Well good morning newlife and welcome to July. Man, the coldest month of the year. Thanks for being brave and making church a priority to start the week. Love seeing all your faces today and really privileged to be able to stand on this platform preaching today. Something I never will take for granted. So, this morning we are carrying on in the series called blessed. And we been looking at a few things. Now let me just recap quickly on the word Blessed. Ryan started speaking on the word Blessed and what it meant: When we hear the word blessed, many people think of money, success, or good things happening. But the Bible teaches something much deeper. 💡 “Blessed” is not just about feeling happy — it’s about being right with God, walking in His will, and enjoying His favour, no matter your situation.
So, when you look at the beatitudes and this series, we need to put on the glasses of blessed being walking in God will, and enjoying His favour, no matter the situation. Now the end part did you hear no matter the situation. Ok keep that in your mind as we look at the next part of the series. So let me start off asking this:
Have you ever been driving and suddenly noticed that dreaded warning light on your dashboard? It’s the check engine light… the oil level… whatever it is, you immediately feel that sense of, “Oh no, what now?” Now let’s be honest — what’s our first response? We think: “Maybe it’ll go away.” Some of us have even said, “If I turn the radio up louder, I won’t hear the noise anymore.” It’s funny… but it’s true. We don’t want to face the issue — we want it to go away on its own. But family, here’s the truth: Turning up the music doesn’t fix the engine. Ignoring the warning light doesn’t stop the damage. It just delays the breakdown.
It is the same when we deal with relationships, friendships, marriage, work, any person we ever have a conversation with. And that is called making peace with people and not keeping peace. You see the analogy above we do the same you see people offend us, people wrong us, sometimes people will say something that offends you or hurt you and they do not even notice it. You know like you picked up some weight and we laugh it off or better we post some cryptic message on Facebook, hoping that they would see it. Because most of us do not want to deal with people and having these hard conversations, we smile and use excuse laughing saying things like aggh ek like my braaibroodjie en brood maak mos groot, explain in English, but inside you are like murdering them with a peace of stale bread. We see it in marriages. You know what I am good at, to this day and I am at work in progress. Ask my wife. We would have a disagreement pastors and wives do not fight we disagree, but one of those “disagreements” that the dogs run out of the house, and then we would not talk, but the next day or a few hours I go on like there is nothing wrong. Ladies you need to understand that us as men we grew up, we argue, we have a physical fight, and afterwards we become friends. It is how we were wired.
We do it all the time, at work we keep quiet to the point that our staff tells us what to do because I do not do difficult relationships, we shout cut the toxic people off in your live.
But remember Jesus said this: ' “Blessed [spiritually calm with life-joy in God’s favor] are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they will [express His character and] be called the sons of God. [Heb 12:14] ' Matthew 5:9
Peacekeeping is saying “I’m fine” when you’re not. It’s staying quiet to avoid rocking the boat. It’s sweeping things under the rug, painting over the cracks, smiling on the outside while falling apart on the inside. You’re driving through life pretending everything’s okay, but your emotional, spiritual, and relational engine is about to seize. That’s not peace — that’s avoidance. And it’s not what Jesus called us to.
You see: Peacekeeping Covers Up the Problem. Let us look at this verse: 📖 Let’s look at what God says in Jeremiah 6:14 (AMP): They have treated superficially the [bloody] broken wound of My people, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ When there is no peace.
In this passage, God is rebuking the prophets and priests of Israel for giving the people false assurance. The nation was full of sin and rebellion, yet the leaders were saying, “Don’t worry, everything’s fine!” They were pretending all was well to avoid dealing with the reality of judgment and repentance. This verse exposes fake peace—the kind that comes from denial, not healing. This verse reinforces your point about peacekeeping—it’s painting over cracks, saying “I’m fine” when you’re not. It’s that moment where you turn up the radio instead of dealing with the real issue. God condemns that kind of superficial peace. He desires wholeness, not appearances.
“They put a plaster on a bullet wound.” “They said, ‘Everything’s okay,’ when it absolutely wasn’t.”
This is what happens when we keep the peace instead of making it. We offer shallow solutions to deep problems. We stay surface-level. We try to preserve comfort instead of pursuing wholeness. When we stay quiet when things are not correct, when we would rather keep peace and making sure we do not rock it, and also we live in a world let us be honest, because of peacekeeping it is in a terrible state, we would rather accept things that goes against the bible, because you know we want to be popular. We even go so far in sending them to the church so we can tell them the truth because we need to keep the peace. But listen—Jesus never walked away from what was broken. He never ignored the warning signs in people’s lives. He confronted sin with truth. He faced hurt with compassion. He exposed false peace so real healing could begin.
📖 John 4:16–18 (AMP)
He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
The woman answered, “I do not have a husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I do not have a husband;’ for you have had five husbands, and the man you are now living with is not your husband. You have said this truthfully.”
Jesus meets the woman alone at the well—a Samaritan (culturally divided) and a woman with a past (relationally broken). He doesn't shame her, but He doesn't ignore the sin either. He lovingly brings it to the surface—not to condemn, but to open the door for real transformation.
