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Matthew 5:43-48 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Good morning. Open up your copy of God's Word to Matthew 5.
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So those of you who are kind of new on the scene, we've been going through a series for quite a while now,
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! Just an exposition on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5.
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And it has been challenging. It's been, let me think the right word,
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it has made me really care about not just what I do, but why I do it.
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And God has used it to really work in the hearts of the people here.
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And today we'll pick up in verse 43 of Matthew 5.
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And previous weeks, a lot has been talked about.
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Nathan has, I guess, explained this very well, but just by way of review,
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following his baptism by John and following the calling of his disciples,
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Jesus began his earthly ministry in Galilee.
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And Galilee roughly had a population of around 300,000, roughly, in a bunch of towns and villages.
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And he's teaching in the synagogues and he's proclaiming the gospel,
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the good news about the coming of the kingdom of God.
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And he is healing diseases among the people.
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As we see often in the scripture, Jesus combines, like his earthly ministry,
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with teaching and acts of mercy and meeting the needs of physical ailments and physical needs.
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And Jesus himself has come as the embodiment of the kingdom of God.
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He is the king and he has come in humiliation,
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walking among those created in the image of God.
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And as we see, the word of Jesus spreads all over the place.
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The acts that he's doing, the sick and the afflicted and the demon-possessed,
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everyone is coming to encounter him and to hear him in hopes that he could heal them.
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We read in chapter 4, verse 25,
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If you skip ahead in chapter 5,
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Seeing the crowds, he went up on a mountain.
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And when he sat down, his disciples came to him, and he opened his mouth and taught them.
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So standing on a high plain overlooking the Sea of Galilee near Capernaum,
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Jesus began teaching his disciples and expounding on the reality of what it meant to be a citizen in God's kingdom
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and living in his presence in the context of everyday life.
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So that's what we hope to accomplish here.
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Here, some of you again who are sort of new at this church,
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we don't just want to teach from the Bible.
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We just don't want to tell you what we want to say from the Bible.
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We hopefully preach the Bible itself.
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And that's what the power behind the word of God is.
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It will impact our daily living.
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So those who belong to Jesus, those who belong to the King and His kingdom,
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are characterized by certain things that are so countercultural to a sinful world around us.
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And a couple of the main themes that you'll pick up on in the Sermon on the Mount.
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Throughout His discourse, Jesus is constantly seeking to teach His listeners
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the difference between external and internal righteousness.
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And He does this by contrasting the outward or external righteousness
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of the Jewish religious leaders of the day.
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And He contrasts that against the true inward righteousness that God desires.
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And there's a huge difference between the two.
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There's a huge difference between just outward holy living
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and what really is on the inside.
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People can look really great on the outside, as we all know.
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A lot of us are really good at putting on a show for other people
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and kind of displaying how moral and upright we are, humanly speaking.
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Yet, apart from God, inwardly we are full of pride, anger, envy, sin.
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Jesus is pushing the point that it's not just on the outside what we see in somebody's life,
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but what really matters is what God is doing on the inside of someone.
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And He rebukes the Jewish religious leaders constantly for their wrong thinking about external righteousness,
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what true righteousness is.
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In Matthew 23, verse 27, He says,
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Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
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You're like whitewashed tombs.
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You look great on the outside.
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You're nice and clean.
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But inwardly, you're dead men's bones.
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And that's the outward appearance that they were seeking to put on,
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as they have everything put together.
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But inwardly, they were full of hypocrisy.
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So, as our Lord points out, the righteousness of the religious leaders was purely external
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and insufficient to be a part of God's kingdom.
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Astoundingly, we see this as the measure constantly in the Scripture,
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definitely in the Sermon on the Mount,
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that God demands perfect righteousness,
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which, humanly speaking, cannot be achieved by any of our own good works, our morality.
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Nothing can achieve this righteousness.
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So, again, some of you here today may think of yourself as a very good, moral, and upright person.
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And you might be compared to most humans.
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If you would just, you know, pause and think about the most upstanding person you know,
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the best person you can think of,
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who's very moral and works very hard to do a lot of things for other people.
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But in truth, even they cannot measure up to the righteous, holy, perfect standard of God Almighty.
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This is why Jesus says a little earlier in Matthew 5, verse 20,
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I tell you that unless this righteousness that you're seeking exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees,
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you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
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And that's scary because they were the best.
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They were the most upstanding.
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They were the most moral.
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They were the most religious.
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And Jesus is saying, you have to even go way above that
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because even what they do falls short of the righteousness that God requires.
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So it's not an outward righteousness to show how good we look.
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It's an inward righteousness that shows how powerful and gracious God is.
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So that is one of the main themes in this is not just how to be a good person,
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how to treat other people,
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but it's how to actually be righteous in the sight of God
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and what righteousness looks like in everyday living.
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The second thing that's kind of pointed out by Jesus throughout the Sermon on the Mount
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is the religious leaders of the day were twisting.
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They were perverting God's actual commands.
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In Jesus' time, there were many misinterpretations and twistings of the Old Testament Scripture.
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And multiple times throughout this sermon, verse 21, 27, 33, 38,
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you'll see Jesus kind of saying this,
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you have heard it said,
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and then he'll refer to something that the religious leaders taught.
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And then he'll go on and he'll actually correct that and say,
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but I say to you.
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And that is kind of where we find ourselves today
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in the midst of another commandment that they have twisted.
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And today is clearing up the misconception that you're to love the people that are close to you
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and to love your neighbors, but you're to hate and despise your enemies.
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So it's a perversion of God's command to love.
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And so we will read our text today.
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Finally, right?
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So Matthew 5, verse 43.
