Who is your enemy?

Opening

Good Morning Church!

Today’s sermon will likely be the last I get to preach to you all. And let me say it has been my utmost privilege to bring God’s Word to you and I pray that I have done that effectively.

With that said, if you have your Bible this morning, go ahead and turn to Matthew 5 as we are continuing our series on the Sermon on the Mount. And today we are going to be dealing with some tough truths. At times it may seem harsh. It may get personal for many but we can’t shy away from the truths of God. So, for my last sermon to you we are going to be talking about loving your enemies. Easy topic.

I titled the sermon today, “Who is your enemy?” .....For many you are thinking of that person or persons right now. Others are having to put some real thought into that question of who is my enemy. As we will see today Jesus has a very clear answer for us.

Before we get into our main text, I want to spend a few moments in a really familiar passage that corresponds with what we will be talking about.

So, lets talk about the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Now before I read it, we are gonna need to be honest for a minute-

Has anyone in here at some point, ever not liked someone else?

How about strongly disliked?

Hate?

Absolutely loathed?

Ok, hold on to those answers for bit.

Lets remind ourselves of this teaching moment from Jesus-

Luke 10:25–37 CSB

25 Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.” 28 “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus took up the question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. 34 He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”

Now, we don’t have the time to completely pick this apart but the overall message is clear.

As Jesus is telling this, He knows his audience and He knows what will resonate with them to make His point made. We are to love God and our neighbor but being pressed for more, Jesus expounds. And He gives us this line of individuals who should by all accounts, help this man. And the one who ends up doing it is the most unlikely, shocking individual that those listening could imagine. A Samaritan.

The Jews and Samaritans had a long history of not liking each other. So, wherever you were on the spectrum I was talking about earlier, it fails in comparison to the intense loathing that they shared for each other. If there ever was an ethnic divide, this was it.

And Jesus knew it and made sure that the Samaritan not only helped this man but was basically the hero of this story showing us that ethnicity, religiousness, status does not matter if you aren’t willing to show love for your neighbor and show mercy.

Luke 6:36 CSB

36 Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

It doesn’t say be merciful in this instance or be merciful only if you like them.

And a further point is that there is no place for dislike, hate and loathing in the Kingdom of God.

Read Matthew 5:43-48

Pray

Immediately, Jesus quotes an O.T. verse. Remember, when Jesus spoke, He knew His audience. And that by speaking to them from a place of their knowledge He could better teach them.

So, Jesus quotes-

Leviticus 19:18 CSB

18 Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.

This is the place where this command comes from.... so Jesus knew this would be familiar.

Here’s the thing though, you read that and realize nothing about it says “hate your enemy”. So, what was Jesus talking about?

To keep this simple and for times sake, from the context, a thought process had developed basically saying, “If God commands love for “neighbor,” then hate for enemies is the logical conclusion and maybe even commanded.

So, we come back to those questions I posed just a bit ago. Is there someone you hate? That’s anyone. It doesn’t mean someone you know. It doesn’t mean only a family member, friend, acquaintance, coworker, stranger or a Hollywood celebrity. It is posed for the sake of anyone.

Because in contrast to the title of this message, Jesus is posing and answering a question for us. And though the focus is on our “enemies” I’m going to give you a spoiler.

Who is your neighbor?

Take a moment and define for yourself in your mind who is your neighbor.

The first part of verse 43 is one of the central commands of Scripture. Love your neighbor. So, if it is a central command we better understand who that is.

To hate your enemy is a complete departure from God’s command to love your neighbor.

Like we read in the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus is showing us and explaining to us a very basic truth.

As Christians, we should not have enemies and that everyone in our influence is our neighbor.

So, who is your enemy? The answer should be no one. And the answer to who is your neighbor is everyone.

Pastor John MacArthur says this-

“I think that if there is one statement made by Jesus that in the eyes of the world sums up what Christianity ought to be like, it’s probably, “Love your enemies.” - Pastor John MacArthur

And why does he say that, because the implication means we should love everyone!

