Peace and Quiet

Sarah’s my wife. We have four kids. My son Paxton is eleven. My daughter Capri is nine. My daughter Lilly is six and Judah is freshly two years old. So our home is full of love. It’s full of laughter. It’s full of fun. A million different questions, frustrations, tears, movement, and noise. Let me tell you, so much noise. I find myself saying sure a lot. Any other parents do that? Shh. Or like, hey, let’s use our inside voices. Or could we quiet down, or just get outside? Please go do something else?

I find myself sometimes dreaming about being inside my home and not hearing any noise, and just being able to sit in a cozy chair and read a book without being interrupted. Sometimes I just want peace and quiet, right?

What’s your version of peace and quiet? Maybe for you, it’s like I want to take a trip to Arizona in the middle of winter and just sit by a pool in the sunshine. Does that sound good to anyone? Okay, maybe for you, it’s like, you know what? I just need a day alone at my home. Without the kids, without the spouse, just alone at home so I can get my things done. Maybe that’s your version of peace and quiet. And maybe for you, it’s literally like, I just need ten minutes, and you lock yourself in the bathroom and that’s peace and quiet. Wherever you can find it, you’ll take it, right?

But peace is something we all need. Peace is something that God can give. But peace is more than just a quiet moment. It’s more than just what’s happening or not happening around us.

Four Dimensions of Peace

There’s actually four dimensions of peace that are incredibly important. The first one is circumstantial peace. And this is just peace with the things that are happening around us, that there’s not tension, there’s not chaos. The second is relational peace, that you have peace with the people around you, that your relationships are healthy and thriving and good and not full of tension. The third is internal peace. You have peace with yourself. That means the things you believe about yourself and speak to yourself align with what God says, and that you feel God’s love for you and you love yourself the way God loves you. And then finally, there’s spiritual peace, or peace with God.

All four of those dimensions of peace are needed in our life. And that’s why you can have circumstantial peace and still not experience peace, right? Because you’re lacking relational peace, or you’re lacking peace with yourself, inner peace. Maybe you’re lacking spiritual peace, peace with God.

And here’s the problem that I think we’re facing today: peace is getting squeezed out of our souls by the world that we live in. It’s getting squeezed out because we move faster. We do more and we rest less. Our world is more connected by tech, but it is more divided by issues than ever before. Humanity is both polarized and politicized highly right now. We have more conveniences, but higher levels of stress, worry, and tension than ever before.

But what if God never intended you to live with the amount of stress, worry, tension, frustration, anger, and polarization that you’re living with today? What if God made you to live with a peace that transcends understanding, and to create that peace around you wherever you go? Would any of you want that peace? Raise of hands? Anybody want? Yeah. I think we all want that piece.

Blessed Are the Peacemakers

Today we’re starting a series called Peace Makers, and it’s all about thinking and acting like Jesus on the issues that divide us. So throughout this series, we’re going to be talking about some harder topics to discuss, including sexuality, divorce, immigration, AI, racism, and more.

So where is this idea of peacemakers coming from? Well, in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, he describes people who are blessed. And surprisingly, he doesn’t say, blessed are the rich, blessed are the happy. Blessed are those who’ve got no problems. Blessed are those who get theirs at any cost. No, no. Here’s what Jesus says. He says, blessed are the poor. Blessed are the mourners. Blessed are the meek. And he said, blessed are the peacemakers.

We’re going to read it aloud. Matthew five nine. Would you read this with me? This is our text for this series. Matthew five nine, and it says this. Ready? Here we go.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

— Matthew 5:9

Let’s read that again. You ready? … One more time. Don’t look at it this time. I bet you have got it memorized already. Ready? … You just memorized the Bible verse? Give yourself a high five. Come on.

Point 1: How Can I Be a Peacemaker?

All right, here’s point number one for today. How can I be a peacemaker? This is a question that I want you to ask, that I want you to wrestle with, that I want you to be honest about. How can I be a peacemaker?

Again, I have multiple kids. And if you’re a parent of multiple kids, have you ever noticed that parenting sometimes is like being a WWE referee? You’re just trying to hold them off of each other. You’re keeping them from killing each other at different times. And as much as siblings love each other, there’s just some natural tensions that arise when you’re living with people who are different than you. And so I’ve experienced that in my house. And yes, as a parent, you have to be a peacemaker.

But it’s also funny because kids are a mirror showing our strengths and our weaknesses. My son Paxton, I told you, he’s eleven now, and I see myself in him all the time. I see how he loves certain foods just like I do. I see how he loves basketball like I do. I see how he loves his mom like I love her. I see all of these things. But I also see some bad habits that are from me. Kids are a mirror in many ways. What do they say? Like father, like son.

When Jesus says that we’re peacemakers and that peacemakers will be called children of God, he is meaning that God is the peacemaker. And when we pursue peace, we are acting like our Father in heaven. When we bring peace into a situation, people might be able to say like father, like son, like father, like daughter, because we are bringing peace like God brings peace. What does it say? Matthew five nine. Blessed are the peacemakers because they will be called children of God.

So how is God a peacemaker? This is so important. This is the foundation of this series. How is God a peacemaker? Well, he brings peace in all four of those dimensions that I mentioned earlier.

Peace With God

And first, he brings peace with him. Jesus came to bring peace for you and for me with God. Listen to what Romans five one and two says:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

— Romans 5:1–2

Jesus came to bring peace with God.

One of our incredible volunteers here, his name is Anthony, and he received peace with God earlier this year. He started in a group last year and had all sorts of questions in group. His group leader was telling me, and I know Anthony and I checked with him about this story, but his group leader was telling me that sometimes Anthony brought some really hard questions. He brought some turbulent emotions about his feelings and his thinking about God, and he brought those to group. But as he kept bringing those to group, and his group welcomed them and helped him and guided him, he eventually got to a point where he began believing in Jesus, and he received this genuine relationship with Jesus that transformed his relationship with God.

He now has peace with God, and it was so fun to hear his group leader describe him and say, Anthony and his wife are completely different people. They have been transformed. They have been changed. You can see joy radiating out of them. They have faith as they walk into the room. You can just see they are transformed. What were they transformed by? They began to have peace with God through Jesus. And that same peace can be yours when you believe in Jesus.

Peace With Self

The next thing that God brings peace in is peace with self. Colossians three fifteen says this:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

— Colossians 3:15

How many of you know that “follow your heart” is dangerous advice, right? Because the heart is deceptive. Our heart wants all sorts of things and not all of them are good. Sometimes our heart will tell us we’re enough for this situation, and sometimes it will tell us you are woefully inadequate and stupid and you should go away and never come back. We can have all sorts of thoughts and feelings about ourselves and lack peace. Why? Because our thoughts and feelings aren’t grounded in what God thinks about us and believes about us and wants for us.

Friends, Jesus came to bring us peace. Not just peace with God, but peace with ourselves. He died for us not because we were good enough, but because he loves us enough to die for us. Because Jesus is kind to us, we can be kind to ourselves. Somebody needs to hear that today. God is kind to you. Please be kind to yourself. Receive peace from God and let that transform how you view and treat yourself. That’s the second dimension that God brings peace to us.

Peace With People

The third is peace with people. Ephesians two fourteen says this:

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.

— Ephesians 2:14

Paul, in the book of Ephesians—Paul is an apostle sent by Jesus to spread the good news—is talking to the church in Ephesus. And the church in Ephesus is made up of two groups. There’s the Jews and the Gentiles. Did they like each other? Absolutely not. They hated each other. So here are these two groups, Jews and Gentiles, who did not mix. They did not like each other. They both considered each other dogs. And yet in the church of Jesus they are brought together.

And Paul tells them this. He says, Jesus himself is our peace. He has taken the dividing wall of hostility, this barrier that was between us, and he has torn it down so that the two groups, Jews and Gentiles, might become one.

See, friends, when you trust in Jesus, he leads us to do some crazy things. He leads us to love our enemies. He leads us to turn the other cheek. He leads us to bless those who curse us. He leads us to pray for those who hurt us. As far as it is up to us, the Spirit empowers us to be at peace with everyone. This is what God wants for us: peace in our relationships. And if you are living in tension in this moment, I’m sure you want that peace too. And how can you get it? It’s by turning to Jesus, asking for his help, and he, through his Spirit, will help you to live at peace with those around you.

Peace in Our Circumstances

Finally, there’s peace in our circumstances. This is the fourth dimension that God brings peace in. John fourteen twenty-seven says this. Jesus speaks to his disciples. He says:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

— John 14:27

What does Jesus give us? Peace. I think some of you got that. Good job.

