The Priority of Peacemaking | Part 1

Rollover fighting Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, Byron Tyler here with you reform the CEO of liver funding. Today Adrian Rogers picks up in our series keys to the kingdom a message called the priority of peacemaking and will be talking about that, but you know for some thinking about peace and being a peacemaker is been tough this year with the pandemic we've all been experiencing is changed our lifestyles in so many ways and up we we appreciate so much our love, or finding ministry partners and how faithful they have been as weak as we look at the blessings of seeing the word of God go out people trusting Jesus Christ as their Savior growing deeper in their faith and relationship with Christ. You know, we could not do that without the help of our ministry partners that's corrected. I would say this right in the middle of a crisis are people have been faithful in God is been faithful and so I would just encourage you if if you're thinking about giving a supporting now is the time do that now. It's a wonderful time as we celebrate the true gift of Christmas to give a gift of love or finding and you can do that@lwf.org, but now is the time to step up and give at calendar year end.

That's why those gifts are so appreciated to help get the word of God out. We see people coming to Christ for the first time of growing people growing in their relationship with Christ, getting responses like this. Adrian Rogers can explain biblical principles to a child but his messages are also deep enough for adults to get something out of them profound truth. Simply stated, we say that a lot here, but that is the true Ministry of love or finding will carry today's message the priority of peacemaking part one this is that of Matthew chapter 5 verse nine. I'm reminded of the early American psychologist William James who once suggested that war is so prevalent because of its positive psychological effects.

It creates a sense of unity in the face of a collective threat. His argument is that human beings need to find activities that provide the same positive effects of warfare. In other words, we have to find alternative activities to give us. That sense of feeling alive of belonging and purpose. I would suggest that Jesus gives us the better alternative. Matthew 59 says blessed are the peacemakers right and I think a true peacemakers. This one who stays right with God, and they stay right with others you know. Also, the different why you cannot be right with God and right with others and not have peace and I think that's what were talking about when we look at the fruits of the spirit. You know it's it's peace, love, joy, and the last one self-control. Yeah, your James claims that men wage war against one another due to the war within ourselves and the only one who can take care of that and bring that peace is Jesus Christ. What Jesus says, my peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you not as the world gives. But his idea is I think for us to really taste and experience true peace can only come from above will with the priority of peacemaking part one.

Here's Adrian Rogers reviving of the Gospels, the gospel of Matthew Matthew chapter 5 and we're going to look here in just a moment at these Beatitudes the attitudes that ought to be the characteristics of the godlike and we call these Beatitudes the keys of the kingdom.

We been having a wonderful time studying the attitudes and less begin to read verse one and seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain and when he was set, his disciples came under him and he opened his mouth and taught them saying blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. That is, blessed are those who see their spiritual me that see that there bankrupt in the sight of a righteous and holy God.

In verse four Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. Yes, Blessed are those who are broken over their sins, who truly repent and turn from their sins and then verse five Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed indeed are those who are yielded to God and ready to accept his will for their lives.

Verse six Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled in our righteousness is Jesus Christ himself was God's answer to man's sin. And then Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Those of us who been shown mercy show mercy and thank God for the mercy we've received in the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

When we have come this route then God purifies heart and gives us a fresh vision of himself and God becomes a right living reality, and then we come to the beatitude for today. Verse nine look at it. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God the other day when I was on an airplane. I picked up one of those magazines and I read about a new mall that is opening in Minneapolis is said to be the largest shopping mall in the world.

It covers 4,200,000 ft.². Now that that's big. It's got stores, restaurants, nightclubs, amusement rides, all of this is and how big is that, well, you could put 88 football fields inside this mall and and ladies. Blessed visit every store you have to take a 3 mile hike just to visit every store in that moment it it hires 10,000 people.

They expect to be doing $650 worth of business a year about 40 million visitors a year going to come to this mall. Now when I read that article I thought you know that that's a big shopping mall. But there's one thing you will not be able to buy their that's peace.

