Would you turn back to Matthew
chapter 5? Now remember, when we consider
what is known as the Beatitudes, this is what a believer is. Not
what a believer ought to strive for, but what a believer is. A believer is one who is poor
in spirit. A believer does mourn over his
sin. A believer is meek before God. A believer does hunger and
thirst after righteousness. A believer is merciful. A believer
is pure in heart. And a believer is a peacemaker. It is only the peacemaker who
is blessed of God. And it is only the peacemaker
who is called a child of God. If I'm personally not a peacemaker,
I'm not blessed of God, and I'm not a child of God. Now, I got
to thinking about this. Of the eight beatitudes, what
is the beatitude that I've dealt with the least in 30 years? Blessed
are the peacemakers. And as a matter of fact, I got
to thinking about this, been thinking about it for a couple
of weeks. I think it's taken 30 years for me to be able to
preach this message. Now, it might end up being bad,
I don't know, you know, I'm sorry if it is, but it's taken 30 years
for me to learn to preach this particular message. Blessed are
the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Now if I'm a peacemaker, that
means I am proactive in this thing of making peace. I am actively
involved in this thing of being a peacemaker. Now God is called
the God of peace. Christ is called the Prince of
peace. The gospel is called the gospel
of peace. And gospel preaching is summarized
by Peter in Acts chapter 10, preaching peace by Jesus Christ. That's a summary of gospel preaching. Peace by Jesus Christ. And we read of the joy and the
peace of believing. Peace. Christ is the true peacemaker. You know that, don't you? Turn
to Colossians 1, a very familiar passage of scripture, but one
that ought to thrill me more every time I read it. Colossians
1, verse 20. Here's the peacemaker. And having
made peace, Through the blood of His cross,
that thrills me. God's at peace with me. God looks
at me and there's nothing for Him to be angry about. Because
Christ Jesus the Lord has made my peace with God. That's what
He did by the blood of His cross. God's at peace with me. The reason
for His anger has been removed. I'm complete in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Having made peace, there's the
peacemaker. through the blood of his cross
by him to reconcile all things to himself. By him, I say, whether
they be things in earth or things in heaven, and you that were
sometimes or before time alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death to present you holy. and unblameable and unreprovable
in his sight, what peace there is in that. I'm holy, I'm unblameable,
I'm unreprovable in the very sight of God. Does that give
you peace? Ephesians 2.14 says, he is our
peace. He was delivered for our offenses,
raised again for our justification, therefore being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, peace is a feeling. Peace is a feeling. Peace means
a harmonious relationship. That's what peace is. If I'm
at peace with you, I have a harmonious relationship with you. Now, the
Bible uses this to describe The relationship between God and
His people. God's at peace. I'm at peace
with Him. I don't have anything to be scared
of. I'm complete in the Lord Jesus
Christ. It describes a harmonious relationship
between men. Not conflict, not strain, not
discord, but peace. A harmonious relationship. It's
used with reference to nations, peace between nations. It's used
with regard to friendliness, freedom from molestation, order
in the state, and order and peace in the church. Peace, oh, what
a glorious feeling peace is. The joy and the peace of believing. It's a subjective feeling of
rest and contentment. If you have peace, you have rest,
and you have contentment in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans
8, verse 6, we read, to be carnally minded, that's what we are by
nature, our carnal mind, our fleshly mind, what we're born
with. To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually
minded is life and peace. Peace. The Lord said in Mark
9, verse 50, have salt yourselves and peace with one another. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 13,
verse 11, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love
and the God of peace shall be with you. And then we read in
1 Thessalonians 5, 13, be at peace among yourselves. And then we read in 1 Corinthians
7, verse 15, that God hath called us to peace. Now this is not
the peace that results from compromise. The Lord said, I came not to
send peace on the earth. I didn't come to send peace,
but a sword. It's not talking about the peace of at any cost
of compromise. You know that. Paul said in Romans
12, verse 18, if it'd be possible, if it'd be possible, As much
as lieth in you, it's not always possible, we realize that, but
if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably
with all men. Oh, that my home would be a peaceable
place. A place where the God of peace
dwells. Where someone knows the peace
of God is there. Have you ever been in a home
where you know the peace of God is there? Isn't that a blessing?
