JSM | Identity .6 | Peacemakers (7/14/2024)
JSM | Identity .6 | Peacemakers
Heb. (נּט רּקהץ מּןביםךשד דּטנרם'דלט)
Gk. (Βψ Ρεω. Νιξηολασ Σψβροωσκψ)
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Invocation:
Holy of holies. Almighty Creator of heaven and earth. Creator of the universe. Holy Father, thank you for the example of your only begotten son Jesus Christ. Thank you for the sacrificial love you’ve given to us. Bless every soul, body and spirit that be able to hear my voice today. Empower them with greater sense of your presence in their life today. Have your way in our service and have your way in the purification of our hearts that we may fulfill all requirements as children of the Highest. Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father & Prince of Peace.
Opening Word & Reading for Worship:
(Isa 9:5-7 NKJV) (5) For every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle, And garments rolled in blood, Will be used for burning [and] fuel of fire. (6) For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (7) Of the increase of [His] government and peace [There will be] no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Holy Father you are welcome here. Let us worship you face to face here in this sanctuary today. And all of God’s people in agreement said, Amen!
The Kingdom of God has come to the least likely people. Beatitudes, blessings and what it means. The standard ideal character traits of a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Intro:
Identity in Christ is made in the image of God. You are the least likely person to have the Kingdom of God come to. We’ve been working through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount verse by verse and today we’re on the 7/8 of the Beatitudes in the opening introduction of the Lord Jesus Christ’s teaching.
Let me open back up the full introduction verses 1-12 of the blessings from within an Expanded Translation by Kenneth S. Wuest Teacher Emeritus of New Testament Greek of the Moody Bible Institute. Follow along in Mt 5:1-12, just know I’m reading from the Wuest Expanded Translation (WET).
“And having seen the multitudes, He went up into the mountain. And when He had seated Himself, His pupils came to Him. And having opened His mouth He went to teaching them, saying, Spiritually prosperous are the destitute and helpless in the realm of the spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Spiritually prosperous are those who are mourning, because they themselves shall be encouraged and strengthened by consolation. Spiritually prosperous are those who are meek, because they themselves shall inherit the earth. Spiritually prosperous are those hungering and thirsting for righteousness, because they themselves shall be filled so as to be completely satisfied. Spiritually prosperous are those who are merciful, because they themselves shall be the objects of mercy. Spiritually prosperous are those who are pure in the sphere of the heart, because they themselves shall see God. Spiritually prosperous are those who make peace, because they themselves shall be called sons of God. Spiritually prosperous are those who have been persecuted on account of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Spiritually prosperous are you whenever they shall revile you and persecute you and say every pernicious thing against you, speaking deliberate falsehoods on account of me. Be rejoicing and exult exceedingly, because your reward is great in heaven. For in this manner they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Mt 5:1-12 (WET)
Main Text Mt 5:9
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God” Mt. 5:9 (MEV).
Or in the Wuest Expanded Translation (Bold Italic Above).
As you can observe in this translation the word “blessed” is translated as “Spiritually prosperous”. Our identity as disciples is spiritually prosperous!
1. Children of God Make Peace with their Enemies
One of the covenant promises of God is that He will be a Father to us and we shall be his children (2 Co. 18)
“And as for you, you will be to me sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” ~Paul Letter Correspondence 2 Co. 18 (WET)
Later in the series we’ll be getting into the case study teaching about Love for Enemies in Mt 5:44 which reads
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 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.” (MEV).
Lk 6:35 puts it like this
“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be the sons of the Highest. For He is kind to the unthankful and the evil. 36 Be therefore merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (MEV).
Sound familiar?
Paul in his response letter to Corinth calls them to generous giving 2 Cor. 8:9
“You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.”
2. Children of God give what they have and what they have is the direct result of their identity as a Child of God.
As a child of the One True God I’d like to fan the flames of John C. Maxwell and Franklin Covey’s work in the subject of leadership. These two men of God have served me as a protégé through their books, their work encouraged me to examine scripture for myself. Meaning they’ve mentored me through the author works such as the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and the 8th Habit.
Specifically, with John I learned the concept of the
"Law of Influence: The True Measure of Leadership is influence—nothing more, nothing less." ~John C. Maxwell
Additionally, he exposed me to words that describe what I call respecting the rank, but not the person.
“It’s not the position that makes the leader; it’s the leader that makes the position ”~Stanley Huffty
and speaking from experience I agree with Mr. Huffty. In Mr. Maxwell's book he shares this quote of Huffty while explaining “The Position Myth” I’ve witnessed this myth in action and accept that this is a very real idea that helps to explain understand the importance of personal development and its impact of our leadership abilities.
On another note sharing ourselves with others in order to serve them, we sometimes waste time and energy talking about things we want and even make the error of attempting to give that which we don’t have. In turn we don’t actually give anything of value, we fool ourselves.
