Introduction:
Congratulations to the Peacemakers! (Matthew 5:9)
Who are the Peacemakers?
Those who Love unity and actively seek to Promote and Defend it in all circumstances.
Why are We Congratulating the Peacemakers?
For they shall be called Sons of God.
Galatians 2:11-14 - But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
How Can I Become a Peacemaker?
- By Resting in the peace that Christ purchased for me.
Ephesians 2:13-14 - But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.
Colossians 1:20-22 - And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.
- By valuing the good of others above my Feelings and Preferences .
- By having a healthy view of Conflict .
- I shouldn't Desire it.
- I shouldn't Avoid it.
Romans 12:18 - If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
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00:00-00:05
Maybe you have a hard time being happy for anyone else besides yourself.
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Maybe you're envious of the person you're supposed to be congratulating.
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You know, at times we all struggle with truly congratulating other people.
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But do you know whose congratulations are always 100% genuine, heartfelt, and passionate?
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Jesus Christ.
00:28-00:32
Over the past two months, we have been digging into the Beatitudes.
00:33-00:42
These are Jesus' blessed statements from the Sermon on the Mount, where he congratulates those who we would never think to congratulate on our own.
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We've already seen him congratulate the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful and the pure in heart.
00:55-00:59
Jesus doesn't congratulate these people to make them feel good about themselves.
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He truly congratulates these individuals because he means it.
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He gives his most sincere congratulations to his followers who choose to go against the grain and be different than the rest of this world because he knows that they will experience eternal rewards that defy expectation and imagination.
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So this morning, we will zero in on Jesus' next round of heartfelt congratulations to the peacemakers.
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So let's join our Lord and Savior in congratulating the peacemakers, okay?
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(congregation applauding)
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Great job, everybody, I'm very proud of you.
01:53-01:55
In all seriousness, this is such a chaotic world, isn't it?
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Hatred, slander, betrayal, shattered relationships, broken families, murder and war are all around us and in our faces 24/7.
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Do you ever get tired of it?
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I know that I do.
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There is so much trouble and so little peace.
02:19-02:24
There are so many troublemakers and so few peacemakers.
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peacemakers.
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I hope and pray the Lord will use his word this morning to recruit more peacemakers in this room and watching online for the work of his kingdom.
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So let's go to the Lord in prayer.
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Please pray for me that I will faithfully communicate God's word and I will pray that you faithfully receive and submit to it.
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Father, we thank you for this most important appointment and we come together as your people to worship you together and come under the preaching of your word.
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Or may we take this seriously.
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May we take what your word has to say to heart and live it out, not just today, not just the rest of this week, but the rest of our lives.
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We thank you in advance for what you will do.
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We ask all this in Jesus' name, amen.
03:20-03:29
So as Pastor Jeff and Pastor Rich have said over the course of this series, The Beatitudes are not random and isolated statements to be read and understood on their own.
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The Beatitudes are like steps on a staircase and rungs on a ladder that work together to lead us towards a specific destination.
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This means that we cannot become peacemakers until we walk the previous steps and climb the rungs that Jesus has already laid out before us since the beginning of February.
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With that in mind, let's read the entire Beatitudes and really keep track of what Jesus is telling us here.
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Matthew chapter five, verses one through 10.
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Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain and when he sat down, his disciples came to him and he opened his mouth and taught them saying, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.
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Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.
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Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied.
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Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.
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Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
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"Blessed are the peacemakers, "for they shall be called sons of God.
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"Blessed are those who are persecuted "for righteousness' sake, "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." So let's follow the logical flow of what Jesus is preaching here.
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You cannot be a peacemaker if you do not recognize your spiritual bankruptcy before a holy God.
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You cannot be a peacemaker if you do not mourn over your sin and seek after repentance.
05:16-05:24
You cannot be a peacemaker if you are not meek and do not put aside your self-interest for the ultimate interest of God's glory.
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You cannot be a peacemaker if you have no appetite for the things of God.
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You cannot be a peacemaker if you demand mercy for yourself but you refuse to show mercy to other people in your life.
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And finally, you cannot be a peacemaker "The heart is set on perversion rather than purity." At this point you may be thinking, "Okay, Taylor, I get it.
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"I need to exhibit all the rest of the Beatitudes "to be a peacemaker, but what is a peacemaker?
05:59-06:10
"Who are the peacemakers?" Well, you must have read my mind or pay attention to the whole entire series and how it really rolled out before you, but that is the first question on our outline this morning.