Nobody can put in a bottle. Nobody put it in a jar is no way, no matter how big the shopping center is that you can buy the commodity that I'm talking about today and that is a commodity that the world needs more than anything else and that is peace. There is something desperately wrong with our world and you don't need me to tell you about it. Just pick up any newspaper and you can study it now.

We are very intelligent people we know a lot we can build them. All that being we can build jet airplanes. We can build rockets, we can build all of this we have television that can circle the globe.

We made the world a neighborhood but we haven't made it a brotherhood. There is a desperate cry, a desperate need for peace now. What causes all of this just turned the book of James with me.

James chapter 4 I think is one of most significant passages in all of the Bible as we go on the search for peace, James explains the whole thing James says in James chapter 4 verse one from rents, wars and fightings among you, why we live to gather. James says where does all of this come from in my reading. I read a very interesting story. There were two men who had been taken captive by the Americans in World War II. They were captured in Germany with other German prisoners that were brought back to the United States and they will put in a prisoner of war camp with these two young men were different than all of the other German soldiers. They seem to keep to themselves.

They seem to be frightened. They seem to be bewildered. Nobody seem to be able to communicate with them. The other German said they really didn't know anything about and every attempt to talk to them would just lead in frustration as they would shrink further and further back away from the interrogators.

No one knew who they were. Couldn't figure them out they were just different.

They didn't even look like the other Germans after while they brought in an expert and he began to talk to them.

He said no wonder you could talk with them therefrom to that you don't even understand the language. This man understood the language, and then he got the store. Let me tell you what happened to these two fellows is really not funny.

But it is funny in a way they lived in Tibet and they were tired of living there there little village they'd never been anywhere seen anything, shut off from the outside world, so they decided they would go from Tibet across the northern border. They found themselves in Russia during World War II. Immediately they were picked up by the Russian authorities.

They didn't know who these boys were before long they were on the train headed toward the West. When I got there to outside a big city. They were given army uniform. They were sent the boot camp. They shoved a rifle in their hand and they were there only Russian from fighting the Germans they never seen anything like that people in hand-to-hand combat. They were shooting each other with guns.

These young men frightened. They retreated and when they retreated they were captured by the Germans and the Germans now took them, put them on another train traveling. Now they end up in a German prisoner of war camp. About that time the allies had come with the invasion of Normandy and the Germans are retreating they need every man that they can get so they take these two boys shove a gun in their hand and tell the fight to Americans. And so they're out there now again scared to death.

They began to retreat and the Americans capture this time to put an American prisoner of war camp and they end up in the United States, and finally the whole secret is unlock these boys from Tibet know anything. Finally, after they talk to them for a while. They said do you have any questions.

I said yes we have a question. Why are all these people trying to kill each other and figured out what on earth is happening and that's the question that James is asking right here come from from whence come wars and fightings among you now what James does. He mentions three wars that are going on listen to, from whence come wars and fightings among you, come they not hence, even of your loss.

That war in your members you lost and have not seek human desire to have and cannot obtain.

You fight in war, yet you have not because he asked not the ask and receive not because you ask amiss, that you might consume it upon your loss. You adulterers and adulteresses know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God. This ever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God and here James mentions three wars, the very first war man are at war with one another verse one from where, wars and fightings among you, we're at war one with another. However now and then will have a cruise but the truth is that period of time. When you stop the reload. That's all the truces every now and then will have a truce, but there is no peace, religious, economic, racial, social, political, family, personal please.

We are a people at war. On the face of this globe. Well why are men at war with one another will continue to read, may not. Hence, even of the lust that war in your members. That's the second born the first war is we war among ourselves. Why do we war among ourselves because we are at war within ourselves. That's what James Barry is a war on the inside that wars in our members. People are not at peace and that's the reason they can't be peace with anyone else.

