Presentation 15
Presentation 15
Introduction
How often have you heard people say, ‘I don’t
know what the world is coming to’? They may be
referring to the London bus explosion or to suicide
bombings in Kabul. God’s word tells us we shouldn’t
be surprised by human disputes and hostility.
These are characteristics of the world in which we
live. The biblical analysis of the situation sums the
matter up in one word ‘sin’. Perhaps if, as a national
church, we took God’s analysis more seriously and
were prepared to accept the theological nature of the
human predicament we would be less inclined to preach,
politics, sociology or economics and more eager to preach
the gospel of peace.
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The World’s View Of Peace-making
When the world thinks of peace-makers it may think
of a U.N. force or of nations capable of exerting
political or economic pressure in their attempt to
reconcile the seemingly irreconcilable. It thinks of
peace vigils, peace marches and rallies. What is
inadequate about these means of peace-making.
First, human peace-makers are often motivated by
self interest. The international peacekeeper, is often
concerned about stopping a war that is damaging
his country’s economy or his party’s political ratings,
or with boosting his own image . Peace-making is
often reduced to a policy of appeasement with little
regard to the justice of a situation.
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The World’s View Of Peace-making
Often the basic concern of those who join peace marches is that of selfinterest and self-preservation. A body bag and a medal
they are happy to do without! If such marchers could
not be assured that their own safety was guaranteed
could we expect to see them take to the streets in
such large numbers.
For others peace-making is reduced to a peace at
any price policy. Such as the approach taken by
Chamberlin towards Hitler in the late 1930s or
think of the parent who constantly gives in to
his screaming child for he is prepared to do
anything for peace.
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The World’s View Of Peace-making
For some peace is something that can be enforced by a great show of
strength. The handgun used to try and subdue the wild west was called a
‘Peace-maker’ - a strange name for a weapon of death. And yet the
rationale behind it was simple , it use would subdue hostility and enforce
peace. The same rationale is at work today. The international community
attempts to enforce a peace by
sending in a peacekeeping
force equipped with superior
firepower.
In sharp contrast to all of these
approaches, the peace-making of which
Jesus speaks, is not peace imposed by force.
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The Basis Of Peace-making
What did Jesus mean when he spoke of a ‘peacemaker’? The clue to his meaning is found in the
beatitude. The peace-maker will be ‘called a son of
God’. Follow the logic. Why will he be called a son
of God? Because he is seen to be portraying a
family characteristic. He is in step with his heavenly
Father. And God, is in his own being, is a God of
peace. He is described in precisely this way in
scripture:
“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you
through and through”. 1Thes.5v23
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The Basis Of Peace-making
The O.T. word for ‘peace’ is ‘shalom’, a word
that coveys the ides of wholeness, health,
wellbeing and harmony. This unfolds the
character of God for there is a marvellous
harmony within the Godhead. There is no
discord between Father, Son and Spirit.
Now that ‘shalom’ also once existed
between God and his creation.
There was no friction there at all. Man
knew peace with God!
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The Basis Of Peace-making
But that peace was shattered. Picture a concert pianist playing a sublime
work, holding his audience spellbound and along creeps a musical philistine,
who begins, in a random manner, to strike the keys on the keyboard. The
recital is ruined. Instead of harmony there is discord. Human sin marred
God’s creation. It destroyed not only man’s shalom with God, but also the
peace that God intended for all our human
relationships.
Of course God was still at peace within
himself. His shalom was not affected.
His response to the discord in his
creation was to put into place a
plan to restore peace.
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The Basis Of Peace-making
We see that plan unpacked all the way through the O.T. When God called
Abraham and through him the nation of Israel to himself, it was in order to work
out this plan of salvation. Through Moses Israel were instructed to bring certain
sacrifices to God and a priesthood was established to offer up those sacrifices.
The priesthood were instructed to bless the people in a very particular way;
“The Lord said to Moses,
"Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how
you are to bless the Israelites. Say to
them: "The LORD bless you and keep
you; the LORD make his face shine
upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD turn his face towards you
and give you peace." Num.6v26
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The Basis Of Peace-making
Peace with God was man’s most basic need. The
restoration of a harmonious relationship with God
became possible, through sacrifice. However, it was clear
that the O.T. sacrifices were provisional in nature. They
all pointed forward to one great sacrifice for sin. The
animals which were sacrificed clearly did not establish
peace but they pointed foreword to One who would.
This peace-maker is identified in Isa 9v6.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, the
government will be on his shoulders. And he will be
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and
there will be no end.”
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The Basis Of Peace-making
And again in the rich messianic passage
in Ezek.37v26ff God describes not only
the rule of the messianic king but the
nature of a new and everlasting covenant
that he intended to establish:
“I will make a covenant of peace with
them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I
will establish them and increase their
numbers, and I will put my sanctuary
among them for ever. My dwelling-place
will be with them; I will be their God, and
they will be my people”.
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The Basis Of Peace-making
Because of the establishment of peace,
God would no longer be distanced from his
people. Indeed, he would indwell his
people. The sacrifice on which this new
covenant rested unlike the covenant that
had been made with Moses, was a once
and for all sacrifice that would secure an
eternity of peace with God. Jesus’ death
secured that! This gives a profound
significance to the first words Jesus spoke
to his disciples after his resurrection;
‘Peace be with you’ Lk. 24v36.
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The Christian As Peace-maker
Now, if Jesus is the peace-maker, and if his
peace-making is rooted in his unique atoning
death, in what sense does he call his followers
to be peace-makers? In two ways. First of all
we are peace-makers when we engage in the
work of evangelism. For this work, at its most
basic, is concerned to bring men and women
into an experience of peace with God.
