1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,120 If you have your Bibles, find Romans chapter 12 with me this morning. 2 00:00:03,280 --> 00:00:06,800 We're going to be finishing up Romans chapter 12 today, Lord willing. 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:10,120 And it has been a wonderful study looking at what it means to 4 00:00:10,120 --> 00:00:13,760 present ourselves a living sacrifice unto the Lord. 5 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:15,560 We see that in this chapter. 6 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:19,840 It tells us that it is our reasonable service to give our lives 7 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:20,520 to God. 8 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:23,520 And now he tells us how we're supposed to do that. 9 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:24,880 He tells us to be humble. 10 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:26,320 He tells us to be unified. 11 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:26,740 He. 12 00:00:26,810 --> 00:00:30,370 He tells us to exercise the gifts that he has given us through 13 00:00:30,370 --> 00:00:33,690 grace, to help others see the truth of Jesus. 14 00:00:33,690 --> 00:00:35,690 He talks about how we're supposed to love others. 15 00:00:35,850 --> 00:00:39,530 He talks to us about how we're supposed to empathize with other 16 00:00:39,530 --> 00:00:39,850 people. 17 00:00:39,850 --> 00:00:41,610 There in verse 15. 18 00:00:41,610 --> 00:00:43,130 Rejoice with them that are rejoicing. 19 00:00:43,130 --> 00:00:44,330 Weep with them that weep. 20 00:00:44,330 --> 00:00:47,250 He talks about us being unified in our minds in verse 16. 21 00:00:47,250 --> 00:00:50,810 And now we're coming to verse 17, and we're going to see him basically 22 00:00:51,690 --> 00:00:55,130 strengthen his argument that he gave all the way back to verse 23 00:00:55,130 --> 00:00:58,560 14 when he said, bless them which persecute you. 24 00:00:58,560 --> 00:00:59,760 Bless and curse not. 25 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,360 He now comes back in verse 17 to strengthen this thought, to amplify 26 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:04,880 this thought. 27 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:10,480 And he says, verse 17, recompense to no man, evil for evil. 28 00:01:10,960 --> 00:01:15,960 Here in this passage, really, for verses 17 through 21, we're seeing 29 00:01:15,960 --> 00:01:21,640 a Christian's response to when someone does wrong to you, the Christian's 30 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:22,560 response to evil. 31 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,890 And this is sometimes a very difficult thing for us and our flesh 32 00:01:25,890 --> 00:01:29,490 to understand because the world tells us a completely different 33 00:01:29,570 --> 00:01:30,210 message. 34 00:01:30,530 --> 00:01:32,090 The world tells us to get even. 35 00:01:32,090 --> 00:01:35,650 The world tells us to give back what is given to us. 36 00:01:35,650 --> 00:01:39,410 But here in verse 17, he uses this word, recompense. 37 00:01:39,890 --> 00:01:43,410 Basically, what this means is don't return evil for evil. 38 00:01:43,730 --> 00:01:48,250 And the reality is, is that we will have evil done against us, we'll 39 00:01:48,250 --> 00:01:50,370 have evil done around us. 40 00:01:50,750 --> 00:01:54,750 But the teaching here from Paul is this, though we might experience 41 00:01:54,990 --> 00:01:59,750 evil, though we might have evil done in our own life and in 42 00:01:59,750 --> 00:02:02,670 the lives of others around us, we are not to return that evil. 43 00:02:03,150 --> 00:02:06,670 He actually references a passage of Scripture found in Proverbs. 44 00:02:06,670 --> 00:02:10,230 Proverbs, chapter 20, verse 22, which is essentially. 45 00:02:10,230 --> 00:02:13,670 It's a direct quote from that passage that basically says that 46 00:02:13,670 --> 00:02:17,950 as a believer, as a person who has experienced the love of God, 47 00:02:17,950 --> 00:02:18,940 as a person who has. 48 00:02:19,010 --> 00:02:21,970 Who has experienced the forgiveness of God, it is not our 49 00:02:21,970 --> 00:02:26,090 job to return that evil back to a person who commits evil around 50 00:02:26,090 --> 00:02:26,450 us. 51 00:02:26,930 --> 00:02:28,370 The way we could put it is this. 52 00:02:28,530 --> 00:02:32,850 Someone else's sin does not give me the Permission to sin. 53 00:02:33,170 --> 00:02:38,050 Oftentimes we recognize that sin is bad, but we justify our sin 54 00:02:38,050 --> 00:02:40,210 because we have been sinned against, right? 55 00:02:40,210 --> 00:02:41,850 We're, we're able to say, you know what? 56 00:02:41,850 --> 00:02:44,650 I would have never done that, but that person did that, and that 57 00:02:44,650 --> 00:02:46,500 person made me do this. 58 00:02:46,900 --> 00:02:49,580 The Bible tells us in the book of James that we can't blame anybody 59 00:02:49,580 --> 00:02:51,220 else for our sin other than ourselves. 60 00:02:52,180 --> 00:02:54,100 So the idea here is this. 61 00:02:54,180 --> 00:02:56,620 There is going to be evil done. 62 00:02:56,620 --> 00:03:01,379 People will sin against us, but that does not give us a right 63 00:03:01,379 --> 00:03:03,700 to return that back to them. 64 00:03:04,660 --> 00:03:08,780 The Christian should, if they are walking in Christ in the Spirit 65 00:03:08,780 --> 00:03:13,990 of God, they should allow this opportunity, not to be an opportunity 66 00:03:13,990 --> 00:03:18,190 for sin, but a responsibility to point other people to Jesus Christ. 67 00:03:18,990 --> 00:03:23,470 The Christian should refuse to let another person's evil determine 68 00:03:23,550 --> 00:03:27,030 his or her response to what is going on in their life. 69 00:03:27,030 --> 00:03:30,110 And I think a lot of times what happens is, is that we are on 70 00:03:30,110 --> 00:03:31,510 track, we're doing the right thing. 71 00:03:31,510 --> 00:03:34,750 And someone comes in and says something or does something, and 72 00:03:34,750 --> 00:03:36,230 that knocks us off our track. 73 00:03:36,230 --> 00:03:40,080 And we get to a place in our life where instead of thinking that 74 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,720 I should honor God, I'm thinking about getting even. 75 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:44,320 And the world says, get even. 76 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:45,760 The world says, return it back. 77 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:47,840 If they say something bad about you, say something bad about 78 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:48,160 them. 79 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:49,760 If they hurt you, you hurt them. 80 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:53,800 But the Christlike believer should say, not. 81 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,560 I'm going to get even, but I'm not going to repay evil for evil. 82 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:01,400 And I'm actually going to use this as an opportunity to point someone 83 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:02,120 to Jesus. 84 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,370 And that's really the whole idea in this passage. 85 00:04:05,530 --> 00:04:10,730 Verse 17, all the way to verse 21 is all about using this opportunity 86 00:04:10,730 --> 00:04:14,330 when evil is done against us, to point people to the One who can 87 00:04:14,330 --> 00:04:16,810 change their heart, who can change their life. 88 00:04:17,210 --> 00:04:20,810 And he says in verse 17, recompense to no man, evil for evil. 89 00:04:20,890 --> 00:04:22,010 And then he says this. 90 00:04:22,250 --> 00:04:26,410 Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 91 00:04:26,810 --> 00:04:28,010 What's he talking about here? 92 00:04:28,820 --> 00:04:29,700 Well, he's saying this. 93 00:04:29,780 --> 00:04:35,300 Be prepared, think ahead, prepare your hearts and your minds 94 00:04:35,300 --> 00:04:39,540 for how you will respond in your life in the idea of reflecting 95 00:04:39,540 --> 00:04:40,340 Christ to them. 96 00:04:40,500 --> 00:04:43,860 I need to be prepared today as I wake up, as I go about my daily 97 00:04:43,860 --> 00:04:49,380 walk to understand that every decision that I make has an opportunity 98 00:04:49,380 --> 00:04:51,700 to reflect Jesus in my life. 99 00:04:51,780 --> 00:04:54,540 And so he says, be ready, provide things honest. 100 00:04:54,540 --> 00:04:56,440 Or in this case, honorable. 101 00:04:56,760 --> 00:04:59,000 The idea here is an honorable response. 102 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:03,440 How can I, as a believer honorably respond to someone who 103 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:04,520 is not Christlike? 