The Peacemaker – God’s child Mat 5 Adrian Warnock
Slides and audio at
http://jubilee-church.org/sermons/kingdom/peacemaker.htm
The Peacemaker by Ken Sande ‘There is no need for another book on this topic to be written now that his volume exists’ CJ MahaneyMuch of the following notes are adapted from the above book which is highly recommended.
How does the following quote make you feel
With each beatitude another nail is driven into a coffin. Inside the coffin lies the corpse of a false understanding of salvation. The false understanding said that a person can be saved without being changed. Or: that a person can inherit eternal life even if his attitudes and actions are like the attitudes and actions of unbelievers.
One after the other the beatitudes tell us that the blessings of eternity will be given only to those who have become new creatures…..If we don’t obtain mercy, we receive judgment. If we don’t see God, we are not in heaven. If we aren’t called the sons of God, we are outside the family. In other words these are all descriptions of final salvation…it is promised only to the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers.
Therefore the beatitudes are like long spikes holding down the lid of the coffin on the false teaching which says that if you just believe in Jesus you will go to heaven whether or not you are merciful or pure in heart or a peacemaker. In fact, from beginning to end the Sermon on the Mount cries out, "Get yourself a new heart! Become a new person! The river of judgment is at the door!" You recall the words of verse 20: "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20)…..In other words, a life of disobedience to the beatitudes and to the Sermon on the Mount will not stand in the judgment no matter what we believe! (PIPER)
Oh to be called a child of God!
* How is Gods reputation is affected by how we treat others
* "My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father—that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me." (John 17:21, NLT)
* Jesus is the ultimate peacemaker and true peace can only come through him
* God intends for us to be at peace
* With God
* Within ourselves
* With others
* What does this mean in practive
* We have a duty to serve others in this area- How (2 Corinthians 5:17-21, ESV)
The price of peace
* Jesus paid the ultimate peace price & He wants us to pay the peace price
* Dying to self and own desires
* Dying to the right to be indignant
* Dying to the right of reply
* Dying inside to say ‘Sorry’ and mean it
* Peacemaking is a lifestyle not just for conflicts
* Many do not know there is such a thing as peace and forgiveness
Lies that destroy peace
* Look out for number one
* God helps those who help themselves
* Surely God doesn’t want me to remain in an unhappy situation
* Ill forgive you but I cant forget
* Dont get mad, get even
* I deserve better than this
* Which of the above lies are hardest for you personally to resist
Conflict management styles
* Avoidance, Accommodation, Competition Compromise Collaboration Stewardship
What is your conflict management style Can you think of examples of each from the media
The Peacemakers checklist…
* How can I please and glorify God in this situation
* A broken situation needs TACS
* TACS – Trust God
* "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." (Isaiah 26:3-4, ESV)
* "I will contend with those who contend with you." (Isaiah 49:25, ESV)
* Is my situation…a chance event …. done to you by someone else
* OR….allowed by God for a specific purpose
* "When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “… now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him……But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. " (Ge 50:15-21)
Do you find it easy to see every situation as allowed by God for a specific purpose for good
* How would your feelings, attitude and behaviour change if you saw this situation as an assignment from a loving, all powerful God for your good
* Acknowledge God in prayer and by bringing him into your situation
* Resolve to Obey Gods commands
* Resolve to Serve others even in conflict
Gods commands -GO
* Its my fault- (Matt 5:23-24, ESV)
* Its not my fault (Matt 18:15, ESV)
* Its up to them now(Ro 12:18, GNB)On a scale of 1 to 100 how hard have I tried
* Its not my problem (Galatians 6:1, NIV)
* GO to solve conflicts
* NOT an E-mail (worst of all!)
* NOT a letter
* NOT a phone call
* Face to face
* But first…….Get that log out!
* "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye." (Matthew 7:5, ESV)
* What have I done to contribute even 5% to this conflict
* "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you." (Matthew 7:12, NIV)
7 A’s of confession
* Address everyone involved
* Avoid ifs but and maybe
* Admit specifically- Call a sin a sin.
* Apologize
* Accept the consequences- How can you reverse the damage you have caused
* Alter your behaviour- What changes do you intend to carry out
* Ask for forgiveness- Trust may need to be earned
Do I have to confront them
* Love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8, ESV)
* "If you are sensible, you will control your temper. When someone wrongs you, it is a great virtue to ignore it." (Proverbs 19:11, GNB)
* Has anyone other than you been hurt
* Has Gods reputation been damaged
* How serious is it
* Is there a significant risk to others – always involve the relevant authorities
* Can you ‘DROP’ it without a confrontation
Forgiveness means to ‘DROP’ it
* Not a feeling
* Not forgetting
* Not excusing –Don’t say ‘it was nothing’
* D- "I will no longer dwell on this incident."
* R- "I will not allow this incident to stand between us or hinder our relationship. "
* O- "I will not talk to others about this incident."
* P- “I consign this to the past. I will not punish you for this incident or use it against you.
* Ban the use of the words always or never
Just DROP it!
By making and keeping these promises, you tear down the walls that stand between you and your offender. You promise not to punish by holding the person at a distance. You clear the way for your relationship to develop unhindered by memories of past wrongs. This is exactly what God does for us, and it is what he commands us to do for others.
Because few people realize that forgiveness involves such marvelous promises, even when they hear the words "I forgive you" they frequently continue to struggle with feelings of guilt and estrangement.
Therefore, whenever you forgive someone who may not understand what biblical forgiveness is, make it a point to explain the four promises you have just made.Ken Sande
* Then and only then- Speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15)
* Not ‘you are insensitive’ but ‘I felt upset’
* Be peaceable in your approach & don’t get historical
* If adequate confession and repentance DROP it or involve a mature Christian
Are you at Peace
* With God
* Within yourself
* With others
Do you plan to, or have you already put into practice the principles and checklist that are outlined above (Specifics need not be mentioned!!!)
