Childlike Peacemakers
Matthew 5:9 and Romans 14:12-19
Series: The list of Blessings – Things that will fulfil us if we live them out in life.
Today, we come to the 7th!!
Perfect number in Jewish culture, so maybe we are at the crucial beatitude.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
This series was planned months ago; yet here we are on a Sunday when . . .
Ukraine – and invasion.
War.
Explosions . .
Yes! PEACE is needed in that land!
And year by year we have noise, unrest, people clamouring for our attention.
And we cry out, “we need Peace”.
And I agree that we need peace;
but we need to work out exactly what peace we are looking for.
You see,
We can look for peace in the wrong places
• We can think of peace as – no war
Yet many countries don’t have war, but they also don’t have peace, right?
• The stress of relationships can give us tension and anxiety;
and we can be mistaken in thinking that, if I didn’t have this person in my life, or
if I could sort out that relationship I would enjoy peace.
• If only we could take away disagreement = peace.
What do you think?
• And if I could off-load my anxiety and stress, I would be at peace.
So we think that if we can get rid of certain things or people we will have peace
But that’s not true.
Real peace, the peace the bible often talks about, is being filled with the right thing – it’s being fulfilled
So here’s the truth – real personal peace is not dependant on external things.
Most think it is, so they are constantly looking to things outside of their control –
Relationships
Battles
Noise
Stress of work
And the truth is: it can be difficult,, if not impossible to sort those things out.
So the assumption is – I can’t have peace – it’s outside of my control.
To find peace we are often looking in all the wrong places, and we miss out on real peace.
Think about this:
You and I can experience deep peace in the midst of turbulent situations
One day, Jesus Christ spoke to his friends, and he said something profound.
You and I have read it many times, but I wonder if you have really taken in its significance.
“My peace I give to you. It’s a peace that no one else can give.”
That’s a “light bulb” moment I think.
We are talking here about a peace that we cannot get from anywhere or anyone else.
• It’s personal
• It’s within
• It’s nothing to do with what is going on around us.
You can know peace with God through Jesus.
It doesn’t matter
who you are or
what you’ve done, or
the “state” you are in at the moment,
You can know God’s peace.
“My peace I give to you….”
Last week, in the service we had a video which started with people holding on to stone/rock.
And it took us to the point of the need to let go!
Powerful video
We aren’t going to experience the peace of God while holding on to things that are cold and hard.
Things like hurt, hate, horror,
A clenched fist means you are holding on to resentments
Different illustration….
[Vase] clenched fist – carry around
• Anger
• Hurt
• Bitterness
• Memories
•
You say you want peace, but you are physically or mentally holding on with a clenched fist to something.
All that time we are looking at people and situations that we have little influence over.
That clenched fist – that holding on
Prevents peace running through your body.
But if we release – let go – the burden drops off from US!
Let go . . . . of those things
And let God come and fill you with His peace.
Oh and . . It’s not that – if you get peace, you can let go.
No, we have to release things in order to be at peace.
For this inner peace to happen, we have to let go and let GOD in
Remember – we are not talking about external things:
• Absence of war,
• battles,
• tension,
• disagreements
We are talking about a satisfying inner peace…
A simple example of the kind of peace I’m talking of here:
You may have experienced it too -
I can be in the centre of London – Leicester square . . . busy….. film premiers, street performers . . .
Sit on a bench and be …. at peace.
So we can have fights going on around us, and tensions with bills and ills, and spills, yet in here (point to body) we can have peace.
Why?
Because we know the heavenly Father.
We know a different perspective on life.
We sense God’s Spirit within.
Yes there can be concerns for Money, possessions, other peoples hate . . .
And
o It’s not that we don’t care!
o Its not that fights and relationships and causes aren’t important
It’s just that they are less important than knowing and living in God’s presence – now and in the eternity to come.
--------------------------
Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS – for THEY will be called “Children of God”
The kind of peacemaker being talked about, is the person who helps others find this peace inside.
That can be you and me.
We can help others.
True peace comes from the Holy Spirit.
It’s being made right with God through the cross, and having the Spirit take up residence within.
So, how can you and I be a peacemaker?
o Pray for them
o Pray WITH them
Help others discover how they can have God’s Holy Spirit in their life. (through Jesus Christ)
Maybe, coming here this morning, you thought you would hear me talk about…
The need for peace in our world, and the need for people to promote it.
But I believe it’s far deeper than that.
The 7th beatitude is important, because it’s about
Pointing people to Christ
It’s about introducing the Holy Spirit – God IN us!
[p]
* Peace is not some day dream
* Peace is real and very attainable
It’s just knowing how to “unlock” it.
We are called by God to be “peacemakers”
To help others find REAL peace!
Lasting peace
Peace - where there can be storms going on around, yet in the midst of it, we can sense something very beautiful.
And when we help make peace in others, you know what we will be called?
“Children of God”
Can you hear what could be said of you?
“You know.. they helped me find peace.
S/He is a child of God!”
Can you be a peacemaker?
Of course you can!
Pray:
When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul
Lord God, first I want those here and online today to know this peace.
A peace that comes from you
A peace that has little to do with external things, and
more to do with what’s going on inside us.
Loving Father, let you all, right now experience the peace that comes from having Your Holy Spirit within.
[p]
And Father, prompt us when meeting others this week to be peacemakers – bringing a peace into lives that this world cannot give, but is freely available through your Spirit.
May we be known as “Children of God”
For the sake of Your peaceful kingdom
Amen.
