Blessed are the peacemakers, according to James chapter 3. Could it be said that you are pursuing peace and unity within your church? Or is the testimony about your character that you constantly divide Christ’s church like dynamite?

Transcript:

Please take your Bibles and turn to James 3, I want to read the entire chapter this morning—it is a good reminder.

Jam 3:1 – Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Let’s pray together.

Father, we have an aversion to anyone that would seek to make an open show in the flesh. Lord, I want you to give debilitating grace this morning, Lord, to make me so consciously dependent upon you. I would pray, Father, that you would save me from myself, that you would save us all from ourselves. Lord, there will be risings of thoughts, of diversion, self-deception, pride as we sit and listen to this message. But I pray, Lord, that they would be kept at a distance, not to interfere in any way with what the Spirit seeks to say through the Word of God to us this morning. Thank you for this great privilege Lord, to be with these people, please help us. In Jesus name, Amen.

This morning I have chosen a text and I have felt led to set forth a title that hopefully will be a great encouragement to you as a faith family in the upcoming days. It’s something that resonates within my heart. I have worked with HeartCry Missionary Society for the last 16 years. We see the issue of variance and selfish ambition, even among some of the best of our missionaries. I’ve battled with that in my own heart on many occasions. So this morning what I want to do is share with you just some thoughts under the title of Blessed Are The Peacemakers.

The background of the text here is that you had a plethora of men that were coming forward equating a call with their ability to speak, and from the outset there was a very solemn warning issued in 3:1—My brethren, be not masters, don’t aspire to be spiritual leaders, for you shall receive the greater condemnation, the stricter judgment.

So interesting that James would proceed and he would give this contrast between the evil tongue and the good tongue. And he shows us the nature of it and what inspires one from the other. And then you read on and you find in verse 13, and here is the emphasis of the text: Who is that wise and understood ending man or woman among you that by his or her good conduct, let them show their works in the meekness of wisdom. That certainly is a conduit for peace. And then the writer James precedes and he talks about what is heavenly wisdom as opposed to that which is characterized by sensuality and even demonic character. And it’s interesting, brethren, that it all culminated in this precious verses scripture in verse 18. And this is the emphasis of what James is setting forth: a harvest of peace is sown in peace by those who make peace.

The premiere characteristic of a spiritual leader in a man or a woman is that they make for peace. We certainly believe that there are qualifications in Titus and Timothy concerning spiritual leaders that must be observed and must be followed. But from what I’m learning these days, one of the primary characteristics of a spiritual leader, whether it’s the Mom in the home or whether it’s a Father over it’s household, or whether it’s a leader in the church in some capacity, is do they say those things and do those things that make for peace.

So the context of the overall passage begins with a solemn warning. James cautions those who desire to be teachers of this grave responsibility, such administration causes a man to tremble in light of a future judgment, a stricter judgment. So consider the verses on the tongue that follow. As a spiritual leader, it’s not about how well he speaks, it’s not about how well he articulates. They are thinking to themselves that if I’m able to interpret this scripture, to preach with smooth words, to engage people with my verbal expression, then God certainly has a hand on me to lead them. But James says, “No!” The premier qualification of being a leader is a person that makes for peace. And when considering a man as a teacher, James tells us furthermore in the text, to look for one whose life is governed by wisdom and knowledge, not just simply a knowledge of scholarship that comes to the study of God’s Word, but a knowledge that is experiential in nature, that governs over the life of the individual. The nature of this wisdom is spiritual, because you see this man, this woman who has some type of leadership capacity, views things from an eternal perspective. They can see beyond. They can see what’s going on behind the scenes. They’ve cultivated their minds, their intuitive faculty to see what’s going on beyond. Whereas the knowledge or understanding speaks of a practical understanding of truth. There are two marks here of spiritual maturity, knowledge and wisdom, and both are demonstrated in a spiritual life characterized by sincerity, holiness, and meekness.

How about that as a need in this hour? Oh, now it’s interesting, brethren. A proper understanding of the text reveals that there were men who thought they were qualified to teach because they could speak well, they could move a congregation with persuasive words, but there was an absence of inner character to lead the people. They could impress with enticing words of man’s wisdom but they were inefficient in self-control that makes for peacemaking. So after James here, contrast divine wisdom with worldly wisdom, he tells them at the end of the chapter, once again, I reiterate that the real qualification for teaching is being, listen, an intentional peacemaker, which oftentimes in the way of implication, requires us exercising risk, by faith confronting people. And he says in verse 18 that the harvest of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

So track with me this morning when I think on the qualifications here in Titus and Timothy of elders and deacons in the church in times past with our own small faith family, our own congregation in Sheffield, Alabama, I’ve stressed the importance of looking for men who evidence those character qualities beyond those qualifications. I believe that one of the vital needs of a leader is to give and receive corrections. But beyond the biblical qualities of spiritual leaders and my personal preferences, I begin to recognize not only from the Scripture, but also in my interaction with people, how vital it was for a man or a woman to be a peacemaker.

I don’t know where you are, but as I shared with the men the other night, my resolve at 69 years of age, if I leave anything behind to the praise of his glory,