The sermon titled 'Rejoicing in the Prince of Peace' by Trent Moody discusses the peace that Jesus brings to his people. The speaker emphasizes the birth of Jesus as part of God's plan to redeem his people, and how Jesus saves them from both the penalty and power of sin. The sermon explores three main passages of scripture – Luke 2, Romans 5, and Acts 2 – to illustrate the theme of rejoicing in the Prince of Peace. It highlights the peace proclaimed by the heavenly host, the peace secured through Jesus' work on the cross, and the peace shared among believers. The sermon encourages believers to prioritize worshiping God, to live in unity with one another, and to care for each other's needs.

You can hold your finger on Acts 2, but to begin with, I'm actually going to read another verse for you, but you will need to be in Acts 2 today, I promise. I want to read to you a passage out of the book of Matthew, in chapter 1, verse 21, and just listen to these words. This is what the angel said to Joseph, and she will bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, we delight that we can be here before you this morning.

Lord, before your word we are standing and Lord we ask that you would make your word effectual to our hearts and to our lives. Lord we thank you for the coming of Christ Jesus who will save and did save his people from their sins. Lord, not only from the penalty of our sins did Jesus save us, but from the very power of sin. And Lord, by your Holy Spirit that we see and Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit came as the promise to seal us to the day of redemption and we thank you for that glorious promise in Jesus name. Amen.

You may be seated. This morning is a little different for me than my normal course of preaching. I'm going to preach out of a few various texts, but the main theme of what I want to speak to you today is really just an outflow of my own meditations, not only in this time of year as we're coming to the end of the year, but also just in relation to where Scott has been preaching, to where I have been preaching. And a part of that is also regarding this time of year when as Josh said, we are remembering what God has done. This is, when I look at this time of year and we consider the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I don't look at that as one thing. I look at that as part of the greater picture of God redeeming his people. That's what the angel declared. You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. That is why he came.

And so this morning that is really my desire is that we see this overarching theme of what God has done in real time and real space that that was experienced by mankind and my desire is that the outflowing of that would be this that we would be rejoicing in the Prince of Peace. So if you want to write that down rejoicing in the Prince of Peace I want that to sweep over you today, rejoicing in the Prince of Peace. I've got three main passages of scripture. If you want to write these down for future reference, you can. Luke chapter two, verses eight through 14.

Luke two, eight through 14. My second point will be looking at Romans 5, 1 and 2, again, yes, and then Acts 2, 43 through 47, which is my normal preaching text. So as we come before the Word of God, as I said, I really want to share with you some of the things that I have been reflecting on in the last weeks and months. This is really a great time of year for us to do that as we come to the close of a year and we begin to reflect on all that God has done in our own hearts and in our family, in this church. I've been thinking about what God has done in our church in these last months.

And then also in our nation and in the world. And then as we do that, we also have a tendency to look ahead. What will God bring about in this coming year? Think about all that God has done. He's brought you maybe into some trials.

Scott had mentioned this last week. You may be going into a trial. You may be in the trial or you may be out of the trial, coming out of it. There's all of these aspects of our life that we experience. And God has been faithful through every bit of that, just as he will be faithful throughout this coming year.

You need not fear. You can actually rejoice in tribulations. You can actually rejoice because the Prince of Peace has come and brought peace to your soul. You have peace with God if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. So whether you celebrate the incarnation of Christ on December the 25th or not is really irrelevant to the fact that Jesus was born into this world as part of God's redemption plan and the reality of that event has changed the world and changed all of eternity for those who believe in him.

As the angel declared to Joseph as I just read in Matthew, and she will bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. This was the purpose in the birth of Jesus Christ and nothing could stop the fulfillment of this promise, this glorious plan of God. And so I hope and I believe that we can all say amen and with glad rejoicings rejoice over the birth of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because it was part of God's eternal plan. Not to be stuck there in a manger as Josh mentioned but that we would see the fullness of his coming, the fullness of his glory. And so I believe that as we consider these things these truths will be reinforced in our mind.

