The Heart of Christlikeness (Part Two) – Ps Rodney Hole

I don't know what it was.

I don't know what I did but somehow this is damaged mock. You've inspired me to through this. It's your fault. And it's right. I'm not sure what happened. Maybe that's the try and meet you squeezing pressing sweetheart on the the strings. That's why I'm sorry, but it was a fun exercise.

Roar like a cigarette to the point where you are numb. All right good. Thank you very much to all of you who practice so hard and come and sit with us each Sunday and thank you to all of you again. So old that you do in the pool that you are the one another the praise and encouragement that even the little fine calls during the week from one to another for that encouragement that support in that carries. I often overlooked but we can never say too much about that. It's a wonderful thing and last week most of you were here. I believe I see that there is some of you here this week the one he lost weekend. I guess my heart is too, grab the message from last week and squeeze that message and this message all together into speaker 3 hours. I want to do that so that you don't miss anything but on no account, but nonetheless, I'm going to try and give you a little bit of a review on what we talked about last week because it is vitally important. Sing at The Sermon on the Mount was looking at Matthew 5 and you can spend they with me if you will we find the stone versus 38 to 42 in and really that the whole idea here. Is it Jesus Christ is wanting to make us just like him y'all made the point last week that we all put our hands up and say Yes Lord. That is exactly what I want. I want to be just like the Lord Jesus Christ. And now when we say that what we mean is this I want to be able to encourage someone the way that Jesus encourages someone I want to be able to teach as Jesus teaches. I want to be able to be a 50 for the kingdom of God with the gospel. Just as Jesus was I want to be just like him in those areas, but we didn't realize is that there's a certain part of being like Jesus that you and I naturally don't want to embrace. And that's in El Paso Chia. It said Rd roof having the ability to love someone who was doing harm to us Jesus in that passage refers to the person as the evil person to someone harms us. We naturally recoil or run away or attack or retaliate. Jesus is Love was so profound that he was able to love an enemy. In fact, not just love but love to the extent of dying for his enemies that you and I know that but we naturally, you know, that sells dirt Pusher christlikeness to that degree or in those ways to e we struggle with that but that's the heart of it and really brings out that concept that scripture talks about over and over again of of what credit is it to you when you love those who already. Love you. That's the heart of this submission obedience. It's all very well and good when it's easy to do. But how do we go when it's hot to dude had a we go a bank when it's very very difficult when it will cost us something either out time at Pride a positions or anything like that. How do we respond? And to me that is a heart of all of this. So let's read this together Matthew 5 and take a look at verse 38. Jesus says this you have heard that it was said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek turn to him the other Also if anyone would sue you and take your chick. Let him have your cloak as well. I need anyone. You to go one mile go with him to us to Miles. Give to the one who picks from you and didn't refuse the one who would borrow from you. Father we come before you and we think you feel would we thank you that it is precious. We thank you that it is living and active. We thank you that you by your spirit take your word and bring conviction to our hearts. You also take your word and bring comfort you bringing encouragement you bless us. You open our eyes you feel our hearts with all of your bright and many promises. Sorry that we will run the race with endurance and father as we meet together this morning, I pray and ask that you buy your precious. Holy spirit will indeed continuous on in that journey of becoming lock your son the Lord Jesus Christ. And father as we song those words just a few moments ago and I will worship at your feet by the dire expressions for my mouth and for male hot about love for you and father are desirous that I wouldn't Simply Be woods, but that in every other part of that lives during the week we would leave this app. We would prove to you and demonstrate to wall that we love you not for what we get out of bed for simply who you are because you are worthy and father. I pray that you would mature us and get us to that