“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
We live in a world that is filled with (characterized by) fighting and rivalry. Every level of society is affected.
In the midst of such continual strife, God calls His people to be ‘peacemakers’. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
We need to note, this morning, as we consider this verse, that there are THREE TYPES OF PEOPLE:
- Peace-breakers;
- Peace-fakers;
- Peace-makers.
1. PEACE-BREAKERS.
Peace-breakers are those people who go out of their way to break down relationships; to cause trouble and division. They’re the deliberately confrontive people - they have to confront, disagree with everything. But their motivation is self; they are manipulative/self-seeking.
For such people, the Bible has strong words: “Now I beseech you brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” (ROMANS 16:17-18)
We can’t AFFORD to have peace-breakers in the church, for divisive people cut away the very life principles of the local assembly. They staunch the move of God; they will destroy revival.
PSALM 133. Where does the Lord command the blessing?
But, before we go riding off on a witch-hunt to find the “troublemakers”, and ‘deal with them’, we each need to examine our own hearts. Because you can be a peace-breaker without even knowing it! Most peace-breakers don’t realise what they’re doing - they feel justified in themselves.
Let me briefly elaborate on the EASIEST (most basic) way to be a peace-breaker. YOU CAN BE A PEACE-BREAKER BY THE WAY YOU USE YOUR TONGUE! Let me read to you what the Apostle James wrote about “Taming the Tongue”. [Read JAMES 3:3-10.]
Gossip, slander, being a busy-body, being opinionated or judgmental. These things are a destructive force against the church of Jesus Christ. They tear down. They cause division and friction. Whenever God begins to do something good, the enemy will always try to interrupt it - and one of his biggest snares is THE TONGUE.
I have witnessed churches go through shattering times of opposition - the moral fall of a pastor; a media inquest against their administration; even a total financial wipe-out - yet they have stood strong, and God has brought them through it to great days of blessing. But I’ve also seen the most prosperous of churches shattered into a thousand pieces because people could not control their tongues!
Church, there’s never a good enough reason fr sins of the tongue. Not even the famous, “I’m just telling you this so that you can pray about it”. I don’t care if you feel so justified; the person you’re talking about may be Attila the Hun! THERE’S NO EXCUSES - sins of the tongue grieve the Spirit of God.
OK - enough said. The first type of people around, unfortunately, are the peace-breakers. The second type of people are:
2. PEACE-FAKERS.
What do I mean by ‘PEACE-FAKERS’? Well, there are ones (and I guess the truth is that we’ve all been involved in peace-faking at one time or another - it’s a temptation I know I have to guard against every day of my life), ones who prefer ‘peace’ over truth. Peace-fakers see ‘peace’ as simply the absence of any kind of argument or discord. They will go to any lengths to avoid any kind of conflict/confrontation/unrest. In doing so they settle for a counterfeit peace that is based on avoiding the real issues.
Let me give you an example. You see a good friend taking a direction with their lives that you can see is leading them into trouble - they’re becoming workaholics, or alcoholics. And so you want to shake them to their senses, but every time you broach the subject it causes an argument and you’d rather just be at peace with your friend. So after a while you just let it go. You avoid the issue, and talk about more agreeable subjects.
Bill Hybels tells of a time that he did just that. He 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 go 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’”.
In choosing “peace-faking” (or ‘peace-keeping’) over truth-telling, people think they’re being NOBLE, but in reality they’re making a bad choice. Whatever has caused tension in a relationship, if left ignored, will come back again without ever being properly resolved.
Some people say they’ve had ten years experience in marriage, but in fact what they’ve had is one year’s experience of marriage repeated ten times over! Because they’ve never properly resolved the conflicts of the first twelve months. They’ve never talked them through.
If things are not resolved, then that peace you’re trying so very hard to maintain by avoiding the issues will get harder and harder to keep. Eventually there will come a total breakdown in the relationship. Relationships can die while everything on the surface looks peaceful.
Peace at any price is a form of deception. When you know you need to tell the truth the enemy will whisper in your ear, “Don’t do it! Maintain the status quo”.
The LORD gives a command in EPHESIANS 4:25 at which peace-fakers tremble . . . [READ].
