Blessed Are The Peace Makers Series

BLESS THIS HOME

wk 3 Peacemakers

Pastor Timothy Porter

Text: Matthew 5:9

INTRODUCTION:

Today, we are going to look at one of the Beatitudes of Jesus, and I have tremendous expectations that God is going to do a lot of healing in a lot of hearts.

Can you name one peacemaker in the world right now? There is no one today who can make peace. Christ alone is the great Peacemaker. He made peace by His blood between a righteous God and an unrighteous sinner.

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1).

This is what Jesus said in Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peace makers for they will be called Children of God." I need y'all to help me with this. He said, "Blessed are the" what? Jesus said, "Blessed are the peace makers." For what will they be called? "For they will be called children of God."

Now, when Jesus said, "Blessed are the peace makers," there's two words from the original biblical language that's translated as "peace." And the New Testament, the Greek word is the word "eirene." In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word is "Shalom."

The original words for "peace" mean a little more than often what we think in our English language.

It also means, "I wish you the highest good." When Jesus says, "Blessed are the peace makers," he doesn't just mean, "I want your home to be strife free," but "I also want you to have the highest, good." Blessed are the peace makers for they'll be called Children of God.

And when Jesus said this, just like the other 7 Beatitudes, everybody listening was probally shocked.

These were very counter-cultural statements because everyone there had been raised with the mindset "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."

You know, "Someone hits you, you hit them back."

"Someone steals something from you, you take something from them."

Jesus was saying something that was very shocking! "Blessed are the peace makers."

There is a higher calling for those of you that want to follow me.

Now, if you'll notice, he said, "Blessed are the peace makers," he didn't say, "Blessed are the peace keepers."

Now there's a big difference.

For years and years, I was kind of a peace keeper, and so are most of you, but there's a difference.

I put this in your notes, just to kind of differentiate.

?What are peace keepers? Peace keepers often avoid conflict to keep the peace.

You let things slide thinking out of shight out of mind and the one day you explode and everyone in wondering what in the world is wrong with you ! looking at you likwe you got 5 heads.

The problem is you let so much slide and haven't delt with it just to keep peace , it finally come to a head. What happened is there was dozens of unresolved issues along the way. Jesus didn't say, "Blessed are the peace keepers,"

He said, "Blessed are the peace makers."

What will a peace a maker do?

? A peace maker will embrace conflict to keep the peace.

A peacemaker will say "We're not going to work around the issues, we'll work on the issues"; we'll work through them. And with the help of the Prince of Peace, Jesus, we believe there can be peace in your homes.

? Which brings us to our key thought for this series.

If you weren't here in previous weeks, you won't know it, but those who know it, you can say it aloud.

Our key thought is this: "We are not just a Christian home but" - "We are a Christ-centered home."

We're not just a Christian family, but we are a Christ-centered home. Now, some of you may be saying, "What's the difference?

What is a Christ centered home?

Jesus isn't just a part of our life, but he is our life. We are fully devoted, following and serving and knowing, and bringing glory to him.

In a cultural Christian home, in a home that's Christian in name only,

You will hear - I mean, when there is a hard time, we just write somebody off. "Well, just poot on them." "Forgot them."

"We are not going to mess with them." "Forgive them? I mean, after what they did, I would never forgive them. They'd have to come back to me, crawling on their hands and knees and then I'm just make them pay for a little while."

In a Christ-centered home, This is waht you would hear -

"What does Jesus teach us about how to do relationships?" And he said, "Blessed are the peace makers."

Paul said something very complimentary in Romans 12:17-18,21 . And he said this: He said, "Do not repay evil for evil," which is what everybody had been taught to do. He said "Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone." Now, here's the power statement. He said, He said, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you," what are you to do? He taught, you live a life at peace with everyone.