Sowing Into Your Enemy
Sowing what you Reap • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 41 viewsOf all the people we could give to, you’d think our enemies would be at the bottom of the list. The biggest gift we could give them turns out to be a gift we actually give to ourselves.
Notes
Transcript
Over the last couple of week we have been examine how commited are we to this Christian walk? Are we for real about this or are we just going through the motions? How commited are we?
How do we commit ourself to this Christian walk? God tells us to be givers but he isn’t just talking about our money, we have talked about making an investment in to heaven, sowing your seeds in to heaven.
Sow Into God -We must 1st commit ourself to God by offering our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice that is acceptable to Him. ( our offering must meet His standards). And then He will renew our mind .
Sow into yourself (Romans 12:3-8) - They call it "re-gifting." It's when somebody gives you a present and, instead of keeping it, you rewrap it and give it to someone else. That's exactly what God wants us to do with the gifts he gives us.
Sow Into Other Believers (Romans 12:9-13) - Rather you think you play a large, small, important or insignificant roll… every one of us is part of the body of Christ... that Christians are also part of the family of Christ, and we should sow into others.
Sow Into Your Enemy (Romans 12:14-21) - Of all the people we could give to, you’d think our enemies would be at the bottom of the list. But, the biggest gift we could give them turns out to be a gift we actually give to ourselves.
The believer who seeks to obey God is going to have his enemies. When our Lord was ministering on earth, He had enemies. No matter where Paul and the other apostles traveled, there were enemies who opposed their work.
Jesus warned His disciples that their worst enemies might be those of their own household (Matt. 10:36).
Unfortunately, some believers have enemies because they lack love and patience, and not because they are faithful in their witness. There is a difference between sharing in “the offense of the cross” (Gal. 5:11; 6:12–15) and being an offensive Christian!
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Paul shifts his focus from love’s actions in the Church to love’s actions in the world. What we read here is no longer love as a feeling but love as a radical movement.
Now we are being told to do something that’s going to going to call for us not just say we are Christians but live it out. Jesus said it in His sermon on the mountain.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
We are told to do more then say a few good words about our enemies but we are to also pray for their forgiveness and blessing. It is one thing not to curse your enemies, but entirely another to pray for their blessing. This is a life-changing call.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
Believers are to identify with the world in the “ups and downs” of human life, to be a healing balm for a cold world
Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited” (v. 16).
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
This is supremely radical because it is supremely unnatural. Our conditioned reflex is to hit back.
The Christian must not play God and try to avenge himself. Returning evil for evil, or good for good, is the way most people live. But the Christian must live on a higher level and return good for evil. Of course, this requires love, because our first inclination is to fight back. It also requires faith, believing that God can work and accomplish His will in our lives and in the lives of those who hurt us. We must give place to “the wrath”—the wrath of God (Deut. 32:35).
The world says, “Common sense demands getting even.” However, there is a better way, God’s way, and it has two elements:
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Trust God. The apostle says: “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (v. 19). We must trust God to work in the life of the one who wronged us. Leaving room for his wrath is to leave the vengeance to God, knowing also that he smites in order to heal (Isaiah 19:22).
God’s wrath may one day come in ultimate judgment to those who abuse us, but his wrath may also bring enemies to repentance in this life. Whatever happens, God will be perfectly equitable. We can trust him implicitly for this.
20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
A pastor heard a preacher criticize him over the radio and tell things that were not only unkind, but also untrue. pastor became very angry and was planning to fight back, when a godly preacher said, “Don’t do it. If you defend yourself, then the Lord can’t defend you. Leave it in His hands.” My friend followed that wise counsel, and the Lord vindicated him.
Coals of fire were heaped on Saul’s head, and observe the magnificent effect: (1 Samuel 24:16–19)
Not only are we to not avenge ourselves, we are to do positive good to our enemies. Impossible? Not at all! Our Lord did it.
We do positive good, as verse 20 exhorts us: “On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’” There has been much scholarly speculation as to what the final phrase regarding “burning coals” means, but I am confident that the oldest and simplest explanation is best: in doing good to our enemies, we will heap burning pangs of shame and contrition on their heads which hopefully (not surely) will lead them to God’s grace. The best example of this in Scripture is the exchange between David and Saul after David had been so close to Saul in the cave that he cut off a corner of the king’s robe, but for conscience’s sake would not lift his hand against Saul even though the king was seeking David’s life. Listen to David’s words after the king had gone down from the cave: (1 Samuel 24:8–13)
The admonition in Romans 12:20 reminds us of Christ’s words in Matthew 5:44–48. These words are easy to read but difficult to practice. Surely we need to pray and ask God for love as we try to show kindness to our enemies. Will they take advantage of us? Will they hate us more? Only the Lord knows. Our task is not to protect ourselves but to obey the Lord and leave the results with Him. Paul referred to Proverbs 25:21–22 as he urged us to return good for evil in the name of the Lord. The “coals of fire” refer perhaps to the feeling of shame our enemies will experience when we return good for evil.
Love in the Church and love in the world go together. They are the demands of commitment. Our minds have been renewed. Our lives have been transformed. And the Holy Spirit can do all this through us.
Are we loving the church?
Are we loving the world?
As children of God, we must live on the highest level—returning good for evil. Anyone can return good for good and evil for evil. The only way to overcome evil is with good. If we return evil for evil, we only add fuel to the fire. And even if our enemy is not converted, we have still experienced the love of God in our own hearts and have grown in grace.