Break The Hate! Series

Series: Cliff Hangers

Introduction:

These teachings were risky, some would even say very dangerous, they would be teachings that would be opposite of what the religious leaders of the day were teaching, and they would become points of dissension and points of exhilaration. Some people would rejoice and others sigh. Some would be happy and others angry. What Jesus was teaching them he put them all on the edge of their seats. His teachings made people nervous and yet it changed the way people of His day thought or perceived what the Kingdom of Heaven was. Jesus’ teaching along with their acceptance by the crowd would change the course of history between God and mankind. The people would be blown away by what Jesus taught and the religious leaders would pick up a spirit of offense against Jesus and seek His life for these teachings.

Summary:

1. Matthew 5:1-12 – “Who does God Bless?”

2. Matthew 5:13-16 – “Salt and Light”

3. Matthew 5:17-20 – “Old vs. New”

4. Matthew 5:21-26 – “Really bad Sin”

5. Matthew 5:27-30 – “Bulging Eyes”

6. Matthew 5:31-37 – “Who me Divorced?”

7. Matthew 5: 33-42 – “Divorce, Oaths and Revenge”

8. Matthew 5:38-48 – “Break the hate”

Summary of last week:

Divorce was never God’s plan because He knew the hurt and pain it would cause. We need to respect the act of marriage and go into with the intention of it’s a lifetime commitment. But if we sin and divorce then we need to be reminded that Jesus does offer forgiveness and restoration.

We then highlighted “Oaths” some of us know how “Our big Mouths!” can get us into trouble - Oaths to say them or not? Mt 5:33-37 Jesus tells us to say what you mean, mean what you say, don’t give false promises because it is not even necessary to do so. Oaths it’s better to not even make them if you are going to break them.

How many have been insulted? How many have confronted a person with “Don’t slap me!” if you do you will regret it the rest of your life - Mt 5:38-42 deals with how to handle insults and that revenge is not a Kingdom of Heavens residents option when it comes to dealing with offense. Instead turn the cheek is recommended, give the person what they desire and if needed go the extra mile and help out someone who could never repay you.

Sermon title: “Break the Hate!”

Thesis: Jesus taught us to break the hate in our hearts and lives and to offer people love, prayers and forgiveness so that they would see that people who are a part of the Kingdom of Heaven are using a different operating system than this world.

Introduction:

Banker charged with hate crime this week:

In NEW YORK - William Bryan Jennings, Morgan Stanley’s bond-underwriting chief in the United States, was charged with a hate crime in the stabbing of a New York City cab driver of Egyptian descent over a fare.

Mohamed Ammar said the banker attacked him on Dec 22 with a blade and used racial slurs after a 64.4km ride from New York to the banker’s US$3.4 million (S$4.25 million) Darien, Connecticut home.

Jennings, who was returning from a bank holiday party at a Manhattan boutique hotel, refused to pay the US$204 fare, the driver said. When Mr Ammar threatened to call police, Jennings said they would not do anything to help because he pays US$10,000 in taxes, according to a Darien police department report.

Mr Ammar said he then backed out of the driveway to seek a police officer. The banker called him an expletive and said: "I’m going to kill you. You should go back to your country," according to the report.

A fight ensued and Jennings, 45, allegedly cut Mr Ammar, 44, police said.

The banker, who fled the cab and turned himself in two weeks later after a vacation in Florida, was charged with second-degree assault, theft of services and intimidation by bias or bigotry. He faces a jail term as long as five years on the assault charge. Bloomberg

Our world is filled with hate and revenge. Just look at the last weeks headlines:

The school stabbings in the morning at a Chicago School

The school shooting that occurred in the school cafeteria in Ohio

The killings of America soldiers in cold blood in Afghanistan. Were they ones they are training turn on them and shoot them!

How about the school shooting in a Amish school house on Oct 2, 2006?

Video Clip: A lesson from the Amish –  http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3678469

Amish School Shooting and Grace

October 2nd, 2006. It was a typical fall day. Birds could be heard in the distance and little else, except maybe the clip-clop of a horse’s hoofs and the rattling of a buggy heading down a back country road. It’s normally quiet and peaceful in the rolling Amish farmlands of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.