A Patient Peacemaker

Now, if you’re like me, when you think about patience this verse comes to mind.

Romans 5:3 “3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;”

We all know better than to pray for patience. Because the only way we increase patience is by going through some trouble that teaches us to have patience. Nobody wants that.

A month or so ago we started shooting what will become a series of videos that will form the foundation of a small group study. They are posted on our website fuelthechurch.org on a page called “the bite size bible.” This first one was on the afterlife and what happens when we die. I’d encourage you to go watch that video and share it on your social media.

In order to promote that series, we have started posting, over the past couple of weeks short clips to social media. I’m sure some of you have seen them. What you have not seen are all the comments by the internet trolls who wanted to make sure everyone knew that what we posted about heaven and the afterlife was just a stupid fairytale.

Do you know how many times in the last couple of weeks I got to practice patience? I don’t know the exact number, but it was more times than I wanted to, that’s for sure. What I wanted to do was fire back a sarcastic reply...but I didn’t. Because that would have been surrendering to what my flesh wanted and not what the Holy Spirit wanted.

The Holy Spirit is working in you to make you look, act and sound like a kingdom citizen. Sometimes that means standing up and speaking about what the King stands for...and sometimes that means sitting down and keeping your mouth shut, so you don’t give into your flesh and ruin your testimony.

Having patience will allow you to be a peacemaker, and that is another way we are to be conformed to the image of Christ.

Can you live at peace with others despite the fact that they push your buttons every chance they get?

Romans 12:18 “18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

Did you notice that there were no conditions on that command? It didn’t say to live at peace with everyone as long as they are willing to live at peace with you. The responsibility is on you.It takes two people to have an argument. If one person refuses to engage in the argument, then it’s over before it begins.

You must determine before you enter a difficult conversation that you will not respond to foolish, argumentative baiting.

Proverbs 26:4-5 “ There is no good way to answer fools when they say something stupid. If you answer them, then you, too, will look like a fool. If you don’t answer them, they will think they are smart.”

It is impossible to respond to foolishness and not look like a fool yourself, so just ignore their behavior when they want to argue and stir up trouble. Do not engage with them.

Can you be a patient peacemaker or do you always have to make sure you always have the last word?

Proverbs 20:3 “It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling.”

Are you constantly in arguments with people? Is everyone else wrong and you have to always be right? If so, you are acting foolishly.

Proverbs 26:11 “11 Like a dog that returns to its vomit, a fool does the same foolish things again and again.”

Are you constantly doing the same things, ending up in the same situations and causing yourself the same problems over and over? If so, you are acting foolishly.

Doing the same thing over and over is a cycle and it will keep going around until you decide to stop it. It’s not just a season of your life if it keeps happening. The difference between a season and a cycle is that a season will end when God decides, but a cycle will only end when you decide.

Being at peace with others in your own relationships, is not the only idea connected to being a peacemaker in the Bible.

Matthew 5:9 “9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

In this New Testament passage, Jesus is delivering His famous sermon on the mount. On the surface it sounds like just good advice for being a follower of Christ, but it’s more than that. It’s a description of what a Christian is supposed to be. If you are a peacemaker, then you will be called a son of God.

But being a peacemaker is more than just living at peace with others. That would be a mostly passive thing in our life, but being a peacemaker is supposed to be an active thing for us.

Since the New Testament is written in Greek ,we must look to the Greek meaning of this word. In the Greek, the word peacemaker has the connotation of “loving peace.” It was used as a description of an ambassador who is sent to make peace between two parties at war. This is not passive, it’s active.

This Greek idea of being a peacemaker appears only one other time in the New Testament.

Colossians 1:20 “20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself;”

To be a peacemaker, is to be one who makes peace. In this verse, Jesus is described as the One who made peace as the ambassador or mediator, between God and sinners...as in those who were at war with God...us.

Today, in order for us to be conformed to the image of Christ as a peacemaker, it means that we are now the ones who are to take the message of the cross to those outside of the body of Christ.

