Blessed Are the Peace Makers

[Speaker 1] Churches and fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home front. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Tent Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [background music] [Speaker 2] [singing] Baba Alagbara, Atobiju Oluwa, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Oh, You are the mighty God Mighty God, the Great I AM Jehovah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Oh, You are the mighty God Mighty God, the Great I AM Jehovah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah [Speaker 2] Our Father, we bless your name. Almighty God, we are grateful unto you. We give you glory. We give you honor. We give you adoration. We bless your holy name for your mercies. We thank you for preservation. We thank you for diverse, multi-dimensional deliverances. Lord our God, we are really, really grateful. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, God. Thank you, our Father. Blessed be your name in the name of Jesus. Almighty God, as we gather this evening, we look unto you that Lord, both we who are physically here gathered and our brethren that are connecting with us online, Lord God Almighty, you will meet with us all in the name of Jesus. Oh Lord, lighten our darkness. Let light shine into every dark area of our lives in the name of Jesus. Grant us revelation. Grant us inspiration. Grant us insight into your truth, into life, in the name of Jesus. Thank you, eternal Father. Blessed be your holy name, our God. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. [Speaker 2] We thank our God again for another time in his presence. We are honestly, we are grateful to God for helping us over and over and over and over again. Every time we are here. So honestly, it is God. It has been him. It is still him, and it will yet be him in the name of Jesus Christ. We have been looking at the Beatitude. Beatitude, and last week we looked at the place of "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." For they shall see God. I don't know if anybody has anything to say from our discussion last week. If there is any particular lesson, anything that came that was a particular lesson to you. That is only possible for those of us who are here physically. If there is none, so that I can move on this evening to the next Beatitude that we have. So is there anybody that has anything to say? Okay. So let's move on to the next Beatitude. And the next Beatitude in that order in Matthew 5, Matthew 5:9 says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." [Speaker 2] And the first thing, even though it is common to all the other Beatitude, if you look at all of them, it is "Blessed are the merciful," "Blessed are the pure in heart," "Blessed are those," so it has always been in plural, plural, plural. But what interests me about this of the peacemaker, even though it is used for all the Beatitude, is the fact that peacemaking is not a singular thing. Peacemaking is not about a particular person. Everybody should be able to make peace. So it is important for for us to see that making peace, for example, if we talk about in a marriage, making peace is for the husband to be making peace and the wife to be making peace. If you talk about the church, the leadership, the followers, I mean peacemaking is something that should not be personalized. It should be something that should be just like the other Beatitude, a desire of everybody who is a child of God. [Speaker 2] Anybody who is a child of God should understand that he needs to be a peacemaker. He needs to be somebody who can broker peace. And so peacemaking should not be something that is tagged with some particular—you see, this person should know how to make peace, even though this one does not know how to make peace. Everybody who is a believer should understand that I need to be a peacemaker. And so that even if you look at the word of Apostle Paul, he said, "As much as it lies in you, try to live peaceably with all men." Live peaceably with all men. By implication, if there is any trouble at all, if there is any fight at all, the source of that quarrel should not be you. The source of the quarrel should not be you. For you, as much as it lies in you, you are to make sure that you are pursuing peace. Be the person pursuing the peace. You will see that in Romans 12, Romans 12. Apostle Paul was encouraging the believers. I want to read from verse 17. He said, "Repay no one evil for evil. Don't pay anybody evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men." [Speaker 2] That is, where it is not possible, you should not be the source of the wahala. There are some people that no matter how much you try to live peaceably with them, there are some neighbors, there are some superiors, there are some colleagues, there are some friends, there are some Christians, there are some leaders, there are some individuals, no matter how much you try for everything to be peaceful, there will still be trouble. But the Bible is saying that as it depends on you, that is, that the trouble is persisting is not because you are trying to revenge the person's action. Not because you are trying to give the person back evil for evil. As it lies on you, you are always, at every time, trying to make peace. [Speaker 2] Now, I want us to come to look at the matter one after the other now. The matter of peacemaking, "Blessed are the peacemaker." And the first thing I want to do, having first made the statement that every child of God should desire to be a peacemaker. Everybody who is a child of God should desire to be a peacemaker. Should work towards it. Should do everything to be described as such. I want to look at something here which is background about the matter of peace. Some things we need to first consider. Some things we need to first consider. Everybody should seek to be a peacemaker. Yes. Let's look at some background about peace itself. "Blessed are the peacemaker." Blessed, when we talk about somebody making peace, is somebody making sure that there is no strife, there is no quarrel, there is no disaffection, there is no division, there is no enmity. [Speaker 2] Now, let's look at some few important things here. Number one is that God is a God of peace. You will see that in Romans 15:33. Romans 15:33. God is a God of peace. God is a God of peace. Romans 15:33, what does that place tells us? Yes, 15:33. If you are there, you can please read. Romans 15:33. If you are there before me, you read. If I am there, okay, I'm in 15 already. 33. Romans 15:33, it says, "Now..." Okay, somebody's reading. [Speaker 3] "And now, may God, who gives us his peace, be with you all. Amen." [Speaker 2] Amen. He said, "Now the God of peace be with you all." God is a God of peace. Number two. Number two. Is that God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. God is never the author. Anytime you see confusion, scattering, strife, those things, God will never author it. God don't author confusion. But of peace. What does that mean? Number one, God is a God of peace. Number two, God is a author of peace. Who is an author? Somebody who is an originator. Somebody who is a source. God is an originator. God is the author. God brings about. So God don't bring about confusion. God is never the author of confusion. [Speaker 2] [background noise] God may use confusion to work out his purpose. The enemy may bring confusion. Our sinful nature may bring confusion. God can override that confusion and work out a good from that confusion. But God is never the author. God is not the author of peace. You will see that in 1 Corinthians 14:33. 1 Corinthians 14:33. The Bible says, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." Can we read that in any other translation? Any other translation? The chapter and the verse? Chapter 14 verse 33. 1 Corinthians 14:33. [Speaker 3] "For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." [Speaker 2] You see that. He said God is not the God of confusion. Is there any other translation again? [Speaker 4] "For God is not characterized by disorder but by peace." [Speaker 2] God is not characterized by disorder. You see. Anything that has the character of disorder is not God. It's not God. It's not God. I remember one incident like that many, many years ago. It actually happened in one of the states in the middle belt. Plateau state to be precise. The church actually was trying to prevent pedestrians, people from walking through the compound of the church because maybe sometimes they normally march the flowers that they were trying to plant or something, I really don't know. But what happened was that there was this boy that was trying to pass through and then the pastor said, "Hey, you go back." And the boy refused to go back. The boy continued. You know, it is not the boy's action. The boy's action, of course, was not correct. But the surprising part was that the man just ran out of his office and said, "Look, the kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent take it by force." For me, I felt, what is the substance of God's kingdom? The nature of the kingdom? When we want to talk about God's kingdom is in a place, it's not because there is so much food to eat or water to drink. It's not about some material thing. [Speaker 2] The Bible says, "For the kingdom of God is not in eating and drinking, but..." what do you see there? "...righteousness." What follows? "Peace." What follows? "Joy in the Holy Ghost." I want us to see why Jesus came to that statement, "Blessed are the peacemaker." And the place there is that they will become sons of God. Why is it that they will become sons of God? What I'm showing you is that why they will become sons of God is that number one, God is a God of peace. Number two, God is not the author of confusion. Number three, anybody that is working with God, there will be peace around his life and home. Number four, the kingdom of God is in peace. [Speaker 2] Now, if a man is not a peacemaker, please, from what we have been saying, does that man have anything to do with God? Does he have anything to do with God? That person has nothing to do with God. He has nothing. He has—God is a God of peace. God is the author of peace. Obedience to God brings peace. The kingdom of God is peace. And somebody said he's in his kingdom. Somebody said he's obeying God. Somebody said he knows God. And the person is not a peacemaker. Peace is not coming around his life, around his home, around his family, around his career, in the neighborhood. Peace is not coming around. Please, how do we want to describe that a man, such a man? We cannot describe him. It is difficult from the background that we have noticed. [Speaker 2] That is why Jesus, we