Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / Love Your Enemies - 4/8/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

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Love Your Enemies - 4/8/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

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Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
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Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
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Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
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today. If you enjoy today's message, be
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sure to subscribe, follow, and share
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with your friends. Now, let's join
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Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
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God.
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Matthew's Gospel chapter 5. Matthew's
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Gospel chapter 5.
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Lord willing and praise be to his name.
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We'll be out of chapter 5 tonight. And
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uh that may change. I doubt it. But but
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uh I appreciate the encouragement and
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help that I've got from these verses.
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And uh I'll tell you this, the word of
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God, you know, I've heard people say,
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"Well, it's for all the human race." And
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I guess to an extent that is true, but
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I'll say this, it's for save people. You
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say, "What do you mean by that?" Well, I
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mean, a carnal man, Bible says itself
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that a carnal man receiveth not the
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things of God. And uh it'll get it'll
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shed light in his heart for salvation.
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But until he gets saved, this books
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doesn't mean anything to him. And uh
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man, I'm telling you, aren't you
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thankful we have a Bible tonight? and
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have a place to come and read it. And uh
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man, I'm thankful. I was just thinking
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about this just the other day, man,
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thankful to have a Bible and a place
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where people want to come hear it read
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and preached and a pull pit of wood to
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stand behind and people that love God,
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want to be in fellowship with each other
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and with the Holy Ghost, God. I don't
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know of anything better than that. Amen.
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And I do appreciate it this evening.
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Matthew chapter 5 and we'll read the
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last portion of this text in our
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preserving series and we'll close this
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up tonight. And indeed a lot more
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preaching could be done out of these
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verses. Um but I just tried to skim the
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surface of this best I could. I want to
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look tonight verse number verse number
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43.
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And uh brother Josh is wearing off on
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me. I've been listening. He he has a
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podcast and I'm going to plug him right
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here while I got the got the time this
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evening. Um he has a podcast called the
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Expositors Exchange and uh it's what it
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is. It's you know it's u him and another
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preacher brother Reese Key get on there
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and they talk about preaching talk about
2:25
the ministry and if you like podcast
2:27
it's a great one to listen to and I you
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know it's it is for preachers but it's a
2:32
great help um to anybody. I encourage
2:34
you to go by and listen to that. But
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it's this time limit thing is really
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starting to get under my skin. And so
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I'm going to put myself on a timer
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tonight and uh try to get done here um
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pretty quickly. Maybe I can give you
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something in that period. So let's look
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tonight Matthew 5 verse number 43. The
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Bible says, "Ye have heard that it hath
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been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor
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and hate thine enemy. But I say unto
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you, love your enemies, bless them that
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curse you, do good to them that hate
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you, and pray for them which
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despitefully use you and persecute you,
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that you may be the children of your
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father which is in heaven. For he maketh
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his son to rise on the evil and on the
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good, and sendeth rain on the just and
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on the unjust. For if you love them
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which love you, what reward have ye? Do
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not even the publicans the same? And if
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you salute your brethren only, what do
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ye more than others? Do not even the
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publicans als do not even the publicans
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so be therefore perfect, even as your
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father which is in heaven is perfect.
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Now Father, I ask humbly tonight for
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your help. I pray God that you would
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give us wisdom and discernment as we
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deal with these verses tonight. Help us
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to say nothing, God, that ought not be
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said and everything that should be said
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in this service. to get glory and honor
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unto yourself. And Lord, we'll thank you
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for what you do because we ask it in
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Jesus' name. Amen. This text tonight, of
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course, closing out the portion, this
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portion of Matthew chapter 5, um here,
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five verses, um that I want to share
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with you this evening of the Lord
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helping us concerning the last message
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in our preserving series. Now, I'm going
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to use a P word tonight um to keep keep
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with the sake of alliteration. But when
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I use this word, I don't want you to
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mark me off what I'm going to say. All
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right? And the reason I say that is
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because the definition of this word in
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modern day is not what it was when um
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your Bible was translated. So, tonight I
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want to talk about u we've considered
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last week there preserving patience.
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Tonight, I want to talk about preserving
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philanthropy. All right? Philanthropy.
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Now, I said that in a church about I
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guess probably three and a half years
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ago. I I used it as a point in one of my
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messages, and I'll never forget it.
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There was a woman back that was sitting
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about three or four rows back in the
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church, and she looked at me like I was
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the craziest man that she'd ever seen
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her life because I used that word in a
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sermon setting. Now, often times when we
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think about that word, we think about
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humanitarian aid. Is that not what we
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think about? we think about somebody
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that's taking their money, donating it
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to a cause of whatever sort it is. But
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but I want to say that's just a that's a
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that is not the root, but that is a
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fruit of what philanthropy really is.
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And I I read the definition this
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afternoon and I think when I preached
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this or preached the message using that
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term I I used the definition from
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Webster and this is what Webster's 1828
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dictionary says philanthropy
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philanthropy means. It means the love of
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mankind benevolence for the whole human
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family or universal goodwill. Now I
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think we could all agree tonight that
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God loves everybody. Amen. He loves all
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people. red, yellow, black, or white,
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what's the song say? They're all
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precious in his sight. Amen. And so, we
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would agree tonight that God loves all
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people. And Jesus here is dealing with
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this thought in the text. Now,
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considering where we're at here, of
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course, remembering that the days of the
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law are coming to a close in this
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chapter. Jesus is giving them kingdom
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principles applicable to the church age
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in which we live. These principles are.