As an ambassador, we are the ones who are to introduce the idea of having peace with God to them. Look again at the Matthew 5:9 passage.

Matthew 5:9 “9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Jesus calls the peacemakers, the sons of God. Is that you? Do you have the patience to be a peacemaker? I hope so, because it’s the proof that you are a disciple of Jesus. That is because peace and patience are both fruits of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-24 “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

If we need patience to become a peacemaker, what exactly is patience? Is it just waiting around for something to happen? Or just sitting quietly when something bad is happening? Is being patient passive or active? Just like being a peacemaker is an active thing, the biblical idea of patience is also active. It is not passive.

James 5:7-8 “7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

Does a farmer just sit around doing nothing waiting form his crop to be ready for harvest? No, of course not. Farming is hard work that requires constant effort. Yet here is it referred to as patience. A farmer must be active.

Similar to Romans 5:3 where we read that trouble produces patience, we see it again in this passage.

James 1:2-4 “3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

Patience makes perfect. It’s not practice...but patience.

The word that is translated to patience here means to be steadfast. In the New Testament it’s the characteristic of a man who is not swayed from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith, even by the greatest trials and sufferings.

To be patient is to remain steadfast in your faith, despite any amount of trial or suffering. It is about endurance and perseverance. That is a very different idea than just sitting quietly and waiting.

Biblical patience is the ability to push forward despite difficult obstacles. That is the kind of patience that will perfect your faith.

Do you think Jesus was perfect in His faith? He was. Was He patient? He was. Was He a peacemaker? He was. What did those things look like in His life?

1 Timothy 1:15-16 “15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might

display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”

Paul is talking about the patience Jesus had with him. Paul, who described himself as the foremost of sinners said that he received mercy so that Jesus might put His perfect patience on display for the world to see.

We see this perfect patience on full display during the scene that took place just a couple of hours before Jesus was betrayed, put on trial and then crucified. Jesus had just finished the last supper with His disciples and had told them that they would all abandon Him that very night.

We all remember that Peter said he would not abandon Jesus even if it cost him his life and Jesus replied that Peter would deny Him three times before the morning had come. But what we may not remember is that all of the disciples said the same thing. They had all committed to stay with Him even if it meant their death.

Matthew 26:36-38 “36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful andtroubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”

Jesus was steadfast in His commitment to be faithful.

Matthew 26:39-41 “39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one

hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Fighting against your flesh is the hardest battle you face.

Your flesh wants you to ignore what Jesus told you to do and just do what feels good. For Peter, James and John, that meant sleeping. How about you? What is it that Jesus is telling you to do that will require you to deny what your flesh wants and push through to do His will?

Matthew 26:42-43 “42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drinkit, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.”

The disciples are failing this test. They were not determined to be steadfast in their faithfulness.

Matthew 26:44-46 “44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same wordsagain. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Right after this scene is when Jesus is betrayed and taken to trial...and His disciples did exactly what He said they would. They abandoned Him.

The determination that Jesus showed to do the will of the Father despite what it would cost Him, is the perfect example to us of a steadfast faithfulness that leads to being a peacemaker.

This is what true patience looks like.

Being conformed to the image of Christ looks like being steadfast in our faith despite any opposition from the enemy, despite any suffering that brings Him glory and despite having to set aside our will to accomplish the will of the Father.

Are you determined to be steadfast in your faith, even when your friends betray you? Are you determined to be a patient peacemaker despite how difficult that lifestyle becomes in this world we live in? Have you considered that? Have you counted the cost of following Jesus and being conformed to His image?

Having patience is more than keeping your cool in a traffic jam and holding your tongue when someone is causing you some trouble. Being a peacemaker is more than just not getting into arguments over politics.

Being conformed to the image of Christ means having a

steadfast determination of patient endurance.

Being conformed to the image of Christ means to be a peacemaker, by actively being an ambassador who brings the message of God’s peace to those who are at war with Him.