Blessed Are the Peacemakers and the Persecuted
Notes
Transcript
Introduction: On October 2, 1946 Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the United Nations saying, “The United Nations represents the moral conscience of mankind. It is a great force for peace, a force which no nation, however powerful, can ignore, or wish away. This great organization is dedicated to the promotion of world peace, and to the safeguarding of the rights of all nations and all people.”
However since 1946 the world has seen
Korean War (1950-1953)
Vietnam War (1955-1975)
Six-Day War (1967)
Yom Kippur War (1973)
Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989)
Falklands War (1982)Gulf War (1990-1991)
Bosnian War (1992-1995)
Rwandan Genocide (1994)
War in Afghanistan (2001-present)
Iraq War (2003-2011)
Syrian Civil War (2011-present)
and many others
Despite the abundance of good intentions and efforts towards peace in modern times, it's difficult to deny that the world today is not significantly more peaceful than it was a hundred years ago. Economic peace, religious peace, racial peace, social peace, family peace, and personal peace, all continue to elude us. Instead, we see marches, rallies, protests, demonstrations, riots, and wars. Disagreement and conflict seem to be the norm of our times, and there is an urgent need for peace like never before.
Why is it that no matter how hard man tries we can never arrive at a place of peace? Perhaps the main reason is because the world seems to praise peace more than it actually pursues peace. In the world’s eyes the idealistic hero is self-seeking, cruel, proud and aggressive. Someone who doesn’t take no for an answer and achieves success by force.
No wonder we have such a problem in our pursuit of peace.
Yet, as we continue in our study of the Sermon on the Mount we see that the seventh beatitude calls God’s people to be peacemakers. As kingdom citizens, we are part of God’s plan to restore the peace that was lost at the Fall.
The peace that Jesus speaks of here has nothing to do with the world’s view of peace. It has nothing to do with politics, leagues of nations, or peace treaties, but, like the other beatitudes, seeks to bring about profound change through a transformed heart.
Unlike the laws of men which force you to conform your behavior to a written standard, the will of God is for you to possess a transformed heart which willingly chooses to promote peace.
Read Matthew 5:9-12
Transition: As we close out our study on the beatitudes this morning we will see God’s call on our lives to be promoters of peace despite the fact that the world may oppose us for it.
Blessed are the Peacemakers
Blessed are the Peacemakers
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
What is true peace?
The world’s peace simply means an end to the conflict
“Peace is when men take a moment to reload.”
God’s peace
Shalom (“wholeness”)
Restores righteousness
James 3:17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”
Matthew 10:34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.”
John 4:21-22 “Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.”
A person who is a true peacemaker must be willing to speak the truth
Where does peace come from?
the Father - the source of peace
Colossians 1:19-20 “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
the Son - the manifestation of peace
Ephesians 2:13-14 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,”
the Spirit - the agent of peace
Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”
“The God of peace sent the Prince of Peace who sends the Spirit of peace to give the fruit of peace.”
How can we make peace?
2 Corinthians 5:19-20 “that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”
What is the reward for peace?
Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.”
Transition: Although we are ambassadors of peace, that does not mean that the world will accept the peace that God offers.
Blessed are the Persecuted
Blessed are the Persecuted
Why should we expect persecution?
2 Timothy 3:12 “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
Example: Imagine a man who accepted a new job in which he had to work with especially profane people. When at the end of the first day his wife asked him how he had managed, he said, “Terrific! They never guessed I was a Christian.”
What types of persecution should we expect?
Unreasonable hatred
Mark 15:32 “Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.”
Persistent abuse
Matthew 23:34 “Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,”
False accusations
Acts 24:4-9 “Nevertheless, not to be tedious to you any further, I beg you to hear, by your courtesy, a few words from us. For we have found this man a plague, a creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to profane the temple, and we seized him, and wanted to judge him according to our law. But the commander Lysias came by and with great violence took him out of our hands, commanding his accusers to come to you. By examining him yourself you may ascertain all these things of which we accuse him.” And the Jews also assented, maintaining that these things were so.”
What is our attitude towards persecution?
Matthew 5:12 “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Conclusion: As we have seen over the past few weeks, the beatitudes build on one another and culminate in the willingness to be peacemakers and to endure persecution for living a life contrary to the world’s values.