Sermon for Sunday, January 26, 2025 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC)
Old Testament Reading:
[Psalm 120:1-7 ESV] 1 A Song of Ascents. In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. 2 Deliver me, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue. 3 What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue? 4 A warrior’s sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree! 5 Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! 6 Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace. 7 I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!
New Testament Reading:
[Hebrews 12:12-17 ESV] 12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.
Gospel Reading:
[Luke 6:27-36 ESV] 27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. 32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
Sermon Text:
[Matthew 5:9 ESV] 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Introduction
“Blessed are the peacemakers.”
I contend that the standard list of greatest US presidents has it all wrong.
The lists tend to promote the presidents who were victorious in war.
But far greater are the presidents who kept us out of war!
Similarly, while it is of some advantage in life to be able to win in a fistfight, it is of far greater advantage to know how to avoid one.
The beatitudes don’t tell us “blessed are the strong and mighty” but rather “blessed are the peacemakers.”
Since we are called to be peacemakers, we should want to know more about the subject.
And since this beatitude isn’t speaking primarily about war & peace on a national level, or even about fighting on the physical level, but rather about “living in peace with others,” we all should seek biblical guidance on this subject.
We find ourselves, whether we want to be or not, stuck in conflict in our lives. Interpersonal conflict.
A few people revel in this. They want to be in conflict. They enjoy drama. The same people often say “I hate drama.” But through various means – gossip, slander, taking offense, slighting others, and generally bad attitudes — they remain constantly at war with their neighbors or even their family members. This is sinful. The “war-maker” is in sin.
We, as Christians, are called to be peacemakers. So the goal of this sermon is to give practical, Biblical, advice on how you may indeed be a peacemaker, and so be blessed of the Lord.
When you get on the subject of peacemaking, the go-to source is always Ken Sande, the author of “The Peacemaker” and President of Peacemaker Ministries.
He outlines four principles for resolving conflict.
1. Glorify God. (ask: how can I glorify God in this situation.)
2. Get the log out of your eye. (before the speck in your neighbors eye)
3. Gently restore. (Speak truth in love. – Ephesians 4:15, A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. – Proverbs 15:1 )
4. Go and be reconciled.
These may be good principles, but there is more to Peacemaking than “conflict resolution.”
A BIG part of being a peacemaker, is Avoiding Strife in the First Place.
There is a phrase, attributed to Benjamin Franklin, that says “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
I. Avoiding Strife
I think this is greatly overlooked. But it is a Biblical idea. Avoiding strife.
On that subject of Avoiding Strife, I have four points: Don’t start a fight, don’t join a fight, don’t be offended, and have a disposition of peace.
A. Don’t Start a Fight.
Paul says to Timothy:
[2 Timothy 2:23 ESV] 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.
What foolish, ignorant controversies might Paul have had in mind?
One area very may well be what is called “speculative theology.” The Bible has revealed to us certain truths about God. And then there are places where it is silent. But the speculative theologian holds strongly to views that he has made up. Who wrote the Book of Hebrews? That is debated among Christians. But the Bible doesn’t tell us. So it is largely a silly debate. It can’t be solved.
Probably also Paul has in mind “genealogies.” It is fruitless to debate endlessly about competing genealogies. He says as much in an almost parallel passage in Titus. [Titus 3:9 ESV] 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.
Then, there are just subjects that “ruin the atmosphere.” That “ruin the mood.” The thanksgiving dinner table just isn’t the place to discuss politics. It is a time of Thanksgiving. No matter how right you are on some political subject, it is foolish to discuss it if it is going to cause strife.
So avoid strife. Be a peacemaker.
B. Don’t Join a Fight.
Then, “don’t join a fight.”
Proverbs 20:3 says:
[Proverbs 20:3 ESV] 3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling. [REPEAT]
Usually the term “aloof” doesn’t have great connotations.
Usually it isn’t good to be “aloof.”
But here it simply means “be uninvolved.”
Keep away from strife. Don’t get involved.
That is “taking the high road.” “Every fool with be quarreling.” This is to to say, “it is easy to quarrel.” It is more difficult to keep away from strife. But it is the blessed condition.
How do you keep aloof from strife? For one, you might simply “refuse to get into it.”
So not only will a prudent man abstain from causing a quarrel, but will not join in when others start one.
So “don’t start a fight.” And “don’t join a fight.”
C. Don’t Be Offended
Then, third, how to avoid conflict … “don’t be offended.”
I think many would LIKE this point to say “don’t be EASILY offended.”
But that’s not right.
I’m saying, “don’t be offended.” PERIOD.
Don’t be easily offended.
Don’t be mediumly offended.
Don’t even be offended with great difficultly.
Simply “don’t be offended.”
We read from Proverbs 19:
[Proverbs 19:11 ESV] 11 Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
Offense, taking offense, is frequently used in a very sinful way in our world.