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Who are the peacemakers?
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In the original Greek, the term peacemaker is only used once in the entire New Testament, and it's found right here in the Beatitudes.
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It is a compound word of peace and to make or to do.
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So let's unpack each individual word so we can better understand the whole term.
06:32-06:40
In Scripture, peace is such a beautiful concept that goes so far beyond our limited American definition.
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To most people in this country, here is what peace looks like.
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Gas prices are down and there's no major wars right now, we can breathe easy for a minute.
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Or yay, no one's fighting in my family today, we have peace.
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The biblical definition of peace is so much greater than that.
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That is a worldly view of peace is based on circumstances and what happens to you.
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It can easily be changed and stolen away.
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Biblical peace is way more than the absence of conflict in your life.
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Biblical peace is the presence of God in your life.
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The missing puzzle piece in your soul has been found and filled.
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You experience a sense of fullness and completeness that no one else can take away from you.
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It is the eternal reality that works its way outward into your life and to other people around you.
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And there is no true peace apart from the one true God.
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There is no true peace apart from submission to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
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And the word make and peacemaker brings an important reality into focus.
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Peace isn't just something for you to experience on your own.
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It is meant to be shared with others.
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For this to happen, you must be active and not passive.
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Steps need to be taken to bring this God-given peace to others.
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So here is the definition of peacemakers that I want you to write down and meditate upon for the rest of this week.
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Who are the peacemakers?
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"those who love unity and actively seek to promote "and defend it in all circumstances." Those who love unity and actively seek to promote and defend it in all circumstances.
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When you put the words peace and make together, you don't get a picture of someone just sitting back in their lazy blower recliner saying, "Man, I love peace, I love when people get along, "that's my jam.
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Can't really do much about it.
08:58-09:01
That's a peace faker, not a peacemaker.
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Peacefakers talk a big game, but do nothing to back up their empty words.
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While peacemakers do something about their desire for harmony with the people who God has placed in their lives.
09:16-09:22
Peacefakers pretend like nothing is wrong, but they seethe with anger on the inside.
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while peacemakers refuse to sweep issue after issue under the rug, they just rip the rug up to deal with all those issues.
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Peacemakers put the ball on other people's courts when it comes to resolving disagreements, while peacemakers grab the ball and run with it.
09:42-09:51
Peacemakers do nothing to contribute to the solution, while peacemakers find God's answer to the problem.
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Now some people take a sinful step beyond peace faking and become peace takers.
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Where they realize it or not, peace takers prefer dysfunction.
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And they actively seek to dismantle unity everywhere they go.
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Peace fakers, actually peace takers, stir the pot on purpose.
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They toss grenades in the people's laps.
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And then they act like they did nothing wrong.
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They act like they're totally innocent in the situation.
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while peacemakers seek to diffuse tough situations with the word of God in a calm attitude.
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Peacetakers look at conflict as a contest to win, while peacemakers look at conflict as an opportunity for relationships to be restored.
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Peacetakers badmouth those they have conflicts with to make themselves look like the good guys in the situation, while peacemakers refuse to speak poorly of anyone out of respect for people's public reputations.
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I want to challenge you this morning to figure out which label best describes you.
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Are you a peacemaker who puts on a performance?
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Are you a peacetaker who makes matters worse?
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Or are you a peacemaker who brings people together?
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It's so easy to spot peace faking and peace taking tendencies in others, but it's so difficult to see it within yourself.
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You can ask your loved ones for their perspective and counsel.
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Talk to your spouse, your kids, a close friend, a pastor, an elder at harvest after service.
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Others can point out the blind spots that you cannot see on your own.
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But I beg you, please do not assume that you're doing just fine in this area of life.
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Evaluate yourself and allow others to evaluate you as well.
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So we figured out who the peacemakers are and who they are not.
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Now we need to answer the second question of the morning.
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Why are we congratulating the peacemakers?
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Why are they worthy of these big balloons that Pastor Jeff pointed out earlier?
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Why are they worthy of this big party?
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Well, Jesus clearly tells us why in Matthew 5, verse 9.
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He says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, "for they shall be called sons of God." So why are we congratulating the peacemakers?
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For they shall be called sons of God.
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I don't wanna bore you with my seminary homework, but in the original Greek, shall be called is a verb in the continual future passive tense.
