Blessed are the Peacemakers [Part 2]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright don't be wise in your own site. This connection. Therefore, between thinking that you see everything perfectly, clearly, and judging others.

It's the it's the nature really of almost all tragedy and literature where there is a misunderstanding because someone thinks they know more than they do-oh hold, I'm Daniel Britton excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series called peacemakers is presented with an older church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program. I will make sure you know how to get our special resource right now you can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministry as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at pastor@a.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860.

More on that later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright by the grace of God by the presence Holy Spirit.

You can be as Jesus you be a peacemaker in this world building bridges and calling strife, rather than adding to it and all the while remaining pure and true. That's over learning about these days. In the 18th century there were two great revival preachers John Wesley and George Whitfield who were used of God mightily, both of them and revival everywhere. They preach throngs of people and yet they had a different theology. Wesley was a local Arminian and Whitfield will call reformed and Wesley thought that George Whitfield's proclamation of predestination.

He called a monstrous doctrine. Whitfield and Wesley were friends but they had parted theologically on one instance Wesley had invited Whitfield to come back and preach and and Wesley's church and knowing that they had this big disagreement about the doctrine of predestination and Whitfield came in and just hammered on the doctrine.

The whole time he faced at another occasion, Wesley sent an anti-vaccination pamphlet into America and all the places where Whitfield is preaching. They were at odds all the time and at one .1 of Wesley's followers came to him and said that said, Mr. Wesley said we surely will not see Mr. Whitfield in heaven.

Well, we and Wesley responded you're right, I think we shall not see him, for he will be too close to the throne of glory and will be too far away to even get a glimpse of an Whitfield in the year of his bath sent notes of affection to Wesley and his brother Charles and had John Wesley preach at his funeral. Can we talk like that anymore in this strife filled world. In 1960, 10% of political ads were negative by 2012, only 14% were positive, big change were learning something about the roots of this polarization that were and in part of it is what sociologists call geographical sorting means that Americans they are living in politically, like-minded communities, I don't know how it even happened.

But people seem to live more, only with like-minded neighbors and it's exemplified by this 1976 the number of percentage of people who were living in a county where there been a landslide victory for the presidential election meeting by more than 20% in 1976, only 25% of people lived in one of those counties, but in 2016 60% of people lived in a county where there was basically a landslide. So in other words, we are living in interacting with people who think like us and sociologists.

It is one of the things that's causing greater and greater polarization were learning less and less how to disagree with someone, and be around someone we disagree and it become so volatile and so so hostile so last week I started this series a certified daunting challenge to even talk about such a thing. But facing is so so important to find out what does the gospel have to say about this and how can we as Christians be peacemakers in the midst of a culture like this without in some way compromising our our truth are values that I Wenzel was Lord how to say how the Holy Spirit help us unless we were just laid the foundation, starting with Blessed are the peacemakers, Jesus said, for they shall be called the sons of God. There is something about peacemakers that really resemble father God, and we just laid this out from Jesus is life, though there's no formula, and is complex. You could say this, that a peacemakers like Jesus have a way to disagree without being needlessly disagreeable. God works through the power of agreement even with people you disagree with. If you can find points of agreement. Then something can be built from that and we saw also. As Jesus's life demonstrates that peacemakers spend far more of their time and attention pointing towards that which therefore namely the love of God, Christ, instead of spending most of the time pointing out, and others what they see is wrong is always something negative you could talk about and sometimes we absolutely have to.

But look at the life of Jesus and see that he spent more of his time talking about what is, for he was. He could've been a guest everything Jesus came into a world to be with people with whom he totally disagreed and we also saw is that peacemakers like Jesus in the end care not just about being right about relationship and yet always ask yourself do I care more now about relationship or just being right. You could be right. Like the Pharisees and every little situation and not have relationship so that's where we started and this week I want to kind of dig down deeper into one of the practical texts, this is Paul in his address to the Romans that you to really understand Romans 12 if we were to do this right, we will read this morning.

Romans one through 11 and then would read Romans 12 because all of the practical exhortation in Scripture and here, especially is always following and flowing out of everything that God has to say to us about the gospel of grace is over 11 chapters, Paul is explained how it is that you're saved by grace through faith alone no merits of your own whatsoever have contributed to your salvation and how it is, therefore, that God's love is for ordaining and reliable at every point, even to be able to say that there is nothing that can separate you from the love of God in Jesus Christ and having shown for such a love becomes the Romans chapter 12 to essentially say now here is how this level be expressed in your life would pick up reading it. Romans 12 verse two. Do not be conformed to this world. I love the rendering that Eugene Peterson gave in the message.

