Happiness In An Unsettling World
Steele Creek Church, Eastfield Campus
Dr. Tom Bartlett – November 1, 2020
Matthew 5:9
PEACEMAKER
OUTLINE
Peacemaker
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9 (ESV)
Why be a peacemaker?
• Broken relationships hinder your relationship with God
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20 (ESV)
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way. . . that your prayers may not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7 (ESV)
• Broken relationships rob you of personal joy now!
When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Psalm 73:21-22 (ESV)
“. . . a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:18 (ESV)
BECOMING A PEACEMAKER
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. Matthew 5:23-26 (ESV)
Peacemakers. . .
Take the initiative to resolve broken relationships
“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother. . .” (Vs. 23-24)
Understand the importance of unity and worship
“. . . leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Vs. 23-24)
Know that time causes matters to grow not cease
Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. (Vs. 25-26)
Making Amends (Celebrate Recovery Principles Borrowed)
Happiness comes when you can show people how to get-along instead of constant conflict. In that, you find out who you really are, and discover your proper place in God’s family. Matthew 5:9 (Bartlett paraphrase)
Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for what I’ve done to others, except when to do so would harm them or others. “Happy are the merciful.” and “Happy are the peacemakers.”
• Make a moral list – people and places we avoid due to shame or regret
• Make amends – go to them and right what is wrong
o Make amends at the right time with prayer: – “There’s a right time and right way to do everything.” Ecclesiastes 8:6
o Make amends with a right attitude with humility and sincerity: “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3
o Make amends the right way by looking out for others: “And fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.” Proverbs 18:6
MANUSCRIPT
Good morning and welcome to Steele Creek Church, and our in-person and online services. We’re almost through a series on the amazing teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5, called the sermon on the mount, a descriptive name based on where He preached. Which was of course, a mount! But the topics of Jesus preaching, starting with the first section called the beatitudes took people to a much higher level of practical living and freedom.
This week the topic that falls to us in succession is, peace makers. I can’t think of a timelier message for our church, community, and nation. There’s so much unrest politically to the point that I had to suspend most of my social media. I watch believers fight over candidates and policies to the point of defriending and offending each other. WHAT’S OUR STANCE POLITCIALLY?
• We will support the duly elected politicians according to Romans 12.
• Tomorrow at 6pm we will have a prayer call led by the men of the church to pray for our nation
• Next Sunday we will pray for the elected officials whoever they may be, regardless of what party. We are instructed to do so.
Long after this election cycle is over, how we respond as Christ-followers will be remembered. I shared the story a few weeks ago of a Christian church in Africa giving the funds they had raised to a local Muslim mosque after the mosque burned and the people of that mosque were hostile to the Christians. That gesture of peace making will not soon be forgotten.
At the heart of God is love, 1 John says, “God is love”. Our goal is to be like Him. Ephesians 2:14 says, For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.
YOU ARE NEVER MORE LIKE GOD THAN WHEN YOU ARE RESTORING RELATIONSHIPS. This is the heart of God and Jesus said it this way.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Vs. 8)
Now, I don’t have time to explain all that we’ve looked at so far, but let me say that in this constantly moving river of life, you cannot stay still.
Personally, spiritually, you are either growing or shrinking. The beatitudes are an example of this personal spiritual growth.
Components of spiritual maturity based on beatitudes
? Aware that we need. . .
• God in our lives – Matthew 5:3
• Healing from a broken heart – Matthew 5:4
• Humility over self-will – Matthew 5:5
? God Provides. . .
• Satisfaction in life – Matthew 5:6
? Our growth continues as we. . .
• We put love in action – Matthew 5:7
• Become righteous inside and out – Matthew 5:8
• Represent God we become peacemaker’s – Matthew 5:9
? Our Character grows through. . .
• Persecution – Matthew 5:10-11
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9 (ESV)
I stated that being a peace makes us like God, but why would we do it?
Why be a peacemaker?
• Broken relationships with others hinder your relationship with God
If you can hold hatred for others and not be concerned with it, if you can write them off because they don’t agree with you politically, I’d say you must check into your relationship with God to see if you even have one.
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20 (ESV)
Broken relationships with others affect every part of your life!
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way. . . that your prayers may not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7 (ESV)
Another reason is. . .
• Broken relationships rob you of personal joy now!
Let’s face it, contentment in life is based on relationships with God and others. When there’s a broken relationship in your life, it affects all relationships. Often when we’re upset with one relationship, we take it out on the most vulnerable around us, our spouse, children, even the dog! When King David was bitter, he wrote a song about it.
