Marks of a Peacemaker

Marks of a Peacemaker

The Reading of God’s Word

Matthew 5:9

9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Rom 12:9-21 (NLT)

9 Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all! 17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back,"  says the Lord. 20 Instead,"If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads."  21 Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Let’s pray…

Father.. your word to us today is precious and important. You are the Great God of peace. Your Son Jesus is the Great Peacemaker, if it were not for Him we wouldn’t experience peace with you. And we worship you, we thank you for the gospel of peace that has been explained to us, experienced by us and through which you are Glorified.

            Today God, we need your help to understand your word. We open our hearts and set our minds on what you are saying and may we respond within our lives as the Spirit instructs, corrects and encourages us. In Jesus name we ask these things as we say your will be done, amen.

Warm up

You may be seated.    If you need a bible please raise your hand and we’ll get one to you.

Today we continue our series on the beatitudes. I’m grateful to be a part of this series as Pastor Dan, is at a family reunion, and he asked me to preach.

            When I pastored in Winona, one of my hopes was to preach through the Beatitudes. And when I looked for resources in the current mainframe of Christian contemporary books and studies, the great passages of Scriptures like the beatitudes, Ten Commandments Psalm 23 and the Lord’s Prayer, weren’t being written about.  The classics, the essentials are not  focused on.  Personally, I’ve enjoyed this study in the Beatitudes Dan has done and have found myself challenged and growing in response to it. In speaking with Dan, he has said he has enjoyed researching and studying it.  So I’m humbled that I get to share God’s word with you and be a part of it. So let’s go.

Introduction

Are you a peace maker or a trouble maker? Do the relationship you have in your life possess drama and misunderstanding  and, really, the absence of peace.

I will dare to say that the maturity level of our Christian faith is not reflected in our church attendance, or giving or bible knowledge or doctrine, nor how busy we are in the church.  Rather the maturity level of our faith is based how we handle trials and tests. One of the tests are how we handle personal conflict within our lives. It doesn’t matter if its in church, at home, in a relationship, or at work, peacemaking is a Christians hallmark. And today we’re going to look at the marks of a peacemaker. Let’s start with what Jesus says, and then we’ll go from there.

Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

To be blessed is so much deeper than the good chance feeling of happiness. But happiness can occur. To be blessed is so much richer than the fortune of good luck. Yet good things can occur.

The religious use of the word “blessed” is a pronouncement by the worship leader upon the people who came to climb the sacred hill in Jerusalem. He would say "You are the fortunate recipients of God's mercy and blessing.” When we are blessed by God we are favorably placed to receive something good from Him.

Now here in Matt 5:9 Jesus is saying “ People who can show others how to cooperate instead of compete or fight,  and who can help others have peace with God  are in a favorable place because  God will say to them, “you are my children”

To be called a son of God, or a better way of saying it, a child of God, means something very specific here:

It does not mean everyone who works for peace are children of God.

We must remember that the beatitudes are a reflection of the Christian life, NOT the requirements in becoming a Christian. Good works, good deeds and good morals will not make you a Christian.

When a person comes into a relationship with God, it is because peace has been established between that person and God. Because of that peace with God, they are adopted into the family of God and grow in the family values of God. And one of the marks of a Christian is the ability to be a peacemaker. God is, as a result, reflected in them and by the family likeness of peacemaking, showing the Christian as being a child of God.

            Ex: When a Christian turns the other cheek, when a Christian doesn’t take revenge when a Christian forgives, God will say to them “You are my child. And you acted like a child of Mine.’  That is a great blessing! For your heavenly Father to call you His own. What a blessing!

Within our Church mission we by grace desire to glorify God by intentionally making mature disciples of Jesus Christ. (Matt 28:19).

·         If you desire to become a mature disciple of Christ, learn how to be a peacemaker.

One of our values that are necessary to accomplish this vision is the value that we would pursue meaningful intergenerational relationships and community.

In order for us to have deep meaningful relationships we must be involved with people and eventually have to work through issues and offenses in the relationships

·         If you desire to have better relationships and less drama in them, learn how to be a peacemaker.

I want to go through five points that will describe a peacemaker.  And what we should find is that if we claim to be a Christian, we should be growing in these marks. No one does them perfectly however we should be growing in them a bit at a time.

To make these points clear I want to finish the following statement:

A Child of God is a Peacemaker when…

And I’m going to use the acronym P.E.A.C.E. so its easy to remember.

P. Peace is pursued

Whoever desires to love life and see good days,… let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.                                 1 Peter 3:10, 11 (ESV)

·         We are seek for, hunt for look out and search for peace. We are to try to find peace. We are to pursue, follow hard, and chase after peace.  Peace is to be engaged in worked at and practiced.

·         Peace makers are not the demonstrational marches and rallies. In 45 days from today, their will be a world wide march for peace and nonviolence. It wishes to end all wars and call an end to all violence, physical, economic, racial, religious, cultural, sexual and psychological.      

