Well, those are the beatitudes we've been in a series on those. This is beat to number seven that we're looking at today There's eight total so we've got this morning and next week to wrap up this series You know one of the questions that we've really been addressing is the question and what's the Christian look like? It's not such an easy question answer is it? I mean does a Christian look like someone who goes to church, you know who makes church this central part of their life?
Well, is a Christian someone who? Tries as best they can to live like Jesus remember Back in the 90s there were these little bracelets everyone wore WWJD what would Jesus do you know that that was kind of a picture of what it meant to be a Christian? So does it mean to be a good person and to live the right way? Well in some way you could say that all those are parts of what it means to be a Christian You know the Bible really teaches that to be Christian is about Right beliefs that lead to right Actions there are several lists in the Bible that kind of help us get a picture of what it means to be a Christian We've got Galatians chapter 5 we've mentioned that several times in this series.
These are the characteristics of The fruit of the spirit being in our life We did a series on this back in the spring love joy piece patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control nine fruit of the spirit We could look at the 10 commandments and the 10 commandments really Represent how the the believer should relate to God and to the world and we've talked about the 10 commandments in here And then today we're continuing this series on the beatitudes This is another way of understanding what it means to be a Christian now the beatitudes Really? I think if we were to sum them up and we would say that they're a radical approach to How the Christian lives what the Christian looks like and we put all of these together to get an understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Today's beatitude number seven. Let's read it Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God now bless our God pours out his blessings on the peacemakers You know God expects every Christian to be a peacemaker now this is a huge topic this morning this concept of being a peacemaker and We don't really have enough time to deal with it, but we're gonna do our best Okay, so we're gonna try to see if we can unpack this concept that is be added to number seven the expectation that Jesus puts on every follower of Jesus that we should be peace makers in our world You know we need an army of Christians in our world today who are being peace makers Making peace we need peace among the nations We've got spots you know around the world right now where there is no peace where people are dying and being killed on where there's active war Taking place and we need Christians who are making peace in their workplaces right now And we need people who are making peace in their communities We need Christians who are known for making peace in their relationships Certainly God's image and God's presence in the world needs to be defined by Christians who are making peace And so that's gonna be our topic this morning. Let's see what we can do So what exactly does it mean to be a peacemaker?
Let's talk about three things Number one on the peacemaker has peace with God the peacemaker has peace with God So here's kind of a summary of the Bible the Bible says that every person born into this world every person born of a woman I'm is a center and as we grow we have a war with our creator We're at war with God the Bible calls this sin and the result of that war is that we're separated from God We have this desire to be connected to our creator We have this internal need to be connected to God But we can't make that connection on our own And so the Bible says that Jesus came to the earth in order to redeem us from our sin and give us the opportunity to reestablish a relationship with God and we desperately not only want that but need that now this is what the Bible describes as salvation this is Something that every person needs Romans chapter 5 verse 1. I'm here's what it says Therefore since we have been made right in God's sight We have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us So when we have trusted Christ personally and and we make our relationship with God the central focus of our life The Bible says the result is we have peace with God This is what every person has a deep down desire for to have a sense of peace with our creator to be reconnected to relationship With him now the question is what happens then so most of us in this room. We've experienced that Peace with God. We've established a relationship with him.
Well now what well the Bible teaches that now we become God's representatives on earth for peace and we are tasked to be peace makers That means that we look at the world through a different kind of a lens now most people in the world They they see events in their life in through this lens. How does this affect me? Now the Bible says that a Christian looks through a different lens Everything that happens in our life every event is seen through the lens of how is this going to impact others? So essentially now Christians don't live a selfish life.
