Living in the Father’s Favor
Peacemaking: The Sign of Divine Parentage
Intro: The 1st 3 Beatitudes dealt w/ how we ENTER the kingdom of God:
v. 3 Humbleness [poor in spirit]; v. 4 Brokenness [mourn]; v. 5 Meekness [meek]
-The next 3 dealt w/ how we EXPRESS the kingdom of God:
v. 6 A New attitude upward [hunger and thirst after God]; v. 7 A New attitude that is outward [merciful]; v. 8 A New attitude that is inward [pure in heart]
-Let’s move on and talk now about how we can ENJOY the kingdom of God! Most people enjoy peace. Some pray for it; some wish for it; some fight for it.
-In 1873, Samuel Colt introduced a pistol that was named “The Peacekeeper.” Because of its simple design, and the use of shell cartridges, anyone could learn to use this weapon. It was easy to load and the graduated sight made it simple to aim and fire. Someone said, “God made every man different but Sam Colt made them equal.” The idea was that a larger, stronger man could no longer overpower a smaller, weaker man. Brute strength was equalized by speed and accuracy.
-In November of 1982, President Ronald Reagan dubbed the new mobile M-X missile “The Peacekeeper.” This missile, because of mobility and more modern guidance systems, would be a great deterrent to foreign aggression.
-If a person wants to keep the peace, it looks like weapons will be needed. However, it appears that “peacekeeping” is at best, a dangerous undertaking and is only temporary.
-One source claimed that in over 3000 years of recorded world history, the world has only been at peace 8% of the time or a total of 286 years and 8000 treaties have been made and broken. It appears that “peacekeeping” does not work very well. Not only does “peacekeeping” not offer any lasting solutions to the conflict, the peacekeepers themselves often get shot.
-What most people do not seem to understand is that peace is not something that can be imposed from the outside. You cannot “keep” a peace that isn’t there.
-John MacArthur says, “A truce just says you don’t shoot for awhile. Peace comes when the truth is known, the issue is settled, and the parties embrace each other.”
This is the reason that Jesus, in this verse, did not use the word, “peacekeeper,” he used the word, “peacemaker.” There is a world of difference.
-A peacekeeper is a person who enforces, by whatever means, by force of personality or by superior weapons, a truce. A peacemaker is one who actually discovers the origin of the conflict, and finds a way to resolve it, and helps the parties to restore a proper, loving relationship. This applies to individuals or nations. A peacemaker actually “makes” peace that did not exist previously.
-True peace begins on the inside, not on the outside. Sometimes we want surface peace more than we want true inner peace. But we are not called to be peace police. We may have to do that sometimes just to keep people from hurting one another, but the peacemakers that Jesus said were blessed are those who bring peace to people whose lives are in turmoil. Peacemakers are not part of the problem; they are part of the solution.
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN (Robert Fulghum)
• Share everything.
• Play fair.
• Don’t hit people.
• Put things back where you found them.
• Clean up your own mess.
• Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
• Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
• Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
• Take a nap every afternoon.
• When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
-Unfortunately, most of us don’t remember these lessons after we leave kindergarten. Well, here is the main thought I’d like to cover today:
Prop: Peacemakers are blessed because they accurately reflect the Father’s heart.
Interrogative: Let’s look at what peace is all about and how it can affect our relationships with God and others.
I. Making Peace between Ourselves and God
-Jesus said that a “peacemaker” will “be called the sons of God.” He was the ultimate peacemaker. He was the Son of God. He was able to create peace in our hearts by removing the cause of conflict from our souls. The cause of that conflict is sin.
-“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Being justified through faith means that you have believed the good news about Jesus- that His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead was enough to pay for our sins. To be justified is to be declared “not guilty” by God Himself. That clears the way for us to be at peace with God, rather than at odds with Him. It is the beginning of a relationship of love and trust, rather than distance and opposition.
-Ephesians 2:14 says that Jesus Himself is our peace. Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace.” The only way to peace with God is through Jesus. In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
-So true peace begins on the inside when we respond to God’s love for us. But that can and should impact the relationships we have with people around us. Let’s take a look.
