Victory Over Hate and Evil Part 1

Romans 12:17-21 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Introduction

We live in an evil world.

Evil is seen in the way people treat each other.

The legalized mass-murder of innocent lives called abortion.

Shootings (carelessness about life)

Domestic Abuse (generational)

Hatred for entire races of people

Disregardful for the vulnerable population

Children

Elderly

Poor

Widows

Evil is seen in the way we treat God

No reverence to God or His Word

Doing the exact opposite of what God wants or intended

Pride

Pleasures and Consuming (valued more important than God)

What drives our wicked ways is our wicked philosophy

Postmodernism: There is no truth

when there is no truth an no authority, we come up with our own ideas and ways...

Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Ephesians 2:1-3 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Idea: living independent from God

Goals: I want to answer two questions

What makes the the world evil?

What is a Christian to do when he or she experiences evil?

I will answer the first question in the Introduction and the second question will be answered in the message.

Outline

Do the Right Thing

Avenge Not Yourselves

Victory Over Hate & Evil

What makes the world evil?

Note: Skin color is not the reason for evil in the world

Skin color does not determine whether a person is:

right or wrong

righteous or sinful

privileged or disadvantaged

blessed or cursed

Understand: No one should EVER have to apologize to ANYONE for having been born? You did not have a choice, to choose who your parents were going to be!?

This idea is completely GODLESS!

If you have to apologize to people for WHO GOD made you, then God messed up.

God is the originator of the various nations and ethnicities (Gen 11)

People from all the various ethnicities will be in in Heaven praising the Lord

Revelation 7:9-10 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

Well....What makes the world evil?

Free Will (Sin)

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Mankind was made in God’s Image

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Note: Male and Female = only two sexes, and only two genders. You don’t get to pick, God picks for you.

Mankind was created to have dominion and and free will like God

Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

It didn’t take long for man to start acting independent from God

Genesis 3:4-6 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Genesis 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

What started off as a little trickle of sin, turned into the Niagara Falls

Genesis 6:5-8 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Because we have a free will we need to be wise in decisions that we make, because the decisions we make in life will make us…

We don’t have to live defeated or miserable lives, we don’t have to live with hatred in our hearts, we don’t have to live in fear, we don’t have to live to the standards of the people around us...

Proposition:

We can have victory over evil by doing the right thing, and by not retaliating to the evil that we receive.

Pray

I. Doing the Right Thing

We Must Provide an Honest Example

Romans 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

Testimony

“in the sight”

Proverbs 23:26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

Honesty means to be real. Be what God made you.

Romans 13:11-14 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Review: We Must Provide and Honest Example

We Must Pursue Peace

Romans 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Psalm 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Pursue Peace by Showing Love

Romans 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

Matthew 5:43-48 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.