We're called to live a self less life This is the core of what it means to be a peacemaker that I'm looking at my world my relationships my work my community and I'm asking how do My actions and how do the things going on in the world affect other people and how can I help make peace? This is a part of the character of a follower of Jesus I am created to make an impact in my world a positive one now we quoted I'm Galatians chapter 5 verse 22 and 23 Second ago, let's let's do it again and focus on that third one, but the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace So a part of what lives in me when the Holy Spirit comes into my life is peace Is here it lives here in my heart and I'm called to represent that peace in my world So being a peacemaker is a part of who you are and if you're not actively Making peace in your life then you're fighting against the nature that lives in you Okay This is a really important concept if you're not actively making peace in your relationships right now in your life Then you are fighting against the spirit of God that lives in you because that spirit is love joy and peace If your life is filled with conflict right now, then your call to be a peace maker Where you live and where you work and where you walk? Because this is a part of the spirit of God in us love joy peace now. It's a high calling.
It's not a simple one Now the most important piece that I can have in my life begins here though. It's I have This relationship with God that has been Created through Jesus Christ and I have peace with God That's the first thing that it means to be a peacemaker if I don't have peace with God Then I can't make peace in my world so The attitude six that we looked at last week is we we trusted Christ and we've made Him God the singular focus of my life and here's the promise when we do that I say a chapter 26 verse 3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you all whose thoughts are fixed on you That's a beautiful promise and beautiful verse You will keep in perfect peace all those who Trust in you and whose thoughts are fixed on you So this is the Bible promise when we have received Christ into our life and made God the single focus of our life It creates peace in and around our life now. That's a great promise, right? Now here's an interesting side note.
I'm gonna read this verse from 2 Corinthians chapter on 5 verse 18 It says all of this is from God who reconciles to himself through Christ Okay, so that's that's what we've been talking about We have peace with God by being reconciled to God through Christ But look at their second part of this verse and this is from God who reconciles to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of Reconciliation now, what's Paul talking about there? What's this ministry of reconciliation? I'm glad you asked Cody. Okay, so every Christian has been included in the mission To bring God's message to the world It's a part of what we're called to do is represent Jesus through the way we live our life To share with others in a practical way how God's changed our life and to try to bring people into God's kingdom and restore them to a Relationship with God.
This is the ministry of reconciliation So everyone who's been reconciled to God by the Holy Spirit coming into their life is now a part of God's mission on earth To help bring other people to relationship with God. It's it's the most important piece in the world that people individuals Find peace with God, you know, it's an interesting World that we live in where you know we have we're called to Create a world where you know we stand for good and right in truth and yet. Here's here's a simple fact We can't legislate people being good People aren't good because they try to be good Bibles really clear on that very essentially sinful people and the most important thing we can do to bring peace into the world and Move people towards living the right way is to lead people to Christ to have a relationship with him And because we'll never make enough rules that will cause people to live the right way we need to To help people see that God loves them and God wants a relationship with them and to bring them through our testimony Into right relationship with God. So you and you and I are called to that ministry of reconciliation So what does it mean to be a peacemaker?
Well, here's the first thing that it means it means I have a right relationship with God That I've been reconciled to God and I've made him the single most important focus of my life He's number one for me and I recognize now that I represent God in The world and am called to his mission of reconciliation to the world That's the first thing it means to be a peacemaker now Here's the second thing it means to be a peacemaker the peacemaker has a transformed character So let's read again. I'm blessed are the peacemakers and here's the promise for they will be called children of God So to be a child of God is to be as Jesus said in John chapter 3 is to be born again It's a transformation it's a rebirth This was really confusing conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus He was like how am I supposed to go back into my mother's womb and be born again and Jesus Patiently and calmly explained to him that this is a spiritual transformation that has to happen in order to enter God's kingdom to become a child of the father a child of God and So being a peacemaker means that our character has been transformed now. Here's what I want you to hear this morning It's not a good idea to be a peacemaker. No, actually it's an expectation that We will be a peacemaker Okay, so let's look at a couple of verses here We're gonna look at Hebrews and first thessalonians and in both of these verses We see some verbs at work and so here's our English teacher talking These these verbs are the present imperative tense, okay?