II. Making Peace between Ourselves and Others
-Phillip Keller, who was a sheep rancher for eight years, wrote “A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm”. He goes through the Shepherd’s Psalm and explains it from the point of view of a shepherd. He explains that there is pecking order in the sheep, and that sometimes creates conflict among the sheep.
-“Hundreds of times I have watched an old, austere ewe walk up to a younger one which might have been feeding contentedly or resting quietly in some sheltered spot. She would arch her neck, tilt her head, dilate her eyes and approach the other with a stiff-legged gait. All of this was saying in unmistakable terms, “move over! Out of my way! Give ground or else!” And if the other ewe did not immediately leap to her feet in self-defense, she would be butted unmercifully. Or, if she did rise to accept the challenge, one or two strong bumps would soon send her scurrying for safety. But one point that always interested me very much was that whenever I came into view and my presence attracted their attention, the sheep quickly forgot their foolish rivalries and stopped their fighting. The Shepherd‘s presence made all the difference in their behavior.
-It is the Shepherd‘s presence, Jesus living in us, that causes us to “make peace.” Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Hebrews 12:14 says “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy.” I find that the Bible never asks us to do that which is impossible with God’s help. Without God’s help, well, good luck.
-Let me clarify that being a peacemaker is not just quietly pacifying people. Peace is not merely the absence of conflict. Sometimes speaking the truth in love to someone is really what they need if they are going to find any lasting peace. Caring enough to confront may keep someone from destroying their lives.
-Bill Hybels went to a close friend whose life was obviously taking a bad turn, and asked him to come to lunch so they could talk. When the time was right, over that meal together, Bill Hybels said to his friend: “I’m not trying to run your life, but I’m concerned about the direction it’s taking”. He said that friend of his got so mad, he just about jumped over the table and punched Bill’s lights out. So, Bill backed off and said, “SORRY, I’ll never mention this again.” And he didn’t mention it again, and his friend shipwrecked his life. Bill Hybels has seen that friend since, and he had to say to him, “I failed you. I should have said, ‘Hit me if you have to, if it makes you feel better, but I’m going to stay on your case because I’m concerned about your future, my friend’”.
-So, as we seek peace between ourselves and others, let’s not sacrifice genuine lasting peace for temporary tranquility.
III. Making Peace for others
-In Europe, 1934, Hitler’s plague if anti-Semitism was infecting a continent. Some would escape it. Some would die from it. But eleven-year-old Heinz would learn from it. He would learn the power of sowing seeds of peace.
-Heinz was a Jew. The Bavarian village of Fourth, where Heinz lived, was being overrun by Hitler’s young thugs. Heinz’s father, a schoolteacher, lost his job. Recreational activities ceased. Tension mounted on the streets. The Jewish families clutched the traditions that held them together-the observance of the Sabbath, of Posh Hashanah, of Yom Kippur. Old ways took on new significance. As the clouds of persecution swelled and blackened, these ancient precepts were a precious cleft in a mighty rock. And as the streets became a battleground, such security meant survival.
-Hitler’s youth roamed the neighborhoods looking for trouble. Young Heinz learned to keep his eyes open. When he saw a band of troublemakers, he would step to the other side of the street. Sometimes he would escape a fight - sometimes not.
-One day, in 1934, a pivotal confrontation occurred. Heinz found himself face-to-face with a Hitler bully. A beating appeared inevitable. This time, however, he walked away unhurt - not because of what he did, but because of what he said. He didn’t fight back; he spoke up. He convinced the troublemakers that a fight was not necessary. His words kept battle at bay.
-And Heinz saw first hand how the tongue can create peace. He learned the skill of using words to avoid conflict. And for a young Jew in Hitler-ridden Europe, that skill had many opportunities to be honed.
-Fortunately, Heinz’s family escaped from Bavaria and made their way to America. Later in life, he would downplay the impact those adolescent experiences had on his development.
-But one has to wonder. For after Heinz grew up, his name became synonymous with peace negotiations. His legacy became that of a bridge builder. Somewhere he had learned the power of the properly placed word of peace. And one has to wonder if his training didn’t come on the streets of Bavaria.