You can feel it. I want to be a peaceful neighbor. I want my neighbors to look at
me as a peaceful person. Someone who promotes peace. I
want to be a peaceful citizen. Someone who promotes peace. Not
someone who's always stirring something up, but a peaceful
person. Most especially, we want peace
in the church. Peace. in the church. Yeah, I want peace at work. I
want peace in my home. But most especially, I want peace
in the church. This ought to be a place where
we could come in and find some peace and some joy. Amen. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter
4 for a moment. Ephesians chapter 4. Here is what Paul calls the worthy
walk. Ephesians chapter 4, beginning
in verse 1, I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that
you walk worthy of the vocation, of the calling wherewith you
are called. And how do you walk worthy? With
all lowliness, humility, and meekness, with long-suffering,
forbearing one another, in love, endeavoring to keep. Now this
takes some effort. Endeavoring to keep the unity
of the spirit in the bond of peace. The writer to the Hebrews
said, follow peace, pursue peace with all men and holiness without
which no man shall see the Lord. Turn to James chapter three for
a moment. I want you to look at this description of the wisdom
that's from above. James chapter 3. Verse 13. Who is a wise man, and endued
with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation
his works with meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envying
and strife in your hearts, glory not. Lie not against the truth,
for this wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly. sensual,
devilish. For where envying and strife
is, there's confusion and every evil work, but the wisdom that's
from above is first pure. That's got to come first. It's
first pure, then what? Peaceable. Peaceable. Gentle. Easy to be entreated. Approachable. full of mercy and
good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the
fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."
They're involved in this thing of being a peacemaker. Blessed are the peacemakers that
are actively involved in this thing of making peace. Now, what's
the first way I'm a peacemaker? By preaching the gospel of peace.
By standing for the gospel of peace. How God can be at peace
with a sinner through the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And
this is first and foremost what comes first in this thing of
being a peacemaker. I preach, I stand for, I believe,
I live the gospel of peace. Having been justified, we talked
about that this morning. Having been justified, the justification
that Christ worked out for us by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed are the peacemakers.
The one who is not blessed of God and cannot be a child of
God is not a peacemaker. It is only the peacemaker who
is said to be blessed of God and a child of God. Now here's
a big question. How does a peacemaker go about
making peace? If I'm not a peacemaker, if I'm
not actively involved in this thing of being a peacemaker,
I've not been blessed by God and I'm not one of his children.
So what is it that one does? when he goes about being a peacemaker. I want to be a peacemaker. And
turn with me for a moment to Romans chapter 15. Romans chapter 15. I'm sorry,
Romans chapter 14. Verse 19. Let us therefore follow, and
that word follow is pursue. Let's make this our aim. Let
us therefore follow after the things which make for peace. And the things wherewith one
may edify, build up one another. Now what are the things that
make for peace? Now in the context You start
in chapter 12, he says, I beseech you therefore by the mercies
of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. holy,
acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And be not
conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing
of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable
and perfect will of God. And a part of that good and acceptable
and perfect will of God is pursuing the things that make for peace.
Look in chapter 13, he says, let every soul be subject unto
the higher powers. Submit to authority, for there
is no power but of God. Now, speak respectfully of all
authorities that God has put in place. I don't care if you
disagree with the president, be respectful of him. And speak
respectfully of him. The powers that be are ordained
of God. Everybody in a position of authority
is ordained of God. And if I respect authority, I'm
going to be following the things that make for peace. And he spins
that entire 13th chapter about that. Look in chapter 14. Him
that is weak in the faith, receive ye. But not to doubtful disputations,
not judging his doubtful thoughts, receive him. For one, verse two,
believeth that he may eat all things. He doesn't have scruples. Another who's weak, he eats herbs,
he thinks it's wrong to eat certain things. Now let not him that
eateth not, or let not him that eateth, the one who has these
scruples, despise him that eateth not. Don't you set in judgment
at him. And let him And let not him which eateth not judge him
that eateth. For God hath received him. Who
are you to judge another man's servant? To his own master he
standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holding up,
for God is able to make him stand. You know what the greatest enemy
to peace is? Judging. Judging. That is the greatest
enemy to peace. Look down in verse 10 of this
same chapter. But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost
thou set at naught thy brother? When I judge my brother, I'm
setting him at naught. I'm saying I'm better than he
is. That's exactly what I'm saying every time I do it. And can you
see the hypocrisy of that? For we all shall stand before
the judgment seat of Christ. That weak, weak brother, he's
going to stand justified before the judgment seat of Christ.
