The Peacemakers Discipleship Bible Studies October 31, 2007 Bethel MBC DWS Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” From 36 BC to present day, there have been approximately 14,533 wars with 270 of those since 1945. More than 100 nations have been involved in armed action since 1958. The world has been a “peaceful” place only 8% of the time of recorded history. This is to be expected from a sin-cursed world, but Jesus teaches us that we may by happy in this world if we are peacemakers. I. How is the previous Beatitude related to tonight’s lesson? James 3:17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” First our hearts must be pure and then we are prepared to grow into the peacemakers that God desires us to be. We discussed last time that being pure in heart is a progressive work (sanctification) AFTER we are saved. Could it be that the external conflict in our world is merely a reflection of the internal conflict in all of us? How can we make peace when we have no peace ourselves? Of course, lost souls can never find peace without Jesus. However, we must consider that even saved children of the Lord can become VERY UNHAPPY PEOPLE! Some of the most miserable people in the world are those that have experienced the free pardon of sin, the mercy and grace that floods our souls with salvation, and the love that comes with being a child of the King. How can this be? Call it backsliding, straying, departing your first love, whatever you want to term it. For our purposes, it is NOT maintaining these steps in becoming true disciples of Christ. II. What is this peace that is referred to here by our Lord? We have peace in our souls when we are saved. This peace is an additional peace available to the saved which conquers the heart, flesh, mind, etc. This peace is not just an absence of conflict. Peace is not a void. Peace is a PRESENCE OF SOMETHING. True peace is the presence of righteousness and a positive result of people submitting to the righteousness of God. It is facing the truth and yielding to it regardless of the consequences. It (peace) is the mystical thing called “happiness” that the world is seeking as well as Christians. Peace is both relief from war internally and the possession of all that one needs for a full and satisfying life. Truce vs. Peace A truce stops shooting; peace comes when the problem is solved. A truce stops the action or reaction while peace cures the cause. Peacemakers do more than stop conflict; they replace conflict with friendship and love. This type and depth of peace is to be possessed by God’s children, but dispensed to the world. We may only share with the world what we have in our possession. Have you a peace to find solace in outside of your salvation??? THAT is what Jesus is speaking of in this instance. III. Who are the peacemakers? A peacemaker is a saved saint first. He is also one that knows peace inwardly and has firsthand experience. See Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:13-14; and Colossians 1:19-20. A peacemaker is one that brings peace spiritually (Romans 10:15). Once we have made peace with God ourselves, it becomes our responsibility to be actively involved in taking the good news of the gospel of peace to the world that they might know the “peace of God, which passeth all understanding” Philippians 4:7. Paul refers to this as the “ministry of reconciliation”; see II Corinthians 5:18-21. A peacemaker also brings peace socially: Ephesians 4:3; Colossians 3:15; I Peter 3:11. Peacemakers 1. They are at peace with God a. Romans 5:1; James 4:1-4 (sin makes us an enemy of God) 2. They are at peace with others a. Romans 14:19; II Corinthians 13:11; Romans 12:18 3. They are at peace with themselves a. Psalm 122:8; Proverbs 3:1-2; Colossians 3:15 Jesus came NOT to bring peace, but a sword (the gospel) as read in Matthew 10:34. He meant that true peace has a price. His blood was the price of our salvation and we each had to taste of His suffering before we found peace with Him. Likewise, He paid (with His blood) for our lives, His church and our privilege to live a life full of happiness and peace. Further, He seeks to make us disciples which spread the peace (happiness and contentment, not salvation only) He makes available to all men. These peacemakers are those who seek the peace of God in their lives (not just their souls) and are willing to pay the price / make the sacrifice necessary to obtain it. IV. What does “For they shall be called the children of God” really mean? Aren’t we already the children of God when He saves us??? Yep. Then what is this?!? Jesus says that we will “be CALLED the children of God”. By whom? The world and unbelievers, witnesses to our lives, our families, neighbors, etc. When we are TRULY happy in the Lord as blessed and matured by Him, we exude an incredible reflection of Jesus in love and peaceable charity. Desiring to be a peacemaker in life, while never compromising truth or righteousness, is attractive to the world at least to the point that they must recognize that we are indeed the children of God. Have you ever known someone that you were just almost magnetically drawn to spiritually? A natural attraction that you can’t explain, but the observed person is just dramatically different than others (at least in your estimation) that you feel transfixed? There are men that I feel guilty and absolutely filthy in their presence. I feel ashamed and self-conscious to the point of being repulsed by the stark contrast I perceive between the two of us. I believe that this is what Peter felt when Jesus appeared aboard his ship. Peter begged Jesus to leave him because he (Peter) was a sinful man. The difference between Jesus and Peter (even as a saved man and apostle) was so significant that Peter was embarrassed and ashamed of his own sinful nature. I feel that this is the effect we, as disciples, can have on our church, our families, our community, our world. It is important to note that although Peter was stricken, he was also oddly mesmerized and eventually blessed by Jesus. V. How may we become Peacemakers? a. A peacemaker has made his own peace with God (saved) b. A peacemaker leads others to make peace with God c. A peacemaker helps others make peace with others d. A peacemaker looks for a point of agreement e. A peacemaker makes peace wherever he goes Questions to help us ascertain our peaceableness: a. Do I have peace with God? b. Do I have the peace of God? c. Do I have peace with others? d. Do I help others find peace? VI. Summary We have stated previously that the first 4 Beatitudes seem to be us “on the way down” on the inside. The next 2 involve God building us up better on the inside and the last two involve us taking that which is new on the inside and bringing it to the outside. We are, finally, ready to grasp the real spiritual lesson here (next time). We should be, at this point, pure in soul (salvation), content in heart (pure) and content in life (peaceable). Next time, we will discuss verses 10 and 11 and get to the culmination of these studies. Consider this in preface to the next lesson: Your happiness in life and in the Lord can NOT be influenced by other people unless you allow it. Your level of commitment, effectiveness, and happiness will be (100%) the result of who you are and how you are internally in the portions of you that God did not save but wants to influence. If we climb this ladder of the Beatitudes continually, God will honor and prosper us (privately and individually) beyond our wildest imaginations! Do you believe it?
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