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And so I notice in the text here, the
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Bible mentions in verse 43, as Jesus has
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said several other times in this
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chapter. He says, "Ye have heard that it
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hath been said, thou shalt love thy
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neighbor and hate thine enemy." So he
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begins with this command that is given.
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When you consider this command, it is a
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quotation of the book of Leviticus
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chapter 19 and verse number eight where
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the Bible says, "Thou shalt love thy
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neighbor." and and it is a quotation of
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that Christ also declares this as the
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second greatest commandment according to
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Matthew chap 22
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37-4 there the Pharisees ask him they
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say good master what is the greatest
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commandment and you remember what he
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tells them he said you shall love the
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lord thy god with all thy heart soul and
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strength and then he tells them the
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second's like unto it that you love your
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neighbor as yourself and that is the
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second greatest commandment that we are
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to love our neighbor. And so you notice
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in this command number one, there is
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affection towards a friend. And he says,
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"You shall love your neighbor." We ought
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to love one another tonight. Amen. The
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Bible says, "He that loveth not knoweth
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not God, for God is love." And so we're
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very well aware of the fact tonight that
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it is a command for us to love each
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other. But furthermore, you notice what
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the verse says. Not only sharing
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affection towards a friend, but it also
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points out an attitude towards a foe in
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our life. Listen to what he says. Thou
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shalt love thy neighbor. Notice this.
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And hate thine enemy. Now, I want to lay
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this out to you tonight. The Bible has
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never All right, listen to me for just a
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minute. All right. The Bible has never
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given grounds for somebody to hate
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somebody else. And you say, "Well, the
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Bible says, you know, David talked about
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the enemies of God. He said, 'I hate
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them with a perfect hatred." Well, you
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got to understand something about all
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that. Okay, David was speaking there
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against those who are walking against
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God employed by the devil himself. All
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right? And what he is saying when he was
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saying that is is he hates the power
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that's behind those people. Amen. What
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does the Bible teach us? We wrestle not
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against what? Flesh and blood. Our
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battle is not with humankind. And so
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this command here has been misconstrued
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just like every other command. Jesus
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says, "Ye have heard." And he's telling
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them, "You know what? You've been told
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just because you've been told isn't
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necessarily right." And so he says,
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"You've heard that you shall love your
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neighbor." And that's true. We know
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that's a Bible command. But he says that
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you've also been told to hate your
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enemy. Now, they use a text in the book
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of Deuteronomy to point this out where
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Moses there is speaking about the
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children of Ammon and Moab. How that
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God, he says in the text that you're not
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to seek blessing or peace for those
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children. And what he was talking about
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is that they had stood against the
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children of Israel. They did not allow
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them to come into their land when they
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exited Egypt. They did not give them
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water. They did not take care of their
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needs. And God said, "Because of that,
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you're not to seek blessing for them."
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And people use that to say that God
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commanded Israel to hate those people.
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That's not true. Let me ask you this
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tonight. Did Jesus when he come to this
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earth, did he hate anybody? We know that
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tonight. Okay? And so when we consider
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this fact tonight, we must understand
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the whole context. Now, I'm going to
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give you some verses verses here to back
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me up on this. Loving all people is a
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scriptural thing. Okay? It's all
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throughout the Bible. It's not just a
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New Testament thing. You see, the
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Pharisees, they had deduced from
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cherrypicked verses and self-aclaimed
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authority that it was right and even
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righteous to hate those whomever they
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would deem their enemy. Basically,
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whoever they would decide was against
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them, they were justified by the law,
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saying that they could hate that person
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because they had deemed them their
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enemy. But we know that's not true
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tonight. And so it's most clearly seen
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when you think about it on the pages of
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scripture and in the New Testament who's
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who represents that uh really to a tea
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is their hatred of the Samaritans. You
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think about what Jesus said when he met
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that woman at the well in John chapter
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4. He says he comes to the woman he
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asked her to draw water. And you
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remember what she says to him. John 4
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verse number N. She says what what is it
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that thou being a Jew ask drink of a
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woman which is of Samaria. What does she
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say? She says, "For the Jews have no
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what? Dealings with the Samaritans."
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What is that? The Jews had decided that
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they hated those people. They decided
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that they were their enemies. And so
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they hated him. Hated them because of
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that. And so the Jews have isolated
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themselves in this society. We know the
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purpose of Israel and the Old Testament
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was to evangelize the heathen nations,
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but Israel failed at that. And so God
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had to turn away from them. But let me
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say this tonight. The truth about this
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text reveals to us that even in the Old
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Testament, it was not true that men were
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to hate people. It was not true that
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they could not love all people. And let
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me not give you a verse here that points
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this out very clearly. Listen to what
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Exodus 23. I encourage you to put this
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in your margin if you're writing in
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there. Exodus 23. Listen to what Moses
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says here in the text. Exodus 23:es 4
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and 5. Just a simple illustration of
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this fact. Look what the Bible says.
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Verse number four. If thou meet thine
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enemies, all right? So he's pointed out
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here that he said you if you meet an
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enemy, somebody that's against you, look
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what he says. If thou meet thine enemy's
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ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt
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surely bring it back to him again.
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Notice verse five. If thou see the ass
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of him that hateth thee lying under his
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burden, and wouldest forbear to help
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him, thou shalt surely help with him.
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You say, "What is that illustrating?"
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Well, it's illustrating that just
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because somebody's our enemy, just
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because somebody hates us, that even in
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the Old Testament, it was still right to
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do right regardless of how somebody
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feels about you. And so Jesus is telling
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them just as he told them before in this
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text, he he says you he says, "Thou
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shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine
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enemy." You've heard that said. But
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verse 44, he says, "But I say unto you,"
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he's got something he wants to remind
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them of. And let me remind you, just
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like I have on all of these messages, it
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is not that Christ was changing the law,
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but he was just simply bringing back
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parts of it to light. You see, it
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matters tonight how we interpret truth.