·         PREACH: this is man’s world wide effort to have peace!  A march! Twice, one is October and on in January!  The Scriptures say that while people are saying peace and safety, that destruction will suddenly come. The truth is that with out the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ in the hearts of men, who is maturing and growing His people up in maturity and right living, the pursuit of peace will be in vain.  Why?  Because of sin in our hearts, no one is perfect, not one person in this room Christian or non- Christian is perfect. Conflict will happen, pride will rise up and cause unrest

Turn to Matthew 18:23- 35

·         We have to remember: Christians are not perfect, they’re just forgiven. And a child of God who has the peace of forgiveness has the cross as their starting point.

Don’t be like this man:

Matt 18:23-35

 "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.  24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.  25  And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.  26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.'  27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.  28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, 'Pay what you owe.'  29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.'  30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.  31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.  32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.  33  And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'  34  And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.  35  So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

            This man grabbed the fellow by the neck!  I’d say that’s a confrontational guy.  Only in the wrong way. He showed no love, no mercy, no forgiveness. He should’ve pursued peace from the perspective he experience from his Master which was one of pity forgiveness and mercy.

PR:      Children of God who are peacemakers will pursue peace in the Biblical way, with  Love as the motive, Grace as the method and Reconciliation as the Goal

Love as the motive

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'  The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

Mark 12:30-31 (ESV)

·         Do you love the Lord God with your whole being enough to do what you can to pursue peace for the sake of God’s glory?  Isn’t it about time that the church  recognize that God’s reputation is tarnished in the world when a  church is unloving and divisive?

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."                                               John 13:34-35 (ESV)

·         Christ was the great peacemaker because he was motivated by love for us, to the point of pursuing us when we were enemies and dying for us.

·         Do you have a love for people so deep that you will pursue peace in the midst of conflict? Are you willing to do to yourself?

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.                                                      Eph 4:15-16 (ESV)

·         Even in correction and truth telling it should be done in love.

·         Truth not shared in love will break unity! It will cause division in a wrong way. Remember Romans 12:16: Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited

Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.         1 Thess 3:11-13 (ESV)

·         Love for one another is a manifestastion of a unified body. Christ prayed that his followers would be unified. Do you have a love for this body of Christ enough not to cause it to be divided.

·         Today looking at your church relations, do you sense unity? How asbout your marriage?  Guess what, its time to be a peacemaker, pursue it

In other words pursue peace because you love God you love the unity of the body and you love that person deeply.  Don’t pursue peace with people by avoiding deep, friendships and ignoring tougher issues of the relationship or abandoning or aborting harder relationships. Let love be your motivator.

Grace as the Method

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Col 3:12-14 (ESV)

·         Forgiveness is a choice, so is compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, we are commanded here to put on these characteristics. To put on like putting on clothes, you have a choice on what you wear. It is an act of the will. God calls us to make decision regardless of our feelings

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Phil 2:4(ESV)

·         When you're upset, who are you thinking about? Me, my needs, my hurts, you hurt me. God says reverse that. Seek peace and think about what are other peoples needs, what can I do to help them? Focus on their needs, not my own needs.

·         Parents have to be peacemakers -- tug of war over toys, in house fighting. You have to listen to your kids and be sensitive and empathize with their needs and figure out why are they hurting. Why are they arguing over this? One of the values of conflict is when you solve it, it usually leads to greater intimacy because you understand them better. You've been listening.

A child of God is to pursue peace with a graceful method.

Reconciliation is the Goal

“First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Matt 5:24b (ESV)

To be reconciled means to replace hostility and separation with peace and friendship. Two things must happen for complete reconciliation to occur. First, personal offenses that happened need to be confessed and forgiven. Second any material issues of the conflict must be mutually satisfied.

·         In the best of situations, you will be able to restore the relationship to where it was before the conflict.

·         However, reconciliation takes both parties to be achieve. You might desire to have biblical peace where sins have been admitted, confessed and forgiven. But whether or not the friendship part of reconciling will happen takes both to desire it.

Read together:

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”    Romans 12:18

            When you desire to live peaceably with others. a child of God is a peacemaker by making sure at least biblical peace exists even if full reconciling may not be achieved.

Again biblical peace is where sins have been admitted, confessed and forgiven.  If full reconciliation is not possible, as children we need to go to our heavenly Father and pray about the situation. We need to ask our selves the hard questions:

            How might God be working for good here in this situation?

            Am I having a hard time forgiving this person?

            How can I demonstrate forgiveness or try to promote reconciliation?

Do I want the relationship reconciled? Why or why not?

Don’t condemn yourself, just make sure your goal is reconciliation and not just silent bitterness.

A Child of God is a peacemaker when peace is pursued

Next a child of god is peacemaker when

E   Examining their hearts and lives first

A child of God is a peacemaker when examining their hearts and lives first.

