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Would you describe your family as peaceful? Peaceful families are blessed, and peacemakers will be called children of God. How can we be a peacemaker in our family? What does it mean to be a child of God? We will look to the example of the Prince of Peace, the Son of God, Jesus.
Bless This Home 5: Peacemakers – Redemption Church Plano Tx from Redemption Church on Vimeo.
Welcome
Final week of Bless This Home applying Beatitudes to our family
This week: the only Beatitude that mentions family
Matthew 5:9 NIV Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
This brings up three major topics:
1) Peace
2) Children of God
3) Application to our family
Peacemaker
Do you like peace? Do you want peace in your life? your home?
What is peace? How do we make it? What does it mean: Peacemaker?
Bible has a lot to say about peace. Jesus has a lot to say about peace.
Jesus is the embodiment of Matthew 5:9: Peacemaker & Son of God
Jesus made peace. Jesus lived peace. Jesus encouraged peace.
But not always in the way we would expect.
Matthew 10:34 NIV “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Matthew 10:35 NIV For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
Matthew 10:36 NIV a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’”
Bless this home!
Two kinds of peace.
First, Worldly Peace
Fill in the blank: Peace through ___________?
Peace Through Strength
In this world we achieve a peace through strength.
1980’s, Pax Romana, families
Can easily turn into Peace Through Domination
Pax Romana, families
Second, Jesus offers a different kind of peace.
John 14:27 NIV Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
“Do not be afraid,” does that sound like peace through domination?
Peace Through Meekness
Peace through submission to God and to others.
It is not of this world.
Philippians 4:7 NIV And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
These two kinds of peace came face to face when Jesus was before Pilate
Which peace won? Who is still alive? Which kingdom still exists?
His Peace is a lasting peace.
The peace of this world is fragile.
2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
Jesus takes a sword to the peace of this world.
Jesus embodies Godly peace through submission, and He gives it to us.
John 16:33 NIV “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
We make peace when we believe in Him and embrace His peace
Abide in him, trust in Him, and share His peace with others by living out His peace
In order to be peacemakers we must be like Jesus.
And if we do that we become Children of God
Children of God
John 1:12 NIV Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
But what does it mean to be a child of God?
It means we are different. It means we are like Jesus.
1 John 3:1 NIV See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
The world did not understand Him, and so the world hated Him. And if we live as He lived, the world will hate us.
The Beatitudes describe a child of God: humble in spirit, mourning, meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, persecuted
Doesn’t that sound like fun? Count it all joy!
It’s not always fun. It’s not always easy. And yet there is joy to be found through it all.
Being a child of God is more than just a title or a status.
It is a new life and a new citizenship.
Romans 8:17 NIV Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Heirs! Heirs to a Kingdom! Heirs to God’s everlasting Kingdom!
Romans 8:18 NIV I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Look again at the Beatitudes: theirs is the Kingdom, theirs is the earth, they will be comforted, they will be satisfied, they will receive mercy, they will see God, they will be called children of God
Look at the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:9-10: “Our Father in Heaven,…
May your Kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Jesus isn’t just a peaceful guy.
Isaiah 9:6 NIV For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
And look how the next verse starts:
Isaiah 9:7a NIV Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He is the Prince of Peace!
A Peaceful Kingdom
And through Him we are princes and princesses as well. We are royalty in His Kingdom. We are seated with Him in Heavenly places.
So we should want to bring His Kingdom to this earth,
to build His Kingdom here and now
And part of that is making peace
A great place to start and do that is in your home with your family
A Peaceful Home
Do you want a peaceful home? Do you want peace with your family.
How do we do that? How do we make that happen?
First, invite the peacemaker. Decide who you serve.
We are not just a Christian family, We are a Christ Centered Home
Jesus has made us part of his family, make Him a member or yours
We invite Him through prayer. Talk to Him.
Philippians 4:6 NIV Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
The next verse talks about the peace of God that transcends understanding
[Story about Chris praying with Clyde and Linus]
Pursue peace
Romans 12:18 NIV If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Oh, but you don’t know my family… Doesn’t matter.
Jesus can bring peace to any situation. Look at the team he assembled, look at his disciples: Simon Peter (jumps out of boats, cuts off ears), his brother Andrew (you know how brothers get along), James and John (the “Sons of Thunder”), Philip and his brother Nathaniel (“Did anything good ever come out of Nazareth?”), Doubting Thomas, Matthew the tax collector, another James, Thaddeus, Simon “The Zealot”, and Judas the betrayer. If Jesus can make peace amongst that team, he can handle your family.
As much as it is within your power, be at peace with everyone, both inside your family and outside it. Be at peace with your neighbors. Be at peace with your co-workers. This even includes the internet. [story]
You are modeling Jesus’ peace to your family and to the world.
To quote the great Scott Fane: “Every day is a chance to make peace with your enemies.” What’s good, Scott?
Jesus tells us to love our enemies. Pray for your enemies.
Hopefully, your family members are not your enemies, but you should pray for your family members too, love your family members
Submit to one another in love. Peace through submission.
Submit to God
Matthew 6:33 NIV But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
Isaiah 26:3 NIV You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
A Peaceful Home
A great way to make peace in your home is to make peace within yourself. Live as a child of God.
To do that you must make peace with God.
Repent
Be baptized into a new life as a child of God
Receive the Spirit of Peace
Peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, PEACE, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Is it present in your life?
Romans 8:14 NIV For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
Romans 8:15 NIV The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
Romans 8:16 NIV The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Pentecost