The Beatitudes Part Iii

Title: The Beatitudes Part III Script: Mt. 5:9ff

Type: Expos/series Where: GNBC 2-4-18

Intro: Pastor Keith Krell states the following: I have always been amused by oxymorons. An oxymoron is a combination of contradictory words that shouldn’t be linked together. Let me offer a few examples: airline food, brotherly love, Hell’s Angels, jumbo shrimp, pretty ugly, rap music (I would add grunge.), sensitive guy, seriously funny, open secret, act naturally, found missing, Microsoft works, military intelligence, and short sermon. Oxymorons are common in everyday speech and in the Scriptures. This is especially true when Jesus is speaking. Initially, we may be perplexed by Jesus’ oxymorons, but rather quickly we will see that His words are life. This series walks through the Sermon on the Mount—the greatest sermon ever preached by the greatest preacher who has ever lived, and today we finish the “Beatitudes”.

Prop: Today we’ll examine the final Beatitudes of Christ in the SOM.

BG: 1. Today, are two final Beatitudes, and one further commentary on the final.

2. Beatitudes are blessings. Jesus proclaims we are to be abundantly happy if this happens .

3.

Prop: Follow with me as we finish our series on the Beatitudes.

I. Blessed are the Peacemakers v. 9

A. Why are Peacemakers blessed?

1. Jesus unequivocally states that there is a blessing for being a peacemaker.

a. Jesus is inferring here that Peacemakers are blessed because they are so very unlike anyone else! Why? Because they are children of God!

b. Illust: Why are there wars? Why does it seem like we are on the brink of war with N. Korea? Iran? Russia? Let me give you a non-pc answer: Because of the doctrine of sin! The peacemaker has become different from what he/she was prior to coming to Christ. Why? Because thru Christ we have PEACE with God! Rom. 5:1 – “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” Every one of us was born at war with God and with one another because of SIN! We are separated from God and one another. We have no peace with God or man until we take by faith the peace offered us thru Christ. BLESSED are the Peacemakers! Happy! Joyful, first of all, because of your salvation!

2. Consider the Problems of the World and the ministry Jesus says His followers have.

a. Illust: Throughout time well intentioned people have joyfully proclaimed one institution after another would forever spare the world the horrors of war… The League of Nations, the United Nation, the European Union, the Congress of African States. Friend, the answer is not political, economic, or sociological. No! The answer is theological!

b. The underlying problem which no man made institution can address is in fact, the heart of man! Jer. 17:9 says: “"The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (NLT) When man is in charge he can only manipulate the surface and is incapable of making the deep changes necessary for true resolution. Illust: I love Backbone State Park (Near Strawberry Point.) Lovely clear streams. Joseph and I enjoy trout fishing there. The Richmond Springs, near the north end of the park pumps out about 2000 gallons of crystal clear water a minute! Now, what if one morning there had been a massive fish kill and a DNR worker found 100s of fish dead on the banks downstream? Would throwing chemicals half a mile or mile downstream help? Possibly, but not probably. Rather, would go to the source of the stream, the spring itself, to see the condition of the source of the water and its cleanliness.

B. Christians are to be Peacemakers in society today.

1. What exactly does this mean, though?

a. The great folly of much of the Mainline Church, as well as a growing number of evangelical churches and not too few a number of campus ministries and parachurch organizations is that this absolutely essential point is missed entirely. You will hear the “justice warriors” railing on a specific political platform. Hear cries against cuts in govt spending on certain welfare programs. Cries against or in defense of certain races or sexes and their perceived political needs. Cries for or against certain legislative actions or executive policies. NO! NO! NO! The tragic folly of much of the Western Church today is that we fail to see the utter contradiction of it all! The man or the woman who hitches his faith to that wagon is a man or woman who has not read his Bible or at least does not know his Bible!

b. You may ask, “What do you mean, Pastor?” How does Jesus respond to this? “It is out o the heart” that evil thoughts, fornication, murder, adultery, jealousy, envy, and malice arise.” As long as men are unregenerate, there will be no peace! Illust: You want to stop sex trafficking? Preach Xst! Economic injustice? Preach Xst! Racial inequality? Preach Xst! Crime and Violence? Preach Christ! Slavery? Preach Christ! Terrorism? Preach Christ! Nuclear Disarmament? Preach Christ Why? Not that there is no place for addressing injustices in society, but when Churches or Christian organizations make those areas the primary focus we miss the entire reason for why Jesus came, and you and I are simply spitting on a forest fire! Satan wants us to forget the power of the Gospel! Yet , the apostle Paul said: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Rom. 1:16)