Now. Let's read Hebrew chapter 12 verse 14 It says work at living in peace with everyone Now when I say present imperative if it were not imperative it might say it's a good idea to live at peace with everyone or You might consider living at peace with everyone or it'd be very helpful for you and everyone to live at peace No, it actually is an imperative. It is a requirement work at living in peace with everyone and walk a living And work at living a holy life for those who are not holy will not see the Lord now Here's another verse says it super directly in first thessalonians chapter 5 verse 13 Show them great respect and wholeheartedly love because of their work in here it is and live peacefully with each other present imperative that's a command But I think it's important that we clarify here that I can't just make myself live at peace I've got to be transformed in order to be a peacemaker That's the whole point of the beatitudes blessed are the peacemakers for they will be children of God So you and I are called to this radical lifestyle. That's what the bad dudes are They're it's a reflection of this radical way to live and that is we are called to be peacemakers now Get this it's not easy to be a peacemaker If it were easy everyone would be doing it It's not common to be a peacemaker It wouldn't be revolutionary if it were common It's a radical way to live to be peacemakers in our world Okay, you need some proof.
Are you married? Enough said Okay, do you work somewhere at a job? Do we need to say anything else? Do you have neighbors?
Anything else need to be spoken. Do you drive? Okay, so the fact is it's not easy to be a peacemaker in nearly any area of our life There's nothing easy about being a peacemaker. So how do you do it?
Well, you remind yourself every day that I'm called to make peace now Peacemaker can sound like you know a peacemaker. Let's just say it simply I make peace everywhere. I go I make peace I make peace in my marriage. I make peace in my workplace.
I make peace in my neighborhood I make peace on the roadways. I make peace wherever I go This is the radical lifestyle of the follower of Jesus So ask God to help you because it's hard and we can't do it on our own And we need to start growing into the job And if there's any place in the world that should be a reflection of peace It's a place like this right the body of Christ where we're learning to be at peace with one another We wouldn't need to be peacemakers right if it was easy to be a piece We where do we need peacemakers where there's great challenge and there's great conflict and there's great Disagreement and there's great difference of opinion. This is what leads to wars not petty simple things but grand differences of opinion and Being a peacemaker is what every Christian is called to do and being a peacemaker is what every Christian is called to be Now finally number three, what does it mean to be a peacemaker? The peacemaker creates peace Now that's simple right but let's talk about that a little bit.
Here's what it says in the amplified Bible Okay, so we have these different translations right usually we read from the new living translation Sometimes you know, we'll take the new international version These are translators who take the original language of the Bible and and put it into modern English and they have kind of different philosophies for I'm how they're gonna approach that the amplified Bible is a unique Bible because it's designed to try to kind of bring out this Flavor of the original kind of when I talk about with the Greek word means this the amplified Bible is trying to do that and bring it out And it's interesting when we read this beatitude Matthew chapter 5 verse 9 here It's what it says blessed enjoying Inviable happiness spiritually prosperous with life joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation Regardless of their outward conditions are the makers and maintainers of peace for they shall be called the sons of God That's a beautiful way to phrase it. What does it mean to be a peacemaker to be the makers and Maintainers of peace. So what does it mean to be a peacemaker? Well, it means I'm helping to make peace and what does that imply?
Well making peace means there's conflict there's challenge There's disagreement. There's our problems And this is what the peacemaker does helps to make peace and then maintain peace No, it's the it's the nature of being Together with people there's gonna be conflict. Why because we see the world in different ways. We have different personalities We have different experiences.
We have different gift mixes different passions different things that are important to us And it's inevitable that we're gonna see things in different ways and have different ideas and opinions about the way things should happen and this has to be a core value to Be peacemakers. This is what's the beauty of getting on people together all on one page? Is that we have this beautiful mix of different gifts and people and temperaments and personalities that can all move in the same direction together so the Greek word for peace is pronounced Irene and It's derived from a root that means to bind or join together that which is broken Now there's nothing passive about peace So this word in the original Greek is actually most closely related to setting a broken bone and if you've ever Had to witness, you know the doctor setting a broken bone of your child you understand there's nothing peaceful about that It's a violent Difficult process of moving something back into place that's been broken. So there's nothing passive about peace peace Is an intervention into something?