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And some of you who didn't do very well in English, like what in the world does that mean?
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Let me make it really simple for you.
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Jesus is describing something that will be repeatedly declared about peacemakers in eternity.
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On this earth, peacemakers are often misunderstood.
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In this life, Christians are hit with the wildest of lies and accusations.
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Has that ever happened to you personally?
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A family member cuts ties and walks away even though you did nothing wrong.
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Someone at work causes others to think poorly of you because of a slight that has no basis in reality.
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A friend turns his or her back on you for seemingly no reason.
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In our culture, biblical peacemakers are called a lot of rude and untrue things.
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But if you are a genuine peacemaker, take heart in this astounding truth, one day all of heaven will openly and eagerly acknowledge what is already true of you right now.
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You are a child of God.
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More specifically, you are a son of God.
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Ladies, you may be scratching your heads and thinking, wait, I'm a son, but I'm a woman.
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I don't want to be called a son of God.
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Trust me, you really do.
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2,000 years ago, sons were the ones who received the inheritance.
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They were heirs of so many blessings and privileges.
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In God's family, his daughters are treated like sons and heirs of his infinite riches.
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Both men and women enjoy the reward of sonship.
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We are on equal footing with one another.
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Whether you're a man or a woman, you do not earn your sonship by being a peacemaker.
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You simply demonstrate your sonship by being a peacemaker.
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Let me encourage you, those who label you with hateful names right now are showing themselves to be children of the enemy, children of Satan, who follow in his footsteps of slander and accusation.
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while you prove yourself to belong to your heavenly Father when you follow in his peaceful footsteps and refuse to sink to the level of this world.
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You know, sometimes my kids don't act the way that I would like them to in public.
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They can really embarrass me at the store by yelling no or questioning me.
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And to be honest, in those moments, I wish I could take a massive step away from them and just say, whose child is this?
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There's a lost kid here, excuse me, I need help.
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Can any of their parents relate to me?
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Okay, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
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Thank you, Jillian, one person was honest enough.
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You know, several years ago, my son, Sam, had a Christmas concert at school, and he was the only kid in the entire school who cried the whole time and didn't sing any of the songs.
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Kate and I just wanted to slide down in our seats and just fall through a trap door in the floor, but unfortunately there was no trapdoor underneath of us.
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But the next year, Sam had a complete turnaround.
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He did awesome.
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He sang every song, he did all the motions, and he even gave the crowd a big thumbs up after he was done.
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I'll never forget how I felt in that moment.
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With tears in my eyes, I wanted to yell out, that's my son, that's my boy.
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God feels the same exact way about you peacemaker who actively seeks to promote and defend peace everywhere that you go.
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He wants everyone to know that you are one of his precious children. In eternity the courts of heaven will ring out with God saying, "That's my child. He belongs to me. She is mine." Angels and other believers will wholeheartedly accept and agree You will be free with that truth.
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No one will ever misunderstand you ever again.
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You will be fully known by God and other believers forever.
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Does that sound worthy of congratulations?
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Well at this point you may be thinking, okay I get it, I know who the peacemakers are, I get what the reward is, I'm sold.
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How can I become a peacemaker?
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Well, Paul provides the answer to that question in Galatians chapter two, verses 11 through 14, where he provides a personal example of peacemaking from his own life.
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So please turn there with me.
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Galatians chapter two, verses 11 through 14.
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Galatians chapter two, verses 11 through 14.
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"But when Cephas," that's the apostle Peter, "came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, "because he stood condemned.
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"For before certain men came from James, "he was eating with the Gentiles, "but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, "fearing the circumcision party.
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"And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically "along with him, so that even Barnabas "was led astray by their hypocrisy.
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"But when I saw that their conduct was not in step "with the truth of the gospel, "I said to Cephas before them all, "if you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile "and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles "to live like Jews?" This passage may seem random to you.
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It may seem off topic, maybe thinking, the word peace isn't even mentioned in these verses.
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It seems like Paul is picking a fight and causing trouble.
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But that's not true at all.
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I chose this passage because it demonstrates three important lessons about becoming a peacemaker.
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So how can I become a peacemaker?
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Number one, your outline, by resting in the peace that Christ purchased for me.
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By resting in the peace that Christ purchased for me.
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Throughout biblical history, there was a tension between Jews and Gentiles.
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Jews held to a strict diet and schedule of worship, while Gentiles did not.
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Gentiles did things that seemed very unacceptable to the Jews.
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And the Jews did things that seemed very strange to the Gentiles.
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These two groups didn't hang out and spend time together.
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They stayed as segregated as humanly possible.
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Their relationship was one of hostility, not peace.
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But that all changes with Jesus Christ.
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Christ came to bridge the massive gap between a holy God and sinful humanity, and in the process, he did the same for Jews and Gentiles.
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Listen to what Paul has to say about this in Ephesians chapter two, verses 13 through 14.
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But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, for he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.
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There are many differences.
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Cannot compare to their greatest similarity, salvation in Jesus Christ.
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Before the cross, there was a wall that divided Jews and Gentiles from one another, but it has been torn down by the death and resurrection of Christ.
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Both Jewish and Gentile believers belong to the same God, have been adopted into the same family, have experienced the same peace.
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But this doesn't mean that Jewish and Gentile believers always sing kumbaya around the campfire and enjoy perfect peace during the days of the early church.
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Peace must be actively promoted and defended, or both parties are gonna fall back into bad habits.
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And that's what happens in this passage.
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The apostle Peter becomes a part of the problem.
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He used to eat with the Gentiles, and now he decides not to.
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Unity is broken.
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Peace is disturbed.
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Paul and Barnabas and the rest of the people they led astray are acting like peace takers and not peacemakers.
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They're trying to rebuild the wall that Christ has already demolished.
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They're making the gospel look very bad.
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And Paul is very concerned that they're making Christ look bad.
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They're ruining the reputation of the church.
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So Paul knows he can't stand by and do nothing.
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Paul can recognize this issue because his spiritual and tenor are always up to catch anything that threatens the unity of the church.
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Paul can seek after the right solution because he cares about the gospel more than anything else.
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Paul can be a peacemaker because he has personally rested in the peace that Christ purchased for him on the cross.
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As I said earlier, only Christians can enjoy the peace that God offers.
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You cannot share the peace of Christ if you have not personally experienced the peace of Christ for yourself.
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So I have to ask the most important question of the entire message.
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If you're just totally tuned out, please tune back in.
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Are you at peace with God?
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Are you at peace with God?
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And I know that question may seem so dumb to some of you, and you may say, well, of course I'm at peace with God.
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I'm sitting here, aren't I?
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I'm a good person.
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I do the right thing.
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If I weren't on good terms with God, I wouldn't be sitting here.
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All of those answers are wrong and unbiblical.
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Your peace with God has nothing to do with you and your list of accomplishments.
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Your peace with God has everything to do with Jesus Christ and what he has accomplished.
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Apart from faith in Jesus Christ, you hate God.
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No matter how much you say that you love him.
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You are an enemy of God.
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You were at war with him, not at peace with him.
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But the great news this morning is that doesn't have to be true of you any longer.
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Colossians chapter one, verses 20 through 22 tells us this, that Christ came to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
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And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he is now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.
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Christ purchased never-ending peace on the cross with his precious blood.
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But that peace can only be given to you if you ask for it and you accept it.
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You can be at peace with God right now if you turn from your sin and turn towards Jesus Christ for forgiveness and eternal life.
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If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
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You will transform from an enemy of God into one of his beloved friends.
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So the first step to become a peacemaker, you must first bow the knee to the Prince of Peace who freely offers what the world can never give.
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How can I become a peacemaker?
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Second step, by valuing the good of others above my feelings and preferences.
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By valuing the good of others above my feelings and preferences.
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Since Paul is so concerned with the integrity of the gospel and the unity of the church, he deeply cares about the ultimate good of his Christian brothers and sisters, Jewish and Gentile alike.
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But before we can talk about what Paul says and does, let's talk about what he doesn't say and do.
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First of all, he doesn't take Peter's side and ignore the Gentiles.
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But also notice from this text that Paul doesn't sidebar at the Gentiles and say, man, I can't believe what Peter and Barnabas are doing to you guys.
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They are such jerks.
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You should be so angry with them and ignore them right back.
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That wouldn't be good for the Jews or the Gentiles.
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That would be childish behavior that belongs in the school playground and not in the church.
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You know, kids are obsessed with their feelings and preferences.
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I don't want milk in the blue sippy cup, I want it in the orange sippy cup.
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Kids do not naturally care about the good of others.
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Susie's so weird, I'm not gonna sit with her at lunch.
