential election season. And you're gonna hear a lot of talk like this, but here's a speech that you won't hear. Here's a speech that you won't hear in the coming year, in the coming months. We need more division today. We need to be more divided as a nation. We need to divide. You'll never hear that today. But that's exactly what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying, I came to divide. Because the truth is that if you are with Jesus in Luke chapter 12 and Matthew chapter 10 and other places where Jesus talks, you know, God says you're either for me or you're against me. There's no gray in the middle area with God. He's saying if you're gonna be for me, you need to be divided from the godless. You need to be divided from the LGBT whatever else it is. You need to be divided from the secular humanists. You need to be divided from the public school system, public fool system. You need to be divided from all these corrupt worldly institutions that want to destroy you and your relationship with the Lord. You need to divide. Look, when evil is amongst you, division is necessary to be on the Lord's side. So what does Luke chapter two mean then? So what does Luke chapter two mean when it says, you know, peace on earth and good will, it doesn't say peace on earth. It says, you know, I bring you peace and good will towards men. Look at verse number, you actually go to Psalm chapter 40. So let's look at what Luke chapter two actually means. We know it doesn't mean peace on the earth amongst men. Look at verse number four of Luke chapter, Psalm chapter 40. Psalm right in the middle of your Bible, you'll find the book of Psalm. Look at Psalm chapter 40 and look at verse number four. This is a great set of verses right here in the Bible. Look at Psalm 40 in verse number four. The Bible says, blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust. There's a really nice picture of salvation in the Old Testament right there. You say, oh, is salvation different in the Old Testament? Yeah, it's the same as the New Testament. Trust in the Lord. That's salvation right there. So blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust. What happens when you make the Lord your trust? You are saved. And respect it not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Now look at verse number five. The Bible says, many a Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou has done. So we got a TH word here in the Bible, which is a singular subject. The U's and the Y's are plural. And the TH's, the these and the thou's and the thies are singular. So he is saying, many a Lord my God are thy wonderful works. So he is talking about the works of God here. And look at the rest of the verse. And thy thoughts. So he's talking about God's works and God's thoughts. What God thinks about and what God does. Now look at this. Which are two, what? U's word. What he is saying is that there's so many, let's read the rest of it, it says they cannot be reckoned up in order under thee. If I would declare and speak of them there, more than can be numbered. He's saying the thoughts and the works of God that are towards us cannot be numbered. Meaning what God does and what God thinks about is just towards us. It's like all the good things that God is pouring upon us cannot be numbered. But the point is it is from God, from God's mind, from God's works towards us. Now go back to Luke chapter two and see if we can make a little bit more sense of Luke chapter two in verse number 14. And I'll show you just how perfectly the Bible fits together here with Psalm chapter 40 and verse number five. So a good footnote in your Bible is Luke chapter two, verse 14, Psalm chapter 40 in verse number five. Because look at verse 14 now, let's read it again. Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill, toward men. Exactly what Psalm chapter 40 is saying. So God is the subject of verse 14. It's talking about glory to God and on earth, peace, goodwill, towards men. So it's talking about how God is giving something towards us. What is he giving? He's giving peace towards us and he's giving goodwill towards us through what? Through Jesus Christ, the birth of the Savior. So what we are seeing here in Luke chapter two in verse number 14 is that God's works and thoughts are towards us through Jesus and through Jesus we have peace with who? With God. Not with our brother, not with, look it'd be good to have peace with your brother but that is not what Luke chapter two in verse number 14 is talking about. It's talking about peace with God and God initiated that peace through the entire chapter of what Luke chapter two is about through the birth of a Savior of Jesus Christ. Turn to John chapter 16. This peace in Luke chapter two is talking about peace from God toward men, not peace amongst men. I'm not saying peace amongst men would be a bad thing. I'm saying that is not what Luke chapter two in verse number 14 is talking about. So when people say peace on earth and all these great thoughts, it's not what Luke chapter, that's not what Christmas is about. Christmas is about God's peace, his offering of peace towards us. And look, the reason that you say, well, you know, pastor, you're being kind of, you know, critical here, no, no, no. We're talking about the most important type of peace because peace amongst men without peace with God is worthless. Look at verse number, look at John chapter 16, look at verse 33. We're talking about the most important peace that an individual could have. That is the meaning of Christmas. Look at John chapter 16 verse 33. It says, these things have I spoken unto you, look at this, that in me ye might have peace in the world. So he's saying, how many times has God have to clarify it for us here? I'm not talking about peace in the world. He literally contrasts it