Blessings in Disguise Lesson 4

Overview

Blessed Are the Peacemakers

The Prince of Peace Isaiah 9:6 does not merely arrange a truce between God and us; He accomplishes a true peace. A truce is a temporary cessation of hostilities, but peace is the resolution of the conflict itself. Romans 5:6–10 describes us in four sobering words—weak, ungodly, sinners, and enemies. By nature we did not want peace with God; yet while we were enemies, He reconciled us through the death of His Son. That is the peace into which we have been claimed.

Because we have received this peace, we are called to be peacemakers. The highest form of peacemaking is the proclamation of the gospel itself—"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace" Isaiah 52:7. Peacemaking also takes the shape of preserving unity within the body of Christ, "making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:1–3; see also Colossians 3:15; Hebrews 12:14). Yet Jesus also says He came not to bring peace but a sword (Matthew 10:34; Luke 12:51). Both are true: peace with God means war with the ways of the world, for "friendship with the world is enmity with God" James 4:4. The church must not confuse the world's tolerance with love. We pursue peace within the body around the truth of Christ while refusing to make peace with sin. The blessing in disguise: peacemakers "will be called children of God"—a title of dignity and honor.

Blessed Are the Persecuted

Speaking the truth of the gospel will not always be welcomed. Paul reminds us, "We speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts" 1 Thessalonians 2:4. The world's message is pleasing to the world—it validates sin and diminishes God. The constant question for every believer is: whom am I trying to please? Even Jesus lamented over Jerusalem, the city that killed the prophets and refused His gathering love Matthew 23:37. The church is forever tempted to mute her message in order to hear the applause of the world rather than the applause of God.

The world says, "Whatever makes you happy"—happiness as a feeling untethered from any moral framework. Scripture grounds happiness in something deeper: doing what is right, in the righteousness given to us by Christ. That is why those persecuted for righteousness' sake are called blessed; theirs is the kingdom of heaven. When we are reviled for the name of Christ, the Spirit of glory rests upon us 1 Peter 4:14, and like the apostles we may even rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name Acts 5:41.

Living in the Blessing

The Beatitudes are not a to-do list but eight blessings. They describe what God works in His people, not a ladder we climb to earn His favor. We are not saved by doing right; we are made right by Christ, clothed in His righteousness, and from that gift flows the desire to live rightly. Does anyone around you know you are a Christian? Not by harshness, but by the fruit of the Spirit, by an audience of One, by a willingness to speak the truth in love even when it costs. We will all fall short, and God will keep coming to us with the gracious word of the gospel. The very thing He calls us to do, He empowers within us—and that is the blessing in disguise.

Transcript

Good morning. 0s

Good morning. 1s

Let's pray, please. 4s

Gracious Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for this time 6s

in your word. 9s

We give you thanks for the Lord's day. 11s

For in a special way, O Lord, we gather as your people to 13s

receive word and sacrament. 17s

Blessed we pray, this study today, we thank you for the 20s

blessings that you continue to shower upon us, including 24s

those blessings in disguise. 28s

In Jesus' name. 30s

Oh, man. 32s

Well, just a little review here from once we have come. 34s

We've talked about some of the be attitudes, the poor in 37s

spirit. 41s

We see poor there. 43s

We don't associate that with the blessing, but we see 45s

indeed the richness that is ours in the kingdom of God. 48s

The blessing in the skies that comes through morning, 53s

when we come to that understanding of the comfort of the 56s

gospel, the meek, indeed inheriting heaven and 60s

provision, hungering and thirst, blessings in the skies, 65s

because we see that we are satisfied through Christ. 69s

Mercy, that blessing in disguise, because we see that God 72s

brings us into that cycle of mercy, where he continues to 76s

rain down his mercy on us, that cycle of happiness. 80s

And we talked about the pure in heart, what looked like a 83s

defeat on the cross was actually the great victory in which 88s

Christ wins purity for us. 92s

Well, today I'd like to conclude our study together and 95s

let's begin in the book of Isaiah, please. 98s

Isaiah is in the Old Testament. 101s

Good way to find Isaiah is open up to Psalms and then start 104s

working your way to the right. 108s

Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon. 110s

Then you'll come to Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 9, and we'll pick 113s

