Blessed Are the Peacemaker — Dwight Pentecost

Matthew 18: The Lost Sheep and Reconciliation

Matthew 18, beginning at verse 12,. Matthew 18,. "'How think ye, if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so, it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

If he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church. But if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, that whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

May God add his blessing to the reading of this portion of his word. I have celebrated the birth of the one whose name is Prince of Peace. I have been made conscious again that there is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

The Beatitude of the Peacemakers

And the world cries out for peace. I read in one of our news magazines, just a few days past, on the common market in Europe. While the nations of Europe have re-federated, they are looking for a leader who can bring them the blessings that he brought to men.

That portion of Matthew's gospel we call the Beatitudes. He said in verse 9, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are the peacemakers. It almost appears as though that which the scripture said the Lord Jesus Christ would do, bring peace to man.

He has committed to others as though it were our responsibility to institute peace on this earth. I want to direct your thinking this morning into this Beatitude that has been so misused and so misunderstood.

And I trust as we consider this truth here stated, we will understand the source of blessing about which the Lord Jesus Christ is talking. This belongs to God. It does not belong to sinful men. Sinful men are in a state of alienation, both from God.

And one who is in a state of alienation, either from God or from his fellow man, cannot experience peace. Because peace is the perfect harmony and tranquility that belongs to God and to the members of the Godhead, a God of peace.

Peace as the Character of God

Apostle Paul, writing to the Romans, in Acts chapter 15 and verse 33, prays, Now the God of peace be with you all. He is not only the God who is the source of peace, but he is a God who is at perfect peace with himself, a God who is characterized by perfect harmony and tranquility.

Belongs to God because God is one. Writing in Galatians chapter 3 and verse 20, the apostle states that truth, that God is one. And since God is one, there can be no disunity, no disharmony, no conflict within himself.

Yet man is separated from God by sin. And the very separation of the creature from the creator, the separation of man from God, makes it impossible that man can be at peace. He cannot be at peace with himself.

He cannot be at peace with God. And peace is impossible until man is brought to reconciliation with God, until man is reunited with the God from whom he is estranged by his sin. The fact of this alienation is made so clear by the apostle Paul, who wrote in Romans chapter 5 and verse 10,.

Now to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. This enmity about which Paul spoke in the 10th verse came about because, as he says in verse 12,. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin.

So death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. And because Adam sinned, and because we participated in Adam's sin, and because we are sinners, we are alienated from God. And there can be no peace to the sinner until that enmity is removed, and that separation is resolved into unity with and harmony with God.

Christ Brings Peace Through Reconciliation

Peace, peace between the said blessed, providing a special reward. Ancient diplomats who announced the birth of the Savior were essentially peacemakers when they announced, Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ.

This truth, 18th chapter of Matthew's gospel, referred to a shepherd, his care a hundred sheep. And he led his flock backward, that one of his sheep was missing, and was lost out on the mountain. And if this man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep than of the ninety and nine which went not away. And in the parallel passage, our Lord tells that when this lost one is found, there is joy in heaven, because that which was lost has been restored.

The Lord in that parable is emphasizing the fact of man's alienation from God. And man will never find his way back, without one to show him the way. A man will never come to a knowledge of salvation without a man to proclaim salvation to him, without the ministry of an evangelist.

They shall be called the children. That which was lost. The safety. Jesus Christ came into this world that he might make peace. Peace with God. The way of peace. It's been stated, and if not led by a faithful shepherd to waters, then show them the way.

This has been established by the blood of the cross. Need to be pointed to the way that they might come to peace. It's significant to me, Apostle Paul, that the outset of his epistle comes of the Son.

And there is no epistle which that truth is not mentioned in the introductory sentence. Pressed upon the Apostle Paul, peace with himself. Provided that men who were alienated from God might come to peace with him.

And he recognized that he had been appointed by the God of peace as a peacemaker. He saw himself as God's peacemaker. Came to tell man that Christ had established the way of peace by the blood of his cross.

And that through the cross, men may come to peace with God. Has appointed us his peacemakers. Read in verse 18, all things are of God who hath reconciled us or brought us to peace with himself by Jesus Christ.