with the next words saying, in the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. How did he do that? Through the birth of the Savior. He's saying, in me you have peace, in the world you're gonna have trouble. In the world you're gonna have persecution. Many times because of that peace that I offered you and you accepted. Turn to John chapter 14, just a couple verses back. So he says that in me, again, showing that the peace, the important peace is the peace in the Lord, the peace with God. Look at verse number 27 of John chapter 14. Peace I leave with you, peace I give, my peace I give unto you. Not as though, again, he makes sure, he's clarifying every single time so we don't misunderstand this. So we just don't see the word peace and be like, oh, peace on earth. He says, no, no, no, 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. Notice how he says again, in John 16, he said that in me you might have peace and again in John 14 he says my peace. He's talking about the most important peace and he clarifies in both cases this is not talking about peace within the world in both cases. Turn to Daniel chapter nine. You say, why preach this? Because it is a huge difference and the Bible actually tells us that somebody is going to come along that is going to promise peace on earth. That a wicked person is gonna come along, promise peace on earth and instead they're going to bring the opposite. Look at Daniel chapter nine in verse number 27. So it's important that we understand the difference between peace with God and peace in the world, peace on earth. Peace on earth will be promised. Look at verse number 27. And you know what? To everyone that thinks the meaning of Christmas is peace on earth, that'll sound pretty good. If somebody can actually make a deal and stop wars and make deals and give what looks like peace on earth, that sounds pretty good. And people will be like, wait, that's a great thing. But the most important piece that God is talking about, sending Jesus is peace with him. And peace on earth will be promised. And look at verse 27, it says, and he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week. And in the midst of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease. And for the over spreading of abominations, he shall make it desolate, even unto the consummation and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. This is the antichrist that is gonna come and forge some sort of peace. But what he's gonna bring is listed in Revelation chapter six and verse number eight. He's gonna bring war. He's gonna promise peace, but he will bring war. Look at verse eight of Revelation chapter six, just real quickly. Let's look at a few verses here, turn to Revelation chapter six. So this is why we need to understand the difference between peace on earth and peace that is with God. That is the peace that we were delivered when Jesus Christ was born. Look at Revelation chapter six and verse number eight. This is the peace that the antichrist will promise and what he will actually deliver. It says, So the antichrist will come and he will promise peace on earth. There will be terrible wars. Christians will be hunted and killed. He will bring the exact opposite. Turn to Isaiah chapter 11. Peace on earth will be achieved by the way. Peace on earth will be achieved, but it will only be achieved, as the Bible tells us, by the same person that gave us peace with God. Look at Isaiah chapter 11 and look at verse number six. This is why Bible prophecy is important. So we can know, you say, what's the proper perspective? What good is it to watch? What good is it to watch and pray as we talked about last week? If you watch and pray, you will know who's lying to you. If you watch and pray, you will know who the antichrist is. You will know who a antichrist is when people are promising false things. Look at Isaiah chapter 11 and look at verse number six, because Jesus is gonna come back and rule and reign one day. He's gonna rule and reign for a thousand years and he's gonna show us how peace on earth works. It's not like it was kept a secret by the way. In Isaiah chapter 11, it tells us what that's gonna look like, but it also tells us how he's going to achieve it, which by the way, we could do at any time. We just won't. We just won't listen to the word of God. Look at verse number six of Isaiah chapter 11. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the kid. And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together and a little child shall lead them, talking about the Messiah. And a cow and the bear shall feed, their young ones shall lie down together and the lion shall eat straw like an ox. Even the animals are going to be at peace with one another. And the suckling child shall play on the whole of the asp and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den. And look at verse number nine. This is your peace on earth right here. This is a prophecy of actual peace on earth. They shall not hurt nor destroy in my holy mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. So we're seeing here in Isaiah chapter 11 a prophecy of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, but we're also seeing how Jesus Christ is gonna achieve that. This is why, and man just won't do this. Man just won't do it. Look, nations have done it. The nation of Israel did it for a period of time. You know, and when nations do follow the Lord, they do have peace, but the entire world has never done this together. But Jesus is going to lead this. So the point of the sermon is this. The true meaning of Christmas in Luke chapter two is not family. It's not harmony. It's not peace on earth. It's God's peace given to us through Jesus. That is the meaning of Christmas. And there is only one path. This is where the division comes in. There's only