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.
For those of you sitting back going, "I hope old "so-and-so" is listening to this because Bless God, they need to hear it."
No, no, no, no. You let God speak to you. "As far as it depends on you, you do everything possible to live at peace. "
Then in verse 21, he said, "Do not be overcome by evil but instead," we're going to overcome evil with good.
? So, if we're going to be a Christ-centered home and we're going to be peace makers, what do peace makers do?
1.) They Tell The Truth In Love
Ephesians 4:15 says, "We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ."
Because we are a Christ-centered home, we will tell the truth in love. Notice it doesn't say to "Yell the truth in love."
You attack the issue ; Not the person.
You are Always leave your clothes laying around you bleepedity bleep!
We AFFIRM OTHERS NOT ATTACK
EX. Interupting Abby - Non conflict times. Confront issue not the person. Me interrupting Abby
Abby didn't just let me walk all over her and not bring it up. As Christ-centered people, we tell the truth in love. We love them enough not to work around the issues, but to work through the issues.
Things I have learned over the yrs.
?When you don’t listen to others, they feel like you value them.
?When you raise your voice, others don’t feel safe.
?You may not even notice, with our friends you jab at me.
?When you continue to check your phone at the table—devalued.
?When you lie insignificant, hard really trust you.
2) APOLOGIZE WHEN YOU ARE WRONG.
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5:16
?Admit to specific actions and attitudes—with no excuses.
?Shouldn’t have raised my voice Totally insensitive corrected.
?I should’ve called and let u know.
?Shouldn’t dropped cat off roof.
?Remorse and repentance - I’m sorry is for mistakes. Will you forgive me is for sin.
3) FORGIVE AND LET GO
I can’t… How do I forgive?
Someone Significant betrayal, Spouse adultery, Suffered abuse.
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Col 3:13
Addiction to alcohol—overcame it. Disrespected my family — I apologized to them—forgave me—healed. You forgave me at my lowest point
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Family is worth it. As far as it depends on you.
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Children of God… Children of God—you look like God. You were created In his image. You never look more like God than when you forgive, make peace.
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9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matt 5:9