Read Verses 44-48

Our attitude is paramount as we seek to love our enemies.

Jesus is telling us to love our enemies. What? Are you serious Jesus?

I’ve often said that humility is the foundational attribute for a Christian and if we aren’t striving for it, being the salt and light of the world is going to be very difficult.

And what more humbling experience than this call to love our enemies...... Doesn’t that just take us down a few notches?

And then to go on and say pray for them? WHAT?

And not just pray for them when they are silently your enemies, but pray for them when they persecute you.

I don’t know about you but it’s really hard to be mad at someone and pray to God about them in a humble way.

God has this amazing way of humbling us when we are in His presence. Reminding us of His grace that He gave us, so we better give it to others.

It’s hard to hate someone and pray for them. Because when we do these things we show people who we are for.

Jesus even shows us this as he being crucified.

Luke 23:34 CSB

34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided his clothes and cast lots.

And notice, his prayer is not laced with cruelty, hate, slander, self interest or jabs of any kind. Jesus is crying out to God to forgive them because He knows they are blinded to their sinfulness.

Too often we “pray” for others out of self interest or because they don’t do things the way we think they should be done. Especially, our enemies.

Motives are important.

Ephesians 6:6 ESV

6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

If someone is doing something Godly and they don’t know Him, what expectation are we placing on them. Our prayer should reflect that of Christs. “Lord, forgive them, they know not what they are doing. Convict their hearts of their need for you.”

A great quote from John Stott says-

“If the cruel torture of crucifixion could not silence our Lord’s prayer for his enemies, what pain, pride, prejudice or sloth could justify the silencing of our?-John Stott

Loving our enemies doesn’t rely on our strength, it calls upon God’s. He is the source of this love and models this for us.

And if God is the source of all of this, who are we to go against it?

Psalm 145:8–9 ESV

8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.

Steadfast love. That is unwavering. Who are we to hate or have enemies? We didn’t create anything. We didn’t place the stars in the sky or form the earth out of nothing.

It’s the same premise that Paul speaks of in Romans 9-

Romans 9:20 ESV

20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

God has commanded us. We must listen and do.

Lets keep moving.

What does he say in verses 46-47?

Read verse 46-47

As we desire to be salt and light, it’s really important to understand what we are and what we are not. And if you are looking for the easy way to being a Christian, you aren’t gonna find it in here and certainly the Beatitudes is not the place to find it. It’s hard work. It’s time consuming but with much reward.

So, as Jesus continues he is giving us this lesson on love.

You love those who love you....Ok. You are hospitable to your friends and family. Big deal.

That’s easy!

There is nothing easy about being a follower of Christ!

It’s a daily sacrifice. Jesus tells us that time and time again. Take up our cross daily to follow him.

And it’s no different when it comes to loving others, especially those who don’t love us back.

Has anyone in here at some point fell for another person and that person didn’t feel the same way? I mean you were head over heels for them.

That’s a tough place to be in. It’s no fun. It hurts doesn’t it.

-Third grade story

But imagine just loving someone and letting them know you love them and their response is that they hate you, then spit in your face and say the most horrible things about you because you are a Christian.

That’s the point he is making here.

Loving the people who love you isn’t what sets you apart as a believer in Christ. It’s loving those that don’t.

Matthew, Volumes 1 & 2 Loving Those Who Love You, Greeting Those Who Greet You

Many churches seem cold and unwelcoming to visitors, but almost every church thinks it is friendly. Why? Because the members are friendly with their friends. They greet everyone who greets them. This is not noteworthy. Genuine love keeps an eye open for the quiet, the awkward, and the friendless, and seeks them out.

Jesus finishes this with a familiar sounding verse in verse 48. It’s similar to that one in Luke 6. Our goal is to be like our Father. He is merciful and perfect. We should be striving for this.

Closing

As we close our time, lets talk more about our enemy and who that really is. It’s been quoted a lot recently and it’s a reminder you need daily.