“Jesus never walked away from what was broken.”
?? He went out of His way to meet her (John 4:4 – “He had to go through Samaria”).
He pursued brokenness. “He never ignored the warning signs in people’s lives.”
?? He knew her history, and He lovingly addressed it. “He confronted sin with truth.”
?? He clearly acknowledged the issue (“You’ve had five husbands...”). “He faced hurt with compassion.” He offered her living water, not condemnation. “He exposed false peace so real healing could begin.”
?? She had been living in compromise and isolation.
By the end of the encounter, she becomes a witness to her whole town (John 4:28–30).
Your marriage looks fine on the outside… but there’s distance, silence, unresolved offense. You’ve been saying, “It’ll get better,” but nothing changes. That’s a warning light. There’s someone at church who hurt you. You smile and shake their hand on Sunday, but inside, you’re still bleeding. That’s a warning light. Your child or spouse has been pulling away emotionally… and you’ve noticed it, but you tell yourself, “They’re just tired.” That’s a warning light. And just like that engine… the longer you drive ignoring it, the worse it gets. Eventually, the relationship breaks down. The resentment explodes. The damage multiplies.
So what do we do? We stop the car. We lift the hood. We face the issue—with grace, with love, and with courage. Because that’s what peacemakers do. They don’t pretend the warning light isn’t there. They respond to it before things fall apart.
And so, Jesus doesn’t say “Blessed are those who stay silent.” He says: “Blessed are the peacemakers…” Because peacemakers are the ones who step into the problem—not to stir drama, but to bring healing. Let’s look now at what that takes—because peace-making isn’t easy. It takes courage, truth, and grace…
Point 2: Peace-making Takes Courage, Truth, and Grace
Now you need to know that “Peace-making is not silence—it’s action driven by love.” Peacemakers don’t cause drama and by drama I mean when you at your local Christian gathering and then the question is asked who can we pray for and you bring up something that was shared in confidence to you, you know guys Frikkie, at work he has been taking deals to boost his sales numbers, his bosses do not know but can we pray that God will provide in a different avenue, or Saartjie, shame we need to pray for her, her husband is out every night at the bar, I know because my friend works as the manager and when we were at the hairdresser she told us all.
No, they step into the middle with humility, grace, and truth to bring restoration. It means having coffee with Frikkie in private and talking to him as a brother in Christ telling him why it is wrong, covering him in prayer and speak truth in love with him. It is standing up in the hairdresser and say this is not the platform to share and then get both to come to counselling or church or a church event.
It takes courage to have the hard conversations, confront sin in love, or admit where you were wrong. We all want God blessings correct, the job, the marriage, the business, the finances but we cannot even have these conversations, we cannot make peace and restore people, then we not blessed, because being blessed is walking in God Will even when you do not like it. And guys there is a blueprint, not a guideline a blueprint on how we make peace, a blueprint. Not a guideline. You do not just follow it loosely, you follow it to the T. and where do we find it, well in Matthew 18:15-17 NKJV
“Moreover, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
So let me break it down, Because I know you only read the last part and I Want to tell you, you are reading it wrong, #cancelculture.
“If your brother sins against you, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.”
Look at that: Here is the pattern, the biblical pattern 1.
Step 1: Private, One-on-One Conversation (v. 15) “Go and point out their fault, just between the two of you…”
Encourage members to handle offense and conflict privately first, not in public or in group chats. If someone gossips, lies, disrespects, or offends you—you don’t call the pastor first. You pray, calm your heart, and go to them personally, with the goal of peace, not punishment.
2. Step 2: Bring One or Two Others (v. 16) “Take one or two others along…” If the person doesn’t respond well to the one-on-one, you bring mature believers who can help mediate—not to gang up, but to guide the conversation in truth and love. These should be people who: Are spiritually mature, can stay objective, Desire reconciliation over being “right.” Not your buddy who takes your side, man I have seen this so many times, you take your best friend with, and worse they are not even Christians sometimes, they are chosen to prove that you are right and the other person is wrong. No, you take people that are spiritually mature, and if you have none well time to get involved more in circles, men’s meetings etc, because you will meet them there.
3. Step 3: Involve Church Leadership (v. 17a) “Tell it to the church…”
If after mediation, the person still refuses to own their part or continues harmful behaviour, you escalate it to pastoral leadership or eldership, depending on the nature of the issue. This is NOT public shaming. It’s responsible church shepherding. And you do not do it on a WhatsApp group chat; you contact just the leadership or eldership depending on the issue.
Step 4: Church Correction and Consequence (v. 17b) “If they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” Jesus says treat them as you would a Gentile or a tax collector and I know you went Yes finally I can cut them out and #cancelculture them — but how did He treat Gentiles and tax collectors?
Jesus’ Model: He ate with tax collectors (Matthew 9:10–13). He called Matthew, a tax collector, to be His disciple (Matthew 9:9). He healed the Canaanite woman’s daughter (Matthew 15:21–28), even though she was a Gentile. He welcomed the Roman centurion’s faith (Matthew 8:5–13).
