Kids' Club: Matthew 5:9

Introduction: Friends, we learned the first week that we need to call out to the Lord to save us from our sin and help us fight sin.

We learned the second week that we need to be sad over our sin.

We learned the third week that God enables us to be gentle instead of hurting those who hurt us.

We learned the 4th week that we want to be people who are known by our desire to live to please the Lord.

3 weeks ago we learned that we ought to be happy forgivers and eager to seek forgiveness when we’ve sinned against the Lord or wronged another person.

2 weeks ago we saw from God’s Word that only the Lord can make us pure from sin and these get to see our God Who is worth seeing beyond anything in this life!

Tonight friends, we’re going to see how God wants for us to interact with one another.

I’m going to read the verse and then I want for us to read it together three times.

Content and Explanation - Matthew 5:9 “9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (X3)

Who knows what is the first question that I’m going to ask?

What does “Blessed” mean? (Right!)

So what does it mean? (Happy, correct!)

Friends, according to this verse, who are the ones who are happy?

Peacemakers.

Friends, these are individuals who are actively seeking to be peaceful and promote peace.

But, friends, this brings up an important question.

What is peace? (take answers)

Friends, peace is more than just calm.

It’s more than just silence.

It’s a change in how one relates to another.

It’s about being friends, rather than enemies.

Friends, these are individuals who can play with one another without a thought of having had a fight previously.

Kellen, 4th grade - we had said such mean things to each other but, after speaking with the principal, not only did we change how we spoke to one another but we could be friends and play without fighting!

So, friends, what we could say is that a peacemaker goes about helping others to be friends rather than to be enemies.

At this point, friends, you might be thinking, “Ok, that sounds easy enough.”

But, not so fast friends.

Is it easy to help others be friends?

Maybe think about it this way.

Let’s say that you have two friends at school.

One day both of your friends get into a fight.

The next thing you know, these friends ask you to pick a side.

Otherwise, they won’t be your friend anymore.

Friends, what do you do?

Friends, fights like these happen all the time!

Why do fights like these happen, friends?

Because we’re sinners!

Friends, because we’re sinners we want to sin.

Ways that we can sin include getting into fights and breaking friendships that separates us from others who were once our friend.

Friends, the truth is, you can’t be a peacemaker unless your heart has been changed where you want to make friends rather than enemies.

Your heart won’t be changed unless God’s Holy Spirit lives inside of you.

God’s Holy Spirit won’t live inside of you unless Jesus has given Him to you.

And Jesus will give you God’s Holy Spirit when you believe on Jesus to save you from your sins.

Friends, if you haven’t believed on Jesus to save you from your sins, please talk with Ms. Carrie and me and about what this means!

Though sin makes peacemaking difficult, it is something that God’s Spirit can empower you to do.

Our next question concerns what it looks like to make peace, or to be friends with others.

To understand this, I want for us to look at Psalm 34:13-14 “13 Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.”

Friends, where do we see peace in these verses? (v. 14; very good)

The phrases before Psalm 34:14 help us to understand what is means to Seek and pursue peace.

When we look at Psalm 34:13, what is the Psalmist addressing there?

Our words.

We’re to avoid speaking evil words.

Evil words includes saying mean, hurtful things about others - like making fun of the fact that they wear glasses or wear different clothes than you do.

Evil words also includes yelling and screaming at someone just to get your own way.

We’re to avoid lying.

Friends, there’s nothing worse that you can do to separate people rather than make them friends than to say these kinds of things.

Think about it friends; do you want to be around someone who is going to make fun of you so that they can hurt you?

Can you trust someone who lies to you?

No one wants to be around people like this!

So, friends, if we’re going to pursue peace and help others to be friends, we need to speak kind and truthful words.

Friends, we can use our words to encourage one another to say sorry to end a fight.

Friends, we can use our words to point to what is true when there may have been a misunderstanding.

Friends, when we look at the first part of v. 14, what is the Psalmist pointing out about someone?

The things that they do.

Or, we could say, their actions.

Friends, we know what evil actions are.

This could be something as simple as actually poking someone just to get a reaction that disturbs the peace.

This could be something as hurtful as pushing or shoving someone, even hitting them.

Friends, what does this verse point us to that we should do instead?

Do good things.

Friends, we know what good things are.

Helping others when they have a need.

Sitting with someone who might be sitting by themselves.

Things to draw people together rather than apart.

Friends, if you have the Holy Spirit, you can use your words and actions to help others be friends rather than enemies.

And, friends, you can ask the Holy Spirit to help you right in the moment.

Friends, if someone starts to yell at you, you don’t have to yell back!

Proverbs 15:1 “1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Friends, you can ask the Holy Spirit to help you respond in a gentle way, where you’re under control of the way you say something and what you say!

Friends, so far, we’ve considered that peacemaking is about helping others to be friends through our words and actions.

But now we’ve got to consider the question, “Why would anyone be happy being a peacemaker?”

Let’s look back at Matthew 5:9.

The last phrase says it all!

Friends, when you are helping others to be friends rather than enemies, you’re doing something that clearly identifies that God is at work in you!

Friends, God is the ultimate peacemaker!

He did this by sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.

Friends, do you realize that every time you sin it’s like you’re making yourself God’s enemy?!

This is true because sin is something that God hates!

When you do something that someone else hates, you’re not being a friend but making yourself into an enemy!

Friends, God sent Jesus so that, in His perfect life He could die as the perfect sacrifice to forgive sins.

Friends, when you believe on Jesus to save you, all those things that you have done or will do that have made you God’s enemy are erased!

The wrongs you have done have been cancelled out!

This makes it so that you can be God’s friend again!

Friends, since God is the ultimate peacemaker, He wants those who have believed on Jesus to act like Him, even in making others friends again.

Peacemakers are happy because others see that it’s God working in the peacemakers.

Scripture Memory - Matthew 5:9 “9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (X3)

Discussion Questions:

What does it mean to be a peacemaker? - to help others to be friends with one another

Does lying help us to make peace? - No.

What are some things that we can say to help make peace? - Kind, truthful words.

What will peacemakers be known as? - sons of God

Who is the ultimate peacemaker? - God