up in verse 6, please. 119s

And there we read for a child has been born for us, a son 128s

given to us, authority rests upon his shoulders, and he's 133s

named wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, 140s

prince of peace. 145s

It is no surprise then what Jesus says in Matthew the 5th 149s

chapter. 154s

So let's go there, please. 155s

Matthew chapter 5, verse 9. 156s

Matthew chapter 5, verse 9. 163s

And there we read, blessed are the peacemakers for they 172s

will be called children of God. 178s

Let's spend some time in this. 183s

The Bible uses in Romans the 5th chapter four different 185s

words to describe us. 188s

And let's go to Romans chapter 5, Matthew, Mark, Luke, 191s

John, Acts, and then Romans. 196s

Romans chapter 5 will pick up in verse 6 in four different 198s

words I want to highlight with you of how it is that we are 204s

described. 210s

So Romans 5 picking up in verse 6. 211s

For while we were still weak at the right time Christ died 216s

for the ungodly, indeed, rarely will anyone die for a 223s

righteous person, though perhaps for a good person someone 227s

might actually dare to die. 231s

But God proves His love for us in this that while we were 234s

sinners, Christ died for us, much more surely than now that 237s

we have been justified by His blood will we be saved through 244s

Him from the wrath of God. 248s

For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God 251s

through the death of His Son, much more surely having been 256s

reconciled will we be saved by His life. 260s

But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord 264s

Jesus Christ through whom we have now received reconciliation. 269s

Notice the words here that are applied to us. 275s

We are weak. 281s

We are ungodly. 284s

We are sinners and we are born enemies of God. 289s

In other words, by nature we do not want peace with God. 299s

We don't want God at all. 304s

We don't want peace with Him. 308s

Now there's a difference between truth and a peace. 310s

Truth is a temporary cessation of the fight. 313s

It's a pause. 318s

Peace is a resolution. 319s

Jesus effected a peace with us, even though by nature we 322s

didn't want that peace at all. 328s

So He affected not just a truth, but He affected a peace with us. 331s

Let's go back into Romans chapter 5, verse 10 again. 338s

For while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God 344s

through the death of His Son. 348s

So in the state of being an enemy, God affects the peace, 352s

not a truce. 356s

He brings to end the conflict. 358s

But claimed by Him then, we are called to be peacemakers also. 362s

Let's go to Isaiah chapter 52, Isaiah chapter 52, verse 7. 370s

Psalms, Proverbs, ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, then Isaiah, 378s

Isaiah chapter 52, verse 7. 382s

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger 393s

who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, 400s

who says to Zion, your God reigns. 405s

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger 410s

who announces peace. 414s

Sharing the gospel is the highest form of making peace. 418s

When we share the gospel with others, what it is we are communicating 424s

is the very peace that God has won for us through the Lord Jesus Christ. 429s

So peacemaking, then, blessed are the peacemakers, 436s

are those that declare the peace that is ours through Christ Jesus. 440s

There is another aspect of it also. 445s

And let's go to Ephesians the fourth chapter. 448s

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Romans, 451s

1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, and then Ephesians. 454s

Ephesians chapter 4. 458s

Let's start with verse 1, so we're not mid-sentents. 463s

Paul writes, I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, 470s

beg you to lead in life worthy of the calling to which you've been called 475s

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, 479s

bearing with one another in love, 484s

making every effort to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. 486s

So the peace that we have in the church is a peace that is brought about 496s

through what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. 500s

We are to make every effort, then, to maintain that peace. 503s

In other words, not to spoil the Holy Spirit's good work by our actions. 510s

That interject petty corals or inconsiderate actions within the body of Christ. 515s

Let's look at Colossians, the third chapter. 523s

2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. 527s

Colossians chapter 3, verse 15. 532s

So the highest level of peacemaking is the communication of the gospel. 538s

And as people given this high level of calling, we then are to act to maintain the unity of peace in the body of Christ. 542s

So Colossians chapter 3, verse 15. 553s

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in the one body. 558s

And be thankful. 567s

Or let's go to Hebrews, the 12th chapter. 568s

Go to Revelation there, work your way back. 573s

You'll cross over the Johns, the Peters, and you bump into Hebrews very quickly. 575s

Hebrews chapter 12, verse 14. 582s

Persuade peace with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 592s

So when you jump back then to the Beatitudes there in Matthew the 5th chapter, verse 9. 602s