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Interpretation matters. Can I get an
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amen tonight? It matters how you
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interpret truth. I seen a thing today,
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and I, like I said, I don't try to stay
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off the internet. I'm on it too much,
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but I I seen a thing today, a man that
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was scripturally approving polygamy.
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You say, "What do you mean by that?" He
13:10
was misinterpreting scripture. Amen. And
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to a carnal mind, to a fleshly minded
13:16
individual, he could have seen the
13:18
verses that that man had put out there
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and said, "Yeah, that looks right." Let
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me say this, it matters how you
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interpret scripture.
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>> Hey, the devil told Jesus said, "If
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you're the son of God, you cast yourself
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down." He said, "It's written, he shall
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give his angels charge over thee, lest
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any time thou dash thy foot against a
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stone." What did Jesus do? He said,
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"Look, you not you not to tempt the Lord
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thy God." He took the verse out of
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context. Jesus took him back to a verse
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that was in context and said, "You don't
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tempt God." Amen. It doesn't matter how
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many verses you misinterpret to approve
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your sin. It matters when it's
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interpreted right that approves your
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function in the Christian life. So Jesus
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is going to give them a proper
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interpretation. Three things tonight and
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I'll be done and we'll get out of the
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way and go home tonight. I notice first
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of all in this text not only uh we've
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considered here how the Pharisees have
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uh they've deduced this law from their
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own uh self-aclaimed authority. Let me
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say this tonight. We have no authority.
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>> Amen. I have no authority to decide what
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this Bible means of myself. I have to
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read it like it says, preach it like it
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says, and how the Holy Ghost tells me.
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Amen. And when the Bibles make when the
14:30
plain sense of scripture makes sense,
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seek no other sense. Somebody say amen
14:34
right there. So I notice first of all
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tonight the father's love. Look what the
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Bible say in verse 44. But I say unto
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you, listen to what he says. Love your
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enemies. Now when we read that tonight,
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our flesh automatically cringes. Okay?
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But the truth is tonight, I don't
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believe that there's a better example of
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that than the man who is preaching this
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sermon in this text. You understand when
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he says love your enemies, there's no
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person that's ever exemplified that fact
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more than Jesus Christ, more than God
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the Father, more than the Trinity. You
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say, "What? What do you mean, preacher?
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I'm saying when we think about this
15:13
love, the fact of loving your enemies,
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we got to think about the Father's love
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tonight because he is love and he is
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where love originate." Amen. And so I
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think about that truth that his love
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tonight was the first love. Romans 5'8
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says, "But God commendeth his love
15:28
toward us in that while we were yet
15:29
sinners, Christ died for us, so before
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we ever loved him," John said it this
15:34
way in 1 John 4 and verse number 19, "We
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love him because why? He first loved
15:40
us." Amen. And it is his love that was
15:43
the first love. You see, before he ever
15:45
stepped out on nothing and hung
15:47
everything out there in the expanse of
15:49
space, you realize that Jesus, that God
15:52
the Father loved you and I long before
15:54
we were ever created or the mud seals of
15:57
the earth was ever laid. His love was
15:59
the first love. And I think not only his
16:02
love is the first love, but his love is
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a faithful love. Amen. His love is
16:06
faithful. You say, "What do you mean?"
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Well, his love endures forever. Amen.
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You say, "What do you mean by that?"
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Well, listen to what Paul said. In
16:14
Romans chapter number eight, he talked
16:15
about the love of God. And Jesus here
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expresses to us the love of God. You
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remember what he said? He said, "Greater
16:22
love hath no man than this, that a man
16:24
laid down his life for his friends. And
16:26
in the mind of God eternally, Christ was
16:28
crucified in eternity past and for
16:32
eternity future. His love is expressed
16:34
to you and I." Listen to what Paul says
16:37
about the love of God in verse 38 of
16:39
Romans 8. For I am persuaded that
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neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
16:44
principalities, nor powers, nor things
16:46
present, nor things to come, nor height,
16:48
nor death, nor any other creatures shall
16:51
be able to separate us from the love of
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God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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You know what that tells me? That
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there's not a time that we can be in.
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There's not a place we can go. There's
17:03
nothing that can separate us from the
17:06
love of God. You know what that tells
17:07
me? that his love will last as long as
17:10
we do.
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>> Amen.
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>> And if his love was an eternity past,
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his love will be an eternity future. And
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so his love is a faithful love. And I'm
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thankful tonight that in spite of
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everything else that falls and fails and
17:22
fumbles in our life. We can trust and
17:25
bank upon the love of God. His love is
17:27
not only a faithful love, but his love
17:30
is a fruitful love. I think about what
17:32
this text says literally in verse number
17:33
45 of Matthew 5. Listen to what he says.
17:36
that you may be the children of your
17:38
father which is in heaven. Listen what
17:40
your Bible says. For he maketh his son
17:42
to rise on the evil and on the good and
17:45
sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.
17:49
You understand every growth that takes
17:51
place in this physical world comes by
17:53
the love of God.
