Okay, let's turn back to Matthew 25. I'm sorry, Matthew 5. While you're turning, let me say that it is an honor to be here. I appreciate every time I get the opportunity to come to Kingsport. It's such an encouragement to see the Lord doing the work that he's doing here, and I assume In fact, I've heard Gabe tell you all before on messages that I've listened to that he has recorded how blessed you are to be part of this congregation when so many grace churches are diminishing, which includes ours. Our folks are leaving this world, and the Lord at this point in time doesn't seem to be adding a lot to his church. There's many churches like that. They're made up of older folks, and I told our folks in 10 years, I think there'll be more of us under the grass out there, and we'll be in the pews if things continue this way, but the Lord has blessed you all, I think, beyond maybe what some of you realize, but.

I pray that the Lord will continue to grow this work, and I pray for your pastor. I thank the world of him, consider him a good friend. And that being said, I want to look at one verse in these verses that Brandon read for us. Verse number nine. And our Savior made this statement in verse nine. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.

And when I prepared this message a couple of weeks ago, I didn't know that I would be watching on Fox News what's taking place on the other side of the world. And making peace many times is one of the hardest things in the world. When two or more nations are at war, Each side wants to get revenge for what they see as atrocities committed by the other side. They want, as the scriptures say, an eye for an eye.

And many of us have seen in our short lifetimes, nation after nation going to war. Many of these conflicts, thankfully, have come to an end, but it seems like there's always a new one that is arising. And thankfully, we in this nation have not known what it's like to have the horrors of war since the Civil War. It's only through the grace of God that that war did not split this nation into two different countries. But during times of war, the total depravity of man is on full display. The restraints of a civilized society are removed And the atrocities that follow are something that gives us a little insight into just how depraved the heart of man truly is.

I recall reading years ago about the hatred that the older Chinese have toward the Japanese. During World War II, China was not the industrialized modern country that it is now. It was a very primitive country. And Japan, on the other hand, was very industrialized, for that time, very modern.

And I read one of the things, one of the atrocities that the Japanese soldiers used to do for entertainment. They would find a pregnant woman, make wagers on the sex of the child, kill that mother, cut the mother open, and see who won the bet. But they didn't just stop there. They would then take turns tossing the baby into the air and see who could catch them on their bayonet. That's a little bit of preview into the heart of a depraved man or woman.

And of course, the Nazi death camps, where things occurred that can't even be comprehended by a civilized human mind. And those are just a couple of the examples of the horror that takes place in war. Murder, rape, starvation, cannibalism, genocide, plagues, every human misery imaginable. occurs during times of war, which is why peace, when it comes, is so very sweet. Those of us who have not known war cannot really comprehend what it is to enjoy peace.

But I want to look today at another kind of peace, the peace which happens when lost sinners who have lived their entire lives in open hatred toward God Almighty come to know the sweet peace of surrender to the goodness and the grace of God. Perhaps there is one here today or one who might hear this message in the future who's been awakened to their condition before a holy God. I've been there. Those of you that are sitting here that know the Lord have been there. It is not a pleasant thing to go through. One of the old Puritans made the statement something to the effect that I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

And you're awakened to your lost condition and you pray to God. I remember I would pray, Lord, let me live just one more day. You're sure that your damnation is as good as done. But you pray to the Lord, just, Lord, let me live one more day. You pray for mercy, but the heavens seem as stone.

And sometimes the Lord leaves his saints in that condition for a long time before he speaks peace to their heart. And if that's the case to you, I pray that our God will show you mercy And we'll show you, give you a glimpse of that great peacemaker, our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, when hostilities cease and the country has been torn apart by war, sometimes it's decades before the infrastructure and the country is restored to what it was before. Sometimes that never happens. But that is not the case when it comes to peace between God and the sinner. When that peace occurs, there is an immediate restoration of the soul of that sinner to an even better condition than they were in before.

We fell on our father, Adam. Adam, before the fall, had sweet fellowship with God. He would converse with God in the cool of the evening. But we who are the elect of God enjoy a much, much higher standard in standing before God than Adam ever did. We not only converse with our Father through prayer, But we are now made heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ, entitled, and I use that word purposely, entitled to all the blessings that a holy God has to offer. And we're entitled to those, not through any work of our own, not by any means, but we're entitled to those blessings through the finished work of Christ on our behalf.

Those delightful verses in Isaiah 40, I love those two verses. you're familiar with them, it says this. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people. Not everybody. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people. Sayeth your God, and you know you will not find any more comforting words than you find in the verse that follows. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished.

That her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. Surrender has taken place. The warfare between the most two mortal enemies has come to an end. And the reason that her warfare has ended is because her iniquity is pardoned. Pardoned because another paid the full price with a penalty due, that iniquity. Justice is now satisfying. Now the warfare between God and a sinner begins at the birth in each and every one of Adam's fallen race.

We're born with a nature, we're told, and we experience this that loves darkness rather than light because the scriptures tell us that our heart and our deeds are nothing but evil and that continually. We are born with a mind that is enmity toward God.

