Sermon for 9/21/2003
Forgive our enemies
Matthew 7:24
Introduction:
A. The movie Braveheart is based loosely upon the life of William Wallace, a Scottish patriot fighting for the freedom of Scotland from England. In the movie, King Edward of England takes steps to make sure that Wallace does not gain that freedom. He is quite dirty and underhanded on the things that he does. King Edward makes his sons life miserable in his quest to undo Wallace and his army. He kills a portion of his own army in a battle to make sure that Wallace and the Scots do not win. Through time the movie portrays that King Edward begins to grow bitter at his son and at Wallace. It becomes very personal with him. In the decisive battle where he kills some of his own men, he gets sick. At first it is just a little cold and then it progresses into pneumonia. After Wallace is captured and brought to be executed, we see the King on his deathbed. When Wallace screams out freedom as his last dying word, we see the King go into another coughing fit. The movie tells us that not long after this King Edward died. When his archenemy finally is removed, it gives him no solace and he dies of pneumonia. Could it be that King Edward died of his rotten attitude? Could it be that King Edward died because of his hatred? Could it be that since King Edward devoted most of his time to hatred and violence and revenge, this made him ill and he died?
WBTU:
A. Read these Scriptures to begin: Matthew 5:38-48 and Matthew 6:14-15
B. Our negative attitudes and our failure to forgive and holding grudges are like dumping garbage into a landfill. Our bodies cannot take it.
C. There are connections in this life between meditation and medication; between laughter and longevity; between hope and health; between faith and fitness.
D. Our spiritual well being affects our physical well being. Our spirits, souls and bodies are all interconnected. An unhealthy spirit leads to physical health problems.
E. Dr. Herbert Benson, a medical doctor, wrote a book on forgiveness called Timeless Healing. Research on how forgiveness or lack of forgiveness affects the body.
F. University of Wisconsin, Dr. Robert Enwright, is considered the father of forgiveness research.
G. At Harvard Medical School you can take a group of courses on this issue of faith and healing which equals 21 hours. Stanford University and Duke University have similar courses and lectures on this study. Many state supported universities are looking into this new field of medical study.
H. Dis- easement means something is out of ease, out of balance; something is out of whack between mind, body and spirit. Illnesses are caused by diseases.
I. Research is built upon three pillars: Medicine, surgery, and self-help (Our bodies have within us a pharmacy). The brain is full of chemicals and substances for our physical well being. Our live in pharmacy, our spirit, sends messages to the brain on what to prescribe in response to attitudes and feelings; actions and reactions. Internal memos determine what is being released into the body that are either negative or positive. Negative memos send negative substances into the body. Positive memos send positive substances into the body.
J. Forgiveness improves your cardiovascular system; forgiveness improves your muscular system; forgiveness improves your nervous system.
K. C.S. Lewis- Forgiveness is a lovely idea until there is somebody to forgive. I don’t have any enemies. Good that we are not prejudiced like that! Has anybody ever wronged you? At that time they were your enemy. They became your adversary. They became an evil person.
L. Knofel Staton took all 21 hours at Harvard and he gave some lectures at the recent North American Christian Convention
M. (Col 3:15 NIV) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. The word peace has two levels in the Bible: 1st is absence of warfare. 2nd level is absence of animosity. We can have absence of warfare and keep our animosity alive. Look at the former Yugoslavia.
N. If you do not forgive others, God will not forgive you. Matthew 18- Parable of a man who owed much money and he asked for forgiveness. He did not go out and forgive a small debt. The King sent that person to be tormented.
U. We can be debt collectors or debt cancellers. If we are debt collectors we are never satisfied.
O. Forgiveness is not:
1. Forgiveness is not forgetting the deep hurts and abuses. We will never forget some things. Never forget being raped. Killing your children, Etc. God forgives and forgets. WE do not. I think there is a reason for that.
2. Forgiveness is not condoning the offense. It is not pardoning the crime. We must seek justice for society.
3. Forgiveness is not reconciliation. It takes two to be reconciled; it takes only one to forgive. The person may not want reconciliation; may not know where this person is; this person may be dead.
4. It is not insisting the other person admits wrong to you. With us and God it is that way, but not between us and people. This person may never admit to any wrongdoing.
5. It is not even insisting that the other person request forgiveness.
T. What is forgiveness? Forgiveness is a choice. It is not automatic. It is the opposite of closing yourself off from the other person because of the offense. Forgiveness is to release the offender from your desire for revenge. To give up our desire to get even.
Thesis: How? How do we practice forgiveness?
For instances:
1. Quit telling the story of how we have been hurt.
A. It is like a lady who came into my office and we began to talk about how bad her marriage was. Came up with story after story of bad and unpleasant things he had done. She told a story from their honeymoon of how he didn’t have any money. She was so upset and called her parents and they wired them some money. It was a terrible honeymoon and also a terrible marriage from that point. I grew tired of all of this. I asked her, “How long ago was your honeymoon?” 23 years ago. “23 years ago and you remember it like it was yesterday. Don’t you see this as a problem?” Maybe and then she went on to some other stories.
B. If we tell the story to anyone may it be the Lord and he will set us straight.
C. Love keeps no record of wrongs. If we think about it we can come up with the stories very vividly, more than any positive story. This is the first step. Stop telling the stories.
D. My home church is on a campaign to get people to tell their stories of faith. Great idea.
E. (Prov 18:21 NIV) The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
F. Do unto others as you would have them do until you. Last point. Read Matthew 7:12
2. Take responsibility for our negative reactions.
A. If someone strikes you
B. If someone wants to sue you
C. Forces you to go one mile (Roman soldiers)
D. Give and do not close yourself off.
E. Love those who love you?
F. We cannot control other people actions we can only control our reactions. If we allow other people actions to control us then we have forfeited control over to this other person in this area. Take away all of their fun.
G. Sue you- I have to fight back, Why?
H. Roman Soldiers
I. Mister Sunshine
3. Put yourself in the other persons place.
A. Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.
B. Matthew 7:1-5- Impartiality
C. Golden Rule.
D. Confront someone with their sins; they will try to come up with one of yours.
4. Desire and wish good for the other person. PRAY for that offender not PREY upon them.
A. I will pray for them. (Psa 58:6 NIV) Break the teeth in their mouths, O God; tear out, O LORD, the fangs of the lions!(Psa 58:7 NIV) Let them vanish like water that flows away; when they draw the bow, let their arrows be blunted.(Psa 58:8 NIV) Like a slug melting away as it moves along, like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun. (Psa 58:10 NIV) The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.
B. This goes against the intent of Jesus. Love them, bless them.
C. These verses are in the Old Testament along with others. However, what about Jesus words not of blessing but of judgment and woe on Korazin and Bethsaida in Matthew 11:21, woe and condemnation to the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23, and woe and hunger to the rich and well fed in Luke 6:24-25.
D. How do we follow Jesus example? Do we curse? Or do we bless, as He did most often? How do we know when to do what?
E. Obviously, we are not called to pray comfy cozy little prayers for evil and rebellious people. To pray for prosperity, health, and a good night’s sleep for the enemies of God is no favor to them in the long run. However, to go to the other extreme is not good. One time I had a fellow who Amened me when I was talking about those who were going to hell. Don’t need to Amen that!
F. Eddie Smith of the US Prayer Center said he was dismayed recently to discover a group of believers who wrote up a hit list in order to systematically pray for the destruction of their enemies by name!
G. Need to follow the example of Paul in 1 and 2 Corinthians. A man had his father’s wife. Hand this immoral church member over to Satan so that ultimately he would be saved (1 Cor 5:5). This harsh action was designed to bring about the desired repentance, and in 2 Cor 2:7, we see Paul directing the same church to bring the man back into fellowship and to comfort and forgive him.
H. Our desire is for repentance and reconciliation with God. We are to pray for people that they will be saved and come to knowledge of the truth.
I. Remember that our human enemies are people who have been entrapped by the devil, who have taken them captive to do his will. Let’s not pray judgment on these prisoners of war. Instead, ask God for the heart of a warrior to hate Satan and despise his work so that together with Jesus, we can destroy the works of the devil. This is what Jesus hated and this is what the saints of old hated. Pray for souls and pray against the devil!
J. The answer to these kinds of prayers may mean pain for some people to bring them out from the devil’s camp.
K. May we pray in a way that is tender toward our human enemies and tough against our spiritual ones.
Conclusion:
A. Imagine that we are at Jesus’ feet at his crucifixion. We look up into his anguished face. He looks directly into our eyes and he says, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
B. We have all offended God Almighty. Do we deserve forgiveness? For-giveness = it is a giving thing.
C. Jesus prayed for me, loved me, and died for me while I was still an enemy of God. He wants us to be like Him in that way.
D. Perhaps that is why Jesus gave Stephen a vision of himself when he prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Stephen was being a true son of his Father in heaven. Saul was one of those that Stephen prayed for on that day- an enemy of Christ if there ever was one. It makes me wonder: was Stephen’s prayer for Saul the one that caused Christ to appear to him on that Damascus road?
E. Boris was a Communist in the Ukraine. He was in charge of enforcing the rules about religion under the Soviet Union in the Ukraine. He put many Christians in jail and saw them being tortured or even killed. Not long after the Soviet Union fell, Boris was on his deathbed with a terminal disease. What did the Christians do? They held prayer meetings and sent him notes. They prayed that he would get well so that he could come to Christ. After about three months, Boris was well and he became a Christian. He said, “If this is how Christians treat their enemies, I want to know more about them.”
F. Be perfect, be Christ like.
