REVIEW
FLIP CHART: SOM’S KEY VERSE, GOAL, MOTTO
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness ….” (Matthew 6:33a).
The law sends us to Christ for justification; Christ sends us back to the law for sanctification.
FLIP CHART: Show “window pane” of the 8 beatitudes.
FLIP CHART: Show new “Perfect Righteousness” chart explaining steps to coming to Christ (As a worm, mourning, meek, spiritual hunger/thirst with the result of legal righteousness). Explain moral righteousness, immediate moral change at conversion, gradual change through life’s challenges and speeding up moral change via CCRC (Concentration, Choice, Reflection and Confession/Thanksgiving).
INTRODUCTION:
OUTLINE FOR TODAY:
1. Misuse of “Peacemaker” in Matthew 5:9
2. Emphasis on Peace in the Word of God
3. How to be a Peacemaker According to SOM
READ THE BEATITUDES:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
HOW TO BECOME A PEACEMAKER
INTRODUCTION:
QUESTION: What are some of the greatest examples of Peacemaking that you are aware of?
I. MISUSE OF “PEACEMAKER” IN MT. 5:9
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of
God.” (Mt. 5:9).
“The celebrated historians Will and Ariel Durant, in their book The Lessons of History, begin the chapter on “History and War” with these words: War is one of the constants of history, and has not diminished with civilization and democracy. In the last 3,421 years of recorded history only 268 have seen no war.” (Hughes, 61)
This said it needs also to be said that democracies do not fight war against each other.
“In 1968 a major newspaper reported that there had been to that date 14,553 known wars since thirty-six years before Christ. Since 1945 there have been some seventy or so wars and nearly two hundred internationally significant outbreaks of violence. Since 1958 one hundred nations have been involved in some form of armed conflict” (MacArthur, 210).
One person is quoted as saying, “Peace is when everyone stops to reload.”
A bumper sticker reads, “What if they had a war and nobody came?” But that doesn’t happen. People always show up for war.
Secular Pacifists love this verse: “Blessed are the peacemakers …” and also Isaiah 2:4, “They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. National will not take up sword against nations, nor will they train for war anymore.” They argue that this 7th Beatitude (peacemaking) is “the real Gospel.”
Ghandi & Martin Luther King are held up as the great role models on the way to cause social change. War is not necessary. Peaceful protests will do it. But, and I think it was someone in our class who mentioned this to me, that Ghandi and Martin Luther King were only successful because they lived in/under a humane democratic system. If they would have lived under a communist or Islamic regime, they would have been killed early on.
We have heard of the recent release of the secular pacifists that were held in Iraq. I am sure they felt they were living out the 7th Beatitude.
“The peace of which Christ speaks in this beatitude, and about which the rest of Scripture speaks, is unlike that which the world knows and strives for. God’s peace has nothing to do with politics, armies and navies, forums of nations, or even councils of churches. It has nothing to do with statesmanship, no matter how great, or with arbitration, compromise, negotiated truces, or treaties.” (MacArthur, 210)
QUESTION: Why would a Christian say that the peacemaking Jesus refers to has nothing to do with political peace?
But let’s first ask another question:
Was Jesus unaware that the iron hand of the Roman Empire rested on the tiny land of the Jews without their consent? Was he aware that Archelaus slaughtered 3,000 Jews at a Passover celebration? Was he aware that the Roman soldiers could conscript any Jew they chose to carry their baggage? Was he aware that Pilate had his soldier bludgeon a crowd of Jews protesting his stealing from the temple treasury? Was he aware that Pilate massacred Jews on the temple ground and mixed their blood with their sacrifices they were offering?” (Piper Sermon on Matthew 5:9)
QUESTION: How did Jesus respond to the atrocity of Pilate mixing the blood of Galileans with their sacrifices? See Luke 13:1-5)
He took this major social outrage and turned it into a demand for repentance. Why? Because of the value of the soul of the individual and the need for repentance.
QUESTION: Why didn’t Jesus send a peace delegation to Pilate or to Rome and protest all these social outrages?
II. EMPHASIS ON “PEACEMAKING” IN THE WORD
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of
God.” (Mt. 5:9).
“The spiritual history of mankind can be charted based on the theme of peace. Although the peace on earth in the garden was interrupted when man sinned, at the cross Jesus Christ made peace a reality again, and He becomes the peace of all who place their faith in Him. Peace can now reign in the hearts of those who are His. Someday He will come as Prince of Peace and establish a worldwide kingdom of peace, which will eventuate in ultimate peace, the eternal age of peace.” (MacArthur, 209)
“Peace” in the Greek and Hebrew means more than the absence of evil and conflict. It also means the presence of good things. It means both the absence of evil and the presence of good. The use of “Peace” in Biblical times might be akin to our “Have a good day.” We are certainly wishing absence of evil and also the experience of good.
Five times in the NT God is called the “God of Peace,” e.g. “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Heb. 13:20).
Jesus is the “Prince of Peace” according to Isaiah 9:6 and the angels sang at His birth, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14).
QUESTION: How did Christ show himself to be a peacemaker?
The Bible states plainly that mankind is at war with God, is an enemy of God:
“For, if when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son ….” (Rom. 5:10).
“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Col. 1:19-20).
ILL: Who remembers Don Richardson’s story of the “Peace Child,” and can tell it to us? This is an excellent example of what Christ did on the cross.
Thus the greatest peacemakers in the world are evangelists and witnesses who seek to help the enemies of God, the human race, reconcile with God.
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (II Cor. 5:20)
In Ephesian Paul talks about the Christians armor and says: “and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” The KJV reads, “And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.”
“To bring a person to saving knowledge of Jesus Christ is the most peacemaking act a human being can perform. It is beyond what any diplomat or statesman can accomplish.” (MacArthur, 216)
Christians must also focus on living in peace with members of the body and with all people.
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)
“Make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” (Romans 14:19)
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18).
“Make every effort to live in peace with all men …” (Heb. 12:14).
ILL: Explain that “Blessed” can mean “The applause of heaven.” Have 8 members of the class walk across the room carrying one of the beatitudes and have the rest clap.
III. HOW TO BE A PEACEMAKER ACCORDING TO THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of
God.” (Mt. 5:9).
People have defined peacemaking as making peace in our own heart and soul, e.g. dealing with the civil war within between good and evil. Everyman, to a certain extent, is a walking civil war.
Others have said that peacemaking her refers to the social-political sphere, or helping people make peace with God e.g. evangelism.
I believe the emphasis on peacemaking here is to establish and maintain right relationships with others.
The real question generated by this beatitude is:
Do you have anyone in your life that you are not at peace with?
The “Sermon on the Mount” gives an unbelievable amount on instruction on how to establish and maintain right relationships, e.g. live at peace with others. We will try to discover some of the keys Jesus set forth to help us on our way to being peacemakers.
CLASS ACTIVITY: Set up on the walls or at different places in the room large sheets of flip chart paper. Count off by fours. Have each group pick their own scribe.
Have written on the top of each Flip Chart Paper: Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount that peacemaking involves ….
Your team needs to list the keys to peacemaking, what peacemaking involves. Each key to peacemaking must begin with an active verb e.g. baking (a cake), reading (the Bible) etc. There are at least 11 keys to being a peacemaker. Most of them are in chapter 5 but several are in chapters 6 and 7. It might be good to divide your team. Have some research chapter 6, others chapter 7 while the majority focus on chapter 5.
After 6-8 minutes have the groups rotate. Have them put a “Star” sign beside each “key to peacemaking” that they did not have on their list.
Bring and tape the four papers on the whiteboard in front of the classroom.
Use the Overhead and one-by-one, discuss the 11 keys I have listed as follows:
1. Making peace with God (5:3-6)
2. Avoiding anger with a sibling (5:21-22)
3. Reconciling with a sibling (5:23-24)
QUESTION: Is there anyone you can think of that is not at
peace with you? Someone that might be upset with you for
some reason?
4. Settling a debt with an adversary / person (5:223-26)
5. Living in harmony with your spouse (5:31-32)
6. Staying away from use of force to solve problems (5:38-43)
7. Loving your enemies (5:39-44)
a. By Praying for them
b. By blessing them
c. By greeting them
Greeting an enemy in certain situations my be the only
courtesy possible.
* Loving enemy …. And being a “Son of God,” just like
in the Seventh Beatitude.
8. Praying for God’s will to be done in the world (6:10).
9. Forgiving those who sin against us (6:12-14)
10. Abstaining from judging others (7:1-5)
11. Treating others as you wish to be treated (7:12)
CONCLUSION:
QUESTION: Why should “peacemakers” be designated “sons of God”?
Because we are never more Godlike then when we are in involved
in peacemaking, in the work of reconciliation.
The Peace Prayer of St. Francis apparently dates from the early part of this century, and its author is unknown. It was found in Normandy in 1915, written on the back of a holy card of St. Francis, from which the name comes. Other histories ascribe it to a time before St. Francis, and some believe he indeed did write it, but the above is the most commonly accepted history of the prayer.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
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 [to ourselves] that we are born to eternal life.
SO WHAT????
1. God is a God of peace and God was in Christ, the Prince of Peace,
providing a way or reconciliation for the human race, a race at war
with God.
2. We are never more like God then when we are involved in the
ministry of reconciliation, the ministry of evangelism, of
spreading the message of reconciliation around the world.
3. We need to ask ourselves, “Am I a Peacemaker? Am I using the keys to peacemaking set forth in the Sermon on the Mount? Am I at peace with every one in the church, on my street, in my world?