The Character of a Hero
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Introduction
Introduction
Junior Church Dismissed
Let me say thank you again to our First responders and their families.
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Today we are taking a break from our authentic series. I believe this is a great opportunity for us to talk about heroes.
Each of us may think of something different when we hear the word hero. Right now in pop culture many of our kids and students would most likely think of the super heroes in the Marvel and DC movies that are out. Iron man, Captain America, Superman, and so on.
hero and friends
hero and faults
Maybe theres a sports fan out there who sees their hero as an athlete on their favorite sports team. You may have their poster on your wall or own their jersey.
Super heroes are great to entertain us, athletes are great to entertain us, but to give them the title of hero is a bit much.
The definition of the word hero according to the dictionary is “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.”
There are plenty of real life heroes out there, our first responders being part of that group.
Typically, a person isn’t designated a hero until they have done something that is worthy of being recognized as heroic.
Today I want to show you, what I believe, the Bible teaches us about being a hero and how each of us can be heroes.
Many who are given that title would tell you, they are in the right place at the right time and did what anyone should have done.
A person should not be a hero in the eyes of others based upon their stature, athletic ability, or fame achieved through entertainment.
But what about the rest of us? The ones who aren’t in the right place at the right time to be heroic?
It is not
Jesus spoke of those who are humble to be lifted up. The meek shall inherit the earth.
Well, as much as I believe heroes can
I believe biblical heroes are not defined in a moment, they are developed and proved over time. It’s on a daily basis that we have the opportunity to be a hero because a person should be consider a hero
He never placed an emphasis on the stature, appearance, or athletic ability. Jesus spoke of the character of a person as what is admirable.
Character is not something that is revealed in a rare moment only certain people experience. The Character of a man or woman is tried and revealed on a daily basis.
It is most tried through the relationships we have in our lives.
Today we will see how a hero interacts with three different relationships we all have and how you can be a hero.
We are going to look at what Jesus said in but follow along with me as I read....
Follow along with me as I read
And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.
PRAY
But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
PRAY
The first relationship we will examine of a hero is the one between a hero and their foes
I. A hero and their foes
I. A hero and their foes
Here in our text we find Jesus finishing His famous sermon on the mount. Many followers have gathered around Jesus to hear His teachings. They have set them selves apart on a mountainside. Here is a picture of what that mountain side looks like today.
The exact location isn’t known but this is where it has been traditionally accepted that these events took place.
It’s during this sermon the mount that Jesus gives us the “beatitudes” in verses 20-22. Blessed are the poor, the hungry, and so on.
After pronouncing the blessings and woes he goes onto begin to describe, what I believe, is a list of characteristics for a Christian.
If character is to be the defining traits of a hero, what better character traits are there to have than those Jesus gave.
As I said a moment ago, the character of a man or woman is best seen in their relationships with others.
A hero, a person with character, will have enemies. He will have foes. And the relationship that is had between a hero and their foes is first a dynamic relationship.
A. A Dynamic Relationship
A. A Dynamic Relationship
Look in your Bibles at
But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
It’s a dynamic relationship because your foes most likely don’y like you and yet you are called to love them. Maybe you do have someone that would use such strong language to define their feelings for you as hate. Even with that person you are to love them.
But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.
Luke 6:27-
It’s a dynamic relationship because your foes most likely don’y like you and yet you are called to love them. Maybe you do have someone that would use such strong language to define their feelings for you as hate. Even with that person you are to love them.
What is love though?
The Greek word used for the word love here is Agape. It’s a moral and societal type love. It’s not the same type of love you would exhibit to a spouse or family member.
Sometimes we get confused on what love is and how we should show it. When it comes to your enemies and exhibiting this societal type love I believe that the best way to show it is by praying for them, always being kind to them when you see them, and always being kind when they are not around.
If there is a person that doesn’t like you, has gossiped about you, has used you, or anything like this…don’t return the favor.
Solomon wrote in proverbs how to treat an enemy.
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head,
And the Lord shall reward thee.
The north wind driveth away rain:
So doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.
If they have a need, meet it. The Lord will reward you for your actions. And He also promises to take care of your enemies as well.
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Vengeance is the Lord’s not ours. Paul wrote that we should live peacably with all men. He didn’t write with kind men, he didn’t say with only those you agree with. He said…with all men.
That’s why we pray for our enemies.