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You have heard it said,
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You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
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But I say to you,
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love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
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so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.
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For he makes his son rise on the evil and on the good,
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and he sends rain on the just and the unjust.
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For if you only love those who love you,
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what reward do you have?
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Do not even tax collectors do the same?
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And if you greet only your brothers,
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what more are you doing than others?
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Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
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You, therefore,
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must be perfect
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as your heavenly Father
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is perfect.
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Just join me in prayer.
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Father, we come to you this morning
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very needy,
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very broken,
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and we're in need of Jesus this morning.
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And I pray that
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whether we know him
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or we don't know him,
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he would be
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working in our minds,
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in our hearts,
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speaking life into us
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through your word.
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And so, Lord,
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we just offer this time
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as an act of worship,
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and I pray for those here
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who may not know you,
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who are separated from you
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because of their sin,
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that they would see very clearly
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the love that you have displayed
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through the person and work
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of Jesus Christ.
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I ask that in his name.
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Amen.
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So, in our text,
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we see very clearly
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that Jesus is saying,
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you've misunderstood
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this commandment.
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You've heard it said
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to hate your enemy.
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And this is, again,
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a twisting
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of what the Scripture says.
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So, does the Scripture
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actually say that
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in the Old Testament?
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No, not at all.
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Actually,
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quite the opposite
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in a lot of ways.
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But in the Law of Moses
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in Leviticus,
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chapter 19,
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you read in verses 18 and 34,
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this is the actual commandment.
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You shall not take vengeance
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or bear a grudge
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against the sons
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of your own people,
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but you shall love
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your neighbor as yourself.
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I am the Lord.
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You shall treat the stranger
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who sojourns with you
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as the native among you,
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and you shall love him
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as yourself.
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For you were strangers
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in the land of Egypt.
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I am the Lord your God.
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And somehow,
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they had figured out a way
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to kind of twist this
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into justification
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to have hatred
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towards their enemies
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when that's not
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what it says at all.
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But to be sure,
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before we kind of stand
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in our context today
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and look back at
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the scribes
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and the Pharisees
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and a bunch of religious
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hypocrites,
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we definitely do
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the same thing.
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We, all the time,
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we do the same thing.
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We twist what God's word
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actually says
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to make it fit
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a lifestyle that we want.
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So, we need to be clear
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about what God says
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about certain things.
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And so, Scripture never says
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that anyone should maliciously
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hate his or her enemy.
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Quite the opposite.
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God's hatred of sin
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and God's hatred of evil
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is a theme
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in the Old Testament.
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And he often chooses,
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as we can read,
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to execute judgment
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on those people
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that are against him.
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So, here's a mystery,
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though, to me.
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It's a mystery,
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and it's something
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that we should just
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stand in awe of.
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Even though God chooses,
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at his appointed time,
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to execute judgment
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on sinners,
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there is something
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in the heart of God
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that still does not
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delight in just
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destroying people.
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Let me be clear.
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God says in
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Ezekiel 18.23,
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I have no pleasure
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in the death
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of the wicked.
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The Scripture indicates
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that God does destroy
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the wicked,
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but it's not done
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in like a giddy
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spirit of excitement.
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It's not done
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with like maniacal
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enthusiasm.
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He destroys the wicked
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with a noble
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and heavy heart.
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It's not something
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he's just jumping
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up and down about.
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But he does it
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because he's going
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to be just,
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and he's going
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to display his righteousness
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and do what's right.
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But just think about that.
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He is destroying
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those who
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were created
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in his image,
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but are now broken
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and shattered
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because of sin
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and are rebelling
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against him.
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It is a mystery,
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but God takes
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no pleasure
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in the destruction
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of the wicked.
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He feels something
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for them.
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There's immense
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complexity
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in the heart
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of God.
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Not contradictive,
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but something
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that we as
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fallen,
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broken human beings
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can't really
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understand.
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So there are
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full,
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many different
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exhortations
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in the Old Testament
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to care for
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one's enemies.
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Proverbs 24,
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17 says this,
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Do not rejoice
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when your enemy
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falls,
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and let not your
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heart be glad
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when he stumbles.
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Even King David
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expresses such a
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heartfelt grief
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towards his enemy,
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King Saul.
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He has broken
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over the man
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who is seeking
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to kill him.
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So,
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Jesus is pointing
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out that the
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Jewish religious
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leaders have
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figured out a way
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to look at
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people who are
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non-Jews and say
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they are not my
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neighbor,
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they are my enemy,
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and I should hate
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them.
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They saw that
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your neighbor was
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only your fellow
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Israelite.
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Jews should love
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other Jews.
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Everyone else
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was considered
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considered an enemy,
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a Gentile
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treated as an
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enemy.
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So,
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as we begin
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to unpack this,
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Jesus is correcting
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this false teaching.
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And so,
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as Nathan kind of
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said last week,
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this is not about
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the state's
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authority to
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defend itself
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and declare war.
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This is not about
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whether or not
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you should have
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the right to
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defend yourself
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if attacked.
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This is not
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the context of
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what we're
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talking about.
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Those are topics
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that we could
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talk about
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another time.
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If you ask me,
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we'll talk about it.
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But this is not
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the main point
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of what Jesus
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is emphasizing
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today.
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So,
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I want you to
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examine your
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heart as we
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unpack this.
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And here's why.
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This commandment
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to love our
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enemies
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reveals every
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potential
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deficiency
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in our
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understanding
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of the
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gospel.
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And it also
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reveals every
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potential
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deficiency
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in our
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obedience
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to that
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gospel.
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Are you
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tempted to
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think that?
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Are you
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tempted to
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think,
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yeah,
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okay,
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but what
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about those
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people?