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

                                                                                              Matt 7:3-5 (ESV)

• CLARIFY: This verse does not say to not confront people about their faults. Rather it says don’t prematurely or improperly confront.  It says before you talk to others about their faults, you need to face up to yours.

Read this verse together:

Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord! Lam 3:40 (ESV)

It is so important for the unity of the body, to examine our lives. Especially when we partake in communion together

The bible says there are 9 types of individuals that will create conflict. Its not the only sins you can examine but it’s a start.

1. A hot tempered person.

A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.

Prov 15:18 (ESV)

2. A Liar

A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.

Prov 16:28 (ESV)

3. A gossip

For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.

Prov 26:20 (ESV)

4. A proud person

By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom.

Prov 13:10 (ESV)

• Insolence means an unyielding arrogance. Such an inflated, know-it-all view of oneself leads to quarreling,

5. A foolish person

A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating.

Prov 18:6 (ESV)

• Ever know anybody who has a mouth that cashes checks that your body can’t handle? Here he is!
• The difference between a peacemaker and a trouble maker?  What they say!
• The difference between troublemakers and peacemaker is the ability to hold your tongue … and judgment.

6. A scoffer

Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease.

Prov 22:10 (ESV)

·        The scoffer  sees life and people in the worst light. Then they make sure that everyone knows their perspective and begin to banter everyone else.

·        They live in a sarcastic realm where nothing is serious, everyone is against them and everything is a joke especially god and religon

7. A person Who Drinks Alcohol Excessively

Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine.                                                            Prov 23:29-30 (ESV)

8. A person who practices wickedness

He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a high gate invites destruction.

Prov 17:19 (NIV)

      9.   A person who is offended

An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city. Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars.                                         Prov 18:19 (ESV)

            PREACH: A peacemaker knows that they are not immune to sin. They look deeply in their own heart to find motives faults and  behavior that will can and do contribute to strife conflict and offenses.  They check their attitude. They see if they keep their word and have respected authority. They examine their behaviors through the Golden Rule principle.  What is it? Matthew 7:12     Do to others what you would have them do to you

            A peacemaker when examining their hearts and lives first come to their senses and change the way they think and are honest about sin.       

Stay open humble and teachable, avoid the excuses of IF BUT and MAYBE.  Fully admit your role in the situation, apologize sincerely, accept the consequences, alter your behavior, ask for forgiveness and allow time for forgiveness to be extended if necessary.

So a Child of God is a peacemaker when examining their hearts and lives first.

A.  Acting with Wisdom

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:17-18 (ESV)

·         Do you want to grow into a maturing person? Do you want to handle things with a maturity beyond  your years? Maybe better than you have ever before?  Act with Discernment! use the wisdom from above  ..God’s word to guide  your actions.

·         I will summarize this point with one question you need to ask yourself when you are involved in a conflict:

Is This Really Worth Fighting Over?

Write that question down and then listen to these verses of acting with discernment. A wise or discerning person will:

Over look a matter

Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

Prov 19:11  (ESV)

 The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.

Prov 12:16 (ESV)

Drop a quarrelsome issue

It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.

Prov 20:3 (NIV)

The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.                                                                                 Prov 17:14 (ESV)

Not fight in someone else quarrle

Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.                                                                        Prov 26:17 (ESV)

Be gentle in manner

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Prov 15:1 (ESV)

·         The apostle Paul instructed Titus:

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.                                       Titus 3:1-2 (ESV)

·         As a leader in this church, I remind everyone hearing or reading this message to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do good works, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle and to show perfect courtesy toward all people!

This includes how you may not see eye to eye with where the church is going, what the leadership is doing. This includes how you discuss doctrines in Bible studies and classes. This includes how you are to show courtesy toward all people who come through our doors:  ‘lifers’, new people, young, old, physically handicap mentally handicap whomever.         We are to be gentle in manner and avoiding quarrels.You need to act with discernment on how you handle are to address it.

A child of God is a peacemaker when acting with wisdom

Next A child of God is a peacemaker when

C. Conflicts are Confronted

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.

Matt 5:23-25 (ESV)

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.

Matt 18:15 (ESV)

            Jesus says, you take the initiative. Don't wait for them to make the first move. It doesn't matter if you're the offended or the offender, it's always my move. Always take the initiative. Why? Because Jesus said so.

Cautious:  And because, as you know, you're more mature.  In every conflict everyone thinks they are the one being more mature. Very well, since you are the more mature go first. Schedule a sit down, face to face meeting. Conflicts are not resolved accidentally. It doesn't resolve itself. You must intentionally deal with it.

When do you deal with it? The sooner the better.  Depending on where you are at with the conflict and the depth of the issue, you may need some time and possibly if you are at the point of conflict that has legal litigation, you need advise and in depth prayer.