one path to peace with God. Now that's a divisive statement right there. There is no path to peace with God for the Muslim. There is no path to peace with God for the Jehovah's Witness or the Mormon or the Jew or the Catholic or any of these false religions. There is only peace with God offered by what? By trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the only way. And that divides us from a lot of people. We say, you know, well, is somebody promising peace on earth? Isn't that, I mean, that sure sounds good. Isn't that a good thing? Turn to James chapter four. I mean, that's why people say it because it sounds good. Turn to James chapter four. You say, pastor, why aren't you for peace on earth? First of all, I am. I am, I am, but I believe the Bible. And I know that peace on earth will only come through knowledge of the Lord. And that is going to take division and not convergence. See, we're being told today that everyone needs to become the same. Everyone needs to put aside their differences. Everyone needs to become diverse and converge together. Everything's converging. What we need is division, though, because that is what the knowledge of the Lord says. And I know that there will never be peace on earth as long as these things exist. Look at verse number one of James chapter four. It says, from whence come wars and fighting's among you? Come they not, hence, even of your lust that war in your members? He lust and you have not. He kill and he desire to have. That's covetousness right there. When you are wanting something that is not yours and you desire to have and cannot obtain, you fight in war and yet you have not because he asks not. See, as long as men lust, as long as men lust, as long as men want things that aren't theirs, there will always be war. It's not God's fault. It's just as long as men desire what other men have. There will always be war. I mean, it's very simple. War comes from some person, some leader, some group, some alliance, whatever it is, just saying, hey, I want what that guy has. Hey, I want what those folks have. And it could be anything. It could be, I mean, of course it could be land. It could be resources. It could be influence. It could be power. But as long as there is a desire in a single man's heart to covet what somebody else has, even somebody that gets upset when somebody else is successful, you think covetousness is not a big deal? Covetousness is a huge deal. It is the cause of all war is because men covet what other men have. I mean, true peace, true peace, it could be achieved. The Bible says it's not gonna be achieved. But in theory, it could be achieved with exactly the way Jesus is going to achieve it. Through what? If we just had a leader or we had a group, if we would have to have all nations have leaders with a knowledge of the Lord or have one worldly king with knowledge of the Lord. And they would have to push division, not compromise. They would have to push dividing from evil. Look, every single person, this is the mechanics of it. Every single person in the world doesn't have to be good and want the knowledge of the Lord for there to be peace on earth. Just the people in charge. Why do you think Jesus is gonna need a rod of iron? Jesus is gonna need a rod of iron because there's gonna be certain people that don't wanna go along with the knowledge of the Lord. Rod of iron, whack. As long as the people in charge had the knowledge of the Lord, we could have peace on earth. But the Bible clearly says that just not gonna happen until Jesus Christ comes back and shows us. Yeah, I think that leaders today, they just don't want the knowledge of the Lord, but even if they did, they would lack the faith to say, you know what, we need division and not convergence. They would lack the faith, but Jesus is gonna, that's, this is my opinion, but I believe that's the point of the millennial reign. I believe that is the point, is for finally Jesus after this thing has been going on for thousands of years and men fall on their face again and again and again and continually kill tens of millions, hundreds of millions, yay, billions of people eventually at the end that Jesus is gonna come back and say, look, it didn't have to be this way. You could have just done it the way I told you, like this. And he's gonna rule with the knowledge of the Lord. He is the knowledge of the Lord. And he's gonna rule with a rod of iron because some people are always not gonna go along with it. Turn to John chapter three. You say, I want peace though. I want peace. Well, the only piece available now is the peace with God. Turn to John chapter three. And look at verse number 36. And this is the only piece that, you know, we should be pushing today. I mean, that this is the only piece we should know that this is the only piece that is available to the individual today. That any individual at any time can have this peace. Look, it's not up to any individual whether they're stuck in some country that's at war because their leaders are wicked, don't want to have the knowledge of the Lord. Their leaders are lusting against each other and signing up thousands of them to kill each other. I mean, that's the irony of it. The irony of it is, is that as you have these lustful, covetous leaders and organizations, they take all the individuals that normally, I mean, would not be rolling around on the ground fighting. Two individuals that probably, you know what they probably want to do? They probably want to raise a family, have children, love their wife. This guy probably wants to have children, love his wife, you know, have a family. But these wicked leaders can take these two individuals and make them kill each other. To the tune of millions of people. And it's just a story that keeps repeating, repeating, repeating. But the true peace, the best