Matthew 5:9; and Isaiah 9:6-7

PSBC 9/19/99 AM

In a nutshell: Peacemaking starts with an understanding of the rule of the Prince of Peace. And Practical Peacemaking is something God expects His family to do. It happens in both outer and inner wars.

Finally, he could take no more, and in a fit of anger, kicked out all the animals and guests, leaving only his wife, his children, and his parents. The home suddenly became spacious and quiet, and everyone lived happily ever after. (From The Hope Health Letter (10/95) quoted in Leadership, Vol. 17, no. 1.)

Living "happily ever after" seems like a noble personal goal, doesn’t it? I refer to that quest for a "happily ever after" status, as inner peace. Inner peace is really that sense of inner harmony which Socrates referred to as "the inward and outward man being one."

My observation is that people in our culture, are willing to do almost anything to find that inner peace. And they’ll also often self-destruct or destroy if they can't get it.

Illustration: We just heard of an extreme case of such a thing this past Wednesday, when Larry Gene Ashbrook, walked into Wedgewood Baptist Church and fatally shot seven people and wounded seven others. The accounts I read indicated that he was a tormented individual who felt the CIA, the military, the church and his neighbors were all conspiring against him.

But the sad fact is, even though this past Wednesday was an extreme case, it is something that happens all around us in many other forms, all the time. Every year thousands of people kill themselves because they’ve given up on their search for inner peace. Every year, millions more waste away and die through drug use, alcohol abuse and other substance abuse, long before their time, because they can't find "inner peace."

I’ll never forget a TV program I watched a number of years ago, called "Too Young to Die". During the show, they interviewed a young girl who had tried to commit suicide several times. And she told the interviewer, "At the time I was looking for something through drugs and couldn't find it--which was sort of ultimate peace."

But people are looking to find outer peace as well. In 1968 a major newspaper reported that there had been 14,553 known wars from 36 BC through the date when the article appeared in 1968. That same article also stated that in the 24 year period from 1945 to 1968, there had been over 70 wars and more than 200 significant outbreaks of violence in the world.

In another report I read, it was estimated that in the 40 years from 1958 to 1998, over 130 nations have been involved, in one way or another, in some kind of armed conflict.

The reality is that none of us in this room can remember a time when there wasn’t some kind of conflict going on in the world, somewhere. In fact, some cynic put it this way, "peace is that glorious moment in history when everyone stops to reload."

And in the midst of the our culture’s search for inner and outer peace, Jesus says to us–the people who are His followers–

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

To help us put Jesus’ words into a context that makes sense in the midst of a cultural free-for-all in search of peace, I want to point you to a passage of Scripture that we normally reserve for the Christmas season, but I believe it speaks volumes to this issue of peace and peacemaking, even in the month of September. (Turn in your Bibles...)

Let me stop there. We’ll come back to the rest of verse 7 in just a few minutes.

Now, understand what the prophet is talking about here. He is talking about a specific person who is a ruler and the specific kingdom that this ruler governs.

The Bible clearly teaches that there are two kingdoms at work in the world. Both of these kingdoms transcend any government or boundary that human beings can establish.

The Kingdoms are known as the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of the World.

The Bible tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is ruled by Jesus Christ; and the Kingdom of this World is ruled by someone who is called in Ephesians 2, "the ruler of the kingdom of the air". We also know him as the devil, or Satan.

These two kingdoms are of a spiritual nature. And they aren’t contending for land or territory. They are vying for the allegiance of each individual person who is alive on the face of the earth.

And one of the titles that Jesus owns in His kingdom–the Kingdom of Heaven–is Prince of Peace.

He’s the "Big Dog" of peace. The title, Prince of Peace, says that outside of Jesus, any other form of peace is second rate–it doesn't last–it’s hollow and meaningless. I often think one of the reasons Satan is called the "Ruler of the Kingdom of the air" is because what he offers is so lite weight.

