Loving your Enemies
Matthew 5:43-48
Luke 6:27-36
Disclaimer:
Information was gathered from Sermon Central and personal devotion for this sermon.
Introduction-
This morning here’s what I want to see happen.
Here’s what needs to happen.. We need to learn how to love those that hurt us.
Webster’s definition of enemy- one seeking to injure, one antagonistic person, something harmful or deadly, a hostile force.
That sounds to me a person I need to love.
How are you doing with loving your enemies?
What does that mean to you? Does that mean that you let people walk all over you in the name of Jesus?
Everyone of us knows people that get under our skin. That we have a hard time communicating with.
Everyone of us knows a jerk We do not know another name that would fit them better.
It seems like God is constantly bringing that person or people like that in our path and we do not know how to deal with them.
What does God’s word say about that? When do we get a release from these people?
Matthew 5:43-48 Read
At first glance, we see that we should:
Love our enemies
Be praying for them
which is two hard things to do.
If we do what comes natural we only love those that love us.
We are no different than most of the world.
Luke 6:27-36
Luke seems to add that we should turn the other cheek when someone strikes you,
If someone takes something from you let them have it without a fight.
These verses are often taken out of context.
The un-Christian yells foul every time a Christian stands up for themselves.
The Christian feels like if he stands up for himself, that God is not pleased, so what is the correct answer?
How do we love our enemies
How do we react to people who have wronged us?
Truth be told:
I don’t want to hear what the guys from dumb and dumber have to say about the meaning of life or how they would react when people do them wrong. I want to hear what God says about it.
People’s philosophy is often on bumper stickers:
Do unto others before they can do it to you.
I don’t get mad, I get even.
Keep honking, I am reloading.
Please tailgate, I need the money.
To err is human, but to forgive is out of the question.
That is society today. No patience. No compassion. No time for others. No respect. No extra mile.
Truth be told:
I don’t have any problem loving my wife, my kids, my family, it is easier for me to forgive them than someone I do not know. I know everyone cannot say that. Maybe you are here this morning and it was someone from your family or close to you that has wronged you and you are having a hard time with that.
A new command I give you; love one another. As I have loved you, so must you love one another. John 13:34
Bless those that persecute you; bless and do not curse. Roman 12:14
do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 peter 3:9
The Scriptures go as far to say
“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble 1 John 2:9-10
Illustration-
Late one summer in Broken Bow, Nebraska, a weary truck driver pulled his rig into a all night truck stop. The waitress had just served him when three tough looking leather jacketed motorcyclist- decided to give him a hard time. One grabbed his hamburger off his plate, another took a handful of french fries, and the third picked up his coffee and began to drink it. How would you respond? Well, this trucker did not respond as one might expect. Instead, he calmly rose, picked up his check, walked to the front door, put his money on the front register and walked out of the restaurant. The waitress watched him as he walked across the parking lot. When she returned, one of the bikers said to her, “Well, he’s not much of a man, is he? I don’t know about that, but I know he sure ain’t much of a truck driver. He just ran over three motorcycles on his way out of the parking lot.”
Truth be told:
we cannot do this on our own. We have limits. We have buttons that get pushed that takes us over the edge.
God gives us reasons to love those that wrong us.
1. He commands us to love.
2. Jesus was our example and model.
The world believes in hitting for hitting. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth- that’s the scripture used most to justify their actions. They believe hating for hating. Jesus comes and say’s that is not the way.
Jesus says
Do good
Bless them
Pray for them.
World says
Give them back what they give you...and then some. So they know who is boss. Curse them and disown them.
The world creates a army of militia. Dying for the cause that noone will do that to me.
Jesus builds a team of disciples that look at their enemies as God looks at them. The motivation of God changes them rather than getting even with them and being at their level of hatred.
Here we go
What can we do to love those people who love to hurt us and take advantage of us.
One point message-
I. Refuse to retaliate (Luke 6:29)
“If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also, if someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.”
Illustration
Ex boxer who was now a preacher. A guy comes up to him and begins to torment him. Challenging him, will you live up to that verse? Are you going to turn the other cheek. He is standing there and the man strikes him on the right cheek. Don’t hit me preacher, turn the other cheek. He turns his cheek and the man again strikes him on the left side. Don’t strike me preacher. The preacher looks at the man and says “ I see no further instructions from the Lord” and cleans this man clock.
I don’t believe I would knowingly let you strike me. I might have to protect myself.
I can picture Greg Beard waiting for me at the end of service. Asking me if I will stand behind my words. I say again, I will probably have to protect myself.
Have you ever heard the word hyperbole (hy-per-bol-le).
They are words or phrases that are exaggerated.
“If I had a nickel for every time that was said, I ‘d be rich”
“I’ve done that a million times”
“I nearly died laughing”
Before you get excited and say that the preacher said the words of Jesus are exaggerated. I am saying that Jesus used exaggeration to prove his point.
“Unless you hate your mother and father, you cannot be a disciple of mine”
“Unless I am priority.... I must be first in your life.”
Jesus is saying “Avoid hitting back” that is the natural reaction.
Even though provoked “walk away” avoid a nasty confrontation.
What this scripture doesn’t mean:
that as a society we let criminals run free and do violence.(To us or someone else)
that we should not call police when we are robbed.
that we stand around and watch someone be assaulted because we are passive.
It means that we will love people the way that God loves them. Not get even, not beat a person when they are down.
It means that as believers we will live our lives by the golden rule.
“Do unto others as you would like them to do to you” .
It is treating people like we want to be treated and not how they deserve to be treated.
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those that love them.”
I read a book-
“Dealing with people you can’t stand” how to bring out the best in people at their worse”.
We love them like God loves them, we will attempt to bring out the best in them, not the worst.
If we act like the world, we would be mean spirited and in a conflict bring out the worst in them and have the tank rollover mentality.
Eye for an eye...tooth for a tooth
Hints to help love your enemies.
Realize that you may have misunderstood their words .
Determine what part you play in the problem.
“Take the plank out of your eye , before you remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Pray for your enemy.
Ask God to help you forgive.
Ask God to help you love them.
Pray for them specifically
Illustration-
there was a man in a church that every time he prayed, he would end by saying , Lord please get the cobwebs out of our lives. There was another man in the church that was irritated by this phrase.. After hearing this many times, one Sunday morning this man was again asked to close the service in prayer. He ended by saying... and Lord, please get the cobwebs out of our lives. The irritated man responded .. And Lord please get the spider this time also
A man once said - “I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me”
True disciples are to love their enemies.
True disciples are to refrain from retaliation.
True disciples are to live by the golden rule.
You cannot earn forgiveness for your sins by forgiving others. That would be salvation by works. But when God forgives us, it should change the way that we look at others. It changes us.
It is a lot easier to say than to do it. We cannot love them in our own strength, but it can be done through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Romans 12:14-21
Closing:
we cannot run around with a forced smile on our face.
Mercy is never justified. It is freely given.
It takes no supernatural power to love someone who loves you.
Hatred, anger, un-forgiveness cause high blood pressure, ulcers, strain the heart, break down your immune system, causes guilt, depression.
You will be disconnected from God.
When you and I leave here today the question for us is going to be “how are we going to respond to our enemies? If were followers of Jesus we’ve been given three responses toward our enemies. Do good to those that hate you, bless those that curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you.
Can you think of anyone that has mistreated you? Someone who has done you wrong? If you can, put into practice God’s word this morning.
Let today be the day that you get victory. Noone or nothing will have you in bondage.
Remember that a kind word turns away wrath. Loving your enemies demonstrates on a powerful way that you belong to Jesus Christ.