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Or what
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about this
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guy?
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I get it,
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but still,
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should I love
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this guy?
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Surely there's
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some sort of
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exception to
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the rule.
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And when we
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seek to wiggle
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free of those
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words,
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of this command,
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we're minimizing
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the gospel
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behind that
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command.
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So,
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pay attention
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and examine
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your hearts.
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Ask God to
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search you.
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So,
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we're going to
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unpack this
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in asking
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three questions.
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Number one,
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who is our
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enemy?
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Right?
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Who is our
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enemy?
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We can see it
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in verse 34
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that in one
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sense,
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it's those
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who persecute
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you.
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People on
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whose account
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you are
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suffering
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because of
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Christ.
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Those who
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are acting
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hostile
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towards you
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because of
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your relationship
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with him.
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The word
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actually kind
16:36
of implies
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people who
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are pursuing
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you,
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actively pursuing
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you with
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great hostility
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in order to
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inflict harm
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on you
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or mistreat
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you,
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in the hopes
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that they will
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cause you to
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flee,
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or drive
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you away.
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That's kind
16:52
of what
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persecution
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means,
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at least in a
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grammatical sense
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of the word.
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And it's done
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because of your
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faith in Christ.
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It's because of
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your attachment
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and relationship
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to him.
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We know
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that during
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the past
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century,
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there have
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been more
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Christian martyrs
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in the world
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than all the
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previous centuries
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combined.
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Just in
17:16
2018,
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okay,
17:18
three days
17:19
ago,
17:19
in Sri
17:21
Lanka,
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a pastor,
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his wife,
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and two
17:24
other believers
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were walking
17:25
home from a
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birthday party
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of a fellow
17:28
believer,
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and they'd
17:30
been experiencing
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some hostility
17:32
from local
17:33
Buddhists.
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And as they
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were walking
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home,
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attackers began
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yelling things
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at them
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and began
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throwing really
17:41
big stones
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at them.
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It struck
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his wife
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and one
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of the
17:46
other women
17:46
with them
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injured
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them severely.
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April 10th,
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just April
17:53
10th,
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Hindu
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activists
17:56
burned down
17:57
the home
17:58
of a pastor
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who had a
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wife and
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three children.
18:02
and they
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were on
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their way
18:04
home from
18:05
an all-night
18:06
prayer meeting
18:07
and they
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were getting
18:10
angry at the
18:11
evangelistic work
18:12
that he was
18:12
doing among
18:13
the Hindus
18:13
there,
18:14
and so they
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burned down
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his house
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and have
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been trying
18:18
to force him
18:19
out of that
18:19
area.
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This past
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July,
18:23
in Nigeria,
18:25
militant
18:26
Muslims
18:26
attacked Christian
18:27
villages,
18:27
killing around
18:28
200 and
18:29
forcing thousands
18:30
to be displaced.
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And very
18:34
recently,
18:35
in Columbia,
18:37
where we sent
18:37
a dear brother
18:38
of ours
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recently,
18:40
a pastor
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there who
18:41
was doing
18:42
gospel work
18:44
in one of
18:44
the most
18:44
dangerous,
18:45
poorest areas
18:46
in Columbia,
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he constantly
18:49
received death
18:50
threats from
18:52
paramilitary
18:53
groups and
18:54
guerrillas and
18:55
members of
18:56
street gangs.
18:57
So he's been
18:58
warned you'll
18:59
be killed if
18:59
you don't
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leave,
19:00
if you
19:00
don't
19:00
stop this,
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but he's
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remaining
19:03
faithful among
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the other
19:05
Christians who
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are there to
19:06
lead them.
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And they've
19:08
chosen to
19:09
stick it out
19:10
there because
19:10
they say
19:11
Christ has
19:11
taught us
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to love
19:13
our enemies.
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And it
19:16
goes on that
19:17
since they've
19:18
stuck it out
19:19
and really
19:19
asked God
19:20
to work,
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they're starting
19:22
to change the
19:23
attitude of the
19:24
community around
19:24
them.
19:25
People are
19:25
starting to
19:25
respect them
19:26
and wonder
19:27
why in the
19:28
heck they're
19:28
there.
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So according
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to Jesus
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in our
19:34
text,
19:35
persecution
19:36
doesn't
19:36
necessarily
19:37
have to be
19:38
violent,
19:39
meaning it
19:40
might not
19:41
put you in
19:42
the hospital
19:43
or in
19:43
prison or
19:44
in the
19:44
grave.
19:45
Earlier in
19:46
the discourse,
19:47
Jesus lumps
19:47
in insults
19:49
and slander
19:49
with persecution.
19:52
Verse 11,
19:53
blessed are
19:54
you when
19:54
others revile
19:55
you and
19:56
persecute
19:56
you and
19:57
utter all
19:57
kinds of
19:58
evil against
19:59
you falsely
19:59
on my
20:01
account.
20:03
So many
20:03
American
20:05
Christians,
20:06
we're so
20:07
weak and
20:07
we're so
20:08
soft and
20:08
we're so
20:09
overly
20:09
sensitive that
20:11
that would
20:11
seem like the
20:12
most violent
20:12
thing in the
20:13
world to us,
20:14
but put in
20:15
perspective in
20:17
many other
20:17
places in the
20:18
world and in
20:18
the context in
20:19
which Jesus
20:20
is speaking,
20:21
it's not
20:23
really worthy
20:24
to be
20:25
compared.
20:27
But he
20:28
says,
20:28
nonetheless,
20:29
Paul said,
20:30
when we are
20:30
reviled,
20:31
we bless.
20:33
And so,
20:35
persecution,
20:37
those who
20:37
persecute you
20:38
are in the
20:40
category of
20:41
an enemy,
20:42
but we are
20:43
to love them.