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>> The heavens declare the glory of God and
17:57
the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day
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unto day utterth knowledge. Night under
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night showeth speech. Amen. It is his
18:03
world and his world the growth and
18:06
sustaining of it is the fruitfulness of
18:08
this world and in the spiritual sense
18:10
tonight we think about that fruitful
18:12
love you understand the strength of the
18:14
sun and the saturation of the rain is
18:17
controlled by him but the growth in your
18:20
life and mine comes by the love of God
18:24
you say how is that well you remember
18:26
what Paul said in the book of Romans
18:27
chapter number five he said and hope
18:29
maketh not ashamed because the love of
18:31
God is shed abroad in in our hearts by
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the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
18:36
You see, his love is fathomless.
18:39
We can't measure it. Amen. The Bible
18:42
says in Ephesians chapter 3 and verse
18:44
number 19, "And to know the love of
18:46
Christ that passes knowledge and to be
18:49
filled with all the fullness of him. His
18:52
love's without fathom." You say, "Well,
18:54
what is that?" Well, remember, he's
18:56
commanding you here to love your
18:57
enemies. Let me say this. You're not
18:59
going to love your enemies without him
19:01
loving through you.
19:03
>> You can't love your enemies. Amen.
19:05
You'll never love your enemies until he
19:07
loves them through you. Now, with that,
19:10
I want to get to the next point in this
19:11
thought here considering the father's
19:13
love. If we're going to love our
19:14
enemies, it must be his love. But I want
19:17
to point out that word enemies there.
19:18
Okay? There's a reason why he uses this
19:21
term. Not only the father's love
19:23
tonight, but I want you to notice the
19:24
fleshly label that's mentioned here in
19:26
the verse. Look what the Bible says.
19:28
Verse 44. But I say unto you, love your
19:32
enemies. Now I thought about this when I
19:34
read that word enemies. What a mat what
19:36
automatically comes to your mind when
19:38
you think enemy. Well f my my first
19:41
instinct is the devil. Amen. First Peter
19:43
chapter 5 and verse number eight says
19:45
that we he said be sober be vigilant
19:47
because your adversary is a roar lion
19:49
walketh about. Seek him whom he may
19:51
devour. That's the devil. Amen. He is
19:53
the immortal enemy. He is the one that's
19:55
the enemy of God. He's the enemy of you
19:57
and I. But when I think about this
19:59
verse, I'm reminded that an enemy, when
20:01
we think about it in a fleshly sense,
20:03
you realize when we think about an
20:05
enemy, it causes us to rear up inside,
20:07
doesn't it? When you think about an
20:09
enemy, it it it you you your mind goes
20:11
to a fight, goes to a war, it goes to a
20:15
conflict. And I thought about this. This
20:16
terminology is used to appeal to our
20:19
carnal nature. And the truth is, the
20:22
Christian only has one enemy, and that's
20:23
the devil. Tonight, let me say this.
20:26
According to the verse, look what the
20:27
Bible says. Jesus says, "Love your
20:29
enemies."
20:30
You see that? It's plural, is it? You
20:33
say, "Why does he use that terminology?"
20:35
Well, I want to say this to you. You
20:36
only have one enemy tonight.
20:39
You have one. You say, "What do you
20:41
mean?" Well, we do not have enemies. And
20:44
I go back to that verse, Ephesians 6,
20:46
verse number 12. For we wrestle not
20:47
against flesh and blood, but against
20:49
principalities, powers, spiritual
20:51
wickedness, rulers of darkness, all
20:52
those things that Paul list to the
20:55
Ephesian church. And you say, "What do
20:56
you mean by enemies?" Well, let me give
20:59
you this. Okay,
21:01
the thought is here in the text, Jesus
21:03
says, "Love your enemies." Okay, we
21:05
personally, I want you to get what I'm
21:07
saying. All right, we personally should
21:09
not have an enemy. If you have an enemy,
21:12
you're not right with God. Hang on.
21:15
Don't don't choke on that, okay? I want
21:16
to make my point. Someone may by their
21:19
own choice and actions be my enemy, but
21:22
I have no enemy but the devil.
21:25
You say, "What do you mean by that?"
21:27
Well, someone may be your enemy, but you
21:30
do not make them your enemy. They may
21:34
make themselves your enemy, but you
21:36
don't embrace and allow them to be. Is
21:39
anybody hearing the preacher tonight?
21:41
What do I mean by that? I'm saying
21:43
there's people that's against us.
21:45
Wouldn't we agree with that tonight?
21:46
There's people that are against what
21:48
we're doing. There's people that are
21:49
against who we are and what we believe
21:51
and how we carry ourselves. But you know
21:53
what? Those people are not my enemy.
21:55
>> Amen. The people who if you have an
21:58
enemy tonight, it's because you have
22:00
allowed them to become an enemy
22:03
>> in your life. People may have a problem
22:05
with you, but that doesn't make them
22:06
your enemy.
22:08
>> They might be an enemy to you, but they
22:10
don't have to be your enemy. I hope that
22:11
makes sense.
22:13
Y'all get that tonight? That makes
22:14
sense.
22:16
I I thought about this. All right. You
22:18
say, "Well, well, preacher, there's
22:20
there's a lot of people don't like me
22:22
and they're they're enemies against me."
22:24
Well, you don't have to reciprocate
22:26
the same pressure that they're putting
22:28
on you. If they are trying to be your
22:31
enemy, you shouldn't allow them to go
22:33
any further than what they can do in
22:34
their own power. You know what? We give
22:36
the devil a lot of natural resources to
22:38
work with.
22:39
>> Amen. People will get against us. You
22:41
know what we do? Instead of being
22:42
silent, sitting down and backing up,
22:44
amen, and being and and being like we
22:46
should be, like this text teaches, amen,
22:48
we get loud, what do we do? We make
22:49
ourselves an enemy.
22:50
>> Amen.