This truth was reinforced for me this past Tuesday as I've been meditating upon what to share on this day. On Tuesday night some of us went to the assisted living facility and I shared with those dear people from Luke chapter 2 what I'm going to read to y'all in just a moment. Luke chapter 2 and verses 13 and 14 is what I shared with them and this is what it says, and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying glory to God in the highest. That's what we just sang. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill towards men.

I shared with them that this was our glimpse into heaven's perspective of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. And my prayer is that today we will join in that praise, that we will join that chorus, that we would sing glory to God in the highest for all that he has done to bring peace on earth and goodwill to men. He has done a marvelous work. Will you join me in rejoicing in that fact and singing glory to God in the highest? My second reflection was this, and it centers around what we've been hearing in the past few weeks in the book of Romans.

Romans 5.1 says this, therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is really one of the most wonderfully astounding and life-changing verses in all of the scriptures. We have peace with God. That declares to us something. It declares to us that formerly we did not have peace with God, but now through our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, the Bible says we have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord Jesus Christ.

And so when we begin to live in these verses, in the truth of what this passage says and we accept that our peace with God, listen, our peace with God is not secured by how faithfully we keep the commandments but how rather faithfully and perfectly Christ kept them on our behalf. We begin then to experience the peace of God as a direct result of our peace with God. This truth that we have heard has been such a comfort to me, and I know it has to many of you because you've told me about it. You've told me what this passage and this preaching time through the book of Romans has meant to you and how you have seen the glory of God and experienced the peace of God because we have peace with God. And then my third reflection, and these three may seem a bit sporadic and kinda jumping around a little bit, but what I wanna do is bring these three things in my mind and try to bring and sew a thread through all three of them.

That's really my desire. And I believe that doing that will result in us rejoicing in the Prince of Peace. So think about this. I'm sewing a thread through these three different passages. First in Luke chapter 2, then in Romans chapter 5, and then finally in Acts chapter 2.

So this third reflection of mine has been upon my sermon series in the book of Acts. And specifically I've been thinking much about recently the response and the result and the conduct of a people who gladly receive the Word of God. Is that you? Many of you have testified to that. You love the Word of God.

You look forward to you long for the Word of God to instruct your life. You long for the Word of God to wash over your soul and to teach you and to fill you with the peace of God. And that's what's been upon my mind. And as we look in the book of Acts, we see these people who have received the Word of God, and through that Word of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we see that this group gladly received the Word, and then they acted upon what they heard. We read there in Acts chapter 2 that they were baptized but then they continued on and we're going to look at that.

This group of glad receivers, they acted upon what they heard and the conduct and the trajectory of their lives was radically altered for the rest of their lives. And I think many of us could say that here. I hope all of us can say that here this morning, that when Christ came into our lives, the whole pattern and trajectory of our lives was altered for the rest of our lives. And I want you to realize something it's not only altered for the rest of your life but that single fact that Jesus Christ has saved you has actually changed the trajectory of your children's lives and your grandchildren's lives until a thousand generations. This is the work of Jesus Christ.

It's really amazing how when people are transformed by the gospel that the patterns of their lives change. It takes on a whole different trajectory. It looks new. It's different than what it was before. Those who formerly lived for themselves now begin to prioritize the worship of God.

That's amazing. Those who were enemies of God, those who hated God, those who rejected the Lord Jesus Christ, when Christ comes now the priority of their life is to worship that one whom saved them. And they do that on a continual and regular basis. We saw this transformation in the people in the book of Acts because it says they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and in fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. Formally this was not their pattern.

Formally they live for themselves. They live for pleasure. They live for their work. They live for whatever that they could get to themselves, and now their patterns were totally upended. And they lived for Christ.

They lived for others. They lived to worship God. Not simply did and do Christians do this out of a common cause but as a result of a spiritual transformation by the Holy Spirit and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It has been said that one evidence of conversion is a desire to be instructed in the doctrines and duties of religion and a willingness to attend to the preaching of the gospel. So one of the evidences of true conversion is that you long for this.

