Peacemakers
Peacemakers, 16 February 2025
17 02 25 Filed in: Sermons | Blessed: The Beatitudes
Blessed are the Peacemakers
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Blessed: The Beatitudes
February 16, 2025
Matthew 5:9
Series Big Idea: The greatest sermon in history is radical, revolutionary, and relevant.
Big Idea: God is on your side when you are complete in Him and help others experience shalom.
Scripture Reading: (Matthew 5:9)
Shalom! Shalom!
Shalom is not just a greeting; it is one of my favorite words. Many translate it simply as "peace," often associating it with images of the 1960s and 70s—Richard Nixon’s victory fingers or tie-dyed hippie culture. But shalom is much more than the absence of conflict. It signifies wholeness, completeness, mutual flourishing—everything in its right place.
The Beatitudes and the Greatest Blessing
We have been exploring the Beatitudes this year—eight invitations and declarations of blessing spoken by Jesus. These are not instructions to follow but rather proclamations of present and future realities. The greatest blessing is the presence and favor of God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9)
Blessed are the wholeness-makers. Blessed are the shalom-creators.
What Comes to Mind When You Think of Peace?
Perhaps I have already influenced your answer by referencing the 60s and 70s! Many people equate peace with the absence of war or imagine a quiet, serene place near water. The dove is a widely recognized symbol of peace.
We have been fortunate to live in a country that has largely experienced peace in the past century, with Pearl Harbor and 9/11 being the most notable attacks on our soil since the 19th century. For many, war is a foreign concept (and to those who have served in the military, we thank you).
But peace is not merely the absence of war or conflict. True shalom means wholeness, completeness, and mutual flourishing.
Inner Peace
We often sing, It Is Well. Is it well with your soul today? Do you feel whole and at peace? Before we talk about making peace, we must start with ourselves. If you do not have peace, you cannot make peace. You cannot give what you do not possess.
Our purpose at College First is centered on Jesus. We worship a Person, not a book. We embrace a relationship, not a religion. As we saw last week, faith begins in the heart—not with a list of rules to follow. We should be known for our love, not our politics.
Christian maturity is beautifully described in Galatians 5:
...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23a, NLT)
How do we experience love? It begins with God. God is love. We cannot manufacture love, but we can receive and share it.
How do we experience inner peace? Isaiah wrote:
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal. (Isaiah 26:3-4)
Trusting God is the key to true, personal peace. Jesus is called the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Paul writes:
He himself is our peace. (Ephesians 2:14)
Through Christ, peace has been made between a holy God and sinners like us:
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things... by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:19-20)
Making Peace
Once we have peace within, we can look at our relationships. Often, our inner turmoil stems from unresolved conflicts. Who do you need to forgive? Who needs to forgive you?
We cannot guarantee peace, but we can work toward it. Relationships require effort from both parties:
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18)
I have spent years working to reconcile broken relationships. It is difficult and requires prayer, patience, and surrender. We can’t force reconciliation, but we can do our part—refusing to hold grudges, rejecting bitterness, and extending grace.
Peacemaking is costly but ultimately worth it. Like any form of creation, it involves risk and sacrifice. Relationships are among the most complex and rewarding things we can build. The greatest gift we can offer is ourselves.
I was introduced to The Telos Group through The Beatitudes Project. Their mission is to form communities of American peacemakers across lines of difference and help reconcile deep conflicts. They are pro-peace, pro-Israeli, and pro-Palestinian.
So What?
Your next step may not be traveling to the Middle East to make peace between Israelis and Palestinians, but that does not let you off the hook.
Begin with yourself.
Beyond yourself, where do you find conflict? At work? In your home? On social media? How can you promote listening, respect, and love—especially in a world so divided by politics and cancel culture?
As the old song says, Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.
C.S. Lewis wrote,
The fingerprint of God is in the present. In this moment, we can know God and be transformed by the Peacemaking God—the God of Peace.
Shalom—wholeness and healing—takes time. It is a journey of a million miles that begins with one step. What is your next step?
Let us begin with prayer—not only asking God for peace but also for guidance in how we can participate in His work of peace.
Children of God
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9)
There is no greater identity than being a child of God. This is the reward and promise of peacemaking.
Your identity is not in your job, ethnicity, political affiliation, or any other label. You are a child of the Most High God, created in His image. That identity is affirmed when we engage in peacemaking, becoming like the Prince of Peace Himself.
You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are and your place in God’s family. (Matthew 5:9, The Message)
God is on your side when you are complete in Him and help others experience shalom.
Prayer
LORD, bring more wholeness and healing into my heart that I may live in greater harmony with others. Help me be self-giving and others-centered, just as Jesus, the Prince of Peace, was. LORD, may our hearts be filled with shalom, that we may bring Your wholeness to the world. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Credits: Some ideas from The Beatitudes Project podcast.