So, while Jesus acknowledged their spiritual separation, He never stopped loving, reaching out, or showing grace. But they are not your enemy. You still love them. You still pray for them. You don’t gossip about them. You don’t treat them with bitterness or pride. You treat them as someone Jesus longs to restore. You live this out by
Set boundaries, show love ? Keep praying, keep the door open, keep the tone gracious., Leave room for repentance ? Remember the Prodigal Son. When he returned, the father ran to meet him.
Plain and simple “You treat them with truth—but never without love. You create distance for the sake of restoration—not for revenge.
So here is the question I need to ask you today: Where is God calling you to stop keeping peace and start making peace? Is it in your marriage — where issues have been swept under the rug for too long? Is it with a parent or sibling you haven’t spoken to in years because neither of you wants to go first? Is it with someone in your church or workplace, where offense has quietly grown into resentment?
Let me tell you: Peace-making doesn’t mean being a doormat. It doesn’t mean you compromise truth to avoid tension. It means you bring truth with grace, just like Jesus.
What does peace-making look like?
It looks like choosing to forgive even when you’re right. It looks like saying, “Can we talk? I care too much to let this sit between us.” It looks like listening, even when it hurts to hear what the other person has to say. It looks like creating space for healing, not just silence Because silence isn’t always peace. Sometimes silence is distance.
I want to settle this: Peacekeeping prioritizes comfort. Peace-making prioritizes healing. And healing always takes work.
And when we do this and this bring me to my last point: 3. Peacemakers reflect the heart of the Father. Why does Jesus say, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God”? Why is peace-making such a big deal to God? Here’s the answer: Because God is a Peacemaker, and when we make peace, we reflect His nature. Peace-making isn’t just something we do—it’s a sign of who we belong to.
It’s like a family resemblance. A child might walk like their father. Talk like him. Have his same eyes or smile. You look at them and say, “Yoh, there’s no denying who your dad is!” You agree. I mean I never believed it, but Carter is a carbon copy of me. Dress like me, like video games like me, loves Jurassic Park like me. Walks like me And Jesus says: “When you make peace—not just keep the peace—you look just like your Father in heaven.” You don’t just carry His name. You carry His heart.
Look at Romans 5:10 (NIV): “While we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son.” We weren’t neutral. We weren’t just distant from God—we were His enemies. And what did God do? He didn’t wait for us to come crawling.
He didn’t ignore us. He didn’t turn up the volume in heaven and say, “Let’s pretend humanity isn’t a mess.” No. He made the first move. God stepped toward us.
He sent Jesus to bridge the gap, to confront the sin, to make peace through the cross. The cross wasn’t peacekeeping—it was peace-making. It wasn’t God ignoring sin. It was God dealing with it head-on—in love, in sacrifice, in truth.
at 2 Corinthians 5:18: “God reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” That means: You and I don’t just receive peace from God. We’re called to carry that peace into every space we enter.
You are called to be: A peacemaker in your home. A peacemaker in your workplace. A peacemaker in your church. A peacemaker across racial, political, and relational divides.
Think about this: If we call ourselves children of God, but we’re constantly stirring division, spreading gossip, avoiding issues, or holding grudges—we’re misrepresenting the Father. You can’t claim to follow the Prince of Peace while walking in pride and bitterness.
So, here’s the question today: Do people see your father in you?
When you enter a tense situation, do you bring calm or confusion? When there’s relational tension, are you the one who avoids it—or the one who gently, prayerfully steps in to help restore peace? Are you known as someone who builds bridges—or burns them? God is calling us to be sons and daughters who carry His heart—not just His name.
Let me say this gently, but directly:
Some of us have been calling ourselves Christians, but we’ve been holding onto grudges. We’ve been staying silent when we should’ve spoken up. We’ve been covering the warning light instead of confronting the problem. And God’s saying: “You are My child. Now act like Me.”
Peacekeepers turn up the music and ignore the warning lights. Peacemakers stop the car, lift the hood, and deal with the issue—not to destroy, but to heal. Jesus made peace with us through the cross—not by avoiding sin, but by facing it head-on in love. And now He says to you and me: “Go and do the same. Blessed are the peacemakers. They’re the ones who carry My heart.”
So today, God may be prompting some of you to step into conversations you’ve been avoiding. To forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it. To ask for forgiveness where you’ve caused harm. To represent your Heavenly Father—not just in name, but in how you make peace.
As we come to the end of this message… I want to ask you a question that might feel uncomfortable—but it could change everything:
This is not a call to fix everything today. But it is a call to say: Lord, I don’t want to keep hiding. I want to start healing.” Give me the courage to forgive.” Give me the humility to say I was wrong.” Give me the wisdom to speak truth in love.”
If you know there’s an area of your life where you’ve been keeping peace instead of making it… If there’s someone you need to reconcile with…
Or if you’re saying, “God, I want to reflect Your heart in every relationship” … Then I want to invite you to respond. Whatever that looks like for you. Because blessed are the peacemakers. Not the avoiders. Not the pretenders. The peacemakers.
The ones who step into the broken places with grace, courage, and love.