And hath given us the ministry of reconciliation or the ministry of being a peacemaker. What was in Christ? Reconciling the world or bringing the world to peace unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.

And hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation or has committed us the responsibility of being a peacemaker. Now, then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ that be reconciled or come to peace with God.

Three times in verses 18, 19, and 20, the Apostle emphasizes the fact that we who have men know they did from God to peace with God and experienced the peace of God as their portion. A peacemaker, a man needs to know just one essential truth.

A peacemaker, to know that truth and the peace of God. Then into Matthew chapter 18, I find a second aspect of peace that was of concern to the Lord because man is not only separated from God, but man is also separated from man.

Maintaining Unity Among Believers

He may be separated from believer. And such was not the purpose of God. In Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 3, the Apostle says, we are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Those who have come to peace with himself should live in peace.

Believer united with believer in an assembly of believers. An obligation is placed upon believers to maintain the peace that God has provided through the blood of the cross. And discord. A man is not experiencing the benefit and blessing of God's peace.

And a man, tragically, it is true, may have come to peace with God and not experience the outworking of that peace in his life so that he lives in the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Matthew 18, verse 12 to 14, speaks of the work of the peacemaker bringing the lost to peace with God.

He speaks of the work of a peacemaker maintaining unity in the fellowship of believers. And here our Lord lays down certain principles that are to be followed where there has been an estrangement of believer from believer.

So he says in verse 15, if my brother, and here he is moving into the area of the relationship of one believer to another believer, if a brother shall trust us against thee. You will notice that this is not the confession by a guilty party to the one whom the guilty one has wronged.

This is the step to be taken by one who has been wronged by the guilty party. The one who has been wronged is not to wait, contrition, and confession on the part of the guilty, and to remain in an estranged state until he sees the error of his ways.

But he says, if you have been sinned against between thee and him alone in the assembly, and so that other members of the assembly should not be involved in this one man's offense. The first step that is to be taken, and the one who sees or has been disrupted by the action, unto thee thou hast gained thy brother, and peace has been restored.

There is no disruption, further disruption in the life of the assembly. But if going privately does not bring the brother to restoration, to peace, that is not the cognizant of the wrong, cannot say, I tried to be a peacemaker, and he wouldn't come to peace.

The Second Step: Witnesses and Restoration

He is to take this second step, verse 16, if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of three witnesses, two or three witnesses, every word may be established. Cognizant of the wrong, which would disrupt the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, is to take two or three witnesses that the offender might be faced.

With these three witnesses, there should be a restoration. So important, which is in heaven, for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Indicating here, is soft, and is not unity, brings about the disruption of the unity between the believer and God.

The same truth is emphasized in 1 Peter chapter 3, where Peter is speaking of the relationship between husband and wife in the home. Peter insists that the right relationship must exist between husband and wife in the home, or your prayers will be hindered.

Where there is not perfect unity between husband and wife, there will be no answered prayer. And it brings us this vital, important principle. Answered prayer depends not only on an individual being at peace with God.

Relationship is not right. Relationship cannot be right. The model is not right. The vertical never can be. Individual's prayer, congregation's prayer, on the maintenance of peace. That is why our Lord said, the peacemaker shall be called the children of God.

The Church’s Calling as Peacemakers

Gives us any hope that man will bring peace to this earth. Will not be turned to plowshares, and spears to pruning hooks, until the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ, comes to this earth and subjugates all to his authority.

And he has not transferred to us the responsibility of making peace among nations. Has given us the responsibility of telling men who are alien, that they can come to peace with God through the blood of the cross.

And has given us the sobering responsibility to keep the unity of the body, the bond of peace. You may be a peacemaker, and you may receive the blessing of God that has been promised to peacemakers. As you tell men that Christ died, and that you seek to maintain the unity of the body, the peacemaker, the children of God.

Prayer for Peace and Unity

God, the Holy Spirit, may bring to our hearts the truth that is presented in this portion of the word. We thank thee for the one who is our peace, who has purchased and provided peace through his death on the cross.

May that peace we experience with thee work itself out in peace, dismisses with the riches of thy grace and mercy and peace upon us. We pray in Jesus name.