And we read, blessed are the peace makers for they will be called children of God. 609s

We make peace when we communicate the gospel. 618s

We make peace when we do those actions in word and indeed which preserves the very peace of the unity of the body of Christ. 622s

Where we say we want that peace to be communicated and we want that peace to continually be manifest in the body of Christ. 632s

How then do we understand these verses though? 644s

Let's go to Matthew chapter 10, Matthew chapter 10, verse 34. 647s

For the very one now who says he affects peace, the very one that calls the body of Christ to live this life of peace. 656s

The very one says these words. 666s

Do not think that I've come to bring peace to the earth. 669s

I've not come to bring peace but a sword. 673s

For I've come to set a man against his father and a daughter against her mother and a daughter in law against her mother in law. 678s

In one's foes will be members of one's own household. 685s

Or let's go over into Luke chapter 12, Matthew, Mark, and then Luke, Luke chapter 12, verse 51. 691s

Here again the words of Jesus. 707s

Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you but rather division. 713s

From now on five in one household will be divided three against two and two against three. They'll be divided. 721s

Father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother in law against her daughter in law and daughter in law against mother in law. 728s

So how on the one hand then does Jesus say, plus it are the peacemakers, right? 739s

And then on the other hand Jesus says, did I come and bring, do I come to bring peace? Absolutely not. 745s

So which is it? Which is it here? Is it peace or or not? 753s

Let's go to James the fourth chapter. Right after hebrews, James chapter 4, verse 4. 759s

And here we read adulterers. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God. 783s

Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 793s

The phrase here adulterer here is talking about spiritual adultery. 801s

Those who love the world more than God. Those who have another lover that has departed the relationship with God and has another lover. 805s

The world here is people in rebellion against God in God's ways. 821s

So peace with God means then that we will be at war with the world. 828s

That's what Jesus means when he says, I didn't come to bring peace. 835s

So by the very fact then that we're brought into a peace relationship that Jesus Christ has affected with us who are weak on Godly sinners and enemies. 839s

And has given us the message of reconciliation, the message of the gospel, has called us to preserve the peace and the unity that is born as a church is united around doctrine. 849s

We also understand that in this peace relationship it means then that being a person of the Prince of Peace, a follower of the Prince of Peace means that we will be at war with the ways of the world. 864s

It's why Jesus then could speak of peace making and not coming to bring peace. 882s

You see when the church makes peace with the ways of the world we are making peace with the wrong thing. 890s

We are to be at war with the ways of the world. 900s

At peace with one another around the Lord Jesus Christ and at peace because of our relationship that God has affected with us through the Lord Jesus Christ and absolutely at war with God. 905s

What is so often understood these days in the life of the church but what is so often taken is the secular world of secular word of tolerance and tolerance is equated with love. 920s

God doesn't call us to be tolerant with the ways of the world. 938s

God is incredibly intolerant with regard to the ways of the world and his body then should reflect that intolerance with the ways of the world. 944s

How we go about addressing the ways of the world must be done under the control of God and in accordance with the expression of the fruit of the Spirit with the firm awareness of our own sin and communicating our need of repentance. 956s

But the acceptance of the ways of the world moves us then into a truce relationship or a peace relationship with the world of which we as Christians are not to be in that relationship. 974s

So Jesus says, I come and I call you to be peace makers and then he also says, I come not to bring peace and not to bring peace and it's two truths that one holds up in Scripture. 990s

Well, let's go back to Matthew the fifth chapter because I want to unpack a little blessing in the skies here. 1006s

Matthew chapter 5 verse 9. 1013s

Blessed are the peace makers and what is the ultimate form of peace making? 1023s

It is the communication in the gospel. It is preserving the unity of peace within the bond of the church. 1030s

But then notice what it says, for they will be called children of God. 1036s

There will be called children of God. Now there's a Greek word here that you call it hyoeae. It's not the Greek word techno. 1043s

So there's a different word here that is being used. The word that is being used highlights dignity and honor. 1056s

And so it's a beautiful blessing in the skies. Blessed are the peace makers. For they will be called children of God. 1071s

They will have this position of dignity and honor. 1079s

So as we then go to war with the world, right? We don't tolerate the ways of the world. 1084s

