Peace Too Soon
Peace Too Soon
I’m ready for them to die off. The only problem is, their ideas have already been planted too deep in our minds to be erased. In the name of Christ they have put their well-intended methods in place advising all who listen to conform to their methodology. There’s a little in you and me and it needs to die as well.
It’s this attitude that the worst thing in the world is an offended brother. Whatever you do, don’t offend anyone. Jesus was the Prince of Peace. He died so that you and I might have peace with God and a man that goes around sewing discord is not pleasing God. We’ve got so much pain in the world we need to be relieving it and not delivering it.
It sounds good, but let me communicate it. “Let them walk blindly down their path, but don’t offend them. “ I’ll even be fair and quote it this way, “If you offend them, you’ve lost them and you might blow any chance you might have had down the road. You’re better off keeping the relationship so don’t ruffle any feathers.”
We’ve been taught to water things down so much that a misunderstanding is nearly impossible. If you make a bold comment, follow it up with a joke and a smile and back off if you need to.
We’ve spent more time developing our thoughts on how not to offend a person than we have on not offending God.
Like I said, people do this in the name of Christ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.” Matthew 5, but how about Matthew 10? Jesus says, “Don’t think I came to bring peace, I come bringing a sword.” Apparently Jesus was not a son of God? Does anyone else follow that logic? Maybe the understanding of peace is misinterpreted.
Let me give you an example from this week that happened to me.
I had a friend tell me that my former pastor had to go behind my back and fix messes that I caused when I was a youth minister. He said, “Nathan doesn’t realize how many bridges he burned when he was here.” Listen, I’m a flake and there were probably several occasions where it was all my fault. My bad, I’ll pay for that. But I feel pretty certain that there were some incidents where it was the Gospel’s fault.
For instance, once a man in our church came to me and the pastor after a service and after he heard that I was preaching, got angry and said, “I don’t like it when you preach. Every time you preach I feel like I’m going to hell.” Only to hear my pastor say, “Well, Nathan will mature and get better at preaching.”
If that man doesn’t repent he’ll be in hell for a million years, but at least we’ll spend the next few months in peace right?
The way I see it, there are times when a deep sword is necessary. Pain is an absolute necessity and sometimes God calls me and you to do it.
Many people have seen that there are problems in the church, but not all have found the correct solution. The answer is not to push the problems under the rug and claim everything’s fine, the answer is the Gospel. God doesn’t think of these ministers as helpful at all. Jeremiah 6:14 God speaks to them, “they have healed the brokenness of my people superficially, saying Peace, Peace, but there is no peace.”
We’re all different and God has given each person a different personality to do His will. There are times when an attitude of peace and silence is the correct response, but there are also times when offence is the necessary response.
NN
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