At one who has no scruples, he's going to stand justified before
the judgment seat. All of God's elect will stand,
stand justified and complete before the Lord Jesus Christ.
For it's written, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall
bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every
one of us shall give an account of himself to God. Let us not
therefore judge one another anymore. I love that. Let us not judge
one another. anymore. Judging, as we're going
to see, this we said let's make the things that make for peace.
Let's begin right here. Not judging one another anymore. Now let me give you some reasons
why we should not judge one another. Ever. Ever. First, because the Lord said
not to. Judge not. that you be not judged. I'm not to sit in judgment of
you, and you're not to sit in judgment of me. The Lord said
not to. Second reason why we ought not
do it, because it's so hypocritical. It's so hypocritical. Anything
I judge you for, I'm guilty of the same thing. That's why the
Lord said, You hypocrite, first pull the beam, the log out of
your own eye, then maybe you'll be able to judge somebody else.
It's pure hypocrisy for me or you to set in judgment on anybody. I like the way James said it,
you, who are you to judge somebody else? Now that doesn't mean we
do not have moral convictions and so on, but still for me to
judge anybody is pure hypocrisy. Thirdly, when we judge, we assume
a position that belongs only to God. Turn to James chapter
4. Hold your finger there in Romans
15 and look at James chapter 4. Speak not evil of one another,
brethren. James chapter 4 verse 11. Speak not evil of one another,
brethren. He that speaketh evil of his
brother, and judges his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and
judges the law. But if thou judge the law, thou
art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There's one lawgiver
who's able to save and to destroy. Who are you? And in the original,
it actually reads, you. Who are you to judge somebody
else? This belongs only to God. to be the judge. He is the judge
of the earth. Now here's another reason why
we shouldn't judge. We don't have enough information to make
an accurate judgment in every case. We don't know
all the facts and we don't have a proper information to render
an accurate judgment. We don't know what that person's
going through. We just don't know. And the fifth reason is
the person that I'm judging doesn't answer to me. He answers to his
own master. He doesn't answer to me. The
sixth reason, it's so unlike the Lord Jesus Christ. When I
practice this judgmental attitude, and I've done it so many times,
and you've done it so many times, and we're ashamed of ourselves,
but you know the Lord Jesus Christ is called the friend of publicans
and sinners. You know what that means? That means they can come
into his presence and not feel threatened and not feel judged.
He who is holy, he who is holy, a sinner could come into his
presence and not feel threatened, not feel condemned, and not feel
judged. Isn't he glorious? Why should I not judge? It's
contrary to love. It's just contrary to love. Here's another reason. Judging
is contrary to the law of Christ. Galatians chapter 6, verses 1
through 3. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault. Can't
you understand that? A man being overtaken in a fault. Isn't it easy for you to be overtaken
in a fault? How easy it is. Brethren, if
a man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual, restore
such a one. in the spirit of meekness, considering
yourself, lest you also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens,
put up with one another, and so fulfill the law of Christ. You know, when we judge, here's what
I think gives me the greatest desire to not judge. When we
judge, that means we will be judged. With the same judgment
we judge, we'll be judged. And with the same harshness we
use, if you wanna bring somebody under law, well, you're gonna
be put under law too. May God delivers from that. You
see this thing of judging is the religion of the Pharisee,
isn't it? That's what it is exactly. And the greatest enemy to peace
is a judgmental, harsh, critical attitude. Now let's go on, back
to Romans 14, verse 13. Let us not therefore judge one
another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling
block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." Now I
know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that there's nothing
unclean of itself. But to him that esteemeth anything
to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved
with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably? Destroy not him
with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good
be evil spoken of. For the kingdom of God is not
meat and drink, but righteousness and peace. And joy in the Holy
Ghost, for he that in these things serveth Christ, this acceptable
God, and approved of men, let us therefore pursue after the
things which make for peace, and things wherewith we may edify
one another." And he mentions two things in this 14th chapter.
Number one, by not judging, and by not being a stumbling block
to my brother. May the Lord enable us to enter
into this. Now, peace leaves when offense
comes. You think of relationships. How
many times have you been offended? How many times have I been offended? How many times have I offended
you? If you've been around me, I'm sure I have. I'm sorry, but
I'm sure I have. And if I'm around you, that's
gonna, that's, you know, James said in James three, two, in
many things, we offend all. And we do, don't we? In many
things, we offend all. Now what causes offense? What
causes people to be offended? Well, we offend people when we
treat them disrespectfully. Everyone should be treated with
respect. Everyone should be treated with
respect. Now, what about when we're offended?