22:51
>> And I guess this is the way I should put
22:53
it. You can have an enemy against you,
22:55
but you should never be an enemy against
22:57
somebody.
22:58
>> Amen. So I noticed this. I think about
23:00
this. Christ being the greatest example.
23:03
Isaiah 53 verse number seven, the middle
23:05
part of the verse says, "As Christ was
23:06
led like a lamb to the slaughter and a
23:08
sheep before she is done, what does the
23:11
Bible say?" So he openeth not his mouth.
23:15
He was silent. Why is that? Because he
23:17
went to the cross having no enemies.
23:21
>> You think about that. Jesus went to the
23:23
cross. And you say, "Preacher, you can't
23:25
illustrate that. Those men Pilate that
23:27
that crucified Pilate that that judged
23:30
him, condemned him, you know, he said,
23:31
"I find nothing guilty in this man, but
23:33
you go and crucify him." He didn't
23:34
condemn me. He said, but you he turned
23:35
him over to the priest. Those, you know,
23:37
Pilate was his enemy. Those Pharisees
23:39
were his enemy. uh those Roman soldiers
23:41
were his enemy and yeah on their side
23:44
yeah they were against Christ but you
23:46
know what Christ didn't look at any of
23:47
them that way did he you say you can't
23:50
illustrate that I can very well who was
23:52
the greatest enemy Christ had on this
23:54
earth
23:55
Judas
23:57
think about this all right the Bible
23:59
says in Matthew 26 and verse number 50
24:02
when Christ was approached by Judas what
24:04
did he say friend
24:07
wherefore art thou
24:09
He looked at the one who turned him
24:12
over. He looked at the one who gave him
24:15
up. He looked at the one who stole his
24:17
money. And he didn't even see him as an
24:20
enemy.
24:21
Perspective is everything.
24:24
>> As long as you view, listen to what I'm
24:26
saying right now. As long as you view
24:29
somebody as an enemy to you, you will
24:31
never be able to overcome the flesh in
24:33
your life. People who are right with
24:36
God, save people who are right with God
24:38
cannot have an enemy.
24:40
>> You have one enemy tonight and that is
24:42
the devil. And when the devil takes
24:44
control of your flesh, that is what he
24:46
allows uses to crucify your life. And so
24:51
we think about Christ is the the the the
24:54
label that's used here. He says, "Love
24:56
your enemies." He's saying those people
24:59
around you, people that are against you,
25:02
you love them.
25:04
you love them. You are to be good to
25:07
them. Now, he gives this illustration
25:09
here. I'll give you these points and
25:10
we'll be done tonight. Moving quickly
25:13
here this evening. I consider not only
25:15
the father's love and the fleshly label,
25:17
these enemies and that does it. It
25:19
resonates with the flesh. We think
25:20
enemy, we think war, we think battle, we
25:23
think somebody and if you're like me,
25:25
you think about somebody who makes you
25:27
mad in your flesh. Amen. You think
25:29
that's an enemy. Amen. But if they if
25:31
they make me mad, you know what? But I'm
25:33
not crucified.
25:35
A dead man can't get upset. Somebody say
25:37
amen right there. If I'm dead with
25:39
Christ the way I'm supposed to be, I'm
25:40
not going to have an enemy that I'm
25:42
against. All right.
25:45
Notice this. We see lastly tonight, not
25:48
only we've considered here uh the
25:50
father's love and the fleshly label. But
25:52
let's consider thirdly here the fa
25:54
faith's leading in our life. Now I want
25:56
to remind you this is not possible
25:58
without the spirit of God. Okay? Notice
26:00
what the Bible says here in the text.
26:02
Jesus says verse 44, he said, "But I say
26:05
to you, love your enemies, bless them
26:06
that curse you, do good to them that
26:08
hate you, pray for them which
26:09
despitefully use you and persecute you."
26:12
Jesus gives four things
26:15
in this verse quickly. Notice them here
26:17
in the text. Number one, if we are to
26:19
love our enemy, the first place we are
26:21
going to love them is in our will. Look
26:23
what the Bible says again, verse 44. But
26:26
I send to you, what's that phrase again?
26:29
Love your enemies. Now, what do we
26:31
always say about love?
26:34
What do we know as the church of God?
26:35
The world says it's a feeling. The world
26:38
says it's an emotion. What do we know?
26:40
The Bible teaches it as it's a choice,
26:42
isn't it? So, if you're going to love
26:43
somebody, the first place you're going
26:44
to love them is in your will.
26:46
>> You're going to decide to love them. You
26:51
say, "How can you illustrate that?" that
26:53
well the Bible says in the book of James
26:55
talking to the church he said of his own
26:57
will that's God the father of his own
26:59
will be but yet he us with a word of
27:01
truth that we should be a kind of first
27:02
fruits of his creatures God's will was
27:04
to love us for God so loved the world
27:07
that he gave his only begotten son his
27:11
His love was in his heart it was his
27:13
it's his will it's his driving force and
27:15
you say how can I love my enemy well
27:18
you're going to have to stop seeing him
27:20
as your enemy number one but I'm
27:22
reminded of what Paul said in 2
27:24
Corinthians 5 and verse number 14. This
27:26
is what he said. He said that for the
27:28
love of Christ constrainth us. What was
27:31
he talking about? He was talking about
27:33
the love of God that was in his heart.
27:34
You remember Paul said I believe it's to
27:36
the Roman church when he was recording
27:38
that letter to Romans. He said he said I
27:40
wish could wish myself for a curse from
27:42
Christ for my brethren. You know he's
27:44
talking about the Jews. I love them so
27:46
much. I want them to be saved so bad
27:49
that I would be willing to lose or die
27:51
and go to hell if they would be saved.