According to Mr. Greg Hiebert another student, teacher and coach in the leadership training industry, Hiebert says,
“You can’t give what you don’t have”. ~Greg Hiebert
Now I haven’t read this book of his that published in 2018, but I’m sure I would enjoy it because I agree with the concept. In his book he shares details of self-care while serving others to avoid burnout. The concept of caring for others when I'm all out of care. Let me illustrate with a basic fruit, the apple.
Let’s say I want to offer apples in the upcoming farmers market at the Town Hall on highway 491 starting Saturday July 27th. I’ll need to find some apples. I can set up a table, advertise from said table “apples for sale”, I can even invite people out to the market for my apples. If I suit up and show up Saturday morning but don’t bring any apples, then I don’t have any apples to give! By the way it’s almost harvest time! You Can’t give what you don’t have.
The concept holds true to the virtue of peace. It’s also true in the virtues described by Paul to the Galatians 5:22
Gal 5:18-26 KJV - 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness [(lewd, lustful)], 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. (KJV)
Remember what Jesus said in last week's Beatitude about purity of heart. All of these works of the flesh Paul refers to come from an impure heart. Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. If as children of God, we see God then we have been purified by the blood of Jesus and the all-consuming fire of God. We can walk in the Spirit and live in the spirit as Paul is describing here. There is “no such law against” these fruits of the spirit, but don’t be surprised when you get persecuted for righteousness sake. Which we’ll examine next week (DoveCreekAGTV).
How about some more scripture regarding giving what you have. We see this in the law of the harvest: reaping what you sow. If you sow apples like our apple trees, then you get apples! If you don’t like the fruit you see in this life, then change something. Repent and ask God to lead you to sowing better seed. If God can change me, he can change you!
Pro 25:14 KJV - 14 Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift [is like] clouds and wind without rain.
In more contemporary words some people promise to bring rain for your dry soil and grass and all they do is cast shade. Don’t boast and brag about peace if you’re not willing to do the work required to make peace.
My shipmate Jon gave me the cold shoulder when I visited the ship as a prospective crewmember. I was stunned by this because up to that point I thought we were on good terms. Long story short I had thrown him shade as a cloud promising rain bringing results of an expected harvest. All he got was a missing report in his record. His cold shoulder was painful and confusing because I thought I had done the right thing when in a position of leadership. And for the most part in hindsight I’m confident I did righteously in my tenure as a Physical Fitness Leader, however Jon’s approach right or wrong with me, my response wasn’t right either. Two wrongs didn’t make a right in our shared circumstance.
Through hardship and deep prayer, I meditated on the subject of his dissatisfaction and the Lord gave me clarity and strength to approach Jon for peace. I had to accept that my personal leadership came up short when I was in a position to serve him. Instead of leading him to do the right thing when I had the watch position making a report. I made the mistake of misleading him. Fortunately, I was able to see my own failure and apologize for my failure to lead. He and I are not best friends, but I know that we have greater respect for one another. In essence we made some peace and the remainder of our tour on the warship was more productive. Fortunately for him, he has since advanced to the next paygrade and he is doing good things for our Navy.
Had I not the personal peace of Christ dwelling within me six years ago I am confident that the old me would not have constructively pursued peace with my shipmate Jon. Instead we would have had our conflict grow without helpful resolution. I did my best with what I had to make direct amends with Jon without causing injury to him or others and when my best proved to not be enough, humility led me to examine the following scriptures and figure out how to apply them (Mt 5:23-24; Lk 19:1-10; 1 Pet 2:21-25 and Mt 18:15).
Personally, I was angry with Jon when he was angry with me. This led to Mt 5:23-24 in Jesus' teaching on Anger, one of our upcoming case studies in the coming weeks. This reads
“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.” Mt 5:23-24 (NLT)
Here I was a certified minister in uniform serving in the Chaplain’s religious ministry department as a lay leader from the engineering department, offering myself as a sacrifice of service to shipmates and someone onboard had “something against me”. I had peace that surpassed all understanding because I had Jesus, but Jon had something against me. Instead of acting on my anger with Jon I let the LORD show me how I had wronged my shore mate and now ship mate.
Jon and I shared a public victory by working together for the greater good of our crew. Again, he and I were not the best of shipmates after this reconciliation, but because we had made some peace together we had a trust that promoted team work that wouldn’t have been possible without facing the wrong I had committed throwing shade on my shipmate Jon without rendering any rain (Pr 25:14).
I have much more to share of personal development and Stephen F. Covey, but for now I’ll just say that I am grateful to have him as a mentor in my library.
3. Missed Opportunities to Make Peace and the Way of Escape.
With pride we fail to take personal inventory, and observe the truth staring back at us in the face and then when we are wrong promptly admit it. With humility we are able to accept that we are fallible and then do something to correct, reconcile, make amends and thereby make peace fulfilling the law of love through Christ Jesus our Lord.
As a Sailor, I could have tried to ignore the conflict between Jon and I because he wasn’t attending worship services onboard and we were not likely ever going to see each other again after our time on the ship together. But that would have been following the principle of “peacekeeping” instead of “peacemaking.” Had I not listened to the LORD I would have missed the opportunity to learn from Jon and make our cohabitation in berthing more joyful. Had I not asked the LORD for the way of escape from the painful cold shoulder I was coping with, my witness of Jesus’ way of salvation to Jon and our 5,000 shipmates would have potentially been damaged and I would have been a poor example as a disciple of Christ and Gospel Lay-Leader. I don’t share this example to boast in my strength, but to give honor to God, to Jesus and their holy word. That in my weakness Jesus was strong (2Co 12:9-10).
How many of you can relate to giving into temptation simply because you failed to ask for the way of escape?
Sometimes we fail to resist temptations we face because we haven’t developed the spiritual voice to ask for deliverance. Many times, in my fight for purity, I failed because I was trying to be pure in my own strength. Eventually I had to accept that I was failing to simply ask for help.
Jas 4:1-3 NIV - 1 "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."
Missed opportunities to make peace because we haven’t asked for advice on how to make it. I can claim to have peace that surpasses all understanding, but am I just spending what the LORD is giving on my own inner peace without ever making peace with others in my environment. Jesus is calling us to be children of God. If you have the peace of God, you must learn to share it with others by making peace when called to act.
In 1 Co. 10 Paul gives us various OT examples that we can learn from vicariously and he is encouraging the church to learn from them instead of repeating the same mistakes.
1Co 10:11-13 NKJV - 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition [(warning)], upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God [is] faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear [it].
I trust that what Paul says in v13 is true, but I also believe that God will allow us to suffer the consequences of our own disobedience and in some situations allow suffering to drive us to do great things in His power. Giving us more than we know we can bear in order that we might actually ask for help. Avoid getting caught up living in the flesh for fleshly results. We must strive to live in the spirit and walk in the spirit intentionally. If you think God is resisting your requests for help the reality could be that you’re actually not asking for help. Or willing to accept the path offered.
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up on honor” James 4:10
With humility in our approach to the throne of God we are empowered with the will to ask for the way of escape and we are open to opportunities for making truer inner & outer peace. In turn we'll be sharing the salvation Christ has given us with others.
4. Next Week more of JSM Identity | Persecuted; our last of 8 Beatitudes.
Conclusion:
Oh, how happy, blessed and spiritually prosperous are the Humble, they who Mourn, the Meek, the Hungry & Thirsty for Righteousness, the Merciful, the pure in heart and the peacemakers. For they shall have their God and they shall be His people, He will receive them in their weakness, he will walk in them and live in them and The Lord our Father will call them sons and daughters of God.
The Kingdom of God has come to the least likely people. Children of God Make Peace with their Enemies, Children of God give what they have and what they have is the direct result of their known identity as a Child of God.
Exhortation:
If you know in your heart of hearts that you’ve missed Opportunities to Make Peace or that you have overlooked the Way of Escape. Join our prayer meetings on Wednesday’s at 7p and our Bible Study on Sunday’s at 7p. Make yourself known and we can pray together. That we may have personal peace from Christ Jesus and the wisdom to share this peace in a constructive way with others who have something against us.
If we are to truly follow Christ, we will suffer with Christ by picking up our own cross and making peace within ourselves, our family, friends and with people in the church and outside the church. For to love thy neighbor means learning to make peace with neighbors in the midst of disagreement and conflict. It means disagreeing agreeably. It means finding agreement peaceably.
Don’t miss ‘the way of escape’! If we miss the way of escape, we will most likely miss out on opportunities to make peace with our neighbor and in turn fail to practice these teachings of Jesus. We will fail to become perfect sanctified. In Mat 5:48 Jesus said,
"(48) Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." ~ Jesus according to Mat 5:48 (KJV)
Altar Call to Action
If you would like prayer today, please join us at the Altar and we will pray for a moment with you.
Prayer & song.
Benediction:
Holy Father, thank you for this message today. Help us to embody our identity in you as your children. May we be empowered to have personal peace with you and with the world. Let us grow to share that peace by becoming the peacemakers you’re calling us to be in the world. Let us not only have personal peace to survive in an angry the world, but to thrive as your redeemed ones. Grant that we may be aware of conflicts held against us that we may ask for your wisdom and courage to reconcile and improve our relationships on earth. Thank you for the redemptive blood of Christ that grants us forgiveness and leads us to be forgivers. In your name we pray. And all of God’s children in agreement said, amen.
Next Week:
Credits and Citations:
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