But realize that a peacemaker does not avoid or appease

It's not avoiding.

It's not running from the problem. It's not pretending it doesn't exist. "I don't want to talk about it" is not peacemaking, it's cowardice. None of us like conflict so we avoid it, postpone it, put it off but it only gets bigger.

It's not appeasement.

When you always give in and let the other person have their own way. You let people run over you. That's passivity. Jesus was a very controversial person. He stood his ground on a number of issues. Once in a while I read a marriage books that says you ought to be a doormat and always let the other partner have their own way and always give in -- for the sake of peace be a doormat. Jesus never said that. Jesus never said you ever had to give up your identity or be a chameleon. It's not appeasement and it's not avoiding. It's actively seeking to resolve the conflict.

How are we to confront conflict? Here is the biblical procedure

A. Deal with the issue…

1.      Quickly (Matt. 5:24)

·         Don’t ignore it but face it. Longer it goes the harder it is on you

·         If you were the offender…                      If you were the offended…

            quick to admit your wrong                             quick to admit hurt

            and to announce your grief                             to offer forgiveness

·         EXTRA:  Spouses, when you know that your loved one is wrong or has been wrong, urge them to resolve the conflict.  Help them take the higher road.  Don’t aid and abet them to hold a grudge or ignore the wrong .

2.      Quietly (Matt. 18:15)

·         Rather than talk about it to several others which can produce gossip and slander, go directly to that person and try to resolve it.

            B. If things get hard, get help (Matt. 18:16-17)

But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Matt 18:16-17 (ESV)

1. From a mature, peaceable believer who loves both of youi

·         Tell the facts and be open to your part in being wrong.

·         If they agree that the other is in the wrong, the talk with them together.

            This is where many people stop. “Don’t want to make waves”  But remember Peace with others is not ignoring the harder relationships.

                        2. From church leadership

·         This is only if it cannot be dealt with the group.

·         Not during an open service, but a private meeting with the leadership

·         At this level the problem two people are having usually involves rebellious or immoral sin.

·         In marriages it takes counseling. Those who have conflict in marriages, if you’ve tried and failed, its time for outside help. Don’t live on miserable if you are not reconciled, at peace and friends and in love with your spouse. Get help. Talk to the elders, talk to Pastor Dan or me. But But do what you must to regain marriages trust!

C. Keep Proper Perspective (Matt. 18:15,19-21)

1.     Of the other person(s)

Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it.                               Prov. 11:27 (ESV)

·         Don’t degrade or disrespect

·         This  person has feelings and emotions too

2.   Of the conflict

·         Prayerful- For God’s resolution,  For the other person (even if an enemy), For yourself keep a pure heart.

·         Be forgiving toward that person.

3.   Of the end result

·         To win the brother, not the argument

·         That some problems cannot be completely resolved.

A child of God is a peacemaker when conflicts are Confronted

Finally a child of God is a peacemaker when…

E.   Enemies are Loved

“To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head."       Rom 12:20 (ESV)

            Q. What does that mean ”will heap burning coals on his head?

            A. It may refer to a ritual in Egypt in which a person showed his repentance by carrying a pan of burning charcoal on his head.  It refers to a feeling of shame they may have when we repay evil with good.

"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,  bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. Luke 6:27-29 (ESV)

·         These words are easy to read but harder to practice. I believe that when we pray for our enemies we also pray about our enemies and how we are to handle. It will have to be on a case by case basis. But the motive is back to love!

·         One Bible Scholar said it like this: It is impossible to love the conduct of a person who curses and reviles us, who injures our person or property, or who violates all the laws of God; but, though we may hate his conduct, and suffer keenly when WE are affected by it, yet we may still wish well to the PERSON; we may pity  his anger and sin,  we may speak kindly OF him and TO him; we may return good for evil; we may aid him in the time of trial; we may seek to do him good here and to promote his eternal welfare hereafter.

They key for a child of God to be a peacemaker here is that they don’t become bitter and unforgiving. That they are to be patient and kind and bearing with their enemies. But not to become embittered by them.

Closing

Matthew 5:9

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

No other beatitude, pictures the good news of Christianity like this one. The Hope of the Christian faith is found in its PeaceMaker Jesus Christ.

For some of you in here, you are still enemies with God and you know that you are not at peace with Him. The Bible clearly says, that no one comes to God the father except through Jesus Christ. He is the great Peacemaker between us and God. He died so your sins could be forgiven. He rose again so that spiritually you can be born again.

Now today, God offers everyone the gift of grace which if you receive today, includes forgiveness of sin, and the gift of the Holy Spirit living inside of you.

