SOM #8: INSTRUMENTS OF PEACE (Matthew 5:9)

(This message may be used as an individual sermon or as part of the series.)

Matthew 5:9 – INSTRUMENTS OF PEACE

#8 – SERMON ON THE MOUNT

Francis of Assisi prayed:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace!

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

Oh, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled, as to console;

To be understood, as to understand;

To be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

It is in dying that we are born to eternal life! Charles R. Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart and 1,501 Other Stories, (Nashville: Word Publishing) 2000, c1998.

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

Many Christians go through life not knowing what God’s will is for their lives. Some wander aimlessly through their Christian lives simply because they don’t know what God’s plan is for their lives. Some of you wander aimlessly through your lives because you don’t want to know what God’s will is for their lives.

Christian, one of the things that is God’s will for your life is that you be a peacemaker.

PEACEMAKERS ACCEPT PEACE

God is a righteous, holy God.

God hates sin. Sin is anything that is against the will of God.

When sin is committed a barrier goes up between you and God.

In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve enjoyed fellowship with God in a perfect environment. When they sinned, God evicted them. The barrier went up between man and his God.

We are sinners. We are unrighteous. Isaiah 64:6

Because of sin, there is a lack of peace between God and man.

Someone had to make peace for us, so we could be reconciled to God.

That’s exactly what the Lord Jesus did for us.

Jesus, the sinless Son of God, went to the cross and took the punishment for our sin. Isaiah 53:6

The price has been fully paid for our sins.

What we must do is accept God’s provision for peace with him by placing our faith in Christ as the one who died for us. When we do, have peace with God. Romans 5:1

When you trust Christ, God declares you righteous.

When you trust Christ, peace between you and God comes.

You go from being God’s enemy to being God’s child. John 1:9

Christian there is another type of peace we need to accept from God. It is the peace that comes when we deal with our current sins. Sin for Christians breaks their fellowship with God. Isaiah 59:2

Confession of sin restores our fellowship with God. 1 John 1:9

PEACEMAKERS ARE ACTIVISTS FOR PEACE

The peacemaking that we should be active about has nothing to do with world politics. It has to do with relationships between God and man and between man and man.

The term “peacemaker” implies activity. You can’t be a peacemaker and be passive.

The area of relationships that most requires that we be activists is our interpersonal relationships with others.

The scripture is very clear that we should resolve conflicts among ourselves. Matthew 5:23-24,

If you come to worship God, and realize that you have done something to offend someone, you are to stop your worship of God and immediately go to that person and make it right.

Romans 12:18 – In other words, if there is any stress in a relationship, make sure it’s the other person’s fault and not yours!

Hebrews 12:14-15 – A bitter person not only makes himself miserable, but those around him or her as well.

Ephesians 4:32 – How does God forgive you? If you are a Christian, God forgives you totally. How are you to forgive? If you are a Christian, God expects you to forgive totally.

PEACEMAKERS ARRANGE PEACE

When there are differences between people, there is often a need for a peacemaker, a person who can come between two people and bring them together.

Paul was looking for such a person in Philippians 4:2-3.

Euodias and Syntyche needed help. They were quarreling, and it was having a negative effect on the church. Others in the congregation were to step and help them resolve their quarrel.

How can you help Christians who are feuding with each other?

How can you arrange peace with God’s help?

Pray! Ask God for guidance.
Listen! You need to hear both sides, and see if each person understands the other person’s position correctly.
Explain! You might be able to correct some misconceptions that a person may have.
Bring together! Get the people to talk to each other, with or without you present.

PEACEMAKERS ARE AMBASSADORS FOR PEACE

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 – Our Lord Jesus was our peacemaker who paid for our sins and reconciled us to God. Those of us who have received this wonderful gift of reconciliation are called upon to be ambassadors for Christ.

An ambassador is an official representative.

And we have the privilege of being God’s official representatives to those who need to be reconciled to God. Someone has brought us to God through Christ, now it is our job to bring others to Christ. 1 Peter 3:15

There is another sense in which we are ambassadors for Christ.

We are ambassadors to other Christians.

We are to help each other grow in Christ. Hebrews 10:24-25

We are also to help those who have spiritual problems. Galatians 6:1

(This message may be used as an individual sermon or as part of the series.)

MATTHEW 9:23-27 – STORMY WEATHER

LIFE OF CHRIST #24

We all face trials and troubles often. It is what Cole Porter called “Stormy Weather” in a song that he wrote.

There were a couple of times when the disciples faced storms on the Sea of Galilee.

As we look at this story about literal storm, we also learn lessons about the figurative storms that cause trials and troubles in our lives. Let’s see what lessons we can learn this morning about stormy weather.

STORMY WEATHER IS BEST FACED WHEN JESUS IS IN THE BOAT

Vs. 23 – Think of the boat as our lives.

Although God is present everywhere, there is a special sense in which God is present in our lives. When He indwells us, He has taken up special residence inside of us. John 14:16-17

God the Holy Spirit dwells inside of the Christian.

He is there to guide us, protect us, keep us, teach us, and comfort us.

And God has promised the Christian that this presence is unending! Hebrews 13:5-6

You have heard people say, and might have said yourself, “I wouldn’t want to face this problem without the Lord!”

