Reading: A Peacefire Accelerant - Slides

Restoring Relationships
Transforming Justice

Lecture 16

A Peacefire Accelerant & God’s Restoration Path

A Peacefire Accelerant

While there are many accelerants that can increase the intensity of a Conflict Wildfire, there is one accelerant that brings God’s Peacefire power into a conflict - God’s agape love. 

A Peacefire Accelerant

The characteristics of God’s agape love:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

A Peacefire Accelerant

God’s agape love is undeserved, unearned, and unconditional. 

A Peacefire Accelerant

God’s agape love is undeserved, unearned, and unconditional. 

The Lord revealed His love to us while we were sinners who did not deserve His love. 

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

A Peacefire Accelerant

The supernatural love that the Father provides in a Conflict Wildfire is received when we abide in Jesus Christ - the Peacefire. 

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 1 John 15:9-12

A Peacefire Accelerant

The power of God’s love sends us to the Wildfire as His ambassadors of reconciliation - to treat others how God has treated us. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 

A Peacefire Accelerant

We can love others in conflict because of the way that Jesus Christ has loved us. It is not a matter of whether they earn or deserve that love. It is the love of Jesus Christ in us that empowers us to look beyond our desired outcome to pursue His desired outcome - reconciliation and restoration of relationships. 

A Peacefire Accelerant

It is the love that God extends to us that motivates us to leave the shallow conflict stories of the Wildfire and pursue new stories of restoration at the Peacefire. 

A Peacefire Accelerant

Restoration is the manifestation of the presence of God’s power in a conflict.

God’s Restoration Path

Rescuing a relationship from a Conflict Wildfire is just like God pursuing a lost sheep trapped by offense. 

What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.  Matthew 18:12-14 

God’s Restoration Path

There are three steps in God’s restoration path – Confrontation – Confession – Forgiveness. 

God’s Restoration Path

There are three steps in God’s restoration path – Confrontation – Confession – Forgiveness.

The war between the kingdoms can be encountered at any step on the path to restoration. 

God’s Restoration Path

There are three steps in God’s restoration path – Confrontation – Confession – Forgiveness.

The war between the kingdoms can be encountered at any step on the path to restoration.

 The restoration path is not a formula that guarantees reconciliation if the steps are properly followed. 

God’s Restoration Path

The goal at every stage of the process is the pursuit of reconciliation, the loving pursuit of lost sheep and not the pursuit of our own agenda or desired outcome. 

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18

God’s Restoration Path

Regardless of how others respond to our efforts at restoration, we will experience the Lord’s peace when we remain in God’s love at the Peacefire and treat others the way the Father has treated us in Jesus Christ - with grace, truth, and mercy. 

God’s Restoration Path – Step 1
Loving Confrontation

The first step in the restoration process is to go to the person we are in conflict with to seek reconciliation – it doesn’t matter whether we are offended or the one who caused offense. 

If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. Matt. 18:15

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. Matt. 5:23-24

God’s Restoration Path – Step 1
Loving Confrontation

If the initial confrontation does not result in reconciliation, the Lord instructs us to take one or two others with us to try again. 

But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses’. Matthew 18:16

God’s Restoration Path – Step 1
Loving Confrontation

If the second confrontation does not result in reconciliation, the Lord instructs us to turn the matter over to the church. 

And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.  . . . Matthew 18:17a

God’s Restoration Path – Step 1
Loving Confrontation

When we confront a brother or sister in conflict, we are to go in a spirit of gentleness, remaining wary of temptation. 

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Galatians 6:1

God’s Restoration Path – Step 1
Loving Confrontation

Spending time with the Lord at the Peacefire prepares us for a loving confrontation that is Spirit led, rather than a hostile confrontation motivated by our natural desires and the forces at work in the Wildfire. 

Curious Questions

In your conflict story, is there anyone that you need to go to in order to initiate restoration?

Is there someone who can help you initiate your first step on that path?

What is your motivation for seeking restoration of this relationship?

Lecture 16

God’s love brings God’s power into a Conflict Wildfire. 

God’s love compels us to serve Him in all our conflicts as ambassadors of Reconciliation. 

Restoration is the manifestation of God’s power in a Conflict Wildfire. 

The first phase in God’s restoration path is to go to those we are in conflict with to confront the situation. 

Lecture 16

When we confront a conflict situation, we are to go in a spirit of gentleness and meekness to avoid temptation. 

We prepare for a confrontation meeting by seeking the Lord’s presence at the Peacefire. 

We don’t confront because we are right – we confront because Jesus Christ loves us.