20:44
To go on a
20:45
little further,
20:46
if you look at
20:46
our text,
20:48
it could really
20:48
just mean
20:49
those who
20:49
oppose your
20:50
desires,
20:52
those who
20:52
are set
20:53
against you.
20:55
Many
20:55
Christians,
20:56
I've heard
20:56
it even
20:57
this past
20:57
week,
20:59
someone who
21:00
would say
21:00
that they
21:00
are a
21:01
follower of
21:02
Jesus,
21:04
quote,
21:05
I hate
21:06
those darn
21:06
liberal
21:07
Democrats.
21:09
And on
21:10
the other
21:10
side,
21:11
I hate
21:11
those
21:12
conservative
21:12
Republicans.
21:13
Some of
21:13
you wouldn't
21:14
consider
21:14
Republicans
21:15
conservative,
21:15
but nonetheless,
21:17
we have all
21:18
these divisions
21:18
that take
21:20
precedence over
21:21
who we are
21:22
in the
21:23
kingdom of
21:23
God.
21:25
And that's
21:25
total nonsense.
21:29
There's so much
21:29
junk like that
21:31
in the church
21:31
today.
21:32
We love or
21:33
despise someone
21:34
based on their
21:35
political views,
21:36
their social
21:37
background,
21:38
or their
21:39
ethnic background,
21:40
instead of our
21:41
identity as
21:42
children of the
21:43
Most High.
21:43
God
21:45
and the
21:45
gospel demands
21:46
that we
21:46
love all
21:47
who oppose
21:47
our personal
21:48
desires.
21:51
It's a
21:51
demand.
21:53
For God
21:54
himself is
21:54
kind to
21:55
those who
21:56
oppose him.
21:58
So,
21:59
to carry it
21:59
one more
22:00
step further,
22:01
if you kind
22:01
of look at
22:02
our text,
22:03
an enemy
22:04
could really
22:04
be summed
22:05
up as
22:05
those
22:07
who don't
22:08
love you
22:08
are someone
22:09
who is not
22:10
your brother.
22:10
another
22:13
illustration
22:14
of an
22:14
enemy.
22:15
If you
22:15
love those
22:16
who love
22:16
you,
22:16
what reward
22:17
have you?
22:19
Do not
22:19
even tax
22:20
collectors
22:20
do the
22:21
same.
22:22
And if
22:22
you greet
22:23
your brothers
22:24
only,
22:25
what do
22:26
you do
22:27
more than
22:28
others?
22:29
So,
22:29
you might
22:30
consider
22:30
yourself
22:31
a loving
22:31
person.
22:32
You might
22:32
consider
22:32
someone you
22:33
know to
22:33
be a
22:34
very loving
22:35
person.
22:37
But,
22:38
how far
22:39
does that
22:40
love extend
22:40
to those
22:41
who oppose
22:41
you,
22:42
those who
22:43
are different
22:43
than you?
22:46
Jesus
22:46
presses this
22:47
point with
22:47
unusual force,
22:50
as if he's
22:50
saying,
22:51
yeah,
22:51
even the
22:51
tax collectors,
22:52
the people
22:52
that you
22:53
despise and
22:54
consider to
22:55
be outsiders
22:56
and traitors,
22:57
even they
22:58
love the
22:59
people who
22:59
love them.
23:01
What's so
23:01
special about
23:02
this kind
23:02
of love
23:03
that you
23:03
think you
23:04
have,
23:04
if that's
23:04
where it
23:05
stops?
23:06
Then he
23:06
goes on
23:06
and says,
23:06
even pagan
23:07
non-believers
23:09
who don't
23:09
even know
23:10
God,
23:11
they care
23:11
about the
23:12
people who
23:12
care about
23:13
them,
23:13
and they
23:13
greet those
23:14
who love
23:14
them.
23:17
He is
23:17
saying that
23:18
the gospel
23:19
demands a
23:20
different kind
23:20
of love,
23:21
that is an
23:21
extraordinary
23:22
godly love
23:24
that is to be
23:24
demonstrated by
23:25
believers.
23:28
If you
23:28
consider
23:29
someone
23:30
on the
23:32
news,
23:33
we always
23:33
seem to be
23:34
pittered against
23:34
different
23:35
countries a
23:36
lot of
23:37
the time,
23:39
Muslim
23:39
countries,
23:41
for example,
23:43
we should
23:44
see them
23:45
as captive
23:47
to the
23:47
enemy and
23:48
be broken
23:48
hearted for
23:49
them.
23:51
I have a
23:51
couple of
23:53
dear friends
23:53
of mine
23:54
who were
23:56
in the
23:56
army,
23:56
they served
23:57
in the
23:57
ranger
23:58
regiment,
23:59
and they
24:01
have been
24:02
deployed
24:02
multiple times
24:03
to Iraq,
24:04
Afghanistan,
24:05
other places,
24:07
and because
24:10
of these
24:11
brothers'
24:12
love for
24:12
Jesus,
24:14
they realized,
24:15
man, this
24:16
is not
24:17
going to
24:17
solve the
24:18
real problem.
24:20
And now
24:21
that they
24:21
are out
24:21
of the
24:22
army,
24:23
they have
24:24
moved
24:25
themselves
24:25
and their
24:26
families to
24:27
closed,
24:28
dangerous
24:29
places in
24:29
the Middle
24:30
East to
24:31
share the
24:31
gospel with
24:32
Muslims.
24:33
that's
24:35
loving your
24:35
enemy.
24:38
So, to
24:39
go on, the
24:39
second question,
24:40
that is, the
24:41
first question
24:41
was, who
24:42
are our
24:43
enemies?
