WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:16.800 I'm sure there's a, in the vast, vast majority of people, there's a desire for peace. It is one of the things that I would say nations crave, communities crave, people crave. 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:41.280 We know that there's violence in our land. We know of all these things, but the vast majority of people all around the world long for peace. And I think it's one of the things that really struck me and would have struck you with regard to the Queen's passing and the subsequent days, and particularly the funeral, was the amazing sense of peace that seemed to prevail. 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:54.579 And I think that was very reflective of the kind of person that she was, because it's very evident that in her life, she was somebody that always wanted to promote peace. 00:00:54.660 --> 00:00:59.400 There wasn't always peace around her, but she did what she could to promote it. 00:00:59.400 --> 00:01:10.359 And that, of course, is what every child of God ought to be about, is promoting peace. And I think that was reflected very much in these days. 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:24.040 Now, as we see here, Jesus, his teaching was quite revolutionary. If we had lived in the days of Jesus, we would have been absolutely amazed to hear him preach. 00:01:24.040 --> 00:01:32.960 Because, as it says elsewhere, he taught not like the scribes or the Pharisees. He taught as one having authority. 00:01:33.500 --> 00:01:45.060 Because the teaching of the scribes and the religious leaders was very dry and dead, and it was all bound up in externals and these sort of things. 00:01:45.060 --> 00:01:56.100 Whereas, when Jesus came, he taught in a way that grabbed people's attention, and his teaching was really radical, and it was revolutionary. 00:01:56.939 --> 00:02:05.520 And that's, of course, what it says, that he taught not like the scribes and the Pharisees, but he taught as one having authority. 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:18.180 Now, of course, the great message that Jesus preached to us about the kingdom, that's what it tells us there, that he brought the message of the kingdom. 00:02:18.599 --> 00:02:26.599 That's what it says in verse 23, and he went throughout all Galilee, teaching their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. 00:02:26.599 --> 00:02:31.840 And, of course, that's the great message. It's part of the Lord's prayer. 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:41.500 Thy kingdom come. It's something that you and I should be constantly praying for, is the extension of the kingdom of God. 00:02:42.180 --> 00:02:50.000 And, of course, we find it quite difficult, in a sense, to understand what the kingdom of God is really like. 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:57.080 Because we're used, when we talk of a kingdom, we live in the United Kingdom, and we're able to understand that. 00:02:57.180 --> 00:03:04.879 We can see it as a sort of geographical location, and we live in the northwest, we could say, of the United Kingdom. 00:03:05.419 --> 00:03:13.360 So, we often tend to think of kingdoms regarding geographical locations, but the kingdom of God is different. 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:19.460 The kingdom of God, its location is within the heart of people. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:24.180 The kingdom of God, as the Bible says, is within you. 00:03:25.300 --> 00:03:35.080 And, in a sense, that's what makes the kingdom of God so unspectacular in this world, as opposed to the kingdoms of this world. 00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:50.800 Because, as we saw at the Queen's funeral in the United Kingdom, and so often it is highlighted that there are very few places in the world that can do the whole pageantry and the way that things operate. 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:58.880 It's so sort of, it's done almost with military precision, and there's so much goes into it. 00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:07.359 And the glories of this world are often so spectacular, they're eye-catching, they catch the whole imagination. 