Sync Up - Made to Make Peace
Notes
Transcript
Handout
SYNC UP
3:33 - So many incredible things on the horizon for Easter! Good Friday service on April 18 at 6:30 - always a meaningful service -need a recharge or a reminder of that tremendous gift and the mercy Jesus showed us - perfect service to get reset this Easter. Then Saturday April 19th - 12 - 2 pm “Rise to Life” a special event for families of the church and of the Summit Hill area. Actually, some of the business associations are going to share it on their pages even! Then of Course - Easter Sunday.
Pastor Eric has a great message planned for Easter! I am very stoked for it. So make the proper adjustments to the schedule, gear up the family for a great push to Easter. It is a great season to extend that personal invitation to those around you. Be thinking, who needs some hope right now? Who in your life could use a little personal boost to their life? Who needs to begin, restart, or strengthen their journey with Jesus? Don’t hesitate to invite them.
For those who are tuning in online, we just wanna welcome you as well. Actually, Summit do me a favor and let them know that you want them to also be a part of what is happening here at Summit Church. Give a big shout out as an invitation.
We could all use a little pick me up right now a climate of our communities across the country are filled with anxiety. Stock markets are volatile, others wars that are breaking out or being sustain. There’s talks of peace, and yet there are breaches to the same peace treaties. There’s a looming danger of other countries deciding what role they want to play.
It is a season of unrest. And I do say seasonal because they tend to come around. Did you know that in the over 3400 years of recorded history one study indicates that it’s only had peace for 8% of the time.! Think about that 8%
Which is essentially 268 years or so. That was as of 1968. So you figure in the last several decades since then. Maybe we’ve had 270 years of peace out out of 3474 years. Wow!
So what does that tell you? It tells you that the world’s way of trying to create peace just doesn’t work. It’s the worlds way of creating order. It’s just not useful apparently. There was a chunk of peace after World War II that people called the long piece. What it really was was a time of fear. Think about what happened during the war. The massive catastrophe across the globe. From the atrocities of Germany, Russia, China, to the atrocities of the great bomb.
Peace through fear isn’t peace
I understand the concept of peace through strength. I get it. It’s definitely a time in the military and I understand it. I also spent all your time trying to bring peace in the moment. Peace in the middle of a crisis by the use and or show of force. The reality, it was always temporary.
If peace is driven out of fear, there is a moment when the fearful weight the cost of that fear and how they respond. I am not trying to claim to be some expert when it comes to world politics or international diplomacy. That is way above my pay grade. But the stats tell the story. The human race is not bent toward peace but toward conflict. At the very least - there are many who are bent toward conflict and those who are conflict avoidant do all they can to avoid it…until they can’t.
Peace through fear has a shelf life - I recall growing up and I had a healthy dose of fear through my dad. I had a ton of respect for him, yes, but also a bunch of fear…until I didn’t. Most of the disciplinary actions were fear driven, but by the time I was gearing up to be a Marine. All of a sudden I was bigger, stronger, and faster. Whats funny is growing up my dad would remind me there is always someone bigger, stronger, faster. Someone meaner, smarter, more skilled…there is always a point when you will face someone just beyond where you are…and they will too…eventually. Every Champion Boxer or UFC fighter has had a shelf life.
Peace through fear is temporary, its not true peace its pause.
In the 1st Century, when Jesus was sitting on a mountain side teaching countless men and women the Jewish people were in a season of unrest as well. We might read headlines of attacks in Jerusalem or in the Palestinian region - Their headlines would too.
Headlines: (Parthians clash with Roman Troops on the Boarder)
Headlines: (EXPANSION! Caesar conquers 10 southern villages!)
Headlines: (Assassination Plot foiled!)
Headlines: (Growing Unrest in Jerusalem because of the Zealots- See Something Say Something)
That’s the backdrop behind Jesus. That is the climate of the world He is speaking to on the mountain side. This is the group He says:
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
180 years or so before this moment on the hill. There was a significant revolt in Jerusalem. Judas Maccabeus were able to successfully reinstate the Temple in Jerusalem. Without going into a history lesson, this dude Antiochus banned all Jewish practices in the entire region and demanded they worship Greek Gods. To drive the hammer into the nail - Antiochus had a pig slaughtered in the Temple AND sacrificed it to Zeus.
The revolt was wildly successful - actually you know the festival that still happens today - Hanukkah.
Well as history would have it, the roman occupation nearly 200 years later was trending in a similar direction - or at least there was certainly significant tension between Rome and the Jewish people. They were waiting on a warrior to finish the cleansing. Waiting for a Messiah to overthrow the Roman occupation.
To that crowd, Jesus says if you want to SYNC UP with God - be a peacemaker.