To hear the preaching of God's Word, to be with God's people, to pray to God with God's people, to fellowship with God's people, these are all evidences that we are of God. He goes on and he says what is also consistent with conversion is that there will be a desire to share our lives with other believers in Christ. And then finally he says this was the effect of the influence of the Holy Spirit and the evidence of their change. Now in considering these three things, wow what an introduction, In considering these three things that I have been reflecting upon and these passages, my desire was to share them not as three different thoughts, but rather as one congruent theme or thought focused on rejoicing in the Prince of Peace and I hope to do that. We read in the book of Isaiah chapter 9 this, for unto us a child is born unto us a son is given and the government will be upon his shoulders and his name will be called wonderful counselor mighty God everlasting father prince of peace Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end upon the throne of David and over his kingdom to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward even forever." And listen, the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this.

So what I want to paint for you this morning is this this occurrence that took place in Bethlehem in a in a that where Jesus was laid as a baby in a manger was the beginnings of this work of redemption by which he worked throughout not only his birth but throughout his life and what he has done for us in the cross and on the cross and then how the government, the increase of his government will have no end and how that government of the Lord Jesus Christ influences how we live together and how we can continue to rejoice in the Prince of Peace. So here's the three points, if you will, that I want to share with you. You can write these things down. This is where we're going. Number one, there is in Luke chapter 2 a peace that is proclaimed.

A peace proclaimed. Number two, we find this in Romans chapter 5 verses 1 and 2, there is a peace that is secured. It is secured by the Lord Jesus Christ in his work upon the cross. And then finally number three there is a peace that is shared. A peace that is shared among God's people.

That's where we're going. So first and foremost turn with me to Luke chapter 2 And I want to read verses 8 through 14 as we consider the peace that is proclaimed. A peace proclaimed. Luke chapter 2 verse 8. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields keeping watch over their flocks by night.

And behold an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were greatly afraid and the angel said to them do not be afraid for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord and this will be the sign to you. You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on earth peace goodwill towards men They came proclaiming the peace of the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. That as Christ came and he has established his kingdom into the hearts of men, that peace would rule in that kingdom. Heaven's response to this glorious birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I believe it's very instructive for us to see just how the angelic host responded to the birth of Christ.

There was a multitude of heavenly hosts that burst forth into praise. And this multitude of heavenly hosts, this most amazing occasion, was not witnessed by the most prominent upon this earth, but really by the most humble of occupations, shepherds. No one really wanted to be around shepherds. If you've ever been around a shepherd, you would know why. Because they smelled like the sheep.

They were humble, they lived outside. And yet God determined in his glorious plan of redemption to allow these shepherds to see the heavenly host and their response to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Heaven in a sense was open, it was open for them and they saw this glorious occasion. These few only witnessed this most glorious heavenly chorus and yet it seems that all of heaven entered into the praising of God on this occasion. This one moment, this one little spot these shepherds were and yet all of heaven, can you see this picture in my mind?

I'm seeing this picture of this realm here divided by earth and heaven. And on earth it was one little spot of this earth where shepherds were watching their sheep by night but in heaven it says the multitude was gathered around and they were singing glory to God in the highest Can you see the glory of that? It is almost as if when you read these verses, you can just hear the angels singing, glory to God in the highest. They were seeing, they understood what it was like to live under the reign of Jesus Christ. They understood that.

And now they were seeing that his reign and rule, which before in his private providence, if you will, or the secret providences of God, he was ruling and he's always ruled, but now the kingdom of God was coming upon man and the kingdom of God did not necessarily come with observation, but the kingdom of God, Jesus says, is in you. The Prince of Peace came to rule and reign in your soul and in your heart. And they knew what a great King he was. They understood what glory came with that kingdom. They understood what peace came with the kingdom of the Prince of Peace and all of heaven rejoiced that men would be partakers of that peace and they sang glory to God in the highest.

One commentator notes the works of the angel angels are doubtless to be considered as an expression of rejoicing exclamation, strongly representing their piety and their benevolence of these heavenly spirits and their affections of good wishes for the prosperity of the Messiah's kingdom. As if they had said Glory be to God in the highest heavens, and let all the angelic legions resound his praises in the most exalted strain. For with the Redeemer's birth, peace and all happiness came down and dwelt upon earth. Yea, the overflowing of divine providence and benevolence and favor are now exercised towards sinful men who through this Savior become the objects of his delight." Sinful enemies of God have now become the object of his delight. And he began this rule and reign in humility as a babe.

