Sermon for November 24, 2013 BMZ Church Series: Happy, Happy, Happy: A Study of the Beatitudes For Message: Matthew 5:9; Matthew 5:23-26, 38-39, 43-45; Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 5:19 Message Title: PEACE II: What Did You Call Me? Introduction: How we doing, BMZ?!? Glad you are with us! Today we continue our Fall Worship Series called, HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY! What we ve said in this series is that if we want to be TRULY HAPPY in THIS LIFE and the NEXT, we might want to listen to what Jesus said in The Sermon on the Mount. What Jesus said in that SERMON was EARTH SHATTERING in its WISDOM. The question is: Will we start applying it to our lives? We are discovering that what Jesus said is SIMPLE, but NOT EASY! If you ve missed any of this series, I invite you to find it on our website: www.bmzchurch.org worship sermons. If we are asking the Question, Is Happy, Happy, Happy possible? There are steps that we have to take in order to get there according to our Bibles It s up to us to take those steps or not take those steps. Please don t go telling people that Happiness and Joy in this life are not possible if you have not taken the steps that God calls us to take! In this life, we have a LOT OF QUESTIONS about LIFE! In Matthew 5-7, Jesus gives a SERMON take you about 15-20 minutes to read (READ IT) that answers a lot of questions! He started the Sermon off with 8 POWERFUL STATEMENTS that we call BEATITUDES (statements of blessing). Essentially, Jesus said, If you ll live out what I m teaching here, I can guarantee you a HAPPY LIFE!! That s what we want for YOU! We want to offer EVERYONE here the chance at a life that you would consider, HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY! If you have your Bible with you, turn with me to Matthew 5 if you don t; no worries. All of our Scriptures for today will be up on the screen and much of what we are doing is in your program. If you don t own a Bible and would like one, please stop by Java Jct/Blessed Bean and someone will get you set up with your own Bible. Speaking of which If you haven t already, I invite you to take out your message notes and merge card... On one side you will see our Scripture for today and on the other you will find a brief outline walking us through our Scripture. You will see that there are blanks to fill in I would love to have you take the time to do so. Grab a pen and write down whatever else you think is important to you and your faith journey. After worship, take this home and refrigerate it. Please Re-read the Scripture and the notes to keep growing and learning. For those of you watching on-line, you can hit the button for notes and for MERGE CARD and stick with us. If you are watching/listening later, or IPODing; you can download the outline off of our website so you too can take notes. Let s pray and then we will press on with where we are going today LET S PRAY (turn off marked lights during prayer)! Simply put: HAPPINESS IS: Living a LIFE that God can BLESS we can t earn our Salvation, but we can work toward FAVOR with God. God blesses people who LIVE like God wants them to! God is READY TO POUR OUT BLESSINGS! The question is: Are we LIVING like we are READY to RECEIVE IT?!? Today we CONTINUE to talk about PEACE! And world peace. Let s go right at our BEATITUDE for today. It s Matthew 5:9 = 9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. 1 (REPEAT) NEXT STEPS Memory Verse! Do me a favor there in your program would you circle the words, work for peace and children of God please?!? Then draw a line that connects the two circles 1 Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Mt 5:9). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
2 According to Jesus, there is a STRONG CONNECTION between PEACEWORK and being a CHILD OF GOD When we WORK for PEACE in this world, we will be called SONS and DAUGHTERS of Almighty God! In other words, when we do PEACE WORK, we are living up to the FAMILY REPUTATION / FAMILY NAME Honoring our Father in Heaven with our LIVES! I don t know about you, but I want to HONOR my EARTHLY DAD with the way I live every aspect of MY LIFE! I would love to DO HIM PROUD. How much more do I want to HONOR my HEAVENLY FATHER with the way I live every aspect of MY LIFE?!? Do I live to DO HIM PROUD?!? This idea of PEACE is pretty PROFOUND throughout Scripture. PEACE shows up 88 Times in the New Testament and over 200 times through the WHOLE BIBLE. It s a BIG THEME! Here s a question for you: What is the OPPOSITE of PEACE? Webster s says