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:25.040 But then, when you come to the kingdom of God, it seems so unspectacular, because the kingdom of God is seen in people like you and like me, who are often inconsistent, who often fail, who often make mistakes. 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:38.580 And yes, there are, as it says there in verse 16, that we're asked, in the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who's in heaven. 00:04:38.960 --> 00:04:40.800 And that's your prayer and my prayer. 00:04:41.300 --> 00:04:46.820 Since the day we came to faith, it's something we often say, Lord, may your light shine through me. 00:04:46.819 --> 00:04:55.120 But so often, we find ourselves maybe at the end of the day and saying, Lord, forgive me, I've been really a poor witness. 00:04:56.000 --> 00:05:06.159 And we keep thinking, if this is, if I'm a representative of the Lord's kingdom, if I'm an ambassador for Christ, I haven't been a very good ambassador today. 00:05:06.159 --> 00:05:15.879 And so that's why the kingdom of God can sometimes appear so unspectacular as opposed to the glories of the kingdom of this world. 00:05:15.879 --> 00:05:17.480 But that's all going to change. 00:05:18.339 --> 00:05:29.120 Because at the end of the day, when the Lord returns and when he brings all his people home, the glory of the kingdom, of God's kingdom will be seen. 00:05:29.579 --> 00:05:33.719 And it will outshine any glory that was ever seen in this world. 00:05:34.379 --> 00:05:37.079 Because the church will be all glorious within. 00:05:37.079 --> 00:05:46.000 And tonight, you may feel very stained and impure and deceitful and all kinds of things come that day. 00:05:46.359 --> 00:05:51.399 Tells us the king's daughter is all glorious within. 00:05:51.399 --> 00:05:54.679 That's how it will be for every single believer. 00:05:55.060 --> 00:05:56.439 All glorious within. 00:05:57.120 --> 00:06:01.519 Reflecting the glory and the majesty of their saviour, the mediator. 00:06:02.379 --> 00:06:07.659 And if we ever want to think of that, just think for a moment of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. 00:06:08.519 --> 00:06:12.199 Remember how his whole being began to shine. 00:06:12.199 --> 00:06:16.479 And there was this awesome display. 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:21.019 It's like who he was broke through for a moment. 00:06:21.639 --> 00:06:27.459 And it was this dazzling brilliance that was virtually blinding. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:31.159 It was too much for Peter, James, and John. 00:06:31.819 --> 00:06:35.959 But that's a glory that we will reflect in glory. 00:06:35.959 --> 00:06:41.839 And so that's a great future that waits for all the people of God. 00:06:42.759 --> 00:06:45.519 So Jesus' teaching was all about the kingdom. 00:06:45.779 --> 00:06:48.219 And of course, it was radical. 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:53.919 It was different because he was teaching things that up until this point they hadn't understood. 00:06:54.579 --> 00:06:59.060 And back then, they always thought that the kingdom would be a physical kingdom. 00:06:59.259 --> 00:07:02.639 It would be a geographical kingdom. 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:07.740 They weren't grasping that primarily it was going to be a spiritual kingdom. 00:07:08.620 --> 00:07:16.560 And so Jesus here, he gives in what we know as the Beatitudes, he begins by teaching in these things. 00:07:17.039 --> 00:07:24.060 He gives characteristics of the Christian and the impact that the Christian has in life. 00:07:24.699 --> 00:07:31.099 And so he says here, blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. 00:07:31.100 --> 00:07:36.200 And as we say, people by and large do want peace. 00:07:36.960 --> 00:07:44.900 And I know that the way it is just now in the world, if there's anything that we would love to see is peace come in Ukraine. 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:48.340 And we would say to ourselves, how is that going to be possible? 00:07:48.339 --> 00:07:56.419 Because there's so much anger, there's been so much hatred and so much violence and so many atrocities. 