Happy are the Peacemakers 2

Matthew 5:9

INTRODUCTION: TO REVIEW:

1. Peace was broken in the Garden of Eden when man sinned. A the cross it became a reality again as Christ became our peace.

2. Isa 9:6, Christ is given the title: "the Prince of Peace".

3. There are about 400 references to peace in the Bible.

4. The opposite of peace is a state of confusion dissatisfaction and war. It is man who is a war...not God. God is at Peace and seeks that all men everywhere also come to know perfect peace.

5. Man is the author of war. He rejects the truth and rather believes a lie. Refuses to admit to the existence of God and what God has revealed about Himself. Rather is invents gods who are the product of his own imagination or the imagination of someone else. Some change the truth about God and change commandments, change the Bible, change what God has said.

6. Jesus in Matt 5:9, is saying happy are those who are peacemakers, they will be called the sons of God.

I. What is the meaning of Peace?

A. The world would define it as the absence of conflict.

2. Biblically peace is not so much the absence of conflict.. but the presence of righteousness.

3. Peacemakers, Scripturally do more that stop conflict, they replace conflict with friendship and love.

4. Jew says, Shalom, it means peace."He is saying more that I wish for you no conflict."

He is saying, "I wish for you all the righteousness of God can bring".

B. There is a difference between a truce and peace."

A truce folks stop shooting. Peace comes when the problem is solved.

C. Peace has a price!! Matt 10:34, Jesus seems to contradict Himself is saying,"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth, I came not to send peace, but a sword. He was saying He did not come to bring peace at any price.

ILLUS:

The Gospel message of the Death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that by believing in Christ one can have eternal life, is first always preceded by the acknowledgement of that we are all sinners and need salvation.

Folks that causes strife. Many people will die in their sins and spend eternity in Hell because they will not deal with the strife the truth causes. Yet once received, peace, eternal peace. Many say, I do not want to offend anyone who isn't a believer. That is not the statement of a true peacemaker.

3. A true peacemaker uses truth, which is the only thing that brings true peace.

ILLUS:

Is it right say to a person who believes in a false religion. It's OK, you believe your way, I'll believe mine...we are all working for the same thing aren't we?" I am compromising the truth for the sake of a like of conflict between our believes. That is not being peacemaker. I can not be at peace with false doctrine, churches who teach it, preachers who preach it or believers who believe it.

We are naturally at odd aren't we?

It is interesting to note that believers in Christ are the most persecuted people on earth. The Jews are not. They lost 6 million in the horror of W.W.II. Since the time of Christ it is estimated by some, 40.000.000 Christians have died for their belief in the Word of God and Jesus Christ as their Saviour. It is natural for those who uncompromisingly hold to the truth, to be at odds with those who do compromise.

UNDERSTAND PEACE HAS A PRICE-THAT PRICE IS BEING RECONCILED TO TRUTH.

For the sinner: He is a sinner! No one likes that! To the Person who believes church membership will get him to heaven. To the Person working, thinking his good works will get him to heaven. OR: Baptism, belonging to some fraternal organisation that supports charities.

ILLUS:

A bishop in a liberal fashionable church under pressure from his congregation not to offend anyone said, Brethren, unless you repent( in some measure) and be converted (as it were), you will I regret to say, to damned (to some degree). Watering it down and making it palatable to the congregation does not change the reality and fact of Hell. It does however make it easier for people to ignore or put the matter out of their minds. A Preacher who often spoke on sin and minced no words about it was approached by a one of his deacons. He said preacher we wish you would not speak so plainly about sin. You are offending some folks. Call it something else, as an inhibition or error" or a mistake, or even a twist of our nature." The preacher replied I understand fully,"He then went out of the room and returned with a bottle. This bottle he said contains synide, you will see the label says DANGER _ POISON!!, Would you suggest that I label it Wintergreen"???

The more harmless the label, the more dangerous the dose will be.