Most of the folks are a fight going somewhere to happen for just an argument going somewhere to happen. Why because they are in turmoil themselves. We live in a world that is uptight and full of turmoil, mostly just and James says outside is because of the war on the inside will why the war on the outside and why the war on the inside because of the third war, and that is we are at war with God. Look in verse four, where he says friendship with the world is enmity and that word means warfare with God see where war with one another. One, because we are at war with God and there is no peace.

Save my God, to the wicked. My dear friend into your right with God in this world you go to be a troublemaker not a peacemaker but a damn big and plain straight into your right with God in this world you can be a troublemaker and not a peacemaker.

Now the Bible says blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God.

First thing I wanted to see today the attributes of peace. The attributes of peace.

What do we mean by peace. Peace my friend is not appeasement don't get the idea. If you're peacemaker that you are an appraiser. Appeasement never brings peace. Don't think that your honor bound to get along with everybody. There is something wrong, something desperately wrong with the person who can get along with everybody. You just can't do that.

You can try.

The Bible says if it be possible as much as live in you, live peaceably with all men, which means that is not always possible to matter fact, sometimes you go to be known by the enemies you make. Dr. Robert G. Lee, the former pastor of this church was a great man, but he had his enemies, and yet people did love them. Every man of God has those of 11 I've heard Dr. Lee sale more than one occasion, he said. One of these days.

Somebody's going to preach my funeral will literally high priest's funeral, but I didn't know that I would when I heard them say that years ago. But he said one of these days somebody's gonna preach my funeral and he said when I'm in that coffin when I'm in that casket. If that preacher has the nerve, the audacity to say here lies Darrell Dr. Lee. He didn't have an enemies that I pray God will give me the courage to kick the little that coffin rise up and say that's a lie. Want to be known as a man who did not have an enemy. All of us in Stamford. God will have enemies.

I remember reading about some preacher boy who was in a class in the liberal college and the professor was telling us all we want never to have any enemies. We ought never to be controversial, never to be any problems and so forth.

And what he was getting was the gospel of appeasement and then he said what we need to do is to follow the example of Jesus, that young pretty boy lifted his hand.

He said Prof. if Jesus Christ were so beautifully and diplomatic. How did he manage to get himself crucified, friendless Jesus Christ did not get along with everybody and everybody did not get along with Jesus Christ and peace is not appeasement and peace is not truce making. Now you can have a truce and a truce is better than pop war. Perhaps, but that only means that is the secession of hostility and there can still be a Cold War goes underground to fester and grow and then perhaps the breakout again peace is not even the absence of war, of any kind hot or cold, that there's no strife in the cemetery, but that incidentally is not peace Everyman into going to the cemetery and you see where it says on the headstone rest in peace friend I want to. It takes more than a grave marker to bring peace to the trouble, so peace is not just simply the absence of war. When the Bible uses the word peace board peace is not a negative word. The absence of war is a positive word in the Old Testament, and today, modern Jews greet one another. Same way with the word shall own, shall, and that word means peace, not when you meet somebody and you say to them, shall own that doesn't mean that you get out of war. It it infers that something good, something wonderful, something positive that is happening. The Greek word for peace is the word Irene. I say we get our beautiful name Irene from that, if your name is Irene. Your name means peace Irene a that's a word that is using here. It is a positive word now my dear friend, let me tell you what peace is, peace is not appeasement. Peace is not truce making peace is not even merely the absence of war.

What is peace peace is a right relationship, listen carefully, because this is a technical point, but a very important point. Peace is a right relationship with God that leads to right relationship with self and guides us in a right relationship with other people. That's what peace is.

It is a sense of well-being and literally literally. Peace is the result and the fruit of righteousness that you don't see anything else I want to get this now I want you to see how righteousness and peace are linked. This is not an artificially if you're not a righteous person, you can never have peace. There is no peace at my God, to the wicked.

The only way that you can have peace is to have righteousness. Notice the Beatitudes. Blessed are the pure in heart, and then Blessed are the peacemakers, there is no peace without purity.