            But you must receive it by admitting your sin, believing Jesus died for you and rose again and is alive today, and Confess Him as your Forgiver and Leader. It can start this very moment, would everyone please pray with me

If you’d like to receive the gift of salvation and experience peace with God pray with me in your heart…

“God I admit I’m a sinner. I believe you died for my sins to be forgiven. And that you overcame death and live at the right hand of God. I put my trust in you to save me and cause me to be born again. I want you to be the Savior of my life and the one to lead my life. I now repent of sinful practices and ask for your strength to not look back. Thank you for your mercy and grace in Jesus Name Amen.”

The Gospel Empowers Everyday

The Gospel Empowers Everyday

Reading of the Word of God

Romans 1:16-17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Warm Up

You may be seated.  If you need a bible please raise your hand and we’ll get one to you. For those who don’t know who I am, my name is Eric  Mattie. I serve as one of the elders here at LEFC. I appreciate the opportunity to share God’s word with you this morning as Pastor Dan is on vacation and Pastor Kyle get ready for Papa New Guinea.

I’ve included notes within your bulletin if you’d like to follow the train of thought. Go ahead and take them out.

Introduction

There is a movement sweeping the church at large. It is called the gospel Centered movement. It is where preachers and teachers are turning back to the gospel and expounding on the fact that the gospel is not just the ignition for salvation but it is also the fuel for sanctification , growth in Christ.   Now I’ve grown up in the church like many of you and have equated the word gospel with the word evangelism. But the gospel is so much more. I hope to expound on that this morning so let’s pray to that end.

Prayer

Father, I thank you that we come to worship you this morning. And now I’m praying that those who hear this message won’t hear me and my Words but you and yours. May the truth of the Gospel call save those who are lost, bring sight to those who are blind.  For your children who are weak, may the gospel empower them. For those who are struggling, may they find freedom and peace. Work deep and beyond the scope of that which my preaching can touch. And I ask this in your name.

The title of my message is the Gospel Empowers Everyday and this is the central truth that I want to tease out over the next several minutes by taking these three words and asking three questions

What is the Gospel?

How does it Empower?

How does the gospel empower my everyday life?

So

Let’s roll.

I. What Is The Gospel?

I’m going to introduce you to the Gospel.

G.O.S.P.E.L.-

God

God is alive. He lives, He exists  And to deny him is to be a fool.  He is the living God who is creator of the heavens  and the earth and the sea and all that is in them and reigns over it all as King. He is Supreme and Sovereign.

Because he is our creator we are indebted to him for life itself. We are accountable to him as subjects in His kingdom. We are to worship him because he is God and there is no other like him.

·         Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." Rev 4:11

Offended

Now man kind has offended the rule and reign of God. We break God’s holy law. In fact sin is often defined as missing the mark. But what we’ve done is totally rebelled. We weren’t even aiming at that mark. We turned away from God and said we‘d be God ourselves.

We are not just victims of the fall. Yes we live in death and disease,  heartache and pain, suffering and sickness, guilty and anxiety, addiction and depression, earthquakes and floods, uncertainty and insecurity.

Yet The Bible says

• Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— Rom 5:12-13
• We can thank Adam and Eve, the first humans. We have inherited sin because of them. They were the first to doubt what is true. They were the first to question what is right. They were the first to wonder who am I--- ALL BECAUSE THEY SINNED.     

BUT WE’VE SINNED TOO!

We all have participated in the great rebellion and the great offense to a Great and Holy God. Our hearts are so deceptive, we deceive ourselves with the severity of our sin. We minimize it! We excuse it. We sin and are evil no matter how much good we try to do

• All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; Isa 53:6

• We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. Isa 64:6

Sentenced

            Since we have offended God’s infinite holiness through our disobedience we  are sentenced. That right! We stand condemned. We are sentenced to the judgment and wrath of God. God will be perfectly fair and we will totally deserve it.

• For the wages of sin is death, Rom 6:23
• And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matt 10:28

Pity

            Now God does not take pleasure in condemning sinners. What we see in God’s character is that he has taken PITY on us by providing a way to be saved from our sin and the punishment our sins deserve.

Look at the character of God in this verse:

·         Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?  Ezekiel 18:23

·         But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy… Titus 3:4-6

Exchange

            Now God being loving and desiring to save His people, and yet having a just wrath needing to be satisfied,  he cannot simply dismiss the punishment we deserve. That would be unjust.

What he has done is: God has sent his son Jesus Christ to live a righteous life and to unjustly suffer for sins he did not commit. He suffered the full wrath and separation from the Father himself through the Cross and Death. We deserved that! But Because of what Jesus has done… God offers us an incredible exchange.

Our sin and its punishment- for God’s forgiveness and Jesus Righteousness

Defining the Exchange

Our sins are counted as His. And His righteousness counted as ours.

• For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.                       2 Corinthians 5:21
• For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, 1 Peter 3:18

The Means of the Exchange

You might be asking why is Jesus the only Way?