is THE OPPOSITE of PEACE: conflict, contention, discord, strife, trouble, turmoil, unrest, upheaval; fighting, warfare, battle, combat Okay, come up with a couple of words that would be SYNONYMS of PEACE. Webster s says are some SYNONYMS of PEACE: peacefulness, accord, harmony; calm, quiet, serenity, tranquility; order, stability Of these two which sounds more like a BLESSED / HAPPY LIFE?!? Which brings us to: HOW DO WE DO PEACEWORK in OUR LIVES and in the LIVES OF OTHERS so that GOD CAN BLESS US?!? Right in the SERMON ON THE MOUNT, Jesus talks about 3 AREAS of PEACEWORK internal and external: How God can BLESS US? GOD BLESSES ME WHEN I WORK FOR PEACE: #1 is INTERNAL: I. In My Heart Here s a TRICK QUESTION for you: Do you have to WORK for PEACE in YOUR HEART if you are a CHRISTIAN?!? Answer: YES and NO! Do you have to WORK for PEACE around knowing if you re ETERNITY in HEAVEN is SECURE?!? NO! Jesus verifies this in The Book of John. John 14:27 = 27 I am leaving you with a gift peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don t be troubled or afraid 2 In other words, there is PEACE knowing what happens NEXT! Peace is a GIFT of GRACE that we can t earn or work for no amount of sweat or money or anything can get us THAT PEACE. That PEACE is received as a GIFT from GOD through JESUS! So, the answer is NO BUT When it comes to everyday life here on earth we will need to WORK for PEACE in our HEARTS. Example: The #1 PEACE ROBBER is WORRY! Let me ask: Why is it that CHRISTIANS (who, BTW, studies show, worry as much as anyone else) are willing to TRUST GOD with OUR ETERNITY (Big) but, WORRY about DAY-TO-DAY stuff (Small stuff)?!? We worry about that next family gathering (Happy Thanksgiving!). We worry about our next presentation at work. We worry about our next meeting. We worry about our kids. We worry about life in general. Some people would not have any idea what to do with their time if they didn t worry!! 2 Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Jn 14:27). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
3 Because WORRY is not a SYNONYM of PEACE; Maybe we should listen to JESUS: Matthew 6:25, 32-33 = 25 That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 3 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God* above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 4 This is why my Dad used to say, DON T WORRY UNTIL I DO! The people in the churches he pastored would get so frustrated they knew that if they listened to my Dad, they would NEVER get to WORRY! Back to that Scripture Again, there is a CONNECTION! Jesus says that all will be provided for you IF we LIVE the way Jesus says to LIVE and if we SEEK the KINGDOM of GOD above ALL ELSE!! Make MY KINGDOM your 1 st Priority and I ll take care of YOU! Again, WORRY and The KINGDOM are connected As KINGDOM of GOD goes UP your PRIORITY LIST, your WORRY goes DOWN. As KINGDOM of GOD goes DOWN your PRIORITY LIST, your WORRY goes UP! (REPEAT) Get it?!? You all understand that studies show that about 80% of what we WORRY and STRESS about NEVER HAPPENS?!? Save yourself some TIME!! Hey, God, I m going to STOP WORRYING because 80% of it AIN T GOING TO HAPPEN ANYWAY I ll just TRUST YOU with the 20%!! Well, if we need to STOP WORRYING and start putting THE KINGDOM of GOD FIRST; HOW do we do that?!? Listen to what Paul writes to the Philippians Philippians 4:6 = 6 Don t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 5 Please note that this DOES NOT SAY, Don t worry about anything; instead CALL YOUR FRIENDS and talk to them about your problems and worries NO! It says to STOP WORRYING and START PRAYING!! That will get us OFF of WORRYING and ONTO The KINGDOM of GOD! Paul says that we can WORRY, OR we can PRAY one of the other NOT BOTH! God wants to replace our WORRY with PEACE! But, it takes WORK we have to be INTENTIONAL!! Jesus reminds us what HE wants FOR US in Matthew 11. Matthew 11:28 = 28 Then Jesus said, Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 6 Rest would be a SYNONYM of PEACE. Hmmm When was the LAST TIME YOU asked God to take away your worries?!? How about RIGHT NOW?!? Let s Pray (worry and stress ) The SECOND thing that Jesus tells us is that we CANNOT have PEACE without PEACE in our RELATIONSHIPS So, #1 = PEACE in MY HEART #2 God can BLESS ME when I work for PEACE II. In My Relationships You ve heard the phrase No Man is an Island It s true. We were created in GOD S IMAGE. We were created to be NEED RELATIONSHIPS kind of like the way we need water and food! BUT, ALL OF US have MESSED UP RELATIONSHIPS! Right?!? We have messed them up in the PAST and we have some that are really messed up RIGHT NOW! 3 Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Mt 6:25). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 4 Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Mt 6:32 33). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 5 Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Php 4:6). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 6 Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Mt 11:28). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