Steen and Trina lost their home in the Spokane Complex fire. They’re wonderful members of our church, and in the midst of their loss and sadness, I got to see them up close and personal display incredible peace. I kept thinking, at some point they’re going to break down. At some point they’re going to give up. At some point, they’re going to take a break and walk away. But it was so astounding to see Steen and Trina walk with incredible faith, walk with love. And I got to hear and see them care for their neighbors and pray for their neighbors. I got to hear about how they went and served in Love Week. Two weeks after their home was burned down, they’re going out and serving the city.

How can they do this? How do they not collapse? Sure, they felt sorrow. Sure, they felt grief. And yet they stood strong. Why? Because there was peace in the midst of their trouble.

Jesus said, don’t be troubled. Not because we’re not going to have troubles. How many of you know we’re going to have troubles? Jesus said, don’t be troubled. Why? Because his peace isn’t like the peace that the world gives. His peace lasts. His peace is substantial. His peace does not fade when circumstances get hard. His peace is eternal.

And so, friends, this is the peace that Jesus came to bring to you and me. He came to bring peace with God. He came to bring peace in our hearts and minds with our self. He came to bring peace with the people around us, and he came to bring peace in the midst of our trying circumstances. This is a peace that I need. This is a piece that you need.

PBJ Moment: Hearing From God Through Scripture

And so to lean in and see how God might want to bring you peace, we’re going to pause for a moment and let the Holy Spirit speak to us through Scripture. We’re going to do a little mini PBJ session, many prayer, Bible and journal sessions. So on your outline, there should be a little bit of space that you can use to write down two sentences.

All right, so we’re going to put all four of those verses that I listed—the peace with God, peace with people, peace with self, and peace with circumstances verses—on the screen so that you can see them. And then would you pick one of those verses? And then once you’ve picked one of those verses that God is speaking to you, I’m just going to ask you to write two sentences. The first sentence is this: What does this mean for me? And then the second sentence is, what am I going to do about it?

So just take right now. Would you take two minutes to look at those? Allow God to speak to you through one of those verses and then write down those two sentences. What does it mean? And what am I going to do about it? Let’s take some time to hear from God through Scripture.

Heavenly Father, we thank you that your Word is living and active. We thank you that you are speaking to us through it. God, would you continue to speak to us as we open up your Word? We pray this in Jesus’ name. And everyone said Amen.

Last week, someone came up to me and told me, hey, I loved your sermon. And I felt prompted to ask, what did God speak to you? What was your favorite part? And he goes, well, my favorite part was the time where we PBJ’d, where we opened the scripture and just wrote down a few things. And he showed me what God had him write down, what God was speaking to him. And he was just like, it was so fun to hear from God.

Friend, you can open up the Bible every single day and hear from God. What we just did, you can do each and every day to grow your relationship with Jesus. And this journal, which Timbo talked about earlier, is available at the Welcome Center. And it’s got a great Bible reading plan for you to start growing that daily relationship with Jesus and do what we just did. Just open up the Bible. And even if you’re writing down one or two sentences, even one word that God is speaking to you, friend, the time you invest in your relationship with Jesus is better than anything else. Amen. So if you haven’t grabbed one, go grab a journal after service and then spend time each day with Jesus.

Prayer for Peace

Hey, we talked about those four areas of peace, and I want to just pause for a moment before we move to the next section to say, if you need peace in one of those areas, God wants to give it today. He wants to give you peace today. He wants to give you peace right now. And if you have faith to receive it, I believe God’s going to give you that peace as we pray. Would you pray with me right now?

Heavenly Father, we pray right now for those who need peace in their circumstances. If that’s you, would you raise your hand right now? Just identifying, yep, I need that peace. Heavenly Father, for every hand raised, would you pour out your peace that transcends understanding? Would you meet them right now in the midst of their trial, in the midst of whatever they’re going through? God, would your peace guard their minds and their hearts from the lies of the enemy and protect them with your truth and your love?

You can lower your hands. Friends, if you need peace with people, would you just raise your hand right now? Husbands and wives are raising their hands together right now. It’s amazing. All across the room. Heavenly Father, for every person who’s raising their hand, they need peace with people. There’s some tension going on. Would you bring peace into their words, into their mind, into their heart? And as far as it is up to them, help them to live at peace with those around them.

How about if you need peace with yourself? There’s some war going on inside of yourself. There’s some toxic behavior, toxic thoughts. You need peace with yourself. Would you just raise your hand? There’s hands all across the room. Heavenly Father, would you release people from the war within themselves? Would you bring a peace, God, that is of your Spirit, that is a fruit of your Spirit in their life? God, would your thoughts, would your love, would your kindness define the way they treat themselves?

Receiving Peace With God

Finally, friends, if you need peace with God, if you’ve never come to Jesus and received the peace that he can offer you with God, and you want to start that relationship with God—now you are hearing about Jesus and the peace that he has to offer, and you want that—I’d love to lead you in a prayer. And we’re actually all going to pray this prayer together. It’s a prayer of confession. It’s a prayer of repentance. And it’s a prayer of acceptance of Jesus as your Lord.

And so, church, right now, if you want to, you can open your eyes and you can look up as we pray this prayer together, because this is a joyful prayer, isn’t it? This prayer of coming to Jesus and receiving peace with God is amazing, and we need it every single day. So would you pray this prayer along with me? Say:

Jesus, I need you. Please forgive me of my sins. Lead me closer to you. And give me your love today. I believe you’re the Son of God, that you died and rose again, and that in you I can have eternal life. Today I receive you as my Lord and Savior.

Doesn’t it feel good to pray that prayer? Man, friend, if you prayed that prayer for the first time, we believe that God is giving you peace. He is making you knew. Because of Jesus, because you believe in him, you have received brand new life with Jesus.

And if that’s you, if you received that new life with Jesus, we would love to celebrate with you right now. So we’re going to ask you to do something bold. If you said yes to Jesus and prayed that prayer for the first time, would you right now shoot up your hands so that we can celebrate with you, and we see that you made that decision to give your life to Jesus and receive peace with God?

I see you back there. Best decision of your life. Come on, friend, that’s amazing. Don’t want to miss you if you got your hand up. Yeah, I see you right there. Come on. Best decision of your life, friend. Amazing. And right here. I see you right there. Best decision of your life.

Hey, it takes boldness to raise your hand and declare your faith in Jesus, doesn’t it? But it’s that boldness, friends, that’s the right start of your relationship with Jesus. So Lord, would you guide them, bless them, and encourage them. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

If you said yes to Jesus for the first time, the I Said Yes team has a gift for you after service. We’d love to give that to you.

We Can Disagree and Still Love Each Other

All right. We talked about God giving us peace. And the question now is, how can we be peacemakers with those who disagree with us? And that’s what we’re going to be diving into for the rest of this series. And we’re going to dive into a specific topic for the rest of our time together today. And that topic is sexuality and identity.

Now, before we dive into this specific topic, you’ve got to hear this, and I want you to be able to say this with me. I’ll say it, and then if you believe it, I’m going to invite you to say it with me. Here’s what I want us to believe: we can disagree and still love each other. What? Yes. If you believe this, would you say this with me? We can disagree and still love each other.

Like husbands and wives. Do you ever disagree? And do you still love each other? Kind of. Right? I don’t know. It’s possible to disagree and still love each other. And that is the premise as we walk through this. I want you to hear that and know that. And this message today is for every person. It’s for young and old. It’s for single and married. It’s for straight and gay. It’s for binary and non-binary.

Point 2: How Can I Trust God With My Sexuality and Identity?

So here’s the question we’re asking today: How can I trust God with my sexuality and identity? Well, friends, we live in a world divided, don’t we? People are divided around this question. Is sexuality something designed by God, or is it something to be freely directed by our desires?

And I’m going to get really specific on this. We’re going to cover three topics in the time that we have left. Let it be done to you according to your faith. If you think I can do this in our time, then it will go so as you believe.

Is Sex Outside of Marriage Okay?

Here’s the thing I want to talk about first: Is sex outside of marriage okay? Now, the overwhelming majority of Christian global faith traditions for the last two thousand years has said that sex is reserved for marriage. But today, sixty-seven percent of Christians believe it is acceptable to engage in sex outside of marriage, per Pew Research.

So my question for you is—you don’t need to answer this out loud—what do you believe? What do you believe? But an even more important question is, what does Jesus say? Not just what does a tradition say, or what do you believe based on the things that you’ve experienced, but what does Jesus say? If we’re Christians, if we’re followers of Jesus, then that’s the most important question, isn’t it? What does Jesus say?

So we’re going to open up our Bibles to Matthew five. If you want to grab your Bibles, you can open up to Matthew five, and we’re going to look at verses twenty-seven through thirty. And in it, Jesus is going to talk about sexuality, and he’s going to say some things that might surprise you. Matthew five twenty-seven through thirty. Here’s what it says:

You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

— Matthew 5:27–30

Whew. Jesus isn’t pulling any punches, is he? No, he is straight talking right there.

So Jesus defines a clear sexual ethic, and it’s this: sexual acts and thoughts are to be reserved for your spouse alone. And he uses an Old Testament commandment to not commit adultery. Another word for adultery is moist. Oh, and what it literally means is to not take another man’s wife. That’s what Jesus is saying. Don’t take another man’s wife. That’s the commandment in the Old Testament.

But Jesus takes this commandment and elevates it far above what we might expect. It’s not just don’t commit the act of taking another man’s wife. He now says that any person who looks at another person lustfully has already committed adultery in their heart. So Jesus elevates our sexual ethic from not just the act itself, but to what’s happening in our minds and in our hearts. And he says, if you’re allowing yourself to think about someone who is not your spouse in that way, then you’re already committing adultery in your heart. It’s already happened right there in your heart.

By Jesus’ standard, it’s probably safe to say we’re all adulterers, that at one point or another, we’ve all let that thought pass through our brain. But is there a difference between temptation and a sinful thought? And I think the answer is yes.

Martin Luther, the German reformer, said this about temptation. He said, you cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair. Come on, isn’t that true? Sometimes there are just temptations that run through your head and you don’t know where they came from. But you can keep that temptation from staying there. You don’t have to let it build a nest in your hair. You don’t have to let it ruminate in your mind. You can kick it out as soon as it comes. You can say, in one ear and out the other, this is not for me. Right? You can determine whether those things stay or not.

And Jesus said that we ought to be incredibly ruthless with these temptations or things that are causing us to sin. He says, if your right eye causes you to sin, what are you supposed to do? And if your right hand causes you to sin, what are you supposed to do? Why do you all have your right eyes in your right hands? Is this metaphorical? Yes, this is metaphorical, right? He’s not saying that we should actually gouge out our eyes or cut off our hands, but what he is saying is that we ought to be ruthless with those things that would cause us to sin. We ought to be ruthless with the things that would tempt us. We ought to be ruthless with the things that might lead us in the wrong direction, especially around our sexuality.

I lived with a roommate who struggled with pornography use on his phone and computer, and he didn’t want to be held captive by this anymore. So what did he do? At night, he decided he was going to hand his phone and computer to me, that after dinner he would just no longer have his phone and computer, because those were the times when he was tempted most. He just chose he would not be alone with the things that were causing him to sin. He was removing the temptation. He was cutting it off. He was trusting God with his sexuality in that moment.

And so, friend, as we look at this, what does Jesus say? It’s not just the act. It’s our thoughts and our hearts that matter to Jesus. He wants us to be pure in our mind and in our hearts. And so if you are engaging in pornography, if you’re engaging in sex outside of marriage, if you’re battling lustful thoughts, can I tell you something? You are deeply loved by God. You are a child made in his image. He has incredible plans for your life. And I believe that Jesus has good plans for your sexuality that align with his design. The question is, can you trust him with your sexuality? If so, you might need to cut some things out of your life.

So when was the last time you put your sexuality on the table before Jesus and said, God, is there anything that needs to go? Is there anything that I need to repent of? This might be the time.

What About Homosexuality and Transgenderism?

So far, we’ve talked about sex outside of marriage. What about homosexuality? What about transgenderism? Does Jesus have anything to say to us and our culture about this? And if so, how can we be more like Jesus around these issues?

I want to tell you something: any time Jesus gives us boundaries, it’s always for our benefit. Any time that God gives you boundaries, it’s always for your benefit. It’s because he wants what’s best for you.

So what does Jesus say about these things? Would you turn to Matthew nineteen with me, where Jesus is asked a question about divorce, but he talks about it from actually the creation moment. And so we’re going to look at this passage to see what Jesus has to say around these two things. Matthew nineteen, verses four through six. So when he was asked, is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason, here’s what Jesus says:

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

— Matthew 19:4–6

So Jesus is talking about the question of divorce, but in it he seems to be responding with a sexual ethic about the way God designed us. And so we have to ask the question: Is Jesus just responding to a question about divorce and not addressing our sexuality and identity? Or is he grounding his answer about divorce in God’s original intention for our identity, our sexuality, and our marriage? Which is it?

Well, here’s how other people see this passage. There are Christians who support LGBTQ choices who would emphasize that Jesus was answering a specific question about the ethics of divorce rather than defining sexual orientation or gender identity. So rather than seeing LGBTQ issues or identity as merely how we feel, or a rebellion against God’s design, these believers view sexual orientation and gender identity as deep-seated, innate aspects of how God knit an individual together. They might even point to Jesus’ inclusion of eunuchs in the kingdom of God later in this chapter, to point to his kindness to those who identify outside the traditional binary sexes or have a different sexual orientation. That’s how some people read this, and I can see how they get there.

For me, after lots of study and prayer and conversation, after seeking wisdom for many years, here’s how I read it. And here’s how our denomination, Foursquare, reads this. Jesus isn’t just answering a question about divorce. He’s grounding his answer in creation, showing that we are designed with intention, giving us a structural blueprint for sexuality and identity while he answers this question about divorce. He says that God created male and female. He says that God designed one male and one female to be together in marriage.

And so I would say that we can acknowledge that same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria can be deeply felt, and maybe even feel like not a conscious choice. Traditionalists would argue that experiencing a desire does not make it God’s intended design. So again, I can see how people see this differently.

And I want to speak with the tenderness of Christ here. If you’re experiencing same-sex attraction, can I tell you something? You are deeply loved by God. You are a child made in his image. He has incredible plans for your life. And I believe that Jesus has good plans for your sexuality that aligns with his design. Can you trust him with your sexuality?

If you’re experiencing gender dysphoria, can I tell you something? You are deeply loved by God. You are a child made in his image. He has incredible plans for your life. And I believe that Jesus has good plans for your gender identity that align with your assigned sex at birth. Can you trust him with your identity?

How Can We Be Peacemakers When People See Things Differently?

This series is called Peacemakers, though, isn’t it? And we’re not all going to be the same on this. Isn’t that true? So how can we be peacemakers when people see things differently than us? I’m going to give you three really practical things as we close. And you’re like, three things? Don’t worry, this won’t be long.

1. Ask, “Tell Me Your Story”

Here’s the first. If you want to be a peacemaker, ask the other person, tell me your story. If someone sees differently than you, start with curiosity, not with judgment. Start with learning more rather than thinking you already know. Asking that simple question, can you tell me your story, invites them to share their heart with you. And as they share their heart, you get to share your heart for them and God’s heart for them. It’s a simple question that changes the tenor of relationships with those with whom we disagree.

2. Trust God to Change Others

Number two: how can you be a peacemaker with people who see differently than you? Trust God to change others. Let me be really clear. Changing other people is not your job. That should be freeing. That should take a weight off of you. It is not your responsibility to change somebody. Whose responsibility is that? It’s God’s. Friend, it’s not my responsibility. It’s not your responsibility. God is the one who changes hearts. God is the one who changes minds. You never made somebody born again. You didn’t. You never saved anybody for eternity. But you know who did? Jesus. You can trust him to change others. Trust Jesus to change others.

3. Extend Grace and Hold On to Truth

And then third is this. If you want to be a peacemaker with those who see differently than you, extend grace and hold on to truth. Extend grace and hold on to truth. In John one fourteen it says Jesus came full of grace and—we just said it—grace and truth. Good job. He came full of these things, not just one or the other.

And here’s what I’ve noticed about Christians today. It is typical that some Christians are all grace and no truth. And when that happens, friends, we are holding the life-changing power of truth from the people around us. Other Christians are all truth and no grace. And when that happens, we are holding the life-changing power of grace from those around us.

Our goal is to be more like Jesus, who was full of grace and truth, that we would be able to extend grace and love and compassion to those who see differently than us, but we would also be able to hold on to the truth, not wavering in the foundation that Jesus has planted us on. And so we hold on to both grace and truth, extending them to those around us. That’s how we can be peacemakers.

We Are All in Progress

I have friends who see these issues differently than me. But I stand by what I said at the beginning. We can disagree and still love each other. Would you say that with me? We can disagree and still love each other. Let’s say it one more time. We can disagree and still love each other.

Why? Because by God’s grace, we are all in progress. There’s none of us who’s got this perfect. There’s none of us who’s got this nailed. By God’s grace, they’re in progress and you’re in progress. And so we want to know that, okay, we’re all in progress. God is the one who changes us, so we can disagree and still love each other.

Would you pray with me? God, help each of us to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, so that as we go out, we could love each other deeply the way you’ve called us, God. There are so many things that we could disagree on, but the thing that we unite on is you, Lord Jesus. You are a King. You are a Savior, and we trust in you. So may we be called peacemakers by those around us. May we walk in grace and truth. May your Spirit convict each of us where we are living outside of your boundaries. So help us, Lord, to trust you with everything that we have, including our sexuality and identity. We pray this in Jesus’ name. And everyone said Amen.