104 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:09,000 The Christian's conduct should be honorable, not just before other 105 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:10,800 believers, because that's sometimes what we think. 106 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:13,480 Well, I need to be on best behavior when I'm at church. 107 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:15,720 That's sometimes what we think. 108 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:17,480 And I'll even make a joke sometimes. 109 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:18,760 I'm like, guys, don't lie about this. 110 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:19,560 You're at church. 111 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,920 But the truth is, is that this is not just when we're talking together 112 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:24,320 with other Christians. 113 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,840 I don't know if any of you have children and you've said this 114 00:05:27,840 --> 00:05:29,760 phrase, hey, you shouldn't be acting like that at church. 115 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:33,280 Well, really, maybe we should say, don't be acting like that anytime, 116 00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:33,520 right? 117 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,240 Because the idea is not that we are supposed to be a certain way 118 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:39,480 at church and then a different way when we're in the world or when 119 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:41,520 we're at home or when we're at work. 120 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,200 Here he says in verse 17, provide things honest or honorable 121 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:47,440 in the sight of all men. 122 00:05:49,050 --> 00:05:51,330 The idea that he's getting across here is that it's not just 123 00:05:51,330 --> 00:05:52,690 about building other Christians up. 124 00:05:52,690 --> 00:05:55,290 Even though we should act this way around other Christians, this 125 00:05:55,290 --> 00:05:58,610 is a way that we're supposed to respond to all men that we come 126 00:05:58,610 --> 00:06:02,890 across in this world as a testimony, as a light, as a hope 127 00:06:02,890 --> 00:06:06,010 for those that don't have Jesus as their savior. 128 00:06:07,050 --> 00:06:10,570 So our response to conflict is part of our testimony. 129 00:06:10,650 --> 00:06:12,170 I want you to think about that here this morning. 130 00:06:12,250 --> 00:06:14,170 It's not just how we act at church. 131 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:16,240 It's not just how we act in a ministry. 132 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,920 It's not just how we are when we're together in a Bible study. 133 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:25,600 Our response to conflict is also a testimony of who Jesus is 134 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:27,680 to us, because that's really when the test comes. 135 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:30,240 I don't know about you, but there's times in my life where I'm 136 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:32,760 not really tempted to be rude to somebody else. 137 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:35,520 When everyone's being kind to me, when am I tempted to be rude? 138 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:36,560 When there's conflict? 139 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:39,240 When am I tempted to do evil to someone else? 140 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:40,720 Usually when evil is done to me. 141 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:46,240 So the true test to our testimony is how do we respond in 142 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:48,600 the midst of conflict, in the midst of pressure? 143 00:06:48,840 --> 00:06:52,720 Because oftentimes when we are put to the press is when what's really 144 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:54,840 inside of our hearts and minds will come out. 145 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:56,360 And that's what he's saying here. 146 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,640 He says, be honorable in the sight of all men. 147 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:02,040 The way that we could put it as Christians is this. 148 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:08,280 I have to be responsible for my decisions that I am making in 149 00:07:08,280 --> 00:07:08,680 my life. 150 00:07:09,060 --> 00:07:13,340 I can't allow someone else to be responsible for my bad decisions, 151 00:07:13,340 --> 00:07:14,660 because that's often what we do. 152 00:07:14,740 --> 00:07:17,540 We Say, well, I would have been completely fine in my life. 153 00:07:17,620 --> 00:07:20,940 I would have responded in an honorable way if that person would 154 00:07:20,940 --> 00:07:22,180 have just been respectful to me. 155 00:07:22,340 --> 00:07:23,980 That person must be respectful to me. 156 00:07:23,980 --> 00:07:26,700 If they're not respectful to me, I'm not going to be respectful 157 00:07:26,700 --> 00:07:27,220 for them. 158 00:07:27,380 --> 00:07:29,300 And that's really what the world tells us. 159 00:07:29,300 --> 00:07:30,660 That's what our flesh tells us. 160 00:07:30,980 --> 00:07:34,260 But here what we're seeing is that we cannot look to someone else 161 00:07:34,490 --> 00:07:35,770 to dictate our response. 162 00:07:35,930 --> 00:07:38,290 We must look at Jesus to dictate our response. 163 00:07:38,290 --> 00:07:41,890 And Jesus would never have us living in a fleshly way, rendering 164 00:07:41,890 --> 00:07:43,290 evil for evil. 165 00:07:43,770 --> 00:07:46,530 So he says, provide things honest in the sight of all men. 166 00:07:46,530 --> 00:07:52,010 Let's use conflict and evil as an opportunity for our testimony 167 00:07:52,090 --> 00:07:54,250 to be seen to the world that we are different. 168 00:07:55,050 --> 00:07:57,050 And that's what Romans chapter 12 is all about. 169 00:07:57,050 --> 00:08:00,090 And really, the rest of the book of Romans, Romans 12 all the 170 00:08:00,090 --> 00:08:04,450 way to the end of the book is all about living differently, living 171 00:08:04,450 --> 00:08:07,730 differently than the world, living with a different narrative, 172 00:08:07,730 --> 00:08:10,850 living with a different hope, living with a different response. 173 00:08:11,250 --> 00:08:15,010 Because the world always responds in the way that makes sense 174 00:08:15,090 --> 00:08:16,530 to our flesh, right? 175 00:08:16,930 --> 00:08:19,890 To eye for eye, tooth for tooth, evil for evil. 176 00:08:19,970 --> 00:08:21,850 You know, be nice to those that are nice to us. 177 00:08:21,850 --> 00:08:23,250 But we looked at this last week. 178 00:08:23,410 --> 00:08:25,490 That's how the heathen acts. 179 00:08:25,570 --> 00:08:27,730 Everyone understands that we're supposed to be kind to people 180 00:08:27,730 --> 00:08:28,570 that are kind to us. 181 00:08:28,570 --> 00:08:28,810 But. 182 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:31,640 But the Bible takes it a step further for a believer, that we are 183 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:33,200 supposed to love our enemies. 184 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:36,080 We're supposed to do good to them that persecute us. 185 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:39,680 And so he says here, live honorably before all. 186 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:42,960 Not for them to lift us up and say, well, they're a great person. 187 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,119 It's ultimately to point people to Jesus. 188 00:08:45,119 --> 00:08:47,320 And that's what we're going to get to here in this passage. 189 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:51,600 And then he says in verse 18, if it be possible. 190 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:55,600 Now, I love this phrase because sometimes in our life we 191 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,760 cannot live at peace with others because they are not wanting 192 00:08:58,760 --> 00:08:59,160 peace. 193 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:04,440 But he says, if it be possible, as much as lith in you, 194 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:07,320 that phrase there essentially means this. 195 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,000 With all of your heart, with all of your efforts, with everything 196 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:16,760 in you, do your best to live peaceably with all men. 197 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:20,920 Paul recognizes that peace requires two parties. 