27:54
He loved them that much. It was his
27:55
will. It was in his heart. And when he
27:58
says in in there in chapter 5 of second
28:00
Corinthians, for the love of Christ
28:02
constrainth us, you notice later in that
28:04
verse, he says, "Cause we thus judge
28:06
that if one died for all, then we're all
28:08
dead." What's he saying? That every
28:10
person that's on the face of this
28:12
planet's lost. And he said, "The love of
28:14
Christ constrainth us to witness to the
28:17
world." IF YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE A
28:19
message to the if there's ever going to
28:21
be a burden in your heart for lost
28:22
people, it's going to come from the love
28:24
of God. If you've never desired to see
28:27
somebody get saved, it's because the
28:29
love of God has never revealed itself in
28:32
your heart.
28:34
>> That will on the inside. There's a
28:36
desire. It's like and and the
28:38
illustration I give most times like
28:40
preaching. Jeremiah said it's like a
28:41
fire SHUT UP IN MY BONES. THERE'S A
28:43
DESIRE THERE. THERE'S A WILL TO GIVE THE
28:46
GOSPEL. IF YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE PEOPLE,
28:48
GOD IS GOING TO HAVE TO MANIFEST HIS
28:50
love through you. It's going to have to
28:52
be on the inside. This is done through
28:55
the power of the spirit. Remind you
28:56
again that Romans 5 verse number five,
28:58
the love of God is shed abroad in our
29:00
hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given
29:02
unto us. IT IS EXPRESSED BY THE POWER of
29:06
the spirit. So faith's leading number
29:08
one deals with the will. And we always
29:10
say this tonight. Salvation is an inside
29:12
work that leads to an outside work.
29:14
Amen. Don't don't we don't we believe
29:16
that tonight? You don't you don't get
29:18
saved on the outside first. Amen. You
29:20
get saved on the inside and then God
29:23
begins to work out in your life. So
29:25
there's not only the will that's
29:26
involved, but notice the words that are
29:28
involved in verse number 44. But I say
29:30
unto you, love your enemies. What's the
29:32
next phrase, church? Bless them that
29:36
curse you. bless them that curse you.
29:39
Now, that doesn't mean that you go to
29:40
them and hand them a gift or hand them a
29:42
w of money. I mean, God tells you to do
29:43
that, you go, "Hey, amen." But that's
29:44
not what he's talking about. That word
29:46
bless is talking about your language.
29:49
It's talking about speaking a word. It
29:51
literally when you look at that term
29:53
bless, it means almost it it it almost
29:55
translate to a benediction, of worship,
29:57
of praise. And when God says you're to
30:00
bless them, it means that word bless
30:03
means to speak well of. It means to
30:06
admonish. And you say, "Preacher, well,
30:08
I don't have nothing good to say about
30:09
that person." Well, you know what I got
30:11
to say about that. Amen. I'm a mama's
30:13
boy. You know what she said? If you
30:14
ain't got nothing to say good to say,
30:16
you don't say nothing at all. Ain't that
30:18
right? Amen. You ought to find something
30:20
good. If you ain't got nothing good to
30:22
say, don't say anything. You say,
30:24
"PREACHER, WELL, THEY curse me." Well,
30:27
let me say this. They could have said a
30:29
lot worse. You know what? A lot worse
30:31
would have been the truth.
30:33
Somebody say amen right there. If they
30:36
were to spell out all the wrong things
30:37
that were done in our life, hey, cursing
30:39
us would have sounded real easy. Amen.
30:41
And compared to that, Amen. And when I
30:44
think about this fact, Jesus says,
30:45
you're to bless them. You're to speak
30:47
kindly toward them.
30:50
Listen to what Peter says.
30:53
First Peter chapter 3 and verse number
30:55
nine or verse 8. Finally, be ye all of
30:58
one mind, having compassion, one of
31:00
another, love as brethren. Be pitiful,
31:02
be courteous, not rendering evil for
31:04
evil, nor or railing for railing. Listen
31:07
to what he says. But contrary wise,
31:09
blessing, knowing that you are there
31:12
into called that ye should inherit a
31:15
blessing. You know what? Your nice words
31:17
to somebody might be the only thing kind
31:19
that they hear in this life.
31:21
>> I was thinking about this the other day.
31:22
We went on visitation. Me and brother
31:24
Andrew come up here. He went on
31:25
visitation with me. The man drove four
31:27
and a half hours come up here to see us.
31:29
And he went on visitation with me. Amen.
31:31
And we went the last door we went to,
31:33
the man that was not nice to us at all.
31:35
Told us, "You need to get off our get
31:37
off. Get I don't want you here. I don't
31:39
want nothing you got. You need to get
31:40
off my property." And slammed the door
31:41
in our face. You know what I thought
31:44
about as I was leaving that man's door?
31:45
I said, "I hope that the next place I
31:47
see him is not hell."
31:49
>> Amen. You say, "Preacher, how you going
31:51
to see him?" Well, in heaven, we'll
31:53
know. Amen. You realize that? But it's
31:55
what I was thinking about when I left
31:57
here. You know what? He'll remember
31:59
that.
32:01
>> Amen.
32:01
>> And you know what? He'll know more about
32:03
it than he did when we was there. He
32:05
didn't know what we was there for.
32:08
>> But you know what? When he wakes up,
32:09
wherever he wakes up one of these days,
32:11
he'll know why we was there.