24:45
The second
24:45
question, what
24:48
does this
24:48
look like?
24:49
What kind
24:49
of, how
24:50
does this
24:50
love look,
24:52
look, excuse
24:52
me, what
24:53
does this
24:54
love look
24:54
like, is
24:55
the question.
24:57
All right, so in
24:58
other words, how do we
24:58
manifest this
24:59
love?
25:00
How do we
25:00
actually carry
25:02
out this
25:02
love?
25:03
Well, first
25:04
of all, we
25:05
see in our
25:06
text, to
25:07
pray for
25:08
them.
25:09
Praying for
25:10
our enemies
25:11
is a
25:12
humble
25:12
recognition
25:13
from God's
25:14
saving grace
25:15
towards us.
25:17
We would
25:17
be just as
25:18
evil as
25:19
they are, and
25:20
just as
25:20
lost as
25:21
they are, had
25:22
not God
25:23
saved us.
25:24
And it
25:25
recognizes
25:26
that unless
25:27
God acts
25:28
grace and
25:29
grant them
25:30
mercy, they
25:31
will remain
25:31
in that
25:32
place of
25:32
judgment.
25:33
So nothing
25:34
will transform
25:35
your heart
25:35
towards the
25:36
one you
25:36
consider to
25:37
be your
25:37
enemy than
25:38
getting on
25:38
your knees
25:39
before God
25:40
and pleading
25:41
with him on
25:41
their behalf.
25:43
Nothing will
25:44
change your
25:44
heart more.
25:46
When you're on
25:48
your knees
25:48
praying for
25:49
them, you
25:49
might do nice
25:50
things for
25:51
them, kind
25:51
of on the
25:52
surface, but
25:52
then behind
25:53
the scenes,
25:54
you're kind
25:54
of grumbling
25:55
about them and
25:55
despising them.
25:56
but praying
25:58
for them, getting
25:58
on your knees
25:59
in the presence
26:00
of God, who
26:01
knows your
26:02
heart and
26:03
has full
26:06
awareness of
26:08
your intentions
26:08
towards those
26:09
people, that
26:10
changes you.
26:12
Paul prayed
26:13
for his fellow
26:14
Jews that
26:14
hated him.
26:16
He says,
26:16
brothers, my
26:17
heart desire is
26:18
for them to
26:19
be saved.
26:21
And in doing
26:22
this, we
26:22
portray our
26:24
suffering,
26:24
crucified Lord,
26:25
when he
26:26
prayed.
26:26
for his
26:27
enemies.
26:28
Even in the
26:29
worst possible
26:30
position, Father,
26:32
forgive them, for
26:33
they know not
26:34
what they do.
26:36
So, the
26:38
first way we
26:38
actually can
26:39
manifest out love
26:40
towards those
26:41
that we might
26:41
consider an
26:42
enemy is to
26:43
pray for them, to
26:43
intercede on
26:45
their behalf before
26:46
God.
26:47
And then to go
26:47
on, it is
26:49
simply dismeaned
26:49
from our text,
26:50
just to greet
26:51
them.
26:52
If you greet
26:52
those who only
26:53
greet you, right?
26:55
To greet
26:56
someone means
26:56
to warmly
26:57
welcome them,
26:58
to receive
26:58
one joyfully.
27:00
To greet
27:01
someone does not
27:01
just mean that
27:02
you kind of
27:02
begrudgingly shake
27:03
their hand and
27:04
put on a fake
27:06
smile and a fake
27:07
conversation and
27:08
then forget about
27:08
them.
27:09
It's not just a
27:10
touch-and-go
27:11
thing.
27:12
It means extending
27:13
a friendly welcome
27:14
to one who you
27:15
consider to be an
27:16
outsider, to
27:16
someone who is
27:17
opposed to you.
27:18
So who do you
27:22
welcome and
27:22
greet into your
27:23
life and
27:24
welcome into
27:24
your home?
27:25
Is it those
27:26
who you know
27:28
that will repay
27:28
you and greet
27:30
you as well and
27:30
love you as well
27:31
or someone that
27:33
you know would
27:35
not love you in
27:36
return?
27:38
So if that's the
27:38
case, like,
27:40
where and what
27:41
kind of love are
27:42
we displaying to
27:43
the world?
27:44
What's so special
27:46
about us?
27:46
to go on.
27:50
A third way we
27:51
can manifest the
27:53
love of Christ to
27:54
other people, also
27:56
seen in the word
27:58
here, is to meet
28:00
their needs.
28:02
Know that true
28:03
love for others
28:04
actually takes
28:06
action on behalf
28:07
of that person.
28:08
We all know
28:08
that.
28:09
We don't just
28:09
want lip service.
28:10
We actually want
28:11
what we say to
28:12
manifest itself in
28:14
real life in
28:15
action.
28:16
not just words.
28:18
And so though
28:19
God hates evil,
28:20
he still brings
28:21
many blessings
28:22
in the life of
28:23
his enemies.
28:25
Jesus says,
28:26
for he makes
28:27
his son rise
28:28
on the evil
28:29
and on the good.
28:31
And he sends
28:31
rain on the
28:32
just and the
28:33
unjust.
28:33
It says in
28:34
verse 45.
28:35
And in Luke's
28:36
account of this
28:37
gospel passage,
28:39
this is what he
28:39
says,
28:40
this,
28:41
God himself is
28:43
kind to the
28:45
ungrateful and
28:46
evil.
28:48
So this is what
28:49
we would call
28:49
theologically
28:50
speaking,
28:51
common grace,
28:52
meaning that it's
28:53
the grace of God
28:54
and the blessings
28:55
of God that
28:56
extend to all
28:56
people,
28:57
regardless of
28:58
whether they are
28:59
saved or not.