Evangelism is not the responsibility of a select
few but of every member of the church. The
logic of the beatitude is that since all
Christians are the sons and daughters of God,
then all are expected to share in the work of
peace-making.
Presentation 15
The Christian As Peace-maker
I know that all Christians are not all
equally well equipped for the work of
evangelism. But we are all capable of
living lives and speaking words which can
be used of God to contribute to the
conversion of others.
In Rom. 1v14 Paul recognised evangelism
to be one of the debts that he owed to
the world, ‘I am bound,’ he said, ‘to both
Greeks and non Greeks... that is why I am
so eager to preach the gospel....’
Do we see evangelism in this light?
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The Christian As Peace-maker
The peace-maker’s work is also done in the
secret place of prayer as he wrestles for
others who are still outside of the kingdom.
Praying for others and witnessing to others is
part of spiritual warfare. It is not accidental
that Paul having explained that Jesus’ death
is the source of peace with God in Eph. 2
goes on in ch. 6 to describe the Christian
armed for service and the place of ‘all
prayer’ in this context. He further identifies
part of this armour as having ‘feet fitted with
the readiness that comes from the gospel of
peace’ v15. Is the background of his thought
found in Isa. 52.7…
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The Christian As Peace-maker
“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of
those who bring good news, who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation”
Does that help us understand what Paul is saying?
Part of the Christian armour is to be equipped to
share the good news with others through life and
speech . When you think of Christian warfare do
you think of your involvement in evangelism?
Do we demonstrate our commitment to being
a peace-maker by praying for and sharing the
gospel with those who are hostile to Christ’s
rule?
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The Christian As Peace-maker
A peace-maker is absolutely committed to the belief that once others are
brought into a relationship with God they will enjoy his peace, and only
after their relationship with God is restored can they expect to see their
human relationships improve. We do not need to be an international
globetrotter to be a peacemaker.
Peace-making is something we
can engage in right where we are.
In our family, our street, our
office, our college.
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The Christian As Peace-maker
There is a second dimension to the peace-making activities of the children
of God. For they will pursue peace among themselves, in the fellowship of
the family of God. Peace-making is something to be actively pursued within
the church. Read the N.T. epistles and you will discover two things,
first there was often strife in the church fellowship - Corinth,
Rome and Philippi. Relations were often far from harmonious!
Paul uses two colourful word-pictures to tease out Jesus’
teaching in this beatitude:
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as
members of one body you were called to peace”.
Col. 3v15
Presentation 15
The Christian As Peace-maker
Someone has pictorialized this statement : “Peace is the referee who blows the
whistle on any action that is out of line”. Whether or not we feel peace deep
down is irrelevant. Paul means that since God has called us to peace then the
well-being of the church fellowship must be a priority. Do you see what being a
peace-maker will involve? … being prepared to submit our will, our position,
our natural desires to the shalom of the fellowship.
It means asking, ‘Will my proposed course of action have
a divisive, unsettling, disruptive effect upon God’s people?’
Jesus prayed that his people might dwell in unity as he
and his Father did. To disrupt the peace of the church
fellowship is to despise the prayers of Jesus and
the will of God.
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The Christian As Peace-maker
In Eph. 4v3 we find Paul’s second word picture, ‘Make every effort to keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace’. Peace is the bond that binds us together.
Commenting on this John Owen writes:
“The church is like a bundle of sticks- some long some short; some straight some
bent; some fat some thin. We have different interests personalities backgrounds,
spheres of life. What do you do if you want to carry a bundle of sticks of different
shapes and sizes? You bind them together in a bundle.
One piece of rope makes the task straightforward.
So too in the church of Christ… only one thing
will hold together such diverse groupings of
people. What is that one thing? Christ ties his
church together with the bond of peace and
so carries us home. But cut that bond and you
cut the cord which Christ himself has tied”.
Presentation 15
The Christian As Peace-maker
This subject is so practical. A peace-maker will leave peace in his trail first, by
the way he speaks. He will be in control of his tongue. He won’t retaliate when
someone maligns him. He is careful about the kind of stories
he repeats - Alexander Whyte a godly Edinburgh minister
from the C19th carried a little card around with him on
which three questions were written:
“Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?”
He attempted to control all his conversations with
these questions. Sadly we often excuse our cutting
remarks by saying, ‘I am the kind of person who
needs to speak my mind’. Jesus wants to make you
into a different kind of person; into someone who
has learned to curb his tongue.
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The Christian As Peace-maker
Being a peace-maker involves going out of ones way in order to make peace. It is
costly and humbling to take the initiative and be friendly when we sense
hostility. It can mean taking the first step, when it is up to the other person to
apologise. Why should we? God took the first step, though he was the offended
party, in restoring our broken relationship with him.
Yet we hear professing Christians say;
‘I won’t speak to him or her, I will cross the
road when I see him coming, I’m not going if
that other person intends to be there’.
That is not the spirit of the peace-maker and
these are not the words of a Christian.
In contrast scripture says, ‘If your enemy is
hungry feed him’ Rom.12v20.
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Conclusion
Do we seek to promote peace in Christ’s church?
When people examine our lives do they see us as
'stirrers' or as ‘peace-makers’? Does the fragrance
of God’s ‘shalom’ rest on us an follow us in every
department of our lives? Are we committed to
evangelism? Do we daily wear the sandals of the
gospel of peace, so we are ready to seize the
opportunities to witness which God provides?
To such a person Jesus promises the blessing that
they will be called ‘the sons of God’. Not only will
God look down upon us and say, ‘that’s my boy he’s
one of mine’ but others who examine our lives will
see the family likeness and say:
‘Surely he/she is a member of God’s family!’
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