ESTABLISHING PEACE THRU GOD
1. GOD’S DESIRE FOR PEACE.
Rom 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
It takes 1 person to purse peace, but it takes at least 2 to have peace. Your duty is to pursue it, but you can’t force the other party to agree.
2. GOD’S PLAN FOR PEACE.
A. Love Your Neighbor as Yourself.
Lk 10:25-29 25 And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” 29 But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus went on to tell the story of a Samaritan traveling down the road that came upon an injured man that had been beaten, robbed, and stripped of his clothes. The man had lain in the ditch while others had passed by without helping him. The Samaritan, though, had compassion on him. What did he do?
(1) bandaged his wounds.
(2) carried him to town.
(3) paid for him to stay in an Inn.
Who is your neighbor? It is not just who lives next door. Sometimes your neighbor is someone you’ve never met. Your neighbor is anyone that is not your enemy.
How do we show love to them? By showing the love of Christ to them. By meeting their needs.
James 2 teaches us that a believer’s faith is useless in the Kingdom of God if he will not help others who are in great need.
** Ill: The Man who fixed my tire. I had a flat and my lug wrench had broken as I tried to loosen the first lug. I could not get the tire off. A man stopped, pulled a floor jack out of his truck before I could say anything. Changed my tire. I felt embarrassed letting another man change my tire. He Wouldn’t take any money and he left. He said, "No, I will not let you rob my joy. I try to serve God as best I can. I can't preach, not a good singer, nothing really special about me, but I know how to change tires. So, I stop and help anybody I can." That my made me his neighbor.
But are we only to love our neighbors?
B. Love Your Enemies.
Mt 5:43-45a 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven;
* The world says to love your neighbors and hate your enemies. This is the flesh way of living. Most everyone does this. Not much effort.
* What does Jesus tell us to do to our enemies?
(1) To love them. The same requirement for our neighbors. Remember, love is a verb, not a feeling. You can love someone that you don’t like.
* In marriage counseling, if someone tells me that their spouse is ignoring or mistreating them or they are talking about a divorce. I tell them to try something. Do 3 acts of kindness for them and say no cross words even if mistreated. Do this for 30 days. Sometimes this will break the cycle of back and forth hurt and the relationship is saved. But, if the spouse still chooses to leave, at least you know you did everything you could to save the marriage.
(2) To pray for them. If you hate someone or they hate you, pray for them every day. You will find it’s impossible to hate someone that you are regularly praying for. Maybe that’s what Jesus has in mind all along, turning enemies into friends.
* 2 Great Results of loving your enemy and praying for him:
(1) The Relationship will be restored and friendship ensues.
(2) They will continue to hate you...... but your niceness to them will simply annoy them to death..... you win either way.
C. Don’t Retaliate Against Personal Insults.
Rom 12:17-19 17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
* There was a time in my life where I fought anyone that wronged me– sometimes with words, sometimes with my fists. It only causes a lot of heartache.
* As I grew spiritually, I came to realize that I need not fight my battles myself, I have a Champion. His Name is the Almighty God.
I have had 3 or 4 people in my life betray me purposefully and deeply. If I had responded in my flesh, I would either be in prison or dead. Instead, I turned it over to God and privately forgave them. In time, 1 soon died, 1 went bankrupt, 1 lost his ministry, 1 eventually became my friend.
* I don’t know what part God had to play in those situations, but I know that I had peace when I quit hating and turned it over to HIM. I didn't have to spend my life hating these 4 people. And because I didn't retaliate, I did gain a friend eventually.
3. IT’S UP TO US TO MAKE THE PEACE.
Wars are waged. It is an easy thing to go to war.
Likewise, Peace doesn’t just happen. It must be made.
A. Why Christians Must Pursue Peace.
Heb 12:14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.
There are 2 things believers are commanded to pursue:
(1) Peace- love of neighbors. Hold onto no grudges or quarrels. Living in righteousness. Doing no wrong, but making things right if you do.
(2) Sanctification- Believers being transformed into Christlikeness.
We are the only Jesus that lost people will ever see in this life. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. We are the Ambassadors of Christ to the world. Christ is in us. The Peace of Christ
** If you are living a selfish life or at odds with your neighbor, the world will not see the Lord because they won’t see Him in you!
B. God’s Blessing for Peacemakers
MT 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Characteristics of Peacemakers
(1) He has made Peace with God- He is a born again believer in Jesus.
(2) He leads others to make Peace with God- Shares Christ with Lost.
(3) He helps people to have peace with other people- Great Need.
(4) God has special blessings for His Children that Make Peace.
Peacemakers will not always experience peace throughout life. Many were and are being persecuted today. But as Children of God we can always have the Peace of God. The world cannot give this kind of peace and the world cannot take it away.
Conclusion: Do you have peace today? Are you easily angered? Do you hold grudges? Do you quarrel often?
If you're struggling with those questions, then why don't you come to the altar and give it to Jesus.
If someone has wronged you and you're holding a grudge, commit it to Jesus that you will forgive them.
If you've wronged someone, then commit to Jesus that you will go to them and repent and reconcile.
If there is someone in this room that the relationship is broken, go to them even right now and reconcile with them.
