Bullying
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Intro
Intro
introduce series
Tell topics to your leaders, or myself
Bullying
It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there
this age group is as tough as it gets
Story of Tony
Tae Kwon Do
The day it stopped
What bullying consists of:
Someone smearing you verbally, evil things
Gossiping behind your back with intermittent evil looks
Unwanted physical contact
an attitude of aggression towards you
Fact:
1 in 3 students are affected by bullying
An estimated 160,000 students miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation
35% students have been threatened online
75% of school shootings linked to bullying
64% students don’t report it.
What does the Bible say about bullying, and what are we to do about it?
Body
Body
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
A lot here
When it happens at school
Does this mean we aren’t to defend ourselves?
What’s this about burning coals?
We’ll get to it
What do you think this text says we should do when we are wronged or bullied?
World’s System
What does the world value?
When friend at school gets the new iPhone X and you’re stuck with the iPhone 5, what does the average person feel? Happy for them, or envy?
When you see the classmate who works 1/2 as hard and gets a perfect score, yet your effort was not good enough, what does the average person feel? Feel like praising them, or putting them down?
When you’re having a bad day, or you were rejected, and you see the one person everyone loves, what does the average person feel? Flowers and puppy thoughts? Or ruthless thoughts of wanting to be loved no matter what the cost?
Romans 1:28
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
The world is ruthless, because they haven’t experienced inexhaustible love.
and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Rom 5:
You don’t bully when you’ve been given something to
When it happens at school
Might not happen from a believer
When it happens at church
Christian parents, forcing kids to come. Maybe even pretend to follow Christ, been baptized, volunteer regularly or just attend regularly. Contradiction, sick
Why do you think people bully?
[GIVE TIME FOR THEM TO ANSWER]
and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
How can you focus on being unloved when there is an ocean of God’s loving warmth towards you?
How can you focus on what you don’t have when you’ve been made a prince or princess of the King of Kings?
Bullies bully because they’re lacking. Children of God love because of an abundance.
You can’t give what you don’t have. And those who already have, give what they can’t lose.
Questions:
Read
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Rom 1217-21
How does the world respond to bullying?
What are some practical, Christian ways to handle bullying when you see it happen to a friend?
Do you think it’s better to report bullying? Why or why not? In what ways do you think it’s okay to defend yourself?
What about some practical ways you yourself can respond to a bully in a loving way while also being firm?
What are some ways to show love towards a bully while also being firm?
Why shouldn’t we avenge ourselves when we are wronged by someone else?
Look at . Jesus isn’t against having a sword, which may translate today to carrying a gun or a weapon. Why do you think he wasn’t against guns? What do you think Jesus allowed the weapons to be used for? [Use for self defense? Use against those who attack in the Garden of Gethsemane? Use against those who try to persecute on account of Jesus?]
He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.
Questions:
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Wrap Up
Wrap Up
Story of the Masai Warrior
About 80 years ago, Joseph, a Masai Warrior, was walking along one of these hot, dirty African roads, and met someone who shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with him. Then and there he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. The power of the Spirit began transforming his life; he was filled with such excitement and joy that the first thing he wanted to do was return to his own village and share that same Good News with the members of his local tribe.
Joseph began going from door-to-door, telling everyone he met about the Cross of Jesus and the salvation it offered, expecting to see their faces light up the way his had. To his amazement the villagers not only didn’t care, they became violent. The men of the village seized him and held him to the ground while the women beat him with strands of barbed wire. He was dragged from the village and left to die alone in the bush.
Joseph somehow managed to crawl to a waterhole, and there, after days of passing in and out of consciousness, found the strength to get up. He wondered about the hostile reception he had received from people he had known all his life. He decided he must have left something out or told the story of Jesus incorrectly. After rehearsing the message he had first heard, he decided to go back and share his faith once more.
Joseph limped into the circle of huts and began to proclaim Jesus. “He died for you, so that you might find forgiveness and come to know the living God,” he pleaded. Again he was grabbed by the men of the village and held while the women beat him, reopening wounds that had just begun to heal. Once more they dragged him unconscious from the village and left him to die.
To have survived the first beating was truly remarkable. To live through the second was a miracle. Again, days later, Joseph awoke in the wilderness, bruised, scarred—and determined to go back.
He returned to the small village and this time, they attacked him before he had a chance to open his mouth. As they flogged him for the third and probably the last time, he again spoke to them of Jesus Christ, the Lord. Before he passed out, the last thing he saw was that the women who were beating him began to weep.
This time he awoke in his own bed. The ones who had so severely beaten him were now trying to save his life and nurse him back to health. The entire village had come to Christ.
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
When hate is met with love, burning coals of conviction are poured on their heads, which Jesus can use to show them their need for love and forgiveness
If you’ve been bullied
You are identified with Jesus
Jesus has special kindness and grace towards you… You just have to access it
You may be bullied because of something someone doesn’t like about you, or because of your faith
If you’re in a situation where there is bullying
Communicate your boundaries. Make it known what is not welcome
Remove yourself if possible without becoming aggressive, and communicate with someone you trust who can help. Teacher or maybe myself or a leader
Pray for and love the bully, maybe say that Jesus loves them, even here at PCAC! Communicate you are praying for them, and in so doing you will fill their hearts with white hot conviction that they are hurting Christ in you, the one they truly need
If you bully
I’ve seen some of it here, and it makes me sad and angry simultaneously
Chance to repent
Don’t want God’s Wrath
See God’s love for you that you don’t have to prove anything
Go and apologize today, this weekend, or early next week. Never do it again.
Because God’s love has been poured into our hearts, we can respond to hate with love, and in so doing draw nearer to Jesus.
Pray
This Sunday
Evangelism! 12:30 on Sunday. Training for about 1/2 an hour, then on the streets. I’ll be there, and a few others. We’ll show you how to make the scariest thing in the world into something you enjoy doing with ease, and we’ll be done at 3:30pm! Don’t want to miss this.