00:07:57.060 --> 00:08:04.359 And sometimes you say to yourself, supposing right now they went round a table to try and thrash out. 00:08:05.039 --> 00:08:07.979 So many families have been devastated. 00:08:08.199 --> 00:08:11.620 There's so much anger lying there. 00:08:11.620 --> 00:08:15.100 And you say to yourself, how will peace ever become possible? 00:08:15.620 --> 00:08:24.079 But throughout the history of the world, we know that peace has often been possible, where war has been brought to an end and peace has come in. 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:32.559 And we know that down throughout the years, there have been movements that have tried to capture the whole idea of peace. 00:08:33.100 --> 00:08:41.539 Remember in the 60s, there was a great hippie dream of this whole movement of peace and living all together as one. 00:08:41.539 --> 00:08:55.159 And in a sense, you'd say to yourself, it was a great idea, but it was bound to fail because it wasn't based on Christ, who is the basis, the source of peace. 00:08:55.779 --> 00:08:59.240 And in fact, it became very degrading, the whole thing. 00:08:59.819 --> 00:09:03.919 But it reflected the kind of idea that's in people's hearts, people's minds. 00:09:04.099 --> 00:09:09.579 It's a love to have peace, love to have a world of unity where we're all together. 00:09:09.580 --> 00:09:22.820 But no matter how we try, no matter what we do, if we're not grounded in the one who is the foundational root of peace, then that peace is going to fail. 00:09:23.639 --> 00:09:32.540 And so that's why we find that Jesus has come into this world because the human race is not at peace with God. 00:09:33.060 --> 00:09:38.980 That's a fundamental problem, is that everything about us is opposed to God. 00:09:38.980 --> 00:09:50.340 All our inclinations naturally, our attitudes, our appetites, all these things naturally are not what God shows us in the word. 00:09:50.340 --> 00:10:02.980 Because when you go to, say, for instance, in Galatians, and it gives us evidence of the flesh and the spirit, and you can see how they're contrary one to the other. 00:10:04.280 --> 00:10:07.280 And yet, that's how naturally we are. 00:10:07.639 --> 00:10:09.340 We're on the run from God. 00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:10.379 We're haters of God. 00:10:10.540 --> 00:10:13.500 The Bible is very, very blunt. 00:10:13.879 --> 00:10:18.780 It tells us that we're haters of God, that we're rebels, that we're enemies. 00:10:18.779 --> 00:10:25.259 And so it's God who has come to deal with our rebellion, with our hatred. 00:10:25.959 --> 00:10:31.839 And we cannot have true peace until first we are made right with God. 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:42.079 And, of course, that's what Jesus did, that he came and he died in order to reconcile us to God, in order to bring us to God. 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:43.420 It's the only way possible. 00:10:43.620 --> 00:10:46.460 He is, as we know, the Prince of Peace. 00:10:47.220 --> 00:10:54.639 And, of course, we know that the great thing is that God's justice wasn't in any way compromised. 00:10:54.639 --> 00:11:00.899 Because God, God as God couldn't just look down and say, right, you know what, I'm going to forgive everybody. 00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:02.299 I'm going to just turn. 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:04.259 Because God can't do that. 00:11:04.740 --> 00:11:07.139 He is consistent to himself all the time. 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:12.379 And he cannot look upon sin or tolerate sin. 00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:15.080 He cannot turn a blind eye to it. 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:16.639 He has to deal with it. 00:11:16.639 --> 00:11:22.639 And that's why Jesus came to deal with our sin. 00:11:23.259 --> 00:11:24.600 He took our place. 00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:26.720 God wounded him. 00:11:26.899 --> 00:11:27.960 God bruised him. 00:11:28.279 --> 00:11:35.179 The Father poured out his wrath and his anger upon his son in order that we may be healed. 