Well, good morning. It's good to see you all. Will you join me in prayer as we go to God's Word?
O Lord, this morning we come to your Word.
Lord, I pray this morning that we would tremble before it.
Lord, your thoughts are not our thoughts and your ways are not our ways.
Lord, how much we need to learn from you.
O Lord, have mercy on us this morning.
As we look into your Word, God, give us humble hearts.
Lord, help us to submit to your Word.
And by your Spirit, will you search our hearts to help us see if there be any wicked way in us.
Lord, I pray that for me this morning.
And Lord, I pray that the truth of your Word, by the power of your Spirit,
would move us to know you more and to be like you.
We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen.
He's a chip off the old block, so the saying goes.
Meaning, he's kind of like where he came from.
Literally, this phrase comes from back in the 1600s,
the idea that a chip off of a block of wood or stone would be made of the same substance
and have the same character.
And it is often used to describe a family resemblance.
I have been told that my family has a strong family resemblance.
You can see it in baby photos.
If you look at my grandfather's baby photo and my brother's baby photo
and my nephew's baby photos,
they have remarkable similarities to them.
My mom used to say that when we would call her on the phone,
she would pick up the phone and we would say,
Hi, Mom.
And this was before cell phones and caller ID.
So she would often have to say,
Hello, it's good to hear from you.
Now, which one are you?
Because she didn't know.
Because we sound alike.
And rumor has it that though my brothers and I
don't physically resemble each other that much,
when the four of us together,
everyone says,
Oh, yeah, they're brothers.
They sure are.
The Bible has a similar language
to describe this family resemblance,
and it's the language of the son of.
So in Matthew 8, verse 12,
Jesus talks about sons of the kingdom,
those who resemble the kingdom.
In Matthew 9, 15,
the ESV will use the words wedding guests
to describe the sons of the wedding hall,
which is a very interesting phrase.
In Matthew 13, Jesus will talk about and contrast the sons of the kingdom
and the sons of the evil one.
And later in Matthew 23,
he will say,
The sons of those who killed the prophets.
Now, let's just be clear.
This is not a gendered term in the way it's being used.
This is a resemblance term.
This is sonship in the first century would be the characteristic family resemblance relationship.
We can broaden it to just say children,
but I want you to understand how the Bible communicates this idea of family resemblance.
And it raises a question for us today.
As the church of Jesus,
whose son do we look like?
Do we look like the son of Jesus?
Or are we the chip off another block?
Certainly in our world today,
the public perception of the church
is that we tend to be self-righteous,
smug,
judgmental,
and maybe even more recently,
angry,
scary,
violent,
and intolerant.
Is this the Jesus that we see in the Bible?
And is this the kingdom that he proclaims?
This is what brings us to our passage this morning.
We're in the Beatitudes.
That is Matthew 5,
the first teaching section in the Gospel of Matthew,
where Jesus is explaining and expounding on what he came to do,
and particularly in this section,
what kind of kingdom he has come to bring.
And it's in contrast,
in many ways,
as we have seen over this series,
contrast to what the expectations of the day were.
And it's talking about present,
inbreaking of the kingdom,
and the future fullness of the kingdom
that he will bring
as the one who is bringing the kingdom of God.
So, this is our passage.
We're going to read Matthew 5,
verses 1 through 11.
And I didn't get the page number.
740?
759?
759.
There we go.
Thank you for your help.
759 is where it is
if you want to use the Pew Bible.
Matthew chapter 5.
I'm going to read this whole section.
We're going to be focusing on verse 9 today.
So, Matthew chapter 5,
starting in verse 1.
Seeing the crowds,
he went up on the mountain,
and when he sat down,
his disciples came to him.
And he, that is Jesus,
opened his mouth
and taught them,
saying,
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted
for righteousness' sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you,
when all others revile you
and persecute you
and utter all kinds of evil
against you falsely on my account.
This is God's word.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called
the sons of God.
To live in God's kingdom
is to be one who makes peace
like our Father in heaven.
So we're going to look at this
in three steps this morning.
First, we're going to look at
the context of peacemaking.
Secondly, we're going to look
at the meaning of peacemaking.
And finally, we're going to look
at the power of God's peacemaking.
So if you're taking notes,
there's our outline for this morning.
First, the context of peacemaking.
If you remember in the first century,
Israel was an occupied territory
by an oppressive Roman empire.
Now, the Romans wouldn't have
thought of that.
The Romans thought they were
bringing them in to bless them
and to help them be a part
of a great civilization.
But Israel probably didn't see it
that way, did they?