29:00
God graciously
29:02
extends his love
29:03
to his enemies.
29:05
So as true
29:08
children of God,
29:10
we're to imitate
29:10
such love
29:12
towards our
29:12
enemies.
29:14
And in such a
29:14
way where it
29:15
leaves them
29:15
puzzled,
29:16
asking why,
29:17
like what kind
29:19
of power is
29:20
behind this
29:20
person to
29:21
enable them
29:21
to love me
29:23
in this way,
29:25
asking them
29:25
why.
29:27
Paul says
29:28
in Romans
29:28
12,
29:30
verse 17,
29:33
he says,
29:34
to the contrary,
29:35
and then he
29:35
goes on to
29:35
quote from
29:36
the Old
29:36
Testament and
29:37
Proverbs.
29:38
He says,
29:38
if your enemy
29:39
is hungry,
29:40
feed him.
29:41
If he's thirsty,
29:43
give him
29:43
something to
29:43
drink.
29:46
For by doing
29:46
so, you will
29:47
heap burning
29:47
coals on his
29:48
head.
29:49
Do not be
29:50
overcome by
29:51
evil, but
29:52
overcome evil
29:53
with good.
29:55
Have you ever
29:55
done that for
29:56
someone who
29:56
opposed you,
29:57
done something,
29:58
an act of
29:59
kindness to
30:01
serve them to
30:01
meet your need
30:02
and they were
30:02
astonished?
30:05
This is the
30:06
kind of
30:06
lower to
30:06
display.
30:09
And so,
30:10
the third
30:10
question,
30:12
the last
30:12
question,
30:14
is how can
30:15
we love
30:16
our enemies?
30:17
So, in
30:18
other words,
30:18
like, what
30:19
enables us,
30:20
what is the
30:20
power behind
30:22
this to
30:22
motivate us to
30:23
do such a
30:24
thing as love
30:25
our enemies?
30:26
That's a good
30:27
question, because
30:28
humanly speaking,
30:29
it's impossible.
30:30
I'm not good
30:32
at loving
30:32
people I
30:33
don't like,
30:35
or that are
30:35
opposed to
30:36
me.
30:37
I've even
30:38
gone through
30:38
seasons in
30:39
my life,
30:39
and this
30:39
has convict
30:40
me, where
30:42
I walk
30:42
around just
30:43
sizing people
30:44
up that I
30:44
think look
30:45
either hostile
30:47
towards me or
30:48
different than
30:49
me, instead
30:50
of feeling a
30:51
heart of
30:51
compassion towards
30:52
them.
30:55
This kind
30:55
of love
30:56
cannot be
30:57
faked.
30:58
It cannot
30:58
be imitated
30:59
in a false
31:00
way.
31:03
The love
31:04
that we need
31:05
to have for
31:05
these people
31:06
comes only by
31:08
the gospel
31:08
alone, and
31:09
only by the
31:09
power of
31:10
Jesus Christ
31:10
working through
31:11
us alone.
31:13
So, here
31:13
are three
31:14
things,
31:16
under this
31:16
question,
31:17
of motivations
31:19
or powers
31:20
behind the
31:22
ability to
31:22
love our
31:23
enemies.
31:25
Number one
31:26
is, God
31:27
will carry
31:28
out justice.
31:29
All right?
31:30
We're always
31:31
afraid to
31:31
think if we
31:32
just let
31:32
this go, if
31:33
we don't
31:34
repay them
31:35
for the
31:36
wrong they've
31:36
done to
31:37
us, they're
31:37
just going
31:37
to get
31:38
away.
31:39
They're
31:39
going to
31:40
go unpunished
31:41
and justice
31:42
will not be
31:43
done.
31:44
But what God
31:45
is saying is
31:45
be confident,
31:46
I will
31:47
handle this.
31:48
I will
31:49
deal with
31:51
this person.
31:53
Turn to
31:53
Romans 12.
31:55
We're going to
31:55
look at a
31:56
couple passages
31:56
in Romans
31:57
before we
31:58
close.
32:00
Romans 12,
32:01
go to
32:02
verse 17.
32:09
So, we're
32:09
unable to
32:10
love our
32:10
enemies because
32:11
we know at
32:12
the end of
32:12
the day,
32:12
God is
32:13
going to
32:14
carry out
32:14
justice.
32:18
Even if
32:19
they get
32:19
away with
32:20
things in
32:20
this life,
32:21
they won't
32:21
in eternity.
32:22
They will be
32:23
brought before
32:23
the judgment
32:24
seed of
32:24
God and
32:25
he will
32:25
deal with
32:26
it.
32:27
Romans 12,
32:28
verse 17.
32:30
Repay no
32:31
one evil
32:31
for evil,
32:33
but give
32:34
thought to
32:36
do what is
32:37
honorable in
32:38
the sight of
32:38
all.
32:39
If possible,
32:40
so far as it
32:41
depends on
32:42
you, live
32:43
peaceably
32:43
with all.
32:45
Beloved,
32:46
never
32:47
avenge
32:48
yourselves,
32:49
but leave
32:49
it to the
32:50
wrath of
32:51
God.
32:52
For it is
32:52
written,
32:53
vengeance
32:53
is mine.
32:55
I will
32:55
repay,
32:56
says the
32:57
Lord.
32:58
That is
32:59
a big
33:00
struggle for
33:01
me because
33:01
I always
33:02
want to
33:02
see justice
33:03
done.
33:03
If someone
33:04
has wronged
33:04
me, I
33:04
want to
33:04
see them
33:05
paid back.