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Blessed: The Beatitudes
February 16, 2025
Matthew 5:9
Series Big Idea: The greatest sermon in history is radical, revolutionary, and relevant.
Big Idea: God is on your side when you are complete in Him and help others experience shalom.
Scripture Reading: (Matthew 5:9)
Shalom! Shalom!
Shalom is not just a greeting; it is one of my favorite words. Many translate it simply as "peace," often associating it with images of the 1960s and 70s—Richard Nixon’s victory fingers or tie-dyed hippie culture. But shalom is much more than the absence of conflict. It signifies wholeness, completeness, mutual flourishing—everything in its right place.
The Beatitudes and the Greatest Blessing
We have been exploring the Beatitudes this year—eight invitations and declarations of blessing spoken by Jesus. These are not instructions to follow but rather proclamations of present and future realities. The greatest blessing is the presence and favor of God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9)
Blessed are the wholeness-makers. Blessed are the shalom-creators.
What Comes to Mind When You Think of Peace?
Perhaps I have already influenced your answer by referencing the 60s and 70s! Many people equate peace with the absence of war or imagine a quiet, serene place near water. The dove is a widely recognized symbol of peace.
We have been fortunate to live in a country that has largely experienced peace in the past century, with Pearl Harbor and 9/11 being the most notable attacks on our soil since the 19th century. For many, war is a foreign concept (and to those who have served in the military, we thank you).
But peace is not merely the absence of war or conflict. True shalom means wholeness, completeness, and mutual flourishing.
Inner Peace
We often sing, It Is Well. Is it well with your soul today? Do you feel whole and at peace? Before we talk about making peace, we must start with ourselves. If you do not have peace, you cannot make peace. You cannot give what you do not possess.
Our purpose at College First is centered on Jesus. We worship a Person, not a book. We embrace a relationship, not a religion. As we saw last week, faith begins in the heart—not with a list of rules to follow. We should be known for our love, not our politics.
Christian maturity is beautifully described in Galatians 5:
...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23a, NLT)
How do we experience love? It begins with God. God is love. We cannot manufacture love, but we can receive and share it.
How do we experience inner peace? Isaiah wrote:
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal. (Isaiah 26:3-4)
Trusting God is the key to true, personal peace. Jesus is called the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Paul writes:
He himself is our peace. (Ephesians 2:14)
Through Christ, peace has been made between a holy God and sinners like us:
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things... by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:19-20)
Making Peace
Once we have peace within, we can look at our relationships. Often, our inner turmoil stems from unresolved conflicts. Who do you need to forgive? Who needs to forgive you?
We cannot guarantee peace, but we can work toward it. Relationships require effort from both parties:
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18)
I have spent years working to reconcile broken relationships. It is difficult and requires prayer, patience, and surrender. We can’t force reconciliation, but we can do our part—refusing to hold grudges, rejecting bitterness, and extending grace.
Peacemaking is costly but ultimately worth it. Like any form of creation, it involves risk and sacrifice. Relationships are among the most complex and rewarding things we can build. The greatest gift we can offer is ourselves.
I was introduced to The Telos Group through The Beatitudes Project. Their mission is to form communities of American peacemakers across lines of difference and help reconcile deep conflicts. They are pro-peace, pro-Israeli, and pro-Palestinian.
So What?
Your next step may not be traveling to the Middle East to make peace between Israelis and Palestinians, but that does not let you off the hook.
Begin with yourself.
- Where is it not well with your soul?
- Where are you experiencing conflict, tension, or anxiety?
- Who do you need to forgive? What broken relationship needs mending?
Beyond yourself, where do you find conflict? At work? In your home? On social media? How can you promote listening, respect, and love—especially in a world so divided by politics and cancel culture?
As the old song says, Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.
C.S. Lewis wrote,
The fingerprint of God is in the present. In this moment, we can know God and be transformed by the Peacemaking God—the God of Peace.
Shalom—wholeness and healing—takes time. It is a journey of a million miles that begins with one step. What is your next step?
Let us begin with prayer—not only asking God for peace but also for guidance in how we can participate in His work of peace.
Children of God
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9)
There is no greater identity than being a child of God. This is the reward and promise of peacemaking.
Your identity is not in your job, ethnicity, political affiliation, or any other label. You are a child of the Most High God, created in His image. That identity is affirmed when we engage in peacemaking, becoming like the Prince of Peace Himself.
You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are and your place in God’s family. (Matthew 5:9, The Message)
God is on your side when you are complete in Him and help others experience shalom.
Prayer
LORD, bring more wholeness and healing into my heart that I may live in greater harmony with others. Help me be self-giving and others-centered, just as Jesus, the Prince of Peace, was. LORD, may our hearts be filled with shalom, that we may bring Your wholeness to the world. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Credits: Some ideas from The Beatitudes Project podcast.