198 00:09:21,560 --> 00:09:24,530 Let's say, for example, here this morning, someone comes in and 199 00:09:24,530 --> 00:09:27,650 they do wrong to me, and I want to live at peace with them. 200 00:09:27,650 --> 00:09:30,010 I'm doing everything that I can to live at peace with them, but 201 00:09:30,010 --> 00:09:31,850 they're not willing to reconcile with me. 202 00:09:31,850 --> 00:09:34,570 Well, the truth is, is that I will not have peace with that person 203 00:09:34,570 --> 00:09:36,530 because they are not willing to have peace. 204 00:09:36,530 --> 00:09:40,330 But Paul recognizes that, yes, there are two people involved, but 205 00:09:40,330 --> 00:09:42,850 you cannot control someone else's response. 206 00:09:43,010 --> 00:09:46,210 You can only control your response through the power of God. 207 00:09:46,530 --> 00:09:48,530 I can't force someone to think a certain way. 208 00:09:48,530 --> 00:09:51,840 I can't force them to respond a certain way, but all I can do is 209 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:56,640 be on my side of the the situation, to live peaceably to the 210 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:57,720 best of my ability. 211 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:01,520 So verse 18 tells us that we are supposed to pursue peace in our 212 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:04,640 life with all of our hearts, with all of our minds, with everything 213 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:08,040 in us, if it be possible, live peaceably with all men. 214 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:13,400 So do everything within your power to forgive, to apologize, to 215 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:18,150 speak truthfully, to refuse retaliation, to pursue reconciliation. 216 00:10:19,030 --> 00:10:22,070 I believe that there's times in my life, and I think if we're 217 00:10:22,070 --> 00:10:25,990 all honest with ourselves here today, that maybe we've all been 218 00:10:25,990 --> 00:10:29,430 a part of this, that we have not pursued peace or pursued unity. 219 00:10:29,430 --> 00:10:30,390 We want it to happen. 220 00:10:30,790 --> 00:10:32,950 Sure, I don't want to have conflict in my life, but I'm not 221 00:10:32,950 --> 00:10:33,750 going to pursue it. 222 00:10:33,910 --> 00:10:35,270 I'm not going to work for it. 223 00:10:35,270 --> 00:10:36,870 That person's going to have to work for it. 224 00:10:36,870 --> 00:10:38,310 But here in this case, he says no. 225 00:10:38,390 --> 00:10:40,710 The other side of the focus is this. 226 00:10:40,870 --> 00:10:42,870 I have to be the one who's in the right place. 227 00:10:44,560 --> 00:10:49,320 You may be able to make peace happen, but if you can't, don't make 228 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:51,280 it on your side, don't make it your fault. 229 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:55,120 You aren't the reason that peace is not happening. 230 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:56,080 It's that other person. 231 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:59,000 So here in this case, he says, do everything that you possibly can 232 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:01,520 to live at peace with everyone, with all men. 233 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,240 Not just other Christians, but all men. 234 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,120 That's the testimony that we're called to have as believers. 235 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:11,000 We're called to live a life above the conflict. 236 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:13,480 There's an opportunity for us. 237 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:16,800 There's a phrase that I had used with a fellow brother in Christ 238 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,000 a while back, and we were talking about this. 239 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:21,400 We're like, hey, we have to love above the conflict. 240 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:23,240 We have to love above the differences. 241 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:25,720 Now, again, the love is not an acceptance. 242 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:28,320 So if I'm having a conflict with someone, it doesn't mean that 243 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:30,760 if I love them, I'm accepting the wrongdoing. 244 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:33,360 And by the way, there is a place for justice which we're going 245 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:34,840 to talk about here in a few moments. 246 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:37,720 It doesn't mean that we overlook the person's wrongdoing, 247 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:40,680 but what it does mean is, is that we're loving them enough to 248 00:11:40,680 --> 00:11:44,680 not allow ourselves to feed back into that vicious cycle of evil 249 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:45,720 for evil. 250 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:53,640 He says in verse number 19, dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, 251 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:56,680 but rather give place unto wrath. 252 00:11:56,680 --> 00:12:00,640 For it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the 253 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:00,880 Lord. 254 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:05,440 Here in this case, he quotes Deuteronomy, chapter 32, verse 35. 255 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:08,270 He's reiterating something that the people would have already 256 00:12:08,270 --> 00:12:08,990 understood. 257 00:12:09,070 --> 00:12:12,790 It's not our place to get revenge, he says. 258 00:12:12,790 --> 00:12:14,910 It's it's not your place to get even. 259 00:12:15,550 --> 00:12:18,510 In this case, he's saying it is God's responsibility. 260 00:12:19,390 --> 00:12:25,270 It means that justice matters, but justice is not placed into our 261 00:12:25,270 --> 00:12:25,590 hands. 262 00:12:25,590 --> 00:12:28,790 It means that justice doesn't ultimately begin with me, but it 263 00:12:28,790 --> 00:12:29,950 ends with the Lord. 264 00:12:30,110 --> 00:12:32,270 God sees what happens in our life. 265 00:12:32,650 --> 00:12:34,570 God knows what happens in our life. 266 00:12:34,810 --> 00:12:36,210 He will judge rightly. 267 00:12:36,210 --> 00:12:39,810 And part of this is trusting that God will do what he says he 268 00:12:39,810 --> 00:12:40,170 will do. 269 00:12:40,170 --> 00:12:42,130 The Bible says, vengeance is mine. 270 00:12:42,130 --> 00:12:45,290 This is God speaking, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, 271 00:12:45,370 --> 00:12:46,250 sayeth the Lord. 272 00:12:46,250 --> 00:12:50,690 So what happens oftentimes is that we have something happen around 273 00:12:50,690 --> 00:12:54,370 us that maybe someone wrongs us, someone lies about us, someone 274 00:12:54,370 --> 00:12:57,530 says something to us, someone abuses us, whatever it might be. 275 00:12:57,850 --> 00:13:00,820 And we think it's my job to, to make it right. 276 00:13:00,820 --> 00:13:03,540 It's my job to bring about justice. 277 00:13:03,620 --> 00:13:06,540 Well here for the believer, it doesn't say that it's my job, it 278 00:13:06,540 --> 00:13:07,980 says that it is God's job. 279 00:13:07,980 --> 00:13:10,500 Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. 280 00:13:10,820 --> 00:13:13,700 Now why does this not come to pass in a lot of Christians life? 281 00:13:13,700 --> 00:13:17,500 Why do we overstep that and say, you know what, it's my job to 282 00:13:17,500 --> 00:13:18,180 make this even. 283 00:13:18,420 --> 00:13:21,940 Oftentimes it's because there's a faith element here. 284 00:13:23,060 --> 00:13:27,660 There is this idea that I must trust that God is going to do what 285 00:13:27,660 --> 00:13:29,260 he says he is going to do. 286 00:13:29,980 --> 00:13:34,300 So when I see this and I say, well, God tells me to make it a place 287 00:13:34,300 --> 00:13:36,460 where I trust him to do it. 288 00:13:36,540 --> 00:13:39,020 Vengeance is his, it's not mine. 289 00:13:39,100 --> 00:13:41,660 But I say, you know what, I see that, but I don't believe that. 290 00:13:41,660 --> 00:13:43,500 I think I need to step in and do this. 291 00:13:43,820 --> 00:13:45,340 It's essentially saying this. 292 00:13:45,580 --> 00:13:48,940 God isn't handling it the way that I want it to be handled. 