About this sermon
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Peace with others begins with peace with God through reconciliation in Jesus Christ, and without that foundation nothing else holds. Those who have this peace pursue what makes for peace and mutual upbuilding in the church and in the world, living now as God’s children.
Sermon transcript
Please turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 5 Continuing our study in the Beatitudes Matthew chapter 5 we’re nearing the end Matthew chapter 5 we’re going to read these again minding ourselves We’ll read Matthew chapter 5 beginning at verse 1 through verse 12 Matthew chapter 5 verse 1 This is God’s Word to us Seeing the crowds he went up on the mountain and when he sat down his disciples came to him and He opened his mouth and taught them saying Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven blessed are those who mourn and for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
And we’ll end our reading there. Let’s pray. Our Lord and our God, this is your word to us. Open our hearts encouraged this hour. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. So I’m going to date myself a little bit. Some of you might be in the same camp. I do have remembrance of the Vietnam War back in the day. And during that era, there was what at least I understood and called the Peace Knicks.
Does that term ring a bell for anybody, the peaceniks? Who were they? And my question about them in that Vietnam era, was they really interested in peace? Were they peacemakers or peacebreakers? What did they do? They had sit-ins. They were fighting against the police and the school administration.
It seems to me that they were not really interested in peace, even though, you know, peace, you know, remember this? You don’t see this so much anymore. But that was the sign of peace, and that’s what you’d see everybody doing. And yes, they did not want to be in a war in Vietnam and they didn’t want to have people going there, but was what they were doing, what they were seeking, biblical peace? What were they practicing as peaceniks or peacemakers? What were they pursuing?
I think it’s not what we are going to learn today as we look at this idea of the peacemaker. So we’re gonna look at this in a couple of different ways, look at the word, how it’s used in the Old and New Testaments, and then look at those who were peacemakers and what it might be to not be a peacemaker, and then look at the consequences for that peacemaker.
So, word peace. And the Hebrew, and Jim, I’m sorry, you’ve probably covered all of this already, because I know you guys are going through this in your class, so, Look at it as a review, if you’ve already heard it, and enjoy what God has just as a reminder to us. So, peace. The Hebrew word, of course, is shalom. Shalom.
And what does that mean for us? Well, it has come to mean prosperity, well-being in general. And I’m going to have a number of verses as we look through these ideas. Psalm 35, verse 27. says this. May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness. May they always say, the Lord be exalted, who delights in shalom, well-being, prosperity, idea in the well-being of his servant.
And so that’s one idea of what shalom is. Well, it’s also used as a greeting and as a farewell. It’s used in asking about the health of someone. Joseph, when he has his brothers coming to him in Genesis chapter 43, says this, and he asked them about their shalom. their welfare, and said, is your old father Shalom? Is he well of whom you spoke? Is he still alive? So Shalom was a way of greeting and a way of looking at people. But it’s also something that was political. It had a political sense to it and a sense of justice. Isaac and Abimelech were at issues with one another.
Genesis chapter 26, verse 28 and following. We saw clearly that the Lord was with you. So we said, there ought to be a sworn agreement between us, between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you that you will do us no harm, just as we did not molest you, but always treated you well and sent you away in peace. So early the next morning, the men swore an oath to each other, and then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in once.
And so peace is also understood in the Old Testament as a primary blessing, what you would want. Psalm 122, 7, we sang this and we read this. My peace, my shalom be with you within your walls and prosperity within your citadels or your palaces. And so this peace is what people are looking for in the Old Testament. Peace from enemies. Primarily, that was the main thing, which if you had peace from your enemies, you probably had prosperity. And that was the great desire of many nations. And from God’s perspective, peace was a gift to the people, if they walked in His ways.
Listen to this in Leviticus 26, verse 6. I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down, and no one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country.” Picture of peace, Psalm 2911.
The Lord gives strength to his people. The Lord blesses his people with shalom. with peace. And then in Isaiah, chapter 26, 12, Lord, you established peace for us. All that we have accomplished, you have done for us. And so there’s the blessing of peace in the lives of these people. And this, in a sense, is an outward, very physical manifestation of peace that they could see. But there was also a desire for an inward peace. that was the portion of the righteous for those who trusted in God.
Isaiah chapter 26 verse 3 says this, Thou will keep him in perfect peace. Thou will keep him in peace, peace, perfect peace. Thou will keep him in shalom, shalom, if you will, whose mind is what stayed on thee because he trusts in thee. peace was to be sought for in those who were seeking righteousness. Psalm 34 verse 14. Seek peace and pursue it. This was what we are called to. This is what the Old Testament was called to. Now, turning our attention to the New Testament. How do we see this in the New Testament?