When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Psalm 73:21-22 (ESV)
Know people like that?
The Bible teaches us though, that. . .
“. . . a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:18 (ESV)
So, let’s chat about how to deal with broken relationships and let’s focus on what it means to be a peace-maker! Just a little further down in His sermon, Jesus gives a perfect example of how to be a peace-maker.
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. Matthew 5:23-26 (ESV)
In this short section of scripture, Jesus gives us pure gold. Here is a pathway to peace with others. Now, this is focused on “brothers” or fellow followers of Christ, but this is applicable to all relationships.
Here’s what we can know, Peacemakers. . .
Peacemakers
Take the initiative to resolve broken relationships
Ever heard someone say, “If they have a problem with me, then they need to come to me!”? With that attitude it’s very difficult to resolve things because it’s still all about you. You must humble yourself just as Jesus taught in vs. 5, blessed are the meek. Look at what Jesus says,
“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother. . .” (Vs. 23-24)
Who does it say has a problem, the guy bringing his offering or someone else? The person doing a good thing remembers that someone has an issue with him. What does he do? He takes the initiative to clear the account, to fix the broken relationship.
A BROKEN RELATIONSHIP IS PRIORITY OVER WORSHIP OR RELIGIOUS ACTIONS!
Peace makers also. . .
Understand the importance of unity and worship
If you look at the cross, you see the connection between our horizontal and vertical relationships.
The sweet spot in life is where the beams cross. You cannot worship God with relationships you refuse to restore. Jesus said,
“. . . leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Vs. 23-24)
When the high priest would enter once a year into the presence of God, he had to fist make sure his own sins, relationships etc. were clear. To not do so could lead to death for him. When we approach God in worship, why would we think we could engage a holy God, a God of reconciliation without first reconciling our relationships?
If you have a choice to go to church or fix a broken relationship, FIX THE RELATIONSHIP, then go to church, then make your offering.
Peacemakers also. . .
Know that time causes matters to grow not cease
Time doesn’t heal broken relationships; it makes them worse. A small thing over time causes you to completely avoid people you once had deep relationships with. You go to the grocery store and see them in an aisle, what do you do? You head on to another aisle.
Matters of broken relationships are to be dealt with sooner or after time they become so big, we can’t even remember what the original issue was. Just ask the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s.
Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. (Vs. 25-26)
Last week I prepared you by asking you to begin to think about restoring relationships. Before we’re done, I want to walk you through a process called making amends.
Making Amends
Happiness comes when you can show people how to get-along instead of constant conflict. In that, you find out who you really are, and discover your proper place in God’s family. Matthew 5:9 (Bartlett paraphrase)
1. Evaluate all my relationships.
2. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for what I’ve done to others, except when to do so would harm them or others. “Happy are the merciful.” and “Happy are the peacemakers.”
• Make a moral list – people and places we avoid due to shame or regret
• Make amends – go to them and right what is wrong
o Make amends at the right time with prayer: – “There’s a right time and right way to do everything.” Ecclesiastes 8:6
We don’t just drop a bomb on somebody suddenly and go to them unannounced. We don’t just do it when they are rushing out the door or laying their head down on the pillow and say “By the way, I’ve got some stuff to deal with.” We need to do it according to their time and not when it’s best for us. We need to pray and set a time when it’s God’s time, when it’s best for them and we need to make it a purposeful time.
o Make amends with a right attitude with humility and sincerity: “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3
Too often our attitude will be dominated with shame and fear as we consider facing someone we have hurt. We need to go with the confidence that God is with us.
o Make amends the right way by looking out for others: “And fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.” Proverbs 18:6
As I have already stated, one should go to someone that you have hurt with humility and with sincerity.
We should look at the other person’s life situation and use wisdom in making amends. We need to pray and consider what is the best way to make amends.
Sometimes we could open a whole can of stinking sardines if we make amends to an old boyfriend or girlfriend. Having had a previous romantic relationship can be a challenge for us to make amends. The other person could have moved forward in their lives and have new relationships and contact with them could cause damage. Sometimes an empty chair or writing an unsent letter is the course of action, especially if the issue caused a significant hurt. In other cases where appropriate, we should make an appointment and go privately to simply say that what we did was wrong and to not make any justification for it and give no excuses. If we meet with someone, we should not talk about their part but just assume responsibility for our part. Yes, they may have had a part in the problem but our goal is to just try to clear up our side of the ledger. Do not seek to try to justify your actions, either. Our focus is only on our part and we don’t expect anything back from the person to whom we are trying to make amends.
Prayer
