Sunday, 27 October 2019, 1.30 PM | Grand Hyatt Hotel, Singapore
Summary of the Sermon by Pastor Chandra Wong, Sunday, 27 October 2019
The
Peacemaker
Blessed
are the PEACEMAKER! For they shall
be called the SONS OF GOD. (Mat 5:9)
For
as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One
shall many be made righteous. (Rom 5:19)
For
as many are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Rom 8:14)
What
are the things that we can do as the peacemakers? Let us look into the life of
Gideon to learn about how to be a peacemaker.
“Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and
the LORD gave them into the hands of Midian seven years. The power of Midian
prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for
themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the
strongholds.
So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel
cried to the LORD.”
(Judges 6:1-2, 6)
The
verse was in condition of Israelites were doing wrong in the sight of the Lord.
As it’s nearer to the harvest time, the Midianites would destroy them. After
God raised Gideon, then there’s peace in the land of Israel. (Judges 8:28)
What
did Gideon do to be the peacemakers of the land of Israel?
1.
THE CALLING – MINISTRY OF
RECONCILIATION.
There’s a calling in his life. God called him to bring peace
in the land of Israel. (Judges 6:14-16)
So that if ANY ONE is in Christ, that one is a new creature;
old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians
5:17)
All of us are called to serve in the ministry of
reconciliation, not only between man and man but also man and God. We’re also
called to bring peace whether in our family, workplace, or even to present in
the conflicted area of the world as long as God asked us to go.
“God will make this
happen, for he who calls you is faithful.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24)
2.
PEACE FOR THE PEACEMAKER
The peacemaker has to have peace in himself first,
horizontally with men and vertically with God.
When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he
cried out, “Oh, Sovereign LORD, I’m doomed! I have seen the angel of the Lord
face to face!” (Judges 6:22)
There’re 2 scenarios on the situation:
-
Gideon was having a troubled heart because he thought that
he’s going to die because during Moses time it was mentioned that no one may
see God’s face and live. (Exodus 33:20)
-
Gideon knew he’s not going to die. In Judges 6:23, “and
Jehovah said to him, PEACE TO YOU. Do not fear. You shall not die.”
The only assurance to know
that we have our peace is through our FAITH, we’re sure of our relationship
with God as He has forgiven our sins and we’re fully redeemed. (Romans 5:1)
We need to settle and
reconcile with our brothers and sisters prior to being the peacemakers.
Have we done our best to be
at peace with our closest ones and to bring peace even though sometimes we
think it’s impossible? We have to have that peace first before we move forward
to do our calling.
If it is possible, as much as
depends on you, live peaceable with all men. (Romans 12:18)
Abraham showed us how to be a
peacemaker by giving his nephew the opportunity to decide where to go although
he has option to decide first as an elder. (Genesis 13:8-9)
3.
PEACE MAKING – GOD’S WAYS
We have to move forward to be peacemakers with and in GOD’S
WAYS and not out ways.
The ultimate peace in the GARDEN of EDEN was not destroyed by
MAN, but by evil. (see Ephesians 6:12)
After God called Gideon and he had peace with God, the next
thing God asked Gideon was to ask him to build up the new altar for the Jehovah
so instead of worshipping Baal, the Israelites can come to the true God to be
worshipped (Judges 6:26)
It needs effort to make peace to be getting out of our
comfort zones, just as Gideon did a lot of things. Though he was not
comfortable with the calling, he has low self-esteem because he’s the low and
the least in the family. He’s also fearful. (Judges 6:15). Gideon managed to
gather people around 32,000 but God told Gideon that with 300 men He will give
the victory. (Judges 7:3) Throughout the whole episode, Gideon had to depend on
God as he knew with his own strength he cannot make it.
It’s not easy to bring peace but we need a lot of efforts, as
we move forward we need to ensure the peacemaking is done properly, sometimes we
need to swallow our pride. (Romans 14:19)
But when God called us to go as we’re, we know it’s God who
fights for us. Just obey Him.
“The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
(Exodus 14:14)
“What then shall we say to these things? If GOD is for us,
who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31)
Let us be the peacemaker wherever we are placed by God.