• Well because Jesus is God- His punishment was valuable because of his Divine nature.
• Jesus became man, he was flesh and blood and as a result was our substitute.
• Jesus lived the perfect life so he was the perfect sacrifice for our sins, there by reconciling us to God
• Jesus rose from the dead three days later, conquering death and thus possess the authority to give eternal life.

The Avenue for the Exchange

Since Jesus is the only way we are to be saved and rescued, what do we do?

We’ve heard that the Gospel is the good news about God and what he is done and we stand convicted of the truths of our guilt. Yet now we see even clearer the greatness and goodness of God and what he has done and how he is glorified through this. We understand why Jesus is the only way to be saved, we obviously have no ability to save ourselves… what do we do to be saved?

There must an exchange of our sinfulness for God’s righteousness by having faith in Jesus Christ.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast.   Ephesians 2:8,9

            What is faith?  Faith has simply been defined as reliance or trust. Two aspects

Love this acronym:

Forsaking        All!      I           Take    Him-   J.I. Packer       

Forsaking all- Repenting of sin! Turning from it and turning toward God and asking forgiveness.

I take him- I rely fully on Christ!

You are saved by Faith alone. Better yet, you are saved by Faith alone that is alive! We don’t have a faith that is dead.

• We bank everything on Christ! His righteousness, His accomplishment His Work   …for salvation eternal destiny and even life here and now.

• We Forsake all our accomplishment, all our work all our good deeds to be satisfied in this life

• We  take him. We find our satisfaction in Him.
• Not the gifts of justification and imputation and grace and adoption and the Spirit in us. NO. We find our satisfaction in him!

Life

The Gospel is also about Life- Life eternally yes. But also life here. And the Gospel empower us for life here and now.

• The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.  John 10:10

Now I’m not saying the gospel releases us to have the best life now! I’m not saying he empowers us to live life the way the world declares. The gospel doesn’t help us succeed in the pursuit of materialism, narcissism and comforts! It is not a means to our selfish ends.

Since God himself is the ultimate good news, and we become reconciled to him through Jesus Christ and we worship him as Savior and God---

We enjoy in this a  joy in Him despite the pains and disappointments of this world.

We enjoy in this life satisfaction in Him despite the situations that leave us empty and dry. Christ is our fullness of life...simply He is our life.

That is the gospel! That is the Good news.

Let’s move forward in the outline.

1 What is the gospel, we just answered that.

II. How does the gospel empower?

            The short answer is this:  The Gospel Empowers Through Emancipation

Luke 4:18-21

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

·         Note the concept of emancipation. Freedom for captives, freedom for those who are blind, freedom for the oppressed and hopeless.

For those who God saves.

The gospel empowers those whom God saves to be set free from the penalty of sin- which is death and judgment. You are free from that.  Those whom God saves gain a  freedom to see the truth of God’s word. Those whom God saves gain the freedom found in hope.

But

For those who God sanctifies.

            And here it is for you-- long term church goer! The gospel is for all believers!

How does the gospel empower you?

Afterall

We understand that  God saves us, but then we work out our salvation through the Holy Sprit in fear and trembling. That’s in Phillippians 2:12.

Not exactly

            Listen We mistakenly think our role is to keep our salvation through our works.

As if your church attendance would be enough-

as if your financial giving would be enough-

as if your bible study would be enough-

as if your prayer time would be enough-

as if your witnessing would be enough!

Why do we do those things? Why do you come and give money and sing songs. Why do you open your Bible?  If I asked you to give up one of your spiritual disciplines, would you feel condemned as if the wheels are going to fall off the Christian ride you are ? Would you feel you lost favor with God. Well then how much do you have to right in orde to get right? Is your Chrstianity dependent on you?

The question then is, do you feel condemned? Or would you miss it?

!!!Works righteousness and holy legalism is not enough to keep your salvation, so stop trying.

Why do you do what you do?

God himself cares what motivates us to worship and obey him?

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.”     Matthew 23:25, 26

            The Pharisees were so good! While we have the benefit to see them as they truly are because of God’s word. Back in the first century, they were the good guys! They were religious folks. Among them were true worshippers like Nicodemus, as well as hypocrite.

How does the gospel empower believers?

Remember the short answer: The Gospel empowers through Emancipation.

WE are free. The gospel frees us. Not just at conversion, although you do need to remember that.

We don’t become free by getting saved through the Gospel call and then move beyond. Rather we move into it even deeper

Think of the gospel as a diamond. A multifaceted diamond the depths of its beauty is found when we go deep inside of it. We look and we mine in order to gaze and behold. When we gaze at the gospel and behold God himself we see the very things the empower us.

We see that the answer to growing up in Christ is not trying hard to be free, but trusting deeper in the freedom accomplished.

We haven’t fully accepted the implications of Christ’s work on our behalf.