293 00:13:49,100 --> 00:13:50,380 So I'm taking control. 294 00:13:50,860 --> 00:13:52,060 And essentially it's this. 295 00:13:52,310 --> 00:13:55,350 I'm not believing that God is doing what he needs to do. 296 00:13:56,790 --> 00:13:58,310 That's a lack of faith. 297 00:13:58,470 --> 00:14:01,590 A lack of faith is saying, I don't trust that God is going to 298 00:14:01,590 --> 00:14:02,030 do enough. 299 00:14:02,030 --> 00:14:03,830 I don't trust that God is strong enough. 300 00:14:03,830 --> 00:14:05,910 I don't trust that God is good enough. 301 00:14:05,910 --> 00:14:08,429 That's what we're really saying if we don't believe that God 302 00:14:08,429 --> 00:14:11,670 is doing what he says he's doing, we are then looking at it 303 00:14:11,670 --> 00:14:13,510 from the perspective that we know better. 304 00:14:15,430 --> 00:14:17,910 So it's this, really what it should be doing is this. 305 00:14:17,910 --> 00:14:22,300 When I refuse vengeance, it's saying, God sees this. 306 00:14:22,700 --> 00:14:23,980 I'm going to trust Him. 307 00:14:24,140 --> 00:14:28,180 I'm going to make sure that he is the one who is going to take care 308 00:14:28,180 --> 00:14:29,100 of this in my life. 309 00:14:29,100 --> 00:14:29,980 That's faith. 310 00:14:30,300 --> 00:14:32,620 It's believing that God is going to handle it. 311 00:14:32,780 --> 00:14:34,780 In his timing and in his way. 312 00:14:35,100 --> 00:14:37,900 We have to believe that God is going to make all things right. 313 00:14:37,900 --> 00:14:40,180 If we don't believe that God is going to make all things right, 314 00:14:40,180 --> 00:14:42,860 we have a major issue in our trust to Him. 315 00:14:43,180 --> 00:14:45,220 We have a major issue in our life of faith. 316 00:14:45,220 --> 00:14:49,440 Because if I trust that God is going to save me and bring me with 317 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:53,920 him one day for eternity to spend my whole eternity with him, 318 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:57,320 and I believe that he saved me, and I believe that his death 319 00:14:57,320 --> 00:14:58,640 is enough on the cross for me. 320 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:01,520 I believe that his resurrection is enough for me in 321 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:02,040 my life. 322 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:06,400 But I don't believe that he's good enough for this problem in my 323 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:06,920 life today. 324 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:10,200 I'm inconsistent in my faith and I'm probably lacking in many 325 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:11,800 other areas with my faith. 326 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:14,880 And so here it is a matter of faith to trust that God is going 327 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:16,640 to do what he says he is going to do. 328 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:18,160 I know it's difficult now. 329 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:22,840 What this passage is, is saying is that I must not retaliate. 330 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:27,160 This is not saying I, I can't stop evil around me. 331 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:28,640 That's not what this passage is saying. 332 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:31,800 This is not a passage of pacifism that says, well, you know 333 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:34,960 what, someone's harming me or harming someone that I love and I 334 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:35,960 just need to overlook it. 335 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:39,240 No, this in no way is saying I can't stop evil. 336 00:15:40,130 --> 00:15:43,170 What it's saying is, is that I don't render evil for evil. 337 00:15:43,170 --> 00:15:45,490 I hope you understand the distinction there. 338 00:15:45,570 --> 00:15:48,970 This is not turning a blind eye to those things around us that 339 00:15:48,970 --> 00:15:49,570 are going on. 340 00:15:49,570 --> 00:15:52,810 I think as Christians, we are supposed to stand up for the truth. 341 00:15:52,810 --> 00:15:55,490 We are supposed to fight for the One who doesn't have a voice. 342 00:15:55,570 --> 00:15:58,370 We're supposed to be the one who are protecting those. 343 00:15:58,370 --> 00:16:01,250 And the Bible even speaks of the importance of peacemakers and 344 00:16:01,250 --> 00:16:04,730 the importance of keeping that whole understanding of doing what 345 00:16:04,730 --> 00:16:05,130 is right. 346 00:16:05,130 --> 00:16:08,370 So it's not about turning a blind eye to the evil around us. 347 00:16:08,370 --> 00:16:11,410 But what it is saying is that though I'm trying to stop the evil 348 00:16:11,410 --> 00:16:14,970 around me, I am not supposed to give back to those that are committing 349 00:16:14,970 --> 00:16:15,410 evil. 350 00:16:15,490 --> 00:16:16,130 Evil things. 351 00:16:16,130 --> 00:16:19,250 I'm not supposed to reciprocate sin for sin in my life. 352 00:16:19,250 --> 00:16:20,690 And there's a big difference there. 353 00:16:21,170 --> 00:16:23,610 A lot of times people will talk about this passage and say, 354 00:16:23,610 --> 00:16:25,730 well, there's nothing that you can do about evil in your life. 355 00:16:25,730 --> 00:16:27,810 There's nothing that you can do about those that are sinning against 356 00:16:27,810 --> 00:16:28,130 you. 357 00:16:28,130 --> 00:16:30,570 Well, the truth is, is that there's certain areas that we can't 358 00:16:30,570 --> 00:16:30,770 stop. 359 00:16:30,770 --> 00:16:32,850 There are certain areas that we can build boundaries. 360 00:16:33,050 --> 00:16:35,690 There's certain areas that we can separate ourselves from. 361 00:16:35,770 --> 00:16:38,650 But at the end of the day, it's not about doing evil to them. 362 00:16:38,810 --> 00:16:42,090 It's about allowing ourselves to be in the light, in the truth, 363 00:16:42,090 --> 00:16:44,410 so that we can walk in accordance to God. 364 00:16:44,730 --> 00:16:46,890 And we know that because of the next verse. 365 00:16:47,930 --> 00:16:49,930 It's not just about avoiding evil. 366 00:16:50,810 --> 00:16:55,290 It's not just about holding back retaliation, but it's even more 367 00:16:55,290 --> 00:16:58,970 so, as verse 20 says, Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, 368 00:16:59,540 --> 00:17:00,100 feed him. 369 00:17:00,500 --> 00:17:02,260 If he thirsts, give him drink. 370 00:17:03,380 --> 00:17:06,900 He actually here is quoting another passage of scripture in Proverbs, 371 00:17:06,900 --> 00:17:10,580 chapter 25, verses 21 and 22. 372 00:17:10,980 --> 00:17:13,980 And what it's saying here is that as a believer, we're to think 373 00:17:13,980 --> 00:17:14,420 differently. 374 00:17:14,420 --> 00:17:17,300 One of those aspects of thinking differently is not just 375 00:17:17,620 --> 00:17:22,260 restraining evil against other people, but actually doing good to 376 00:17:22,260 --> 00:17:24,020 those that do wrong to us. 377 00:17:24,830 --> 00:17:25,230 And that's. 378 00:17:25,230 --> 00:17:26,950 That's a hard pill to swallow, even for. 379 00:17:26,950 --> 00:17:27,870 For me this morning. 380 00:17:27,950 --> 00:17:31,150 I think about times in my life where people do something to me and 381 00:17:31,150 --> 00:17:35,350 I can, at least by the grace of God, restrain my anger against 382 00:17:35,350 --> 00:17:35,630 them. 383 00:17:35,630 --> 00:17:36,910 And I don't retaliate. 384 00:17:36,910 --> 00:17:40,910 I mean, I even had a chance this week driving here in Middletown. 385 00:17:40,990 --> 00:17:44,910 There was a person who did something very dangerous, and I got. 386 00:17:44,910 --> 00:17:45,750 They got in my way. 387 00:17:45,750 --> 00:17:47,150 And it could have been really bad. 388 00:17:47,470 --> 00:17:49,950 And I had everything, you know, what I want. 389 00:17:49,950 --> 00:17:53,320 I won't tell you what I wanted to do, but I didn't. 390 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:57,200 God restrained me, and I just drove and went the opposite way and 391 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:00,120 had to do a lot of praying for the rest of that day to calm my heart 392 00:18:00,120 --> 00:18:00,440 rate. 393 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:02,800 But it's not. 394 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:06,240 As a Christian, it's not just about restraining myself. 395 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:08,200 Even though that's a good thing, that's a start. 