Happiness Through - Peace Making (Beatitudes) Series

Happiness In An Unsettling World

Steele Creek Church, Eastfield Campus

Dr. Tom Bartlett – November 1, 2020

Matthew 5:9

PEACEMAKER

OUTLINE

Peacemaker

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

Why be a peacemaker?

• Broken relationships hinder your relationship with God

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20 (ESV)

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way. . . that your prayers may not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7 (ESV)

• Broken relationships rob you of personal joy now!

When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Psalm 73:21-22 (ESV)

“. . . a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:18 (ESV)

BECOMING A PEACEMAKER

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. Matthew 5:23-26 (ESV)

Peacemakers. . .

Take the initiative to resolve broken relationships

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother. . .” (Vs. 23-24)

Understand the importance of unity and worship

“. . . leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Vs. 23-24)

Know that time causes matters to grow not cease

Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. (Vs. 25-26)

Making Amends (Celebrate Recovery Principles Borrowed)

Happiness comes when you can show people how to get-along instead of constant conflict. In that, you find out who you really are, and discover your proper place in God’s family. Matthew 5:9 (Bartlett paraphrase)

Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for what I’ve done to others, except when to do so would harm them or others. “Happy are the merciful.” and “Happy are the peacemakers.”

• Make a moral list – people and places we avoid due to shame or regret

• Make amends – go to them and right what is wrong

o Make amends at the right time with prayer: – “There’s a right time and right way to do everything.” Ecclesiastes 8:6

o Make amends with a right attitude with humility and sincerity: “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3

o Make amends the right way by looking out for others: “And fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.” Proverbs 18:6

MANUSCRIPT

Good morning and welcome to Steele Creek Church, and our in-person and online services. We’re almost through a series on the amazing teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5, called the sermon on the mount, a descriptive name based on where He preached. Which was of course, a mount! But the topics of Jesus preaching, starting with the first section called the beatitudes took people to a much higher level of practical living and freedom.

This week the topic that falls to us in succession is, peace makers. I can’t think of a timelier message for our church, community, and nation. There’s so much unrest politically to the point that I had to suspend most of my social media. I watch believers fight over candidates and policies to the point of defriending and offending each other. WHAT’S OUR STANCE POLITCIALLY?

• We will support the duly elected politicians according to Romans 12.

• Tomorrow at 6pm we will have a prayer call led by the men of the church to pray for our nation

• Next Sunday we will pray for the elected officials whoever they may be, regardless of what party. We are instructed to do so.

Long after this election cycle is over, how we respond as Christ-followers will be remembered. I shared the story a few weeks ago of a Christian church in Africa giving the funds they had raised to a local Muslim mosque after the mosque burned and the people of that mosque were hostile to the Christians. That gesture of peace making will not soon be forgotten.