How Do You Treat The "Jerks” In Your Life?

But everybody does not love us. There are people who hate us:

? If we do not think the way they think or

? Do things the way they do things

In their warped way of thinking this is grounds for hating you!!!

That is, you can do and say 99 things they would like you to do or say but that does not count if you do one thing wrong.

All they can remember is that one thing you did or said that they did not like, or agree with.

Illus: Two men were on a cruise ship together and began to talk. Finally one of them asked,

? “Do you believe in God?” He said, “Yes.”

? I asked, “Are you a Christian or a Jew?” He said, “A Christian.” I said, “Me, too!

? Protestant or Catholic?” He said, “Protestant.” I said, “Me, too!

? What denomination?” He said, “Baptist.” I said, “Me, too!

? Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?” He said, “Northern Baptist.” I said, “Me, too!

? Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Moderate Baptist?”

? He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist.” I said, “Me, too!

? Are you of the Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?”

? He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region.” I said, “Me, too!

? Are you of the Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?”

? He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912.”

? I said, “Die, you heretic!”

To get along with some folks you have to be a carbon copy of them or else you become their enemy.

Again, if you do one thing to displease some folks they are out for revenge for that one thing.

For others it is a combination of bad things.

Illus: A truck driver is sitting in a crowded roadside diner ready to eat his lunch. It’s not just any diner and any lunch. It’s his favorite diner on the road and his favorite lunch. Just as the waitress brings the truck driver’s meat loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans to his table, a motorcycle gang swaggers in the door. Most of them seat themselves at the table next to the truck driver but there’s not room at that table for all of them.

? The gang members left standing turn to the truck driver and bark, “Move! We want that table!”

? The truck driver calmly says, “I haven’t finished my meal.”

? One of the motorcycle bullies takes his dirty finger, swipes it through the mashed potatoes and gravy, sticks his finger in his mouth and says, “Hey, not bad grub.”

? Another gang member takes the trucker’s cup of coffee and slowly pours it over the remaining food on the plate and snarls, “You’re finished now!”

? The trucker stands, takes his napkin, wipes his mouth, walks to the cash register, pays for his meal, and silently walks out the door.

? All the bikers are laughing now. One of them says, “Ain’t much of a man, is he?”

? The waitress says, “And he’s not much of a truck driver, either. He just backed his rig over all your motorcycles.”

This sermon deals with what we call “jerks” in our life. We all encounter people who are hard to live with…don’t we!!! (I see some of you women looking at your husbands and some of you men are looking at your wives and you are glad that your spouse is here to hear this sermon!!!)

Just kidding - but the Bible is serious about how you are to treat the “jerks” in your life.

Our natural reaction to these people is to seek REVENGE!!! They have made us suffer and now we want to find a way to make them suffer!!!

Now some of you are looking at me like I am preaching to the wrong congregation. Loosen your halo…YOU KNOW I AM PREACHING TO YOU!

The rabbi's teaching with regards to love in verse 43 is said to be this, Jesus says: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.”

They said,“Love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy!” Now, there’s only one problem - the law of God did not say that.

WHAT DID IT SAY?

Look at Leviticus 19:18. We read these words: “Love thy neighbour as thyself,” but there it stops. IT DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT HATING YOUR ENEMY.

The Jews had perverted the law of God once more to make it say what they wanted it to say.

Now in all fairness we can see why the Jews might have misinterpreted the law of God concerning loving one’s enemies.

We need to consider two things in the scriptures that could have caused them to think like this.