And particularly, there were those,
the zealots in the first century,
who were fomenting and working
towards active military rebellion.
And beyond all of this,
there seemed to be this assumption
that when God's Messiah would come,
he would bring a military conquest
to overthrow Roman rule
and to establish the kingdom of heaven.
And so there was,
at least in certain circles at least,
an expectation that the kingdom of heaven
would come with war
and with violence.
Friends, it's not that hard
to see that this is true today as well.
Certainly, we see in the world
there is much war and violence,
whether it be in Gaza
or in Ukraine
or in Myanmar
or South Sudan
or other places.
We live in a world
that has much war and violence.
Certainly, we see it in our politics.
For heaven's sakes,
a couple of weeks ago,
we had an attempted assassination
of one of the presidential candidates.
We see it in our society.
If you go to YouTube
and type in road rage incidents,
you will be there
for the rest of your life
watching YouTube videos
about road rage
and the way that it's happening
being filmed by dash cams.
We see it in our homes
as we see domestic violence increase.
And we see it even in our own hearts.
James chapter 4 verse 1
has a very insightful statement.
It says,
what causes quarrels
and what causes fights among you?
Is it not this,
that your passions
are at war within you?
You desire and do not have,
so you murder.
You covet and cannot obtain,
so you fight and quarrel.
You do not have
because you do not ask
and you do not…
you ask and do not receive
because you ask wrongly
to spend it on your passions.
Friends, peacemaking
is such a need
because our hearts
are so sinful.
We are driven by ego,
selfishness, envy.
We have a desire for power,
possessions, prestige.
We want to win.
We want to get revenge.
We want to punish.
Sometimes we experience conflict
because others come at us
with these attitudes.
Other times we initiate this
with others.
And in the midst of it,
the question is,
do we even…
even when we are
the recipients of this
and not the initiators,
do we respond
with a spirit of peacemaking?
These are the questions
that rise up in our mind
about what's the context
of peacemaking?
Is it out there in the world?
Is it here?
Is it in our hearts?
Is it in our relationships?
And I think the answer
is probably all of the above.
Interestingly,
when you look through
the New Testament,
the concept of peace
with regard to human relationships
is most often applied
to relationships
within the church
and with not easy subjects either.
Think about how much conflict
we have in our own churches
about these topics
that the Bible addresses.
So in Ephesians 2,
it talks about God
bringing peace
between ethnic divisions.
In Romans 14,
it talks about bringing peace
into situations
where people disagree theologically
and in practice
about how to deal with food
offered to idols.
In 1 Corinthians 14,
it's how to bring peace
into situations
where spiritual gifts
are getting out of control
and people want it
to be this way
or that way
and to lift themselves up
and put others down.
In 1 Thessalonians 5,
peace comes from
honoring leadership,
those who are raised up
to be servants among you.
So we need to recognize
that church,
if we are going to think
about being peacemakers,
we need to start at home
in our own church.
And I'm thankful.
I'm thankful for this church.
We have certainly had seasons
of conflict and difficulty.
But I'm thankful
for God's sustaining grace.
And I pray that God
will continue to help us
with this.
There are some other passages
that talk about peacemaking,
not just within the church,
but more broadly
as Christians in the world.
So Romans 12
is maybe the clearest one
that we see
where Paul encourages
the church there,
repay no one for evil,
for evil,
but give thought
to do what is honorable
in the sight of all.
If possible,
so far as it depends on you,
live peaceably with all.
Beloved,
never avenge yourselves,
but leave it to the wrath of God,
for it is written,
Vengeance is mine,
I will repay,
says the Lord.
And to the contrary,
if your enemy is hungry,
feed him.
If he is thirsty,
give him something to drink,
for by so doing,
you will heap burning coals
on his head.
Do not overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good.
So friends,
in the broader world,
this is our call.
This is our call
to entrust ultimate justification
to God,
ultimate vindication to God,
and to do good
and to seek peace with all
as much as we are able.
So this is the need
and this is the call
for peacemaking.
But,
you may be asking,
what is it?
What does it look like
to be a peacemaker?
Well,
it's easy to understand,
so I want to clarify
a few things.
One,
being a peacemaker
isn't seeking for inner peace
in your own heart.
Though it is true
that knowing God
brings peace in the world,
this is not about
your soul care
and inner self.
Peacemaking is about
relationships,
first and foremost,
vertically with God
and then secondarily,
horizontally with others.
In those contexts,
then,
secondly,
it is not the absence
of all conflict.