32:13
>> You see, you might be the only blessing
32:15
some person ever receives.
32:17
>> Peter said this. He said, "You're to
32:19
bless because you know that you're to
32:21
inherit a blessing." Yeah,
32:22
>> our blessing is not promised in this
32:24
life. Peter said in his epistle, he
32:26
said, "We've got an inheritance that's
32:27
incorruptible, undefiled. It's reserved
32:29
in heaven for you.
32:31
>> Belongs to us." And so, you know what?
32:33
We might be the only nice thing that
32:35
some people ever approach in this life.
32:37
It doesn't matter if they curse you. You
32:40
have a responsibility to him. Amen.
32:44
First and foremost, not only we consider
32:47
the will and faith's leading, but the
32:49
words that we are to speak, we're to
32:51
speak well of to bless them that curse
32:54
you. Let me say this. Your first
32:56
reaction when somebody curses you is
32:58
always going to be to reject that. And
33:00
I'm already at 30 minutes, but I'm going
33:02
to finish this. Okay?
33:04
Your first reaction is to speak out
33:06
against that. But you need to make sure
33:08
that you stay right with God in that
33:10
thing because if you mess it up, you may
33:12
miss your opportunity to witness to that
33:14
person. Notice this. Not only the words,
33:16
but notice the works in the text. Verse
33:18
44, bless them that curse you, do good
33:20
to them that hate you. We don't like
33:23
that, do we? The words, do good to them
33:26
that hate you. Romans 12:20, Paul said,
33:28
if thine enemy hunger, feed him. If he
33:31
thirsts, give him to drink. What he
33:33
saved, and by doing so, you'll heat
33:34
coals of fire over his head. And you and
33:36
and let me say this. If you feed him and
33:39
and you give him drink and he's thirsty
33:41
and he's hungry and you do it the right
33:42
way, you're not going to be thinking
33:44
about heaping coals of fire over his
33:45
head.
33:46
>> You're not going to be thinking, "Well,
33:47
I'm just going to do this to spite him."
33:49
>> That's not way going to think when you
33:51
do that, right? Amen. You might be
33:53
heaping coals of fire over your head.
33:54
Amen. But if you do it willingly,
33:58
knowing that God's going to bless you
33:59
for that thing, regardless of what that
34:01
other person does, you understand that
34:03
work is done unto God. Amen. Galatians 6
34:06
verse number 10 says, "As we have
34:08
opportunity, we are to do good to all
34:10
men, especially those of the household
34:14
of faith." Notice not only the works,
34:16
but the witness in the text. Verse 44,
34:18
"Do good to them that hate you, and pray
34:20
for them which despitefully use you and
34:23
persecute you." You see, the throne room
34:26
should be approached on the behalf of
34:28
those that do us wrong. You ought to be
34:30
willing to go to God in prayer. And let
34:32
me say this, this is the litmus test of
34:35
whether whether or not you really do
34:36
love your enemy.
34:39
>> People who make themselves your enemy,
34:41
IF YOU REALLY LOVE THEM, YOU'LL BE ABLE
34:43
TO GO AND PRAY TO GOD ON THEIR BEHALF.
34:45
AND LET ME SAY THIS, IT MAY NOT be so
34:48
MUCH THAT GOD WOULD HAVE MERCY ON THEM,
34:50
but maybe God will have to SHOW YOU
34:52
SOMETHING IN THAT THING. LET ME REMIND
34:54
YOU, GOD DEALS PERSONALLY.
34:58
>> And you may and you may be the problem.
35:00
Amen. I I I've thought about this a lot,
35:03
man. There's people I I felt like have
35:05
done me wrong. But you know what? My
35:06
first approach to that in prayer always
35:08
is, Lord, if this is my Lord, if I I
35:10
feel like, Lord, I don't I know I wasn't
35:12
perfect handling that situation. Lord,
35:14
if it was something I said or something
35:16
I did, show me where I messed up.
35:20
>> I know that I'm a problem.
35:23
>> Amen. I know I'm not perfect, LORD. I
35:26
KNOW I DON'T HANDLE EVERYTHING EXACTLY
35:28
RIGHT, BUT LORD, I WANT YOU TO BLESS
35:30
THEM if you can. Lord, IF THEY NEED
35:32
MERCY, GIVE THEM MERCY. LORD, IF I NEED
35:35
MERCY, GIVE ME MERCY. HELP ME GET
35:37
THROUGH THIS THING. YOU'LL PRAY FOR THAT
35:38
PERSON that's your enemy. Amen.
35:42
And you'll realize that just because you
35:45
feel like you were done wrong, that does
35:46
not mean that they're against you.
35:49
>> But let me say this, there are people
35:50
who are against you, and you should pray
35:53
for them. Amen. You should pray for
35:55
them. Notice this. The throne room, it
35:59
should be approached on their behalf.
36:00
You need to pray for their salvation. If
36:02
they're not saved, if they are saved,
36:03
you need to pray for their
36:05
sanctification. And if they're losing
36:07
out because they left you, you should
36:09
pray for their supply.
36:12
If they leave you and they're going to
36:14
be thirsting to death spiritually,
36:15
that's that's my prayer. People leave
36:16
this church. And I and I have prayed
36:18
this. All right? I'm not just blowing
36:20
smoke when I say this. There's people
36:21
that have left this church and this has
36:23
been my prayer for them. Lord, I don't
36:25
want them to leave this place and starve
36:26
to death spiritually.
36:28
>> If there's some way, somehow if they're
36:30
saved, whatever it is, whatever the need
36:32
is, Lord, I want you to bless them, but
36:34
Lord, don't let them starve spiritually.