Let me quote from my two new best friends, who I have been reading and listening to it is as if I know them well.  I don’t but just go with it. The first one is pastor Tullian Tchividjian he writes:

The hard work of Christian growth, therefore, is to think less of me and my performance and more of Jesus and his performance for me. Ironically, when we focus mostly on our need to get better we actually get worse. We become neurotic and self-absorbed. Preoccupation with my effort over God’s effort for me makes me increasingly self-centered and morbidly introspective.

You could state it this way: Sanctification is the daily hard work of going back to the reality of our justification–receiving Christ’s words, “It is finished” into new and deeper parts of our being every day, into our rebellious regions of unbelief.  It’s going back to the certainty of our objectively secured pardon in Christ and hitting the refresh button a thousand times a day. Or, as Martin Luther so aptly put it in his Lectures on Romans, “To progress is always to begin again.” Real spiritual progress,  in other words, requires a daily going backwards.

The second one is Pastor R.W. Glenn

Staying with the backwards idea he writes:

One reason why we struggle so much with the Christian life as Christians is that we think that growing up in the faith involves becoming less dependent on God, that if I were really mature, I wouldn't be such a mess and so needy for Jesus. But in reality precisely the opposite is true. In God’s economy, we age backward. As you mature as a Christian, you become more like a child, not less. You’re born an “adult,” so to speak – relying on your own goodness and power and wisdom and strength to gain acceptance with God; it’s your natural inclination. But when you’re born again, you start aging backwards. As you mature, you become more like a child…

When we realize we can’t grow, we are dependent, we have no ability, we can’t do it…Where are we? We are back to the THRONE OF GRACE.

Our weakness opens the door, to his Grace. Remember you are saved by Grace alone when we see that

·         we realize how big God is

·         and how glorious the cross is.

·         And that we are not as good as we think we are are And that’s ok because God treats us better than we deserve!.

We Forsake all- We relinquish control- we rely on God.  We Take Him!

When we Forsake all we trust in  (FOR EXAMPLE…)

           

 HIS acceptance of us. To know that since Jesus secured my pardon and absorbed the Father’s wrath on my behalf so that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” how does that impact my longing for approval, my tendency to be controlling, and my fear of the unknown?

When we trust deeper in His work instead of our own.  It frees us for our obsession to perform or become something. In Christ  We have already.

When our identity is firmly anchored in Christ’s accomplishment, not yours; his strength, not yours; his performance, not yours; his victory, not yours. Your identity is steadfastly established in his substitution, not your sin.

We are free!!

“and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

• When we have that freedom we then look at the commands of God’s word and see that we “get to” instead of “have to”
• When we are free,  it is NOT obey to be accepted. It is: you are accepted therefore obey.
• The empowerment we have in the gospel is not about better behaving- it is about better believing. That is believing in bigger and deeper and brighter ways about what Christ has already secured for us.
• For many Christian’s their Christian walk is sin –confess- sin- confess-sin-confess. The heart of Christian faith is repent and believe. That’s what we are empowered to do. When God commands repent and believe, he has given the power to do and we are always to find that power at the throne of grace. And at the throne of Grace we find the power of the gospel to save us again and again and again!

So

We’ve covered

1. What is the gospel- we answered that

2. How does the gospel empower- we answered that- through emancipation- through freeing us.

III. How does the Gospel empower my everyday life.

Short answer: By Preaching the Gospel to Yourself.

What does that mean. This is a Christianese talking that assumes everyone know what that means.

Survey: Do you know what preaching the gospel to yourself means. How many yes. How many no.

Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in a ll wisdom, singing, psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Picture: Bob @  work “talked himself out” of buying a new car and convinced himself of the value of the more affordable used one.

Survey: how many of you have ever talked yourself out of doing something. How many yes. How many no.

Point: preaching the gospel to yourself involves you “talking yourself through everyday situations with relationships, your work, your marriage, your parenting, your leisure, your finances, your attitudes, your motives for doing things, your habits good and bad your insecurities, your temptations and sinful strongholds and asking    “How has what Jesus Christ has done affect how I handle these things?” How does the Gospel empower me to handle these things differently.

For example in marriage when/if you argue do you argue to win?

Arguments- with anybody. While this could be a fruit of insecurity, it has with it its own freedom inducing truth.

• When we preach the gospel to ourselves we remind ourselves that our value and identity is anchored in Christ and is not anchored in being right, the gospel frees us to admit we’re wrong. OUCH that goes right after our pride and it actually produces a humbleness that brings the empowerment of grace .

James 4:6

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

That’s freeing. Scary for sure, but the more you stare into the gospel of God and get this deep in side your soul, the freedom comes

Another example is your motivations in doing things to hide insecurity/

Insecurity- it causes us to put up fronts, try real hard to impress, and to tear down others to make us feel good, even put on masks. This is found in the workplace…in the social setting that turns competitive…at the play date with other parents… in sibling rivalries… friends and family situation…

• When we preach the gospel to ourselves we remember our security is in Christ’s achievement for us, and it frees us to admit our weaknesses without feeling inferior to that person’s life, livelihood and love for themselves.
• The gospel frees us from trying to impress people, prove ourselves to people, and make people think we’re something that we’re not.