Romans 8, verses 7 and 8. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. It is impossible. So then, we're told, they that are in the flesh cannot please God. This word enmity means a deep-seated hatred toward another. That is our mind that we are born with toward God Almighty.

And of course, the condition of natural man, which is described in Jeremiah 17, 9, the heart where all the center of your feelings take place, not your physical muscle that's pumping your blood, but the heart is deceitful above most things. It's not what it says, is it? The heart of natural man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? Our own heart, the very center of our thoughts, and emotions is described as deceitful. This word, deceitful, has many synonyms. Deliberately misleading, deceptive, fraudulent, insincere, cheating, given to lying, which is why the worst advice that you can give someone when it comes to spiritual matters is follow your heart. Just do what your heart tells you.

That will only lead to one place, and that is eternal destruction. And until the Spirit of God comes to us in saving mercy, we are more than content to dwell in that state of hatred toward this sovereign God. It is not until the Spirit comes that we're given an understanding that we are the enemies of God Almighty. We see these silly billboards, smile, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. That is as big a lie as has ever been told. The worst thing you can tell a lost sinner is God loves you when there's no proof of that. But when the Spirit comes and gives an understanding that we're the enemies of God, it is then and only then that we desire peace with this God whom we have offended and warred against.

In the natural world, when two or more nations are at war, it is the nation that is conquered that begins to seek peace. When they have nothing else left to fight with, they begin to petition for peace, not so in the spiritual world. This God who we worship and adore is the one who already made peace between himself and his chosen elect people. Before this world was ever created, Christ Jesus is called what?

The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, the Prince of Peace, He paid the price for that peace with his blood. When a nation is at war, it's the soldiers who give their blood to pay for the peace that that nation may enjoy. The most precious thing that a man can give for something he believes in is his life. That is the ultimate cost of peace.

We find the cost of our freedom here in America buried in graveyards and cemeteries all over the world. I recall during the Gulf War, Colin Powell, who I think at that time was secretary of defense, someone asked him if we intended to keep Iraq for ourselves, to keep the land that we conquered. And he made this statement, throughout modern history, the United States, after they have freed a country, the only land that we kept was enough to bury our dead. And that is a true statement.

And likewise, the peace that chosen elect sinners now enjoy between them and an offended God was purchased by the very lifeblood of our Lord Jesus Christ. What do the scriptures teach us? It says this, without shedding of blood is no remission, no reconciliation, no peace. Our Savior is the ultimate peacemaker. He said, blessed are the peacemakers. There has never been a peacemaker like our Lord Jesus Christ. It is he who took the initiative to bring peace between fallen sinners and the God of this universe. As the words of that hymn that we sing at Christmas time, but we should sing all year long, hark the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn king, peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.

That's as good as it gets. But how does this reconciliation take place? What brings about this peace between God and man? Colossians 1.20 tells us exactly how it takes place. Speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, and having made peace through the blood of his cross. Through the blood of his cross. By him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven, and you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.

Romans 5.10 also tells us how peace is made between God and the sinner, for if When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son. That is how it takes place. We were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

The awful price that was required. to bring peace between lost sinners and the thrice holy God was the very blood of the precious Son of God. But so efficacious is that blood that there is now sweet peace that did not exist before between two mortal enemies, peace which could never have existed any other way. This word peace is found exactly 400 times In the King James Bible, most every letter in the New Testament from Peter's and Paul's to the others begins with these words, grace and peace, grace and peace to the readers. And throughout the book of Leviticus, there are instructions given concerning the peace offering.

Now, there are three specific instances in which a peace offering was given. Number one, it was a way to thank God for deliverance from a dire circumstance or from a harrowing situation. Number two, it could be offered as a means of praise to God for his goodness and generosity, a way of saying thank you for undeserved blessings. And number three, it could be given alongside a fulfilled vow, such as when Hannah fulfilled her vow to God by bringing Samuel to the temple and giving him to God as she had promised to do if God would give her a child. Now, most sacrifices in the Old Testament were not eaten by the worshipers, but the peace offering was different. It was meant to be eaten by the one who offered it and his family.

This is, of course, a picture of the coming Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ. He's the ultimate peace offering. Look over in John chapter six. John chapter six. starting in verse 53, Then said Jesus unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat of the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me, and I in him. And the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father. So he that eateth me, he shall live by me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead, but he that eateth of this bread shall live forever.

Christ, who is a true peace offering, bids us to eat his flesh, that flesh by which we remember him each time we take the bread and wine. Now we don't believe it's to do the Catholics that the bread and wine become the very body and blood of Christ. The scriptures forbid the drinking of blood. They're merely symbolic. They are things that are given to us to remember that great peace offering, the Lord Jesus Christ.

So we've already talked about the peace that was purchased by the sacrifice and the blood of Christ for our sins, but how does this come about? Does the Spirit of God come to the awakened sinner and beat him into submission? No, that's not how it happens. Not in any wise, the Spirit of God comes to the awakened sinner and begins to show them the goodness and the mercy of God.