One of the great pastors of the 19th century his name is Charles Spurgeon And he said that peacemakers are quote those who are always in a quarrel if they can and those who lay themselves out To prevent discord in other words, it is intervening into something that puts yourself at risk or In the mix it's a risk in order to be a piece maker So Greek scholar William Barclay Says this is the most important work a person can do on this earth and I'm here's his paraphrase of beatitude seven William Barclay He says blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be doing a God-like work So Barclay says the man who makes peace is engaged in the very work Which the God of peace is doing there's nothing more God-like than we can do than to be peace makers in our churches in our Families in our workplaces in our neighborhoods. There's nothing more God-like than a person can do than to be making peace now Let's Let's throw a little monkey in the ranch here, okay, because here's the reality No peace is not always possible Sometimes there's going to be discord and there's no way to avoid that and Jesus was really clear about that Or let's look at Paul first Paul says in Romans chapter 12 verse 18. Don't quarrel with anyone be at peace with everyone Just as much as possible. No is that interesting be at peace with everyone well as much as you can as much as it's possible So this be attitude and this is just for clarification.
Okay. This be attitude is not about being easygoing Okay, it's not about I'm being a passive person So some people really fear conflict and they'll do just about anything to avoid it and that is Neither helpful nor healthy and sometimes conflict needs to be Sturred a little bit because that's the only way that health can happen in real peace can take place quiet doesn't mean peaceful Did you know that just because something quiet doesn't mean it's at peace and it can be quiet rumblings below the surface and Those things need to be addressed avoidance is not a positive trait So what happens when we avoid well bitterness builds inside and at some point that's gonna blow in unexpected waves and all sorts of bad things happen when we avoid things and Conflict is inevitable and often it can be healthy if it's addressed and dealt with in the right kind of way Now, here's what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 10 verse 34 He says don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth No, it's not interesting the one who said blessed are the peacemakers also said don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth I came not to bring peace but a sword now what in the world is Jesus talking about there? Well, you know, I Thought Jesus said we should be peacemakers He did and we should be peacemakers now sword here is a metaphor and what Jesus is talking about here is the response of unbelievers to unbelievers and The truth is that sometimes when a person becomes a follower of Jesus it can divide a family Sometimes when a person lives the way Jesus wants us to live it can result in persecution It's no accident that be added to number eight that we're gonna talk about next week comes right after this is about persecution Because sometimes to be a follower of Jesus results in being persecuted by world that doesn't follow Jesus It's also no accident that this be attitude comes right after number six which is standing for what is right and what is good and what is true and Sometimes stand for what's right and what's good and what's true is going to create a little discord and conflict in the short term But if everyone is committed to living like Jesus in humility being a follower and a peacemaker then The result is going to be all of the good things that the Bible describes about peacemakers So it's a really beautiful picture So our peace of illness should never mean we tolerate evil or accept dysfunction or stand idly by when the helpless are being abused or ignore injustice Just so we don't upset the peace that's not at all what Jesus is describing here now It's an irony, but it doesn't stop us from joining the battle to be peacemakers in our world It's not simple. It's a complex thing to be a peacemaker, but Good things are rarely simple and they're almost never easy to do So be attitude seven blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God So the peacemakers are doing the very work of God in the world And that's what we're called to be and to do it's a tough job But somebody's got to do it your marriage needs it Your kids need to learn it and they learn it from you your workplace craves it your country is trying out for it and Your church depends on it.
Let's pray Fine. Thank you for the work that you've called us to that is your very work the work of being peacemakers in broken world I thank you that you've given us this great ministry of reconciliation and that We can be like you whenever we are creating peace where we live and work and play So help us to do that this week in the power and in the name of Jesus for it's in his name. We pray amen