00:11:35.980 --> 00:11:40.639 And that's how we come to this place of reconciliation. 00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:49.939 So before there can ever be peace, really, in this world, there, first of all, has to be reconciliation with God. 00:11:50.340 --> 00:11:59.080 And you and I know ourselves that that's one of the great things that came into our life when we came to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:11:59.439 --> 00:12:00.519 I've said it before here. 00:12:01.620 --> 00:12:08.159 People said, I remember people asking, when I became a Christian, what do you have that you didn't have before? 00:12:08.159 --> 00:12:10.259 And there was a lot I couldn't explain. 00:12:10.459 --> 00:12:12.059 I'm sure a lot of you are like that. 00:12:12.139 --> 00:12:15.919 Sometimes when people would say, you know, how is it as a Christian? 00:12:16.319 --> 00:12:18.860 You might find it quite difficult to explain. 00:12:18.980 --> 00:12:24.459 But the one thing I could say is, you know, I have a peace I never had before. 00:12:25.639 --> 00:12:27.120 And that is true. 00:12:27.219 --> 00:12:36.120 There's an inner peace that begins to fill our heart because we are now right with God. 00:12:36.120 --> 00:12:38.039 Beforehand, we weren't. 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:42.100 We were running like we started running with Adam in the garden. 00:12:42.580 --> 00:12:45.299 Adam began to run away from God in the garden. 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:47.320 And we joined that run with Adam. 00:12:47.620 --> 00:12:52.519 We were running too until God came into our lives and turned us around. 00:12:52.940 --> 00:12:56.500 So we stopped running away and we started running too. 00:12:56.659 --> 00:12:57.360 Everybody's running. 00:12:57.440 --> 00:12:58.159 We've said it before. 00:12:58.620 --> 00:13:00.259 Everybody's running one way or the other. 00:13:00.360 --> 00:13:01.440 There's only two ways to run. 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:05.900 Everybody's either running to God or running away from God. 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:11.780 And once we came to faith in Jesus Christ, we began to run to God. 00:13:12.560 --> 00:13:13.780 And that's where the peace is. 00:13:14.460 --> 00:13:22.800 We don't have that fear, that fearful sense of, you know, sometimes you realize, oh, I'm 00:13:22.800 --> 00:13:24.840 out of, I'm not in a good place. 00:13:24.840 --> 00:13:26.940 If I die, I'm lost. 00:13:27.240 --> 00:13:30.700 You could feel there was this, that you weren't right with God. 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:32.580 Now you feel right with God. 00:13:33.580 --> 00:13:39.360 And that's the beauty of, it's the beauty of, of, of being a Christian is that even when 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:45.220 you sin, instead of running away as you did in the past, trying to bury your head and 00:13:45.220 --> 00:13:47.600 say, oh, I don't want to, don't want to face up to this. 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:53.540 You want to face up and you go to the Lord and say, Lord, I've really let you down. 00:13:53.960 --> 00:13:56.620 I messed it up a bit, but oh Lord, forgive me. 00:13:56.779 --> 00:13:57.720 That's what we do. 00:13:58.080 --> 00:13:59.500 It's like, that's what David did. 00:13:59.879 --> 00:14:04.100 Psalm 51, when he messed up big style, he didn't run away. 00:14:04.540 --> 00:14:08.620 He went straight to the Lord when he began to realize what he had done. 00:14:09.420 --> 00:14:10.519 And that's a wonder of it. 00:14:10.540 --> 00:14:12.500 That's what, what we do as well. 00:14:12.759 --> 00:14:16.320 And that's as a result of the peace that is now there. 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:23.960 So the question we have to ask is if we are told to be peacemakers, how do we go about 00:14:23.960 --> 00:14:24.680 doing that? 00:14:24.760 --> 00:14:29.080 Now, as we said, obviously, the first thing is that we ourselves must first come to that 00:14:29.080 --> 00:14:36.660 peace, but it isn't sufficient that we are simply, that we simply come to peace with God. 00:14:37.300 --> 00:14:45.160 The Bible tells us here that it is our duty to be peacemakers as much as is possible with 00:14:45.160 --> 00:14:45.420 us. 00:14:46.320 --> 00:14:54.000 And that means that we have to try and live our lives by God's grace to live at peace with 00:14:54.000 --> 00:15:00.680 everybody as much as it is possible for us in our own home, in our place of work, in our 00:15:00.680 --> 00:15:05.680 community, wherever we are, we are to seek to live at peace with others. 