Do not let the world squeeze you into its mold. One of the things I've learned as a been reading about what sociologists have to say about the dynamics and causes of polarization, but one is clear.

The more that we have begun living and very homogeneous communities, and the more we have sort of demonize the other side.

The more peer pressure. Basically, there is to adhere to everything that goes around here to say, thinking on your own. Don't be conformed to this world and don't let a world that through social media. Television and the mean spirit in which people talk. Don't let that come your way different only conformed to this age. Literally the text that but be transformed. The word is metamorphosis by the renewal of your mind, insight and revelation that changes everything that I testing you may discern what is the will of God so that you'll see in a moment contrasted with thinking that in your mind you see everything just right now there's a spiritual discernment that is involved for every peacemaker discern what is the will of God and what is good and acceptable and perfect. And then would just on four to verse 14. Here is a very practical outworking of love.

Bless those who persecute you.

Bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep, live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty but associate with the lowly.

Never be wise in your own site repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all 11, never avenge yourselves believe to the wrath of God first written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, and feed them the stars to give them something to drink for.

By so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good focus you in this idea of living in harmony with one another and how it is that when you buy the power the Holy Spirit do what Jesus did and that is instead of condemning those that are against you, you love them instead of judging you have a place in your heart of love and mercy. How powerful this is for transformation and how much there is a connection between not being wise in your own site, and not judging others in the release of peace in the world.

That's what I want to try to tie together for you this morning. Alan Wright will have more teaching moment from today's important series as a Christian you know it's important and you want to make it a priority right now is to slip so easily integrate further in person meeting you're wondering what is the problem with real power in Ephesians chapter 6. The apostle Paul has a clear answer, praying in the spirit apprentice. Some would say that Paul is referring to spiritual gift and a supernatural prayer language series, praying with power and reveals different ways of praying in the spirit.

Discover how praying that word is praying in the spirit listen to this. As you pray, come to see Jesus as your prayer partner practical powerful pastor and the Knights praying with power. Discover the power of praying in the spirit change your prayer life and you change the world to get to Alan Wright Ministries to listen to Pastor Alan's messages in an attractive see USB thumb drive with your digital download as our way of saying thanks for your partnership. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I thanked him Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor Alan.like teaching you once again is to start with this.

You see the theme in the tax bless and do not curse repay no one evil for evil, never avenge over and over in this text Paul is saying you cannot be a peacemaker. If you are quick to judge others, meaning you condemn them in your heart and you wish them ill. You put yourself into the position of judge and jury and you issue the verdict and you say this is who they are because you know everything and then you wish them ill and if you if you're if you have that vengeance will repay evil that's the way that your address strife in this world. What he saying is that not only is this very far from the heart of Jesus. But you're just going to add to the strike. Jesus said judge not let you be not judged when the most important direct things he ever said to me, I think we should just pay so much attention when Jesus says something directly about this is something that can have a direct impact in the world and in your life judge that you be not judged because when you judge then it increases judgment is like so is just a form of sowing and reaping, and don't be wise in your own site that said connection. Therefore, between thinking that you see everything perfectly. Clearly.

And judging others.

It is the nature really of almost all tragedy and literature is where there is a misunderstanding because someone thinks they know more than they do. And then they make a judgment. From what I told you last week.

My favorite book I read on sabbatical I think was Bob Goff's everybody always right. I am going to look around on sabbatical. Also, I'm sorry to say it because I normally good beach reading for me. Normally I love it. Worse book of sabbatical John Grisham's the reckoning. I'm sorry if you read it if you like that some people actually review the books that they liked it and I have no idea why John what would you think now spoiler alert since I've already alerted you that it's a book you should not read if you want to have any fun on your vacation but still grants Goldberg tell you just how miserable this book was it was a tragic so what happened at the Mannings. The main character and somewhere early in the book. P. Who has returned back from being a war hero goes into the church and shoots the ministry kills him. Now you got a bad book right there you have and what he won't tell me by why did it and he will defend himself and so he has no defense done by why did it and get the electric care and he's executed.

So our hero protagonist is killed off in the electric chair halfway through the book is a very odd book because it sailboats base over our hero's death and then the second half of the book. It goes back and chronicles all of his heroism in the Philippines and the war and tells it all. All the details awarding I was interesting history but is just making us like Pete Manning all the more, but he's already killed an electric chair and so you keep on reading because you want to find out why did he kill the minister and they got me something redemptive in this. I'm used to the Grisham book. You know wrapped up in a nice bow at the end the good guys win bad guys lose in the legal thriller.

Not so in the reckoning. Instead, after all this chronicling of the history we finally find out why. On the last few pages why he killed the minister while he was away for his wife. He loved him and everyone else had presumed that he was dead for a year and 1/2 and then he returned home, and during that period of time. The man he found out that his wife had conceived a child any good investigator found out that the minister had traveled with her to go to another town where she had an abortion and so he confronted his wife and asked if she had the affair with the minister. She said yes and so he shot the minister. The wife herself fell into despair. Mental illness and lived out those were days in the novel she's in a mental institution and at the end she killed herself sitting on her husband's grave. This time Dante this is the and you waiting still to find out why was it was it did the minister have an affair and then you find out no, no, she actually had an affair with a young African-American man working on the farm and she was too embarrassed to say that she had done so in an interracial relationship. And so she let them believe it was the minister not thinking he kill the minister and you think at the and well advised Diane like flies here and at least the children will get the family farm and live happily after after no, they lose the farm in a civil suit for wrongful death in the hands now.

The vacation book good beach reading. I was in bookstores standing next to John Grisham book, the lady came and picked it up as this processing mail. Don't do it to yourself. Well, there is a part of his life reading tragedies. The Greek road tragedies in their play, Shakespeare wrote tragedy. The same thing is like a fellow with the Eveready shake fellow loves Desdemona his life but he gets duped into believing that she's had been unfaithful to him, so he smothers her with a pillow and she never wasn't safe was he loved him dearly. Tragedy when you think that you know and you make a judgment in your heart and the seed that tragedy leads to destruction talking this morning about the tragedies, though some of us in this room could point to some big tragedies that have been very close to us.

You probably know somebody was a wonderful person and had a tragic flaw in their life.

It took him down to talk more about just the little the countless little tragedies, the little things that don't have to happen where we jump to conclusions, because we think were wise in our own site. Things are not always what they seem. Clearly everything these things were something to go. Oh so that's what was and and and you jump to a conclusion. It would've been bad.

I had a minister friend of Bill Dudley. He and I worked on a conference of the monthly conference center years ago and one of things lately do as our guest speakers would come and stay in the assembly in Montreat would like to put flowers in the room assure the hospitality account of a greeting little basket form so for one year. One of our keynote speakers was the then president of Princeton seminary Tom Gillespie and he was going to be there one day he and his wife and assembly in the next day another one of our speakers come in and calling Townsend Evans was wonderful. Communicating the gospel, former actress and she was becoming will. It was Bill's job he was going in and getting rooms ready pillow basket and there were flowers there like that and so he had the information was that Tom Gillespie and his wife are moving out of the room and then the next day than Colleen was coming into that room in the assembly in so after the day that you send that Tom Gillespie and his wife left he went and got a master key from the hotel room downstairs and he went and he about 10 o'clock at night he went was flowers any open up the door to the room he went in and there was Dr. Gillespie and his wife and that bad froze, and there is no merit in the dark with the flowers and he said I thought this was Colleen's room know all there was some sibling in good news message today playing your part in harmony. It's in the series title peacemakers, and I encourage you to stay with this pastor out in his bag.

Joining me in the studio shearing aborting good news thought for the day. In just a moment as a Christian you know it's important priority like minister slips easily and further in person meeting you're wondering what is the problem with real power. Ephesians chapter 6. The apostle Paul has a clear answer, praying in the spirit premise. Some would say that Paul is referring to spiritual gift and a supernatural prayer language series, praying with power Pastor Alan reveals different ways of praying and spirit. Discover how praying God's word is praying in the spirit listen to this.

As you pray, come to see Jesus as your prayer partner. Practical powerful. Pastor Alan writes, praying with power. Discover the power of praying in the spirit change your prayer life and you change the world to get to Alan Wright Ministries to listen to Pastor Alan's messages in an attractive see USB thumb drive with your digital download as our way of saying thanks for your partnership. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today we listen, G special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I thanked him Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website. Pastor Alan.work by Kieran studio is your pastor out and sporting good news thought for the day after listening to a message like this and replacing the bookmark here for part two. How can we move forward in the next couple of days and playing our part in harmony will you just think about what harmony is right to very different sounds maybe on the piano were two voices that are sinking very different, but when they harmonize something even more beautiful comes of it. I think Daniel what's happened in our culture is if people feel like that. Something that is distinct or different from them is something to be resisted or fault against every time, but sometimes what we can do is bring our own voice our own character and our own inclinations and bring it into it like you would into a symphony. In so doing, add to the harmony rather than making it in music. What we call dissonant and so I think that's a choice as part of a choice and nothing is poor with the Lord's calling Christians to during the season, especially with so much anger, hostility and polarization when possible. Play your part in harmony. Today's good news message is a listener supported production Alan Wright Ministries