Blessed are the Peacemakers
Notes
Transcript
When he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the humble,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
“You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Everyone in this world at some level is searching for two things happiness and peace. People long to live in a world where there is no more strife or worry. Everywhere and in all generations people have sought, fought, and died for this. Some have sought this sense of inner peace at the expense of others through greed and personal gain, believing the answer of peace lies in control, wealth, or military might. Others through pleasure, drugs, and alcohol. Some have even attempted to remove themselves from society live in monasteries or the wilderness to find peace. Even Solomon fell for the deception that peace and contentment could be found outside of his pursuit of God.
Trans: So today we come to this statement from our savior, “Blessed are the Peacemakers.”
Review:
“Blessed” -almost universally occurs in connections which emphasize, ... a sense of God’s approval founded in righteousness which rests ultimately on love to God.
“Blessed” -almost universally occurs in connections which emphasize, ... a sense of God’s approval founded in righteousness which rests ultimately on love to God.
“Kingdom of Heaven” - The present and future realm in which Jesus Christ exercises full authority, and through which he triumphs over all opposition
“Kingdom of Heaven” - The present and future realm in which Jesus Christ exercises full authority, and through which he triumphs over all opposition
“Inclusio” - A literary device that emphasizes that all information is to be taken from the same source material, the same context. In this instance the Kingdom of heaven.
“Inclusio” - A literary device that emphasizes that all information is to be taken from the same source material, the same context. In this instance the Kingdom of heaven.
Connection:
Connection:
The poor in spirit recognize their need, they mourn over their broken-sinful condition. This produces within them humility. This humility recognizes ones own depravity and produces a hunger for Christ’s righteousness that can only be satiated by being forgiven and washed clean in the blood of Christ. This understanding of the forgiveness one has recieved will result in extending mercy and a pure heart.
The poor in spirit recognize their need, they mourn over their broken-sinful condition. This produces within them humility. This humility recognizes ones own depravity and produces a hunger for Christ’s righteousness that can only be satiated by being forgiven and washed clean in the blood of Christ. This understanding of the forgiveness one has recieved will result in extending mercy and a pure heart.
Today we will see that all of these previous works of God in our life will result in an action, being a peacemaker.
Keywords/Phrases: Peacemakers, sons of God
I. The need for a Peacemaker assumes there is a conflict.
I. The need for a Peacemaker assumes there is a conflict.
Needing peace assumes there is a conflict. There is a war at hand. This is a war of two-kingdoms. The Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of darkness.
The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God.
The world is at war with God. In both verses the word “hostile” is also translated as “hatred” and it also carries that same idea in both “Greek” and “Hebrew”.
Application: Now think with me about what these verses are saying. Those who try to walk the line between being accepted by God and the world actually will grow to hate the things of God.
I have seen many so-called Christians who believe they are enlightened. In their arrogance they trade loving their neighbor by proclaiming the hope of truth in Christ with proclaiming a false gospel of self-acceptance which will never cause the individual to recognize their sin and need for the saviors forgiveness. How do we know this to be true?
1 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children,
2 and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints.
4 Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks.
5 For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things.
7 Therefore, do not become their partners.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light—
9 for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth—
10 testing what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret.
13 Everything exposed by the light is made visible,
They trade the biblical description of sexuality, manhood and womanhood into fornication, homosexuality, transgender-ism and feminism. These enlightened believers always travel the same path into greater and greater worldliness and deception. They preach that God will bend to accept everyone instead us needing to bend our knees in repentance and salvation to be accepted by God. Without a cataclysmic event with ones sin one will never know their need.
“No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Too many believers try to be culturally relevant at the expense of the proclamation of truth. In doing so they become a light under bushel hiding the very character and nature of God from being seen in their lives.
Unfortunately, I have never once witnessed a person successfully walk the line between woke Christianity and the world. Everyone, I have witnessed that attempted this feat always eventually fell to greater deception and erred from the faith.
This is a war and you have to pick a side.
Trans: And the winner is seeking to make peace.
II. Who is seeking to make peace
II. Who is seeking to make peace
Now imagine with me that the war is almost over. There is an obvious winner and the King of the winning side is willing to extend his hand to all those who will surrender and abandon their loyalty to the previous kingdom. He is willing to extend peace unconditionally to all those who accept His terms. So He delivers a message of peace. The Kingdom of heaven delivers the message of peace.
But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:
Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to people he favors!
Trans: So then What is a peacemaker?
III. What is a Peacemaker?
III. What is a Peacemaker?
Remember that all the meaning of this passage is being pulled from the envelope of the Kingdom, inclusio.
In the O.T. “Those responsible for procuring peace treaties that brought an end to warfare were called “messengers of peace”.
In the New Testament we see this picture of the warfare of the Christian.
10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.
13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.
14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest,
15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace.
7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace, who brings news of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Application: As you can see the scriptures begin to make clear for us what it means to be a peacemaker. It is to take the message of peace from the one who is seeking peace to the those with whom he is securing securing peace.
In other words, we are messengers and heralds of the gospel, the Good news of Jesus Christ.
We take this message to the world. That those who are the enemies of God, he has made a treaty of peace through the sacrifice of His Son’s shed blood.
10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.
A Peacemaker is not just someone who mediates between the affairs of men but rather someone who delivers the message that there is a mediator between God and Man!
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,
IV. So then why are the peacemakers called the Sons of God?
IV. So then why are the peacemakers called the Sons of God?
A. Because of who we represent.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”
26 for through faith you are all sons of God in Christ Jesus.
Application: What better way can we associate ourselves with Christ than to live and preach the peace that he himself came to secure? In preaching His message and living like him we represent to the world the Son of God and that we ourselves have been adopted by Him.