33:08
Some of
33:09
you are
33:09
just better
33:10
than me,
33:11
I guess,
33:11
but I'm
33:12
very quick
33:13
to want
33:14
justice to
33:14
be done,
33:16
not forgetting
33:16
that if
33:18
God treated
33:19
me that
33:19
way, I
33:20
would be
33:21
separated.
33:22
from
33:23
him.
33:25
So we
33:26
are to
33:26
repay evil
33:27
with good.
33:29
God will
33:30
settle it.
33:31
Just trust
33:31
him.
33:31
We can
33:32
put that
33:32
in his
33:32
hands.
33:33
He will
33:33
carry out
33:34
justice.
33:36
With such
33:37
a holy
33:38
and sovereign
33:38
vow from
33:39
Almighty God,
33:40
we can
33:40
believe that.
33:41
Don't feel
33:41
like someone
33:42
is going to
33:42
get away
33:42
with their
33:43
sin.
33:44
And then
33:45
secondly,
33:46
another
33:47
motivation,
33:49
another
33:49
empowering,
33:50
so that
33:52
you'll
33:52
prove your
33:53
sonship.
33:55
Look at
33:55
verse 45.
33:57
We don't
33:58
have to
33:58
because you
33:58
just turn,
33:59
but verse
33:59
45,
34:01
Jesus says
34:01
about loving
34:02
your enemies
34:02
so that
34:04
you may be
34:05
sons of
34:06
your Father
34:07
who is in
34:07
heaven.
34:09
So loving
34:09
others the
34:10
way God
34:10
loved doesn't
34:11
make us
34:12
his children,
34:13
but what
34:15
it does
34:15
do is
34:16
it proves,
34:17
it evidences
34:17
that we do
34:18
belong to
34:19
God because
34:20
that kind
34:20
of love,
34:21
again,
34:21
can't just
34:22
be faked.
34:22
It can't
34:23
be created
34:24
by human
34:25
ability so
34:26
that if we
34:27
love the
34:29
way that
34:29
God does,
34:30
we evidence
34:31
ourselves to
34:32
be his
34:33
children.
34:34
It proves.
34:36
It stirs
34:37
the heart of
34:38
any parent,
34:38
though one
34:39
day I hope
34:39
to experience
34:40
this,
34:41
to be a
34:42
father,
34:42
but it
34:43
stirs any
34:43
good parent
34:44
to have
34:45
someone say
34:46
of them,
34:47
you are so
34:48
like your
34:48
father,
34:49
you are so
34:49
like your
34:50
mother.
34:52
And it is
34:52
our spiritual
34:53
DNA to
34:54
love other
34:55
people the
34:55
way that
34:55
God loves.
34:57
A supernatural
34:58
empowering kind
35:00
of love so
35:01
we can prove
35:01
our sonship.
35:03
And then
35:04
lastly,
35:04
and this is
35:04
huge,
35:07
another
35:08
motivation,
35:10
give what
35:11
you have
35:11
received.
35:12
And here
35:14
it is,
35:14
we can
35:14
love our
35:15
enemies
35:15
because we
35:18
have experienced
35:19
being loved
35:19
as an
35:20
enemy.
35:22
Many of
35:23
you have
35:24
come from
35:24
different
35:24
backgrounds
35:25
where you
35:26
are taught
35:27
God is
35:28
all-loving
35:29
and he'll
35:30
never do
35:30
anything to
35:31
hurt you
35:31
or he
35:32
won't judge
35:32
you.
35:34
On the
35:34
other side,
35:35
you might
35:35
have been
35:35
taught God
35:36
is holy
35:36
and God
35:36
is going
35:37
to destroy
35:37
you and
35:38
there's no
35:38
love in
35:39
him at
35:39
all.
35:40
And both
35:40
of those
35:41
are wrong.
35:42
Romans 5,
35:45
we'll end
35:47
things here,
35:47
but look at
35:48
Romans 5.
35:51
And I want
35:52
you to see
35:52
that God's
35:53
love is not
35:53
opposed to
35:54
his justice.
35:57
What kind
35:58
of love
35:58
God has
36:00
shown us?
36:02
Romans 5,
36:03
look at
36:04
verse 8.
36:05
It says,
36:05
God shows
36:06
his love
36:08
for us
36:08
and that
36:09
while we
36:09
were still
36:10
sinners,
36:11
Christ died
36:12
for us.
36:14
Since
36:15
therefore we
36:15
have now
36:16
been justified
36:17
by his
36:17
blood,
36:19
much more
36:19
shall I
36:20
be saved
36:20
by him
36:21
from the
36:21
wrath
36:22
of God.
36:24
So in
36:24
two verses
36:25
you see the
36:25
idea of
36:26
God's love,
36:27
you see the
36:28
reality of
36:28
God's wrath
36:29
right side
36:30
by side.
36:32
Then it
36:32
goes on in
36:33
verse 10,
36:33
for if
36:34
while we
36:35
were enemies
36:36
we were
36:37
reconciled to
36:38
God by the
36:38
death of
36:39
his son,
36:40
much more
36:41
now that we
36:42
are reconciled
36:44
shall we
36:45
be saved
36:45
by his
36:46
life.
36:47
And more
36:47
than that,
36:48
we also
36:49
rejoice in
36:49
God through
36:51
our Lord
36:51
Jesus Christ
36:52
through whom
36:52
we have now
36:53
received
36:54
reconciliation.
36:56
So this
36:56
so extraordinary
36:57
is the love
36:58
of our
36:58
father.
36:59
It extends
36:59
beyond his
37:01
kingdom to
37:02
his enemies.
