Rom 12:9-21 (Key Bible verses)

9 Love must be sincere(Real, not faked). Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (NIV)

Matt 14:1-21

1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2 and he said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him." 3 Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, 4 for John had been saying to him: "It is not lawful for you to have her." 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet. 6 On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.8 Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist."9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus. 13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." 16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." 17 "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. 18 "Bring them here to me," he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. (NIV)

Ø  Jesus was related to John the Baptist.

o   They were cousins. Family.

o   He was the only one that really understood his ministry

o   He loved and submitted to Jesus.

Ø  When Jesus heard it he went to be alone. He had to work it out emotionally. He was a MAN. Not superman. He had to deal with life too.

Ø  But the people were not concerned about what Jesus needed. They heard where he was and followed him.

Ø  Jesus saw them and Had Compassion on them. He healed the sick. All day!

o   When he had done this he fed them all.

Ø  Why didn`t Jesus react to what the Herod did to his cousin?

1.      He knew that Satan was the real enemy not the people.

2.      He knew that he was being drawn into a fight in the natural, that he would lose.

3.      He did attack the enemy on a basis that would destroy his Kingdom. He Loved! He overcame evil with Good! He used supernatural weapons.

2 Cor 10:3-5

3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (NIV)

Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (NIV)

Ø  This is How love acts under pressure!

1Cor.13:4-8a

4 Love is patient (When someone is testing your patience) , love is kind (When someone is being mean to you) . It does not envy (When someone gets something that you don’t have), it does not boast, it is not proud (When you do get something that someone else does not have and didn’t deserve anyway). 5 It is not rude (While trying to be first) , it is not self-seeking (When others are pushing their way ahead of you) , it is not easily angered (When being provoked) , it keeps no record of wrongs (No matter how often we are wronged) . 6 Love does not delight in evil (When others get theirs) but rejoices with the truth (When truth comes out, not sin). 7 It always protects (Those that deserve exposure, love covers) , always trusts (even if you know they have done it wrong before, to you), always hopes (expects them to do it right this time) , always perseveres (even against all criticism to stay behind them) . 8 Love never fails (gives up, lays down, decays or deteriorates, cuts off, remove from favor) …

Ø  How many of you think that Jesus felt like loving Herod? Or the people? He was simply obeying the Word that he had from his Father.

John 15:9-13

9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:17 This is my command: Love each other.

Ø  God will not remove his love from us, BUT we can move out of Love with him! By disobedience we can move away from his Love.

Ø  Love is a command! Not a request! He can command us to give what he has given us. We are stewards of this Love not the origin of it.

Matt 5:43-48

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 sons 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 brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (NIV)

Ø  Is God serious? Is it possible to be perfect? He is perfect in that he always loves! Be perfect like him!

Gal 5:14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Eph 5:1-2 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (NIV)

Gal 5:13-16

13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (NIV)

Ø  Could we say from these verses that he is saying to walk in the spirit is equal to walking in Love?

1 Pet 1:22

22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

(NIV)