But these verses down in your March 1 of all James three verse 17 the wisdom that is from above is first pure and then peaceable, did you get first purity, then peace. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers, the wisdom that is from above is first pure, and then peaceable, put this one down. Psalm 85 in verse 10. Mercy and truth are met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed one another in a great verse righteousness and peace have kissed one another. There's a love affair between righteousness and peace. There is a marriage between righteousness and peace and what God hath joined together, let no man put asunder in Hebrews chapter 7 verse two. The Bible shows Melchizedek is a picture, a type of the Lord Jesus Christ and Melchizedek is called two things.

First of all, King of righteousness. And secondly, King of peace. First, he must be king of righteousness after he is King of righteousness, then he becomes king of peace. You see, righteousness and peace have kissed one another. My dear friend you cannot have peace without righteousness. What is peace peace is a right relationship with God, a right relationship. Therefore, in your heart and a right relationship with one another. It is a positive thing. It is the righteousness of God ruling and reigning in your heart. Now that is the attribute of peace. Secondly, not only do I want to proceed attribute of peace, but I want you to see the adversary of peace. It follows as night follows day, if peace is linked with righteousness been war lack of peace is always rooted in sin, it always is. Let me give you these verses Isaiah chapter 48 in verse 22. There is no peace. Saith the Lord unto the wicked, that's it.

You want peace this world peace. Sin is the problem.

Can you imagine standing up in the Pentagon and saying gentlemen the problem of sin. Can you imagine standing up in one of the great universities and saying gentlemen the problem of sin.

People say why are we going to do about wall that always problems ladies and gentlemen, there is no peace. Save my God, to the wicked righteousness and peace are linked together.

Sin separates man from God. Sin brings inner turmoil and a separates men from man is another verse put it down. Jeremiah a, 11 and 12 key verse for they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my peace slightly, saying peace, peace when there is no peace. Remember back in the 60s when hippies going around saying peace brother peace brother but my dear friend, they were living ungodly Marla there can be no peace without the Prince of peace. They can be no peace without purity. And so the Bible says in Jeremiah that people give a false peace saying peace peace when there is no peace. And then he says in Jeremiah 8 verse 12 were they ashamed when they had committed abomination may, they were not at all ashamed. Neither could they block this generation of en bloc symbols, wondering why peace is very obvious.

The adversary peace is sin. That's the reason the Bible does not teach peace at any price. One of the strangest verses that ever fell from the lips of the Prince of peace.

Jesus is this, he said, think not that I've come to send peace on the are I came not to send peace, but a sword.

That's incredible because the Bible calls him the Prince of peace Irene I he's known as the Prince of peace when he was born.

The angel said peace on earth, goodwill to men. The Bible says Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God and yet in this passage, Jesus Christ.

I don't think I came to simply I didn't come to send peace, I came to send the sword what you talking about here saying I did not come to bring some sort of a false peace and amalgamation of good and evil. I came with a sword to put a line of demarcation between truth and error between light and dark between sin and righteousness and what Jesus is saying is this, that when God's standard of righteousness is set.

There will always be a division without righteousness there can be no godly peace, and the sword that Jesus has is like us, it must first hurt before you peace can never come.

Are you listening. Peace can never come where sin remain God will never make a peace treaty with peace can never come where sin remains to convicting word from Adrian Rogers today and will hear the conclusion of this important message tomorrow. Now if you have questions regarding your faith in Jesus. We would love to offer you an insightful resource. Just go to our website and click the Discover Jesus tab at the top of the page. You'll find answers there. You may need about your faith. There is a response section where you can share with us how this message or others have impacted your life just go to LWF.org/radio and click Discover Jesus again LWF.org/radio. We can't wait to hear from you. Thanks for joining us for the program today. I love what Adrian Rogers said about this piece is a right relationship with God that leads to a right relationship with self and guides us in a right relationship with peace today sure to tune in next time for part two of the priority peacemakers online, where