“Blessed are the Peacemakers”
Pastor David Moore
Old Testament reading: 2 Kings 5:1-19a
Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”
So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”
When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.
Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”
The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused. “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.” “Go in peace” Elisha said.
Review: We have covered the first three Beatitudes (needed to get into the Kingdom)
1. Poor in spirit: we are sorry for our failings
2. Those who mourn: we recognize we need help
3. The meek: we recognize we need God
The second three Beatitudes
4. Hunger and thirst for righteousness: center of the Gospel
5. The merciful: we are able to forgive others because of God’s mercy on us
6. The pure in heart: God is transforming our hearts to be receptive to His love and Word
Today, we talk about the peacemaker.
Matthew 5:9-12
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
We can start to live in the ____________________ out of the power of the age of which is coming.
Follow Jesus because He is the ____________________.
‘Peace’ in Scripture is not about ____________________ but an opposition to ____________________.
Romans 8:7
The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
The Bible is about God ____________________ for us, and humans constantly trying to get God ____________________.
Peace with God signs: ____________________ becomes a joy rather than a duty. We aren’t scared of ____________________.
What is peacemaking? Telling people at war with God that they don’t have to be.
2 Timothy 3:12
Yes, and all who desire to live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
This week:
Think about and ask Christ to reveal the hostility that you have towards Him. Pray that you will give the hostility to Jesus.
Then ask for God’s peace to overtake your heart and mind and then His love begins to flow in your life.
God bless have a good week.