Luke 12:51-53. READ "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth?"

Some have said to me over the years, you are too narrow in your Beliefs! I have always been since I was saved quite explicit and unbending in my belief of God's word and in my preaching and teaching it. I became the pastor of a Christian church, which I was told was totally baptistic, (which means is based its beliefs on the Bible), When I found it was not I left.

We should find a common ground and discover and emphasise what we agree on.

EXAMPLE:

I would agree with anyone that a person should treat his neighbour right and be charitable to everyone. BUT I would disagree this will get one to heaven. Should you or I, for the sake of peace, agree to the first and ignore the second?

Folks, if the Bible is true, then we have the revealed truth. It is not my truth, or someone else's truth, but God's pure truth. Then if I have the truth, which shall make me free, why should I not make a stand for truth. Am I truly showing love and caring for others when I refuse to tell the the truth to avoid possible conflict?

ILLUS:

Should I not proclaim that salvation is the free gift of God, apart from works, churches, ritual, and all the man made religion? Should I not love my neighbour enough to tell him or her the true. If they are deceived into believing they will get to heaven by being good, shouldn't I lovingly teach and tell them the true?

D. Biblical peacemakers are not easy going people, who go around trying to smooth out conflict, who do not make waves. A true peacemaker is a person who loves the truth and faithfully proclaims it in love and concern for the souls of others. He does so because he knows the only source of true peace is being in harmony with God which means living uncompromisingly by the word of God. The is no peace when false doctrine and error are taught. If you refuse to share the truth with someone who believes a lie for the sake of so called peace.....that's a cop out.

That is not peace, but a truce. To bring God's peace is to bring truth and that will bring true lasting, eternal peace.

II. What does the true Peacemaker do?

A. The true peacemaker helps men to make peace with God. The conflicts of men are temporal, the Conflict with God that is not settled ends in eternal damnation.

B. However, before one can lead others to know the peace of God they themselves must have the peace of God.

1. That means trust Christ as your Saviour and become a Christian.

2. Next, you must be in fellowship with God yourself. Sin in the life of a Christian, hinders and breaks fellowship with God.

3. True peace comes from having and living a life of righteousness before the Lord. That means confession of sin. I am not talking about, doing good works and outward acts, I talking about confessing sin, fighting sin in your life and yielding to the power of the Holy Spirit.

III. What happens if I am a peace maker?

A. The word "sons" is not children, but the for a son. It is the word "hu i oi" which means a place of dignity and honour.

B. If you are a Christian and you are not a true peacemaker, then you are in sin. You need to honestly examine yourself and come into agreement with you Lord. If you have no desire to be a peacemaker, no love of truth, no desire to see folks free from error, to see people come out of their sin and false beliefs and receive the pure truth of God.. then it is doubtful you really know the Lord. The place of honour, reward and dignity is reserved for those who are carriers of the message of Truth. Zech 2:8, calls the sons of God, the apple of his eye. However, it is really referring to the pupil of the eye. When some thing comes toward you eye you protect it, God does the same.

God is the only source of true peace and those who are His sons are the bears of that peace. The natural state of things on earth is to be at odds one with the other. The true child of God, helps bring about peace by help folks come to Christ. He loves Truth and will not compromise it. He loves that truth and wants all men to come to the knowledge and acceptance of truth.

CONCLUSION:

1. Are you at peace with God? Are you depending on works God has already spoken. Do you become offended at the mention of Hell and of eternal damnation that is reserved for the unsaved who reject God and His grace? If you are, then you are not at peace nor able to come to a place of peace. Your unforgiven sin and separation from God will always be a thorn in your side unless you come to the only source of peace and receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour.

2. This peace will also allude a Christian who allows unconfess sin to remain in their lives. God has made it normal for He and the believer to be in fellowship. When that fellowship is broken by sin, then fellowship with our Lord is broken and there is no peace apart from Him.