Glory to God in the highest. God's ways are not man's ways. His ways are higher than our ways. We don't even understand and fathom what plan is this, O Lord? What plan is this?

But now we, being able to look back upon these things we see how glorious his plan truly is. How wonderful it is and how we should rejoice in this Prince of Peace because of the peace that he has brought to dwell upon the earth. You know something that I've never considered before is that part of the delight of the heavenly host was that they rejoiced that the joys and peace of that heavenly kingdom would now be experienced among men. That the Messiah's kingdom was now to be known on earth. Unbeknownst to mankind, heaven's prince of peace had come and the peace of the Messiah's kingdom would fill their hearts.

Their rejoicing, I pray, will become ours. The lyrics of their praise has become the inspiration of many songs we sang even this morning and I pray will be the rejoicings of our heart. If heaven rejoiced at the birth of Christ, I believe it is only fitting for us to join that heavenly chorus. Glory to God in the highest! That should be our refrain.

Their rejoicing has become ours. Let men and angels rejoice together over the glory of our great God and King who would produce such a plan as this to redeem man through the incarnation of divinity. Psalm 148 has been drawn to my attention. Listen to this. Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord from the highest heavens. Praise him in the heights. Praise him all his angels. Praise him all his hosts. Praise him sun and moon.

Praise him all you stars of light. Praise him you heavens of heavens. You waters above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord for he commanded and they were created. He also established them forever and ever.

He made a decree which shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures, and all the depths, fire and hell, snow and clouds, stormy wind fulfilling his word, mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars, beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying fowl, kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all judges of the earth, both young men and maidens, old men and children, let them praise the name of the Lord for his name alone is exalted, his glory is above earth and heaven, and he has exalted the horn of his people the praise of all his saints of the children of Israel a people near to him praise the Lord some 148 I really like what one man points out regarding this verse in Luke. He says this, these words considered in a doctrinal point of view, they teach us something. What it is of great importance to know first, that the birth of Christ is an event which above all others brings glory to God, giving such a display of several of his perfections as had never been made known before, particularly of his holiness and his justice in requiring such a sacrifice as was hereby to be prepared for the expiation of human guilt and of his mercy in providing and accepting it, his wisdom in devising such a plan of redemption of lost man and of his power in executing it.

It also brings peace on earth, that is peace to man and peace with God through the atonement and mediation of Christ. Peace of conscience as the consequences of knowing that we have peace with God and peace with one another. It displays the goodwill, the benevolence, and the love of God to man. That is what the incarnation has declared. But surely the question remains, but where is this peace on earth?

To many in this world we look and we turn on the news and we see from the time Jesus was born in Bethlehem until our day, and we see not much peace is found. We see wars and rumors of wars, and this has been the case from the beginning until this day. So where is the peace that was rejoiced over by the heavenly host? Where is the peace that we should rejoice over? The peace is not general in the sense that every single person will see and experience it.

Just look outside of these walls, drive down into the cities and towns around us, and you will see not peace. You will see those who perhaps are at war. You will see those who have no peace of soul, but rather the peace that is spoken of is particular and specific to God's people. A very literal translation of verse 14 is this, glory in the highest to God and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased. This leads me to my next point and another reason to rejoice in the Prince of Peace because in Christ we have peace secured.

Romans 5, turn there please. Romans 5, 1 & 2. You probably have this memorized by now and I'm so thankful that Scott has brought this to our attention and that he's preaching through this passage. What a blessing. Peace with God.

So I'm not going to spend quite as much time here because we've been in this passage for some time with Scott and I know there's a few more weeks that we will be looking into the Romans 5 in the first few verses but I found it very comforting to see the continuity of these passages with the message that God has been bringing to our church. Not only in the book of Acts but in the book of Romans, this continuity of what God is doing. The book of Acts has been acting almost like a backdrop to what God has done in the doctrinal stance of building his church and building the kingdom and then we see the book of Acts as the living out of those wonderful doctrines and we see the building of the early church. But I found it comforting to see this continuity because the message of God is the same throughout all of scripture. We see it from beginning to end.