ILLUSTRATION: Some of you might remember the old Captain EO, 3-D movie attraction at Disneyland. In that movie (with Michael Jackson), there was this little winged creature that seemed to fly right in front of your nose, thanks to the special effects of the movie technology and the 3-D glasses you wore. When I watched that, the little creature looked so real, I thought I could reach out and grab it. But when I tried to grab it, my hand passed right through it, because it was an illusion--it is nothing but air.

That’s similar to the kind of peace the Ruler of the Kingdom of the Air offers those who follow him.

But the peace that is part of Jesus' Kingdom, is real and it lasts. Why? Because of what it is built upon. Now, look at the next part of verse 7...

This sentence tells us that the reason peace can be found in the Kingdom of Heaven is because that kingdom has two strong pillars supporting it--Righteousness and Justice.

Justice and Righteousness--as opposed to unfairness and lies and empty promises that are in the Kingdom of the World.

Let me explain what I mean by comparing the two Kingdoms...

1. The Kingdom of the World says, "I must compare myself to others to know if I am succeeding in life."

But the Kingdom of Heaven says, "Don't compare yourself with others. God made you uniquely different, and He likes you just the way you are.

2. The Kingdom of the World says, "Don't ever forget your past failures and mistakes."

But the Kingdom of Heaven says, "Your sins and transgressions have been removed as far as the east is from the west. Learn from your mistakes, but you never have to revisit them."

3. The Kingdom of the World says, "Your worth is determined by what you do or what you accomplish."

But the Kingdom of Heaven says, "Your worth was proven when God died for you on the Calvary's cross."

4. The Kingdom of the World says, "If something can go wrong, it will!"

But the Kingdom of Heaven says, "All things work together for good to them that love God."

5. The Kingdom of the World says, "Never forgive; never forget! Hold a grudge for as long as you can."

But the Kingdom of Heaven says, "Forgive, just as your heavenly Father has forgiven you."

And the list can go on and on. The Kingdom of this World is built on air. The kingdom of Heaven is built on the solid foundation of righteousness and justice.

But if this is all true, why aren't all the people who call themselves Christians experiencing this peace? Why is this the number one issue most pastors deal with in their counseling of church members? Why are some of you struggling with this issue of peace in your lives?

The answer most likely is this... You’ve neglected the last sentence of verse 7...

The word, ZEAL, means "Jealous".

ILLUSTRATION: Guys, let's say you go to the beach with your wife. And while you’re there, sitting and sunning yourselves, a gorgeous woman who looks like a super-model walks by, winks at you, and smiles at you, then goes and sits by herself, about 50 feet away from you. You, then, turn to your wife and say, "Honey, I'm going over there to get better acquainted with that gorgeous woman who just sat down.

Friends, listen to me...God wants and deserves an undivided commitment from us. He is jealous. He doesn't want us to stray into the Kingdom of this World, once we are in His Kingdom. If we yield to that jealousy–that exclusivity of affection that He wants from us–then we will experience His peace.

Friends, that's why so many people who call themselves Christians don't have peace. They are trying to live in both worlds–the Kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of Heaven. I’m afraid that too many of us want to pick and choose which Kingdom we want to live in at any given time.

We like to jump back and forth between the two Kingdoms at our whim, or with our circumstances. And we can't do that. Because God is a jealous God. And He will not give His peace to double-minded people.

Now, I say all that about the two Kingdoms, the Prince of Peace, and the Jealousy of God, in order to say this in light of the Beatitude we’re looking at...

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Listen to this...You can’t make peace if you don’t have a supply of peace from which to draw.

Illustration: Imagine a building contractor trying to build a house with no money at his disposal to purchase materials, or no supplier who can deliver the construction materials. All that builder could deliver to a prospective homeowner would be plans and empty promises.

Now, let me get to the specifics of practical peacemaking in our remaining few minutes.

Let’s first talk about outer peace. Wars don’t just occur on battlefields. They can occur in the relationships we have, in our families, in our neighborhoods, and in our church. How can we be peacemakers in these situations?

The first thing we have to do, is present righteousness.

