Saved to Make Peace
Peace on Earth: Good News of Great Joy • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 8 viewsOne of the major themes of the Bible is “peace” (shalom). We love the idea of peace and we want peace. However, left to our own devices, we all have a tendency to destroy peace and create chaos and conflict. Thankfully, the work of Jesus brings true peace into the world, a peace that passes understanding. Saved people get to enjoy and experience this peace, but there’s more to it than that. We are not just saved from chaos, but saved for making peace. When the Spirit of God lives in our sanctified bodies, he gives us a peace-making wisdom.
Notes
Transcript
The Christmas season is one of
family
joy
celebration
But it can also bring
stress
conflict
grief
has this been your experience?
This may be the season we talk about peace the MOST, but experience it the LEAST.
This may be the season we talk about peace the MOST, but experience it the LEAST.
If the Prince of Peace has come and brought peace on earth…
Why is there still so much conflict and chaos?
Emotionally?
Relationally?
Locally?
Nationally?
Globally?
James—the little brother of Jesus—can shed some light on…
the root of our conflict
how we can experience more peace in our lives
1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
You might say…
I’ve never murdered anyone
Or even wanted to murder someone
Probably TRUE
But almost all CONFLICT has the same root CAUSE, whether it is…
quarrel between friends
fight between rivals
violence between enemies
war between countries
we ALL want something we don’t have. that is often the cause of our anger and conflict…
We WANT something we don’t HAVE…
agreement - want others see an issue the way we see it
attention - want others to see US
approval - want others to LIKE our choices
appreciation - want others to be GRATEFUL to us
admiration - want others to want to BE us
affection - want others to LOVE us
autonomy - want to be free of constraints and control our own lives
These desires aren’t bad in and of themselves, but our unfulfilled desires often lead to conflict with…
Co-workers / Classmates
Fellow Church Members
friends
family
Spouse
Parents
Siblings
When you find yourself contributing to conflict: Stop and ask yourself, “What am I wanting that I’m not getting and how am I expecting that desire to be met?”
James told his audience
their desires were selfish
they weren’t talking to God about those desires
they were looking to THEMSELVES and the WORLD for resolution
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
Christian wisdom is shown through MEEKNESS
“the quality of not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance” (BDAG)
gentle
humble
courteous
considerate
Christian wisdom isn’t about…
impressing people
how smart you are
how you can dominate others in a debate
Stop trying prove you’re RIGHT and start proving you’re WISE
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
Do not boast and be false to the truth
Don’t fool yourself
Don’t lie to yourself
Ask yourself…
Am I being jealous?
wanting something for myself that belongs to another?
wanting something on which I have no legitimate claim?
Am I being selfishly ambitious?
pursuing my own wants and desires?
not putting others above myself?
not imitating the self-giving love of Jesus?
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
Pure - What is morally good and not evil (meek wisdom doesn’t participate in evil)
Peaceable - What makes for harmonious relationships
Gentle - not insisting on every right of letter of law or custom, yielding, gentle, kind, courteous, tolerant (BDAG)
Open to reason - Compliant / accommodating / able to be persuaded
Full of mercy - compassion towards toward offenders
Full of good fruits - you can see the good that is the result of this wisdom
Impartial - without distinction or discrimination / nonjudgmental (how many conflicts are caused because we made assumptions or
Sincere - genuine / not pretend
Where does this wisdom come from?
from above
from God
from the Spirit
18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
harvest is righteousness
right relationships with God
right relationships with each other
just - everything is as it should be
righteousness is the result of
sowing seeds of peace
peacemakers doing the hard work of planting seeds
in other words…
Peace doesn’t just HAPPEN, it has to be MADE.
Peace doesn’t just HAPPEN, it has to be MADE.
Imagine if this was our mindset…
in our marriages
in our parenting
in our relationships in the church
in our schools
in our workplaces
Instead of just praying for peace
pray for wisdom to be a peace-maker
pray for courage to be a peace-maker
No Matter the Cost, Practice…
Meekness
Gentleness
Reasonableness
Mercy
Impartiality
Sincerity
You were saved FOR peacemaking
partner with Jesus and the Spirit in making peace
making peace is an adventure you’re being invited into
