Discipleship: Blessed are the Peacemakers

Hymn # 1 Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty

• Hymns of Praise:
  
• 13 God Himself Is with Us
• 20 It Is Good to Sing Thy Praises
  
  

Words of Assurance: (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV)

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Hymn # 281 How B lest Is He Whose Trespass

Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:9; Isaiah 9:1-7; Ephesians 2:11-22

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

Isaiah 9:1-7
9  But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2  The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.
3 You have multiplied the nation;
    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
    as with joy at the harvest,
    as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4 For the yoke of his burden,
    and the staff for his shoulder,
    the rod of his oppressor,
    you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
    and every garment rolled in blood
    will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Ephesians 2:11-22
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Discipleship: Blessed are the Peacemakers

Sermon Notes:

Peace in the world seems impossible.   The UN was to help prevent wars but has not proven successful.  The sheer number of war between nations and people is staggering.   Conflict in the world, conflict between peoples, conflict between individuals' conflict in families.

Jesus saw this and said "blessed are the peacemakers".

In the works peace is the ceasing of hostilities.   This is usually only temporary... can be days or decades.  It does not last.

So how does the bible see peace?
It is more than a lack of conflict.
The Jewish greeting "shalom"....the wishing for blessing and wholeness in the life of the person shalomed.

Where does such a peace come from?
Not from ourselves....our core is that of disobedience .... conflict against God.
We live in hostility.
And God's wrath is against us because of our disobedience.
We can't fix this..as we are alienated from God and each other.
No hope.

But good news....is there is a peacemaker!
The prince of peace.   With him there is a peace with no end.
Jesus came into the world able to deal with the root of our conflict.
He is able to make us into a new people.
On the cross Jesus took away our rebellion, he brought us reconciliation.
He changes the situation in which we live.

We need to remember that each of us is just as much a sinner as anyone else.
If we remember this we can go to Jesus together for the wrongs that we do.
(This changes how one parents..repentance and restoration together)
We should strive to have the peace of Christ rule our lives.

Hymn # 483 O God of Love, O King of Peace

• Hymn # 80 On Our Way Rejoicing
  
• Hymn # 546 Glory Be to the Father