Peacemakers

Let Your Light Shine  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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We are becoming like our Savior when we decide to be peacemakers. His life brought comfort, compassion, and peace to others. We must imitate His speech, actions, and attitude toward our fellow man if we decide to be Jesus followers. We can shine our light for Christ by bringing peace to this world.

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Introduction

Genesis 13 presents us with a heated encounter between Abram and Lot. Specifically, there was strife between the herdsman of Abram’s livestock and the herdsman of Lot’s livestock. This was due to limited space in the land where they were dwelling together.
This strife could have caused great division. Typically, strife does cause division as well as eliminate any peace there previously was. From this story we can learn many things, but especially the way of dealing with confrontation or other strife in our lives. When it comes to dealing with other people, the Bible gives us the answer.
Jesus says in Matthew 22:37-39 that the greatest command is to love God and the second greatest is to love our neighbor. One way to love our neighbor is to be peacemakers.
Furthermore, Ephesians 5:1 says we are to be imitators of God, and 1 Corinthians 11:1 tells us to be imitators of Christ. We are becoming like our Savior when we decide to be peacemakers. His life brought comfort, compassion, and peace to others. We must imitate His speech, actions, and attitude toward our fellow man if we decide to be Jesus followers. We can shine our light for Christ by bringing peace to this world. Jesus says blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God (Matthew 5:9).
So, what can we learn from Genesis 13 and Abram’s handling of this heated situation about being peacemakers. Let’s read the text and look at three aspects of Abram’s peacemaking that we can apply to our everyday lives.

Abram Pleads for Peace

His plea is affectionate. Abram understands the weight of a soft answer. Often we want to overpower the other person. We speak over, stand over, command over. But the response we get is not peaceful. The confrontation rises and escalates.
We need to be people who de-escalate a situation. When I went through some de-escalation strategy and technique training we did what was called the red ball challenge. We learned that people can be too hot or high on the spectrum or too low.
To de-escalate a situation we have to help move them back to even. This means we approach calm but confident. This is exactly what Abram does in this heated situation. With wisdom, calm, and confidence Abram pleads softly for peace.

Abram Paves the Path

Not only does Abram plead for peace, but he is the one that sets the tone. He paves the path. Abram is the first to speak and last to act. Abram desperately desired for there to be peace. This desire led him to be the first to speak up.
Speaking up first is hard sometimes. Especially when we find ourselves in awkward or difficult situations. With the help of the Lord and the strength we find in Him we can speak up first. No matter the situation we will be able to do what is right.
Speaking up first is always a risk. It is a risk we must be willing to take though. We are advocates for peace and all things Christ. This means we are leaders of man and followers of the Father. Abram knew this as he utters these words. Lot could have reacted in many ways. Everyone was under a lot of stress. They just a left a land of famine and they are entering a new land and in need. What was most important to Abram, though, was that there be peace, so he paves the path.

Abram’s Proposal is Personal

From this verse we also learn that Abram makes his proposal for peace personal. He reminds Lot that there they are family. Abram’s primary purpose is pleasing God. He is not interested in riches, but instead he is seeking a city “that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God”
Hebrews 11:10 ESV
For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
Abram wanted to keep peace so he appeals to the nature of brotherhood. In order to please God Abram must be a peacemaker. The material doesn’t matter if God is not pleased. Today, we appeal to our brotherhood. We are a family of God and if we desire to please Him we must be peacemakers. So, when strife occurs let us remind each other of our relationship.

Abram’s Plan is not Partial

Verse 9 teaches us that Abram’s plan for peace is not partial. He is not particular or picky. Abram just wants to please God. So, he offers Lot whatever portion of land Lot desires. Once again the material is not important.
This shows a great level of trust Abram has in God’s plan. Abram is immensely faithful toward God. He trusts God to bless Him no matter where he is at. Besides Abram realizes and believes that all this land is being given to him (Genesis 12:7). There is plenty to go around.
Abram had every right to choose which land he wants. The scripture says he is rich in livestock, silver, and gold. Of Lot it only says he had flocks, herds, and tents. It implies that Abram has more, but he still gives Lot first choice. This is second mile faith. Today we are called to be second mile Christians. The lesson is we seek peace no matter the cost!

How Can we be Peacemakers?

So how can we be peacemakers. And why should we be peacemakers.

To Bring Peace

We are peacemakers in order to bring about peace and resolve conflict or division. We let our light shine by bringing peace to an unstable world full of strife, conflict, division, and hatefulness.
1 Thessalonians 5:13 ESV
and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
When you think you cannot resole a conflict just think about how Abram handles the situation. Take a deep breath, pray it over, think on the situation, repeat that and then respond.

To Be At Peace

Romans 14:13–19 ESV
Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
In speaking to the Romans on the importance of not causing a brother to stumble and how the old food laws are no longer an issue, Paul states that the kingdom of God is about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, he says pursue peace.
We must be at peace among ourselves for God has called us to peace (1 Corinthians 7:15), and He Himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14)
So we know why we must be peacemakers, but in what ways can we be peacemakers.

In our Speech

Ephesians 4:29 ESV
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
The tongue is a powerful tool. Whoever said sticks and stones break bones, but words can never hurt me is a liar. Words can hurt, tear down, break up, and destroy. Just look at the things our teenagers go through daily. And read the words of James,
James 3:8–10 ESV
but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
The tongue is powerful, but with pure and undefiled speech we can build up, encourage, edify, and strengthen. We can be peacemakers by our everyday speech, but we can also bring peace in our listening.

In our Listening

James 1:19 ESV
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
It is so important that sometimes we just slow down and listen. Do not be so quick to respond, but instead practice your listening. Sometimes the best response to a situation is no response at all. I have had to learn this the hard way. Most of our regrets in our lives comes from speaking before thinking, and talking instead of listening. Take time to listen and you will realize how much you can learn.
We can also practice peacemaking in our conduct.

In our Conduct

Romans 14:19 ESV
So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
Christ followers must be considerate and concerned about the feelings of others. Sometimes, although it may hurt our pride, the be response in our conduct to strife is letting things go if they are truly unimportant. Let them go instead of causing trouble. Let them go and open a door of peace.

Good Servants of Christ are always Peacemakers

1 Timothy 4:6–16 ESV
If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Paul encourages Timothy to train in godliness. He challenges him to take this as serious as an athlete takes his sport. He tells him our hope, our sights are set on the living God. And he says we must teach and set an example in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. Don’t be like the hypocrites he speaks about in Titus:
Titus 1:16 ESV
They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
Instead, read Scripture, exhort, teach, use your gift, practice godliness, immerse yourself in godliness, and watch as you progress. This type of godliness is indicative of a good servant of Christ Jesus, and a good servant of Christ is always a peacemaker.
Sometimes peacemaking is not easy, and sometimes it is not comfortable. Sometimes we seek vengeance, sometimes we are too proud, most often we believe making peace is admitting defeat. However, we have not defeat in Christ because He rose on the third day and He gives us the only victory that matters! Be like Paul and profess that everything else is loss compared to Christ (Philippians 3:7). Now go forth and be peacemakers!
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