Blessed / Happy / IN SYNC are those who are Peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. This particular statement doubles down on the idea of living in Sync with God. That phrase “sons of God”
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Jesus doesn’t use the familiar - they will be called the children of God - or you are a child of God. Instead Matthew records “for they will be called sons of God.” No not mutually exclusive for only men, but it is not a claim to the position within the family. Aunt, uncle, son daughter, etc. Thats not it. It carries with it a description of a trait.
Think about it this way. When you call someone a Son of a gun, or the son of a dog it carries with it a connotation of Character. Its not about position but disposition. When you SYNC UP with God - you have a disposition consistent with God!
In other words - Jesus is saying Show yourself as In Sync with God - more than an image bearer - this is pat of the deal. Which totally makes sense doesn’t it? Jesus - whom we know to be the Son of God - is called the prince of peace - and known as a deliverer of peace.
“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.
Peacemaking is a disposition of God’s people. Can you imagine the angst that statement created in the ancient world. The Zealots were doing everything they could to sow division and unrest, to create chaos and set the stage for the Roman occupation to be overthrown. And Jesus is saying to show yourself to be consistent with the disposition of God - to SYNC UP with God Make Peace.
We can Probably put ourselves in that same situation right. But we can see what they might’ve saw. We see unrest in chaos and conflict pretty much everywhere we looked. In our homes on our street in our country. Not to mention across the globe. The tendency might be to think, create peace, or if people just listen to the way I think we need to do it they would have peace. Or if I can only raise my threat of violence, high enough, they will stop the fighting out of fear of retaliation. And then will have peace. Back to the idea peace through strength.
But is that what Jesus is saying to us, to make peace by any means necessary? Does the end justify the means. I don’t think so. I don’t think Jesus is saying we need to force peace, outward peace. Why because that is not actual peace, like I said, that is pause.
Jesus isn’t calling us to be Pausemakers - hes not calling us to be ceasefire makers - he is calling us to be PEACEMAKERS. But we can’t make what we don’t have. We aren’t God who can create something out of nothing.
In order to be a peacemaker we need to be a peace possessor. We have to actually have PEACE! So....
Do you have PEACE?
Do you peace within you like when God took the chaotic waters and brought order?
Do you have peace within you like the moment the raging wind and waves were made calm by Jesus.
Do you have peace? Have you experienced the supernatural gift, experienced the promise of Jesus - PEACE? Do you have Jesus within you - the peace he offers. Not that you never feel anxiety, stress, nervousness, anger, frustration, fear, doubt.
This is not to say that somehow you have perfection. That somehow you anxiety or fear or doubt or frustration. Of course you do. It’s part of the human condition. But the question is do you know the place to go when you experience it. It means that you no longer live in the place of fear and doubt and frustration. Because you know the one who brings . You know the direction you need to run to in order to seek that.
The feeling of those things is a reality. That is all part of the human condition. But have you felt the peace of God wash over you in the middle of your fear, doubt, drama, chaos, anger, frustration, angst? Have you allowed yourself be be consumed by God’s peace?
This kind of peace is not the absence of chaos, Peace is the presence of Christ!
And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Peace within us is the chaotic broken relationship with God made whole through Christ!
If you have not yet said yes to Jesus. Today is your day. If you want to Sync Up with God and experience peace within yourself. Peace amid the chaos of life - even if its moments at a time. Jesus promises to bring you peace, rest. The guy who wrote Colossians - Paul - is saying you can have God’s peace RULE YOUR HEARTS! So don’t delay.
For those of you who know Jesus. Last week we talked about gauges. There were gauges we can watch to see if we need to SYNC UP with God. The device lost connection to the cloud and things are out of whack. The meter of Mercy - our willingness to forgive is a meter for us. Are we merciful or vengeful or apathetic.
If you want to know how your peacemaking ability is going, look at your drama meter.
Dramameter - (pic)
Some of you just have to tapped out, You’re like nope, my drama meter is pegged all the time! Too which I would say I’m so sorry! That is a difficult road to walk down day after day. But its still a good gauge.
How much of the drama are you contributing to. That’s really the question. When I talk about a drama meter, I’m asking the question how much drama are we creating in the life around us. Because we all know drama attracts drama. We all know that crazy attracts crazy. We all know that chaos attracts chaos. We all know that we attract the thing that we are projecting more often than not.
For me it looks like this. I create. I create drama by picking a side that I know is not agreed upon by the other person just to see how they respond. It’s a terrible human trait, I have. But when I’m not healthy. I will look for places to drive that drama. To challenge a thought, just to stoke an argument.
Praise God that has been replaced…most of the time. But its a gauge in my life. Its a tell tale sign that peace is lacking in my heart because I am stirring up conflict. Even if its silly conflict - like is a hotdog a sandwich.
Am I opposition-seeking or peacemaking?
I need to reset and recenter if my drama meter is pegged, because I want to SYNC UP with God, I want to be a peacemaker - and I need the peace of Jesus to make peace!!
And it is MAKING peace.
Peacemaking ≠ Peacekeeping
It is not conflict avoiding either. The word make is all over the scriptures - seriously this compound word PEACEMAKER might only be used once in the whole bible, but the two words within are everywhere.
Make - as in God making the heavens and Earth; Make as in God making plants, animals, people. Make as in Noah making the ark. To the less significant, like making bread, wine, perfume, a fire, you get it…its literally making peace - like a tree makes fruit.
Listen - easy connection to the Fruit of the Spirit. Love, Joy, PEACE, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. The Spirit MAKES these attributes in our lives as we walk in step - as we SYNC up with God.
We did a whole series on how to Cultivate the Fruit of the Spirit last year around this time of year.
Do you know what it means to be a peacemaker - its a person who
Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.
It is recognizing the sin trying to infect your life that will rob you of your peace. So pursue Jesus. AND AND AND
If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Not in the sense of avoiding conflict. We all know that it is virtually impossible to be known as a follower of Jesus and have a life completely void of conflict. In fact, next week Jesus address that very thing. So being a peacemaker is not avoiding conflict to be peaceful, but living a peaceful life of grace and truth - empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Grace and Truth. There was a time in my past that I used to be proud of being BRUTALLY HONEST. Ever bragged about that? I can’t help how they responded I was just brutally honest.
Living at peace with others, being a peace maker is being mercifully honest. Replace the brutality with honesty.
When that co-worker is taking advantage of the role and others, be mercifully honest - realize something is busted in their life.
When your husband comes home and is short with the kids, or head down stuck in his phone, or says that comment that sends you into the stratosphere. Be mercifully honest when addressing the behavior.
When your children have destroyed the house 5 minutes after you picked up all the blankets, toys, food, controllers, devices - be mercifully honest as you set expectations.
You get it right? Do you know what I find so brilliant about this opener for the Sermon on the mount. Jesus is setting the stage for explaining to his followers the criteria to be PEACEMAKER
HOW TO BE A PEACE MAKER: Spiritually Bankrupt; Mourn the damage of sin; Power under control; Cracked lips, Empty Stomach pursuit of Jesus; Pure Mercy.
Spiritually Bankrupt -recognizing you were once a sinner in need of a savior. You once were missing the same peace they are. Or you have found yourself out of Sync with God and in need of the reminder needing Jesus is an every single day kind of thing.
Mourn the damage of Sin - recognizing the affects of sin on our world are pervasive like a weed. Its like a zebra muscle to a great fishing lake. Everywhere. It is like hunger and illness - indiscriminate.
Power under Control - Recognizing you have the power within you to make a difference in the lives around you, and to move in obedience to the Spirit with that power. Not through brute force or through violence, but in submission to the one who gave you the power. Its always angry at the right time and never angry at the wrong time, and always responding with grace ad truth.
Cracked lips, empty stomach pursuit of Jesus - Recognizing the thing you need more than water, more than bread is your relationship with Jesus. It takes that kind of focus on your relationship for it to continue to grow, to stay healthy, When you pursue Jesus like you’re starving, you offer mercy
Pure Mercy - Recognizing the life altering debt paying gift Jesus gave you at the cross. There is no such thing as faking this one, you either realize the mercy you were given, the underserved unwarranted, radical - yes I do mean radical grace given to forgive your sin, to forgive the unpayable debt. That you are willing to be merciful - Mercifully Honest with those in your life.
And from that posture. When the SYNC UP with Jesus is active and strong - from that place you take action as a PEACEMAKER. Arguably the first outward action in the whole list. The rest are inward. - being merciful is a posture - being a peacemaker is what we do.
To make peace indicates there is a broken peace, a broken relationship, a broken system causing conflict. There is a need for peace to be brokered. Here is what I want you to see Summit - the conflict every person has is the battle between the powers, principalities, and their own flesh.
The chaos of the inward battle affects our outward lives. To be a peacemaker is to share the good news of Jesus to those who you have opportunity to share. Yes it will create some conflict - BUT BUT not because of you. You get to share of the journey we just walked through. That you too were once without peace.
But there is a peace available to all people. To everyone. The Peace Paul describes as:
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Or in the poetic words of Eugene Peterson.
Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
When we help one more person realize the are known by God, that there is a hope for their lives and His name s Jesus. When we bring people on the journey to Come and see the Savior - then church - that is the moment we become PEACEMAKERS.
And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.
So, who in this place is ready to receive the PEACE of Christ. The altar s open. If you need to restore the peace you once had, the altar is open, if you have been running from him for a long time and are ready to return - the altar is open. If you need a fresh SYNC UP with God an infilling of the Holy Spirit the altar is open.