396 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:12,160 But the indwelling of the spirit, yes, restrains me from doing 397 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:12,560 evil. 398 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:15,240 But also the Bible tells me to then do good. 399 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:17,920 And that's the step that a lot of us forget about. 400 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:20,470 We say, well, well, I'm not going to go off on that person that 401 00:18:20,470 --> 00:18:21,190 does wrong to me. 402 00:18:21,190 --> 00:18:23,550 But I'm never going to ever do anything good for them. 403 00:18:23,790 --> 00:18:25,510 I'm not going to go out of my way for them. 404 00:18:25,510 --> 00:18:27,630 Well, here in this case, was it saying, I. 405 00:18:28,270 --> 00:18:31,190 In some ways, I struggle with the fact that this is in scripture. 406 00:18:31,190 --> 00:18:33,830 I look at this and I say, yeah, but it makes so much more sense 407 00:18:33,830 --> 00:18:36,910 just to avoid them and forget about them and write them off. 408 00:18:36,910 --> 00:18:40,350 But no, it says here that if your enemy hungers, feed them. 409 00:18:40,590 --> 00:18:42,270 If he thirsts, give him drink. 410 00:18:42,270 --> 00:18:42,510 What. 411 00:18:42,510 --> 00:18:43,790 What is he talking about here? 412 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:45,320 Well, what he's saying is this. 413 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:47,400 There's a purpose to this good. 414 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:49,280 It's not just toleration. 415 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:51,720 And like, well, I guess I have to do good to these bad people. 416 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:54,200 And I. I guess they're just going to stay bad forever. 417 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:58,800 No, there is a purpose to this because it is our kindness that may 418 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:00,560 awaken our enemy's conscience. 419 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:03,640 And all we have to do is read the rest of the verse to understand 420 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:04,120 this. 421 00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:05,800 We have to understand context. 422 00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:09,720 Because like, if a person has never read the Bible and I say, okay, 423 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:12,170 guys, you supposed to be good to those that are bad. 424 00:19:12,170 --> 00:19:13,690 You're supposed to love your enemies. 425 00:19:13,930 --> 00:19:14,250 That. 426 00:19:14,250 --> 00:19:15,410 That doesn't make a lot of sense. 427 00:19:15,410 --> 00:19:16,810 And we want to know the why. 428 00:19:17,370 --> 00:19:20,690 Any of you that have ever had children, if they're like my children, 429 00:19:20,690 --> 00:19:22,010 they always want to know the why. 430 00:19:22,410 --> 00:19:24,650 Guys, we're not doing that why because. 431 00:19:24,890 --> 00:19:26,089 And I have to give them a reason. 432 00:19:26,089 --> 00:19:27,170 Sometimes I don't give them a reason. 433 00:19:27,170 --> 00:19:30,450 Sometimes my reason is this, because I'm your dad and you obey, 434 00:19:30,450 --> 00:19:32,090 and that's all there is to it. 435 00:19:32,570 --> 00:19:37,010 But as a Christian, there are going to be times when God just is 436 00:19:37,010 --> 00:19:38,010 going to say, this is the why. 437 00:19:38,010 --> 00:19:40,140 This you why is because I'm God and you're not. 438 00:19:40,140 --> 00:19:41,020 And that's how it is. 439 00:19:41,100 --> 00:19:43,980 That's how God even responded to Job in some instances when Job 440 00:19:43,980 --> 00:19:45,020 was asking questions. 441 00:19:45,740 --> 00:19:48,220 But the beauty is, is that within our relationship with God, 442 00:19:48,220 --> 00:19:51,860 he does give us the why behind many things, and he gives us the 443 00:19:51,860 --> 00:19:52,420 why here. 444 00:19:52,420 --> 00:19:55,060 Why are we supposed to feed our enemy? 445 00:19:55,060 --> 00:19:56,500 Why are we supposed to give him drink? 446 00:19:56,500 --> 00:20:01,500 He says, for in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 447 00:20:01,580 --> 00:20:03,340 Now, let me stop here. 448 00:20:03,340 --> 00:20:07,230 This is a passage of scripture that can be misunderstood without 449 00:20:07,230 --> 00:20:08,790 again understanding context. 450 00:20:09,030 --> 00:20:10,870 Because I've heard this preached this way. 451 00:20:10,870 --> 00:20:14,550 If you want to get back at your enemies and give them problems, 452 00:20:14,550 --> 00:20:17,150 just do good to them because you're just going to throw fire at 453 00:20:17,150 --> 00:20:17,430 them. 454 00:20:17,510 --> 00:20:20,790 Well, if we understand this context, this isn't about being excited 455 00:20:20,790 --> 00:20:24,510 about God's judgment upon them, because what do we see in the 456 00:20:24,510 --> 00:20:25,150 very next verse? 457 00:20:25,150 --> 00:20:27,830 Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. 458 00:20:27,830 --> 00:20:29,590 So we're understanding we're doing something good here. 459 00:20:29,910 --> 00:20:31,190 So what is he talking about here? 460 00:20:31,190 --> 00:20:34,570 What is he talking about heaping coals of fire upon our enemy's 461 00:20:34,570 --> 00:20:34,850 head? 462 00:20:35,650 --> 00:20:39,170 Well, in most cases, when this reference has been given in the Old 463 00:20:39,170 --> 00:20:43,890 Testament and the New, this is speaking of God's conviction and 464 00:20:43,970 --> 00:20:46,210 judgment upon an individual. 465 00:20:46,850 --> 00:20:48,850 You would say, well, then it's God's judgment. 466 00:20:48,850 --> 00:20:50,970 We should be celebrating God's judgment upon them. 467 00:20:50,970 --> 00:20:55,010 Well, no, it's our kindness is supposed to awaken our enemy's conscience 468 00:20:55,010 --> 00:20:58,130 to a place where that enemy needs to make a decision to follow 469 00:20:58,130 --> 00:20:58,610 God. 470 00:20:58,850 --> 00:21:02,290 So the enemy expects us to render evil for evil. 471 00:21:02,290 --> 00:21:02,470 Right? 472 00:21:02,540 --> 00:21:02,740 Right. 473 00:21:02,740 --> 00:21:05,900 So the average person, when they do wrong to someone, they're 474 00:21:05,900 --> 00:21:08,380 expecting that person to do wrong back to them, because that's 475 00:21:08,380 --> 00:21:09,660 the system of the world. 476 00:21:10,460 --> 00:21:12,580 Our enemy would expect retaliation. 477 00:21:12,580 --> 00:21:15,460 Our enemy would respect anger. 478 00:21:15,460 --> 00:21:19,020 Our enemy would respect all those things that the world tells 479 00:21:19,020 --> 00:21:19,260 them. 480 00:21:19,820 --> 00:21:24,460 But when our enemy, instead of receiving retaliation, receives grace, 481 00:21:25,260 --> 00:21:26,060 what happens? 482 00:21:26,220 --> 00:21:28,000 They experience a. 483 00:21:28,070 --> 00:21:30,590 A Christlike love and grace that they have never experienced 484 00:21:30,590 --> 00:21:30,870 before. 485 00:21:31,350 --> 00:21:35,950 And what we see is that our goodness causes that enemy to recognize 486 00:21:35,950 --> 00:21:40,590 the wrong that they have done and hopefully lead them to a place 487 00:21:40,590 --> 00:21:44,950 of shame, conviction, repentance, and hopefully reconciliation. 488 00:21:45,590 --> 00:21:49,830 And if the person refuses to repent from their sin, then yes, 489 00:21:49,910 --> 00:21:54,070 God is going to bring some level of judgment in their life. 490 00:21:54,860 --> 00:21:57,980 But we on our side have done what God has called us to do. 491 00:21:57,980 --> 00:21:59,740 The outcome belongs to God. 492 00:22:00,140 --> 00:22:04,020 So this heaping coals of fire upon someone is either going to bring 493 00:22:04,020 --> 00:22:08,460 someone to a place of shame, conviction, and then hopefully repentance 494 00:22:08,700 --> 00:22:12,140 and restoration, or it's going to bring them to a place of more 495 00:22:12,140 --> 00:22:14,660 rebellion and anger and frustration and bring them to a place 496 00:22:14,660 --> 00:22:15,340 of judgment. 497 00:22:15,420 --> 00:22:19,020 But instead of us rendering evil for evil and continuing that 498 00:22:19,020 --> 00:22:22,660 cycle, we render what is good to them, we return what is good to, 499 00:22:22,810 --> 00:22:25,570 and then it is God upon their heart, working in their lives. 