How do we make peace? How do we make peace when we're
offended? Every one of us knows what it
is to be offended, to be troubled. Well, how do I actively make
peace when I'm the one that's offended or when someone has
offended me? Well, first of all, generally
speaking, most of the time, the best thing to do is nothing.
Let me show you that in Scripture. Turn to 1 Corinthians 6. Verse 6, But brother goeth to law with
brother. In the church at court, there
were people actually suing one another, bringing each other
to court, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore, there
is utterly a fault among you, because you go to law one with
another. Why do you not rather take the
wrong? Why don't you suffer yourselves
to be defrauded? In other words, I ought to be
willing to be wronged and to be defrauded rather than to bring
the gospel's name before unbelievers in the dirt. Now, the best thing
to do quite often is nothing. But here's another great thing
that makes for peace. Turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter
4. And this is something I hope we'll all learn. 1 Thessalonians
chapter 4 verse 11. that you study to be quiet. Peaceable is the word. Peaceable. You study, give diligence to
be quiet and to do your own business. You know what that means? Mind
your own business. Mind your own business. You mind
your own business and there's going to be peace. Study to be
peaceable. Make it your effort to be peaceable
and to mind your own business. You know what that means? Don't
be quick to offer unsolicited advice. I've done that so much. You know what unsolicited advice
ends up being? Criticism. That's how it's interpreted.
Whether you meant it that way or not, that's how it's interpreted.
So mind your own business. Don't be quick to offer unsolicited
advice. If we'd mind our own business,
we'd be in the peacemaking business. How do I make peace? How do I
become a peacemaker? I become a peacemaker by taking
the lowest seat in the house. You see, you can't cause offense
when you take the lowest seat and defer to others, can you?
It's impossible to cause offense when you take the lowest seat
and when you defer to others and take the lowest place. Would
there be strife and turmoil with people taking the lowest seat?
No. That person who takes the lowest seat, believing that's
where they belong, not as an act of condescension, but believing
that I belong in the lowest seat. That person who takes the lowest
seat is the person who is the peacemaker. Now remember, Peace
is harmonious relationships. Turn to Matthew chapter 5 again.
Matthew chapter 5. Verse 23. Therefore, if thou bring thy
gift to the altar, in an act of worship, and there you remember
that thy brother hath ought against thee, that you've done something
to offend him. Leave there thy gift before the
altar, and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother,
and then come and offer thy gift. If you've offended your brother,
You be quick to be reconciled. Don't talk about worship. Don't
be offering your gift. You get that straightened out
first. Because if you don't do that, your worship's a sham.
He says, first be reconciled to your brother, then offer your
gift. Be quick to apologize. I wanna
be somebody like that. Be quick to apologize. In doing that, I'm a peacemaker.
when I'm quick to say I'm sorry. And when I say I'm sorry, understand
this, do so without expecting anything in return. I'm sorry,
but I expect you, no, no. That's not I'm sorry. And I'm
sorry with no expectations. That's the only kind of I'm sorry
there is. Now, he said, leave your gift
at the altar if your brother's got something against you. If
you've offended him, you get that reconciled, then you come
and offer your gift. And be quick to forgive. Luke
17. Luke 17. Let me remind us of this. The
Lord said, if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither
will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses. Oh, I want
to be somebody who's quick. to forgive. Because if I don't
forgive, I will not be forgiven. You see, if I'm forgiven, I will
forgive. And if I won't forgive, it's
because I know nothing of the forgiveness of sins and the riches
of His grace. Now look in Luke chapter 17.