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:10.620 And that means that quite often we have to put ourselves out. 00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:15.120 It means quite often that we have to swallow pride. 00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:20.139 It means that sometimes it's going to be very, very difficult for us. 00:15:20.740 --> 00:15:22.860 But we've always got to think of our duty. 00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:24.940 We've got to think of the greater good. 00:15:25.259 --> 00:15:29.879 We've got to think of this command that is given or this statement that is making, which 00:15:29.879 --> 00:15:35.840 is one of the great characteristics of the life of the Christian, that you and I are to 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:36.580 be peacemakers. 00:15:36.580 --> 00:15:43.580 We are to live a life of peace as much as is possible in our church, in our home, in our 00:15:43.580 --> 00:15:46.700 community at all times. 00:15:46.700 --> 00:15:53.100 And of course, as we know, peace is one of the great characteristics of the Christian 00:15:53.100 --> 00:15:53.540 life. 00:15:54.700 --> 00:15:58.340 And, you know, it's quite a thought. 00:15:58.340 --> 00:16:08.280 But the world that is so opposed to the Christian often owes the peace that is in the world to 00:16:08.280 --> 00:16:08.820 the Christian. 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:10.100 They don't realize it. 00:16:11.560 --> 00:16:18.340 This world, it won't, people say a hell on earth, it's never a hell on earth, because God's 00:16:18.340 --> 00:16:20.139 mercy is still in the world. 00:16:20.740 --> 00:16:22.500 God's grace is still in the world. 00:16:22.500 --> 00:16:31.299 But it would resemble more of hell, where the Christians to be taken away. 00:16:32.600 --> 00:16:35.740 God preserves because of the Christian. 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:40.039 God withholds his judgment because of the Christian. 00:16:40.299 --> 00:16:42.039 Classic example of that is Sodom. 00:16:43.340 --> 00:16:46.039 Remember when Abraham was praying for Sodom? 00:16:46.039 --> 00:16:52.159 And Abraham said he was so wanting Lot to be safe. 00:16:52.219 --> 00:16:57.559 And he said to the Lord, Lord, if there's 50, imagine, Lord, if there's 50 righteous people 00:16:57.559 --> 00:16:58.740 there, will you destroy? 00:16:58.860 --> 00:16:59.759 No, he said, I won't. 00:17:00.539 --> 00:17:03.339 And remember, he came down, 45, 40 down. 00:17:03.740 --> 00:17:05.379 And he came all the way to 10. 00:17:06.619 --> 00:17:10.559 Lord, will you destroy Sodom if there's 10 righteous people? 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:12.019 Lord said, no, I won't. 00:17:13.539 --> 00:17:14.460 Isn't that incredible? 00:17:14.460 --> 00:17:17.160 And then we have the command. 00:17:17.319 --> 00:17:20.840 Remember the angels who were trying to push Lot out? 00:17:21.640 --> 00:17:27.680 And they said, hurry up, for we can't do anything until you're out. 00:17:28.680 --> 00:17:29.620 Isn't that extraordinary? 00:17:30.980 --> 00:17:39.160 It's like the Lord's judgment is being held back until righteous Lot is out of Sodom. 00:17:39.539 --> 00:17:42.140 And that's a picture of what's happening in this world. 00:17:42.140 --> 00:17:45.060 And the unbelieving world don't get it. 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:52.800 They don't understand that often God's judgment has been kept back because of his people. 00:17:54.100 --> 00:17:59.780 And there are many today would love to eradicate the Christian, not realizing that in doing so, 00:18:00.280 --> 00:18:07.259 they would be opening themselves up to a judgment they haven't any understanding of. 00:18:07.259 --> 00:18:12.160 But the Christian is, as we say, is required to be a peacemaker. 