YP Talk—John Kulp
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I enjoyed singing with all of you and listening to our musicians as well.
I'd like to, with the Lord's help, to speak a little on peacemaking this evening.
And so let's turn for justice, a phrase, part of a verse to 1St Thessalonians, chapter 5.
It's a very short phrase that can be overlooked unless brought especially to our attention, I suppose.
First Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 13 at the end.
Be at peace among yourselves.
Now I'm exercised. We've been burdened at times about the path of peace, Peace in the, uh, Assemblies of the Saints and in Christian homes as well in our own home.
And so perhaps just a few thoughts on peace and the path. The peace, you know, uh, I won't turn to it, but in Proverbs chapter 3, when Solomon writes about wisdom, he says he writes in all her paths are peace.
You know, for almost as long as the Church of God has been in existence on the earth, Satan was the enemy of all God's purposes in Christ has worked to cause difficulties among Christians and we see this very near the beginning of the church's history and.
Acts chapter 6 when discontent and complaining arose among the Greek speaking Jewish believers or.
Called the Grecians against the Hebrew believers because of the very practical.
Matter of, uh, the neglect of the Dis in the distribution to the widows. And we're not told how serious this problem was, and we're not told whether there was any hypersensitivity on the part of the murmurs. But we can be reasonably certain about a couple of things, and that is #1.
This potential rift was not doctrinal in nature, so that revealed Christian truth wasn't imminently in danger of being compromised. And secondly, we also see that the 12 apostles who were all of Hebrew stock, they weren't of Grecian stock, but they were led to a .7 Greek speaking Grecian men.
Whom the whole multitude had selected to administer the distributions, and they resolved this practical dilemma in that way.
What a gracious path, uh, these peacemakers of those early days walked in when there could have been much more difficulty and and dissension, you know. Sadly, since that happy ending to a tense situation, the enemy has had much success over the centuries in dividing and alienating even real believers due to an endless number of disagreements over practical matters, personal feelings.
And you know, preferences are even godly personal exercises regarding matters of.
Appearance and conduct. Language translation usage.
Hymn selection locations and times and frequencies of meetings, even involvement in gospel efforts, and many other similar similar practical considerations have played a part in the offenses that brethren sadly have allowed to trouble or divide them. Now you may be wondering why a brother would be addressing young people on a subject like this, since you're not leaders in your assemblies, generally speaking, and perhaps.
Don't carry the weight of older, more experienced ones. And while sadly, we've seen many young people leave gatherings over the years, we on the other hand, don't usually see them in the middle of the, uh, the difficulties and the disputes and the divisions in the assembly. But I have no doubt that many of the difficulties among brethren over the years had their roots decades earlier, when those in the middle of those difficulties were much younger.
And so the question I would have for you young people is this.
How do you view and how do you treat your fellow young people, whether at a conference like this or more importantly, in your local gathering, and perhaps most importantly at all of all, in your own home?
If you have sisters and brothers, of course, you know too often pride and the resulting strife among those who ought to be closest to one another.
They cause rift over time and it may take years to manifest and break out. Our brother Bill Prost at a recent conference.
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Uh, gave this challenge and, uh, it came from his father-in-law, as I understand Mr. Albert, hey, ho many years ago. And I will have to paraphrase liberally because I wasn't able to, uh, find the quote in the conference recordings, but he said something like this problems in assemblies haven't usually happened over the years because Saints didn't love each other.
But because they didn't like each other. Now think about that for a moment. They didn't like each other.
We can convince ourselves that we love the brethren as John commands direct several times in his first epistle, and we can approach that love imperative in a legal way, but still not be kindly affection 1 to another in brotherly love with honor preferring one another as Paul, and joins us in Romans chapter 12 and verse 10.
Oh, how great is the need for kindly affection between believers and.
Those words shouldn't be too difficult for us to understand kindness and affection.
Kindly affection is what we need between each other. The Lord Jesus showed us such kindness and such affection.
And so we ought to between each other as well.
So what is a peacemaker to do when believers are estranged from each other?
Either in heart or in practice, whether they meet together or not. How then may Saints who are at odds with each other be brought back into the enjoyment of practical fellowship with each other, happily keeping the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace? How can healing be wrought and peace restored among Christians? You know, if those who don't see it eye to eye with each other stoop to.
Self righteously view and treat each other.
With either ambivalence or animosity. It's doubtful that reconciliation or restoration will result from that, but.
A deep exercise of self judgment and humility and communion with Christ will bring with it the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit. You have a question back there?
Umm, like you don't really care about?
Your brother like doesn't really matter what they do.
That's not that's not good, and animosity is worse, but uh, ambivalence isn't good either.
You don't care about them. Thank you for the question, Isaiah. You know in Galatia.
There was a lack of sincere love and affection for one another, and the danger there was that they would even devour each other. Now, that's of course figuratively speaking, but that's what the apostle warned him against. And that's the context and the reason for the wonderful list of spiritual, spiritual fruit that Paul encouraged their in Galatians chapter 5.
Love.
Joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, and self-control. And that's the way Mr. Darby puts that list. This is the path to peace and happy fellowship among brethren. Now we need to pause here, uh, for a moment and declare that, you know, that unity or reconciliation of separated divided groups of Christians based on the principle of mutual concession is not of the Spirit of God.
For that principle presumes to allow for compromise as to the truth, and there's no scriptural basis for an open communion or an unguarded table. But it's the reconciliation between individuals who find themselves at odds with each other that can end in restored fellowship with each other, Enjoyment of communion together at the Lord's Table.
And that's most beautifully done through Mutual.
Confession.
Not mutual concession that would be wrong, but mutual confession of faults and failures. Confess your faults 1 to another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed, James says in chapter five of his epistle.
That humble confession of faults or failure may be done at almost anytime and under most circumstances, without compromise to the truth of the Word of God.
Believers who profess to maintain a unity according to God on scriptural ground should never be guilty of uncaring attitudes.
Or, uh, harsh words to their brethren in Christ. I would just mention and point out without turning to it, the fleshly and mean spirited, uh, attitude and character of Rio Boehm, King Rioboam there in First Kings chapter 12 during that awful rending of Israel's unity. And we can contrast against that.
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The godly character of Hezekiah's humility and his confession.
That initiated and gave weight to his invitation to the 10 tribes of the northern Kingdom of Israel, uh, with the result that many of them repented, we suppose, and returned to worship at Jerusalem, the place, of course, of God's choosing. Godly humility encourages repentance in others.
That's of course what Hezekiah showed there. Godly humility encourages repentance in others and smooths away for the restoration of some who may be.
Languishing in carnality or bitterness of soul. Now we ought to look at the Lord Jesus.
First of all, as those who are his followers.
And his perfect example of meekness and loneliness toward all. He never gave offense. He never took offense. And he was the one of whom it was written in the Old Testament and we haven't repeated in Matthew chapter 12A. Bruised Reed shall he not break? And smoking flax shall he not quench, quench. He was gentle, tender, kind toward all.
Maybe we'd be more like him in our relationships with our brethren.
And there are a few other number of other, uh, passages in the New Testament that, uh, speak of making peace and, uh, restoring brethren to ourselves as individuals without conceding truth or compromising righteousness in our dealings. And here, just a few of them, we don't have, uh, much time, just a few minutes left. And so let's turn to just a few of them. Romans chapter 15.
And verse one.
We then, that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Well, if God has given you any measure of strength in the path of faith.
Certainly not something to be uh.
Puffed up about proud. But if he's giving you any measure of energy and strength, you have the responsibility to bear with your brethren, young or old, of course, and not please yourself. Well, let's go to Matthew chapter 5 for another couple of scriptures showing what a peacemaker.
Would do no on the Lord Jesus said in the first part of that chapter.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. But let's look at chapter 5 and verse 23.
This suppose is a rift that has come in personally, individually. Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembers that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. We see from that the great importance that the Lord Himself.
Put on peacemaking.
You know it, it ought to be taken care of before worship, before worship in Galatians chapter 6. And we don't need to turn to it, but we know that, uh, the first verse, brethren of a man be overtaken in a fault. Ye which are spiritual restore such an one and the spirit of meekness, lest thou also be tempted.
Spiritual brethren, if the Lord has given you any measure of spirituality, well, you're to take the initiative in restoring those who perhaps are weaker or have been overtaken in a fault. That's your responsibility.
First Peter 5. Let's go to that for a moment.
And then one or two more.
Uh, first Peter 5.
Verse 5, middle of the verse, your second line, Yeah, all of you, be subject 1 to another and be clothed with humility, for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. So humility and submitting 1 to another in practical matters is a scriptural expectation.
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And we already, uh, touched on what James said.
Confessing false one to another, with prayer and intercession for each other as well, that ought to be made on behalf of those in need of spiritual healing and restoration.
And I'll just mention Hebrews chapter 12.
Christians are enjoined there, directed to make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not turned aside, but that it rather be healed. Pursue peace with all and holiness.
And we can refer to James again. We ought to practice his teaching on.
Bridling the tongue, bridling our tongues and, uh, having wisdom from above. And he ends with this summary in James chapter 3 and verse 18, A harvest of righteousness. And this I, I'm quoting another translation.
Not a paraphrase, it's a translation. It's uh, the, uh, esvi trust you will not be offended using that for this because I thought it made it so clear. A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Those of you who are peacemakers, I would encourage you to continue in that. That's a much needed work and you will re reap a harvest of righteousness.
In doing so.
So, dear young people, in in winding down here, now is the time in your lives to be judging unkind thoughts and words toward each other in the assembly or at home. Now is the time to pursue those things which make for peace, as we would read in Romans chapter 14.
When once someone has deceived himself or herself to believing that behaving in a cliqueish, prideful or unkind manner is acceptable.
Under the letter of the law of loving his or her brethren, you know it will almost inevitably develop into strife, schisms, full blown division in the future of the local assembly.
Should that kind of spirit be allowed to go on and without being judged before the Lord? So turn finally for one more verse to 1St John chapter 3.
First John, chapter 3.
And verse 18.
Children should be.
Starts out with children. Let us not love in Word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Be before the Lord now.
While you're young.
Concerning your relationships with your fellow young people.
Whether at home, whether in the assembly and learn not only to love in Word theoretically.
But indeed, and in truth, in actual practice and practically, this is the path of peace and unity in the Assembly of God. And the Lord Jesus, I have no doubt, is honored by those who in lowliness and meekness seek to put forth every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Well, let's close with prayer and thanks for the refreshments.