Excite: Matthew 5:9
As we prepare for Sunday take sometime to consider, what peace is and the term ‘peacemaker’.
Jesus is calling us to be peacemakers, consider the previous beatitudes do you think they build up to and into this beatitude?
Read Ephesians 2:11-17, and give thanks to God that we can have peace with him through Jesus.
Read Isaiah 52:7, what challenges you from this verse?
Engage & Extend
Jesus, the ultimate peacemaker
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.
Luke 2:13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
Colossians 1:19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Through faith in Jesus we can be called children of God
1 John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
We are call to seek the peace of the nation
Jeremiah 29:7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Take some time to pray for our nation.
An unpopular message
Think about the political situation Jesus lived in.
We are called to Peace with others
Read through the Sermon on the Mount and discuss the importance of peace with one another and how it affects our witness to the world.
We are to be peacemakers
The NIV Application Commentary says this:
But the real peacemakers are those who bring the good news that “your God reigns,” who brings ultimate harmony between all peoples.
Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
How beautiful are our feet?
Discuss this statement form Stephen: “for so many we have made peace into a passive concept, an absence of war, trouble. We don’t seek peace but do passiveness.”
This challenge from Jesus is the outworking of our church vision, pray that God will help us to fulfil it.
Trinity Deeper 