What is Peace?

Not peace at any cost

Peacemaking is difficult

Peace requires action

Peace requires spiritual insight

Peace is sometimes unattainable

What does a peacemaker look like?

Peaceful attitude

Selfless - without a personal agenda other than peace

Brave - willing to walk into danger or crisis

What does a peacemaker do?

Listen

Look for a way to bring about peace

Spread peace wherever you go

Definition: Morally Pure, Single Minded, Free from Deceit (Transparent)

Illustration: Those who give with no expectation of anything in return. This is a pure form of love.

Contrast: The world is morally compromised. Deceitfulness rules the day.

Religious people settle for recognition, missing the beauty of knowing God.

Application: Be the same person wherever you go, always wanting to honor God.

Definition: Desire to ameliorate the pain of sin.

Illustration: The Good Samaritan

Contrast: The world seeks vengeance, mercy is for the weak.

The religious rely on legalistic standards to elevate themselves above others.

Application: Mercy is a recognition of my own human fallibility. That I have been forgiven leads me to forgive others.

Definition: Desperate to be holy

Illustration: Physical hunger moves us to get food, only Jesus can satisfy our spiritual hunger.

If you have no desire for spiritual things then you have trouble at the heart of your relationship with God.

Contrast: The world seeks happiness. The religious settle for ritual.

Promise: When you seek righteousness, God fills that hunger with Himself.

Definition: Be gentle, humble, considerate, courteous.

Power under control.

Illustration: David enduring the pursuit of Saul.

Contrast: The world values the aggressive, ambitious man who leads the organization.

How did Peter respond? How about the Sons of Thunder, James and John?

Promise: Now how we would expect to gain the world.

Be content, enjoy life without the frustration of unsatisfied ambition.

Definition: Sorrow over my sinfulness that leads me to repentance.

Sorrow over your sinfulness that leads me to evangelism.

Illustration: Don’t make light of sin or espouse the glory of cheap grace.

Contrast: This is a direct attack on superficial Christianity.

Promise: There will be comfort.

Be sorrowful, but not miserable.

Be serious but not sullen.

Definition: Realize my need for Christ

Illustration: Isaiah standing in the temple seeing the Lord - Isaiah 6

Contrast: The world says, “Believe in yourself.” The religious brag about their accomplishments.

Promise: The kingdom of heaven is for the present, not just the future.

The church needs to learn:

1. Being like the world doesn’t attract non-Christians.

2. Christ isn’t calling us to mere superficial/surface differences but to inner distinction.

Don’t let the 2nd coming discourage or distract you.

Verse 11 – Build one another up – encourage one another – even more!

Time is short!

Battle is great!

Stakes are high!

Task is urgent!

Christ’s return is imminent!

Everything that follows verse 11 has this in mind. Don’t get complacent or satisfied. There is too much at stake and too urgent a task to languish in the luxury of division.

Open your eyes. Look up to your leaders. Look out for one another. Look in at your own walk with the Lord, and get to the work of the kingdom.

Look around. This is the church. This is you. Take care of one another. Take care of your walk. Pray for your leaders. Pray for your pastor. I know you have been doing it. Do it even more!

The love challenge grows over time. It requires: forgiveness, grace, patience, bearing with one another, overcoming disappointment, sacrifice. This isn’t easy. It is a “labor of love” that Paul had already commended the Thessalonians for. Now he encourages them to keep at it.

This is a present tense verb – continual action – do it even more!

Encourage One Another

Keep on Striving – if you are off the path, repent and return today

Keep a short list

Love one another – stick together, forgive one another, pick one another up

When trials/crisis/disagreement come – love even more

Know there is hope – even if everything seems lost. The Lord wins

Be Encouraged!