Love your enemies

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The Bride has made herself ready  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  46:27
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Love your Enemies,

Goof morning church!
great to see each one of you here.
And a big welcome to those watching online.
Today we are continuing the
The bride has made herself ready series
And what I want to share is on easier said then done!
Love your enemies
The preacher's Sunday sermon was Love Your Enemies. Toward the end of the service, He asked his congregation, "how many of you truly love their enemies"?       About half held up their hands. He then repeated his question. As it was past lunchtime, this time about 80 percent held up their hands. He then repeated his question again. All responded, except one small elderly lady.       "Mrs. Jones?" inquired the preacher, Are you not willing to love your enemies?       "I don't have any." she replied. smiling sweetly.       "Mrs. Jones, That is very unusual. How old are you?" "Ninety-three," she replied.       "Oh Mrs. Jones, what a blessing and a lesson to us all you are. Would you please come down in front of this congregation and tell us all how a person can live ninety-three years and not have an enemy in the world."       The little sweetheart of a lady tottered down the aisle, faced the congregation, and said "I outlived them all."
Rest In Peace
One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex staring up at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church. The plaque was covered with names, and small American flags were mounted on either side of it.
The seven year-old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside him and said quietly, “Good morning, Alex.”
Good morning, Pastor,” replied the young man, still focused on the plaque. “Pastor Phillips, what is this?” Alex asked.
“Well, son, it’s a memorial to all the men and women who have died in the service.”
Soberly, they stood together, staring at the large plaque.
Little Alex’s voice was barely audible when he finally managed to ask, “Which one, the 9:00 or 10:30 service?”
Wrong Email Sent
A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier. Because of their hectic schedules, it was difficult for the couple to coordinate their travel plans. So the husband left Minnesota and flew to Florida on Thursday, while his wife planned to fly down the following day.
The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an email to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter of her email address, and sent the email without realizing his error.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned home from her husband’s funeral. He was a Baptist minister who was called home to glory following a heart attack.
The widow decided to check her email, expecting condolence messages from family and friends.
But after reading her very first email, she screamed and fainted.
The widow’s son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read:
To: My Loving Wife
Subject: I’ve Just Arrived Today
I know you’re surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and you are allowed to send emails to your loved ones. Since I’ve just arrived, I thought I would send you an email.
Everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then! Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.
P. S. Sure is freaking hot down here!!!
Turn with me in your Bibles to
Luke 6:27–36 NASB95
“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. “Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. “Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. “If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Let’s Pray
I think it fair to say there is more conflict today in the world than we have seen in a generation
Social media & main stream media have fueled the fires of conflict.
There are “so called” experts on every side of every issue
If you were to put 3 random people in a room and ask a simple question you’d probably get 4 answers
And people are becoming passionately ad omit that their opinion is right and everyone must agree with them!
The traditional Christian worldview is increasingly under attack.
Isaiah 5:20 NASB95
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
is being carried out right before our very eyes.
Many people who claim to be christians, side with a society worldview and discount the simple truth of God’s word.
Let’s take a look at an example.
Homosexuality
54% Accepted 38% discouraged 4% neither/equal 4% unknown
Leviticus 18:22 NASB95
‘You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.
....many feel that’s paert of the levitical law and doesn’t need to be followed today
Romans 1:26–27 NASB95
For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
Here Paul is talking about how Gentile society faces God’s wrath because it has suppressed the truth that God has revealed about himself in creation (verses 18-20).
Paul then illustrates how this has happened.
He gives three examples of how what has been known about God has been exchanged for something else.
1) They exchange the glory of God for images of creatures (verse 23).
2) They exchange the truth of God for a lie, worshipping created things (verse 25).
3) And they reject the knowledge of God (verse 28), exchanging “natural” relations for “unnatural” ones:
As times progress, people who believe what the Bible teaches will face greater persecution.
In fact I would not be surprised if this video gets banned just because I cited these verses today.
they are considered “hate speech” by many in positions of authority.
However my point is not to attack those who have opposing view points on sexuality.
I only bring this up as an example of where your enemies might be coming from
But rather how we should respond to those who will hate us for what we believe!
Hate cannot defeat Hate
it only creates more.
there are many places you can gain enemies
They can come as a direct opposition to what you believe to be true
Or as a result of personal conflict.
It’s human nature to want to be liked.
everyone likes to be liked
How do you feel when you find out someone likes you?
How does it feel when you find out someone doesn’t like you?
option 1 change yourself so they do like you unauthentic!
option 2 Ignore them and do your own thing
option 3 get angry and dislike them back!
there is a 4th option
option 4 Love them!
That is what we are commanded to do
Luke 6:27 NASB95
“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
Luke 6:28 NASB95
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Luke 6:29 NASB95
“Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.
Luke 6:30 NASB95
“Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.
Luke 6:31 NASB95
“Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.
Luke 6:32–34 NASB95
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. “If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.
Loving those who love you is easy. Loving those who hate you is hard!
God is calling us to go beyond what human nature is capable of......
He wants us to treat those who hate us with a divine love.
Luke 6:35–36 NASB95
“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Jesus backed up his words with his actions
Luke 23:34 NASB95
But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.
Conclusion
What is Love?
1 Corinthians 13:4–8 NASB95
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
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