Arene has much the same meaning, the Greek term, as shalom. And we see Jesus, as he’s approaching Jerusalem, he sees the city there, and he says there in Luke 19, if you have even had only known on this day what would bring you peace, Shalom, or now Ereine, the idea of peace, but that was hidden from them. And so we see here this idea of peace. Well, when the angels come to the shepherds, very familiar passage in Luke chapter 2 verse 14, what do they declare to them?
Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace to men on whom his favor rests. In Acts 20, Acts 10, verse 36, you know the message of God sent to the people of Israel, telling them the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. So this idea of peace is essential in the New Testament and Christ is obviously the person who you look to for the one who is going to bring this about. Listen to this in Romans chapter 14 verse 17 and following.
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. And so what he goes on to say, let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. It is something that is to be cherished by us as believers, as Christians. We are to make this part of our lives.
Listen to Mark chapter 9 verse 50. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and now this connection, and be at peace with each other. Saltiness and peace, that’s an interesting combination of thought, that idea of being salty, of having that impact, and also being peaceful. Second Corinthians chapter 13 verse 11.
Finally, brothers, goodbye. Aim for perfection. Listen to my appeal. Be of one mind. Live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you forever. And of course we know that many of the epistles start with, grace and peace be to you. It’s something that’s said again and again there. Peace be with you. John 14, 27, Jesus also makes this same thing. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
And so we see the sense of peace enriching and just and filling in all of the New Testament perspective here. And those were a kind of peace that were, again, sort of an outward kind of peace, but there’s a spiritual peace that we look for as well. Why do I say that? Because when Jesus came, while he says, peace be with you, there’s a time that he says that this is not peace, not peace on earth. It’s interesting. Matthew 10 verse 34 says this, Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.” Now, wait a minute. He’s just said, peace be to you, and they release phrases. But it says, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. So how do we get these things in our mind? How do we wrap ourselves around this?
The ultimate peace from war and strife comes only through the peace that Jesus brings through salvation and reconciliation. That’s what we need to understand, and we’ll talk more about that, that the peace that people found physically could come and go. It might not be permanent, but the peace that Jesus offers is permanent. So what are some examples of those who were peacemakers?
It’s interesting, I’ve got a few of them here. The first one I want to talk about is Phineas. Phineas. Listen to this about Numbers 25.11.
Now what do we know that Phineas did to bring peace? Not a very peaceful act. He’s the one who runs the javelin through the Israelite man into the Midianite woman while they’re engaged in activity that should not be done. And so that is his act that brings peace.
Listen to it in Numbers, chapter 25, 11. Phineas, son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites. for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them. Therefore tell him, I am making my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of lasting priesthood because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the sacrifice.” So you see, there’s the beginning stages of what it means to make peace and what you accomplish by it. Deborah, Deborah sought the well-being others and herself in that setting. We’re called to do the same thing like Deborah.
Judges 5.31 says this, So may all your enemies perish, O Lord, but may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.
And then the land had what? peace for 40 years. Again and again in the book of Judges, peace comes, but it comes at the hand of what seems to be not very peaceful. but it’s those who are doing what is right, what is honoring to God. Remember Gideon? Again, Gideon, another familiar figure in this, went to Penuel in peace. He went to this place and he’s breaking down its towers and killing all the men of the city because he was doing justice to a city that did not give food to the Israelites. And listen to what it says here in Judges 8 and 9 as he’s doing this. So he said to the men of Peniel, when I return in shalom, in peace, I will tear down this tower.
So here’s a picture of a very aggressive, if you will, a very antagonistic, a very destructive sense of peace. But the ambassador of peace in these places is the one who ends wars, who brings reconciliation between people, who does God’s work of judgment in these places.
And of course, we know that Jesus who is the prince of peace, is the ultimate worker of peace. And so we see this as we think about Jews and Gentiles. That was the The major issue in the New Testament world was this contention, this distinction, this angst between them. And so we see in Ephesians chapter 2 how Jesus is a part of this, how He is the means for peace. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 14, is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God. what Jesus has done reconciling both Jew and Gentile to God to God through the cross by which he put to death their hostility he came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.” And that’s the message for us, Jew or Gentile, we are called to this peace.
And it comes through Jesus Christ. This is the good news of Jesus Christ. This is the gospel truth that is the ultimate peace that we have with God. There’s no greater peace that you can have if you don’t know this peace, this personal peace. of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will never find peace, and it’s true in ultimate sense, anywhere else. Romans 5-1 says this, Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, And that’s the picture. Jesus Christ, just as if I had never sinned, by grace, God’s riches at Christ’s expense, this is what we have. And it says, therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God. through our Lord Jesus Christ.