500 00:22:25,570 --> 00:22:29,650 And so the whole idea, the why behind feeding our enemies and giving 501 00:22:29,650 --> 00:22:33,530 them drink is not so that we can get them in judgment of God. 502 00:22:33,530 --> 00:22:37,290 It's so that they can see the love of God and hopefully in their 503 00:22:37,290 --> 00:22:41,530 hearts see their wrongdoing and have that shame and conviction 504 00:22:41,610 --> 00:22:46,410 of what we are doing by responding in good to them and it's 505 00:22:46,410 --> 00:22:47,410 obedience to God. 506 00:22:47,410 --> 00:22:51,020 And ultimately that's what heaping coals of fire upon their 507 00:22:51,020 --> 00:22:51,820 head really means. 508 00:22:51,820 --> 00:22:55,660 It doesn't mean that if I want to get back at somebody, well, instead 509 00:22:55,660 --> 00:22:58,020 of me Saying something bad to them, I'm going to do good, and I 510 00:22:58,020 --> 00:22:59,460 hope it just plagues them for life. 511 00:22:59,460 --> 00:23:02,500 I. I hope that, that my enemy keeps feeling more pain, because 512 00:23:02,500 --> 00:23:04,260 that's contrary to this passage. 513 00:23:04,340 --> 00:23:07,740 This whole passage is about doing good to those that are evil 514 00:23:07,740 --> 00:23:08,180 to us. 515 00:23:08,660 --> 00:23:12,660 So me wishing torment for their life is not good. 516 00:23:12,900 --> 00:23:14,820 That's not doing good to them. 517 00:23:15,230 --> 00:23:15,990 So what's my hope? 518 00:23:15,990 --> 00:23:16,950 What's my desire? 519 00:23:16,950 --> 00:23:20,670 What's the purpose of giving love and grace to my enemy? 520 00:23:20,830 --> 00:23:23,910 So that they can understand that there's something different 521 00:23:23,910 --> 00:23:26,510 out there, that there's something more out there, that they 522 00:23:26,510 --> 00:23:28,270 can find forgiveness and grace. 523 00:23:28,350 --> 00:23:31,830 How can an unsaved person experience and understand the forgiveness 524 00:23:31,830 --> 00:23:33,870 and grace of God if they've never tasted of it? 525 00:23:33,870 --> 00:23:36,630 The only way that they can experience the grace and forgiveness 526 00:23:36,630 --> 00:23:40,310 and the love of God is through his children showing what has already 527 00:23:40,310 --> 00:23:41,230 happened in our life. 528 00:23:42,360 --> 00:23:45,840 So, for example, if I cannot reciprocate forgiveness to somebody 529 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:50,160 else, I might not be able to say that God has forgiven me. 530 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:53,160 Jesus even said that to some degree when he says, hey, if you're 531 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:55,920 not able to love people and forgive people and be patient with 532 00:23:55,920 --> 00:23:58,000 people, maybe you haven't experienced the love, grace, and 533 00:23:58,000 --> 00:23:59,320 patience from the Lord. 534 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:02,480 The whole idea is that the only way that I'm able to give grace 535 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:05,560 and love and patience and peace and all these things that he's 536 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:08,730 calling us to do here is because God has so abundantly brought 537 00:24:08,730 --> 00:24:12,450 that upon my life that I want those that are my enemies, those 538 00:24:12,450 --> 00:24:15,450 that are evil, those that are in sin, those that are unsaved, to 539 00:24:15,450 --> 00:24:18,090 see the difference in me so that they can ultimately see the 540 00:24:18,090 --> 00:24:20,330 difference in knowing Jesus for themselves. 541 00:24:20,330 --> 00:24:24,090 And that's what he's saying here in verse number 20, verse 21 542 00:24:24,090 --> 00:24:26,530 is, don't be overcome with evil. 543 00:24:26,850 --> 00:24:27,490 Do not be. 544 00:24:27,490 --> 00:24:28,810 Be not overcome with evil. 545 00:24:28,810 --> 00:24:31,290 That's what sometimes the testimony of a person is. 546 00:24:31,290 --> 00:24:31,570 They. 547 00:24:31,570 --> 00:24:33,050 They just have that evil done to them. 548 00:24:33,050 --> 00:24:36,330 And then instead of allowing that to be an instance of reflection 549 00:24:36,330 --> 00:24:39,050 of Christ, they allow that evil to overcome them. 550 00:24:39,770 --> 00:24:44,090 If someone hurts us and we respond by being hateful or bitter 551 00:24:44,090 --> 00:24:50,490 or vengeful or cruel, their evil has overcome us and now it controls 552 00:24:50,490 --> 00:24:50,810 us. 553 00:24:51,770 --> 00:24:56,450 The evil that they did to us is now essentially dictating our 554 00:24:56,450 --> 00:24:56,690 lives. 555 00:24:56,690 --> 00:24:57,530 That's what he's saying here. 556 00:24:57,530 --> 00:25:00,970 He says, don't be controlled by someone else's evil. 557 00:25:01,570 --> 00:25:01,810 Don't. 558 00:25:01,810 --> 00:25:03,170 Don't let that happen at all. 559 00:25:03,330 --> 00:25:08,010 He says, be not overcome with evil, but overcome or conquer evil 560 00:25:08,010 --> 00:25:08,770 with good. 561 00:25:09,730 --> 00:25:11,410 This is the point of all of this. 562 00:25:11,490 --> 00:25:15,330 The Christian doesn't overcome evil by being better at being evil. 563 00:25:15,330 --> 00:25:15,730 Right? 564 00:25:15,730 --> 00:25:17,010 I'm going to be more crafty. 565 00:25:17,089 --> 00:25:18,610 I'm going to be more vengeful. 566 00:25:18,610 --> 00:25:20,210 I'm going to be stronger than that person. 567 00:25:20,290 --> 00:25:24,050 No, a person overcomes evil by doing good in the face of evil. 568 00:25:24,210 --> 00:25:25,530 And that's the way of Christ. 569 00:25:25,530 --> 00:25:27,250 That's, that's what he has called us to do. 570 00:25:27,250 --> 00:25:29,970 That's exactly his example that he gave us. 571 00:25:30,230 --> 00:25:32,110 And you can see that in First Peter chapter two. 572 00:25:32,110 --> 00:25:34,630 I want you to turn there with me from Romans, and I want you to 573 00:25:34,630 --> 00:25:35,830 see the example of Jesus. 574 00:25:36,630 --> 00:25:38,950 If anyone gives us an example, It's. 575 00:25:38,950 --> 00:25:39,670 It's Jesus. 576 00:25:40,550 --> 00:25:43,950 First Peter chapter two might have said verse chapter three, but 577 00:25:43,950 --> 00:25:45,270 it's first Peter, chapter two. 578 00:25:45,510 --> 00:25:52,230 And if you go with me to verse 21, we see that Jesus is our example 579 00:25:52,470 --> 00:25:53,590 to live this way. 580 00:25:54,390 --> 00:25:57,990 And it gives us a great description of how Jesus responded 581 00:25:57,990 --> 00:25:59,270 when people did evil to him. 582 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:02,600 Now, I've heard people say, well, I'm not Jesus. 583 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:04,160 Well, of course we're not Jesus. 584 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:05,240 None of us will be perfect. 585 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:07,160 But isn't Jesus our example? 586 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:09,160 Isn't that what we're described to be? 587 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,400 Isn't spiritual growth being more Christ like. 588 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:15,120 It's not about being more like someone else within the church. 589 00:26:15,120 --> 00:26:18,800 I think that one of the major issues of spiritual growth is the 590 00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:20,520 issue of comparison. 591 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:24,600 I would even go as far to say that one of the issues of holding 592 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:28,540 us back from spiritual growth is, is, is the enemy of comparison. 593 00:26:28,540 --> 00:26:28,900 Why? 594 00:26:28,980 --> 00:26:30,900 Well, let me give you an example of this comparison. 595 00:26:30,900 --> 00:26:32,980 I talked about this in my Bible study here this morning. 596 00:26:33,060 --> 00:26:36,580 If I'm looking at this person right here, and let's say this person 597 00:26:37,060 --> 00:26:38,740 is in church every single day. 598 00:26:39,140 --> 00:26:42,100 They memorize all the different parts of the bible. 599 00:26:42,660 --> 00:26:44,220 They've got 25 ministries. 600 00:26:44,220 --> 00:26:47,220 I could look at that person and say, I'll never be like that 601 00:26:47,220 --> 00:26:47,500 person. 602 00:26:47,500 --> 00:26:49,300 I could never achieve those things. 603 00:26:49,700 --> 00:26:50,540 So you know what? 604 00:26:50,540 --> 00:26:54,040 Instead of me trying to do my best and serving God and, and growing 605 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:56,480 in Him, I'm just going to give up because I'll never reach that. 606 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:00,520 That leads me in a place of inactivity, which leads me to a place 607 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:02,800 of spiritual stunted, stunting my growth. 