God has determined to do a work, he's determined to save a people, and he's bringing all of these things about according to his good pleasure and in his good time. So I want us to hear with open ears what God is saying to our church. God is speaking to you through his word. What is he saying? That's what we need to hear.

In Scott's prior to sermons in Romans 5 and verses 1 and 2, this is what we have heard and we have benefited from. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." What amazing words. The birth of Christ was the beginning of the fulfillment of peace with God. Peace among men with whom he is pleased." That's what the angels were declaring. That's what they were proclaiming.

That's what they were saying and singing this heavenly host. Peace among men with whom he is pleased. And it was the cross that secured this peace. And by which God could truly say He is pleased with us. It's really an astounding thought when we consider even what our brother John prayed this morning in Ephesians chapter 2.

That was really a summary of my message this morning. It speaks about us being at enmity with God, but God who is rich in mercy. That is the changing factor. It is what God has done. We were not at peace with God, But through Christ and through his life and death and resurrection and ascension, we have peace with God.

So we are pleased in the Son. The Prince of Peace foretold in Isaiah became the Prince of peace proclaimed in Luke chapter 2 at his birth and now here in Romans chapter 5 is the Prince of Peace through his justifying work upon the cross whereby we have peace with God. The angels were declaring his peace because Isaiah had proclaimed it that he was the Prince of Peace they knew he was coming and then he came as the Prince of Peace and then his work on the cross secured our peace. That is our second point, peace secured. Barnes notes this in his commentary, the world is at war with God.

Sinners are at enmity against their maker and against each other. There is no peace to the wicked, but Jesus came to make peace and this he did. Number one by reconciling the world to God by his atonement. Number two by bringing the sinner to a state of peace with his maker inducing him to lay down the weapons of his rebellion and to submit his soul to God, thus giving him the peace which passeth all understanding." And he says number three, by diffusing in the heart universal goodwill to people, inclining them to lay aside their differences, to love one another, to seek each other's personal welfare, and to banish envy, malice, pride, lust, passion, and covetousness. This is what the Prince of Peace came to do.

You know, when we read that in Matthew chapter one, that his name shall be called Jesus for he will save his people from their sins I believe fully and firmly and I prayed the very same thing that Jesus did not only come listen he did not only come to save you from the penalty of your sin He came to save you from the power of sin in your life so that you can live a holy life. You are not a defeated Christian. You were to live as a victorious Christian. Jesus Christ's death has secured you the victory over sin. We are justified in His sight by faith.

And what did our brother read to us in Ephesians 2 and verse 10? We were created for good works. And God enables us to do those good works. Ephesians 2 14 though I want to pick up just after where our brother prayed this morning and I want you to listen to what Paul says. Speaking of Christ, for he himself is our peace, who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in his flesh the enmity that is the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.

And that he might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And he came and preached, listen Jesus came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near for through him We both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Scott will be preaching about this access. We have access through Christ to the Father. The wonderful works of God through the Savior's birth and the Savior's death and his resurrection is peace with God.

However the Savior's work is not done in reconciling us only to God. This glorious work of the Savior, and I don't mean that he's not done in the sense that he didn't complete his work, he fully completed his work. There is still more fruit, if you will, of the Prince of Peace, of peace with God. In his great wisdom and kindness to man, he has ordained that peace with God is not only a judicial act whereby God declares the sinner to be righteous but it is also highly practical and this is where I want to get to in my third point in the book of Acts in just a moment, but this peace with God is highly practical through justification. And here it is, in that peace with God enables us to have peace with one another.

This is part of what Paul is saying in the book of Ephesians. Specifically, he's speaking about Jews and Gentiles that through the cross he has preached peace to those who were far, the Gentiles, and those who were near the Jews. And he has brought them into one body. If you can bring Jews and Gentiles to worship God together, that's a great feat. That is what the Prince of Peace did.

And brothers and sisters look around us this morning, God, because He sent the Prince of Peace, we have peace in here this morning. It is not because you're so nice, it's because he is so good. We can have peace one with another through the Prince of Peace, through the power of his cross, through the working of the Holy Spirit. The ESV brings out this important nuance in Luke chapter 2. I want to reference that again to show this continuity here and the ESV says this, and suddenly there was with the angels a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.