Illustration: There’s a song out there that talks about praying for your enemies. I referenced this a couple weeks ago at a Wednesday night Bible study at 7pm during Awana…parents....
Anyways. The song is about a guy whose girlfriend broke up with him. He goes to a pastor and gets some advice and here is the pastors response and his actions after...
He said you can't go hatin' others who have done wrong to you
Sometimes we get angry but we must not condemn
Let the good Lord do his job, you just pray for them
I pray your brakes go out runnin' down a hill
I pray a flower pot falls from a window sill
And knocks you in the head like I'd like to
I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls
I pray you're flyin' high when your engine stalls
I pray all your dreams never come true
Just know wherever you are, honey, I pray for you
Now I do not believe that is the intent by Jesus saying to pray for those that despitefully use you.
When you pray for your enemies pray for them to be blessed. Pray good things for them and their families. I believe when we pray for others it does a couple of things..1. It softens our hearts toward them as we are looking for needs in their life and seeing them as more than a set of actions they have taken against us. 2. It keeps us obedient to to Gods word which keeps our relationship with the Lord right and from that much can happen.
The character of person can be defined by their dealings with their enemies because it is a dynamic relationship. Their character can also be seen because it is a demanding relationship.
B. A Demanding relationship
B. A Demanding relationship
Illustration: Have you ever dealt with a demanding child? You know, the one whose manners have gone out the window. Please would be a foreign word in the moment but a constant insistent cry of “CARRY ME CARRY ME” or “I WANT I WANT I WANT”.
How does that typically go for you? For me, it’s a time when I either respond wrongly or must take a moment to collect myself.
Anytime we deal with a demanding child or a demanding person our character is tried.
What about a relationship with a person who doesn’t like us? In verses 30-31 we see how demanding a relationship with an enemy is for us.
Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Give…Why would I give anything to my enemy? Why would I give anything to a person that doesn’t like me? What am I supposed to give them?
Anything.
Whatever they ask of you. And if they take advantage of you…don’t ask for it back.
That’s completely contrary to what the world would teach us.
This last line though, people love “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” Now we don’t say it like that. We call it the golden rule.
Treat others like you want to be treated. We all understand that but what if someone else treats you bad. Does that mean thats how they want to be treated?
Many of you know that the actions we take, the attitudes we can get, and the words that come out in times of frustration are not always related to the incident at hand.
We’ve all heard the saying “don’t cry over spilt milk” right? Why would someone cry over spilt milk?
Moms I believe you can relate to this more than us dads. You’ve worked all day cleaning, laundry (the gift that keeps on giving right?), cooking, dealing with kids who are having bad days, and then you reach a breaking point. The milk gets spilled and that’s it.
Was it really the milk that caused you to lose it? Was it really that small incident? no. It was everything that lead up to it.
Now let’s transfer this over to a relationship scenario. You are interacting with a person and they lose it over something small.
Did you ever stop to think that what they are losing it over isn’t really the problem? It’s their marriage that could be failing. It’s their children that are going wayward. It’s their finances that are not where they should be. It’s something much bigger than the milk.
Some of you here today might be walking around like this. Your on the verge of a meltdown. Life is seeming like too much. you don’t know what you’ll do if one more thing goes wrong. You don’t know what you’ll do if the milk gets spilled.
For you, I want you to remember
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
For those who might have dealt with a person in this situation remember the admonition of the Lord here “do unto others as you would have them do to you.” Maybe what that person needs…is a friend. Someone to say, “It’s going to be alright. I’m here for you.”
Our character is seen in our relationship with our foes it’s also seen in our relationship with our friends.
II. A hero and their friends
II. A hero and their friends
You might think this relationship is quite simple. Friends are easy to get along with…
If you think a relationship with friends is simple you might not have the right definition of friend.
The dictionary defines a friend as “a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection”
But how does the Bible define it....
Jesus said in verses 32-35
For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Jesus said it’s not about mutual affection. It’s not about hobbies and interests. He said sinners, those who haven’t trusted Christ as their savior, can love them. He’s calling us to love those who are different.
He said it could be a partisan relationship.
A. A Partisan relationship
A. A Partisan relationship
A partisan politician is supportive of only their side of things and doesn’t reach across party lines.
A partisan relationship is one typically considered to be a one way relationship. A person is only in it because of what they can gain from it.
I challenge you this morning to flip the script on a partisan relationship and make it to be only about the other person and not yourself.
If we are only in it for ourselves and what we can gain from it, isn’t that just like everyone in the world?
What if we had relationship with people for the purpose of being a blessing to them expecting nothing in return?
What if we served a community by giving to them when they couldn’t give back?
What if we brought food to a food bank or a homeless shelter without taking the selfie and did it only to be a blessing?
Too many times we quit on friends because the relationship becomes taxing. Too many times we write people off because of this or that.
When we do that we are failing to follow the Lord’s commands of loving the unlovable.
Our friendships should be partisan in the sense that we make it about them. This will allow them to be profitable.
B. A Profitable relationship
B. A Profitable relationship
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Luke 6:35-38
We know Jesus rewards obedience. Here we see the reward is great for having friendships that are not about us but about others. We love the sinner and the saint. The millionaire and the homeless. Why? Because the relationships we have should not be about us. Why? Because when Jesus died on the cross for your sins it wasn’t because it was a benefit to Him. He came for you, He sacrificed for you…what could you sacrifice for someone else?
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
We know Jesus rewards obedience. Here we see the reward is great for having friendships that are not about us but about others. We love the sinner and the saint. The millionaire and the homeless. Why? Because the relationships we have should not be about us. Why? Because when Jesus died on the cross for your sins it wasn’t because it was a benefit to Him. He came for you, He sacrificed for you…what could you sacrifice for someone else?
The character of a hero is seen through relationships with their foes, with their friends, and lastly, with their faults.
III. A hero and their faults
III. A hero and their faults
After examining the relationship between foes and friends, Jesus turns his attention to ourselves and our own self examination.
Luke 6:3
And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.
We often here this said, in modern vernacular, “take care of yourself before you start fixing someone else”
Jesus points out to the disciples here that they need to not worry about the small problem in others lives when there are glaring issues in their own.
We must have the right perspective
A. The Right Perspective
A. The Right Perspective
Jesus is teaching in this passage that focus should not be on the problems others have but on us.
Ever heard preaching and thought “man I wish this person was here for this, they really need it.”
I know I have. And I’m not saying it’s wrong to desire someone to hear something that would help them but are those thoughts ever proceeded or preceded by “Man, I really needed that. I need to fix…xyz”
The heroic Christian is one whose character is strong enough to identify their own faults and seek to remove them without tearing others down by pointing out theirs.
Question for you…where is your perspective this morning? Where has your focus been? Have you examined yourself in light of Christ and determined areas that need to be adjusted?
When we get the right perspective it puts us in the right position to be a blessing.
B. The Right Position
B. The Right Position
If we read verse 42 we may believe that we must have ourselves all cared for before we can be of service to another.
That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Jesus is speaking of pointing out problems and issues here.
But when we have the right perspective about our faults and understand we are all broken people, we are in the position to serve others.
You can’t serve if you think your better than others. You can’t serve if you think people are beneath you.
You can’t love if you think everyone else has problems and your ok.
But you can take your faults to Christ and seek His guidance on them and then serve others to keep the focus off your problems.
But are you in that right position?
Conclusion
There’s only one way to have the heroic character Christ calls for in our relationships. There is only one way to have the right perspective and be in the right position and that is by knowing who you are in Christ.
Maybe you are one of those people who are on the verge of a meltdown…Maybe your one of the people having a rough relationship with someone because of gossip or because of something else…whoever you are…You can be the heroic friend thats needed…through Christ.
If you don’t know Jesus this morning that means your life is more difficult than it has to be. There are many here this morning with the same problems or worse problems than you have, but through Christ they have found their way through and grown.
Wouldn’t you like to know what thats like? To have victory through Christ? Wouldn’t you like to know for sure that your going to Heaven?
If that’s you this morning, if you want to know your going to heaven and how to have victory through Christ would you raise your hand?
Salvation message
Christians, those who have trusted in Christ as their savior…are you being the friend you need to be? Are you a hero?
Have you been speaking poorly of someone and not going to them about it? Have you turned your back on someone that may need you?
Have you forgot the sacrifice Christ made for you? Are you willing to sacrifice much less to honor Christ’s commands and love others?
I want to pray for those who were affected by the message today…If the Lord spoke to your heart about a matter would you raise your hand?
PRAY
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