Making Peace

Selected highlights from this sermon

Peace means much more than the absence of hostility. The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, means total wellbeing. Pastor Wiersbe defines peace as a positive force that creates an atmosphere for people to grow in and be who God wants them to be. He also explains four basic facts we must understand in order to become peacemakers.

We are called to be instruments of God’s peace.

Transcripts for Dr. Wiersbe's sermons are forthcoming. Below is an outline of his message.

There are nearly 400 verses in the Bible related to peace.

Peace means much more than the absence of hostility.

The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, means total wellbeing.

Peace is a positive force that creates an atmosphere for people to grow and be who God wants them to be.

We are called to be instruments of God’s peace.

Four basic facts we must understand in order to be peacemakers.

The source of peace is God.
- Men and nature cannot generate peace.
- One of God’s names in the Old Testament is Jehovah Shalom, the Lord our Peace.
- God’s nature is at peace, while our nature is conflicted.
- God’s will is one of peace, and He works peace in us.
- If you are trying to have peace but leave God out, it will never work.
The enemy of peace is sin.
- Wherever there is sin there is war.
- Christians are at war with each other because they are at war within themselves.
- If two people are at war with each other someone is being selfish.
- Sin breeds pride. Pride breeds selfishness. Selfishness breeds more sin.
- We are at war inside because we are at war with God.
The minister of peace is the Christian.
- We should be praying for God to work peace, love, and understanding in our own hearts.
- The only way to get a new, peaceful nature is to be born into God’s family.
- Vertical worship of God is useless if the horizontal fellowship with man is broken.
The blessing of peace is becoming more like God.
- Jesus made peace by the blood of His cross so that we can have peace with God.
- Peacemakers have the blessing of growing in godliness.
- The Beatitudes deal with our attitude toward ourselves (poor in spirit), our attitude toward our sin (mourn), our attitude toward God’s authority (meek and hunger after righteousness).
- The result of our changed attitudes is mercy, purity, and peace.
- There never was peace without sacrifice.