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Billy was mean to me, so I'm never gonna talk to him ever again.
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I'm not gonna say sorry and you can't make me.
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You may smile at those examples, but you may not be much better.
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So many professing Christians are little kids wearing adult clothes.
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They look like grownups, but they certainly do not act like grownups.
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I have to ask you this morning, is that you?
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Are you a little kid in the church wearing adult clothes?
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Do you keep a mental file of personal offenses?
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Do you give the silent treatment to those who offend you or offend a loved one?
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Do you ignore people who frustrate you?
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Do you just completely write people off?
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Replace those ungodly attitudes and behaviors with godly disciplines.
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If someone offends you in a small way, you don't have to dwell on it and hold onto it.
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You can let it go.
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Proverbs 19 11 says, "It is your glory to overlook an offense." That should become the new life verse for many of us in this room.
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If someone, maybe in the aisle next to you, constantly annoys you and frustrates you, instead of writing them off, write them notes of encouragement.
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And I promise you, and your attitude towards this person will begin to change.
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If someone sins against you and refuses to apologize, pray for that person every single day.
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I can tell you from personal experience, it is so hard to hold on to anger and bitterness towards someone that you constantly lift up before the throne of grace.
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Harvest, it's time to put childish ways behind us.
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It's time to grow up and become peacemakers.
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It's time to put yourself last so others can come first.
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It's time to care more about the good of others than your petty preferences and flaky feelings.
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It's time to stop caring about what you want and to start caring about what other people need.
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How do I become a peacemaker?
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Finally, by having a healthy view of conflict, by having a healthy view of conflict.
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So we've covered what Paul does not say and do, now let's talk about what he does say and do to promote and defend peace at Antioch.
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Galatians 2.11 says that Paul opposes Peter to his face.
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And according to verse 14, Paul did this in front of everyone.
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Peter sinned publicly, so he must be rebuked publicly.
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And verse 14 also lays out exactly what Paul says.
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If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?
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In other words, you are acting so two-faced right now.
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You used to eat with the Gentiles, but now you act like they're inferior and they have to keep the Old Testament laws to be at the table with you.
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Cut it out right now.
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Paul isn't rude, but he is firm.
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Paul proves that peacemaking sometimes involves direct and uncomfortable conversations.
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A bone must be reset before it can be repaired.
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A wound has to be cleansed and disinfected before it can be healed.
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For a plant to thrive, the parts that are dying to be cut off and pruned.
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Biblical peace cannot be enjoyed in Antioch apart from this conflict between Peter and Paul.
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We often think that conflict gets in the way of peace, but sometimes it is the way towards peace.
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Paul has a healthy view of conflict, which makes him a productive peacemaker.
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And every single one of you in this room, and myself included, we need to imitate his example.
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and view conflict the way that he did.
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So what is a healthy view of conflict?
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Well really quickly, letter A in your outline, I shouldn't desire it.
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I shouldn't desire it.
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You know, Paul isn't a fake tough guy looking to get into fist fights and arguments.
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He isn't making big deal out of nothing.
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He isn't just blow up at people who rub him the wrong way.
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No one doesn't desire conflict and neither should you.
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But maybe you do desire conflict.
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Maybe you like drama when it pops up and you add fuel to the fire with gossiping and complaining.
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But please, don't be hungry for the next controversy, debate, and dispute.
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Instead, work hard to be the calmest and most collected person in every single room.
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Never to be the person that other people invite into conflict because you are known for your helpfulness, your humility, and your wisdom.
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For this to happen, you must be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
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Or what is the healthy view of conflict?
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Letter B, I shouldn't fear it.
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I shouldn't desire it, but I shouldn't fear it.
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Paul isn't afraid of conflict.
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He isn't pacing around Antioch wondering what's gonna happen if he opposes Peter.
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Oh no, what's gonna happen?
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What are people gonna think about me?
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No, he is confident.
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He's confident not in himself, but in the word of God and the spirit of God who lives within him.
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If you want to become a peacemaker, you have to get over your obsession with being liked and appreciated by everyone.
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When you are convinced that God approves of you, the disapproval of mere human beings loses its hold.
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And sometimes you need to hurt someone's feelings to tell them the truth.
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You can't make a peace on them without breaking a few eggs.
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You can't rise above a painful situation without stepping on a few toes.
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You will fear conflict if you care more about the opinion of man than the commands of God.