Not only is he the Prince of peace that he brings peace into your heart through the justifying work upon the cross, but he brings peace among us. Peace on earth and goodwill towards men. You have peace in your heart and peace with one another because of what Christ has done upon the cross. He is our peace. Christ coming into this world brought peace, peace with God and peace among those with whom he is pleased.

This leads me to my final and yet another reason to rejoice in the Prince of Peace because of Christ and our union with him we have peace shared. This is the third and final point and turn to Acts chapter 2 verses 41 through 47. A peace that is shared among the people of God. This is the work of the Prince of Peace. This brings us to the book of Acts where we get to see the outworkings of Jesus' work, the outworkings of the peace of God in the lives of his people.

Acts chapter 2 verse 41. Then those who gladly received his word were baptized and that day about 3,000 souls were added to them and they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and in fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done through the Apostles. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people, and sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Do you see the theme that runs through that passage? Because of the work of the Holy Spirit coming into the lives of believers, they believed, they gladly received the Word and were baptized in obedience to God, and then something happened. Listen, we're talking about a group of 3,000 souls coming to the Lord so if we want to be real technical 3,120 now are in this group and something radically happened to their pattern of life. These people who before remember these from all different kinds of nations and they spoke different languages and God brought them all together in one body and it speaks of them here as being of one accord. They continued steadfastly.

They praised God. They had favor with men. And look there in verse 47. It says praising God and having favor with the people. This was the work of the Lord.

The Prince of Peace had brought peace not only regarding their justification but also regarding their lives together as his people. And the government shall be upon his shoulders and the increase of that government shall never end. His government even in this church today is proof of the power of the Prince of Peace to bring this group of people together to love one another and to live in harmony one with another. The Prince of Peace is still bringing peace today. He is working in us and I praise God for it.

Praise be to God. One of the things that has captured my attention in this passage is the fact that through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ and in His sending us the Holy Spirit to dwell in His people, God has brought an unusual peace of rejoicing among believers. This shared peace is the unity of the Spirit brought about by the work of Christ. In Christ we not only have peace with God, we have peace with one another. What we see immediately after this great multitude had gladly received the word of God that was preached to them is that they were baptized into a community of believers.

They were now, they all had the same priority. Listen to what it says, they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayers. They also continued daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. These believers were experiencing the peace that peace with God would produce peace with one another.

This common and shared peace moved them to have gladness and simplicity and praise. That's what we experienced this morning. Gladness, simplicity of heart, and praise because of the Prince of Peace. So the coming of Christ and the fulfilling of the Holy Spirit enabled man to join the heavenly chorus. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.

I'm so thankful church for the peace that God has brought to us in this body. It is unusual and unlike anything I've ever experienced the peace that we have one with another and that is the work of the Prince of Peace. We have a great Prince who rules over us. What a blessed peace the Lord gives to those who are united in Christ. Those who gladly receive the word have unity in Christ.

And I want to say this that if there are divisions they will be the result of pride and self-seeking. When we seek our own way over the way of Christ, we will see divisions. But when we seek in humility the way of Christ, we will see great unity and joy and gladness and rejoicing in the Holy Spirit. This will be the work of God in us. So let us commit ourselves to having the mind of Christ and the love of Christ.

You see this early church did and even at such an early and infant stage of their union it moved them to such great demonstrations of love and care for one another. In fact, what they did among themselves mimic more a physical family than it did just this common commonality that many that we see in our world who do not have Christ, these groups that we see, God worked in their hearts to demonstrate such love and care for one another. That when one rejoices they all rejoice and when one was weeping we all weep. The peace with God and peace within the body of Christ was so prominent that it moved the recipients of this peace to consider others needs as more important than their own. Look at what happened.

It moved the people to go even so far as to sell their possessions and goods and to divide them among all as anyone had need. That's not natural. This is a group of 3,000 people who just came together and almost instantaneously we read in these same verses that as needs arose the people willingly and gladly said my brother or sister is in need. They didn't hold anything tightly. Their love was the bond that united them in Christ.

They held nothing tightly. It produced such unity among them. Listen to what Paul says in the book of Philippians. We see this same type thing encouraged. Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

And listen, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit but it is the will of God.