Truth telling takes courage, but any other approach over time will undermine the integrity of our relationships.
So, the second type of people are PEACE-FAKERS. The third and last type of people are the ones mentioned in our text as being “blessed” - PEACE-MAKERS!
3. PEACE-MAKERS.
Peace-makers are a very different kind of people. They are different to peace-breakers because they set a guard on their tongue at all times, they think before they speak, and they are NOT confrontive just for the sake of it. They don’t have to give their opinion all the time, and they are able to walk away quietly and avoid a conflict when the situation calls for it.
They are different to peace-fakers, because they are prepared to tell the truth and trust God for the outcome in order to have a peace that is worthwhile and lasting. They want REAL peace by resolving the cause of conflict.
Peace-makers are prepared to put others’ well-being above their own comfort level.
Let me give you another ILLUSTRATION: Imagine a mother looking out her living room window at her three year old son, who is riding his tricycle in the driveway. Her heart spilling over with love, she goes to the kitchen, pours a glass of lemonade and takes it out to him. After he drinks it, she picks him up and hugs him and tells him how much she loves him. The little boy feels wonderful. BUT while mum is back in the kitchen rinsing out the glass, he gets back on his tricycle and cruises right into the street where he was told never to ride. Mum looks back out the living room window just as a car screeches to a stop, and then carefully eases its way around her precious son. She flies out the door, rushes into the street and picks up the boy, bike and all. As soon as they’re back in the safety of the house, she starts yelling and spanking him.
The little boy wonders what’s wrong with his mother, who just moments ago was hugging him and giving him lemonade. Where has all the love gone? But what WE all understand is that this IS love in a different form, but just as real. His mum is saying, “The happy time five minutes ago with the lemonade and the hugs is a distant memory right now, because we are dealing with life and death. Your well-being is far more important to me than constant warm fuzzy feelings.”
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.
Well, all of this about peace-makers sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? We all want to be peacemakers as God called us to be. BUT, here comes the bit that’s not so nice. We must understand this, that PEACEMAKERS WILL OFTEN BE CRUCIFIED. Why do I say this? Because the greatest example the world has ever seen of someone being a PEACE-MAKER resulted in Him being crucified for it.
Jesus’ primary role when He came to this earth was to be a PEACE-MAKER. He was making REAL peace, between God and man. Truth had to be upheld (we are all sinners); justice has to be don (someone had to pay the price) - God could not just sweep sin under the carpet. So, Jesus came to make peace. BUT, would you not Jesus’ strange words in MATTHEW 10:34 [READ]. The peace Jesus brings is far more than just the absence of fighting - it is fully restored relationship with God. In the bringing of such real peace (paradoxically) conflict is inevitable. THE MOST VIOLENT CONFLICT THAT EVER TOOK PLACE IN ALL OF HISTORY WAS WITNESSED BY THE UNIVERSE AS JESUS HUNG UPON THE CROSS MAKING PEACE. And the Cross has continued down through the ages to be the ground of conflict - it has been a bone f contention. Some have embraced it in love and commitment to Christ; others have cursed it and ridiculed it. But it was absolutely necessary if peace was to be restored between God and man.
And I must tell you, today, that if you try to be a true peace-maker, as the Word of God calls us to be, there WILL be times when you will be MISUNDERSTOOD and MISREPRESENTED, but God says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Why will they be called “sons of God”? Because 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 used to love it when I was growing up, and people would say, “doesn’t he look like his dad!” I still get a kick out of it.) But there is no greater honour in all the world than when people can say, “Isn’t he like his heavenly Father. Isn’t he like Jesus?”!
CONCLUSION:
So there we have it. There are three types of people, and I think that it’s very easy to remember this, so don’t forget it. There are:
Peace-breakers; Peace-fakers; and Peace-makers.
God calls us all to be peace-makers, LIKE HIM (Ephesians 2:14-18). God’s peacemaker wants REAL peace.
Peace-makers may require any or all of the following at times:
- humbling yourself (perhaps to say sorry);
- confrontation of falsety (with truth);
- going our of your way to see the offender/offended;
- the risk of rejection;
- the risk of being misunderstood or misrepresented;
- the risk of appearing wrong or foolish (1 Corinthians 6:7).