Ephesians 6:12 CSB

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.

When we look at people as the enemy, we are losing the battle. This is far greater than someone saying something you don’t like.

That’s why we are seeing such unrest in this country and in our world right now because the spiritual forces of evil want us to be distracted and lash out against flesh and blood. Not follow what God has laid out.

Nothing we are facing can be fixed by man. We have to draw close to the one who created us and rely on His strength.

Are we seeking to draw upon that strength?

Psalm 42:1 ESV

1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.

Are you yearning for Him?

Are you drawing close so that He is guiding you through these times?

This has to be daily......

The enemy wants us divided because we are easier targets.

Since it’s my last sermon i’m gonna go somewhere i usually don’t. So, lets talk about the government. It’s a hot button issue. I get it, but regardless of politics God has a standard for us.

Listen very carefully....the government is not our enemy. Trump, Biden, Pelosi, Mitchell, Romney and on and on and on....

They are not your enemy. This may sting some of you but they are your neighbor.

If you have struggled to get the point of the message I will try to make it easy with this statement.

Everyone is your neighbor. You should not have any enemies outside of what is outlined in Ephesians 6.

When we vilify others, we find ourselves saying terrible things about them, mocking them, posting about them. Then we remove ourselves from loving them and praying correctly for them. It’s easy not to love them. Nothing about this is supposed to be easy. It’s about being dead to ourselves and alive in Christ.

Our identity is important.

Being a Republican is not your identity. Being a Democrat is not your identity. Being a Libertarian is not your identity. Your identity is found in Christ and only Him.

Galatians 2:20 CSB

20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

If people know you more for your politics than for your savior, you have placed your identity in the wrong thing.

The government, politicians, organizations will not be our messiah. They will not and cannot be our savior.

Our identity can and must be solely found in Christ.

The enemy wants us to blur those lines. Wants us bashing the politicians. Be consumed by the happenings around us that distract us from the spiritual battle that is waged.

Which brings us back to…Who is our enemy? Not those we fight and quarrel and slander. They are our neighbor.

Jesus’ point in telling us to love our enemies is to enforce this mindset that this will encompass everyone. Not just a specific group of people, the ones we like but all people. And this love that Jesus is expecting of us is an action word. This is not passivity that is expected of us. It has to be shown in our actions, our words, our facebook posts, our facebook comments....

This is something that many pastors are pounding into the ground right now. Because, these truths that we are talking about, Salt and Light, doesn’t go out the window based on what’s happening in the world around us. Doesn’t stop being a command because you don’t like something or how it’s being done.

When we start crossing that line from our faith into worldiness, it will be our downfall.

That command to love God and love others must be central to who we are.

1 Corinthians 13:3 CSB

3 And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

We can go to church, serve until we are about to burst, do community service, maintain our homes and property, be nice to people when we see them, but the moment we do those things without the love that comes from Almighty God, its meaningless.

We must be separated from this world and the thing that separates us is the cross.

And that is the defining truth for us. The truth of the Gospel. Jesus paid the price for our sin and in return has given us the mercy and grace that we have to in turn give to others no matter what.

Truth is under attack. It is. If you think it isn’t you aren’t paying attention.

Charles Spurgeon said this about truth.

“He that perverts truth shall soon be incapable of knowing the truth from the false. If you persist in wearing glasses that distort, everything will be distorted to you.” - Charles Spurgeon

But we most be focused and not distracted. This is not rooted in political truths. The Gospel is the Gospel nothing else. This isn’t about politics or rights. This is about the truths that are only found in this book. We can’t blur those lines and make them the same cause they never will be.

Governments and nations will pass away, but God is eternal.

We must stand for only the truths of God.

And how to respond to this attack. With the truth. Not snarky comments or put downs or comments about people being idiots. We quote the truth. We share it. And we show the love of Christ through doing so.

1 Thessalonians 5:15 CSB

15 See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

The best thing we can do for anyone is share the truth that comes from Almighty God.

Love your God and love His people.