Blessed are the Peacemakers
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9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
The peace-makers are happy. They love, and desire, and delight in peace; and study to be quiet. They keep the peace that it be not broken, and recover it when it is broken. If the peace-makers are blessed, woe to the peace-breakers
What peacemakers are not:
1. Peacekeepers
1. Peacekeepers
- people who are constantly walking on egg shells.
They are so afraid of offending others that they cannot be honest with themselves and with others.
They are more concerned about maintaining the absence of conflict than they are about speaking the truth into difficult subjects. These peacekeepers are quick to respond and redirect whenever a peacemaker seeks to speak truth into important topics. - Air Force Chaplain Mark Hill
Often times, peacekeepers are known for sweeping issues under the rug - they often says things like “I just need to give it time and it will be okay.”
The problem with this is: is it ever really okay? Things often times don’t actually work themselves out!
They may get overlooked and pushed aside, but if they aren’t dealt with, they will come up again.
Everything will go well until the next conflict, and then they will surface their roaring head.
Now to be clear, there are times when time is needed in order for a solution to happen and more importantly, prayer, but that doesn’t mean that the issues are not dealt with. They are just dealt with at a time when they can be addressed with a sober mind.
Peacekeeping doesn’t actually allow for forgiveness and true restoration...
A peacekeeper with never bring up the fact that they are offended and therefore, forgiveness will not be available....and there will not be actual restoration....only frustration until the next thing that happens.
Peacekeepers often times want to maintain the status quo...
Now, this isn’t a bad thing, if the status quo is a good thing...
But what happens when the status quo is a bad thing, detrimental, or causing harm to someone else?
Not addressing an issue is enabling the harmful behavior to continue...
2. Causing conflict for the sake of conflict
2. Causing conflict for the sake of conflict
Sometimes there is a pendulum effect when it comes to addressing issues....on one hand, you can be like a peacekeeper and sweep an issue under the rug or not deal with it...
On the opposite side of the pendulum are those who constantly look for conflict....
They are never happy. There always needs to be an issue, so they bring something up in order for it to be “dealt with.”
These are the times when you want to grab the person and be like “there wasn’t an issue until you made an issue!”
Sometimes these people have the need to be needed. They think that because they have caused an issue and brought it up, they are actually helping....
We have all known someone like that....
Similarly, are the:
3. Pseudo Peacemakers
3. Pseudo Peacemakers
These are the people who who put on the facade as a peacemaker, but are actually out for themselves...
They confront someone, not to make peace, but for some other motive that they have..
They like to correct others because it seems to give them power or make themselves look good.
If I correct you, I must be in “a better place” or more “mature place” than you are…look at me...
If we are going to correct others, we should:
Be led by the Spirit
Do it out of love or compassion for them, not for our self-righteousness
Rich young ruler
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
As Jesus corrects this man, He had a love for Him....
If Jesus approaches people in this way, maybe we should too?
So, we know some things that peacemaking is not, let’s look at what it is..
What are peacemakers?
1. People who speak the truth
1. People who speak the truth
Jesus made a point to say, "Blessed are the peacemakers." Blessed are the ones who are willing to speak the truth. For he knew when people start speaking the truth, the door is opened to receive healing, support, and hope that can lead to true internal peace. - Air Force Chaplain Mark Hill
The implication here is that the peacemaker knows the truth...
Often times, we might find ourself in a conflict, but we don’t exactly know the truth of the situation...
How many times have you ben in a situation and then it simply came down to a misunderstanding?
Somewhere in there the truth was not present.
When looking at this in the kingdom of God, we understand that the truth is a person…Jesus...
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
And the ways that we know the truth include: reading His word…spending time with Him and with His Church....
If we are to be peacemakers in this crazy and chaotic world, it would do us well to know the truth of God!
Understand what His word says....
The second aspect of peacemakers is that they:
2. Are not afraid of healthy conflict
2. Are not afraid of healthy conflict
Because peacemakers know the truth, they should not be afraid to speak the truth....but, if we recall, we don’t just speak the truth…we:
Ephesians 4:15 (NIV)
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love....
This verse is actually part of a larger context of what it means to be a part of the Church...
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
As part of the body, and peacemakers, we should not be afraid of conflict....we live in a world that is contrary to the kingdom of God...
Maybe this is why Jesus, in when He sends out the disciples in Matthew 10 says:
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. 34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35 For I have come to turn “ ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
verse
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Seems a bit contradictory to:
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Why is this?
How can Jesus be both the prince of peace, but not come to bring peace, but a sword?
Because, Jesus is not a peacekeeper, He is a peacemaker....
He is the prince, the author of peace....
In this world there is no peace....there is disorder and chaos...
Jesus didn’t come to keep the status quo…He came to challenge it!
Jesus didn’t come to keep the status quo…He came to challenge it!
He came, like a sword, to cut through the chaos!
To divide the righteous, from the unrighteous!
He made a distinction from those who are of the world and those who are the kingdom of God....
But, He did so with love…and with truth!
Jesus wasn’t afraid of healthy conflict, and neither are us as peacemakers!
Before we became a christian, we were in opposition to Him!
10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
Pauls says that we were God’s enemies...
We are thankful that Jesus was the ultimate peacemaker!
We are thankful that Jesus isn’t afraid of conflict...
If this were so, we would have no way to be reconciled to God!
Because Jesus isn’t afraid to approach us and point out to us how we are enemies of God, we can be reconciled to Him and have a relationship with Him!
If Jesus were a peacekeeper instead of a peacemaker, we would never have a shot at a relationship with Him!
He would just say something like “it’s okay, you can do what you want.”
But no! As I have said often: He loves us too much to leave us where we are at!
So, peacemakers
Speak the truth
Are not afraid of healthy conflict
And:
3. Are Called Children of God
3. Are Called Children of God
This is the blessing!
This is what we all strive to be…children of God!
When we resolve to be peacemakers, to speak the truth, to have healthy conflict so that restoration can be made, we are children of God!
We are co-heirs with Christ!
We are part of the body, the family of God!
We come together with others to live in right relationship with one another as God has called us to do!
Peacemakers see the conflict inside and outside of he body of Christ and say “I have to do something about that!”
There needs to be reconciliation!
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
As children of God, let’s bond together…let’s challenge each other with the truth! Let’s encourage each other! Let’s love each!
And, let us live at peace with one another!
Worship Team and Deacons
If this sounds like a good deal to you, but you don’t feel like you are on the same team…let me tell you how this morning!
To be a part of the church, in the family of God, you recognize that you are an enemy of God…not keeping His commands and not having Him as Lord of your life...
To do so, is pretty simple…you believe in Him. You believe in Jesus, His death of the cross to cover your sins, and His resurrection so that you can have new life.
You confess and turn from your sins, and accept His gift of grace and forgiveness through faith.
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
That’s all it takes to be a part of God’s family. I would encourage you to do this today. I am here to help...
For those of us who are a part of the family already, we get to take communion together...