37:03
God
37:05
demonstrated
37:06
his great
37:06
love in
37:07
the while
37:07
we were
37:07
rebelling
37:08
against him,
37:08
not while
37:09
we were
37:09
all put
37:10
together
37:10
and good
37:10
people,
37:11
but while
37:12
we were
37:12
his enemies,
37:13
while we
37:13
were still
37:13
in that
37:14
place of
37:14
rebellion,
37:15
God
37:16
demonstrated
37:16
his love
37:17
towards us
37:18
by sending
37:19
his beloved
37:20
son to
37:21
die the
37:22
death that
37:22
we deserve
37:23
and to
37:24
give us
37:24
the life
37:25
that we
37:25
cannot
37:25
live.
37:27
He died
37:27
in our
37:28
place.
37:30
God
37:30
demands
37:31
that we
37:32
recognize
37:32
this as
37:33
those who
37:34
belong to
37:34
him.
37:37
We were
37:37
separated
37:38
from him
37:39
and Jesus
37:40
restored us
37:41
back to
37:42
him so
37:43
that we
37:43
can know
37:43
him,
37:44
have
37:44
relationship
37:45
with him,
37:46
that we
37:46
can once
37:46
again reflect
37:47
who he
37:48
was and
37:48
glorify him
37:49
as we
37:49
were created
37:50
to do.
37:51
So if
37:52
God were
37:53
not that
37:53
generous and
37:54
merciful to
37:54
sinners,
37:55
we would
37:55
perish.
37:56
And so we
37:57
are to
37:57
reflect this
37:58
kind of love
37:58
that we
37:59
see in
37:59
the gospel.
38:02
And there's
38:03
no debate.
38:04
God loves
38:05
his enemies.
38:07
So,
38:08
in conclusion,
38:11
we see
38:12
in verse
38:13
48,
38:14
he ends
38:14
up by
38:15
kind of
38:15
summing up
38:15
this whole
38:16
section of
38:17
the Sermon
38:17
on the
38:18
Mount by
38:18
saying,
38:18
you,
38:19
therefore,
38:20
must be
38:21
perfect as
38:22
your heavenly
38:23
Father is
38:24
perfect.
38:25
So in
38:26
case anyone
38:26
was there
38:27
listening,
38:28
saying,
38:28
that still
38:28
thought,
38:29
I can
38:30
still be
38:31
good on
38:31
my own,
38:31
I can
38:31
still achieve
38:32
right standing
38:33
with God
38:33
on my
38:34
own,
38:36
he kind
38:36
of just
38:36
throws that
38:37
out there
38:37
to sum it
38:38
up.
38:38
You must
38:39
be perfect
38:40
as your
38:40
heavenly
38:41
Father is
38:41
perfect.
38:43
Which would
38:44
have
38:44
devastated
38:45
them because
38:47
God demands
38:48
total perfection.
38:50
So he
38:52
intentionally
38:52
does that
38:53
to make
38:54
them despair
38:54
of any
38:55
kind of
38:55
self-righteousness
38:56
they have
38:57
so that
38:58
they'll
38:59
flee to
39:00
him for
39:01
salvation.
39:02
To recognize
39:02
that they
39:03
will need
39:03
a Savior,
39:05
that their
39:05
own efforts
39:06
will not
39:06
achieve it.
39:07
And that's
39:08
what he's
39:08
saying.
39:08
He's like,
39:09
I'm here.
39:10
I'm the
39:10
one who's
39:10
going to
39:11
deliver you
39:12
from your
39:12
sin.
39:13
You cannot
39:13
do this
39:14
on your
39:15
own.
39:16
And that's
39:17
the marvelous
39:17
truth of
39:18
the gospel,
39:19
that we
39:19
could not
39:20
attain
39:20
perfection.
39:23
You ever
39:23
heard anybody
39:23
say,
39:24
nobody's
39:24
perfect.
39:26
They have
39:27
no idea
39:27
the intensity
39:28
and the
39:29
truth of
39:29
what they're
39:29
saying.
39:30
No, no
39:31
one is.
39:32
And God
39:32
demands it.
39:33
You can't
39:34
achieve it
39:34
on your
39:34
own, so
39:35
you go to
39:36
Jesus.
39:38
And it
39:38
says in
39:39
2 Corinthians
39:40
4, 21,
39:42
for our
39:42
sake, God
39:44
made Christ
39:44
to be sin
39:46
who knew
39:46
no sin,
39:47
so that in
39:48
him we might
39:49
become the
39:49
righteousness
39:50
of God.
39:51
It can
39:52
only come,
39:52
that righteousness
39:53
only comes
39:54
when we
39:54
are saved
39:55
completely
39:56
and fully
39:57
by the
39:57
work of
39:58
Jesus
39:58
Christ.
39:59
And once
40:00
united to
40:00
him, being
40:02
saved in
40:02
him, he
40:04
enables us
40:05
to live
40:06
righteously
40:06
before other
40:07
people.
40:09
So that's
40:10
it.
40:11
That's the
40:12
beauty of
40:12
the gospel,
40:13
that God
40:13
loved his
40:14
enemies.
40:15
And so
40:16
if you
40:16
feel and
40:18
you know
40:19
that you
40:19
are separated
40:20
from him
40:20
today, he's
40:21
calling you
40:21
to come.
40:23
Be reconciled
40:24
to him
40:25
through the
40:25
death of
40:25
his son.
40:27
And if you
40:27
do belong
40:27
to Jesus,
40:28
rejoice that
40:29
he did not
40:30
treat you and
40:31
did not
40:32
treat me the
40:33
way that we
40:34
deserve to
40:34
be treated.
40:38
Let's
40:39
pray together.
40:39
Let's
40:39
pray together.
40:43
pray together.