place so that we could be like Joey who if everything was taken from Human from us. We would still worship you we would still praise your name and we wouldn't listen to that voice which tells us to give him to give up. Father might youth minister to us today and I pray for everyone here this morning and everyone listening the father you would Minister To Us by your spirit. I pray that you would speak through me to your children that you would build a shop that you would encourage your hearts and father I ask for your blessing and for these things in the name of our savior the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen what you can glance down there at your patches and you'll see in verse 38 days that expression and it's coming to us. We know it we use it today and it's probably one of the most misunderstood phrases in August history, if you can put it that way and eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth that the Jews had this and it was their loyal it was a most precious law. It was a wonderful thing, but it was misunderstood. Why was it precious? Well, it was interesting because for the offender for the person who would send or committed the crime against another person that Listen was protected from receiving an out-of-balance a man of Justice from the victim. I do not have that would go if you were the victim and you were given the opportunity and you had the Lauren you will decide to retaliate to give Justice back to the person who would just hurt you. Generally how Hots conniff don't need it back Justice in fairmount's do they we go over or above the cola Judy and give some extra because they told us so much but does another think the victim the victim was also protected from what I just spoke about from his or her own desire for an over and above amount of Justice which would so easily and quickly become retaliation or Revenge. So you can imagine that the misuse of the misunderstanding of this Lauren Jesus's day of the Jews interpreted this to me and to teach the people that when you were a victim when you suffered at the Another it was your right to be the judge the jury and the Executioner. That's what Imma do tomorrow is according to the misunderstanding of the lore of God. That's what they were doing that. Can you imagine a society where this was going on? I was thinking of the movie Fiddler on the Roof Topol quotes this verse and say as well that will mean that everyone in the world will be Toothless and blind that's a reality if we all acted upon this none of us would be able to see we don't be missing teeth that it doesn't work in this society when everyone's simply seeks revenge The loan was beautiful and protected the victim and a protected the criminal Stewart's Meat at the crime and you don't see interesting. We looked at that and we thought we'll what is the solution then if not to retaliate like that. What is the solution Jesus said something very interesting. He said they do not resist the one who is a evil that can anyone remember what that meant. Yes completely ignored you. Remember what that meant to resist didn't mean to actually meant to go against two opposed to go on the offensive to Stanford and almost attacked back. That's what it meant. Jesus said do not do that. Do not essentially repay evil for evil don't go on the front foot now. That seems It's it doesn't Because everything else wants to everything, you know wants to resist the person who is evil and it's not just standing strong and and bearing up under the blows. This is putting the foot forward and retaliating. It's a bit of push back to the one who is doing Evil. Jesus went on and he gave us three examples and you can see it there in the text. We looked at the one who would slap us on the right cheek. Jesus says turn to him the other also, I'm really there and that example a pride is tested at pride and and we know how hard that is in the moment. You'll Pride we like to defend ourselves to stand up for herself to not look bad. The second example was the person who would sue us this person is have to legally and rightfully use the law to take something from you Jesus's response to the taking of a positions was not just let him take that give him something else as well. Give him extra go over and above again something that just doesn't come naturally to us and the third one being forced to go one mile. And you remember the context was it in Roman times? The Roman soldiers could use the loran Fawcett civilian to carry. All of the goods are possessions their arm and whatever it was a mile that was the law that were allowed to do with Jesus has done just got one more. I'll go over and above go the extra mile for that person.

The Jesus is commands to such situations would simply neutral responses. Were they but they were active almost unnatural acts of love and kindness to the evil person that put your hand off you set comes naturally to you or I should say put your hand up if you easily and and and really show kindness to someone who is done these kinds of things to you. If you no one has it hand up for a very good reason because they seized foreign to the person who is enriched interpret. This is all so foreign to us as Believers week we struggle with if it doesn't come naturally.

So they sings we we said last week that we would expand upon this but I did give you one example last week and that was this that in the Hall of the sermon of the mount. We we made the point that Jesus is desirous to the Transformers to make it's like him after speed at 2:20 and I'll just give you this brief snippet 1st Peter 2 20 pieces this belief when you do good in Sephora during Julia, this is gracious thing inside of God started this you have been cold because Christ also suffered for you. Now get this leaving you an example leaving you an example. Why do we need an example take a look at the verse that tells us why so that you might follow in his steps. You see that he's talking about suffering. He's talking about injuring suffering. Why because Jesus did because he's our example so that we might follow in his footsteps.

Because I wanted it says he committed no sin neither was deceit found in his mouth when he was reviled. He did not revile in return when he saw that he did not threaten but continued in trusting himself to him who judges justly Hebrews 12 threes has a similar thing about Jesus consider him consider Jesus doing June from sin has such hostility against himself so that you may not grow weary or faint hearted. And again, that's the context theories in running the rice the ups and downs of the Valley's the pits of life and then the high plains when life is good not grow weary, and we had to look to Jesus when we do these These are example And really if you think about Jesus in the point of my last week was that he was an immovable Unstoppable Force? Whether he was betrayed whether he was slapped in the face with a he was hired by old people run out of town. I had people try and kill him on every corner no matter what he faced. It remained faithful. It didn't become fearful. He didn't waver. He didn't cease from preaching the truth. You didn't run and hide and he did not attack and retaliate. These are example in that context and still suffered for that reason so that you and I could look on and watch him deal with those various situations. Why did he do that? Because you and I are going to face similar situations and we are going to look at that this morning. To disregard we are to be like Christ. And you know what? It's pretty obvious. But this is strange that Christ had and the strength that we have to have does not come from fighting against their opponent. But what does it come from the strength comes from fighting against the fleshly desires in here to get that this strength that we ought to have comes the victory comes from not farting and I'm farting your own fleshly desires. Because within all of us as I said before we want to go on the offensive we want to respond in a fleshly Mana, but that is weakness and that is not strength.

The last week last week. We we kind of ran it out the the rot christ-like response to the evil person. I said I'll get to this 42 and really we're looking at the cross lock response to the needy person to this person. He is not evil is a clear distinction in the passage looking for a gift to the one who begs from you and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. That's pretty obvious. This is the distinction. This is not the evil person. This is the needy person a person that asked something from you because they are grenade and the command here. It's pretty clear. It's pretty simple. It's pretty straightforward. I bet you know what there are obviously legitimate qualifications. We don't simply give to every single person who asks of us. Obviously Jesus's comments here Micah sander stand that we have qualifications that we need to examine because we go to determine whether I need legitimate, we've got to determine whether my help for a particular person will infect help him or Hindi him and if you look at God's relationship with you, God does not always give you and me the very things that we also does he Because often we asking Miss off when we want things which will in fact bring us harm. He knows what he's pissed and we are called to have the same kind of discernment when we are giving but you know what this person this message is not about the ins-and-outs of giving it's not the point. It's not what we're talking about here this morning either.

The point here is a Jesus commands are given to help us with our own hot around hot not so much Those whom were going to help because you and I in the same way that we struggle with not retaliating we struggle with giving as well. And I said it last week we work so hard for that particular thing money. We do all we can to gain it and then we do all we can to keep it into protected and connect to give someone who just says Hey, can I have that we go through the mental gymnastics. Well, don't you get a job? Why haven't you wondered why why you in the situation? We find it very hard to give to this isn't about giving this is about the hot attitude. What is it within us that prevents us from freely giving as Christ himself.

The last week last week. I spoke of the command for us to to not go on the defensive with a lock for a lock response. But as Jesus said we had to turn the other cheek. We are to offer up cloak and to go the extra mile service 42in and the concept of giving ties in with last week and those concepts of not retaliating. This is all about the hot. This is all about the human man. And I want to show you this here this morning and 2 this morning. We going to look at three types of blessings that are produced when we respond like Christ three types of blessings that are produced when we respond like Christ at the first is this our own soul is Sanctified when you type Jesus's commands here and you take those commands into the storms of life into a a tenuous situation and you will buy them. There's something very precious that happens. Your own soul is sanctified. And I think I might the point last week that when we grow when we mature that doesn't come from us just learning facts about God doesn't you don't grow and you don't mature but filling your head with information and facts. No and if it does you learn you understand and you increase in your understanding, but that's it comes to us when the truth that we've just learned has to be put into practice. That's logical isn't it? Logical? We understand that Jesus is Love is humility his grace and his Mercy stood over and above that of any man. These are example he was able to love Judas. He's Patria with a perfect love it was able to give bountifully to those who wanted to use him for what he had to offer. Jesus was able to show Mercy. When he's was the right to judge, wasn't he? So there's some examples of what Jesus was like for you and I'll ride for you and I to be just like Jesus as I've just briefly describe we can be transformed in that way simply by learning facts, right simply by learning more and more knowledge or my preferred method which doesn't God just zapping us. They know that prayer you offer up Wailord change me make me look more like Jesus and you just standing there waiting to be exact and somehow you just changed completely have you noticed that that doesn't work. And if you notice that you just reading in filling your head with knowledge and Theology and Doctrine, which is fantastic, and so sore necessary doesn't change your heart.

God must of necessity not think about this if we allowed to be like Jesus God must of necessity place and enemy now lives to give us the opportunity to love such a one as Jesus loved such a one that's logical isn't it? Because weekends learn about Jesus and loving enemies and so forth. We can talk about it. We can understand it now a kid. To be like Jesus. We have to leave it out. We have to act upon the truth that we have just learned that we know very clearly what happens when we don't leave it out, but we just learn it at Waco Hypocrites, right? That's the word and that's where it comes from all this knowledge, but we do something different in practice.

That is the sovereignty of God in their lives. That is a the sovereignty of God in everyday life for you is a Believer God bringing into your life that which you need and God removing from your love that which you need removed. That's what God does he's sober and all of these things and and think about this life this concept of God Sovereign Lee using our circumstances to sanctify. Is it really not understood today? You don't often hear people speak about it and and within the church Lodge when people speak about their own personal Strife their own personal struggles, or maybe the suffering of another person. When do you ever he someone side while you know, what the Lord is allowed to see my life that pissed me. I want to remind faithful I want to respond rightly. Whoever this is. Very few people that what what is often said Lord get me out of this will get me out of this makes things better rescue me to leave me take the pain away. See when you bring a sovereign God into the equation life changes when you understand that he is allowed this for your good to give you an opportunity to grow you to a to you that it's a wonderful thing now want to show you that it's a New Concept to you. I want to show you this is scripture. I we could spend weeks on this because it's everywhere but it's misunderstood and it's actually lost today think of Jesus. Let's look at Jesus Hebrews 5:8 9, if you will turn with me there. This is probably something to gain which one you would have probably looked at this in your LifeProof on Sunday afternoons going through Hebrews verse which is Connor staggering and as I studied it went through it was it was challenging think of what Jesus at what he said of Jesus here in Hebrews 5 Speaking of Jesus the rod is says although he was a son he learned obedience through what he suffered. And bring my perfect. He became the source of Eternal salvation to all who I buy him and that's one of those verses which unfortunately we often do is when reading reading reading and we read that and let slept well. I don't really get that. So we just keep reading and we never get at head oranda, but it is called it is precious and in the context of what we're talking about this morning, he we have this example of Jesus who was a son it was God in human flesh learning obedience through the process of suffering. Now that's probably raised a lot of questions in your mind at all this leading mind and I have to find answers but this reference here is to Jesus as Humanity that you go to square away and understand its Jesus. Was that God man perfect in TD Garden human flesh. But as a man weiner from the gospels that at a young age he had to learn he had to grow in these knowledge and understanding that was part of his Humanity. It didn't make him any less God though, but Jesus as a boy group in knowledge and understanding something else that was happening here though. He had to grow in something else as well. Think of Jesus is context in eternity past. He had never fight suffering. He had never learnt to War by the far wall at the same time suffering for it. Here on Earth as a man. He has two against learning experience suffering and a by the father through that process. That's what this means. That's what this means. Bring my pussy really it's it's that concept of Jesus getting to that point. Where as I said before he's like this when I matter what spices is perfect no matter what he goes through the trials and testings was suffering the persecution the abbaye the father's will he's life was this ongoing validation that he was perfect. Depart of East Jesus had never been tested this way. So the scripture says here in Hebrews that he learned obedience through what he suffered. Maybe in some ways it's still hard to get your head around it. It's a lot to think through but none the less. It's true. Suffering was brought into Jesus's lost to perfect. He's obedient and to perfect human Humanity Hebrews 2:10. Listen to this for it was fitting that he from whom and by whom all things exist in bringing many sons to Glory should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Perfect through suffering that doesn't mean that he was imperfect or that he was sinful in anyway, that's impossible. He was a Son of God, but what it means is that he had said as he had to learn knowledge from a young age. He had to learn to abide for the pathway of suffering. You know what you realize that what the father D's for Christ here. He does for us also what he has done for his son helping him to Luna beating through suffering has Russell. So it does for us also James 1224 James understand this giant gets this listen to this Council consider it all joy my brothers when you meet Trials of various kinds why what can we do that for? You know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness something for a second that would steadfast. You know what it means. It means to be repondre to Bear up under it doesn't mean to run to attacked. It means to stand your ground and Saphira Panda. That's what it literally means.

The testing of your faith produces the ability to stand up under the trial and let that ability to stand up under the trough have its full of fixed. So doesn't come to these is not needless is a point to it that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing. Say that

What the father was doing in Chrysler fuse doing an outhouse you becoming perfect complete and lacking in nothing only occurs when you stayed fastly and Julia trials. Remove yourself from The Trial avoid it run flea hide. You will not become perfect and complete and lacking nothing and that order of protection completion that's price like this isn't it would become like him and if you pull it all together, you can see that I believe is we have cold to be strong as believe is the father wants us to have the kind of strength and resolve that his son had said that no matter what we faced with a someone slaps his on the cheek with a someone takes a tunic and Sue's us away to someone else's to do this Rasta to do that or whether a very long life is on the line. We will remain faithful to God's will and I buy a father no matter what That's being made perfect accent plate. That's maturity 1st Corinthians. 10:13 says a similar thing Temptations. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man so days that the obvious statement that we will make I'm suffering through something that no one else understands or no one else has ever gone through and perhaps that's a lot of the devil to us that you'll suffering and no one else has ever been here before police saying that is common to man, but God is faithful and he will let you be tempted or we could use the word Pistons the same word beyond your ability, but with the temptation all the test, he will also provide a way of Escape. What is that? Why of a Skype how do you get out of that time of testing and Temptation read on that? You may be able to injure it the same would be right under it. Bearing up under it is the way of a Skype you see when you fight the trial and you respond in a god-honoring way. I got honoring way and again a god-honoring way and that is just your resolve and your commitment and love for Christ the net trial by definition then ceases to be a trial doesn't it? But it's what it becomes use a Triumph of the grace of God in your life. It becomes a smoking point of non-christians and I'm going to share a few of those with you in a moment. So instead of you becoming the victim you are the Victory Cross because of what Christ has done. So then what the Lord. Is it? Okay if handled that trial, let's give you another one a little further down the track and we respond in the same way. We view it rightly and we mature we goes through this and we proceed towards Christ. That's the process of transformation to Woods Cross life is not get this if you don't understand what God is doing in and through the circumstances of your life. You will never be made more like Christ. It's impossible. It's impossible. absolutely impossible

You know what? You can see why James says consider it all joy, because God is changing You is kind of change brings liberation of Hope think back to your own life think back to the house when you struggled in a particular area or you had a given response to a particular situation. You matured you grew you responded rightly. It's encouraging, isn't it? It's liberating to know that I don't have to respond the way that I always respond every time that was simple response doesn't hold you and control you you are liberated from the pair of scene because you've chosen to step out in faith and a bike crossed and to do things his wife.

What is another wonderful blessing that comes as we are ourselves Sanctified as we go through trials as we patiently when she was through hardship. We enjoy an intimacy with crossed. The the pit of despair the point of despondency the low part of the valley when we are suffering it is there that we experienced Christ in a way that we would never experiencing had we not being in the fall.

Many Christians 450 splicing many Christians by running away from their problems or avoiding them or responding in a fleshly Mana lose the blessing and benefits of finding and knowing Christ at the most pointed of times I think about this if you've gone through hardship or No Deal that is meant to drive you and me to Anthony's that is meant to cause you to cry at Lord save me have mercy upon me minister to me and honored for myself personally. That's what hardship does for me. It draws me to my knees are crayons and it is there that I meet my Lord in a special and profound why it's there that he gives me the strength to endure the strength to persevere. Does acting too busy with cross and I'm just briefly touching on these is also another wonderful blessing that comes from this sanctifying work of God in their lives. The flesh is kept it by so the flash is kept it by nothing about this in Apache. We've been commanded not to retaliate but to show love when I buy this in shoes at the the natural fleshly responses of preserving and protecting yourself a done away with when you were by this command. The flesh is put to death The flesh wants to come out if that makes sense The Flash wants to come up and respond with anger retaliation or run or hide open in this hotel see whatever it is. But to choose to obey Christ in these areas puts your sinful flesh to death because you were buying the spirit and you are not listening to the Natural voice response of your heart. It's a wonderful thing. It's a wonderful thing if you think about it.

Is also another point with regards to the flesh being tempted by and I said this a moment ago and thought allows these situations in their lives to keep us humble. Doesn't he to keep us dependent? I don't know about you but I notice is my unlocked when everything's going well when everything just falls into place and it's easy and it's wonderful and the road is smooth and the road is straight attend. Wonderful God little attend to stop reading is all your attendants. Stop crying out to him and praying to him is all yours. If you notice that within yourself, but you introduce a little bit of a little bit of suffering what happens and an anole from being a pasta from being around people that when everything's good some people you don't see them because law school, but then when lost gets hard and it's a wonderful thinks they come running back because they've got problems and I want help That's what we do to God the god of necessity for the believer as much as we pray Lord make my life. Just smooth sailing. He will not do that for you because you don't do that to your kids to you, you know, what will happen to your own children. If you give them every single thing I want when I want it it will destroy them. It will destroy them out father knows exactly what we need. And what we need is moments of pain. We need those hard moments. We need those trials to keep out hot slow to keep out hot depending upon Him relied upon him for all things and you know, what a truly believe that this is the reason why oh, my soul people who have been used by God in the profound and Powerful. I have almost always had some kind of eye omen or Affliction or form of suffering in their lives for the scriptures. You say that you guys were history you say that consider your own life you've got is you You in a great wife is always some kind of Thorn In the Flesh with cape such a person humble low and dependent takes us a biting so that we will bear fruit.

So that a number of blessings that come to us that is the process of sanctification that he's had. The Lord uses a seems to sing to fly us. So we are Sanctified but it's Another Blessing here as well. The other person is Sanctified know it's working in the context of the evil person in Matthew 5 and the needy person when you respond like Christ not just it's not just you who is Sanctified but it's the other person it's even the evil person who's doing you harm and it's the big outfits the world watching on it was Sanctified by what you do.

Romans 12:19

Let's look at these Romans 12:9 saying.