Another example sinful habits that we struggle with.

Sinful habits- it brings guilt and condemnation and the man made effort to “do better” next time. It also manifests itself in anger at yourself and or others, which is neither warranted or justified.

• When we preach the gospel to ourselves we acknowledge the doctrine of justification that says God declares us righteous because Christ’s righteousness has been imputed to us as believers and as believers our sins have been imputed to Christ who bore them on the cross. At no point in time, either before God saves you or after, does your behavior determine God’s love for you. We remember that while we were enemies, Christ die for our sins.
• Only when you realize that the gospel has nothing to do with your obedience but Christ’s obedience for you, will you start to obey!

How about the example of your identity. Is it built of the prideful things of life?

Pride of life- running after achievements, power, and status. This is found in being the “Alpha” among peers… the striving for perfect or known for something… It can also be found in some Over Compulsive Disorder. And obsessions

• When we preach the gospel to ourselves the gospel frees you from the pressure of having to make something out of yourself. And while the gospel frees us to realize that we matter, we’re learning is not the point.
• Only the gospel can liberate us from the miserable, unquenchable pursuit to make something of ourselves by using others.

The banner under which Christians is empowered  reads “It is finished.” Christ fulfilled all of God’s conditions on our behalf so that our relationship with God could be unconditional. That’s how you need to remind yourself when you go throughout your day.

In closing I want to share something from John Calvin and what he said about the gospel.

I thought it was so good I asked them to put it on the website for you to read for your self a you learn how to preach the gospel to yourself.

Here it is:

Without the gospel

everything is useless and vain;

without the gospel

we are not Christians;

without the gospel

all riches is poverty,
all wisdom folly before God;
strength is weakness,
and all the justice of man is under the condemnation of God.

But by the knowledge of the gospel we are made

children of God,
brothers of Jesus Christ,
fellow townsmen with the saints,
citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven,
heirs of God with Jesus Christ, by whom

the poor are made rich,
the weak strong,
the fools wise,
the sinner justified,
the desolate comforted,
the doubting sure,
and slaves free.

It is the power of God for the salvation of all those who believe.

It follows that every good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone.

For, he was

sold, to buy us back;
captive, to deliver us;
condemned, to absolve us;

he was

made a curse for our blessing,
[a] sin offering for our righteousness;
marred that we may be made fair;

he died for our life; so that by him

fury is made gentle,
wrath appeased,
darkness turned into light,
fear reassured,
despisal despised,
debt canceled,
labor lightened,
sadness made merry,
misfortune made fortunate,
difficulty easy,
disorder ordered,
division united,
ignominy ennobled,
rebellion subjected,
intimidation intimidated,
ambush uncovered,
assaults assailed,
force forced back,
combat combated,
war warred against,
vengeance avenged,
torment tormented,
damnation damned,
the abyss sunk into the abyss,
hell transfixed,
death dead,
mortality made immortal.

In short,

mercy has swallowed up all misery,
and goodness all misfortune.

For all these things which were to be the weapons of the devil in his battle against us, and the sting of death to pierce us, are turned for us into exercises which we can turn to our profit.

If we are able to boast with the apostle, saying, O hell, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? it is because by the Spirit of Christ promised to the elect, we live no longer, but Christ lives in us; and we are by the same Spirit seated among those who are in heaven, so that for us the world is no more, even while our conversation is in it; but we are content in all things, whether country, place, condition, clothing, meat, and all such things.

And we are

comforted in tribulation,
joyful in sorrow,
glorying under vituperation,
abounding in poverty,
warmed in our nakedness,
patient amongst evils,
living in death.

This is what we should in short seek in the whole of Scripture: truly to know Jesus Christ, and the infinite riches that are comprised in him and are offered to us by him from God the Father.

God says: I Am There

What a comfort when I question.
Though I know you as ever present in my time and in my place- here in my life,
I tend to worry if you are in the lives and ever present and working in the ones I love.

How foolish I am.

Your present has comforted me here, it will comfort them there.
Your power has strengthened me here, it will strengthen them there.

Even in the times I have not been grateful or cognizant, your grace has covered me.
Your sovereignty has led me.
You will do the same for the ones that I care deeply about.
For you are God and you are independent of me and my prayers for them.
You will work in the ways which glorify you the most.

You are there – Jehovah Shammah.
There with your mercy, love, justice and care.
For those who love you, you have there names written in the palms of your hands.
You uphold them and will never let them fall.

Therefore I resolve, as I have put my faith and hope in the fact that you will be there in my future, I put my faith and hope in the fact that you are there- right now with my loved ones, being the magnificent and caring God for them.

For you have said “I Am There”