The Peacemaking Church: Lesson Two: A Lenten Series: March 19, 2014

LESSON TWO: “Trust in the Lord and Do Good”

Outline and notes for March 19, 2014 lesson

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Trusting God frees us from fear and to respond to conflict biblically and confidently.

       Last week in our peacemaking series we talked about conflict.  We said basically that it is a disagreement, a difference in opinion or perspective that may cause one to feel frustrated. Some conflicts may seem like they are impossible to overcome. Conflicts in a family that are not handled in a godly way can result in emotional wounds and broken relationships.

       Like conflicts in a family, conflicts in a church can result in emotional wounds and broken relationships, people no longer loving one another. Some people decide they aren’t going to go to church anymore--and they fall away from the faith. 

       But we also talked about how some conflict is good, natural and beneficial. Conflicts can be caused simply because of the diversity of the Body of Christ. We all have different gifts, personalities, opinions and life experiences. Conflict can stir creativity and helpful change and actually draw people closer to one another and the Lord as they seek to work things out—and to understand one another better. We talked about conflicts between the generations and I gave the example of my parents disapproving of the clothes that I wanted to wear when I was a teenager. I also gave the example of my grandmother, who lived through the depression, not being able to understand how my parents could spend so much money, even though my parents were not big spenders. 

     Conflict, even when it is the bad kind – the kind that is caused by sinful attitudes or habits—still provides opportunities for us to be a witness to Christ, who is our peace.  It is because of Christ that we can be peacemakers.  It is because of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins that we can have peace with God and one another.

     When people see Christians handling conflicts in a patient and godly manner, then they might wonder, “How were you able to do that?” And that’s your opportunity to say – it is the Lord that is working in and through me. I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me. What is impossible for human beings is not impossible with God.

      Conflict—especially the kind that leads to suffering—is also something God uses to develop our character—to make us more like Christ. To make us more humble – and also to lead us to realize our need for the Lord! When things are going great, we might think we don’t need God’s help. We’re fine on our own. But we can’t handle serious conflicts on our own. We all need daily the gifts of the Spirit, including wisdom, patience, gentleness, joy, faith, hope, peace, and love.

      Today, we are going to talk about what might get in the way of us handling conflict in a godly manner—and also what might actually be the cause of some conflicts. I am talking about when we fail to trust God. When we begin to think that we are on our own – that God isn’t in control of our destinies and doesn’t have a plan for our lives. When we might think that God cannot or will not help us with our situations. When we doubt His love for us and His power over the people and things in our lives.

       What we are talking about is God’s sovereignty. If we lose faith in His sovereignty, then we will lack the confidence, wisdom, and strength to deal with conflict. We won’t be able to live the way that God wants us to live.

Let’s look to God’s word to find out more about the sovereignty of God.

First Reading:

a.   God alone is sovereign (Ps. 86:8-10; Isa. 46:8-10)

Psalm 86:8-10 says, There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
   nor are there any works like yours. 
⁹ All the nations you have made shall come
   and bow down before you, O Lord,
   and shall glorify your name. 
¹⁰ For you are great and do wondrous things;
   you alone are God. 

Isaiah 46:8-10
⁸ Remember this and consider,
   recall it to mind, you transgressors,
⁹   remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
   I am God, and there is no one like me,
¹⁰ declaring the end from the beginning
   and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My purpose shall stand,
   and I will fulfill my intention’,

Second Reading:

b.  God’s dominion extends over creation & preservation (Ps. 135:6-7; John 1:3-4; Col. 1:16-17; Rev. 4:11)

Psalm 135:6-7

⁶ Whatever the Lord pleases he does,
   in heaven and on earth,
   in the seas and all deeps. 
⁷ He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth;
   he makes lightning for the rain
   and brings out the wind from his storehouses. 

John 1:3-4

³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.

Col. 1:16-17

¹⁶for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Third Reading: 

c.    He rules over governments (Prov. 21:1; Dan. 2:20-21; 4:35)

Prov. 21: 1: The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
   he turns it wherever he will.

Dan. 2:20-21

²⁰ Daniel said: ‘Blessed be the name of God from age to age, for wisdom and power are his. ²¹ He changes times and seasons, deposes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.

Daniel 4:35
³⁵ All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does what he wills with the host of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth.
There is no one who can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What are you doing?’

Fourth Reading

d.  He alone controls individual lives & destinies (Jer. 18:6; John 6:39; Rom. 9:15-16)

Jer. 18:6

⁶Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

John 6:39

³⁹And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

Rom. 9:15-16

¹⁵For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’  ¹⁶So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.

 Fifth Reading:

1.   God has ultimate control over all that happens, but He does not exercise this power from a distance.

a.    He takes a personal interest in each one of us and knows the small details of our lives (Ps. 8:3-4; Prov. 16:1,9 & 33; 19:21)

Psalm 8:3-4    

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; ⁴ what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? 

Prov. 16:1,9, 33

16The plans of the mind belong to mortals,
   but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. 
⁹ The human mind plans the way,
   but the Lord directs the steps. 
³³ The lot is cast into the lap,
   but the decision is the Lord’s alone.

Proverbs 19:21
²¹ The human mind may devise many plans,
   but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.

Sixth Reading:

b.  King David marveled at the wonders of God’s involvement in our lives. (Ps. 139:6)

Ps. 139:6

⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
   it is so high that I cannot attain it. 

Seventh Reading:

c.      His sovereignty is so complete that he exercises ultimate control over even painful & unjust events. (Ex. 4:10-12, Amos 3:6; I Peter 3:17)

Ex. 4:10-12

10 But Moses said to the Lord, ‘O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.’ ¹¹Then the Lord said to him, ‘Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹²Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.’

Amos 3:6
⁶ Is a trumpet blown in a city, and the people are not afraid? Does disaster befall a city, unless the Lord has done it?

I Peter 3:17

¹⁷For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil.

Eighth Reading:

d.   God takes no pleasure in what is hurtful (Ezek. 33:11) and he is never the author of sin (James 1:13-14; I John 1:5)

Ezek. 33:11

¹¹Say to them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?

James 1:13-14;

¹³No one, when tempted, should say, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. ¹⁴But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it;

I John 1:5

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.

Ninth Reading:

          e.   Yet, for his eternal purposes, God allows suffering and permits unjust acts by men and women whom he decides not to restrain, even though he has power to do so. Jesus did not die because God had lost control. (Acts 2:23; Luke 22:42; Acts 4:27-28).

Acts 2:23

²³this man, (Jesus) handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law.

Luke 22:42

⁴²‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.’ 

Acts 4:27-28

²⁷For in this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, ²⁸to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

Tenth Reading:

f.     The Lord works out everything (even things that seem terrible) for His own purposes (Prov. 16:4-5).

Prov. 16:4-5

⁴ The Lord has made everything for its purpose,
   even the wicked for the day of trouble. 
⁵ All those who are arrogant are an abomination to the Lord; be assured, they will not go unpunished.

God’s ways are just (Ps. 33:10-11; Rom. 12:19)

Psalm 33:10-11

¹⁰ The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. 
¹¹ The counsel of the Lord stands for ever,
   the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

Rom. 12:19

¹⁹Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’

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God’s Word tells us not just that we can trust in God, but that we should trust in Him! 

Prov. 3:5 says….

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

Friends, trusting God means more than just having faith in Him—that He sent Jesus to die for our sins and so forth. It means relying on Him.  Understanding our need for Him. And seeking Him for His help. Believing that He can and will guide us through the conflicts in our lives. Because sometimes the problem is, despite everything we know to be true about the sovereignty and goodness and power of God, deep down, we may still feel that God doesn’t care about us and the intimate details of our lives. Or we might not want to bother him with our little problems. We think of him in human terms and decide he is too busy with more important things than to help us when we are struggling in our relationships.  
         And yet – there is nothing more important to Him than our relationships. Nothing is more important to God than people—and our love for Him and one another.

      Trusting God is a decision that we have to make.

Let us pray.  Holy God, we thank you for your Word to us today.  We ask that what we have read and heard would truly seep into our hearts and minds and change our attitudes, change our lives. Lord, we forget sometimes how much you care about us and how you are intimately involved in the personal details of our lives. That you are with us in our conflicts and our suffering. That you have the power to use all things for your glory and your Kingdom purposes. We forget that you care about our relationships with you and one another. We forget the “Greatest Commandment”—is love God and neighbor. And that Christ has empowered us to be peacemakers by giving all of His followers His peace – a peace that goes beyond human understanding. Forgive us for our unbelief and disobedience to your commands. Help us to make the right decision – today and every day – to trust in You through times of conflict and suffering--because you are worthy of our trust!  In Your Son’s precious name we pray. Amen.  

The Peacemaking Church: Lesson One: A Lenten Series: March 12, 2014

LESSON ONE : “Live at Peace”

Living at peace is a key to our Christian witness.

This was the outline and notes for our lesson on March 12, 2014

This Lenten series is based on the teachings of Ken Sande's book, "The Peacemaker"

LESSON NOTES: “Live at Peace” 

1. What is conflict?   

        A difference in opinion or purpose that frustrates someone’s goals or desires. WHAT DO WE THINK of when we think of conflict? Do we like conflict? How many in here want to avoid conflict as much as possible?

2.      Four primary causes of conflict:

1. Misunderstandings resulting from poor communication (see Josh 22:10-34).

2. Differences in values, goals, gifts, callings, priorities, expectations, interests, or opinions (see Acts 15:39; I Cor. 12:12-31)

3.  Competition over limited resources, such as time or money. This is often a problem in families, churches and businesses. (see Gen. 13:1-2)

4.    Some conflicts are caused or aggravated by sinful attitudes and habits that lead to sinful words and actions. (see James 4:1-2).

     HOWEVER, conflict isn’t always a bad thing. The Bible teaches that some differences are natural and beneficial.  God has created us as unique individuals, with different opinions, convictions, desires, gifts, priorities and perspectives. Human beings are not always going to agree all the time. Sometimes the conflict could be a generational thing. I remember my grandmother who lived with poverty and scarcity through the depression and years leading up to it not understanding why my mom would spend money on shopping or vacations, etc. Not that parents were rich or spent a lot of money—not really.  They were just middle class. But Grandma really hung onto her money because she was always afraid that the money might run out. And we could understand her perspective was different.  Would we ever really agree that say, a new car was needed when the old one was still running? Probably not. But Grandma had a sweet personality and she just accepted that my parents were leading a different life – and that she would just have to trust them to make the right decisions for their kids.

      Conflict can stimulate some productive discussions, encourage creativity, promote helpful changes, and generally make life more interesting. We can’t expect uniformity in a family – everyone has different personalities, strengths, interests and so forth.  And we can’t expect uniformity or have it as a goal for a church, because that would be against what the Bible teaches (Eph. 4:1-13, I Cor. 12:21-31)—that we all have different gifts and different callings, so of course we will have different opinions and ways we would go about doing things. So we shouldn’t demand UNIFORMITY—everything and everyone to be the same. BUT we should seek UNITY in our relationships while rejoicing in the diversity of God’s creation. We sometimes have to learn to work with and accept people who simply see things differently than we do. (Romans 15:7)

        Not all conflict is neutral or beneficial, though.  Yes, sometimes conflict is BAD. The Bible teaches that many disagreements are the direct result of sinful attitudes and behavior. (James 4:1-2)

But even if conflict is BAD, the biblical view is that it provides opportunities to glorify God:

1. To glorify God is to bring him praise and honor; trusting the Lord and not relying on your own ideas and abilities as you respond to people who oppose you. As God to give you grace to depend on him and follow his ways, even if they are the opposite of what you feel like doing. (Proverbs 3:5-7)

2. To glorify God is to obey him. Our obedience shaows that his ways are absolutely good, wise and dependable. (see John 14:15-31; 1 John 5:3; 2 John 5-6)

3. To glorify God is to imitate him. (Eph. 5:1-2)

4. To glorify God is to acknowledge him: As God gives you grace to respond to conflict in unusual and effective ways, other people will notice and wonder how you do it. Tell them that God is working in you to do things you could never do on your own. (Phil. 2:13; I Peter 3:14-16.)

A BENEFIT TO a God-centered approach to conflict resolution us that it makes you less dependent on results. Even if others refuse to respond positively to your efforts to make peace, you can find comfort in the knowledge that God is pleased with your obedience. You have done the right thing.

Other godly opportunities that conflict provides...  You can:

1. Serve others: Although the world teaches, “Look out for number one,” we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves and to treat others as we would like to be treated. Luke 6:27-28 Sometimes conflict allows you an opportunity to carry your opponents’ burdens by providing for his or her spiritual, emotional or material needs. The Lord may be using you to help others learn where they have been wrong and need to change. Gal 6:1-2, 9-10)

2. Encourage others to trust in Jesus: Your behavior during a conflict may actually draw others closer to the Lord. (I Peter 3:15-16)

3.  Grow to be like Christ: We are called to be walk in our Lord’s footsteps. And what did the Lord do but give up everything—his entire life—so that we would be saved. He was a suffering servant. Why should we expect to have an easy life when we are called to be like Him. God uses conflicts in our lives to shape our character and even expose sinful attitudes and habits in our own lives. (1 Cor. 11:1; Rom. 8:28-29)

We are called to live at peace--to pursue peace with everyone!  (Rom. 12:18).

a.    Why pursue peace? Why be a peacemaker? Because we know that God loves peace; it is part of His character. He is often called, “The God of peace”—Rom. 15:33; 2 Cor. 13:11; Phil 4:9

b.      God commands us to seek & pursue peace—2 Cor. 13:11; I Thess 5:12-13; Rom. 12:18

c.     Peace is a gift from God! It is one of the blessings God gives to those who follow him—Prov. 16:7; Gal 6:16; Ps. 29:11

4.      Three dimensions of peace: If any of these are missing, you will not have true peace.

a.Peace with God through Jesus Christ—Rom. 5:1-2

b.    Peace with others—Eph. 2:11-18; Matt 22:39

c. Peace with self—Isa. 26:3; Isa. 48:1 You know, for some people making peace with themselves is even harder than peace with other people. Some people may not love themselves.  They may think that they are unloveable. But this is not true. God loves every one of you—and Jesus died for all your sins. Whatever you think of yourself, whatever fault you can find in yourself, God sees you through the work of Christ on the cross for our sins. He sees you after His Spirit is finished its transforming work in you. If you are struggling to love yourself, then ask the Lord to help you see what a really special person you are – and that each of us has a unique calling in this life.

5.      The enemy of peace: Satan, who promotes conflict:

a.     Tempts us to greed & dishonesty (Acts 5:3)

b.      Deceives & misleads us (2 Tim. 2:25-26)

c.     Takes advantage of unresolved anger (Eph. 4:26-27)

PASTORAL PRAYER

Let us pray.  Heavenly Father, thank you for your word to us today.  Thank you for being the God of Peace and for sending your Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins, so that we would have peace with you and with other people. Forgive us, Lord, when we have not always sought to be peacemakers. Give us courage and humility to walk in your loving, peaceful ways.  Make us more like your son, Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray….Our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts and we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen!