INTRODUCTION
• WTC Video
• SLIDE #1
• The paradox of the world we live in is that from horrific tragedies such as 9/11, we can experience the worst that mankind has to offer to humanity, and we can all experience the goodness in people all during the same tragedy.
• The terror attacks of 9/11 will be forever etched into the minds of those who saw it both in person and as it played out on the news.
• The images of the towers coming down, along with the death and destruction was staggering.
• Through the senseless evil that caused the event, we also saw mind-blowing images of hero’s running back into the collapsing towers, giving no thought to their own safety as they sought to save as many people as possible from death.
• When we watch the news, it really should be called the Bad News, because we watch 28 minutes of terrible stuff happening, then we get a 30 second feel-good story at the end. ARGH!
• We live in a dog eat dog, look out for number one world. We are taught that we have no creator, that we evolved from nothing then to apes, then to what we are now.
• We are told that this world is built on survival of the fittest, and we marvel at the bad stuff we see.
• For the follower of Jesus, something has to change. We cannot handle life as the world handles life.
• When you look at how Jesus treated people even in the face of adversity, Jesus displayed a sense of goodness and kindness toward people.
• Jesus did not fly off the handle at the first sign of Him not getting His way.
• Today we will examine the quality of goodness. The dictionary defines GOODNESS as, MORAL EXCELLENCE, VIRTUE, KINDLY FEELINGS, KINDNESS, GENEROSITY, EXCELLENCE OF QUALITY, THE BEST PART OF ANYTHING.
• When you parse the various flavors of the definition of goodness, you can see a picture of Jesus in all of them.
• WE have a choice as to which path we want to follow in life. The path of evil for evil or the path to goodness.
• Let’s turn to 1 Thessalonians 5:15 to see what we can learn about how to follow the path of goodness.
• SLIDE #2
• 1 Thessalonians 5:15 (HCSB) See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. Following the path of goodness requires a new mindset. Evil for Evil.
• In the world we live in, we have to make a decision each time we are wronged. We have to make a decision each time we are faced with doing the right thing or doing to wrong thing.
• The choices are not always easy.
• In the context of 1 Thessalonians 5:15, in the previous 14 verses, Paul is speaking concerning the subject of the DAY OF THE LORD, the Second Coming.
• Most of the letter to the Thessalonica’s was meant to encourage them to keep the faith as they labored for the Lord in the midst of suffering and affliction.
• Paul mentions the Day of the Lord in each chapter of this letter as a way to help keep the people focused.
• The church was suffering a great deal of persecution, but that persecution was not to be used as an excuse to return evil for evil.
• In chapter 5 Paul reminds those in Christ that they are not children of the darkness, but rather they are children of the light!
• As children of the light, we are called to a higher level of conduct.
• When we are being mistreated, or as in the case of the church in Thessalonica, being persecuted, we have to develop a new mindset concerning how we will deal with the issue.
• When I worked at Square D, my friends always said they would not get even for something done to them, they would get ahead.
• This meant that if someone wronged them, they would not only get even, but they would go beyond getting even just for an extra incentive not to be messed with.
• Do you how hard it is to not want vengeance against someone who wronged you?
• To habitually be able to do this, it takes a new mindset.
• Vengeance and retaliation, or as the passage states, returning evil for evil is what the world teaches.
• As we become transformed into the image of Jesus, we have to resist this way of thinking.
• Romans 12:1-2 tells us we are to live with a renewed mind.
• So how do we resist returning evil for evil?
• 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 encourages us…
• SLIDE #4
• 2 Corinthians 10:4–5 (HCSB) — 4 since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments 5 and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.
• When we are wronged, how do we respond? What do we do, do we just let it go and forget about it? Do we retaliate?
• Let’s examine our second thought concerning this matter.
• As we develop a proper mindset, we need to follow that up with…
• SLIDE #5
II. Following the path of goodness requires a new pursuit. Goodness.
• Let’s look at verse 15 again.
• SLIDE #6
• 1 Thessalonians 5:15 (HCSB) See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.
• WE are told that instead of dreaming up ways to repay evil for evil, we are to pursue what is good.
• When the attacks of 9/11 happened, brave people were running back into the towers to save people, they were not sitting outside, watching people die as the contemplated revenge, they pursued what was good.
• The word PURSUE denotes going after something with the intent to catch it. It means to go after something with intense effort with definite purpose.
• In Ephesians we are told…
• SLIDE #7
• Ephesians 4:32 (HCSB) And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
• I think we all know how difficult this is to do when someone hurts us.
• When I am tempted not to forgive, I have to look to Jesus, He was nearly beaten to death, THEN He was nailed to a cross to finish the job, yet, instead of retaliation, Jesus asked God to forgive those who perpetrated evil against Him.
• He did this WHILE He was hanging on the cross.
• The one thing we probably know about a pursuit is that is can wear you down.
• SLIDE #8
• Galatians 6:9 (HCSB) So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.
• To be able to maintain the pursuit of good, we have to keep our purpose in mind, is our purpose to get even or ahead with others, or our purpose to be an ambassador for Jesus?
• “You can accomplish by kindness,” wrote Publilius (PUB BLILL LEOUS) Syrus in the first century before the birth of Christ, “what you cannot by force.”
• William B. McKinley, President of the United States from 1897 to 1901, was a man who understood that principle.
• During one of his campaigns, a reporter from an opposition newspaper followed him constantly and just as persistently misrepresented McKinley’s views.
• Eventually during this campaign, the weather became extremely cold, and even though the reporter didn’t have sufficiently warm clothing, he still followed McKinley.
• One bitter evening, the president-to-be was riding in his closed carriage, and the young reporter sat shivering on the driver’s seat outside.
• McKinley stopped the carriage and invited the reporter to put on his coat and ride with him inside the warm carriage.
• The young man, astonished, protested that McKinley knew that he was opposition and that he wasn’t going to stop opposing McKinley during the campaign.
• McKinley knew that, but he wasn’t out to seek revenge. In the remaining days of the campaign, the reporter continued to oppose McKinley, but never again did he write anything unfair or biased about the future president. Michael P. Green. (2000). 1500 illustrations for biblical preaching (pp. 209–210). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
• We need to make sure we pursue what is good.
• It is easy to pursue what is good for me, I can focus on me all the time, but is that what I am called to do?
• SLIDE #9
III. Following the path of goodness requires a new area of focus. Focus on others versus focusing on myself.
• When we look back on 1 Thessalonians 5:15, we see that we are to have a new focus!
• SLIDE #10
• 1 Thessalonians 5:15 (HCSB) See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.
• WE are called as followers of Christ to do what is good for others, we cannot always just look out for number 1!
• Does this mean we never look out for ourselves? NO!
• In Philippians 2, we are reminded that Jesus humbled Himself to the point of dying on the cross for us. We are told this in that context in verse 4.
• SLIDE #11
• Philippians 2:4 (HCSB) Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
• We must always pursue what is good for one another, one of the big problems in our society today is that folks are only looking out for themselves.
• When we look out for others, we too will be blessed over time.
• SLIDE #12
• Galatians 6:10 (HCSB) Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.
• On top of pursuing what is good for others, we are encouraged to do so especially for those who are a part of the household of faith!
• In the context of Galatians, Paul was raising money from the predominately Gentile churches to help the Christians in Jerusalem who living in extreme poverty.
• It is a biblical principle for the family of God to look out for the family of God when it comes to helping with NEEDS!
• As Christians, we should always have each other’s back.
CONCLUSION
• We live in a world where in one incident, see the worst in people as well as the best in people.
• I think most of us bemoan the fact that from politicians to the everyday person, we see a lot of looking out for number one, a lot of evil for evil.
• We are told a majority of people in our nation claim to be Christians, yet society seems to be going on a downward spiral.
• To be honest with you, if we had as many practicing Christians as people who claim to be, our world would be a MUCH better place.
• Here is what I know. I cannot control the crooked politicians; I can just try to vote them out!
• I cannot control other people, but much like President McKinley did in his day, I can control myself.
• Change in our world happens one person at a time. Change starts with you.
• At FCC we seek to change lives by connecting people with Christ because we believe the only way to really change a person at their core is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. We offer you that today!