His God doesn't tolerate that. As we go to war by communicating the truth, we also do that as people that are understood in the eyes of God as peace makers in the reality of what God brings about in our lives. 1093s

And we understand the position of dignity and honor that God has placed us in because we are His children called to live out this incredible blessing. 1110s

Well, let's look at the last blessing. 1131s

And let's start with 1 Thessalonians 2. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 1137s

1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. And you get into the T-books. 1145s

So 1st Thessalonians, chapter 2. And we'll pick up in verse 4. 1152s

We are called to speak the truth of God. And we read in 1st Thessalonians 2, verse 4. 1162s

But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our heart. 1172s

Let me read that phrase again. 1191s

Even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. 1193s

The question then, to continually ask ourselves, each and every day in our conversations, in our sharing of words, who is it that we are trying to please? 1204s

Because the world has a message that is very pleasing to the world. Very pleasing. 1220s

It is very pleasing to the world to hear a validation of sin. It is very pleasing to hear an acceptance of sin or diminishing of God. 1229s

The question then to ask ourselves, each and every day, is, who am I trying to please in this conversation? 1246s

Am I trying to please the person with a word that is antithetical to Scripture? Because I just know that they would want to hear that. 1255s

Am I trying to please the very one listening to the conversation which is God Almighty? 1268s

Where God would say, you paid a price for that conversation, however that really pleases me, what you said. 1274s

The church is constantly tempted to mute her message in order to hear the applause of the world instead of the applause of God. 1284s

So the question to ask yourself in those times of perhaps more difficult questions is, who is it that I am trying to please? 1299s

With an awareness that the truth will not always be well received. It just won't. 1309s

Take a look at Matthew chapter 23, Matthew chapter 23, verse 37. 1316s

And here Jesus laments and says Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it. 1337s

How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings and you were not willing? 1347s

Truth will not always be well received. Why Jesus reveals that in the sermon on the mount. Let's go back to Matthew the fifth chapter. 1359s

Matthew chapter 5. 1367s

And picking up in verse 10, he says, 1374s

More than happy are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. There is the kingdom of heaven. 1386s

Look at verse 11. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely. 1394s

The most the key phrase on my account. 1403s

Rejoice in me glad for your reward is great in heaven for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 1407s

So how does one equate being more than happy with persecution being reviled having all kinds of false things said about you? 1416s

That does not sound like a recruitment tool for Christianity, does it? It just doesn't. 1426s

Historically it's so interesting that when you look at the concept of happiness in the understanding of the church, 1434s

the church has historically, when you look at big picture, the church has it right in understanding happiness as an objective reality and not a feeling. 1443s

So the church, a big picture here, the church understands happiness in doing that which is right, not necessarily feeling a certain way. 1458s

The world associates happiness with a feeling and the church associates happiness with an action. 1472s

It has a moral basis to it. So you can see then why the world's definition of happiness is so fleeting and disappearing. 1479s

Compare that understanding to the phrase whatever makes you happy. 1490s

That's what the world says. The world says whatever makes you happy. 1497s

Go ahead and say that and do that because the goal of life is just to be happy. So whatever it is that makes you happiness. 1503s

Happiness then is whatever in the world's eyes. Happiness is whatever you think it is. 1513s

Whatever makes you happy then has no moral framework then outside of the person, does it? 1521s

So it doesn't matter if there's a transgression against the Ten Commandments, whatever makes you happy, right? 1528s

Or it doesn't matter if an action is rooted out of just absolute selfishness, whatever makes you happy. 1535s

Or it doesn't matter if an action or words hurts someone else, whatever makes you happy. 1544s

Or it doesn't matter how a moral wrong it is as long as you can get the fix of the good mood, whatever it is makes you happy. 1553s

Hear the way of the world and hear the liturgy and the verse of the world that says whatever it is makes you happy and Jesus here reinforcing. 1565s

No, it's not whatever makes you happy. There's a moral basis to happiness and it is rooted in doing that which is right. 1577s

Doing that which is right. 1587s

Was Jesus falsely accused? Absolutely. Mark 14. Was he persecuted? Absolutely. Mark 15. 1591s

Was he reviled? Absolutely. Mark 15. 1597s

So the very one who talks about being persecuted and reviled and falsely accused in the Beatitudes is something that he knows himself. 1600s