608 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:05,320 But then the other side of comparison would be this. 609 00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:08,400 I could look at this person over here and say, well, you know 610 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:08,560 what? 611 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:09,600 I do more than them. 612 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:10,880 I serve more than them. 613 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:12,560 I know more about the Bible than them. 614 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:13,240 So you know what? 615 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:14,960 I don't need to grow because I'm better than them. 616 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:15,280 Right? 617 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:19,600 Both of those comparisons lead us in the very same place of Inactivity 618 00:27:19,980 --> 00:27:20,860 and not growing. 619 00:27:21,020 --> 00:27:23,620 Either if I'm comparing myself to this person who does more than 620 00:27:23,620 --> 00:27:26,500 me, or I'm comparing my person to this person who doesn't do as 621 00:27:26,500 --> 00:27:27,020 much as me. 622 00:27:27,100 --> 00:27:30,420 Either way, that's a bad comparison because it leads me to 623 00:27:30,420 --> 00:27:31,900 a place of not doing anything. 624 00:27:31,900 --> 00:27:36,019 Because either I'm defeated or I'm in a sense of pride and apathy 625 00:27:36,019 --> 00:27:38,140 to think, well, I don't need to grow because I'm better than that 626 00:27:38,140 --> 00:27:38,460 person. 627 00:27:38,460 --> 00:27:42,460 We can always find someone who's doing more than us in religiosity, 628 00:27:42,460 --> 00:27:44,620 or we can always find someone who's doing less than us. 629 00:27:44,940 --> 00:27:47,620 So spiritual growth is not necessarily a matter of comparing 630 00:27:47,620 --> 00:27:48,780 myself to other people. 631 00:27:49,330 --> 00:27:50,930 It's a matter of comparing myself to Christ. 632 00:27:50,930 --> 00:27:53,610 And let me tell you that if you compare yourself to Christ, we 633 00:27:53,610 --> 00:27:55,730 all fall short of the glory of God. 634 00:27:56,130 --> 00:27:58,610 So that what that means is that we're always supposed to be 635 00:27:58,610 --> 00:28:01,170 striving to be more like him each and every day. 636 00:28:01,570 --> 00:28:04,690 Now, obviously Paul says, imitate me as I imitate Christ. 637 00:28:04,690 --> 00:28:06,210 Follow me as I follow Christ. 638 00:28:06,370 --> 00:28:08,850 But it wasn't the end all be all to follow Paul. 639 00:28:08,930 --> 00:28:10,530 It was ultimately to follow Christ. 640 00:28:10,930 --> 00:28:15,430 So here is an example to this first Peter, chapter 2, verse number 641 00:28:15,430 --> 00:28:21,710 21, and says, for for even here unto were ye called, because 642 00:28:21,710 --> 00:28:25,590 Christ also suffered for us, leaving us in a sample an example 643 00:28:25,750 --> 00:28:28,190 that ye should follow his steps. 644 00:28:28,190 --> 00:28:31,070 So here in this case, we're talking about different levels of 645 00:28:31,070 --> 00:28:34,390 submission, different levels of humility, going through different 646 00:28:34,390 --> 00:28:37,590 struggles, going through a pain and suffering. 647 00:28:37,990 --> 00:28:39,710 And he says, hey, expect this. 648 00:28:39,710 --> 00:28:41,790 If you're following Christ, this is what's going to happen. 649 00:28:41,790 --> 00:28:42,150 Why? 650 00:28:42,470 --> 00:28:43,670 Because he's our example. 651 00:28:43,670 --> 00:28:45,190 We're supposed to follow him. 652 00:28:45,910 --> 00:28:50,310 But now here's his example, verse 22, who did no sin. 653 00:28:51,510 --> 00:28:53,750 Now this is where we're different than Jesus. 654 00:28:54,070 --> 00:28:57,270 We commit sin, he committed no sin. 655 00:28:57,590 --> 00:28:58,950 And then it goes on to say this. 656 00:28:59,270 --> 00:29:03,950 Neither was guile or lies found in his mouth. 657 00:29:03,950 --> 00:29:06,150 Jesus never said the wrong thing. 658 00:29:06,150 --> 00:29:08,910 Jesus never responded to in anger. 659 00:29:08,990 --> 00:29:12,550 When it came to sinful anger, Jesus responded in anger in a few 660 00:29:12,550 --> 00:29:14,590 instances, but it was always righteous indignation. 661 00:29:14,590 --> 00:29:17,390 But that word guile there means deceitfulness. 662 00:29:17,630 --> 00:29:18,670 It means lying. 663 00:29:19,390 --> 00:29:22,030 Jesus never responded in hateful speech. 664 00:29:22,030 --> 00:29:26,110 Then it says in verse 23, who, when he was reviled, reviled not 665 00:29:26,110 --> 00:29:26,430 again. 666 00:29:26,590 --> 00:29:28,990 That's the principle that we see in Romans chapter 12. 667 00:29:29,150 --> 00:29:30,790 Jesus certainly was reviled. 668 00:29:30,790 --> 00:29:32,350 Jesus certainly was persecuted. 669 00:29:32,510 --> 00:29:35,470 There was evil done to him, but he did not respond in evil. 670 00:29:36,450 --> 00:29:40,570 When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself 671 00:29:40,570 --> 00:29:45,370 to him that judgeth righteously Isn't that what we're 672 00:29:45,370 --> 00:29:46,050 supposed to do? 673 00:29:46,050 --> 00:29:49,010 We commit ourselves to God, who is the righteous judge. 674 00:29:49,250 --> 00:29:50,690 God is going to make this right. 675 00:29:50,770 --> 00:29:56,130 So Jesus, as our example, did not respond in his persecution with 676 00:29:56,130 --> 00:29:57,170 more persecution. 677 00:29:57,170 --> 00:29:59,810 He did not respond with evil for more evil. 678 00:29:59,890 --> 00:30:03,450 It says right there at the end of verse 23, he committed himself 679 00:30:03,450 --> 00:30:08,970 to him, the Father that judges righteously, who his own self, bear 680 00:30:08,970 --> 00:30:12,450 our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to 681 00:30:12,450 --> 00:30:15,930 sins, should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes ye 682 00:30:15,930 --> 00:30:16,970 were healed. 683 00:30:17,850 --> 00:30:21,850 The Bible says that we now have an opportunity to live in this 684 00:30:21,850 --> 00:30:24,890 type of righteousness because of what Jesus Christ has done. 685 00:30:24,970 --> 00:30:27,530 The change is not me trying harder. 686 00:30:27,530 --> 00:30:30,330 The change is not me comparing myself to somebody else. 687 00:30:30,610 --> 00:30:33,810 The change and the hope of living the way that Romans 12 tells 688 00:30:33,810 --> 00:30:37,570 us to live is by responding to what Jesus has done and allowing 689 00:30:37,570 --> 00:30:40,530 him to rule and reign in our lives and giving us an opportunity 690 00:30:40,530 --> 00:30:44,930 to see Jesus give us the victory in overcoming evil with good. 691 00:30:45,650 --> 00:30:49,970 So here in this passage, he references the Old Testament, Proverbs, 692 00:30:49,970 --> 00:30:53,530 chapter 20, verse 22, that was, don't repay evil with evil, 693 00:30:53,530 --> 00:30:54,530 but wait on the Lord. 694 00:30:54,530 --> 00:30:56,130 Deuteronomy 32, 35. 695 00:30:56,130 --> 00:30:57,570 Vengeance belongs to God. 696 00:30:57,910 --> 00:31:01,310 And ultimately he tells us that it's not just restraint, but 697 00:31:01,310 --> 00:31:03,030 it's also giving that grace. 698 00:31:03,270 --> 00:31:06,310 Paul takes those principles and he applies them to the believer 699 00:31:06,310 --> 00:31:07,750 living under the Gospel. 700 00:31:08,470 --> 00:31:11,910 Sometimes people will say, there's no, you know, just get saved, 701 00:31:12,950 --> 00:31:15,510 trust in Jesus, and then you know you're going to heaven, so just 702 00:31:15,510 --> 00:31:16,470 live the way you want to live. 703 00:31:17,350 --> 00:31:18,870 That's not biblical. 704 00:31:19,270 --> 00:31:22,950 Though we will make mistakes, though we will struggle, though we 705 00:31:22,950 --> 00:31:25,350 will turn to sin in certain instances in our life. 706 00:31:25,350 --> 00:31:27,340 And it doesn't mean that we lose our salvation. 707 00:31:27,420 --> 00:31:29,820 The call from God is to live differently. 708 00:31:29,820 --> 00:31:32,860 The call to God is to present our bodies a living sacrifice. 709 00:31:33,020 --> 00:31:35,380 It's not just getting a ticket that's stamped to heaven. 710 00:31:35,380 --> 00:31:38,500 It's about, yes, I get to go to heaven now I'm going to live differently. 711 00:31:38,500 --> 00:31:41,620 And Romans 12 is all about living differently to those that 712 00:31:41,620 --> 00:31:44,180 are within the church, to those that love us, to those that 713 00:31:44,180 --> 00:31:45,740 don't love us, to those that do evil. 714 00:31:45,820 --> 00:31:47,500 It's all about being different. 715 00:31:47,500 --> 00:31:50,620 And so Christ's full connection is this. 716 00:31:50,780 --> 00:31:53,980 He is the perfect embodiment of Romans chapter 12. 717 00:31:54,660 --> 00:31:57,540 Jesus gave us what it meant to be sacrificial. 