If you have your Bibles we'll be back in the book of Matthew tonight. Matthew chapter 5 as we continue our study through the Beatitudes. I was looking back and tonight's the 23rd message out of Matthew already. So it's been a journey and we're thankful for that. I guess we're just about halfway through the year. We're not quite halfway through Matthew. So we'll see how long it takes us to go verse by verse through this wonderful gospel. But for now, we're in this introductory portion to the Sermon on the Mount, what we like to call the Beatitudes. The seventh Beatitude is the one we're focusing in on here tonight. And we find that Beatitude here in verse 9. Let's begin our reading in verse 1. just for the sake of context. And seeing the multitude, he went up into a mountain, and when he was said, his disciples came unto him, and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger, and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. And then verse 9, our core passage for tonight. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. The title of the message as we continue to bake this cake of true happiness It's the seventh ingredient, and it is the beatitude of peaceableness. Peaceableness is what we will consider here tonight. Bow with me as we pray and ask the Lord to bless our time together. Father, we thank you once again for allowing us to come into this house. Father, we acknowledge that it's your very strength that gives our muscles strength to expand, to contract, and allow us to walk. Lord, we acknowledge it's your very power that gives us the cognitive ability to put one foot in front of the other. Father, we acknowledge that you hold us together. And Lord, we know that you do hold us fast. No matter what trials we may face, no matter what difficulties we come to in this life, Lord, you will hold your people and you will hold them fast. We know that all things work together for the good to them that love you and are called according to your purpose. And Father, now as we open up your great word, Lord, I pray that you would speak to us through it here tonight. Father, we acknowledge that you don't audibly speak to us today, but you speak to us through your word. And that's why we open it. That's why we study it. That's why we preach and teach it Wednesday and Sunday after Sunday. Lord, be with us now as we enter into the special time that we call Bible study together. It's in your son's wonderful name we pray. Amen. peaceableness. You know you may not know this about peace or you ever heard of the Peace Corps? Currently the Peace Corps actually has about 1,400 active volunteers and these 1,400 volunteers are spread out across 53 different countries. The Peace Corps as you know it claims to try to build relationships and transform lives. is what the Peace Corps say that they do in these 53 different countries. You know not only the Peace Corps are trying to promote peace far and abroad but the US claims to do the same. The US has over 13,000 professionals carrying out foreign policy abroad and 265 diplomatic missions spread out all around the world. Peace though is really It's an unreachable goal, at least for any length of time. Over the past 3,400 years, there's only been 268 years total of peace. At least 100 million people were killed in wars in the 20th century alone. What is the problem? Could the problem be pride? I think so. Could the problem be greed? More money? More land? More resources? I think so. What about just a need for blood? You know, there are those people in this world that seek to kill, that seek to destroy. They don't want peace. They want war. They want constant battling and bickering. What about this desire for just more and more and more and uncontentment? All of the above, we could say, yes, that's the problem. But at the core of it all is sin. It's a three-letter word called sin. So the question remains, is peace possible? Is peace possible? Speaking of world peace, I'll say not, not until our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, comes back in every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Yes, the Antichrist will come and promote and proclaim peace for those three and a half years, but we won't even call that world peace because destruction is sure to come. So tonight we will learn how to be happy. And we're going to be happy because we're going to display. We're going to apply this attribute, this beatitude called peaceableness. So what is peaceableness? Number one in your outline, the definition of peaceableness. The definition of peaceableness. Our text in verse nine. It says, blessed are the peacemakers. Now that word, peacemakers, it's a rather long word in the Greek, Ire nop oios. And this particular word is only used in this term, that exact Greek word, here in verse nine of our text. So if we apply the meaning of this word in the original Greek text, it simply means, to make peace and if we apply it in the context that we have here tonight a peacemaker is someone who bravely declares God's terms which make someone whole. A familiar biblical we would call it a synonym for a peacemaker would be a reconciler, a reconciler. We see both described, not called out in name, but described in Paul's letter to the Romans when he said in Romans chapter 5 and verse 1, therefore being justified by faith, We have peace with God, how? Through our Lord Jesus Christ. You see in this one verse alone, we see both alienation and mediation. And when Christ comes onto the scene in this text, And he mediates this justification for us. This is why Paul says we have peace with God through Jesus Christ. It is only through the mediation of Jesus Christ that we can be at peace with God. He is the only mediator. that could do this. 1 Timothy chapter 2, a well-known passage beginning in verse 5 says, For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all. So if Jesus Christ is the only mediator, and he is, and peaceableness is described in its most basic form as reconciliation, how can we as God's people demonstrate peaceableness? Well, we who are Christ We are to imitate him by divine command. We see that command in Ephesians 5 in verse 1. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children. 1 John chapter 2 in verse 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought also so to walk even as he walked. So we as Christians are to follow Him. We are to follow Christ. We are to walk as Christ walked. And since He walked making peace, walked around making peace with God for man through His reconciling work on the cross, we must walk in the same way. Now, can we reconcile men to God? No, we cannot do that. That's Christ's job. He is the mediator, the one mediator. But we have been gifted with a gospel. And the gospel holds the key to reconciliation. You see, we mediate the gospel to a wayward and an alienated world. So you could say that a peacemaker is nothing more than a gospel presenter. The gospel is the only tool we have to be the spiritual peacemakers that God has called us all to be. The definition of peaceableness. Now the source of peaceableness. The source of peaceableness. You know we must clearly answer the question, where does this peaceableness come from? And the answer to that is that it comes from a Trinitarian source. So first of all, let's consider the Father of Peace. The Father of Peace. I'm aware there's a lot of blanks on the outline tonight. And I'm sorry, but man, this is deep. I just love this study. Okay. So the father of peace. There's multiple scriptures that clearly give the father of the title peacemaker. So the first one we come to is Romans chapter 16 and verse 20. says, and the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. You know, it is God Almighty that crushed the head of Satan through the seed of woman, bringing peace to the elect. Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 20 says, Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Again, God is our God of peace. And our God of peace raised up Christ from the dead who ultimately brought peace to the chosen. God is the father of peace. And we not only see the father of peace, but we see the son of peace. Listen to just a few verses of Christ's great prayer, his prayer for his disciples and all believers in John chapter 17. I want us to see how that Christ longs for and how that Christ prays that God bring peace to his people. We see that clearly in this text. John chapter 17 and verse 11. Sanctify them through thy truth thy word is truth. God set them apart through your truth. John 17 verse 20 and 21. Neither pray I thee for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. that they all may be one as thou, Father art in me and I in them, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. Peace with God through the Son. John 17, beginning of verse 22. And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be as one. even as we are one. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved You see, Christ was not concerned with giving believers everything that we want. He's not concerned with giving us everything that we might think we even need. Christ, who is the Son of Peace, was most concerned with bringing peace to man through his reconciling work on the cross. That is why he prayed as he did. But Christ did not only pray for peace. The scripture tells us they went further than that. He bled for peace. Colossians 1 chapter 20. and having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself, by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven." So Jesus Christ reconciled us to himself through the redeeming power of his blood that was spilt. on our cross. Christ is the Son of Peace. So the Father of Peace is God Almighty. The Son of Peace is Jesus Christ. What about the Spirit of Peace? The Spirit of Peace. Listen to how the flow these verses that we're going to read here in just a second and the explanations concerning both salvation and peacefulness flow. First of all, I want us to consider thinking about salvation, that salvation is birthed within us. John chapter 1 beginning of verse 12 says, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born of Not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. You see, the new birth inclines us to God after God birthed salvation to us, and that's clearly manifested, clearly revealed in 1 John 5, in verse 1. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. and everyone that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him so this spirit that God gives us inclines us unto God so that we love God and we will call out to God this is the spirit of peace and we receive this spirit through the exercise of faith, Galatians 3, beginning in verse 1. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you. Received ye by the Spirit, by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Of course, the answer to this rhetorical question is by faith. We receive the Spirit through faith. And then the fruit of the Spirit we receive is peace. We studied this not too long ago on Sunday mornings, Galatians chapter 5. In verse 22, but the fruit of the Spirit is what? Love, joy, peace. It is peace. From start to finish, the Spirit is involved in both making us to be at peace with God through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, and with birthing peace within us to be lived out. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of peace. We have the Father of peace, the Son of peace, and the Spirit of peace. We have a Trinitarian peace. Just as we said at the beginning, this is that Trinitarian source and it lies within us. We have a Father who planned out our peace before the foundation of the world. We have a Son of peace who provided the way for us to be at peace with the Father through his reconciling work. We have the Spirit of Peace who applied what the Father had planned and who applied what the Son had provided and inclined our hearts to be at peace with God. This is the amazing source of our peaceableness. You see, we don't birth this peaceableness up within us through our own will. It is a divine peaceableness that must be revealed as we live day by day going throughout this life. The definition of peaceableness, the source of peaceableness. Number three, the demonstration of peaceableness, the demonstration. To see this biblical demonstration, to show us a biblical demonstration of this peaceableness, I want to look at one Old Testament example and one New Testament. The first one that we're going to look at, we're going to see how Abraham demonstrated peaceableness. Abraham demonstrated peaceableness. If you turn with me to Genesis chapter 13. Genesis 13. I want us to be reminded what happened when Abraham and Lot seemed to come to a disagreement about the land where they were going to camp out at or set up their place to live. And I want to see how Abraham addressed the issue that him and Lot had. Genesis chapter 13. Let's begin reading in verse 1. of our text. Genesis 13 verse 1, And Abram went up out of the land of Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and lot with him into the south. And Abram was very rich in cattle and silver and in gold. And he went on his journey from the south even to Bethel and to the place where his tent had been at the beginning between Bethel and Hath. And to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first, and there Abram called on the name of the Lord. And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together, for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. And there was strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle, and the Canaanite and the Pezite dwelled there in the land. And Abram said unto Lot, let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen, for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me. If thou wilt take the left hand, I will go to the right, or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. So far in our text, we see both alienation between Abraham and Lot, and now we see mediation through Abraham. Go to verse 10. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and behold, and beheld all the plain of Jordan that was well watered everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zor. So here in our text, we see Abraham, instead of arguing and fighting with Lot over this good fertile land, he gave Lot the choice. He gave him the choice of what land he wanted. You see, Abraham gave us an example of peacefulness in a practical way by choosing peace above comfort, by choosing peace above ease of living. Abraham demonstrated peaceableness. Next, Christ demonstrated peaceableness. Turn back to our text in Matthew chapter 5. We've already talked about how that Christ demonstrated peaceableness through his death and reconciling work on the cross, but he also demonstrated peaceableness in a practical kind of way just as Abraham did later on in Matthew chapter 5. Let's begin reading in verse 43. Matthew chapter 5. in verse 43, considering how that Christ demonstrated peacefulness. Matthew 5, verse 43, says, you have heard it had been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them which hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. that they may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. For he maketh the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. So Christ wants our peaceableness to go further than just peaceableness in a salvific type of way. He wants us to have this practical peacefulness that is easily seen specifically in this text with our handling of our enemies. Now when we look at this text we must first notice what is meant by the word enemy. An enemy as used in this text is referring to a person who is resolved through a deep-seated and personal hatred to inflict harm on another. You see, this is just not somebody who is a little bit resentful. This is a person who has a deep hatred that boils up within, and the only way that they can get any type of relief is to inflict harm on who they call their enemy. Next, we must see what Christ says to do and how that he describes and tells us what we're supposed to do with that person who is resolved and has this deep-seated personal hatred to inflict harm on us. What does Christ say to do? He says to love your enemies. So Christ says to love the very one who has set