There’s nothing greater that you can have than that. That’s what we desire and that comes through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Amen? Is that where you are today? Do you know that glory, that hope, that peace, and that access to the grace where we are. This is who you are if you are in Jesus Christ. So that’s a picture of the peace. So what about peacemakers? What’s some examples of those who I would call non-biblical peacemakers? What does that look like?
Well, there might be some who consider it peace if they just treat a person as if they don’t exist. I’m at peace because I basically don’t see you. They disown someone, they kick them out, maybe out of the house, they avoid them, they ignore them, and they’re not speaking with them at all. And so, I’m at peace with that person, I just don’t have any contacts. It’s not a true peace, it’s not a biblical peace. Well, some seek after peace by staying uninvolved. Staying uninvolved. I hate conflict and trouble. I don’t want any confrontation. I’m just going to let the sleeping dogs lie. I’m going to stand back. I’m going to walk on the other side.
And this situation again is not real peace. Such may be time bombs waiting to go off. And some people are just naturally docile, peaceful people. It might be in their nature. Someone who just has a peaceful heart. They’re not a critical person. They’re not a judgmental person. They’re not an arguing person. And so you just have a hard time to get in any kind of conflict with them.
And they say, well, it’s just a peaceful person. And while that might be a good thing, to have that sense of peace, it’s not the beatitude peacemaker. How does one become a beatitude peacemaker? And it has to begin in the heart. You can’t bring to others what you don’t already have. So you need to look at your heart.
What kind of a hard attitude do you have? Are you one who is generally argumentative? Do people look at you as someone who is harsh or critical? Do you have a certain amount of holding grudges against people, where you won’t let something go, where you won’t seek forgiveness, where you have these unreconciled offenses, where you’re divided with people.
And it seems like everywhere you turn, there’s a division. There’s somebody who has something against you, or you have something against them. Or maybe it’s against God. Maybe you have a division with God because He hasn’t brought you what you wanted in life, or He didn’t give you the things that you thought you deserved, or He took something away from you. Do you have a heart attitude that is at peace or in contention? And so how do we come to this? Well, again, we’ve been looking at the Beatitudes, right?
I just want us to be reminded this peacemaker comes in this the sense of progression that we see. And it comes about, as we reminded ourselves in the very beginning, that we have a poverty of spirit. We realize that we are grieving over our sin, that we have fallen short, that we don’t measure up. And in that grief, we find comfort in our mourning.
And then in our meekness, as we realize that that’s our place, we now submit ourselves to God’s will. And we say, not my will, but thy will be done. And as we’re in that process, then we’re hungering and thirsting to understand who God is and what He calls us to do and how He wants us to live our lives. And we desire His righteousness and not our own. And then as we come to that place, we are merciful. to others. We realize and see what God in his mercy has done for us, saving us from our sins, turning us from death to life, giving us his spirit so that we in turn can show mercy to others because we received God’s mercy. And in that process we become pure in heart and we see things as God sees them and we desire to follow in his place.
And this prepares us then to be a peacemaker. This may happen over time, it may come in slowness, it may come all at once. You may have experiences in your life that move you in this direction, but know that the end of your Christian life, the purpose of your life, is to be at peace and be of peacemakers.
And it comes out of your own personal experience with God. My life as a Christian doesn’t end with me and God off somewhere by myself in isolation from others. I can’t be a peacemaker if I’m not with other people. I can’t be a peacemaker if I’ve hidden myself away, if I’m not connected. I have to come off the mountaintop. and engage in the world around me with those who are the human race and sinners, believers, unbelievers, different ethnic values, different people groups, all of them need to be a place where I enter in to bring peace. I’m not merely just a good man that goes about and tries to bring contending people together, try to work out their quarrels and produce kind of a tranquility between them that may or may not last. But if I’m going to be this peacemaker, this happy peacemaker, this blessed peacemaker, I need to bring the peace first and foremost of the reconciliation with God. If we don’t have that kind of peace, if we don’t have peace with God as the point of everything, as the foundation, then the rest of it won’t matter.
It’s not truly peace. So I take the message of a reconciled and reconciling God in the person of Jesus Christ to those in conflict. I need to tell them the good news of Jesus Christ. I need to say that you will never find peace unless you find peace first with your Savior, Jesus Christ. And then I need to proclaim that message with my mouth, yes, and with my life. I need to proclaim Christ. I need to proclaim this reconciliation that is available to us.
2 Corinthians 5.19, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them, and he has committed to us that message of reconciliation. If you’re dealing with people in conflict or if you’re dealing with struggles in a place that has no peace, bring the peace of the gospel of Jesus Christ into that place. But how else do I keep the peace?
You know how easy it is to start gossip. You know how easy it is to create strife and contention, to be critical, to be judgmental. A mere spark and that haystack will just go up in flame. It’s much, much harder to put that fire out, to put out that gossip, that animosity, that division, that contention.
