Sermon on the Mount (Enemies)
Sermon on the Mount • Sermon • Submitted
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What do I want them to know? We are to love our enemies
Why? This is what Jesus has done to us and love breaks threw
What do I want them to do? Love and pray for their enemies
Why? It shows them the love of Jesus
ME/WE
Have you every had or currently have there someone in your life who does not like you? Not only do they not like you, they HATE YOU, that you could and maybe do call your enemy?
Maybe it is an uncle, friend, dad, mom, neighbor, boss, co-worker
Anyone have or have had an enemy? (if you don’t have one now you will have one again)
Why are they your enemy???
Some enemies we honestly don’t know why, they have always not liked you, you can never do any RIGHT by them....maybe they are someone who doesn’t like really anyone. (I don’t know why they don’t like me…yeah because you tend to always treat them like trash)
Other enemies you have are by guilt by association…enemy by associatoin…You are a Pinkowski, you Bill’s friend and we don’t like Bill and therefore we don’t like you, you are a Steelers fan....or you are a Christian (we will be perscuted)
Others are have a legtimate reason not to like you because of something we did, some HURT or HARM we caused someone. (you can pin point why) we launched the attack, we caused the offense....we said sorry but they still don’t like us.
How are we to respond to our enemies? How are we to interact with our enemies?
If we ask the world or the Jewish leaders of the time, what would they say? they were very similar?
Point of reference it is not often good the ways of the kingdom of the world are in sync with the ways of the world
What are are we to do with those who are ENEMIES who HATE and HURT us?
We HATE AND HURT THEM BACK
You did that thing to me…oh I will do that back to you and then some....it is almost always and them some…I want to do more so you never do it again.
You said that…about me oh let me say some worse about you!
TENSION
But is this the way of the kingdom of God? Is this the way Jesus is to live out His kingdom?
GOD
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
This quoting Deut 19:20-21
“law of retaliation”
Civil authorities would hear a case between two different parties about an offense that happened.
He stole my sheep…he broke my cart
The Civil authorities not civilians would see what happened and had the
The civil authorities would make sure that whatever was lost or broken or stolen was repair evenly not more evenly.
You broke their wagon, you need to give them a wagon. You killed their sheep you need to give them a new sheep.
This “law of retaliation” was used to in act justice and set limits on what was to be repayed…punishment had to fit the crime
Often if it is in our hands we don’t want EVEN, we want more…you broke my wagon, don’t give me an average wagon like mine, but give me top of the line wagon!
Or if you hurt me, I’ll hurt you worse...
This is how fights, quarrls and wars are started.
What Jesus is going to say next is going to be so shocking! So unbelievable! So wild! So Jesus! He lived this
What He is going to say is not a reason is a grounds for disregarding civil legal system, as some have used this to mean.
We have Romans 13 that upholds having a GOVERNEMENTAL LEGAL SYSTEM
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.
Jesus says don’t resist the evil one.
Slap in the verse is not to injury but to insult
Giving someone the back of your hand.
What???
No, Jesus we are to slap them back, insult them back....don’t you know eye for an eye....
This is not what Jesus did
When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
Why? FOUR REASONS FIRST TWO ARE CLOSELY CONNECTED and last two are closely connected to
1. (God sent His SON INTO THE WORLD Out of love for them John 3:16
2. What is one of the foundational things Jesus’ kingdom built upon?
JESUS KINGDOM IS BUILT UPON LOVE NOT HATE
3. NOT ONLY THAT HATE ON TOP OF HATE DOESN’T RESOLVE THE ISSUE
We think in our flesh it does
No, it escalates it
I insult you, you insult me worse, back and forth and no we are no longer brothers, but enemies
This is how wars are started at times, you said that
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches
4. Does insults lead or build bridges to Jesus?
No, when we insult, hate it builds a wall preventing them from wanting them to come to Jesus.
Oh your a Christian and all you do is fight with your words
Don’t use your WORD whether SPOKEN on WRITTEN on a KEYBOARD to be a VEHICLE for HATE but one of LOVE
USE YOUR WORDS and ACTIONS LIKE JESUS TO LEAD OTHERS TO JESUS
Jesus says to us don’t insult
Out of love for others
Jesus’ kingdom is built on love
Insults don’t not resolve the issue
Drives them away from Jesus
WE ARE LEFT WITH A BIG QUESTION
How could He do such a thing?
Jesus knew who He was and is....He was ground in His identity that no amount of insults could shaken who He is
Same thing for us....the more you know who you are when the evil person comes to insult you, it will not shake you but be like a spec of dust coming to innact harm on your body.
Many of us have known people like this who are unharmed by someone else’s harm, because they know who and who’s they are....insults come and come yet they are unmoved…How? they know who and whose they are
And we have seen the opposite, PERSONALLY, if I am not grounded in who I am…I am more likely to fight back but if you are not grounded in who you are in Christ (our indentit is what you think and they think…so I have to insult to defend myself....be ready to fight back.