out to personally harm us. And this is just not any type of love. We may look at this and we may think, well, that's just phileo love, you know, some brotherly love, you know, just a simple love here. No. This is agapio love. This is divine love. This is preferential love that chooses to have benevolence. towards the recipients. So we are to love in an agapeo kind of way our enemies, the very one who seeks to kill and destroy us, who has a deep hatred that boils up within them to harm us. Next notice in verse 44. that Christ says to go farther than just love them, Christ says to bless them that persecute you. You know, we get our English word eulogy from the Greek word that is used here for bless. So Christ is telling us to speak blessing which confers benefit to those that want to harm us. Next notice in verse 44, it keeps getting harder. Christ says to do good to them which hate you. He's telling us to go further than just love them, to go further than just bless them, but to do things that benefit our enemy. Do things that benefit the one who hates us, the one who wants to harm us. And then finally, notice that Christ says to pray for them that despitefully use you. That means hate you and persecute you. So as our enemy is presently hating, and harassing and troubling and maltreating us, we are to pray for them. Christ is telling us to go completely counterculture here. He is telling us to do the exact opposite of what we would naturally want to do. And what reason does he give us for doing this? Look back to verse 45, that the children of your father, that you may be children of your father, which is in heaven. Sounds familiar to verse 9, don't it? Look back to verse 9, our key passage. Now we'll study that last phrase in depth here in just a moment. But now know that this is not pointing in a salvific kind of way. It is not saying that if you're a peacemaker, then you earn salvation. This is an indication of a bearing of the name of God, of holding a banner of God's children, of God saying, those are mine, holding it proudly over our head. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. Christ demonstrated peaceableness through what he tells us to do here in Matthew chapter So, both Abraham and Lading Lot choose a better land. And Christ, in His command for us to love, bless, do good to, and pray for our enemies, demonstrates for us true peacefulness. So, we've looked at the definition, the source, the demonstration. Now, what about the deviation? The deviation from peacefulness? Because the fact of the matter, or as we say in the South, the fact jack. Mr. Jack's out there. He's waving. The fact, Jack, is that we do not live in a perfect world. There will come a time when we must deviate from being at peace with all men. That's why the Apostle Paul, when addressing this very issue, said this in Romans chapter 8, chapter 12, and verse 18, it be possible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men. Paul is saying, remember, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that we must strive to be at peace with all men. But what I want us to see is that there is a limit on peaceableness. And that limit can be summed up by saying we must always choose purity over peaceableness. The limit to peaceableness is purity. We see this clearly in the order of wisdom that James gives in James chapter 3 and verse 17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle. and easy to be entreated. So we must do what is first pure, then do what is peaceable. And it cannot be the other way around. We even see this order clearly in the Beatitudes we are studying. Look back to verse 8. Verse 8 of our text. are the pure in heart for they shall see God. There's purity. Verse 9, blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. Again, purity comes before peacefulness and that is by divine design because you cannot have peace without purity. It does not work. It doesn't work with salvation. It does not work with sanctification. The deviation for peaceableness. There is limits to being at peace with all men. Now what about the result? Number five on our outline, the result of peaceableness. Let's look back to verse nine. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. There's the result. For they shall be called the children of God. Notice first what this text is not saying. It is not saying that the peacemakers are saved because they simply strive for peace. This is not a works-based salvation gospel presentation. We must read statements like this carefully so that we do not misinterpret them. So if we look at that phrase, shall be called, it's actually one compound word in the original text, and it is best translated as shall be acknowledged. It is speaking more of a title given. It is actually used to describe the name given to Christ in Luke chapter one, verse 35. And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also the holy thing which shall be born of thee, here it is, shall be called the Son of God. Now think about this. Did the angel telling Mary that the babe that was going to be born to her shall be called the Son of God make Jesus the Son of God? It did not. Jesus was already the Son of God. The angel was simply acknowledging his title. The angel was acknowledging his already given name. We see another example when James quotes scripture referring to Abraham in James chapter 2 beginning verse 23. The text reads, and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. Which