4 Jesus gives us THREE STEPS to MEND RELATIONSHIPS 3 Steps to be PEACEWORKERS in our relationships 3 Steps to Peace in my Relationships: A. #1 = Reconcile Right Now We have messed up relationships Jesus suggests that we put them back together RIGHT NOW! We can wait if we want to, BUT, don t expect PEACE in your lives! PEACEWORK is the work of a CHILD of GOD we HONOR GOD in our relationships. If we want PEACE in our lives Why would we wait?!? Jesus says this: Matthew 5:23-26 = 23 So if you are presenting a sacrifice* at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. 25 When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 And if that happens, you surely won t be free again until you have paid the last penny.* 7 If you are here in worship or praying or reading or working or playing and someone pops into your head that you know you need to RECONCILE with STOP! Stop whatever it is that you are doing and go and RECONCILE IMMEDIATELY! Broken relationships do not help us in any way RECONCILE IMMEDIATELY or it will feel like you are in PRISON! BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS cause 2 THINGS: 1) Make US MISERABLE: They take our MINDS OFF of our work or our families or our ministry or whatever that is GOOD and it focuses our MINDS ON anger and regret and resentment and worry. In short, it makes us less effective LESS HAPPY! PRISON of our own doing 2) HURT our RELATIONSHIP with GOD: We can t be in a good relationship with God when we have relationships with GOD S OTHER KIDS that are BROKEN! Broken Relationships places a WALL between us and God I can t seem to connect with God Let me ask: Who does God keep bringing to your mind that you keep ignoring?!? Who do you have in your mind RIGHT NOW as I m talking about it?? Don t Wait! Reconcile Immediately!! Listen, I understand that there are some relationships that cannot be reconciled SOME relationships if we tried it would do MORE HARM than GOOD. BUT, those are EXTREMES! Those are not an excuse to not reconcile MOST ARE MENDABLE! That s the 1 st Step RECONCILE IMMEDIATELY! Don t let the sun go down 2 nd step to PEACE in my RELATIONSHIPS B. #2 = Resist Retaliation Don t RETALIATE when someone hurts you! You thought that RECONCILING was HARD?!? It is, but Listen to Jesus as he keeps on preaching the SERMON on the MOUNT Matthew 5:38-39 = 38 You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. * 39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. 8 How about that for a REVOLUTIONARY TEACHING? Jesus just said the EXACT OPPOSITE of what almost everyone else in the world does! Someone hurts you What do you do!? GET THEM BACK! Jesus says, Do it differently 7 Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Mt 5:23 26). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 8 Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Mt 5:38 39). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
5 Someone HURTS you; don t get them back! Someone TALKS BAD about you; don t talk bad about them. Someone talks to you out of ANGER; don t respond in anger. Someone shows you DISRESPECT; return with respect. NOTHING POSITIVE EVER COMES FROM RETALIATION! Retaliation = ESCALATION! You can go back and forth forever with ANGER or DISRESPECT or whatever. BUT, it hurts the relationship. When we RETALIATE, we REMOVE GOD S BLESSING! WE DO IT! It s OUR CHOICE! No, we are NOT to be a DOORMAT. There are times when you need to take action and defend ourselves BUT, those times are WAY LESS THAN WE THINK! Jesus said, Don t RETALIATE, but instead, take the INITIATIVE to 3 rd Step C. #3 = Make Peace with Your Enemies Make Peace?!? Make Peace?!? BUT, You don t understand!! They are my enemies! Jesus, you wouldn t understand you never had enemies! Hmmm We have a tendency to say, Well, I ll do my part when they do their part You will wait FOREVER for that one! I want you to think about THAT PERSON right NOW you know, THAT PERSON who is a CONSTANT ENEMY. Here is what Jesus says in The Sermon on the MOUNT about THAT PERSON Matthew 5:43-45 = 43 You have heard the law that says, Love your neighbor * and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies!* Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 9 Do you know what Jesus just said to YOU and ME?!? He said that when they HATE YOU; you take the INITIATIVE and LOVE THEM! When they PERSECUTE you (Gossip, Slander, Rumors, etc.); you PRAY FOR THEM! And don t pray, God, I really want this person to experience you so bring them into your presence RIGHT NOW! There is no better way to be LIKE GOD than to LOVE PEOPLE who YOU CAN T STAND and that CAN T STAND YOU! You and I won t be happy unless we are happy in our RELATIONSHIPS. 3 Things: Reconcile Immediately, Don t Retaliate, and Love your Enemies FIRST! Hear Paul I Thessalonians 3:12 = 12 And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. 10 Did you notice that said ALL PEOPLE? My Dad used to love even his enemies to the point that people wondered, What s up with that guy?!? And rightly so BUT, people will wonder that about YOU TOO! What s up with them?!? AND, they will WANT TO BE AROUND YOU I want you to notice something else about that verse from Thessalonians may the Lord MAKE your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow Do you know why it says may the Lord MAKE?!? Because we can t do it ourselves! There is no way you and I can muster up enough LOVE to TRULY LOVE the people around us! Do you need to RECONCILE with someone do it TODAY! Don t let the sun go down Finally, God Blesses Me when I WORK FOR PEACE Check this out (Show: Google Miss Congeniality World Peace Scene YouTube :33). GOD BLESSES ME WHEN I WORK FOR PEACE #3= 9 Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Mt 5:43 45). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 10 Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (1 Th 3:12). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
6 III. In The World This is the Beauty Pageant answer World Peace! In the history of the world, there have been some amazing PEACE MOVEMENTS people trying hard to help PEACE happen in our broken world. I think of the world that Jesus was born into and lived in He lived during what we historically call: PAX ROMANA. It was a time in the Roman Empire that brought great peace throughout the world one of the longest periods of peace in world history at least outside of the empire there was turmoil within with the oppression of other cultures, but NO WARS! That s what Jesus lived in In 1961, President John F. Kennedy challenged the student of the University of Michigan to work for peace in our world by living and working in developing countries. That challenge grew into a federal agency that today, over 50 years has delivered over 175,000 PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS to at least 160 Host Countries. It is an interesting modern movement toward PEACE using education in, but not limited to: Environment Preservation, AIDS Relief and Information Technology, etc. What a great movement to try to tie our world together in PEACE! What about us?!? What about you and me as we attempt to follow JESUS?!? I would say that when you said YES to Jesus and turned your WORRIES over to HIM. When we start working, because JESUS SAID SO, on PEACE in our RELATIONSHIPS and have been willing to step out and say, GOD, I will go WHEREVER you send me, WHENEVER you send me to do WHATEVER it takes for people around the world to KNOW YOU! You just signed up for GOD S PEACE CORPS! Jesus is known as THE PRINCE OF PEACE and we get to serve under Jesus as LORD! That means we get to work at WORLD PEACE on behalf of THE KINGDOM! Here s how LORD JESUS said that needed to happen as HE COMMISSIONS US for SERVICE: Matthew 28:19 = 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,* baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 11 GO INTO ALL NATIONS of the WORLD! BMZ tries to give OPPORTUNITIES to do just that! We do that locally as our FOOD PANTRY gives away huge amounts of food XMAS COOKIES NEEDED! That happens every month of the year for this part of ALL of the WORLD. BTW = Giving Trees are HERE for CHRISTMAS! Grab an ENVELOPE!! We offer Youth and Adult Mission trips that try to address needs all across our COUNTRY! This last spring our Adult Mission Team went out to New Jersey to help with Tropical Storm Sandy relief. Our Senior High Youth went into urban West Memphis, AR to put shingles on houses to keep people dry. (Great Stories!) This Year, we are again going to GIVE our CHRISTMAS OFFERING to help INTERHOPE continue to RESCUE, FEED, EDUCATE and INTRODUCE TO JESUS parentless children in southeast Asia (Burma, Cambodia and India). Please BRACE YOURSELVES to help these CHILDREN and ORPHANAGES SURVIVE! START PRAYING about how you will bring WORLD PEACE through our Christmas Offering this year (NEXT STEPS!). So, here s what we want to do this year Talked to THAD WILKINSON at InterHope and he said that their biggest need right now is FOOD! Here is what Thad said to me TOTAL KIDS in SOUTHEAST ASIA is: 402! CAMBODIA: Elephant Mountain 46 & Father's Heart 44. BURMA (Myanmar): Galilee Home 43. INDIA: Hope of India 157 & Grace Home 112. 