April Discussion
Beatitude #7 Peacemaker, and the Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl
By: James Castruccio
1. Disruptors
Mike talked about peacemakers being disruptors. That resonated with me since I work in a field that requires or, better yet, expects disruption. What is a disruptor? According to the Cambridge Dictionary,
Disruptor (noun):
- a person or thing that prevents something, especially a system, process, or event, from continuing as usual or as expected:
- a company that changes the traditional way an industry operates, especially in a new and effective way.
Google summarizes it as a company, technology, or person that changes the traditional way an industry operates by introducing simpler, more affordable, or more efficient solutions. Often challenging established leaders. Key traits include being innovative, risky, customer-centric, and having a “rebel” mindset.”
Can you think of a company that is considered a disruptor?
What does that have to do with being a Peacemaker?
We are men. Men are tough. We are supposed to be in control. We are supposed to have all the answers. We are the ones who stand up for our wife, our kids, our friends, and those who are unable to stand up for themselves.
It is important to not confuse disruption with disturbance.
The world expects us to act this way. To be the ones who step in when someone needs to be put in their place. To fight the fight that isn’t ours to fight.
Which of the following verses show Jesus as a disruptor?
Matthew 21:12-13 (NIV)
12 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”
That certainly sounds disruptive.
Matthew 5:38-48 (NIV)
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
How would the world react if we followed Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 5? (I don’t think it is coincidental that this is the end of the chapter on the beatitudes)
How would our friends react? Our kids? Our wife?
This is what being a disruptor looks like!
Discussion (10 minutes)
- Am I a disturber or a disruptor?
- Where do I need to do less disturbing and more disrupting?
When a heated conversation or any conflict arises, how do I respond? Do I respond, or react?
Mike shared about his Dad teaching…no…showing him how to treat his Mom. Through the seasons of marriage, he was resolute in protecting her. THAT is a disruptor!
- Peace be with You
Growing up in the Catholic and Episcopal Church, I became very familiar with what is called “the passing of the peace”. This is what evangelicals would call the “greeting time” of the service. Instead of talking and catching up with our friends, two people would shake hands, one would say, “Peace be with you.” And the other would say, “And also with you”.
Star Wars
While this seems odd and might be construed as insincere after about two minutes (the greeting time is limited to about 15 seconds), it is about posture. Offering peace to those around you; which is important.
Back to being a Peacemaker. How often do we intentionally offer peace to those around us?
I can be a peace offerer, which is good. Or I can be a peace bringer. I might be offering peace, but if I am not bringing it, I have already missed the mark.
How can I be a peace bringer? I first need peace.
Paul closed his letter to the Philippians with:
Philippians 4:4-9
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Paul closed his second letter to the Thessalonians with:
2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
- Putting our Money Where our Mouth Is
Michael opened up last week’s study with a question. One of the many things I love about Michael’s lessons are that he always has challenging questions and they work their way from a “softball” to start and get progressively more difficult. Last week he threw a fast ball right down the middle to start. Asking me what I treasure would have been the softball, but instead he asked, “What would others say I value and treasure?” OOF! I have thought a lot about that question over the past week and I don’t really like the answer I keep getting when I ask myself.
The question wasn’t, “What would they say I say I value most”. What we say about ourselves matters, but what do those closest to us see? THAT matters more than what we say.
I don’t care what people say about you…
Discussion (10 minutes)
- What would my kids say I value the most?
- What would my wife say I value the most?
- What would my pallbearers say I value the most?
- Leftovers
Terry said, “When good becomes our god, we have a problem.” Let that sit for a moment.
Someone last week said, “Good is not good enough.” This got me wondering, what do I do with the Lord’s blessings? Am I hoarding them, or are my hands open?
Hands in pockets.
One of the certain things about life is none of us are getting out of here alive.
Genesis 3:17-19
17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’
“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
We are in the process of going through estate planning and deciding where our “leftovers” are going to go.
Leftovers…hmm
The world would say, leave a legacy for your kids and their kids. Change future generations in your family.
What would a disruptor do?
I am not suggesting you change your will or estate plan, but I can say that I have been challenged about what is left when my time has come to go home to the Lord.
We talked a lot about priorities last week. Priorities change as our perspective does.
Let’s go back, way back, to get to our starting point of priorities.
Eat (and burp). Sit up. Crawl. Walk. Talk. Run. Ride a bike. Drive a car. Finish school. Get a job. Keep a job. Move out of our parent’s house. Meet a girl. Marry that girl. Buy a house. Have kids. Work. Raise the kids. Work. Raise the kids. Work. See the kids getting married. Retire…
Did I miss anything in the list?
What about the Lord? Ministry? Impacting others for the Kingdom of Christ?
Dave challenged us to make a list of our priorities and then a list of God’s priorities for us. Would the lists match? Would the items be in the same order? Would those closest to us agree with what we identify as our priorities?
It ALL belongs to the Lord! Do I trust Him with it all?
Matthew 6:25-26 (NIV)
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Discussion (10 minutes)
- What is keeping me from trusting the Lord with everything I have?