So watch and guard your tongue. Watch and see how you’re speaking, how you’re bringing these things to be. Don’t return evil for evil. Hateful words or acts of evil will only produce more evil. Romans chapter 12 verse 21 says, do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
It takes two to quarrel, right? If one person cannot quarrel by themselves, make sure you are not the one who is part of the quarrel. Resolve to keep the peace. So no peacemaking is even required. If we don’t allow ourselves to be the peacebreaker, then we don’t have to become the peacemaker. And scripture is very clear. It says, let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Romans 14, 19. Live at peace with all men. Live at peace with all men. How do you engage with people to bring about peace.
As a lover of God, detest strife, abhor strife and debate and contention. Labor to see that you are not part of those things. And if you see that happening, find ways to nip that in the bud, so to speak, if there are these things coming up. Attempt to calm the stormy hearts of men. Quiet the passions and turbulence. Soften the minds of contending parties. Bring that reconciliation of the gospel of Jesus Christ into that setting. Preserve the peace where it is. does not.
Ephesians chapter 4 verse 2. Be completely humble and gentle. Be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body, one spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. That’s the picture of peace. Peace and unity is very much what God wants for us. So you were called to be that peacemaker. Well, what’s the outcome? What’s the payback, if you will, if you are going to be a peacemaker?
You’re going to be called sons of God. And ladies, we understand that that includes you. You are sons of God or children of God. Well, who’s going to call you a son of God? Well, I can tell you it’s not going to be the world around you. The world around you is not going to call you a son of God.
We see that in the verses that come after this particular verse. Men will revile you and persecute and say all evil, a manner of evil against you for my sake. It doesn’t matter though what men say, what the world says. Don’t worry about that, but what God calls us. sons of God. God is the one who calls us His sons. 1 John chapter 3 verse 1. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are. Do you take that promise and take it and hold on to it? Well, what’s the significance of being God’s sons? Well, we have His likeness and we’re to be like Him.
Ephesians 5.1, be imitators of God therefore as dearly loved children and live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Imitate your Heavenly Father. If you’re a son, it’s the greatest form of love that I can imagine. If there’s anything that, for me as a father, in hearing people telling me about my children and how they have walked in my steps, how they have followed in the things that I have done that are godly, that are desirable, acting like imitators of my father, Are you imitating your Heavenly Father? Well, what else is the significance of this? Romans 8, verse 15, For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship, or we would say adoption.
And by him we cry, you can call on as Abba. That very personal sense, we are his sons, he is our Abba, our father. It is as we live in his likeness that we come to the calm understanding of what being a child of God is about, is all about, and then spreading that peace to others.
What is the ultimate Outcome what is the ultimate significance? We’re co-heirs with Jesus Christ Romans chapter 8 17 now if we are children Then we are heirs Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory Revelations 21 7 he who overcomes will inherit all this and and I will be his God, and he will be my son.” That’s God’s promise to you and I. That’s the blessing that we have.
So I ask you, are you a peacemaker or a peacebreaker? God calls us to peacemaking. Beware of that false prophet who says, peace, peace, when there really is no peace. Are you that false prophet in your life? Do you say, peace, peace, in the way the world says peace? But there is no actual peace. Don’t live in a false peace. Peace without Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is a false peace. If you don’t know Christ, you cannot know this peace.
And if you are that peacemaker, then you are that child of God. You have peaceful reconciliation with Him and with the other heirs of Christ. You’re to spread that peace to those around you, even regardless of the consequences of you being that person.
You probably are going to be reviled. You’re probably going to be persecuted. But God still calls you and I to be peacemakers and live in that peace in the midst of the strife that we may know all eternity let’s pray our Lord and our God we’re not always very peaceful you just have to ask people in our family or at work or around us and you’ll find how we fall short where we do anything but make peace with those around us, with our parents, with our children, with our spouses, with neighbors, with relatives, with fellow church members. Lord, we are a fallen people.
We need your spirit that we would know these truths. Thank you for the blessings and the promise that you have given us in Jesus Christ. us to Yourself, that You have made us Your sons and daughters. What a marvelous gift this is that we know in part, but in time we will know fully for all eternity. Lord, if there are those here who don’t know this peace, by the power of Your Spirit, we pray that You would take them from their lack of peace, their false peace, and bring them the true peace of salvation through Jesus Christ. Lord, if we live our life and we feel like there is no peace, we’ve forgotten, we’ve left this aside. Lord, bring this to bear in our life that we would know your peace, that we would be those who bring peace, that we would make peace with others. would be known as that person who brings peace into the body of Christ into the world around us that we would live now as sons of God knowing that we have the blessing of that eternity forever we pray this in Jesus
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