peace is available to each of those individuals. To any individual. Look at verse number 36, it says, he that believeth on the sun, hath everlasting life. And he that believeth not the sun, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. Believe on the sun and you have the peace of God, which is the opposite of the wrath of God on you. Turn to Philippians chapter four. And the Bible tells us that this peace, look, you can't control what all wicked leaders do. But this peace that we can control, this peace that any individual can have is better. Is better than any peace that could exist on earth between men. Look at verse number four of Philippians chapter four. Rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say rejoice. Notice it's not saying rejoice in the Lord when things are going pretty good. It says rejoice in the Lord always. That's talking about during the good times and during the bad times. That's talking about, maybe you're being persecuted. Maybe you're having health problems. Maybe you're having, maybe the church flooded or whatever. This saying rejoice in the Lord, which is such a tiny, tiny thing by the way. It's a nothing burger compared to things that could actually go wrong. It's saying rejoice in the Lord always. Why? Because you have this peace. Look at verse number five. Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication. With thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And look at this. And the peace of what? Is that say peace on earth? It's not the peace of God. The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. No matter this. Look, first of all, this is the peace that whether you are in a country that is war-torn. And thank God, we're so removed from all of that. But whether you're in a country that is war-torn or not, this is the peace that is available to every person. Now, the peace of God is available to you. And it is a peace that passes all the other forms of peace. It is a peace that will keep you no matter what is going on in your life, no matter what happens on earth. This peace is the only piece that really matters. And it's an eternal peace. It's a peace that once you have it by believing on this Messiah that God sent us in Luke chapter two, once you have it, it is sealed. You will always have that everlasting peace with God. Look, turn to Hebrews chapter 10. The only person that can even damage your peaceful relationship with God is you, by the way. God will never take away the eternal peace from you. That's the peace that passeth all understanding. But once you're saved, only you can diminish that peace that is on you. Only you can turn away from God and walk away from your Christian life. You can't walk away from your salvation that eternal peace, but you can diminish the effect of it on your life, on this earth. Look at Hebrews chapter 10. No other person, that's the beautiful thing about this peace. No other person could diminish that peace except you. Look at verse 26 of Hebrews chapter 10. It says, but if we sin willfully after we've received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. This is just talking about how, go back to James chapter four. This is just talking about how you can sin willfully and you can diminish the effects of God's eternal peace upon your life on this earth and God will punish you on this earth. God will chastise you on this earth. Look at James chapter four and verse number four. James chapter four and verse number four. Just through friendship with the world that could never offer us the type of peace that God has already freely given us. Look at verse number four of James four. It says, he adulterers and adulteresses. You know not that friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever there will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Say, if you're gonna go out and be friends with a bunch of people that are enemies of God, it's like you're gonna bring God's punishment upon you. Only you can take away the effects of God's peace on your life. And look, you'll never be able to take away the ultimate peace of your salvation, God's ultimate peace towards you. But you know you can cause these earthly skirmishes. Just look at it that way. You can cause all these earthly skirmishes and rebel against him. Why would you ever want to do that? And you can rebel against him by simply not dividing from the forces that are against him. It is what the Bible is saying. Not separating from the world that hates him. Not separating from the sin. Think about this. Not separating from the sin. You can diminish God's peace on your life by not separating from the sin that wants to destroy you. What sense does that make? You have sin that comes after you and wants to destroy your life. And you side with the sin instead of the Lord. You side with the drugs and the alcohol and all these things that they may give you pleasure for a season, the fornication. Basically all these lusts of the flesh that are against you personally. That are against your family. That are against your children. That are against what God wants for you in your life. Look, you could be a saved believer and turn your life into a mess that doesn't look like it has a lot of peace in it. Because you've just sided with all these lusts that are out there to destroy you. All these lusts of the flesh and you have just put away the knowledge of the Lord from your life. They aren't good for you anyway. But it destroys your relationship with the God that gave you the ultimate peace. Those pleasures of sin for a season, they'll destroy you in the long run. They'll destroy your prophet to those around you. And that's the one thing that people never seem to think about. They always seem to think, you know what I can just go off into this sin for a while but they never think about the