He shows them the ways he's been kind and forgiving. Christ comes in gentleness to his enemies and shows them his goodness toward undeserving sinners. It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance, we're told in Romans 2, 4, the goodness of God.

In Isaiah chapter 1, verse 18, it is such an incredible verse. And I say that because here we find the sovereign of the universe, offering to sit down with lost sinners and discuss the terms of their surrender to the goodness and the mercy of God. He says this, come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord. Let us reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Wonder of wonders.

This almighty God does not threaten us into repentance and salvation, but gently woos us to come to Him by the revelation of His goodness toward us. You will never find any place in the scriptures, any place, that judgment ever leads to repentance. It only hardens the heart of sinful men. In Jeremiah 29, 11, we read another astounding verse, and this reinforces the fact that the goodness of God leads us to repentance. It says this, Jeremiah 29, 11, for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, the thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you an expected end. This is indeed an astounding statement from our God. He, who we're told is angry with the wicked every day, doesn't have thoughts of wrath toward his elect, but rather thoughts of peace and reconciliation, because our sins have already been purged away by the blood of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world.

Paul wrote of this in 2 Corinthians 5.20, where we find this amazing declaration. Now then, Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. Beseech, this word beseech, it's not a word that we use very often. It means to address an urgent request, to ask or entreat with urgency, to make supplication, to implore.

This holy God, who is holy beyond anything that we can ever imagine, who we're told, as I said, is angry with the wicked every day, comes to chosen sinners, not in fierce anger, but in tender mercy, and beseeches them. come to Christ and enjoy unimaginable peace, to sit and dine at the King's table and become one of the children of the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. And so because of this unspeakable gift of Jesus Christ to undeserving sinners, we enjoy not only peace with God, but sweet fellowship through the Spirit with our Heavenly Father. But even after this peace takes place between God and sinner, there's still one more enemy yet to be conquered.

It is that old man, that natural man, that nature with which we are born. Many who claim to believe what we refer to as the doctrines of grace believe that when a man or woman is saved, their old nature is gone and a new nature takes over. I wish that were the case. But any honest man or woman will admit that it is not the case. Paul wrote of this very thing in chapter 7 of Romans. Turn over there with me if you'd like to read it together. Does our own nature die when we're saved? Unfortunately, it does not. There is a constant, constant warfare. Paul wrote of this, Romans chapter seven, starting in verse 19. Now we're talking about a man who wrote the majority of the New Testament. This is not some wretch, some drunkard that we're talking about. This is the apostle Paul, and he wrote this.

For the good that I would, I do not. But the evil which I would not, that I do. Now, If I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a new law that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

O wretched man that I am, Paul didn't write, O wretched man that I used to be before the Lord saved me. He wrote, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. Now David made this statement in Psalm 9 3. He said, when mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.

The enemies of our soul are numerous. The very nature with which we are born is an enemy of God. We've already looked at that. But it's also an enemy to our own soul. It desires only evil. It chases iniquity and drinks it in like water. Every thought of our heart, we're told, is only evil continually. Do you not find it to be so?

You try to pray. And in the middle of that prayer, your mind is invaded with the most vile thoughts. You read God's word, and you find your mind wandering into some disgusting train of thought. We sing that song, Sweet Hour of Prayer, but I'll be honest with you, if I can get through five minutes a prayer, what I consider prayer to a holy God, I feel like it is a major accomplishment.

But we know this, that one day there'll be an end to this last warfare. When we lay this old body in the ground and this corrupt flesh is set aside and we depart this world for that which is to come, where we shall finally enjoy complete peace that we can never know while we're in this flesh. We have peace with God, but we are at constant war with ourselves.

And I've told people before, sometimes I just get sick of being around me. Saying wherever you go, there you are. And that's just a true statement. You just get tired of the warfare with this flesh. But one day, there'll be no more warfare. We will gather around the throne of God and sing in pitch perfect harmony the praises of him who loved us and gave himself for us.

But I would be remiss if I did not warn those of you sitting here who do not know the Lord of the unimaginable, horrible fate that awaits you if you leave this world without Christ. In Revelation 20, turn over there with me, Revelation 20, there is a description of what awaits you. What awaits you if this great peacemaker has not made peace and intercession on your behalf? Revelation 20, starting in verse 11, we read of the fate of those who die outside of Christ, and it says, and I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them.

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it. And death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them, and they were judged, every man according to their work. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Now, if you have not yet been given faith, to believe on that great peacemaker, our Lord Jesus Christ. You have great reason to be concerned for your soul. The Bible warns us that outside of Christ, God is a consuming fire. But perhaps if you've been awakened to your lost condition, perhaps the Lord will yet show you mercy. So I would encourage you, if you're able, to plead for God as that publican did at the temple, God be merciful to me, a sinner. And perhaps, just maybe, he will do for you what he has done for millions in the past. Perhaps he will speak peace to your heart. and be gracious and show you mercy to pluck you from eternal destruction and grant you faith in that blessed peacemaker, our Lord Jesus Christ. May he be pleased to do so today. Thank you for your attention.