00:18:12.539 --> 00:18:13.539 So how do we do that? 00:18:13.640 --> 00:18:20.359 Well, I would say that one of the things we have to do is that we need to pray for those who are in authority. 00:18:20.819 --> 00:18:23.519 We had both our brothers tonight. 00:18:23.640 --> 00:18:25.059 We're doing just that very thing. 00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:26.599 Remember what it says? 00:18:26.599 --> 00:18:34.219 I exhort that supplication and prayers and intercession with the giving of thanks be made for all, but particularly those in authority. 00:18:35.299 --> 00:18:35.719 Why? 00:18:36.419 --> 00:18:43.079 In order that we may lead quiet and a peaceable life in godliness. 00:18:43.079 --> 00:18:45.220 Isn't that wonderful? 00:18:46.240 --> 00:19:00.399 So we have this obligation upon us to pray for those who are in authority over us, whether it's in royalty, whether it's in government, whether that's national government or local government. 00:19:01.240 --> 00:19:07.960 The Christian church really has to be praying in order that we will live peaceable lives. 00:19:08.199 --> 00:19:09.859 That's going to be the outcome of it. 00:19:09.859 --> 00:19:16.439 And so you can see what a duty, because if the Christian doesn't pray, nobody else is going to pray. 00:19:17.659 --> 00:19:26.939 And so often when you come to the scripture and look at it, you think, you know, the responsibility of the well-being of the land is not so much in the government. 00:19:27.439 --> 00:19:28.979 It's more in the Christian church. 00:19:28.980 --> 00:19:41.920 Because remember how the Lord says, you know, back there, if my people who are called by my name, if they repent, I will heal the land. 00:19:42.599 --> 00:19:48.019 So the obligation is not upon the rulers and authorities, but upon God's people. 00:19:48.019 --> 00:20:01.359 So you see, we have a huge obligation and a huge responsibility for the good, the welfare of our land to be praying for those who are in authority over us. 00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:08.019 And I believe that when, like, for instance, when the Iron Curtain came down back, was it 91? 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:16.319 I can't remember exactly when the whole thing overturned by around about then, was it? 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:25.039 I believe that that was in response to the praying of the persecuted church. 00:20:25.679 --> 00:20:30.939 Because the persecuted church behind the Iron Curtain was a powerful church. 00:20:31.259 --> 00:20:33.980 Yes, a church that was soaked in blood. 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:39.879 And a church that was soaked or found themselves imprisoned and silenced so often. 00:20:39.880 --> 00:20:45.660 But their cries went to heaven in order that the Lord would break down. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:47.440 And the Lord did break down. 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:53.000 And so it's important that we take seriously this for peacemaking. 00:20:54.340 --> 00:21:02.780 Again, we ought to be praying when God's judgments are abroad, when God's judgments are threatening. 00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:05.980 Moses is a classic example of that. 00:21:06.620 --> 00:21:09.040 God said to Moses, he said, you know what I'm going to do? 00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:10.460 I'm going to wipe out Israel. 00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:12.500 And I'm going to make a nation of you. 00:21:12.680 --> 00:21:14.180 I'm going to start all over again. 00:21:15.259 --> 00:21:17.159 Did Moses say, oh, that's okay, Lord? 00:21:17.220 --> 00:21:17.440 No. 00:21:17.980 --> 00:21:23.359 We find Moses, he's pleading and pleading and pleading before the Lord. 00:21:24.759 --> 00:21:27.359 That in wrath, the Lord would remember mercy. 00:21:27.460 --> 00:21:28.200 And the Lord did. 00:21:28.579 --> 00:21:30.000 The Lord heard his cry. 00:21:31.159 --> 00:21:35.240 And it is incumbent upon us, too, that we cry to the Lord. 00:21:35.440 --> 00:21:37.259 Because his judgments are abroad. 00:21:37.259 --> 00:21:41.140 And in doing so, then we truly, we are peacemakers. 00:21:41.140 --> 00:21:46.840 And again, we have to pray for the salvation of everyone. 00:21:47.380 --> 00:21:48.520 That's what we should be doing. 00:21:48.820 --> 00:21:58.400 Because it's only then, when a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ, that they will really know the peace of God for themselves. 00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:08.880 And so we have to be praying that the Lord will change people's lives and change people's hearts. 00:22:09.240 --> 00:22:11.519 That the Prince of Peace, that's who Christ is. 00:22:11.600 --> 00:22:16.660 That the Prince of Peace would come to rule and to reign in people's lives. 00:22:16.660 --> 00:22:22.920 You know, you might say to yourself, you might be thinking about your neighbors and so on. 00:22:22.980 --> 00:22:27.620 And you say, I would love that they would become Christians. 00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:29.660 But, you know, I don't think it's possible. 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:38.640 You know, sometimes we have, we make out in our own mind who we think the Lord is going to be able to save or who he maybe won't be able to save. 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:44.360 But we've got to remember that none of us, none of us should be saved. 00:22:44.420 --> 00:22:45.960 None of us can be saved naturally. 00:22:46.700 --> 00:22:48.180 But the Lord can save anybody. 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:52.820 And the church is full of people that maybe others wrote off. 00:22:53.940 --> 00:22:54.740 You pray. 00:22:55.340 --> 00:22:56.340 I need to pray. 00:22:57.040 --> 00:23:00.060 Pray for those who are outside Christ in your family. 00:23:00.660 --> 00:23:03.020 Pray for those who are outside Christ in your street. 00:23:03.240 --> 00:23:07.800 Pray for those who are outside Christ in the neighborhood, at work, wherever. 00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:12.020 Because it's your obligations, your responsibility. 00:23:12.620 --> 00:23:16.500 It's your privilege as a peacemaker to be praying for them. 00:23:17.420 --> 00:23:20.960 And then we see the great promise that is given just in a word. 00:23:21.520 --> 00:23:27.160 We're told here, blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 00:23:27.520 --> 00:23:28.220 It's not great. 00:23:28.620 --> 00:23:31.020 Born again, you become a son of God. 00:23:32.080 --> 00:23:33.900 Born into the family of God. 00:23:33.900 --> 00:23:40.500 A new home, new family, new brothers, new sisters, new privileges, new status. 00:23:41.880 --> 00:23:51.960 You know, it's one of the wonderful things where we begin to reflect our heavenly father as is revealed in Jesus Christ. 00:23:51.960 --> 00:23:57.940 You know, sometimes a person is converted and they haven't told anybody, right? 00:24:00.100 --> 00:24:04.779 It's happened quite often with myself and I remember way back. 00:24:04.940 --> 00:24:10.180 And seeing a difference in a person and wondering what had happened. 00:24:10.180 --> 00:24:13.200 And then discovering they'd become a Christian. 00:24:14.100 --> 00:24:19.380 Because there was a change had become obvious in their lives. 00:24:19.880 --> 00:24:24.660 But you know that that change should become a marked change. 00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:29.799 Because we ought to be reflecting the Lord whom we serve. 00:24:29.799 --> 00:24:36.159 You know how children will often pick up. 00:24:36.480 --> 00:24:39.740 It's not something that they just pick up. 00:24:40.019 --> 00:24:42.399 It's something they're oblivious to. 00:24:43.059 --> 00:24:47.980 But very often they have the mannerisms and things from parents. 00:24:48.740 --> 00:24:49.599 They might walk. 00:24:51.079 --> 00:24:53.779 A son might walk like his mother or his father. 00:24:53.779 --> 00:24:55.259 Or they might talk. 00:24:55.359 --> 00:24:56.639 They might do certain things. 00:24:56.759 --> 00:24:58.879 And you'd say, well, that's so like. 00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:00.619 And so it should be. 00:25:01.099 --> 00:25:02.940 Because that's who they are. 00:25:03.099 --> 00:25:06.559 They've come from and they pick up their ways. 00:25:06.639 --> 00:25:10.920 They pick up mannerisms and characteristics and resemblances. 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:13.079 That's what family do. 00:25:14.099 --> 00:25:18.019 And so it should be with regard to our father in heaven. 00:25:18.019 --> 00:25:20.220 We ought to be reflecting. 00:25:21.059 --> 00:25:23.480 And the mannerisms and the characteristics. 00:25:24.700 --> 00:25:30.700 And who he is ought to be displayed more and more in who we are. 00:25:31.379 --> 00:25:33.000 So that should be our prayer. 00:25:33.740 --> 00:25:40.839 And you know, the more you reflect Jesus, the greater the peacemaker you will be in this world. 00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:41.859 Be assured of it. 00:25:41.859 --> 00:25:50.219 The more you live like Jesus, the more your impact for good will be in this world. 00:25:50.559 --> 00:25:50.939 Let's pray. 00:25:51.559 --> 00:25:57.240 Lord, our God, we give thanks that you work in us often when we don't realize. 00:25:58.379 --> 00:26:01.859 We give thanks, Lord, that you know what you're doing even when we don't. 00:26:02.699 --> 00:26:05.459 And we give thanks that you have a great goal in view. 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:07.479 A great end in view. 00:26:07.480 --> 00:26:11.220 And we give thanks, O Lord, that you are working in us. 00:26:11.779 --> 00:26:14.180 Working all things together for good. 00:26:14.740 --> 00:26:16.180 And for your own glory. 00:26:17.039 --> 00:26:20.180 Lord, help us to be willing to be servants for you. 00:26:20.759 --> 00:26:23.140 Help us, Lord, to be ambassadors for Christ. 00:26:23.839 --> 00:26:25.460 And help us to be peacemakers. 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:31.660 So that wherever we are, that we will seek to resemble the Prince of Peace. 00:26:32.120 --> 00:26:33.779 The Lord Jesus Christ. 00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:37.319 Watch over us, we pray, taking us to our home safely. 00:26:37.880 --> 00:26:40.579 Do us good and cleanse us in the blood, we pray. 00:26:40.860 --> 00:26:41.920 In Jesus' name. 00:26:42.160 --> 00:26:42.480 Amen. 00:26:44.140 --> 00:26:48.339 We're going to conclude singing from Psalm 133 in the Scottish Psalter. 00:26:48.839 --> 00:26:52.400 Psalm 133 in the Scottish Psalter. 00:26:52.400 --> 00:27:07.780 Behold, how good a thing it is, and how, becoming well, together such as brethren are in unity to dwell. 00:27:07.779 --> 00:27:12.059 Like precious ointment on the head that down the bearded flow. 00:27:12.559 --> 00:27:16.119 Even Aaron's beard unto the skirt stood of his garments go. 00:27:16.700 --> 00:27:20.720 As Hermon's Jew, the Jew that doth on Zion hills descend. 00:27:20.720 --> 00:27:23.480 For there the blessing God commands. 00:27:23.480 --> 00:27:25.420 Life that shall never end. 00:27:25.500 --> 00:27:27.180 Psalm 133, the whole psalm. 00:27:27.500 --> 00:27:29.079 Behold, how good a thing it is. 00:27:29.079 --> 00:27:38.460 Behold, how good a thing it is. 00:27:38.460 --> 00:27:45.460 In an army coming well. 00:27:45.460 --> 00:27:58.779 Together such as brethren are in unity to dwell. 00:27:58.779 --> 00:28:05.779 In unity to dwell. 00:28:05.779 --> 00:28:20.759 Like precious ointment on the head that down the bearded flow. 00:28:20.759 --> 00:28:27.460 He did not fear down to the skirt. 00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:33.900 Did all his garments go. 00:28:33.900 --> 00:28:40.720 Did all his garments go. 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:41.720 Like precious ointment on the head that down the bearded flow. 00:28:41.720 --> 00:28:54.720 A servant to the Jew that doth on Zion hills descend. 00:28:54.720 --> 00:29:01.720 For there the blessing God commands. 00:29:01.720 --> 00:29:08.720 Life that shall never end. 00:29:08.720 --> 00:29:15.720 Like precious ointment on the head that down the bearded flow. 00:29:15.720 --> 00:29:16.720 Amen. 00:29:16.720 --> 00:29:21.720 Now may the grace, mercy, and peace of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit 00:29:21.720 --> 00:29:24.720 rest and abide upon each one of you now and forevermore. 00:29:24.720 --> 00:29:25.720 Amen.