-For you see, you don’t know him as Heinz. You know him by his Anglicized name, Henry. Henry Kissinger.
-Peacemaking does not come without a price. Conflict will often result when someone tries to bring peace. For some reason, peacemakers often get nailed by those they are trying to help. Jesus did. People nailed Him to a wooden cross.
-However, helping people resolve issues and problems in their lives is what being a peacemaker is all about. Helping people make peace with their Creator is what a peacemaker is supposed to be. The ultimate peacemaker is also called the Prince of Peace- Jesus, and He did not just go with the flow to keep from rocking the boat. He rocked the boat, upset the apple cart, and His followers even turned the world upside down, according to the Jewish authorities. In fact, the greatest Peacemaker ever said, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
-It is important to understand what Jesus is saying. He is saying that we can be identified as His children by our “peacemaking.” When you are truly working for real peace you bear God’s likeness. You look like your Father. You’re a chip off the old block. I enjoy hearing people say that Zoe looks like me, or that they can see both Robin and me in her. But there is no greater honor than when people say, “Isn’t he like his heavenly Father. Isn’t she like Jesus?” Children of God- that’s what we are. Are you known as a child of God? Can people tell that we are peacemakers like Jesus? Can people tell that we want the peace of God to fill their lives and calm the turmoil within? If we are creating conflict and turmoil around us by our actions or attitudes, then we are not recognizable as God’s children.
-Peace-makers are motivated out of love - real love. If there is any other motivation behind what you are doing or saying then you are not acting as a peacemaker.
-So how do we become peacemakers for others? We can seek to influence them in their relationships with other people. Teach them to resolve conflict in a positive healthy way. However, as beneficial as that may be, they will only know temporary surface peace until they get to know the ultimate peacemaker- Jesus. The best way you can be a peacemaker for someone else is to introduce them to the Prince of Peace. Then they will have the source of true peace in their own hearts and lives, and that will spill over into their relationships.
-So I’m not advocating an either/or approach here. As we’ve mentioned, even true Christians sometimes have difficulty resolving disagreements and getting along with others. They may need to learn some basic skills for resolving conflict. I’ve included in the handout a few suggestions for resolving conflict. I hope they will prove useful to you or someone else in your life.
-Bottom line: As followers of Jesus, we should have a peaceful impact on the people around us. We can make peace with God, with others, and help them find peace as well.
Conclusion: Telemachus was a monk who lived in the 4th century. He felt God saying to him, "Go to Rome."
-He was in a cloistered monastery. He put his possessions in a sack and set out for Rome. When he arrived in the city, people were thronging in the streets. He asked why all the excitement and was told that this was the day that the gladiators would be fighting and killing each other in the coliseum, the day of the games, the circus. He thought to himself, "Four centuries after Christ and they are still killing each other, for enjoyment?"
-He ran to the coliseum and heard the gladiators saying, "Hail to Caesar, we die for Caesar" and he thought, "this isn’t right." He jumped over the railing and went out into the middle of the field, got between two gladiators, held up his hands and said "In the name of Christ, forbear." The crowd protested and began to shout, "Run him through, Run him through."
-A gladiator came over and hit him in the stomach with the back of his sword. It sent him sprawling in the sand. He got up and ran back and again said, "In the name of Christ, forbear." The crowd continued to chant, "Run him through." One gladiator came over and plunged his sword through the little monk’s stomach and he fell into the sand, which began to turn crimson with his blood. One last time he gasped out, "In the name of Christ forbear."
-A hush came over the 80,000 people in the coliseum. Soon a man stood and left, then another and more, and within minutes all 80,000 had emptied out of the arena. It was the last known gladiatorial contest in the history of Rome.
-Peacemakers may not be treated well, but they can make a difference. How peaceful is your life? Have you met the Prince of Peace? Have you made peace with God? How about with others? Do you find yourselves arguing and fighting a lot? Can people tell that you are a child of God by the way you make peace? If the answer is no, then take some time and talk to the Lord about it. Ask Him how you can be at peace and make peace for others. Let’s pray.