How true! If God is willing to take up residence in our lives through his Holy Spirit it would be dumb not to avail ourselves of His presence.

When you trust Christ as your payment for sins, you are what the Bible calls, born again, by the Spirit of God. And God the Holy Spirit takes up residence in your life. Romans 8:9

If you have truly trusted Christ as your Savior, you have God’s presence in your life no matter what the storm may be. Make sure that you have Christ in the boat that is your life!

STORMY WEATHER RESULTS FROM OBEDIENCE

Vs. 23 – The Lord Jesus entered the boat. The disciples followed Him into the boat. It was the Lord Jesus who decided where they were going. Luke 8:22

The disciples ended up in a storm on the Sea of Galilee because they were following Jesus in obedience.

Of course, being obedient to God as a Christian and following Jesus’ leadership in our lives is the right thing to do. Luke 9:23-24

Following Jesus after trusting Him for forgiveness does not mean that it will be an easy life. In fact, we will have storms. 2 Timothy 3:12, James 1:2-4

The storms that Jesus leads through will make us strong and mature. And I’d rather follow Jesus in the middle of a storm than to not follow Jesus. Being in the center of the Lord’s will is always the safest place to be.

But you’ll also face storms if you’re not obedient to God.

Would you rather face storms being in the center of God’s will, or out of God’s will? Which makes the most sense?

STORMY WEATHER IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS

Vs. 24 – I don’t have to tell you how dangerous storms can be. Just consider last year’s tsunami and hurricanes Ivan and Rita.

This storm was a very violent storm, and even seasoned fishermen like Peter, Andrew, James, and John were having trouble with it.

The storms of life which we face are also dangerous.

Sometimes we will be in physical danger because of persecution, accidents or illness.

Other times we are in emotional danger with our “storms” threatening to overwhelm us with fear and/or depression.

Other times we are in Spiritual danger, with Satan’s attacks challenging us to give up or to sin.

And this verse alludes to another danger. We might be concerned because in the midst of the storm God appears to be asleep. He does not seem to be responding to our problems during the storm. He seems to be silent.

Our Lord Jesus was able to sleep because He had a human body that got tired. He was also able to sleep because, being sinless, He had a clean conscience. He was also able to sleep, because He quietly allowed Himself to rest in the hands of His loving Heavenly Father.

If you are doing what is right before the Lord, confessing your sins as a Christian, and striving to live for Him, don’t panic when God appears to be asleep. He’ll show Himself to be very much alive at just the right time.

STORMY WEATHER INVOKES FEAR AND PANIC

Vs. 25 – When storms come we tend to fear. And sometimes when storms come we will go into a panic. The situation seems to be absolutely hopeless!

Humans tend to be fearful. If we didn’t tend to be fearful, God would not have put so many verses in the Bible telling us not to be afraid. I’ll just give you two samples, but there are many more “do not fear” verses in the Bible. Psalm 27:1, Isaiah 41:10

We tend to fear and worry about what might happen but hasn’t happened.

We tend to fear and worry about the future.

We tend to fear and worry about the opinions of others.

We tend to fear and worry about our children, our parents, our spouses.

Then comes the times our problems are so real to us that they tend to overwhelm us. We hit the panic mode.

Yes, many fears are justified. But there is a proper way to handle fear.

These seasoned fishermen were literally in over their heads and they knew it, coming to Jesus in panic.

STORMY WEATHER REQUIRES PRAYER AND FAITH

Vs. 25 – The disciples awoke the Lord Jesus.

Their anxious prayer was an indication that they had come to the end of themselves, and that they had at least a little faith that Jesus could help.

I personally think that they waited too long to ask Jesus for help. The moment things got a little stormy, I think they should have come to Him.

We are like that. If things seem to be just a little stormy or troublesome, we’ll just worry over it and try to solve it ourselves, instead of bringing it to God right away.

But when problems get full blown, we come in a panic with a little, but not much faith that God can help. Philippians 4:6, James 1:5-8

Vs. 26 – Note that Jesus did not rebuke the disciples for waking Him up. Like I said, I feel that He would have welcomed being woken up sooner.

Notice our Lord’s calm rebuke in the midst of the storm.

He was not in a panic. He’s totally under control. He can even take the time to rebuke the disciples before He did anything. He is master of the situation.

Let’s remember when we give our stormy problems to God He is not in a panic. He can solve the problem leisurely if He chooses to. There is no reason to get in a dither or bent out of shape.

STORMY WEATHER REVEALS THE GLORY AND POWER OF GOD

Vs. 26 – Jesus said the word and there was perfect calm. It was like there had been no storm. There was no rocking of the waves that normally follow a storm. There was perfect peace.

When Jesus speaks the Word there is perfect peace.

Sometimes the problem totally disappears, but more often than not the place where the greatest miracle has occurred is inside of us.

We are at peace.

God has calmed the ragging in our souls.

Vs. 27 – The disciples were absolutely amazed! The Lord Jesus had done what they had never seen before. A human being told the storm to cease and it did. The winds obeyed Him! The waves obey Him.

They had a new appreciation for the power of Jesus!

They had a new appreciation for the glory of Jesus!

And when Jesus calms our storms, we too, should have a new appreciation for the power and glory of the Lord Jesus.

We should be amazed!

We should be filled with praise and worship.

We should be ready to trust Him when an even bigger storm comes.