came first, the title the friend of God or salvation? It was, of course, salvation. Abraham believed in God and his faith in God was counted unto him righteousness. Then he was given the title, the friend of God. So back to our main text in Matthew 5, 9, the title, the children of God, is being given because of peaceableness. Now what's the big deal about this title? Thomas Watson in his exposition on this text. He's got a book it's a good read a harder read if you've ever read some of them older writers like that but he's got a good expedition on this text and he gives 12 blessings or privileges of being the children of God. Now these are not word for word as he states in this book but I absolutely love them and love pondering what he said. These are just the results that we will see. I've got a reference scripture. We're not going to put them up on the screen. We'll just give them in a shotgun style kind of way. First of all, first result we have of being God's children is God loves his children. It is a privilege that God loves us. He even loves us in the way that he chastens us and rebukes us, Revelation 3 and verse 19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. It's Jesus Christ speaking. As many as I love. We're blessed because we are loved by our Lord. God not only loves his children, but another privilege we have, another result is God bears his children's infirmities. God bears his children's infirmities. Malachi 3 In verse 17, it says, And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts. In that day, when I make up my jewels, I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. No matter what infirmities come our way, God will spare us. He will protect us. He will bear the infirmities that we cannot bear in our weakness. See in your outline, God accepts his children's imperfect service. God accepts his children's imperfect service. Aren't you so thankful that God knows that we cannot be perfect? If we could be perfect, there would be no need for the reconciling work of Jesus Christ. God knows that we cannot 2 Corinthians 8 and verse 12. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that man hath, and not according to that he hath not. God knows we are not perfect. and cannot be perfect. We must have a willing mind, a devoted mind, a mind that is set on things above that wants to be obedient unto him. He accepts his children's imperfect service. D. God provides for his children. God provides for his children. Second Corinthians chapter twelve and verse fourteen. Behold the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you. For I seek not yours but you. For the children ought not lay up for their parents but the parents for the children. Who provides the shelter? A child or the parent? It's the parent. The parent provides for his children. It's no different than our relationship with our Heavenly Father. God provides for his children. E, God shields his children. He shields his children. Psalm 7 in verse 10, my defense is of God, which saveth the upright in heart." Just as David said as he entered into that battle against Goliath, he said the battle is the Lord's. David knew he could not win that battle in and of himself. And what God did is he shielded his child David from Goliath and gave David what he need to fight Goliath. And David acknowledged the battle is the Lord's. My defense is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. F in your outline. God illuminates truth for his children. What a blessed privilege this is. God illuminates truth for his children. Matthew 11, verse 25, At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and the prudent, and has revealed them unto babes. Oh man, what a blessed privilege it is to have the word of God and to have the spirit who illuminates the truth of the word that we read. G in your outline. God emboldens his children. He emboldens his children. Luke chapter 11. Beginning in verse 13, if ye then, this is Christ speaking, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? What greater gift could God had given us than the Holy Spirit? The Spirit emboldens us to do whatever it is that God has called us to do. God emboldens His children. H, God frees His children. He frees us, first of all, from the burdens of the law. Romans chapter 8 verse 12, for the law of the Spirit, the law of the Spirit of life is Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Christ also frees us from the controlling power of sin. Romans chapter 6 and verse 14, for sin shall not have dominion over you for a year not under the law but under grace. I in your outline God makes his children heirs. He makes his children heirs. 2 Peter chapter 1 and verse 4, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Are you thankful to be an heir with Jesus Christ? And we would say amen. Jay, in your outline, God blesses his children. He blesses his children. Psalm 29 and verse 11, the Lord will give strength unto his people. The Lord will bless his people with peace. He will bless his people with peace. Next, God works all things for the good of his children. You know where we're going with this one? Romans chapter 8 and verse 28, a favorite. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose. All things work together for the good. And then L, last but not least, God saves his children. God saves his children. John chapter five and verse twenty-four, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shalt not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life, eternally. seals us and eternally saves his blessed children. The result of peacefulness. It is a result of blessedness. So, so far tonight, we've looked at the definition, source, the two demonstrations of Abraham and Christ, the deviation from peacefulness. We must always choose purity over peace. We've looked at the result, it is a result of blessing of these 12 privileges, these 12 blessings of being a child of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. So lastly, let's look at the peaceable application. The peaceable application. So to apply this tonight, we must take what we've learned, and I like three, So we look at three ways we can apply this message tonight. Three ways. First of all we must thank peaceable thoughts. We must thank peaceable thoughts. You see we must go farther than just thanking on things that are pure. Thanking on things that are lovely and so on. We must think of ways we can demonstrate the peace of God to an unpeaceable world. We must think of ways that we can take steps towards peace with all men as much as possible. You see it does no good to read this. and not do this. So we must put it into action. We must think on these things. Come up with a plan. Who would go to war without having a plan? Who would build a house without having a plan? The answer would be nobody. So think peaceable thoughts. Secondly, we must say peaceable words. We must say peaceable Words, had a conversation with one of my children this week. What goes in will come out. What's in will be manifested by what comes out of our mouth. So if we're thinking those, thinking, if we're thinking those peaceable thoughts, and we're thinking about how that we can make peace with all men, it will start to spew out. You see, our thoughts must do more than just go from one side of our brain to the other. They must move out. through our mouths. We must choose to say words that promote peace without compromising the truth. We must refrain from talking about the mundane things of life that just rile people up. We must move past saying what we want to say and choosing to say what we need to say. We must say peaceable words. So we must think peaceable thoughts, say peaceable words, and see we must do peaceable acts. You know they say actions speak louder than words and we would agree with that in most cases. I don't buy into the lie that you can present the gospel with no type of communication. You can't live your life good enough to let somebody know that they've sinned against a holy God and are doomed to hell and the only way that they can escape that is to repent and believe. We just can't do that without saying words or handing a tract or handing them a Bible. We have to share the gospel. Now what I do believe is we must put our money where our mouths are in the area of these peaceable acts. If we talk the peaceable talk, and we think the peaceable thoughts, we must walk the peaceable walk. We must demonstrate that we are peaceable Christians, that we are children of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, that we wear that banner across or over our heads, that we are God's children because we are peaceable. And we do that by doing peaceable things. So to apply this message, we think peaceable thoughts, say peaceable words, and do peaceable acts. So the question, the tip of the spear question, is are we at peace with God? Are we at peace with God? If not, the only way to do this, you know, is through the reconciling work of Jesus Christ. Remember, there's one mediator between God and man. It's the man, Christ Jesus. He's it. So if we want to be at peace with a holy God in our sinful and despicable state that we are in, we must go through the mediator. And we do that through repentance and faith. Now for those of us that are already Christians, Are we at peace with God not in a salvific way? Of course we are if we're saved. What about in a sanctifying way? Are we currently at peace with God because we're living in the will of God? Are we that person that's always in that rove boat trying to go upstream in the current of God's will? And then not only are we at peace with God, but are we at peace with men? When our community look at us, do they look upon us with hatred or dislike because we're always stirring up strife? Or do they look upon us with love because they know that we genuinely care about them? They may not agree with what we believe, but do they know that we care? You see, in the kingdom of God, There will be no room for rebels, only peacemakers, only. Bow with me as we pray. Father, Lord, we thank you once again for allowing us to be here tonight. We thank you for this wonderful beatitude, Father, of peaceableness. I pray that we would be a people that would choose purity and peace in all situations. I pray that we would never compromise the truth, that we would do everything that is within us, as Paul said, to live peaceably with all men. Lord, thank you for giving us your son, who, Father, was a manifestation of peace. Lord, he's the only one that can make us at peace with you and how thankful we are that he is that mediator between you and us. Lord, I pray that we would apply this message. I pray that we would be a people that share the gospel with others so that they could be at peace with you as well. Lord, have your way with this time of invitation. We love you. It's in your son's name.