long lasting effects and the long lasting damage that it does to people around them the next generation of their family. So this day, Christmas, Luke chapter two is the Christmas story. It's talking about the peace of God, not peace on earth. And it is the peace of God that passes all understanding because it is the way that God has provided. Luke chapter two is the way that God has provided for each individual person regardless of their circumstances, regardless of who their parents were to pass from this place of God's wrath upon them to God's peace upon them. Regardless of the works or beliefs or the thoughts of any other man. This is why and I've said this before but Christianity, true Christianity, the true gospel is the only thing that is number one fair and is number two that makes any sense at all. If you just think about it, if you just think about it, this idea that regardless of your sins, this idea that regardless of your sins, God sent his son. It was his works and his thoughts, remember. He sent his son to save you. He sent his son to live this perfect life, to die on the cross, to be buried, to go to hell for three days and three nights and to rise again from the dead. And all you have to do is take your belief and your trust, not what your parents believed, not what anybody else told you what you believe as an individual. It is the only thing that is completely yours is what you believe and what you trust in. It's completely yours. And no matter how powerful someone is in your life, no matter how powerful some government or some king is upon me, no one could ever make me or you believe anything. That's mine. And that I have full responsibility over. They could beat me and punish me and make me sign things, make me say things, but they could never make me believe something. This is why the gospel is the only thing that makes sense. Because it's yours. And if you take that trust and you put it on yourself, even a little bit, in that day, this is also why everybody that goes to hell, no matter whether you think it's nice or not, deserves it because they took that belief and they believed in themselves or they believed in a false God or they believed in anything else out there besides Jesus and that was theirs. Nobody else's. Nobody else shares responsibility for that. And yet they had the total, total freedom. You say, what if I grew up in 1918 Russia? There was no freedom. You still had the total freedom to believe whatever you wanted. No matter what government, what time in history, it's the only thing that makes any sense. It's the only thing that is true justice. No matter where you grew up, no matter what time period you were in, whether you were male, whether you were a woman, whether you were a man, whether you were whatever, whether it doesn't matter who you were, when you were, it was yours. You always, every single person that has ever lived has had that freedom. That's why the Bible applies to every single person that's ever taken a breath on this earth. They've had that total freedom and that's what God is telling us in Luke chapter two. They've had that total freedom to realize what God is telling them here and to put their trust in that Messiah, in that Savior or not. And look, as for peace on earth, this is why God says without faith it's impossible to please Him. It's saying without trust, you have to trust on me or you don't get the peace. Well, I trust a little bit myself and I trust on Jesus, no peace. The Bible is super clear about that. The Bible has verse after verse after verse and chapter after chapter after chapter talking about it is all faith or nothing. It can't be 1% you. Well, look, as for peace on earth, when everybody thinks that Christmas is about they must just think it's failed Christmas every single year. As for, look, we could have it if all men or even the men in charge would just embrace the knowledge of the Lord. But the Bible says that that will only happen globally when Jesus Christ comes back to rule. And I mean, define irony that it's through Jesus Christ and our individual trust in Him that we have peace with God. It will only be through Jesus Christ that this earth ever has peace on it. So I'll take the peace offered now and I'll push the peace offered now. So I'll talk to people who are wrapped up in politics and wrapped up if we could just elect this guy and we could just get this person in and we could just do this, then everything will be fine. No, no, no, I'll push the only piece that the Bible says is available to every single person right now. And it's sad that somebody would get so wrapped up in all these things of the world that they wouldn't even accept that peace that's offered right now. Oh, we can just fix all these problems. If we had knowledge of the Lord, everything would be fixed. So I'll push that peace and we're to push that peace on every single individual. It's a, hey man, you know, all this stuff, it doesn't matter. All these things that are gonna happen in 2024 or not gonna happen in 2024, they don't matter. We have this peace though. We're showing you what God has available for you. Peace with him right now. It's this peace that's better than every other peace. It's this peace that it passes all understanding. It's a peace that can't even compare to peace amongst men. It's peace with the Lord who gave you breath. Wouldn't you like that? Instead you'll choose wrath? No, the peace is here. You have to do nothing to get it. Just trust in who he sent for you. Just trust in this gift that he wants to give you. And you can have that in peace right now. There's not too much else to worry about when you think about it that way. And that is the meaning of Christmas. It's peace with God, period. And everybody has it available to them. Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer.