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Good morning.

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My name is Daniel Samogyi as that
awesome intro was right there.

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Uh, I have the honor and privilege
of serving here in North Hill

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C with the teens in campus.

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I think that's where you guys supposed
to clap teens in campus, but it's okay.

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It's all good.

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But yeah, so I'm a recent graduate at
Cal State Fullerton, and, uh, I know

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this is tight in land right here,
but I do notice in the crowd that we

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see, I see some anteaters, all right?

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That's because we have some of our
UCI campus students here with us this

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morning, so it's great to be with you
all, uh, for UCI to be here today.

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Right now, we are continuing our
series titled the Upside Down Blessing.

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There it is.

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The upside down blessing.

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And the idea of the upside down
blessing challenges conventional

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thinking and highlights the paradox of
worldly values and spiritual values.

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And with it, you know, it serves as
a reminder of what is truly value

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and bless may differ from what is
glorified and celebrated in the world.

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And then we are continually
reading from Matthew 5.

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That's the, where Jesus gives
a powerful sermon on the mount.

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And we're going to pick up in the
beatitudes as we've been doing.

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And the Beatitudes, you know, this
is a series of teachings by Jesus

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that outlines the attitudes and
characteristics that are considered

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blessed or highly favored in God's eyes.

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And as many speakers have said before,
you know, the Beatitudes, you know, it's a

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very convicting, uh, passage in the Bible.

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In my opinion, if you ask me what a
disciple is, I would just point to

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Matthew 5 right there for the Beatitudes.

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And it's, it's, uh, it's an interesting,
I wouldn't say it's a hard, but

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it's very convicting to preach on
Matthew 5 during the Beatitudes.

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Because it really helps check
my heart and where my heart is.

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And as, uh, some of you who weren't
here, I know Campus wasn't here,

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but last week Chris Galassi spoke.

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He did a great job speaking about,
uh, blessed the pure in heart.

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And speaking of that, the pure in
heart, I know he mentioned something

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about, uh, what was it, mosquito bites.

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I have a ton on my legs.

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That means my feet were stinking
throughout the week, I guess.

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So, uh, I have to do a
better job at doing that.

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But today we're going to be
picking up in Matthew 5, verse 9.

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And it reads, Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

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You know, before I get
into this, I just, peace.

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That's something we need.

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I don't know about you guys, but I was
on the news, like, just watching the

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news, and just seeing things, just about,
you know, the mass shooting in Maine.

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Just thinking about how the people
there, the family there, they're just

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unrested, they're at, not at peace.

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So right now, if you can join me, if
you guys can join me in prayer, as

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we, you know, we pray for the lesson,
but also for the folks in Maine.

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Uh, Father God, uh, we're just
so grateful to, to be here.

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It's really a privilege to be, uh, here.

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Call your sons and daughters here
as we worship you today, God.

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And God, as we, uh, go over, uh, Matthew
5, verse 9 about peacemakers, God, God,

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I really pray that you just remove me,
God, and that you speak through me today.

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That you minister at the
hearts of everyone here.

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That, you know, whatever we are
in at life right now, that we can

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just put that on hold and listen
fully to what you have to say.

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God, I just pray for the people in
Maine who lost some of their loved ones.

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God, we'll do this mass shooting.

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You know, they're, they're grieving, God.

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You know, we're all grieving,
but they're grieving right now,

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too, for losing their loved ones.

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They're confused.

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They don't understand why.

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But, God, I know that you will be there.

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I pray that you give them an
extra dose of your Spirit.

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That you comfort them.

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You send your angels to
comfort them during this time.

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And maybe during this time that
they, they will turn to you, God.

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God, we love you so much.

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In Jesus name, Amen.

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Amen.

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So we see here in Matthew 5 verse
9, you know, Jesus emphasized

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the importance of peacemaking.

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And the concept here of the upside
down blessing is in the context of

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being a peacemaker appears contrary
to the prevailing values in the world.

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And let's think about it, in many
cultures, well, don't only think about

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cultures, think about right here in the U.

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S.

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Success, power, recognition, they're
often associated with assertiveness,

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dominance, competition, and even conflict.

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But peacemakers, however, they're, they're
often, they often choose a different path.

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They choose a path of reconciliation,
empathy, you know, conflict

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resolutions, but in a nonviolent way.

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You know, this alternative approach
that, you know, that leads to a worldly

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success or immediate recognition.

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It won't always lead to that.

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Which is why it's called
the upside down blessing.

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So here we see here that...

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You know, Matthew 5, verse 9, as I was
studying it out, honestly, there was like

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three words that were just glaring to me.

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Those three words were, blessed,
peacemakers, and children of God.

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You know, with blessed, you know, I'm
gonna give you a short summary of it.

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I feel like Marcel covered it
pretty well, but blessed, this

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is not a superficial blessing.

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It's all about the eternal
joy that is bigger than any

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circumstance that we might face.

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You know, another term for blessed
would be fortunate and happy.

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And as Jesus was sharing this
blessing to the Jews, I feel like each

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blessing kind of came with a gasp.

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Just like, wow, he said that.

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What does that mean?

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You know, just, bless the poor in spirit.

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What?

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Bless the meek.

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Wait, why do I have to be weak?

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Bless the merciful.

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Why do I have to show people
mercy if they don't show it to me?

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All that.

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But if you look here at your beatitude in
the verse, this is the seventh beatitude.

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And I want to stress seven,
because it's so significant.

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In the Jewish culture.

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For example, if you read in Genesis,
you know, there were seven pairs

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of every pure animal in Noah's Ark.

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So those who don't know Noah's Ark, uh,
God instructed Noah to go in the Ark.

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As he was gonna flood the world, and he
was gonna have his family go in there.

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And he also instructed Noah to
have seven pairs of each animal.

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You know, the number seven also is the
seventh day of the week, which is Sabbath.

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Which is we all love, because
that's a day of no work, we rest.

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Also, including rest, is we also worship
God with all our hearts during that day.

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But also, which is interesting, seven
is said to symbolize completion,

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association with God or the covenant
of holiness and sanctification.

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So we know that the number
seven here has powerful meaning.

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So I assume that, you know, when they
were listening or even when they read

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back on it, they were probably going
through each beatitude and they were

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like, okay, there's one, two, three, four.

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Oh, what's the seventh one here?

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Oh, blessed are the peacemakers.

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And in Jewish culture, this
is where Jesus, I think really

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is intentional with his words.

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Because in Jewish culture, peace is
actually the highest ideal of life.

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Something to aspire for.

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Peace is shalom, which is wholeness,
completeness, fulfillment, inner rest,

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living without deficiency or lack.

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I mean, doesn't that, you know, hearing
that right now, it just seems impossible.

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But, you shalom in the
midst of crazy situations.

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I don't know about you guys, but
who here can have a difficult

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situation having shalom?

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Maybe there's, yeah, a situation in your
life where you are not experiencing peace.

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Maybe some of us today are
feeling not at peace with God.

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Maybe not at peace with our
spouse or significant other.

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With our children, our co workers.

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Maybe not at peace with our finances.

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But I want us all to have the peace
God's intent to have for all of us.

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That's what God wants.

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And the reality is, though,
peace does not come easy.

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You know, I love how in Matthew 5,
verse 9, you know, in the New Living

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Translation version, it says, God
blesses those who work for peace, for

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they will be called the children of God.

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You know, we have to work for peace.

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That's why it's not easy.

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It does not say blessed are
those if we hope for peace.

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Blessed are those who keep the peace.

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God blesses those who work for peace.

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And, funny enough, thanks to Google
Docs, I was able to find an essay

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I wrote in high school, in history
class, which was about peace.

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And I re read it, and two
things stuck out to me.

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One, my grammar was
terrible in high school.

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I was just like, ooh, like,
Grammarly was underlining pretty

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much every other word I had there.

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But another thing that I found
interesting was the fact that I did not

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know what peace was clearly back then.

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And even today, there's some things
about peace I still don't understand.

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But in my essay I wrote
that peace was this.

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That, you know, if you guys know this,
this is the world peace right here.

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And this was adopted big in 1960s
during the anti war movement.

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And with that, peace, it was
like in the absence of war.

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Or the absence of conflict.

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But we all know that
that's not really peace.

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There are many countries that
aren't at war with other countries,

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and yet they don't have peace.

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And to make it even more personal,
maybe there are weeks, if you're

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fortunate, but let's say days,
that you didn't have any conflict

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with your spouse, your significant
other, your children, your boss.

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You didn't have any of that.

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But yet, you still weren't
at peace with yourself.

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Another thing I thought
about what that peace was.

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I thought it was agreement.

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I thought that, you know, peace
is the absence of disagreement or

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conflict, then we would have peace.

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Because we have disagreement,
there would be no peace.

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That's what I put in my essay.

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And if we got rid of disagreement,
then there would be peace.

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But, you know, if we didn't have
disagreement, yes, it may bring a measure

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of peace, but it wouldn't bring, you
know, peace that is actually everlasting.

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You know, peace is not
the absence of conflict.

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I hope you guys know that.

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It's not the absence of conflict.

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Peace is, is the presence of the living
God in the midst of our conflict.

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It's the presence of Jesus
in the midst of chaos.

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And I feel like the next one
too, this is the last one I

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thought what meditation was.

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I feel like we all tried
it, uh, what peace was.

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And I thought it was just the
absence of stress and anxiety.

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You know, I, I thought it was
just, you know, if I didn't have

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that boss or class or that job.

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If I can get rid of that
experience or situation I just had.

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If I can just go on vacation
and get my Zen experience, then

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maybe I can have that peace.

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But really, that's not true.

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All that right there, that's
just an escapism in the moment.

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And here's the truth of what the
Bible says in Jeremiah 6, 14.

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Peace, peace they say when they,
uh, they say when there is no peace.

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You know, peace is never
found in the absence of.

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It's actually the opposite.

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Peace is found in the presence of.

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And the peace that Jesus wants for us is
in the presence of him, you know, shalom.

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But it doesn't stop there, of course,
when we talk about peace in the scripture.

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It talked about a second part of the word,
which was maker, and a maker means to do.

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So God calls us to do peace wherever
it is that we live our lives.

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I feel like now that I hopefully
defined peace and maker for you at a

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okay rate, I want to talk about what
peacemaking is and what it's not.

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To start off, peacemaking is not passive.

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It's active.

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You know, the kind of peace Jesus wants
for us is not by a product of inaction.

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It's not peace by
happenstance or hopefulness.

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You know, peace is an action word.

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I mean, you can hope for
peace, yes, that's great.

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But if you actually want peace,
you have to go work for that.

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You have to do what it
takes to find that peace.

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You know, it says, Blessed are
the peacemakers, for they will

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be called children of God.

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Like I said, it didn't say, Blessed are
the peace lovers, or the peace keepers.

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It's people who are
proactive in promoting peace.

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That's who are blessed.

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Peacemaking also isn't appeasement.

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It does not mean always giving in,
or standing for your own values.

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It's, and I just think it's fitting how,
if you read Matthew 5, verse 8 again,

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it says blessed are the pure in heart.

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Once again, I just feel like Jesus was
intentional, intentional with his words

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there because, I don't know, for some
reason, I know some of you guys who've

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been in the faith longer, you guys know
that when you live a pure heart, for some

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reason, it just rubs people the wrong way.

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Who doesn't?

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It just causes conflict.

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You're just like, why?

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Like, I don't understand why.

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But what's funny enough is though, Jesus
was constantly stirring things up though.

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It was mostly with church
goers, too, as well.

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Because the way he was
living was offensive to them.

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So, and Jesus did not appease the crowd.

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Peacemaking, also, it's not avoidance.

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You know, this is, alright,
I hope you don't mind.

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00:12:35,069 --> 00:12:36,280
This is like my therapy session right now.

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I used to think I was a good peacemaker.

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Alright, I really did.

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But what I learned over, honestly,
the past few months, and even this

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00:12:43,489 --> 00:12:47,310
past few weeks here, is actually, I
was really good at avoiding conflict.

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I was really good at peacekeeping
and peacekeeping and peacemaking are

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00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:58,030
totally different because being a
peacekeeper is about avoiding conflict.

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It's about not, you know,
sharing what you really think.

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00:13:01,699 --> 00:13:03,800
It's about trying to keep
the status quo the same.

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But peacekeepers, they step into conflict.

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And, you know, maybe they create
it, but when they create it, it's

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not because of, you know, out of
their own hearts they want to, you

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00:13:14,124 --> 00:13:15,354
know, ruffle feathers on purpose.

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But it's because they want to have peace.

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They want to make sure
everyone has the peace.

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00:13:21,084 --> 00:13:23,094
And when I say this, you know,
I think some of us here, maybe

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we think we're good peacemakers.

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Maybe you're like me.

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Maybe you think so.

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00:13:25,634 --> 00:13:27,884
But after hearing this, maybe
you feel like you're not.

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00:13:27,954 --> 00:13:31,055
Because for me, I had to
take a deep look at myself.

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And I had to realize, I'm
not really good at this.

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If anything, I'm a coward.

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You know, I, I, I feel like
I relate a lot to the Wizard

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00:13:40,925 --> 00:13:42,694
of Oz with the cowardly lion.

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I feel like I don't have
courage for some reason.

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And what's crazy is, and I say this
because Jesus said, you will know the

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truth and the truth will set you free.

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And it's a scary thought.

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I think about some of the interactions
I've had with people in my life who are

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experiencing trouble and to think about
how I wasn't a peacemaker for them.

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00:14:04,814 --> 00:14:06,324
Heck, I wasn't even a
peacekeeper for them.

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00:14:07,140 --> 00:14:09,020
I was a troublemaker, for the most part.

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Because when we withhold the truth
from people, we're troublemakers.

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And we're allowing trouble to grow
in someone else's life, and we

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have a perspective that can help
them, and yet we do nothing and let

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00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:21,580
that trouble grow in their life.

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00:14:22,950 --> 00:14:25,719
As you know with conflict, if
we do not step in to it and

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00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:28,030
deal with it, it tends to grow.

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00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:31,050
And when it grows, it turns into a
bigger problem, and eventually we

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00:14:31,050 --> 00:14:32,450
just push that further down the road.

285
00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:35,700
So peacemaking, it's not passive.

286
00:14:36,379 --> 00:14:38,589
It's not appeasement,
and it's not avoidance.

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00:14:39,410 --> 00:14:44,139
What I think a peacemaker is, I think of
a person that initiates reconciliation.

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00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:48,979
You know, a peacemaker goes out
to mend broken relationships.

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00:14:50,019 --> 00:14:52,939
You know, they take initiative to
resolve disputes, they put themselves

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00:14:52,939 --> 00:14:56,239
in that situation, they want to heal
wounds, they want to foster unity.

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00:14:57,199 --> 00:15:00,779
You know, this means taking
responsibility for your own actions,

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00:15:00,919 --> 00:15:04,959
your words, your attitude, that may
have contributed to the problem.

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00:15:06,439 --> 00:15:10,130
Peacemaking, they're also, they also
promote harmony, peacemakers do.

294
00:15:10,329 --> 00:15:15,009
They want to create an atmosphere of peace
where they have goodwill wherever they go.

295
00:15:15,439 --> 00:15:18,829
They aim to unite people and
communities rather than sow division.

296
00:15:20,869 --> 00:15:25,880
And promoting harmony is so vital and
component in building a relationship.

297
00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:29,720
Whether it's personal,
professional, in here at church,

298
00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:30,900
or outside in your community.

299
00:15:31,350 --> 00:15:34,640
Because it helps create an environment
where people can work together.

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00:15:35,334 --> 00:15:38,535
effectively, conflicts are
minimized or resolved in ways

301
00:15:38,535 --> 00:15:39,885
that benefits all parties.

302
00:15:41,314 --> 00:15:44,334
Another thing about peacemakers
is big, they advocate for justice.

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00:15:44,655 --> 00:15:48,035
When you think about it, we, we've seen
it throughout history, with the Civil

304
00:15:48,035 --> 00:15:51,774
Rights Movement, you know, Martin Luther
King, and outside of that, even before

305
00:15:51,774 --> 00:15:56,074
that, you know, Gandhi, you know, true
peace often requires addressing underlying

306
00:15:56,074 --> 00:16:00,844
injustices, which meaning stepping in
to that light and addressing issues.

307
00:16:01,264 --> 00:16:03,874
You know, wanting to correct
wrongs and ensure fairness.

308
00:16:04,339 --> 00:16:06,040
Which requires uncomfortability.

309
00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:08,780
Probably set yourself
up for being a martyr.

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00:16:09,099 --> 00:16:11,849
As we see here with, you
know, Martin Luther King.

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00:16:11,979 --> 00:16:13,180
And even with Jesus.

312
00:16:14,569 --> 00:16:15,660
And also peacemaking.

313
00:16:15,910 --> 00:16:17,199
They live out the word of God.

314
00:16:18,310 --> 00:16:21,309
I mean, peacemaking is an
outwork of the word of God.

315
00:16:21,329 --> 00:16:26,050
It reflects the reconciliation between
God and humanity through Christ.

316
00:16:26,199 --> 00:16:29,469
And seeks to extend reconciliation
throughout all humanity.

317
00:16:31,079 --> 00:16:32,520
So what does that mean for us though?

318
00:16:33,574 --> 00:16:36,795
What does that mean for us as
we're called to be peacemakers?

319
00:16:38,454 --> 00:16:41,655
I think personally, there's three
ways to become a peacemaker.

320
00:16:42,324 --> 00:16:44,734
We have to first know peace.

321
00:16:46,094 --> 00:16:49,535
We have to know peace before
bringing it to anyone else.

322
00:16:50,364 --> 00:16:55,354
We have to experience the peace because
peacemakers can't create peace to others.

323
00:16:55,404 --> 00:16:58,464
If we don't start with
peace in our own hearts.

324
00:16:59,985 --> 00:17:02,814
Ultimately, the only way to peace
is through a relationship with the

325
00:17:02,814 --> 00:17:04,845
Prince of Peace, which is Jesus.

326
00:17:05,835 --> 00:17:09,734
And when we know peace, when we live a
life for Jesus, we will live out what

327
00:17:09,734 --> 00:17:11,825
Paul writes in Philippians 4 verse 7.

328
00:17:12,625 --> 00:17:15,815
And the peace of God which transcends
all understanding will guard your

329
00:17:15,824 --> 00:17:18,055
heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.

330
00:17:18,704 --> 00:17:21,464
I mean, that peace becomes
the guarder of our own hearts.

331
00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:25,780
That peace becomes the one that, no,
we're not going to let that in our hearts.

332
00:17:25,810 --> 00:17:28,180
Because we want peace here, and
that's just going to cause you stress,

333
00:17:28,398 --> 00:17:30,550
that's going to cause you drama,
that's going to cause you tension.

334
00:17:31,980 --> 00:17:35,599
And when we experience that peace,
church, we have to bring that

335
00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:38,010
peace to other people in our lives.

336
00:17:38,010 --> 00:17:39,389
And that's our, that's my second point.

337
00:17:39,399 --> 00:17:40,980
To be a peacemaker, we
have to bring peace.

338
00:17:41,950 --> 00:17:44,210
I mean, how, but how do we bring peace?

339
00:17:45,120 --> 00:17:47,510
Practically, I would say this.

340
00:17:48,110 --> 00:17:49,320
If you are involved...

341
00:17:49,870 --> 00:17:52,420
with conflict, right now, directly.

342
00:17:52,910 --> 00:17:54,710
I would say, just make the first move.

343
00:17:56,120 --> 00:17:57,060
Make the first move.

344
00:17:58,230 --> 00:18:01,409
And by making the first move, it isn't
by going to the person and pointing

345
00:18:01,410 --> 00:18:02,949
out all the ways they have hurt you.

346
00:18:03,010 --> 00:18:03,400
No.

347
00:18:04,140 --> 00:18:06,949
The first move is humbly
acknowledging that, you know what,

348
00:18:07,340 --> 00:18:08,640
I've played a role in this too.

349
00:18:09,990 --> 00:18:12,690
You know, I've never been part of a
fight where there weren't two people

350
00:18:12,690 --> 00:18:14,350
involved or multiple sides of the story.

351
00:18:14,550 --> 00:18:17,680
And by saying that, I'm not trying
to excuse for what they did.

352
00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:19,180
But you're just saying,
hey, you know what?

353
00:18:19,875 --> 00:18:21,655
I realize I created some of this as well.

354
00:18:21,935 --> 00:18:23,015
And I played a part in this.

355
00:18:23,035 --> 00:18:24,385
And I want to apologize for that.

356
00:18:25,505 --> 00:18:26,315
I mean, think about it.

357
00:18:26,925 --> 00:18:28,075
Can you imagine?

358
00:18:29,765 --> 00:18:33,005
Can you imagine in a relationship where
you're currently experiencing conflict

359
00:18:33,064 --> 00:18:35,814
where if you just start off with that
conversation you're just first to go,

360
00:18:35,814 --> 00:18:38,335
you know what, hey I have a role in this.

361
00:18:38,465 --> 00:18:40,045
Can you imagine the
tone that would follow?

362
00:18:41,905 --> 00:18:43,295
I mean, so make the first move.

363
00:18:44,035 --> 00:18:45,535
Be quick to listen and slow to speak.

364
00:18:45,585 --> 00:18:46,564
I mean, isn't that biblical?

365
00:18:46,575 --> 00:18:47,955
That's straight out of the
book of James right there.

366
00:18:48,379 --> 00:18:50,000
Be quick to listen and slow to speak.

367
00:18:50,910 --> 00:18:53,480
Cause what if it's possible
that you do not understand a

368
00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:54,900
situation as well as you think?

369
00:18:55,460 --> 00:18:58,339
What if there's a little bit more to the
story and you just say, you know what,

370
00:18:58,350 --> 00:18:59,920
I'm just gonna sit here and listen.

371
00:19:00,930 --> 00:19:03,980
I'm gonna listen, not for the
sake of refuting or rebutting

372
00:19:03,980 --> 00:19:04,839
like it's a court case.

373
00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:08,860
No, I'm gonna sit here, and I'm gonna
listen, and I'm gonna seek to understand.

374
00:19:09,700 --> 00:19:11,730
So be quick to listen and slow to speak.

375
00:19:12,650 --> 00:19:16,190
And also, I know this is a lost
art, at least for my, uh, You know,

376
00:19:16,190 --> 00:19:20,510
my group of people, but let's be
agreeable even when we disagree.

377
00:19:20,930 --> 00:19:24,010
I feel like the world is calling
us not to do that for some reason.

378
00:19:24,010 --> 00:19:27,250
I don't know why, but to some of
the closest friends that I have

379
00:19:27,250 --> 00:19:30,109
in this church, we don't see eye
to eye on a lot of things when it

380
00:19:30,109 --> 00:19:32,520
comes to things outside of Jesus.

381
00:19:32,779 --> 00:19:34,930
But yet, I still love them
and I know they love me.

382
00:19:35,390 --> 00:19:36,840
So we can be agreeable.

383
00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:42,789
And when we do that, we
get to reflect peace.

384
00:19:43,945 --> 00:19:46,795
You know, I love that last part of
the verse here, Matthew 5, verse 9.

385
00:19:46,795 --> 00:19:50,595
Blessed are the peacemakers, for
they will be called children of God.

386
00:19:52,145 --> 00:19:55,665
Now, when we step into the role of
peacemaker, we will have that blessing.

387
00:19:55,755 --> 00:19:59,664
You know, when we seek to bring peace
in whatever difficult situation we

388
00:19:59,664 --> 00:20:03,715
are in, with others around, they're
gonna say, Wow, that person right

389
00:20:03,715 --> 00:20:05,875
there, that person's a child of God.

390
00:20:06,395 --> 00:20:09,395
That believer, that, that,
they reflect God's value.

391
00:20:10,645 --> 00:20:12,305
You know, when I think about
reflection, I think about a

392
00:20:12,305 --> 00:20:13,945
relationship with the parent and child.

393
00:20:13,955 --> 00:20:18,415
I mean, parents, when you look at your
kids, you know, you see how they act, they

394
00:20:18,415 --> 00:20:19,755
may have picked up some traits from you.

395
00:20:20,075 --> 00:20:23,884
Whether it was your sense of humor,
whether it was your looks, I don't know

396
00:20:23,884 --> 00:20:28,204
what it is, but it's easy for you parents
to look in the crowd and point out, oh

397
00:20:28,205 --> 00:20:30,095
yes, that, that's my child right there.

398
00:20:30,395 --> 00:20:33,665
Because they look like
me, they reflect me.

399
00:20:35,135 --> 00:20:37,825
And what Jesus is saying here in
Matthew 5 verse 9, he's saying that

400
00:20:37,955 --> 00:20:41,755
when you look like me, when you talk
like me, when you reflect my values,

401
00:20:41,765 --> 00:20:45,725
when you bring peace in difficult
situations, people will not be able to

402
00:20:45,725 --> 00:20:47,885
mistake that you are a child of God.

403
00:20:48,824 --> 00:20:51,205
You reflect the values of the living God.

404
00:20:52,164 --> 00:20:55,765
And I know we live in a culture that
they just want to divide us in all

405
00:20:55,765 --> 00:20:57,285
kinds of ways, in different things.

406
00:20:57,365 --> 00:20:59,585
But what if things weren't
different for us here?

407
00:21:00,545 --> 00:21:03,475
What if we were a church that
really took this scripture to heart?

408
00:21:04,250 --> 00:21:06,790
And knowing that every time I get
into one of those conversations

409
00:21:06,790 --> 00:21:10,500
with people, whether it's about
politics, sports, you know, masks,

410
00:21:10,810 --> 00:21:12,290
vaccines, I really don't care.

411
00:21:12,360 --> 00:21:15,319
But knowing that, hey, I have my
own opinion, which is great, but

412
00:21:15,319 --> 00:21:17,000
I also have a greater calling.

413
00:21:17,850 --> 00:21:19,560
And that calling is to be a peacemaker.

414
00:21:19,570 --> 00:21:21,179
I'm going to bring people together.

415
00:21:21,230 --> 00:21:22,049
That's my calling.

416
00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:26,180
If we did that as a church, oh
my goodness, I feel like we would

417
00:21:26,190 --> 00:21:27,530
have more people in this room.

418
00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:30,310
Saying that, hey, I came to this church.

419
00:21:30,310 --> 00:21:33,490
I came to the OC church because there
was this person who was called a

420
00:21:33,490 --> 00:21:37,439
Christ follower and they came into
my life and they brought peace in

421
00:21:37,439 --> 00:21:41,680
my life when all I've experienced
was tension, drama, stress.

422
00:21:41,689 --> 00:21:42,890
That's all I've ever experienced.

423
00:21:43,270 --> 00:21:47,629
And I heard this is a place where
people who reflect God's value hang out.

424
00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,210
I hear this is a place who
reflect Jesus come to worship.

425
00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:54,120
That's what I feel like would happen if
we really lived out Matthew 5 verse 9.

426
00:21:54,129 --> 00:21:56,260
That is the true blessing right there.

427
00:21:56,390 --> 00:21:57,529
That is the upside down blessing.

428
00:21:57,530 --> 00:22:00,459
It's being called a
child of God right there.

429
00:22:00,660 --> 00:22:03,450
And I say it's upside down because
none of us, I mean we're all adults.

430
00:22:03,450 --> 00:22:06,510
I know we're a child to someone,
but really when you say to

431
00:22:06,510 --> 00:22:07,629
someone, Oh, you're a child?

432
00:22:07,900 --> 00:22:09,690
It's kind of offensive,
especially to the world.

433
00:22:10,050 --> 00:22:14,770
But here, as disciples, being called a
child of God, that is such a high calling

434
00:22:14,770 --> 00:22:16,580
because we get to reflect the values.

435
00:22:16,580 --> 00:22:19,229
People see that we are
reflecting the values of God,

436
00:22:19,250 --> 00:22:20,500
and they're not mistaking that.

437
00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:22,790
So let's be peacemakers.

438
00:22:24,030 --> 00:22:24,810
Let's be peacemakers.

439
00:22:24,820 --> 00:22:27,999
Let's reflect God and His values.

440
00:22:28,050 --> 00:22:29,640
Let's be called His children.

441
00:22:30,550 --> 00:22:35,849
So as I close out for some action
steps this week, you know, I really

442
00:22:35,849 --> 00:22:38,220
want us to pray for the Beatitudes.

443
00:22:38,820 --> 00:22:42,500
This really has been so powerful
and convicting for me, studying

444
00:22:42,500 --> 00:22:44,660
this out, examining my own heart.

445
00:22:44,670 --> 00:22:48,799
And I know I'm not going to live
up to the standards of it, but

446
00:22:48,799 --> 00:22:50,230
it's great to always strive for.

447
00:22:52,490 --> 00:22:57,939
Also, let's just pray that
we can become a peacemaker.

448
00:22:58,939 --> 00:23:01,650
There's so much going
on in the world today.

449
00:23:01,940 --> 00:23:03,920
This world is really, really dark.

450
00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:05,870
We, we need to bring the light.

451
00:23:05,870 --> 00:23:10,460
We need to bring the everlasting
piece, not this temporary piece.

452
00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:17,780
So church, as I close out, like I said,
Matthew five verse nine, blessed are those

453
00:23:18,020 --> 00:23:20,900
who are peace makers or let me go there.

454
00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:25,430
Blessed are the peace makers for,
they will be called children of God.

455
00:23:27,620 --> 00:23:30,560
I'm gonna close out in prayer
and then we'll have, uh, the

456
00:23:30,565 --> 00:23:31,820
worship team come back, back up.

457
00:23:33,035 --> 00:23:33,530
All right.

458
00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:42,080
God, just, uh, I come to you so
grateful for, for your word, God,

459
00:23:42,110 --> 00:23:43,970
for it to never to come back empty.

460
00:23:44,740 --> 00:23:49,030
God, as, as we, uh, close out here,
God, as we're reflecting on the

461
00:23:49,030 --> 00:23:53,530
Beatitudes and being a peacemaker,
God, God, I really pray that we get to

462
00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:55,860
make the everlasting peace here, God.

463
00:23:56,300 --> 00:24:01,340
That this world, they need people like
us to bring that peace, God, bring that

464
00:24:01,340 --> 00:24:03,540
light, to bring your values here, God.

465
00:24:04,190 --> 00:24:05,830
So God, I pray that, you know...

466
00:24:06,415 --> 00:24:08,355
Not only throughout the week, but
throughout the rest of our life here,

467
00:24:08,355 --> 00:24:13,095
God, that we get to, uh, bring that peace
to you, to you, God, and to each other.

468
00:24:13,805 --> 00:24:14,975
God, we love you so much.

469
00:24:14,995 --> 00:24:16,155
In Jesus name, Amen.