Matthew 5:9 - Peacemakers
The Beatitudes • Sermon • Submitted
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Matthew 5:9 – Peacemakers
When I was a little boy, I still remember watching the Lone Ranger, you remember that television show? A cowboy who wore a mask, who always came out on top, with his trusty Peacemaker and his horse named Silver.
Looking back, what was so ironic, was that it was the gun that bore the name of peacemaker instead of the Lone Ranger.
Well, Jesus is sharing another part of the beatitudes here in the Sermon on the Mount and he comes to this part, that we find here in verse 8.
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
When Jesus was speaking here, he calls out the peacemakers, and no, he is not talking about guns. What Jesus is referring to here, are those men and women, who do not go out to cause conflict, but try to go out and bring peace among people.
Let me ask you this pointed question. Are you living a life of peaceful life? Are you someone who is involved in a conflict, that it is argument after argument? Or, are you someone who is looking for a solution that brings peace and harmony?
In this world we live in, we don’t see a lot of people try to bring peace, but instead, we find people trying to bring conflict and division. That people need to be arguing and having disagreements. Well, as a Christian, it ought to be in our heart, that we desire peace among people, that we desire peace in the home, here in the church and within our community and nation.
Jesus’s sermon states that the peacemakers are the children of God. That means brothers and sisters, that if we are truly a Christian and follower of Jesus Christ, then we should desire peace, and make the effort to bring peace among ourselves and others.
Now when your right with God, you will have this in your heart. You will want peace. But let me say, if you’re not right with God, you’re not a peacemaker, you’re a trouble maker. And can I say, that even though we may be a Christian, there are times when Christians are trouble makers instead of peacemakers. You say, how do I know? Because I’ve been in church long enough to experience it. Listen, not everyone has the idea of bringing peace, but instead, they have the longing of causing conflict. And there is too much conflict in the house of the Lord. Listen, we need to be peacemakers, not trouble makers. Today, I like to share with you three things about this verse, that Jesus said, “blessed are the peacemakers…”
The Person of Peace
· If you were to go up to a stranger, and pose the question, who is someone that is a person of peace. You might find them giving you several answers. Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
· While these people may have championed causes that desired peace, did it bring peace?
· Peace is not something you obtain from signing a treaty, or negotiate within a courtroom, true peace only come when you know the person of peace – Jesus Christ.
· Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
· There is an old church sign saying “No Jesus, No Peace, Know Jesus, Know Peace”
· I can say I didn’t have any peace in my life until I came to truly know Jesus. It felt like life was a raging war. That I was always at odds with myself or someone.
· Peace came when I found Jesus.
· Life can be like a raging sea – until Jesus arises and says to the wind and the sea, peace be still.
· You’ll never know true and lasting peace, until you come to know the man of peace.
The Practice of Peace
· Now let me tell you, if you are not practicing peace, if you are not helping others find peace in their life, then are you really a child of God.
· Psalm 34:14 “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”
· As a Child of God, it ought to be our desire to help people find peace. To find Jesus.
· You know where peace ought to be found? It ought to be found in the home. Every believer’s home ought to be a place of peace. But you know what many homes are? They’re warzones.
· Husbands and wives are at one another, criticizing and complaining, screaming and abusing each other verbally and physically.
· Husband, the bible tells us to “love our wives”, you come home and you tell your wife “I just want peace and quiet” and you don’t show her that you love her, you ain’t going to have peace.
· Wives, if you don’t love your husbands and show them how important they are to you, you are not going to find peace.
· And listen, when you can’t demonstrate peace in the home, you know who else suffers? The children, so many kids are growing up with all these psychological issues, and you know why, its because all they have know is war in the home.
· Peace has to start with us. That we lay down our weapons, that we lay down are arms, and surrender to Jesus Christ.
· Now practicing peace, takes effort. Its not something that you say you have and put on cruise control and forget it. Peace is something that must be maintained. Now how do you maintain peace?
· You grow in your walk with Christ. You start getting your heart wrapped around Jesus and you’ll be able to have peace. Even when others may come at you. You know why? Because you know you’re protected.
· If all you do is worry and fret, friend its because your heart is not settled in Christ. You got to give it to him, if you want to find true and lasting peace.
The Pressure for Peace
· Now our society wants peace, but has a hard time achieving it.
· Dr. Eugene Brice tells a disturbing story about a minister who returned to visit a church he had once served. He ran into Bill, who had been an elder and leader in the church, but who wasn't around anymore. The pastor asked, "Bill, what happened? You used to be there every time the doors opened." "Well, Pastor," said Bill, "a difference of opinion arose in the church. Some of us couldn't accept the final decision and we established a church of our own." "Is that where you worship now?" asked the pastor. "No," answered Bill, "we found that there, too, the people were not faithful and a small group of us began meeting in a rented hall at night." "Has that proven satisfactory?" asked the minister. "No, I can't say that it has," Bill responded. "Satan was active even in that fellowship, so my wife and I withdrew and began to worship on Sunday at home by ourselves." "Then at last you've found inner peace?" asked the pastor. "No, I'm afraid we haven't," said Bill. "Even my wife began to develop ideas I was not comfortable with, so now she worships in the northeast corner of the living room and I am in the southwest..."
· We struggle to find peace in the church, but church ought to be the training place to learn peace, not division.
· The world tries to bring peace, but the peace the world offers is not peace, but appeasement. Just give them what they want. Listen, that’s not peace.
· I want you to know, that when you are at peace with Christ, the devil declares war on you. He is going to assail you. He doesn’t want you to have peace, he wants you to suffer.
· One of the places in the world, that so many want peace, is there in Israel. We ought to be praying for Israel. Israel is going to try to find peace, in a man who is going to come and broker a deal with her and her enemies. But all this person is going to do, like so many, is just going to come and try to appease everyone. Listen to how that turns out.
· 1 Thessalonians 5:3 “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”
· Listen, finding peace is not giving in to the demands of the world. Its not giving in to sin and say its okay. Listen we should never be at peace with sin, because sin leads to damnation.
· It is our duty, to bring peace, and show people the truth. Jimmy Carter, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden will never be able to bring peace into this world, it will only come when the world sees Jesus Christ.
The Promise of Peace
· Now Jesus gave this powerful beatitude on peacemakers. This is the child of God, who is going out there and sharing Jesus with others, and showing them how to have peace. And what does he say is the promise, “they shall be called the children of God”
· There are many who claim to be the children of God, but they don’t have peace.
· You might be like that, you come to church, you read your Bible, you pray, but you don’t have real peace. You’re not settled that everything is okay.
· Listen, friend, you can get it right, and all you have to do is come to the altar, and say Jesus I want you to give me peace, Lord give me peace in my life. And Lord help me to share that peace with others. And when you do that, then friend, you will know peace, and you’ll know Jesus.
· There have been to many wars in the church over the centuries. We have known those battles here as well, but listen, if we practice peace, if we practice Jesus, if we allow Jesus to bring peace into our life, we will be the child of God.
· I want you to know that this is true, 100%, because I was once at war, I was at war with my family, with others, with people in the church, with myself. My first year of marriage was rocky, and there was problem after problem. You know why? Because I didn’t know peace. I wasn’t following Jesus like I should. But when I finally yielded myself and surrender to him. You know what I found? Jesus didn’t come in to defeat me and destroy my life, he came in and brought me peace and comfort and showed me how to share that peace with others. Do you want to know that peace today, he has promised it to you, all you have to do is come and meet him here.