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ARE
YOU A PEACEMAKER OR A TROUBLE MAKER? Introduction:
We live in a world full of troublemakers. You cannot escape the
reality that our society is filled with conflict and violence of every
sort. We should say that conflict has continued in spite of a multitude of
peace organizations. Is it that the message is not being heard? Or is it
that we do not heed the message we hear? Perhaps it is a deeper problem.
Could it be that the external conflict in our world is a reflection of the
internal conflict in all of us? How can we make peace when we have no
peace ourselves? When Jesus said "Blessed are the peacemakers. . .",
it must have sounded strange to the ears of those there that day.
Certainly almost all listening to Jesus were Jews struggling to live under
the dominion of I. We Need Peace Jesus' statement implies that we need peace. But it is important to understand the characteristics of this peace about which Jesus speaks. We must be clear both about what it is and what it is not. When Jesus speaks of peace, He is not simply referring to the absence of conflict. Peace Is Not: A. The Absence Of Conflict Peace is not some sort of vacuum in which we all exist, isolated from one another. In such a state you would certainly have peace. Cemeteries are peaceful places too. Peace is not a void. Neither is peace agreeing simply to agree. B. The Absence Of Compromise Peace is not to be found in compromising truth and righteousness. If we compromise the key issues that make life meaningful and valuable, the result is not peace even if it is done for the sake of peace. If "peace at any price" is the slogan of the day, true peace is exactly what you do not get. Peace is not the absence of something; rather it is the presence of something. True peace is the presence of some things. C. The Presence Of Righteousness. Peace is a positive result of people submitting to the righteousness of
God. It is facing the truth and yielding to it. The kind of peace the
world seeks today will not be found without a yielding to the
righteousness of God. The problem that breeds conflict in our hearts is
sin. Until we take care of this sin problem we will never experience true
peace. We read in (James 3:17) "But
the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and
easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality,
and without hypocrisy." Through purity comes peace. Peace does
not come by laying down our guns. It comes by dealing with the wrong
attitudes and actions that cause the conflict in the first place.
Unless we are willing to lay down our selfish attitudes and submit to the
righteousness of God, we will never experience real and lasting peace. The
psalmist expresses it this way: "Righteousness
and peace have kissed each other" (Psalm 85:10). D. The Presence Of Reproof This
means that peace might have to come through conflict. In other words,
before people can experience real peace they will have to struggle with
their own sinfulness and selfishness. They will have a confrontation with
the truth in this process. This is what Jesus was getting at when He said,
(Mat 10:34) "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to
send peace, but a sword." · The sword is the Word – Eph.6:17; Heb:4:12 · The Word is God’s spoken truth – Rev.19:15 Submitting
to God's truth is the way to peace. Unfortunately, there are many who
oppose this truth. This truth is like a sword. And this sword will pierce
many a soul as they struggle against it. You see, God is not interested in
telling us what we want to hear. He tells us what we need to hear and
deals with the things in our lives that destroy us. Sometimes this is not
a peaceful process, but in the end it brings a peace that no one can take
away. We need that kind of
peace. II. We Must Make Peace Jesus
statement also implies that we must
make peace. In other words, we must become peacemakers. The place
to start is to examine our own lives to be sure we have God’s peace
ourselves. We must understand that the source of all peace is God. Through
Jesus Christ, we can experience real peace (Eph 2:13-14) "But
now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ. {14} For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and
hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;" Again,
we read in (Col 1:19-20) "For
it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; {20} And,
having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all
things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or
things in heaven." It is clear from the scriptures that an
encounter with the living Christ is the pathway to peace. Before we can become peacemakers we must first
know peace in Christ ourselves. Before we can share the bread with another
beggar, we must first know where the bread is. True peace is found only in
A. A Personal Relationship With Jesus Christ. This is
what it means to be a peacemaker. To
make peace we must do something to bring others into this relationship of
peace with Christ. B. Being Properly Reconciled To Jesus Christ Paul, in 1 Corinthians 7:15, speaks of how God "reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." It is as we participate in this ministry of reconciliation that we bring others to a place of true peace. Paul goes on in the verses that follow (2 Corinthians 5:19-20) to say, "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us." We are ambassadors for Christ. It is our job to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ so that people can make peace with God. An amazing thing happens when this occurs. When they make their peace with God, they begin to make their peace with one another. When the conflict in their own hearts is settled, they begin to be able to settle the conflict that exists among themselves. Peace breaks out when God is in control. You see, the key to making peace is Christ. If people are willing to come together under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, conflict can be settled. Peace can reign. Now, this does not mean that there will be no risk involved in being a peacemaker. Peacemaking can be a struggle indeed. Sometimes people resent your efforts at peacemaking. Often you risk losing your relationship with the person you are trying to help. Jesus never said it would be easy. He said we would be blessed. III. We Portray The Prince Of Peace Jesus statement also implies that we should make peace because we portray the Prince of Peace. In other words, we should become peacemakers by living godly lives. Peacemaking is a God-like work. A. The Peacemaker’s Reflection Since we are doing the work of God we reflect the image of God. When someone says to a son, "I can see your father in you," they are talking about an inherited image. The same is true for Christians. We inherit the image of our heavenly Father. Being born again, we now take upon us the very nature of God. By His Spirit Jesus lives in us and His character and personality is reflected through our lives. It is because our actions reflect the nature of God that we are called the sons of God. This is our testimony before God to the world. B. The Peacemaker’s Reward It seems unclear from the text whether we would be called sons of God by people or by God Himself. It is both. People, seeing our God-like work in peacemaking, call us children of our Father. And God is not ashamed to call us His children as well. This is the reward for being a peacemaker. Conclusion: Are you a peacemaker or a troublemaker? Do you seek to point people to the Prince of Peace? Become an agent of reconciliation and take seriously the call to be an ambassador for Christ. |