36:36
>> Don't let them miss out on what God's
36:38
doing just because they made a wrong
36:41
wrong choice. And I want to say this,
36:43
like I said, I've said it before, not
36:45
everybody that leaves is out of the will
36:46
of God. I understand that. But the truth
36:48
is tonight when we consider this
36:50
thought, you got to understand
36:51
something, you need to pray. It's
36:52
appropriate for a child of God to pray
36:55
for those that are against them. I
36:57
notice not only this these truths, but
36:59
let me give you this. I'm done tonight.
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I promise. Verse 46, he says, "For if
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you love them which love you, what
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reward have ye?" You see, he talks about
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reciprocal love. If we only love those
37:11
who can love us in return, what who what
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are we really doing?
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>> That's right.
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>> Because you know what love is? Love
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expects nothing in return. Love's not
37:19
asking for a handout. Love's not asking
37:22
for it to be reciprocated. I love my
37:24
wife because I love my wife. And and if
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all the things that she does for us she
37:28
wasn't able to do, I'd still love her
37:29
because it's not it's not to be
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reciprocated.
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I love her because I love her. And that
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ought to be your desire. You ought to
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love sinners that way.
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>> We ought to love God that way. Amen. Let
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me say this. If you can't love God that
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way in spite of what you feel like he
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does to you or for you in this life or
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if he never does another thing for you.
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If you can't say, "Lord, I love you
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regardless."
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>> That's not real love.
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>> Amen.
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>> Look what he says. For if you love them
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which love you, what reward have you? Do
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not even the publicans the same. He said
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the tax collectors, they love each
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other. Amen.
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Oh, there's a lot of preaching that, but
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I'm going to leave that alone. Amen. He
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not not only mentions a reciprocal love,
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but he mentions a relational greeting in
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verse 47. And if you salute your
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brethren only, what do you more than
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others? Do not even the publicans so if
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you only speak kindly or welcome those
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who you know who are your friends or who
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your family, are you really being a
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Christian?
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We're called to welcome all people.
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>> Amen.
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>> Every person's welcome in the house of
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God. Can I get a witness?
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>> They're all welcome. Amen. Jesus will
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save them all and I want them all to
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come. Amen. They're welcome. He says,
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"If you only love those who are your
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brethren, what what do you more than
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others?" The world does that. They love
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their friends. They love their family.
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>> We got to reach those that nobody loves.
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>> Amen.
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>> Not only reciprocal love or relatable
38:53
greeting, but notice the righteous
38:54
standard in verse 48. Be therefore
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perfect, even as your father which is in
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heaven is perfect. Now people say this
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means God you know in his you know
39:03
judicial holiness and per perfection
39:06
that he's telling them you need to live
39:08
up to all these things. That's not what
39:09
this verse means. This verse is talking
39:12
about the kindness of God. And what it
39:14
means is that God is impartial in his
39:16
kindness.
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>> What did we just read? For he maketh his
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son to rise on the evil and on the good
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and sendeth rain on the just and on the
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unjust. You know what that is? That's
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blessing. The son is the blessing of
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growth. Rain is the blessing of supply.
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He sendeth it on the just and the
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unjust.
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>> He's impartial in his judgments.
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>> We ought to be impartial in our
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judgments. We ought to be impartial in
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our love. We ought to be impartial in
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our prayers and our faith. Amen. We
39:46
ought to operate. He says, "Be therefore
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perfect even as your father which is in
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heaven. It is perfect." And again, it's
39:53
not perfection morally that's spoken of
39:55
here, but the unbiased, unrestrained
39:58
love of God. And Paul said this in 1
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Timothy 2:4, who will have all men to be
40:03
saved and to come unto the knowledge of
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the truth. Hey, there's no person that
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God doesn't love. Amen.
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>> Not a person. Father, thank you for this
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time. Thank you for this truth tonight.
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May we embrace it. May we take it to our
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hearts and apply it in our lives, God,
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that you do love all. And Lord, I pray
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that you would help us to employ this
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each and every day, Lord, to make sure
40:28
that we love those, God, who have made
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themsel our enemy. Lord, I realize, God,
40:33
and I I pray, Lord, in my heart, Lord, I
40:35
can't think of anybody right now that
40:37
I'm upset. Well, Lord, if there's
40:38
something, deal with my heart about it.
40:39
I want it to be right. But God, I pray
40:42
for those, Lord, that for whatever
40:43
reason they might be against me. God, I
40:45
pray that you would give them grace
40:46
tonight. And may every Christian pray
40:48
this way. Lord, that we would all desire
40:50
unbroken and unhindered fellowship.
40:53
Lord, I know, Father, that the flesh, it
40:55
gender strife, Lord, and there's going
40:56
to be problems and there's going to be
40:58
issues and pain and all of that. But
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God, I pray that you would help us not
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to have an enemy, Lord, not to be
41:04
against anybody, Lord. I pray you'd take
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this and apply, help us apply it to our
41:08
hearts. So, we love you in Jesus name.
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Amen. Well, I appreciate you. I gave it
41:13
a valiant effort. I made it 36 minutes.
41:15
Amen.
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>> Thank you for joining our service today.
41:18
We'd love it if you'd join us in person
41:20
the next time you are able at Meadows
41:22
Baptist Church. Our physical address is
41:25
2988 Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
41:29
Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
41:32
school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
41:34
worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
41:37
worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
41:39
evening Bible study at 700 p.m. For more
41:42
information, visit us at
41:44
meadowsbaptisturch.com.
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Thanks again for tuning in.