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This may be hard for you to believe because I'm a pastor and I talk in front of people all the time, but I was painfully shy growing up.
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And I used to dread ordering food at a restaurant.
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And so I made my family do it for me.
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And my family, who's not here right now, but they'll be happy to tell you more about that later on.
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So I used to tell them, okay, I'll give them my order, and they would tell the waiter, or they'd go to the cashier and tell them what I wanted.
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But there was just one particular Sunday after church growing up when my family was done.
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They were done with my avoidance tactics, and they forced me to go up and order my own chocolate Frosty at Wendy's.
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I gotta tell you, I was terrified.
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I'll never forget that moment, just shuffling up to the counter with my crumpled up one dollar bill, getting to the cashier, putting my head down, putting my hand up and saying, "Small Frosty."
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(audience laughs)
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Guess what?
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Everything worked out just fine.
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The cashier was nice, and I was able to enjoy the blessing of eating a chocolate frosty they ordered myself.
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I'm so glad that my family forced the issue, and I stopped avoiding this important task.
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Maybe you need to force the issue.
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Maybe you need to stop avoiding the important task of dealing with a specific conflict in your life.
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If you need to confront someone or have a painfully honest conversation, do not procrastinate, do not push it off any longer, rip off the band-aid and do it today.
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Not tomorrow, not next week, and not some magical made-up time when things slow down, because guess what, things are never ever gonna slow down.
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You may be wondering, didn't Pastor Jeffery tell me this two weeks ago during his sermon on mercy?
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Jeff, didn't you say this already?
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Yeah, he did say that, but did you listen?
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Did you follow through?
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Or did you decide not to listen and not to follow through?
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Now is your chance.
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Stop avoiding conflict because by doing so, you are delaying the blessing of true peace.
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And I know what some of you are thinking right now.
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Taylor, that's all well and good, but you don't know my spouse.
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He or she is so stubborn.
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You don't know my family.
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They are never gonna change.
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Or you don't know that situation in my friend group, "That history is so long, it's so messy.
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"My attempts to make peace will fall on deaf ears "and not accomplish anything." Well, it seems like you have a very low view of what God is capable of.
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It seems like you've already decided that God cannot and will not change that person and situation.
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Is that mindset honoring to God?
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It's insulting to him, it's destructive for those you care about, it's harmful for your own soul.
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You have to take your eyes off of the results that you do or do not expect and choose to focus on your God-given responsibilities.
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What is your God-given responsibilities?
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Well, Paul tells us in Romans 12, 18, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, "live peaceably with all." You are responsible for the action of your peacemaking, not the response to your peacemaking.
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You cannot control other people's actions and reactions, but guess what?
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You can control your actions and your reactions.
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Do your small part of peacemaking and trust God with his big part that he will take care of the results.
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As the worship team comes forward, I have some final questions for you.
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Are you sick and tired of giving in to the temptation to be a peace faker or a peace taker?
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Are you ready to make some big changes?
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Have you truly rested in the peace that Christ purchased on the cross?
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Are you willing to place your feelings and preferences aside so you can focus on the good of others and the unity of this church?
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Are you willing to deal with conflict in a biblical and healthy way?
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If your answer to those questions is yes, then I want to offer you my heartfelt congratulations.
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Congratulations to the peacemakers.
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(congregation applauding)
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Congratulations to the peacemakers, "for you shall be called sons of God." Let's pray.
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Father, we come to you and we admit our faults.
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We admit our sins.
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Lord, there's not one person in this room who shouldn't be feeling the conviction of your word.
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All of us can be peace fakers or peace takers in different ways and around different people.
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And Lord, I pray that by your spirit we would stop.
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Lord, we would put off anger, we would put off bitterness, we would put off giving people the silent treatment, and that we would put on unity and harmony and love.
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Lord, we thank you that you didn't turn your backs on us, and we want nothing to do with you.
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but you pursued after us through your Son, and you gave us your perfect peace.
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Lord, help us to pursue after others to share that peace that you have given to us.
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We ask all this in Jesus' name, amen.
Small Group Discussion
Read Matthew 5:9 & Galatians 2:11-14
What was your big take-away from this passage / message?
What is biblical peace and how do we share it with others?
How do you see yourself being a peace-faker or a peace-taker right now? How is the Lord calling you to address these issues and move forward?
Which do you struggle with more: desiring conflict or avoiding conflict? Why are both harmful?
Breakout
Pray for one another.