It is a control tactic, an emotional manipulation or guilt tripping whereby a person says “I’m offended” in order to attempt to get his way.
As there are people who thrive on drama, so there are people who are LOOKING to be offended. Looking for that opportunity to use the perceived offense to “win points” or cause a person to back down from their view. And with that attitude of “I’ve been wronged,” they’ll always find some offense.
But wee should not be looking for offense. The Proverb says “it is his glory to overlook an offense.”
We should be looking to overlook offenses.
We should, with Christian charity, give the best possibly interpretation to another’s words.
If you are finding yourself constantly offended, you need to repent.
D. Have a Disposition of Peace
We had three don’t’s. Now one “do.”
Don’t start a fight.
Don’t join a fight.
Don’t be offended.
DO have a disposition of peace.
I got this from Matthew Henry who says that peacemakers are to have “a peaceable disposition.”
One way to show what a “peaceable disposition” is, is to show what its not.
This story, or attempt at a story, I heard in another minister’s sermon is worth repeating. He said that it was about an old married couple that he knew. I’ll changed a few references to make it more local to us.
It went like this:
The first began:
We drove up the interstate, we got as far as Beacon.
And the spouse broke in: It was only Newburgh.
The first continued: And I was sorta hungry so we stopped at a Bob Evans.
The second said: It was a Waffle House.
Again the first: I had the peach pancakes.
Then the second: No you did not, you had the apple crisp.
The first: So we got up there about noon.
And finally the second: It was only 11:30.
I hope you see that this is sinful behavior. A hindrance to peace. Not a disposition towards it.
Proverbs says:
[Proverbs 12:20 ESV] 20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy.
Plan peace.
Come to that Thanksgiving dinner with a plan for peace.
Start with that disposition towards peace … in all things.
One more Bible verses on this subject:
[Romans 14:17-19 ESV] 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
This is a characteristic of the Biblical man and the Biblical woman.
Sadly peaceableness is not encouraged in our culture. The culture portrays this as weakness, and it wants “strong” people. Rudeness, being constantly offended, etc. are show in a portrayal of the main character leading, it seems to me, to the claim that “you are better than others around you.” One man describe this modern attitude as “wanting the fairytale experience while acting more like the villain than the princess.”
So here is advice for us all.
Have a disposition of peace.
Stop being hard to get along with.
Don’t be hard to please.
Live peaceably with all men.
Even “be long-suffering.” That is the more archaic way of saying “have endurance.” But I like the word long-suffering. Endurance is easy if all is going well. But long-suffering says to endure even through hardships. When trouble is afoot, when war is all around, yet we are to suffer through it with a disposition of peace.
So that is the first and major part of being a peacemaker; avoiding conflict.
II. Resolving Conflict
But avoiding conflict isn’t all there is to be a peacemaker.
We also need to resolve conflict that hasn’t been avoided, or can’t be avoided.
I think we need to realize first that success is not always possible.
[Romans 12:18 ESV] 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
You see, You just can’t reconcile with a person who doesn’t want to be reconciled; a person who doesn’t forgive in a Christian way.
But if possible, live peaceably with all.
How are we to do that? I mentioned Ken Sande’s four points. Now I want to emphasize two of them. “Respond calmly” and “Seek reconciliation.”
A. Respond calmly
[Proverbs 15:18 ESV] 18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.
If strife has already emerged, don’t make it worse with a hot-temper.
Patience is indeed one of the fruit of the spirit.
Indeed if we have that “disposition of peace” we will respond calmly.
This is no doubt, difficult.
And I think we too quickly will jump to the idea that Jesus overturned the tables of the moneychangers. Yes indeed, but we are not Jesus. He’s actions were righteous, and in defense of the Holy God. Perhaps such a situation might arise for us. But not usually. Usually, our raising our voice or getting animated is not for God’s glory, but for our own attempts at “victory” and are thus sinful.
So we are to respond calmly.
B. Seek reconciliation.
Then, seek reconciliation.
Seek reconciliation, not “trying to win.”
Keep Sande’s point of “Give glory to God.” If you are focused on you, you’ve gone wrong.
So don’t seek to be “righted” but seek to be reconciled.
This is a challenge for which I do not have all the answers.
But I know this. If we are going to be reconciled, we have to keep Christ in mind.
He reconciled us to God.
He brought about forgiveness.
He is the Prince of Peace.
So let us look to Christ when we seek reconciliation with others; when we seek to resolve conflict.
In the Beatitude, it is said that the peacemakers shall be called “sons of God.”
Indeed, we can only be peacemakers to the extent that we reflect the peace of God; and the God of peace.
So be quick to forgive.
And, in resolving conflict, look not only at the failings of others, but their graces. If you marked iniquities, who could stand. Love does not keep a record of wrongs.
Conclusion:
Finally, two more verses:
[Colossians 3:13 ESV] 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
[Ephesians 4:2 ESV] 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
Benediction: Now may the God of peace give you peace at every time and in every way.