Then He said unto the disciples, It is impossible, but the defenses
will come. Boy, isn't that the truth? But
woe unto him through whom they come. It's better for him that
a millstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the
sea than that he should offend one of these little ones. Now
take heed to yourselves. I never will forget hearing Bruce
Crabtree preach on this. He said, when your brother sins
against you, you're the one in trouble. You're the one in trouble. You're the one that can develop
this terrible attitude. He says, take heed to yourselves,
if your, take heed to yourself. If your brother trespass against
thee, rebuke him. And if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee
seven times in a day, and seven times in a day, turning in to
thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him. And I love
what is said next. The apostle said, increase our
faith. We need an increase of faith
for that. And me and you do too, don't
we? Increase our faith. But oh, be quick to forgive,
quick to reconcile. You know something I've heard
my pastor say many times over the years, Brother Mahan, he
said, you can't offend the chief of sinners. Are you easily offended? Well, there's a problem there
then, isn't there? Am I easily offended? You can't offend the
chief of sinners. Why am I offended so easily? May I be enabled to profit from
rebuke and from criticism rather than becoming so offended by
it. Profit from it. Anything somebody says to you,
here's the case, it's true. There's truth in it. May I be
enabled to profit from it and benefit from it. David said,
let the righteous smite me. How foolish that one is who cannot
be corrected. How far he is from being a peacemaker. Now, I want to be a peacemaker,
don't you? I want to be a peacemaker. When somebody's a peacemaker,
when there's a volatile situation going on, they don't fan the
flames, they diffuse the situation. Let me show you this from the
scripture. Turn to Proverbs chapter 15. Proverbs 15. A soft answer turneth away wrath. Somebody's mad, somebody's angry,
a soft answer turneth away wrath. But grievous words stir up anger. Look back in Proverbs chapter
10, verse 12. Hatred stirreth up
strife. Always trying to stir something
up, but love covereth all sins. Proverbs 15, once again, verse
18. A wrathful man stirreth up strife,
but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife. Proverbs 28. Verse 25, He that is of a proud heart stirreth
up strife, but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be
made fat. I don't want to stir things up.
I want to be a peaceful person, diffusing a situation. It's so
much easier to just diffuse something rather than stir it up and make
it worse. You know, a way of defusing the
situation, I wrote a Bulletin article about this recently,
and I want, by the grace of God, I want to practice this. The
other three R's, maybe you remember it. The first three are ruined
by the fall, redeemed by the blood, regenerated by the Holy
Spirit. Well, here's the other three R's. Receive not, repeat
not, and report not. If somebody says something bad
about you, or if somebody says something bad about somebody
else, don't receive it. Well, what if it's true? Still
don't receive it. Anything anybody says can be true, still don't
receive it. Don't receive it, certainly don't repeat it. And
don't be someone who initiates this. Don't report anything. In that sense, love covers. It doesn't report. An ungodly
man diggeth up evil. He's always wanting somebody
to be exposed. He's wanting somebody to be brought down. That's so
contrary to love. That's so contrary to the grace
of God. Diffuse a matter. Be a peacemaker. May we be peacemakers. Now, I know this. Somebody who's
poor in spirit is a peacemaker. Somebody who mourns over their
sin before God is a peacemaker. Somebody who's meek before God,
they're a peacemaker. Somebody who hungers and thirsts
after righteousness, they're a peacemaker. Somebody who's merciful is a
peacemaker. Somebody who is pure in heart
is a peacemaker. I think it's interesting how
this thing of being a peacemaker is the seventh beatitude. It almost means the completion
of it all. Blessed are the peacemakers. How blessed they are of God.
They shall inherit the earth. A peacemaker is divine. It's
the work of God's grace. Now this is my desire, my follow
after peace. Oh, that you and I might truly
be peacemakers by not judging. Let's not judge one another anymore.
That's what Paul said, isn't it? By not being a stumbling
block. By doing nothing, suffering yourself
to be wronged or misunderstood or abused. By doing nothing,
by minding your own business, by taking the lowest seat, by
being quick to apologize and reconcile and quick to forgive
and quick to diffuse. Blessed are the peacemakers. for they shall be called the
children of God." And as we get ready to take the Lord's table,
I guess one of the most powerful things in the world is first
baptism. There's no saving efficacy in
it at all, but what a beautiful picture it is. We're going to
have a baptism next Sunday morning, and I love baptisms. There's
the gospel. My hope is in the Life, the death,
the resurrection of Christ, I was in Him. There's my salvation,
all together. And there's something so special
about people getting together and taking the Lord's table.
You see, you can't take the Lord's table by yourself. You can't
do it. You have brethren who love one
another, who are at peace with one another, rejoicing in the
gospel of peace. When we talk about this, or when
we take the wine and the bread, we're saying all of our peace
God's peace with me is because of His broken body and shed blood,
what He accomplished by that. And we show forth the Lord's
death until He come. We're all doing some preaching
tonight. We're showing forth the Lord's death until He come. We're saying to one another,
we're saying to the world, His life, His death, His resurrection,
His ascension, His person, is my salvation and how we long
for his return. Even so, come Lord Jesus, may
we all by grace be enabled to be peacemakers. Let's pray together.