We could end there
LOVE THOSE WHO INSULT YOU
USE YOUR WORDS and ACTIONS LIKE JESUS TO LEAD OTHERS TO JESUS
But Jesus continues
And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
If ever you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down,
for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
Bless them, give them the shirt of your back
If the Roman solider came to you and said I want you to carry this backpack by law you had to go one mile…Jesus says don’t go one go two....GO THE EXTRA MILE....I have a hard time with one and you want me to go two????BLESS THEM
What?
Give money to those who beg bless them....they money
You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
Jesus is saying these people are trying to get something or take something from you and Jesus says give it to them and not only give it to them BUT BLESS THEM
WHAT?
NO JESUS WE SAY IN OUR FLESH…WE KEEP and PROTECT…it’s mine…we don’t let them get away with this these things....these are mine
BUT, aIs this not what Jesus has done for us?
Jesus owns the whole world....does Jesus go mine! HANDS OFF...no He lives a life of blessing....He gives us food, water, air, SUN, money
HE BLESSES US so much He gives up His life for us.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus gave up it all to bless us with salvation.
Why should we bless others? TO LEAD OTHERS TO JESUS
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
When we live like Jesus, it leads others to Jesus
Many people’s stories are the reason I came to Jesus is because you were the salt and light that acted like Jesus and you blessed me.
It is through our blessing that some lives are changed and come to Christ, come back to Christ, or grow in Christ
Let me give you a fiction story that portrays this that relates to a lot of stories. It happens in the play Les Miserable
Jean Valjean is a hardened prisoner with a soul full of anger when we meet him. MOST PEOPLE HATE JEAN VALJEAN and in the flesh rightfully so He HURT and HATED OTHER PEOPLE Jean Valjean stole bread for his starving niece, and for it was sentenced to five years in prison. Failed escape attempts got him 19 years total before his release.
At his release from prison, Jean Valjean finds himself hardened, bitter, full of unforgiveness, rage, wrath, mad.
Jean Valjean attempts to reintegrate with society, but the ex-prisoner finds rejection at every turn. At last the Bishop, a kind and self-sacrificing man that takes him in for the night. That night Valjean steals the Bishop’s silver, is soon caught by local police and brought back to the church. But when the police bring him back to the church, everything changes. The bishop denies the charges, insists the silver was a gift, and gives Valjean the most valuable silver candlesticks in the church.
Valjean forever changed by this moment…of this blessing, he deserves HATE and HARM back by the worlds standard, or an eye for eye and tooth for a tooth....but instead the bishop bless him.
Jean Valjean is nothing now
Another story must begin!
The bishop responds:
. . . By the Passion and the Blood
God has raised you out of darkness
For some people who come to Jesus it is through the actions that speak louder than words that leads them to Jesus.
GOD SAYS BLESS THEM
bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
BUT WHAT ABOUT ME!?!?!?
Assurance
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
You cannot out give God
THEN JESUS CONTINUES
1. WE NOT RETURN INSULT FOR INSULT BUT TURN THE OTHER CHEECK
2. NOT ONLY BLESS THEM…two more things
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Who’s your neighbor? This was the debated topic of the day?
My literal neighbor
Those like me
Jesus expands it to me anyone and every one in Luke 10
How are we suppose to treat our neighbor?
As we love ourselves
We love ourselves a lot
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
We are to love them as ourselves
that’s a lot because we are pretty good at loving ourselves and thinking about #1
BUT AT LEAST WE GET TO HATE OUR ENEMIES, RIGHT???
that what was said in the days of old
PROBLEM where is that in scripture???
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS CHANGING THE LOVE OF GOD TO FIT THEIR DESIRES
JESUS THERE IS NOT EXCEPTION CLAUSE IN WHO WE ARE TO LOVE, WE ARE TO LOVE ALL, ANYONE AND EVERYONE.
HOW CAN I LOVE THEM? JUST LIKE ANYONE ELSE
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
WE COME TO ALL, ESPICALLY OUR ENEMIES AND WE ARE PATIENT WITH THEM, KIND, NOT RUDE
JUST LIKE JESUS IS TO US TO LEAD THEM TO JESUS
Then Jesus says Pray for them, don’t curse them pray for them
PRAY FOR THEM???? What??
This hard for me at times to do to people who HATE me
When I pray for them, sometimes it changes them, almost all the time it changes me!
Anybody have this happen to them before
Jesus says We are to do this because we are SON or our FATHER who BLESSES, LOVES, and PRAYER for HIS ENEMY
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
IS THERE AN ENEMY THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE THAT GOD IS CALLING YOU TO BLESS, LOVE, AND PRAY FOR?
Maybe it’s a friend, family, boss, co-worker, politician
THEN WE REJOICE BECAUSE JESUS LIVED WHAT HE PREACHED, LOVED US WHO WERE ONCE HIS ENEMIES
For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
“And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.
The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
WITNESS WHO WALK IN POWER…and were we at in the sermon on the MOUNT is going to take the power of God live out.