Abundant Peace Part 2: Peace with Others

INTRODUCTION

When you look at our world today, there is a dangerous mentality that is spreading like wildfire through the hearts and minds of people.

That mindset is one of bitterness.

People are embracing bitterness in droves and it is tearing our society apart.

Everyone is looking for ways to be offended and harbor bitterness and resentment.

Augustine of Hippo is quoted as saying, “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”

Moreover, bitterness in the life of Christians are the chains and shackles that keep up from experiencing the full freedom and joy we have in Christ.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve looked at the Abundant Peace we have with God and the Abundant Love we experience in Him. Once these two realities settle into our hearts they should overflow out of us and generate a living stream of forgiveness that washes away bitterness and resentment in our lives, leading to Abundant Peace with others!

4 MOTIVATIONS FOR PEACE WITH OTHERS

Romans 12:9–21 ESV

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

1) GOD’S LOVE DRIVES US TO PEACE WITH OTHERS! (v.9-10)

Genuine love abhors what is evil, but holds fast to what is good.

God’s love for us hates the sin and evilness in our lives so much that Jesus came to bring us away from evil and into peace with God, which is our greatest good.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Likewise, we too must despise the evil in our lives and seek to hold tirelessly to that which is the greatest good.

Our love for one another should be driven by God’s love for us and therefore drives us to honor one another.

More than that we should seek to “outdo one another in showing honor.”

If we are always seeking to honor one another beyond honor, the focus is no longer “How am I being honored?” but rather, “How can I show honor?”

All of this is motivated and driven by God’s Abundant Love for us!

“love” in v. 9 is agapē. It is a divine, unconditional love that is used leading up to this to describe God’s love for us.

Love how God loves us: sacrificially, selflessly, and without condition.

2) SERVING GOD DEVOTES US TO PEACE WITH OTHERS! (v.11-13)

v.11 commands us, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”

“Do not be slothful in zeal” - do not be sluggish is wanting to

“fervent in spirit” - Excited and energetic, enthusiastic, all-in

Rejoice in hope, patient in affliction, and constant in prayer.

When we look at these in the context of loving one another and serving the Lord it helps build devotion to being at peace with one another!

When a brother or sister is being difficult, rejoice that this is not God’s purpose for them.

Be patient with one another when someone is rubbing you the wrong way.

Constantly go to God on their behalf and for your motivation to be devoted to restoring peace with them.

It’s not just a matter of tolerating them, it is also a matter of serving Jesus by serving them.

If a need arises, help to meet that need.

As you have the opportunity, don’t shy away from brothers and sisters, but rather show hospitality to them!

Just as Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, who would soon abandon Him, deny Him, and even one betray Him, serve one another!

Don’t be sluggish to want to serve God in this way, be excited and passionate about serving God by serving others. In this way, we will continue to be devoted to being at peace with one another!

It’s hard to be bitter with others when we are genuinely and enthusiastically devoted to serving Jesus by serving one another!

3) HUMILITY DEEPENS OUR CAPACITY FOR PEACE WITH OTHERS! (v.14-19)

When we are fully committed to the reality that Jesus is Lord over every part of our lives, it’s much easier for us to humble ourselves!

“Never be wise in your own sight,” means that we should never think we know the whole picture of what is going in someone’s life.

Hurt people will often hurt people.

Rather being bitter, we should seek to be humble and do what is honorable in the sight of all, especially what is honorable to God.

No matter what someone else does or how someone else acts towards you, make it your mission to be a peace with others.

When someone does hurt you, don’t seek vengeance, let God handle that part!

Part of humility is understanding that dealing with those who hurt you is not your place, it belongs to God!

Look to Jesus as your example. The way He was treated yet endured for our sake should humble us to endure much and deepens our capacity for peace!

4) SERVING OTHERS DISPLAYS A DESIRE TO BE AT PEACE WITH OTHERS! (v.20-21)

Our motivation for being at peace with others is to put Jesus on display by showing our desire to love people and be a catalyst for peace.

This passage is a quote from Proverbs 25:21-22. Jesus himself gave these commands in Matthew 5:43–48

“43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

“heap burning coals on his head” was not an act of maliciousness, but rather one of service.

The idea is that God would use the kindness of one to sear the conscience of another, bring them to shame and contrition and leading to repentance for their own good.

Serving those who have animosity towards us shows we have peace with God and seek for others to know that same peace through our displays of peace with them.

CLOSING

In a world that embraces bitterness, we must not be sucked in to the misery of being enslaved to bitterness.

While people around us are being torn apart from the inside out by the bitterness that is being generated and harbored, let us be resolved to a better and more perfect way!

Let us commit ourselves to embracing the Abundant Love of God and be a source of His hope and love for others by rejecting bitterness and promoting peace.

ARE THERE ANY ROOTS OF BITTERNESS IN YOUR HEART THIS MORNING?

HOW CAN THE LOVE OF GOD HELP TO DRIVE OUT THE BITTERNESS AND EMBRACE BEING A PEACE WITH OTHERS?

HOW CAN YOU BE A BLESSING TO THOSE WHO WOULD RATHER “PERSECUTE” YOU?

WHAT DOES “OVERCOMING EVIL WITH GOOD” SPECIFICALLY LOOK LIKE IN YOUR DAILY LIFE?