I want to look at some verses here and then give you some people accounts and and even some personal examples of how this works. I run is 1219 pulses this beloved. Beloved never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God. He's written vengeance is mine. I will repay says the Lord to the contrary if your enemy is hungry feed him if he's thirsty give him something to drink for by doing. So you will Heap burning coals on his head. Now. Look at this. This is the most important part 21 do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good That's crazy burning he can calls it comes directly from Egyptian social things with in Egyptian society that the person who was remorseful about doing something wrong with carrier a pot filled with hot coals on his head the pain in the stinging he would would represent his Contrition of hot. He's fusaro. He's remorse the pain that they the court calls would bring it to his ID was synonymous with the pain that he was experiencing for what he'd done to another person. That's what I used to do.

So it is by that loving the one who is harming us that we by loving them instead of retaliating bless them with an opportunity to see their own sinful Behavior. You say that if you respond in kind if you repay evil for evil you not loving the other person and you are not giving them the opportunity to see their on her. You may be experiencing your own life. You might have a by the Lord in this area and seen a dramatic response that you were expecting from the other person. And really we are deer here is for us is that we control that which we can control you taught change the other person that you can change you and you can choose to obey the Lord and demonstrate and prove that your commitment to God and you will love for that person's soul is actually more important than Defending Your Own Pride. It's actually far more important than even keeping your own positions and it's even far more important than you being mistreated by then because we understand what's at stake. That's why Steven who was being stoned to death could say father forgive them for they know not what they are doing your butt look the offense because you understood that these people with dating scene and I needed saving I want to give you a few examples from scripture King David is a wonderful example turn with me to 1st Samuel 24. I'll show you this concept of overcoming evil with good play. Even in the Old Testament today. I believe the children are out there in Sunday school learning about the loss of Joseph. I have included that example, but there's another example of someone who wants to the God was Sovereign in the circumstances of life these brothers as you know, I betrayed him send him off into slavery left him for dead told his father that he was dead and he's response to wall of that was you meant this for evil, but God meant it for good. Think of this and this isn't a side if Joseph hadn't responded just like every other person does if he hadn't seen The Sovereign hand of God in life. Send this family coming to Egypt afterwards would never have inside from the famine. The people of Easter. I would never have grown up in Egypt and the Deliverance the pass, I'd rather you would never ever could. Everything he needs to pawn his response isn't it? Amazing? But that's enough. So I'd be looking at David's here 1st Samuel 24. He we have David who's being pursued by Soul over and over again, and now just to give you a little bit of a background context Soul finds himself in a cave. He's gone in there to relieve himself diabetes in there with his men hiding his men side of David David. Here's your chance. And in fact, I saw you took autodyne the opportunity to kill your enemy Soul doesn't do that. David doesn't reply evil for evil instead. He does something good and something kind because that's what God does two old people he cuts off the corner of souls robe and obviously Soul finish doing what he's doing. He got his at David stands up and before all of the soldiers before everyone Kohl's at the soul and end to get to the point says I have the corner of your road. I couldn't killed you try to not want to kill you. I love you. Look at what it says here verse 16 As soon as David had finished speaking these words to soul soul said is this your voice my son David and soul lifted up his voice and wept he said to David you are more righteous than I so you have repaid me good. Where is I have repaid you evil? And you have declared this day how you have dealt? Well with me in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands for if a man finds his enemy really let him go away safe. So may the Lord reward you with your good for what you have done to me this day and now behold I know that you shall surely be king and that the Kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.

None of that would have happened from Souls mouth. If David I tried to kill song Whip and you think about what's going on here all of souls men all of souls soldiers I watching on and they are listening and I have heard Soul publicly declare. The David will be king the diabetes Rogers that he's not this criminal that everyone's making me out to base is not a wonderful thing. Can you see how evil is being overcome with good in the life of David? What a wonderful thing and David God bless David and God exalted David. The wonderful thing is also an example from 2nd Kings chapter 6 here. We have the the king of Syria trying to kill a lawsuit. If you haven't read that story you need to read it. Basically the king of Siri says to his men someone here is a spy because we might plans for war and every time we go to a certain place they they waiting for someone's telling the enemy what we do. And a wise person among us as well. There's something bigger apply here. The Prophet Elijah is God's prophet and when you devise plans in your in a room, I wash it was there watching God tells Elijah what you were doing. So there's a bigger problem here. It's wonderful, isn't it? The king of Ceres solution is to go and kill Elijah problem-solve. So if he goes to do that and you say your invoice I'd seen it says he win the syrians came down against him Elijah prayed to the Lord and said, please strike these people with blindness. So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha and Elijah said to them. This is not the way and this is not the city follow me and I will bring you to the man whom you seek and he led them to Samaria. So she marries the capital. It's the stronghold of the Jews. So we let the Jews enemies right into the middle of the camp of the Jewish people that you look at that and see if you haven't right on wonderful. They're going to be destroyed what happens as soon as I intend to marry Elijah State unload Open the Eyes of these men that they may see says the Lord open their eyes when they saw and behold they were in the midst of Sumeria as soon as the king of Israel saw them. He said to a loss of my father shall I strike them down till I strike them down. He answered you shall not strike them down. Would you strike down Those whom you of taking captive with your sword and with your bow set bread and water before them that they may eat and drink and go to the Mazda. So we prepared for them a great feast and when they had eaten and drunk he sent them away and they went to their master and the syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel. You can actually read on it at tells us that the king of Siri eventually comes back and obviously did the commentators agree that he's probably forgotten that commitment that he might it's it's a long. Of time but none the less you can see that the principal here of overcoming evil with good that every right to kill their enemies, but I chose not to those even unbelieving people with Sanctified by this actively towards him. How do you respond to that?

Amazing, isn't it? How do you think about this kind of love that you and I are to extend it is a most powerful and effective weapon. We talked about spiritual warfare that we and you hear about spiritual warfare and two wonderful things Ephesians talks about it. But this Kia overcoming evil with good this is spiritual warfare. This is what it means. It's not bonding distance flying that or anything like that. He's he's destroying the work of the devil, which is in humanity where there is this retaliation evil responses Wesley responses natural responses, stirring up the evil in people to commit acts of evil those acts of evil are put to death by Christians when we honor God in a bag God we overcome evil with good

I'm in the years ago and Are we told you the story before that it sticks in my mind and drop many stories in this all use this one off and what do you want Helen? We will probably going to use all wear in youth group. And anyway few things happen between herself and some other girl in it going to be nasty and this other girl decided that she would make fun of Helen all the time and was blond and so will the plunge a timeout and it kind of got pretty nasty and Helen's response was Lord. What do I do? What do I do? How do I respond and she's obviously reading principles through scripture and doesn't want to retaliate doesn't want to run away unless you might have felt like it but instead she chose to love this girl. She made a biscuit. She made it nice and she would call her often and in time these acts of Love is putting aside her. I'm posting this love that she showed broke this other girl. It broke her she could not continue hiding Helen because Helen was continuing to love her love are the time good and you know what, they became better friends after this than I was before this this beat their hearts together now in a purely human flesh leeway. The inning is our souls would want us to retaliate or to run away. But God's way is to become evil with codycross. I think of Elisabeth Elliot you remember Jim and Elisabeth Elliot missionaries to Ecuador the the tribes people that killed Jim Elizabeth's husband and you would think the net to responses V Elisabeth Elliot a lady by herself to just get out of there and to never see these people again, maybe to be like me to wait in question God's love and care and protection. But what she do she understands what's at stake. She knows that these people are lost in dating scene. So she returned she stays there and she ministers to the very people who have killed her husband. What's the result? Many many many people in that Village came to faith in Christ evil was overcome with good. That is the way of el God. That was the way of Christ that was a way of the Apostles. That is the way of every Christian. He would have been effective for the kingdom of God.