are still going further. That is why Jesus is trying to say that, look, "Blessed are the peacemaker." When you see men that are people that are promoting peace, that are making sacrifice for peace, that are doing everything for peace to reign, that goes on and on so that there will be peace, that are author, they are the source of peace, they are the promoter, they are the one bringing it, they are the one causing peace. When you see in a situation somebody when they say, "Ah, we thank God for this person. If not for this person, there wouldn't be peace in this place." That person is a source of peace, is a source of harmony, is a source of togetherness, is a source of harmonious living. When you see a life that is like that, we say this must be a child of God. [Speaker 2] Because of the matters that we have raised. Now, we have been speaking about the kingdom of God, about God and God and God. Now let's look at something about Christ. About Jesus Christ our Savior. Can we check something? If you look at Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6 to 7. Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6 to 7. Now, you'll be wondering why am I looking at Jesus again? Why are we looking at Jesus particularly? Why are we saying let us look at Jesus particularly? It is because we understand as believers that relationship with God, if it is to be in respect to salvation of the soul, it is only through Jesus. [Speaker 2] If a man has a relationship with God and it's not through Jesus, we know that man is not saved. I hope I'm making sense to us. Several people are relating to God in several ways. There are several ways to relate to God. But as long as that relationship is not through Jesus, we know as believers of Jesus that that relationship is without the salvation to eternal life. So a man might be inside the church relating to God. A man might be anywhere in any location, not even inside church, outside church, anywhere, in any religion, trying to relate to God. But as long as that relationship is not a product of an encounter with Jesus, we know there is no eternal life. [Speaker 2] And so that is why I want to call our attention again to the matter of peace and Jesus Christ. So that I want to show you that if truly a man actually has an encounter with Jesus, what again should be manifesting in his life in this matter of peace. In Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6 to 7, the Bible says, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. And the government shall be upon his shoulder. And his name..." Please, I want you to notice that matter. The Bible did not say, I don't know, maybe we can look at some other translations. Is there any one that says "his names"? Can we check translations, please? [Speaker 3] Amplified. [Speaker 2] Amplified. [Speaker 3] "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called..." [Speaker 2] It's also name. Is there anyone saying names? Is there any translation saying names? No. [Speaker 4] Message. [Speaker 2] Okay. [Speaker 4] Message used names. [Speaker 2] Message used names. [Speaker 4] "And he will be called..." [Speaker 2] "And he will be called." Basic English used names too. All right. Now you know why I'm calling your attention to the matter of this issue of name, name, name, name. Is that when you begin to check what his name is, or what he will be called, I think I like that translation. How do we call him? How do we call him? He said we should call him what? "Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father." What do you see again in that name? "Prince of Peace." [Speaker 2] When somebody is a Prince of Peace, let's just try to separate it. Who is a prince? Who is a prince? Somebody who is an heir to a throne. Is that not? Now, if he's a Prince of Peace, please, what is particular about his throne? Peace. How will you know? Look at verse 7. Look at verse 7. What does verse 7 says? And of what? "And of the increase of what? His government and what? There shall be what? Peace." [Speaker 2] Do you see that anywhere his government is increasing, what will increase along with it? Peace. Anywhere you find the government of Jesus. Anywhere Jesus is the governor. Is the one governor of that place. And that government is increasing. That government is expanding. That government is enlarging. That government is conquering. That government is moving forward. What will go with that government will be what? Peace. [Speaker 2] Maybe you're not understanding me. What I'm saying is that if actually it is the government of Jesus that is reigning in your life. If actually the government of Jesus is expanding inside you. The government of Jesus is taking over the way you talk. The government of Jesus is taking over the way you react to things. The government of Jesus is taking over your mannerism. The government of Jesus is taking over how you react to things. The government of Jesus is taking over the way you behave. The government of Jesus is taking over the way you dress. The government of Jesus is taking over the way you eat. I mean, when that government is expanding in any life, in any situation, what will expand along is what? Is peace. [Speaker 2] So what I'm saying is that once we don't see peace increasing in a life, increasing in the way you talk, in the things you do, in your approach to matters, in your reaction to things, in your handling of things, when we don't see that there is an increase of peace, can I announce to you that the government of Christ, the government of Christ is not an increase in your life. It's not. I'm trying to make you understand why Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemaker." Because they are the ones we can be sure that actually and truly they are the sons of God. [Speaker 2] Are you see how, I hope you're understanding Jesus. You're understanding why Jesus is saying that it is the peacemakers that we can describe because we have also seen again that himself is a Prince of Peace. And do you know one thing? Do you know one thing that is why I was talking about the increase of his government in your life? Look at Romans chapter 8. Can you quickly look at Romans chapter 8 with me? Let's look at something in Romans chapter 8. We want to quickly see something there about this matter of his the Prince of Peace. A prince. Are you a joint heir with Christ? Are you a joint heir with Christ? Are you a joint heir with Christ? Can you pray for a minute over your own life that, Lord, may I be a prince of peace. If you are actually a joint heir with him, and then pray that God, make me a prince of peace. A prince. Because the throne, the throne from which I sit, we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places. I want you to note that matter. We are seated with him on that throne that authors peace. And you need to pray that God help me. [Speaker 2] That everything about me, Lord, may I be a prince in my home, in my business, in the neighborhood, in my career, in whatever that is about me, with whatever that is about me, may I be a prince of peace. Thank you, Father. Now let's look at what I'm trying to make you see in Romans chapter 8. What I want to make you see there. I want to take it from around verse 28 thereabouts, where the Bible says "we know that all things work together for good." Now, I take it from verse 28. I'm reading from the New King James translation. It says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose." [Speaker 2] Now look at it. Look at something. Please, I want you to pay attention to the way the matters are raised here. Now, having said all things work together for good to those who love God who are called according to the purpose of God. Look at the next thing. Look at the next thing. It said, the Bible says, "For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to what? To what? To the image of his son. That he might be the firstborn among many brethren." Moreover, "whom he predestined, these he also called. Whom he called, these he also justified. And whom he justified, these he also glorified." [Speaker 2] If you look at this place, what is the primary purpose of your being called to Jesus? If you look at the scripture, what is the primary purpose for God calling us to Jesus? That we might be conformed to his image. To his image. Now look at something. He said those he justified, these he also glorified. So I want to ask you. What is the glory of our being called? What is the end of our being called? It is that we become like him. What I'm saying is this. When you don't reflect his image. When you don't reflect the image of Christ. You are not a life that is glorified. Are we getting it? You are not a life that is being glorified. You are not a life experiencing glorification. That is the end of the call. [Speaker 2] So I want to say this. Not really to ask you but to say this. If therefore a man, a woman, anybody is not a peacemaker. Is not a prince of peace. Is not an author of peace. His own government does the increase of his government in your life. Do you understand what I mean by that? When your influence is increasing in a place and your authority is increasing there. Do you understand me at all? When it is you that is in charge. And as you are in charge, what people are experiencing is not peace. I want to ask you, is that life glorified? It's not a glorified life. [Speaker 2] And that is why sometimes, I say this over and over. We need to understand the primary purpose of our being Christians. The primary purpose. It is not in eating and drinking. I keep saying this thing. It's not as if God will not provide for our needs. But the primary purpose of being Christians is to reflect God. And I'm yet to find a man who reflects God and does not have something to eat. Please, go and check through all scriptures. Because what God assured is that your Father knows that you have need of these things. Is that not Jesus assured us? He said "Seek ye first the kingdom of God." What will happen? "These things, they will be added." That's why I said I'm yet to see a man who reflect the kingdom that his needs will not be met. I'm yet to see such, I'm yet to see. [Speaker 2] But we need to know, we need to understand that the essence of salvation is to reflect his image. And when a man reflect his image, anywhere that man is in charge, what should we see? Peace. It should be peace. If peace is not what is reigning, then the man need to check. What should be checked? The level of his conformity to who? To Jesus. What is the level of the conformity? And that is why, when I began this message, the first thing I said is that you will notice that it is also plural that Jesus used for peacemaker. "Blessed are those who are..." "Blessed are