I'm just going to make
a few statements
without defending them all
because we'd be here
all morning
if I tried to,
but I don't believe
that this beatitude
calls us to pacifism,
where we would never,
ever be involved
in international war,
serving in the military,
or that sort of thing.
I don't believe
that Christians
are excluded
from those things.
Though some may have
that conviction
and I want to honor them
and give them
the freedom of conscience
in that,
I don't believe
it is the call
for all believers
in that.
Secondly,
we need to recognize
that the Bible
talks about conflict
in the fact
that we will always
have a spiritual conflict
because in Ephesians 6,
there is a conflict
in the spiritual realms
between the enemy
of our souls
and those who serve him
and us.
And so there is
spiritual warfare
that is ongoing
and we will always
be involved in it
until the end of the days.
And if you want
to know more about that,
go back and listen
to last year's sermons
on Revelation
and you'll get to see
that in full force
and we'll see all that.
But thirdly,
I want you to remember this.
These words
that Jesus spoke
in Matthew 10,
do not think
that I have come
to bring peace
to the earth.
I have not come
to bring peace
but a sword.
I have come
to set a man
against his father
and a daughter
against her mother
and a daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law
and a person's enemies
will be those
of his own household.
Whoever loves
father and mother
more than me
is not worthy of me
and whoever loves
son or daughter
more than me
is not worthy of me
and whoever does not
take up his cross
and follow me
is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life
will lose it
and whoever loses his life
for my sake
will find it.
Now,
what Jesus is really
teaching here
has to do
with the wholehearted,
singular worship
of God
above all others.
and he is addressing
what is a very human pattern
where we love
our family
more than we would love God
and we would seek
to love God
only in as much
as it wouldn't provide
conflict
of loyalties
and God
and Jesus says
that's not what it means
to follow me.
I am either Lord of all
or I'm not Lord at all.
Right?
So that's what Jesus
is saying here
but recognize
that he's acknowledging
the coming of the gospel,
the conflict
of these values
when God says
you must worship me alone,
when we live in a world
that says worship
all these other things,
there's going to be conflicts
because of those things.
So we need to recognize
that this will be true
in our world.
And yet in the midst of that,
Jesus says
blessed are the peacemakers.
So knowing that
these conflicts
will happen inevitably
if we are faithfully
following the Lord,
how do we then live
as peacemakers
in the middle
of those contexts?
And again,
there is so much
we could say
on public discourse
and I'm going to say
very little about it.
I'm going to focus more
on relationships
and interpersonal conflict
just so you know.
So what does it look like
if it's not those things?
Well, passively,
peacemaking is not being quarrelsome
or easily provoked.
Proverbs 19.11 says,
good sense makes one slow to anger
and it is his glory
to overlook offense.
Colossians 3.12 and 13 say,
put on then as God's chosen one,
holy and beloved,
compassionate hearts,
kindness, humility,
meekness, and patience,
bearing with one another
and if one has a complaint
against another,
forgiving one another.
As the Lord has forgiven you,
so you must also forgive.
Have you ever met someone
who always seems to be
spoiling for a fight?
They're always looking
for the thing to disagree about.
They're always looking
for the ideal
that's being fallen short of
so that we can be critical
of others.
They're often sensitive,
easily offended,
and quick to anger.
Often they're insecure
and they're attacking
as a way of building someone up.
The peacemaker is the opposite
of these things.
They will look for common ground
even in the midst of conflict.
They will extend grace
and overlook offense
where possible.
They're grounded
and able to endure slights
because they know
their identities in Christ.
So this is the passivity
of not being quarrelsome
or easily provoked.
It doesn't mean
that they won't ever
stand up for right.
It doesn't ever mean
that they would address
wrongdoing or conflict,
but still doing those things
with a peaceable heart
and a peacemaking heart.
Remember that this beatitude
is not in isolation,
that this beatitude
is one of many,
that we are to be those
who hunger and thirst
for righteousness
and do so with meekness
and with mourning
and with a purity of heart
and with…
Which one did I forget?
That's all I can remember.
So off the top of my head.
That it's all of these
characteristics together
that characterize
the kingdom of God.
So actively,
what does it look like
to seek reconciliation,
particularly in
interpersonal conflict?
These are passages
you've probably heard.
Matthew 5, verse 23,
Jesus says,
So if you are offering
your gift at the altar,
but remember that
your brother has something
against you,
leave your gift there
before the altar
and go.
First be reconciled
to your brother,
and then come
and offer up your gift.
And then Matthew 18, 15,
says,
If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault
between you and him alone,
and if he listens to you,
you have gained a brother.