11 Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Mt 28:19). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
7 Thad: Cost for food is $0.68 per child per day. This is after receiving tons of staples from international aid agencies including rice, dried beans, dried fruit, and corn meal. This is our greatest need right now and for most months it remains the largest expense we face. In the last 4 years food costs have increased dramatically. We have made enormous strides to reduce food costs through small farming initiatives, vegetable gardens and small-scale animal husbandry wherever possible. This has helped, but prices continue to rise (a fact you probably have noticed at your own local grocery store). To reiterate what we discussed- the houses above the line are the 10/40 window/front line sites, located in Southeast Asia and India. All three countries have Christian populations of 4% or less. The vast majority of the people are unreached with the Gospel and this is our reason for concentrating efforts in this area. Remember the old song- "and they'll know we are Christians by our love..." We dramatically impact these cultures for Christ by taking in and raising (and loving!) their abandoned children. Yes, we are known in each community--known far and wide-- as the Christians who love the "unwanted children" and many have been won to Christ by this witness. Each year our blessed graduates go out into the workplace, better educated than most and with a sense of mission to reach their own people. This is our decades-long form of evangelism. By God's grace it becomes exponentially more fruitful with every passing year. What a privilege to sow into the Kingdom of God as it grows in these front-line countries. What privilege to serve Him by loving these beautiful children! Bless you, my friends. It costs Thad $.68/DAY/CHILD for FOOD! What will you SACRIFICE this year for a kid to eat? They can feed a child for year for $250!! Can you do that?!? That s less than $5 / WEEK! Think about it like this (SHOW GRAPHICS FAST FOOD and COFFEE!) WORLD PEACE Cambodia = 90 Kids = $250/KID/YEAR = $22,500.00 God wants to USE US to help people EVERYWHERE be RECONCILED to GOD! Paul says in his 2 nd Letter to the Church in Corinth II Corinthians 5:19 = 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 12 God wants to USE US to share that WONDERFUL MESSAGE! How many people do you know that would love to hear that GOD NO LONGER COUNTS THEIR SINS AGAINST THEM?!? We get to help SAVE THE WORLD! Listen to JESUS as we WRAP UP: The first part should be familiar. Say this with me please Let s READ TOGETHER: John 3:16-17 = 16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. 13 God sent His Son to SAVE THE WORLD! Will we partner with JESUS? Will we be PEACEWORKERS? Will we be PEACEWORKERS in our HEARTS? Our RELATIONSHIPS? Our WORLD? Hear me God wants to POUR OUT BLESSINGS and tells us how to PREPARE to RECEIVE those BLESSINGS It s OUR CHOICE! Will we WORK toward PEACE and REAL HAPPINESS??! Let s Pray! Next Week: We WRAP UP our Series: Happy, Happy, Happy!??? You want to talk about STRONG? We re going to talk about STRONG!! See you next week! 12 Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (2 Co 5:19). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. 13 Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (3rd ed.) (Jn 3:16 17). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
8 Next Steps: I will memorize Matthew 5:9 I will work to mend a broken relationship this week I will be praying about bringing peace through our Christmas Offering Start a Bible Reading Program off of www.bmzchurch.org I am trusting Jesus with my life for the first time today Truth without Grace is Fundamentalism (Brutality). Grace without Truth is Sentimentalism (Hypocrisy). Special thanks to Andy Stanley, Nelson Searcy, R.A. Pegram, Mike Slaughter and Perry Noble for outlines and ideas for this worship series.