the pure in heart," "Blessed are," "Blessed are," when he came to peacemaker too he said, "Blessed are." So that peacemaking is not a matter of an individual. Anybody who is a child of God, anywhere that person reigns, there should be peace. [Speaker 2] Anybody that is a child of God. It should not be some people should be able to make peace. Me, I don't know how to make peace. There's nothing like that. Anybody who has an encounter with Jesus should be somebody who can broker peace. Now, I want to quickly move on. It's already 6:00 p.m. and there are still some issues I needed to raise. I believe I've bring us to a point that I can move forward on that matter now. [Speaker 2] Now look at something that I want to show us about this matter again of "Blessed are the peacemaker." Why Jesus talking about this matter of the peacemakers and why must there be peacemakers in the first place? Why must there be peacemakers? Have you not thought about that? Why must there be peacemakers? Why can't peace just be there? Are you understanding me at all? Why can't peace just exist without somebody making it? Have you ever thought about that? I want to get response from brethren. Brethren, why can't peace just exist? Why must somebody be making peace? Can't peace just be there? Am I making sense to you? Why is it that we must be making it? Yes, brethren, I want one or two contribution before I move on. Even though there are answers, but I just want—you know, it was just something that occurred to me too. I said, but God, why must somebody be making? Why can't peace just exist? When you just marry, why can't peace just be in the home? Why can't peace just be in Nigeria? Why can't peace just be in the neighborhood? Why can't peace just be in our workplaces? Why can't peace just be in our department? Why can't peace just be in the street? Why must somebody be making it? Somebody want to say—yes, my brother, what do you have to say? [Speaker 4] I want to answer with John 16:33. I'll be reading Amplified Classic. It said, "I have told you these things so that in me you may have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulations, trials, distress, frustrations, but be of good cheer, take courage, be confident, certain, undaunted, for I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of the power to harm you and I have conquered it for you." So I want to say that because we are in this world and to be friend with God, anybody that is on the side of God, he is an enemy, a target in this world. So the one that is the prince of the world, which is not our kingdom, it is his goal to attack us, to try to bring confusion our way. Now, if we are in Jesus Christ like we have said, as we grow to become him, in our life he will be working in our life to ensure that we have peace. One of the ways I think he does this is by bringing people also around us who is also working on, who are not members of this world. So they will be helping everybody to not look at things the way, not look beyond what is happening to them, but to see the big picture which is what Jesus is doing. So that whatever we go through, he also said something in John 14:27, he said "My peace I give to you. My peace I leave unto you." He said it's not like the peace that is in the world, a relative peace. He said it's on top of what comes from the workings of the Holy Spirit within us. [Speaker 2] Yes, you have told us that because there is a prince of this world, there is tribulation in this world. What I'm trying to say is this. Just a very simple one that why is it that we must be making it? You see, let us look at the Bible. What you have said is correct in a way. I just want to add to what he has said. I want to add to what he has said. Now as I was wondering that why is it so? I saw something. But let me first make this statement because even if I'm not able to finish everything I have here, let me make this statement. You see, we need to understand that peace comes with a price. Until that price is paid there will be no peace. Peace comes with a price. And that is what we want to go. I just want to make that that summary so that in case you are not able to get to everything. [Speaker 2] But now look at—look at—it's partly what he was trying to say. There's an adversary. But we want to now look at it more holistically. More holistically. If you look at the book of Genesis 3 and 4, please when you get home you can read it over and over again. Genesis chapter 3 and chapter 4, we need to save time so that we can finish to time and still be able to pray a little. Now, see. Now, in the beginning, in the beginning, it was God and the government of God. Is that not? Is that not? And in that government of God, what did God do? God created the world. Place Adam somewhere. Made Eve in addition to Adam. And he said he blessed them. Was there trouble? Was there trouble? There was no trouble. There was no death. There was no sorrow. Everything was calm. Why? It was the increase of God's government. Anywhere God is in charge, there will be what? There will be peace. [Speaker 2] But along the line. That's why I said you are partly correct. Along the line, that government was interrupted. And how was it interrupted? That is what is important to us. There is this adversary, the devil. And we know how everything happened. With the deception, Eve was deceived, Adam disobeyed, and from that point, there was a loss of what? Of what? Peace. [Speaker 2] Anytime God appears, what does man do? Man disappears. Man began to hide. Man was no more at peace. Man was no more at peace with God. I want you to follow this thing systematically. He was not at peace with God. Quickly notice it. Immediately man lost peace with God, man lost peace with themselves. Adam said, "It is the woman." Are you following a sequel? Immediately there was loss of peace with God, there was loss of peace between themselves. Are you following that sequence? Immediately you leave that place again, they gave birth to Cain and Abel. Man was no more at peace even with himself. He became jealous of his brother. He was not satisfied even with himself. Man was angry with the progress of his brother. This is just a family oh, we have not gone into many, many things. Are you following me at all? Are you following me? This is a family. Family. A family. Forget society is even still very, very far. For you to know the level of confusion that will be in society. Family, family. A family. Egbọn pa aburo, family. Why? There was a loss of peace with God. [Speaker 2] Now, look. In giving birth to Cain and Abel, it means something moved on from that loss of peace. The Bible says "As by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin. So sin passed unto all men, for that all have sinned." When man lost peace with God, at that point in which man died, sin began to operate in man. Sin. Sin. Sin. Sin began to operate. So that passed from Adam, Cain and Abel and on and on and on and on like that. Sin began to operate. Sin began to move on. [Speaker 2] So there are two things that you needed to see. There is Satan somewhere who was the cause of the confusion, who was the person who sowed that seed of confusion. But there is also a seed in man, the seed of sin. That is why everywhere you find man, that's why I show you at at the micro one, that micro Cain and Abel, you find man too, there must be a price to pay before there can be peace. There must be price. [Speaker 2] And you know the joy of this thing. Ah, will I be able to finish today? Will I be able to finish today? Let me—let me—let me try. Now, if you look, if you—if you—if you look at Isaiah chapter 53 verse 1 to the end, you will see that Christ is the peace of man. Isaiah chapter 53, can we quickly go there? Can we quickly go to Isaiah 53? Blessed are the peacemaker, they will be called sons of God. That is what we are trying to explore. Why are they called sons of God? Why must we seek to be peacemakers? That's just what we are pursuing brethren. I want to make you see that it's a crucial kingdom principle. I read from verse 1. It says, "Who has believed our report and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground. He has no form nor comeliness and when you see him there is no beauty in him that we should desire." Talking about Jesus Christ. He's talking about Jesus. When it get to verse 4 describing Jesus, it said, "He was despised and rejected by men. A man of sorrow acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from him. He was despised and we did not esteem him." Verse 4, "Surely he has bore our grief and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgression. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our..." for our what? For our what? "...for our peace was upon him." And then even for our health, "by stripes we were healed." [Speaker 2] You need to see that God paid a supreme price to bring peace. God paid a supreme price to bring peace. Peace after the fall of man can never exist without a price. Am I very clear brethren? If you don't pay the price, you cannot experience peace. For God, Brother has spoken about something that we must take note of. He said "My peace I give to you." He said "Don't worry, I've overcome the world." "My peace I give you." What is he trying to say? I have paid a price. Now I have a peace. I have paid a price. I have a peace. I have paid a price and there is peace. And we need to understand this as we come to this matter of peacemakers. That for peace to exist, there is price to pay. And as long as we don't pay the price, there cannot be peace. [Speaker 2] And anytime, please listen. This may be where I stop today. Maybe I will—I don't know how I may be able to expand all the matters I've raised here. Maybe some other time I may move on. Please listen to this. That anytime we shrink away from paying the price for peace, then we are not like God. We are not like God. He said, hearing, Jesus have left an example. He left an example that what we should do, follow in his step. [Speaker 2] Anytime we shrink from paying price for peace, we are not like God. We are not like Christ. And it is because many times we are not peacemaker. God is a peacemaker. He paid the supreme price for peace. If God did not pay that price, man would never have been at peace with God. And I want you to note another thing about the matter that I'm showing you here. That in the pattern of God, that's why I said if I cannot finish I may take it some other time. I don't want to rush these are very fundamental things. In the matters of God, in being like God, in being like Christ, it is the offended that will pay the price. God was the offended. It was not the offender. God was the offended and he was the one who paid that price. [Speaker 2] So anybody who for any reason says he's like God and shrink away because of certain offense, he's not like God. And that is why it is the peacemakers that we can call sons of God. Many times today, we are always waiting for the offender to make peace, to pay the price for peace. I'm trying to show you why many homes are restless today. Why many life are restless today. Why many relationship are restless today. Why so so many confusion everywhere today. Why our churches are restless today. Why so many backbiting, destroying one another even in the Christian assembly. Because there are no peacemakers. Nobody want to pay the price for peace. [Speaker 2] And I will show you why it become so difficult. That's why I said I don't want to rush some of these thing. I may have to continue this matter next week. I'll continue this matter next week. Let us close for today. Let us close for today so we can finish for six. Let's just pray. Let's respond to God for today. Let us close for today. I want you to talk to the Lord. Just talk to God. Are you a peacemaker? Jesus said "Blessed are the peacemakers." Are you a peacemaker? Or you are there saying, "Oun lo ṣe mi, oun lo ṣe mi, oun lo ṣe mi." Is that where you are? He's the one that is the problem. You are always pointing, always pointing accusing finger, always pointing, always looking at the other person. Oh, look at the pattern of God. Look at the pattern of God. Look at the pattern, look at the pattern. Look at the pattern, look at the pattern so that you don't end up being a spiritual bastard. Look at the pattern of God and talk to God for your own life. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Conform me to your image. Conform to your image. That with the increase of my government there will be peace. Anywhere my influence reign, anywhere my person reign, with the increase of my government, anywhere they the—it is it is my government that is there there will be peace. Because I can pay the price for peace. I can pay price. And that is why if you look at where I began from, Paul said "as much as it lies in you." "As much as it's on your side." Even if there are men that could not be at peace. Many people today, they are not at peace with God. But it is not because God has not made the offer. Jesus died to save the world. God has made the offer for the peace. God have paid the price. It is on their side not repenting and coming to God. They are not repenting and coming. But as it lies with God, as it lies with God, he has paid the price. He has paid the price. That's why I said as much as it lies on your side, on your side, as it lies with you, be at peace with men. Be at peace with men. The peacemaker, they shall be called sons of God. Sons of God. [Speaker 2] Thank you, eternal Father. Blessed be your holy name, our God. Blessed be your holy name. Blessed be your holy name. Blessed be your holy name. [Speaker 5], please come and close the meeting. [Speaker 5] In Jesus' name we pray. Father, we are grateful unto you. Thank you again for your word you have spoken to us. Lord, as we have cried upon you tonight, help us oh Lord to follow in your step in the name of Jesus. Help us oh Lord to be broker of peace. Help us oh Lord to to do all that is in our power, Lord Jehovah God, to initiate peace, to pursue peace in the name of Jesus. Help us oh Lord to lay down our life. Oh Lord, help us oh Lord Jehovah God, to to live in your likeness. You you were the offended and you are the one that go out the way, all the way to look out for us. Lord, please help us, help us, of our strength we can do nothing. We depend on you oh Lord, we say God, this life of yours, oh Lord shall be manifested in our life. Oh Lord, our life shall be conformed to your image. Thank you, everlasting Father. We pray oh Lord for your servant that Lord God Almighty, you will replenish him. You cause both speaker and hearer, all of us oh Lord to be doers of your word and not hearers and speaker only in the name of Jesus. And we pray oh Lord the blessings of this meeting will remain with us. Continue with us oh Lord from this point oh Lord. Until Lord we are fully in your likeness. In this area, in the name of Jesus. Thank you, Father, for hearing us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. [Speaker 2] The grace in fellowship. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore. Amen. [Speaker 1] This message is coming to you from Family Tent Ministry. A Christian ministry involved in enriching the lives of singles and marriage through preaching and teaching of God's word, discipleship, family life enrichment, social and community development, and mission hit. Our regular activities are discipleship class every Monday, 5:00 p.m. Adolescent and Singles Club every first Saturday of every month at 10:00 a.m. Marriage Forum, second Saturday of every month at 10:00 a.m. Family life seminars, regular school outreaches, and everyday counseling. For further counseling, you can reach us at our location, Life Camp by the first bridge, Ilekun community, opposite Very Joy filling station along Ijeere road, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. You can also reach us through our social media handles: familytent@yahoo.co.uk, familytentministry01@gmail.com, www.familytentministry.org. Our phone numbers are 08033861136, 07033613848. God bless you all.