So in both of these,
whether you know someone
has something against you
or whether you have
something against someone,
the Bible calls us
as peacemakers
to address these situations.
What does it look like?
Well, friends,
we could do seminars on this.
I'm going to point you
to a book
and a website,
Peacemakers by Ken Sandy.
This is a great
biblically informed book
to help think through
how do we address conflict.
They have a website
that's Relational Wisdom 360
that's connected
to the peacemakers
that you can find easily
through a Google search
that has lots of practical wisdom
and advice
about how to go about
addressing personal conflict
in a helpful way.
I'm going to give you
four quick to-dos,
so to speak,
on what it looks like
to be a peacemaker.
And these come pretty much
straight from the website
and from the book.
So the four G's
of reconciliation,
the first one
is to glorify God.
As Christian,
when we seek reconciliation,
our first view
is to God Himself,
not to the other person.
And what that means is
we go looking at Him
and seeking to please Him.
Peacemaking is not seeking
to please other people
just to please other people.
And some of us like that
and we want to be people pleasers,
and so that's what
we're tempted to do.
Some of us don't care
about it at all
and we want to be
more antagonistic
towards others.
And both of these attitudes
disappear before
the throne of God.
And we go and we pray
that God would be at work
in our hearts
and in the hearts of the other
and that He would help us.
It allows us,
as we seek God,
to trust Him,
to feel like we don't need
to win because we can believe
that He will make it clear.
We will let His love
and grace fill us
as we go to the other person.
The second step,
the second G,
the first one is glorify God.
The second one is
get the log out of your own eye.
You guys know Jesus said this
in He said,
before you go to a brother
and try and take a speck
out of his eye,
you have to get the log
out of your own eye.
We need to ask ourselves
the question,
have we been critical?
Have we had a negative
or overly sensitive attitude
towards the other
that has caused
unnecessary conflict?
Have we actually sinned
against the other person
in word or in action?
And friends, listen,
we often don't see it.
We have blind spots.
That's a part of our sin nature
is we like to justify ourselves
and so it's hard to see
when we sin.
But hopefully,
we are connected
with other brothers and sisters
that we can ask for their input
and say,
this is what I've done.
What do you see?
What do you think I've done?
Ask for help
so that you can get this log
out of your own eye
so you can take
an objective look at yourself
and face up
to your contribution
to a conflict.
The third G
is to gently restore
the brother.
Galatians 6.1
says,
Brothers,
if anyone is caught
in transgression,
any transgression,
you who are spiritual
should restore him
in a spirit of gentleness.
Keep watch on yourself
lest you too be tempted.
How often does conflict
come about
because our desire
is to judge
rather than to restore?
And again,
it's not that we don't
have discernment,
but when we see
with eyes of discernment
sin that needs to be addressed,
our heart in going in it
is to bring restoration,
to bring reconciliation,
and to look at your own heart
to make sure
you aren't doing this
for yourself
but for the good
of the other person.
We're not just
confronting people
to give them a list
of their wrongs.
we're bringing
something to them
so that there might
be a restoration
of relationship
and of fellowship.
Our attitude
should be one
of gentleness
rather than anger
and our purpose
should be restoration
rather than condemnation.
And then the fourth one
is go
and be reconciled.
One of the most
unique features
of biblical peacemaking
is the pursuit
of genuine forgiveness
and reconciliation,
writes Sandy.
It means taking
the initiative.
It means starting
the conversation.
It means broaching
the awkwardness.
Go and be reconciled.
Now,
it's important to say
not all relationships
can be reconciled.
There are times
when in a fallen world
we can work
really hard
to do it
and still not come
to a good place.
Paul and Barnabas
came to a place
like this
in Acts,
I don't remember,
13,
about John Mark
and whether they were
going to take him
with him or not.
Friends,
this should be
an opportunity
for us to grieve
the fallenness
and to recognize
that we never
give up
on hoping for
and longing
for reconciliation
and for longing
for peace.
We always want
that to happen
but there are times
when the Romans 12
passage that we read
earlier comes to mind.
As much as you are able
or as much as you,
as have you done
everything you can do
to bring peace,
do this.
So this is a basic
outline.
I want to take it
one step further
in peacemaking
because
further on
in the Beatitudes
Jesus says this.
He says,
you have heard it said
you shall love your neighbor
and hate your enemy
but I tell you
love your enemies
and pray for those
who persecute you
so that you may be
sons of your father
who is in heaven
for he makes his son
rise on the evil
and on the good
and sends rain
on the just
and on the unjust.
Friends,
peacemaking extends
even to our enemies
and we don't always
make enemies
our friends.
We can't always
change their perspective
or their motives
or their actions
but we must have
the peace,
the heart of a peacemaker
even as we address
those who hate us
and revile us.
We'll see this next week
in the last Beatitude
about those who hate
and persecute
and revile Christians
because they follow Jesus.
Even in that
we are called
to be peacemakers.
And I hope you see
through this
simple
and it's not
it is simple
it's a simple
outline for a very
complex situation
emotionally
and relationally
but it's a start
for us
to think about
am I a peacemaker
following these things?
And I hope you see
clearly that
peacemaking
is not
for weak people.
Peacemaking
is really hard.
It is costly
and it requires
a strength.
it requires
self-examination.
It requires
courageous initiative.
It means
seeking to understand
before being understood.
It will cost us
thought
and time
and the energy
of our heart
and it will cause us
call us to humility
to die to self
and to put
others first.
It is a high calling.
And friends
we don't
always
do it
perfectly.
I certainly
know that I
haven't always
in this church
but by God's
grace
may it be so
more and more.
Many of you
may be thinking
of the prayer
written by
Francis Assisi
long ago.
I know we're
going long
but I do want
to read this
because I think
it will be
helpful for us
that this would
be the prayer
that we would
pray as well.
Lord
make me an
instrument of
your peace
where there is
hatred
let me sow
love
where there is
injury
pardon
where there is
doubt
faith
where there is
despair
hope
where there is
darkness
light
where there is
sadness
joy
oh divine
master grant
that I may
not so much
seek to be
consoled
as to
console
to be
understood
as to
understand
to be
loved
as to
love
for it is
in giving
that we
receive
it is in
pardoning
that we
are pardoned
and it is
in dying
that we
are born
to eternal
life.
Friends
this is the
power then
finally
of God's
peacemaking
work
Francis of Assisi
gets it
this last
verse of his
prayer
is in
dying
that we
are born
to eternal
life
how do we
know that
because this
is what God
has done
for us
Colossians 1
verse 19
says this
for in him
that is in
Christ
in Christ
all the
fullness of
God was
pleased to
dwell
and through
him to
reconcile
to himself
all things
whether on
earth or in
heaven making
peace by the
blood of
his cross
and you
who were
once alienated
and hostile
in mind
doing evil
deeds
he has now
reconciled
in his
body of
flesh
by his
death
in order
to present
you holy
and blameless
and above
reproach
before him
if indeed
you continue
in the faith
stable and
steadfast
not shifting
from the
hope of the
gospel that
you heard
which has
been proclaimed
in all
creation
under heaven
and of
which I
Paul became
a minister
God came
to us
in Christ
and Christ
came and
laid down
his life
for us
and shed
his blood
for us
to make
peace
between us
and God
for we
in our sin
are full
of ego
pride
insecurity
greed
and envy
but God
comes to
free us
from these
things
in Jesus
incarnation
we see
God's
initiation
towards us
even when
we were
enemies
in the
shed blood
of Christ
we see
the way
that God
can offer
us the
forgiveness
of sin
by bearing
the penalty
for our
sin
by his
death
we see
his love
for us
and by his
resurrection
we see
the new
life
that he
gives us
the new
heart
and the
new
spirit
where we
who were
once enemies
are now
welcomed as
family
and we
who are
far off
have been
brought
near in
Christ
and in
this new
heart
and new
spirit
in this
new life
we have
we are
able to
be in
increasing
measure
more and
more like
him
making
peace
for the
gospel that
we proclaim
is a
gospel
of peace
peace with
God
first and
foremost
and then
as peacemakers
in this
world
and friends
when we
are like
this
we are
called
chips off
the old
block
sons
of God
the God
who is
the one
who made
peace
blessed are
the peacemakers
for they
shall be
called
sons of
God
let's
pray
Lord
Jesus
we thank
you
for this
word
Lord
it is
searching
if we
are
honest
Lord
we pray
that you
would allow
it to
search
our
hearts
today
Lord
if there
are places
where we
need to
go
and
initiate
reconciliation
Lord
will you
show us
these
things
Lord
if there
are any
here this
morning
who don't
know peace
with you
who haven't
put their
faith in
Christ
I pray
this morning
that they
would know
that Jesus
your blood
is enough
and your
death
is enough
that by
trusting in
you
Lord
they can
have forgiveness
of sin
and eternal
life
and Lord
I pray
that as we
go from
here
in our
homes
and our
workplaces
Lord
will you
make us
peacemakers
that others
might see
a little
bit
of what
kind of
God
you are
we pray
this in
Jesus name
Amen