John MacArthur, in his commentary on this passage says this, (front of bulletin) "The essential fact to comprehend is that the peace about which Jesus speaks is more than the absence of conflict and strife; it is the presence of righteousness.... Righteousness not only puts an end to harm, but it administers the healing of love."

Friends, understand this: Only righteousness can bring peace. Only when righteousness exists in both contending parties, can you have true peace. You can have a truce without righteousness, but you’ll never have peace.

Now, practically speaking, that means if we are to be peacemakers, we first of all need to know God’s Word, and be able to apply it a situation, and be able to point out wrong attitudes, harmful values, and unrighteous activity. This is a practical reason for spending time in God’s Word, and coming to Flock group Bible studies and attending services at church. These are designed to guide you into having a full knowledge of what God desires and what He wants us to do. In essence we spend time in His Word, so we can know His truth, and be able to speak it to others.

Now let me say something here. This isn’t easy! In fact, what I’m telling you to do can be very difficult and costly. Generally speaking...,

-Truth will produce anger, before it produces happiness.

-Truth will produce antagonism before it produces harmony.

-Truth will produce bad feelings before it produces good feelings. That’s it’s nature.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

God’s truth cuts like a surgeon’s scalpel. But it has to cut out the unrighteousness and cause some pain, before it can heal with righteousness.

The second thing you need to do if you are a peacemaker, is to connect the hands.

Illustration: I read a story this week of a couple at a divorce hearing who were arguing back and forth in front of a judge. Each one was accusing the other of terrible things. And each one was refusing to take any blame for their situation. Their little four year old boy was terribly distressed and confused. Finally he toddled off his chair and stood between his two parents. Then he took his father’s hand and he took his mother’s hand and kept tugging on each one until he pulled the hands of his parents together.

Friends, what I mean by "connecting the hands" is to continue doing whatever you can... to bring the parties involved in the war, together. I can’t tell you anymore than that–because every war will be different. But what I do know is this...God has uniquely gifted you as a peacemaker. He has put you uniquely in situations where you will know instinctively or intuitively through the Holy Spirit who dwells in you, exactly what to do.

And if you don’t, then come and talk to me or one of our elders, and we’ll try to help you with some more specifics. You see, according to God’s Word, the leaders of the church are supposed to equip the saints to do the ministry. And peacemaking is a very important ministry to God. In fact at the end of this beatitude, Jesus says, "this will be a way that people see the character of God–by your peacemaking efforts." That’s what it means to be called the Sons of God". So use us. This is a vitally important activity that goes directly to you doing Great Commission work.

But there isn’t just outer war that’s going on all around us. There is an inner war as well. A favorite poem of my explains it very well...

That Day At Calvary

by   Walt Huntley

I want to be a peacemaker for you this morning. If you’re here this morning, and have been grasping at air to give you peace–you’ve tried all the things the world has to offer–and you still are without a lasting peace, I’d like to introduce you to the forgiver of my sins and the leader of my life–His name is Jesus. He told me in this book that He wants to be your forgiver and leader as well. And He says to you this morning...

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace..."

The only true peace a person can experience is the peace that comes from being reconciled with the one whom you’ve offended.

Your sin has offended God. The problem that exists because of your sin and God’s holiness is the biggest reconciliation issue that a human being can face. And God is reaching out to connect His hand to yours this morning. More than anything else in the world, He wants to be reconciled with you. That’s how much he loves you. He did what ever it took–even the death of His Son on Calvary’s cross–to make giving you the inner peace of reconciliation, possible.

So, if you want to experience this inner peace of having things made right with God–If you want to enter into the peacemaking relationship that Jesus wants to give you–then I’m going to invite you to get out of your seat as we sing this last song, and come up here and meet me in the front of the Worship Center. Because, I will explain to you from God’s Word, what this relationship is all about. Then I’ll help you pray a simple prayer that will lead you to begin a new life of being forgiven--being reconciled with God--and having peace with God that will all start this morning.