Notice what he says. Let's go to Matthew 5 again, verse 10. 1611s

Blessed are those who are persecuted for what? For righteousness, sake. Well what's righteousness? 1618s

It is being right. We are made right through Christ, right? Righteousness is doing that which is right. 1628s

There's the moral basis of happiness. So when one doesn't do that which is right and says, well I'm going to do that because it really makes me happy to do that. 1639s

There's no less happiness there. There's no happiness in the eyes of God. It is fleeting. When one says, I'm going to do that which is right by the strength of God because that's what God wants me to do. 1652s

And in the end you see, we've all just got an audience of one. We're all just acting and talking to please Jesus, not the person in front of us ultimately. 1666s

You can serve God by serving the person in front of you but how you serve the person in front of you is formed by how God calls you to serve that person in front of you. 1676s

It is doing that which is right and there is happiness. In verse 10, blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, sake. 1688s

Doing that which is right for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. You see, there's the blessing in disguise that as we do the right thing, we know that we have been made right because of Jesus Christ. 1698s

We're not saved by doing the right thing but we live in the righteousness that is given to us that alien gift that comes to us through Christ Jesus and then as we are cloaked in his righteousness we desire to do that which is right. 1714s

There's the blessing that is ours in disguise. Doing that which is right is the source of happiness, is the more based. 1734s

Or let's look at verse 11. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and that are all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 1749s

Rejoice to me glad for your reward is great in heaven for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Here's the blessing in disguise that when you pay a price for standing for the truth, when you pay a price in confronting sin, when you pay the price to where the person says, you know this isn't the word of tolerance coming from you of the world. 1763s

So when you pay the price to be the follower of Christ that you're called to do, there is being more than happy because the blessing in disguise is we're in good company. 1790s

We're in a really good company. Take a look at 1 Peter chapter 4 please. 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 14. 1804s

If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you're blessed because the spirit of glory which is the spirit of God is resting on you. 1830s

If you're reviled for the name of Christ, you're blessed. See that that's the be attitudes isn't it? You see that's the basis of happiness which has a moral a moral basis. 1843s

That's the antithesis of whatever it is. Whatever it makes you happy. It's the antithesis of that. That is living the life before Christ where you say, what it is I want to do is I want to adore Christ, period. 1858s

Period, full stop. So what I want to do. So you don't look for the applause of the world. You just say, I just want to adore Christ. 1875s

Full stop. There is the basis of happiness. Let's look at Acts the 5th chapter. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and then Acts. Acts chapter 5 verse 41. 1887s

As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name, the name being of course Jesus. 1917s

In every day in the temple and at home they did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. You see it was validating to the early Christians. They're suffering for the cause of Christ. It was validating of that. 1931s

That is such a stark word for the church these days. It is such a stark word for the church to ask ourselves. Does anyone know I'm a Christian? 1946s

Does anyone even know I'm a Christian? Or do they look at you and say, there's a nice guy. Here's a nice woman. Do the people around us know that the fruit of the spirit of which they say, there's something a little bit different about them or something like that. 1961s

I don't know that was a kind thing. Is coming out of the fact of Christ that dwells in us? Or when we say we've got an audience of one and we're going to confront sin, we're going to deal with sin, we're going to do it in the loving way and we're going to do it with the understanding that we ourselves are sinners. 1983s

You know that perks the ears of the world. The reaction might always be great. But once again, where's the blessing in disguise in all this? The blessing in disguise is indeed the one the Lord Jesus Christ says, well done. 2002s

Well done. And that's all that matters, right? It's all that matters. And will all of us fall short in that? Absolutely. Absolutely. Every single day we will all fall short. And what is it that God keeps coming to us with but His gracious word of the gospel, that gracious empowerment, that grace that He continues to lavish upon us? 2020s

Do any of us arrive this side of heaven? Absolutely not. We're all going to be a work in progress. We're all just a work in progress, right? We're not the same as we were yesterday. We're not the same as we were going to be tomorrow. God is constantly changing us and in His grace we live. And what it is we discover is that His blessings continue to come to us and His blessings oftentimes come in a surprise. 2046s

The be attitudes then are not a to do list. The be attitudes are eight blessings of God. Eight blessings of God. We realize that when God says, blessed, more than happy are they that the very thing He calls us to do, He will empower in us. 2072s