718 00:31:57,540 --> 00:32:00,940 He gave us what it meant to be loving, gracious towards those that 719 00:32:00,940 --> 00:32:01,900 are harmful to him. 720 00:32:01,900 --> 00:32:03,940 When he was reviled, he did not revile back. 721 00:32:03,940 --> 00:32:06,340 When he was persecuted, he didn't Retaliate. 722 00:32:06,420 --> 00:32:09,900 When he was falsely accused, he just trusted God to make it all 723 00:32:09,900 --> 00:32:10,180 right. 724 00:32:10,420 --> 00:32:13,580 When he was hated, he prayed for his enemies, and ultimately, 725 00:32:13,580 --> 00:32:16,260 as he was killed, he gave his life for sinners. 726 00:32:16,980 --> 00:32:20,580 So Peter summarizes it there and he tells us exactly what Paul 727 00:32:20,580 --> 00:32:22,180 is telling us in Romans chapter 12. 728 00:32:22,570 --> 00:32:24,930 It's about becoming more and more like Jesus. 729 00:32:24,930 --> 00:32:28,090 And it ties us back to Romans chapter 12, verse 1. 730 00:32:28,090 --> 00:32:30,330 That's where Paul starts and that's where he finishes. 731 00:32:30,330 --> 00:32:35,530 Here in this chapter, he says, by the mercies of God, you present 732 00:32:35,530 --> 00:32:37,050 your bodies a living sacrifice. 733 00:32:38,090 --> 00:32:42,210 I know the human mind thinks about Romans 12 and says, that's 734 00:32:42,210 --> 00:32:42,810 impossible. 735 00:32:43,370 --> 00:32:48,170 I could never be a person who gives food and drink to my enemy. 736 00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:52,280 I could never be a person who completely rejoices with those that 737 00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:54,520 are rejoicing, weeping with those that are weeping. 738 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:57,760 I couldn't be a person who doesn't seek revenge. 739 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:02,120 I couldn't be a person who all these things are telling us to follow 740 00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:02,440 here. 741 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:03,760 I could never be this type of person. 742 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:05,440 Well, in and of our flesh, we can't be. 743 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:08,640 But because of the mercies of God, we're able to do these things. 744 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:11,760 God calls us to do impossible things. 745 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:14,560 And the Bible says, without him, we can't do that. 746 00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:15,440 John 15:5. 747 00:33:15,740 --> 00:33:17,580 Jesus says, without me you can do nothing. 748 00:33:17,820 --> 00:33:21,140 But he also says in the New Testament, with me all things are 749 00:33:21,140 --> 00:33:21,500 possible. 750 00:33:22,380 --> 00:33:24,860 So if we look at the Christian life and we say, yeah, that's impossible. 751 00:33:24,940 --> 00:33:27,660 That's just Jesus using an exaggeration. 752 00:33:27,900 --> 00:33:30,740 That's just Jesus going beyond and saying, yeah, this is really 753 00:33:30,740 --> 00:33:31,619 what you should be doing. 754 00:33:31,619 --> 00:33:32,940 But we know you'll never do that. 755 00:33:32,940 --> 00:33:34,140 The idea here is this. 756 00:33:34,140 --> 00:33:37,820 Yes, God can change our heart, he can change our minds. 757 00:33:37,820 --> 00:33:40,860 And that's what he says there in verse one of the chapter. 758 00:33:40,860 --> 00:33:43,680 He says, present your bodies a living sacrifice. 759 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:44,000 Why? 760 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:47,160 Because of the mercies of God, folks, let me tell you. 761 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:49,240 The only reason you have what you have in your life, the only reason 762 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:52,640 I have what I have in my life is because of the mercies of God. 763 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:56,880 We sang the song this morning, yet not I, but Christ in me. 764 00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:01,040 If you're tempted to think that your accomplishments have been 765 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,560 because of you, if you're a believer here this morning, those 766 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:06,480 gifts are given to you by God through His grace. 767 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:09,250 Every day is a new mercy. 768 00:34:10,290 --> 00:34:14,250 The fact that you have breath, the fact that you have life, the 769 00:34:14,250 --> 00:34:17,610 fact that you're able to come here to this church today, the fact 770 00:34:17,610 --> 00:34:20,250 that you have folks in your life that care about you, that's 771 00:34:20,250 --> 00:34:25,170 all by the mercies of God and ultimately, ultimately the grace 772 00:34:25,170 --> 00:34:27,890 that God gives us and the salvation that we find in him and 773 00:34:27,890 --> 00:34:31,130 the forgiveness that we find in him is because of his mercy to 774 00:34:31,130 --> 00:34:31,410 us. 775 00:34:32,770 --> 00:34:37,710 He says, because of his mercy, we present our bodies a living sacrifice, 776 00:34:37,870 --> 00:34:41,230 not conformed to this world, but being transformed by the renewing 777 00:34:41,230 --> 00:34:41,870 of our mind. 778 00:34:41,870 --> 00:34:45,510 We think differently, and that's how we live out the will of 779 00:34:45,510 --> 00:34:46,590 God in our lives. 780 00:34:47,150 --> 00:34:49,870 So if you've been struggling with the idea of the Christian life 781 00:34:49,870 --> 00:34:52,630 and thinking, I could never be that way, I could never act that 782 00:34:52,630 --> 00:34:56,030 way, I could never forgive somebody, I could never hold back 783 00:34:56,030 --> 00:34:59,110 and allow God to take care of this well in our flesh, that might 784 00:34:59,110 --> 00:35:02,970 be true, but in the mercy of God and in the spirit of God and 785 00:35:02,970 --> 00:35:05,650 the change that he brings in our life and that transformation 786 00:35:05,810 --> 00:35:08,970 that he brings in our life, yes, we're able to see things in 787 00:35:08,970 --> 00:35:10,610 our life that we never expected before. 788 00:35:11,570 --> 00:35:12,850 Doesn't mean that you're going to be perfect. 789 00:35:12,850 --> 00:35:15,770 It doesn't mean that all of us are on the same path of, of. 790 00:35:15,770 --> 00:35:16,370 Of growth. 791 00:35:16,450 --> 00:35:19,410 Some of us are on different levels right now. 792 00:35:19,410 --> 00:35:20,770 Some of us are new Christians. 793 00:35:20,770 --> 00:35:22,530 Some of us have just started the walk. 794 00:35:22,610 --> 00:35:24,610 Some of us have been Christians for 50 years. 795 00:35:25,090 --> 00:35:27,770 And so the, the person who's been saved for 50 years is going 796 00:35:27,770 --> 00:35:30,290 to be looking a little bit differently, should be looking a 797 00:35:30,290 --> 00:35:32,210 little bit differently than someone who got saved last week. 798 00:35:32,530 --> 00:35:35,610 But that doesn't mean that one person has more grace than another 799 00:35:35,610 --> 00:35:35,930 person. 800 00:35:35,930 --> 00:35:39,170 It just means that one person has experienced God more in their 801 00:35:39,170 --> 00:35:39,490 life. 802 00:35:39,650 --> 00:35:41,890 I want to take you to one last passage of Scripture. 803 00:35:41,890 --> 00:35:45,050 Then we're going to kind of conclude with our thoughts here this 804 00:35:45,050 --> 00:35:45,210 morning. 805 00:35:45,210 --> 00:35:47,730 I want you to go to 2 Corinthians, chapter 5. 806 00:35:49,090 --> 00:35:51,850 One of the amazing things about our salvation is that we get 807 00:35:51,850 --> 00:35:53,810 to spend eternity with our Savior. 808 00:35:54,070 --> 00:35:55,190 That's amazing. 809 00:35:55,190 --> 00:35:59,230 That's the hope that endures in our life, that we're not living 810 00:35:59,230 --> 00:36:01,190 for this world, if we're living for this world. 811 00:36:01,510 --> 00:36:04,110 Paul mentions this in, in, in First Corinthians. 812 00:36:04,110 --> 00:36:07,270 He says, basically, if all we're living for in this world is 813 00:36:07,270 --> 00:36:08,710 this world, it's hopeless. 814 00:36:09,510 --> 00:36:13,270 I mean, I get, you know, a certain amount of years, a certain 815 00:36:13,270 --> 00:36:14,630 amount of money, but then that's it. 816 00:36:14,630 --> 00:36:14,910 That's. 817 00:36:14,910 --> 00:36:15,150 That's. 818 00:36:15,150 --> 00:36:15,830 That's the end. 819 00:36:15,910 --> 00:36:18,870 But the Bible tells us that as a believer, we have something more. 820 00:36:18,870 --> 00:36:20,310 We're living for eternity. 821 00:36:21,990 --> 00:36:23,150 But that's not where it stops. 822 00:36:23,150 --> 00:36:27,910 He says in Second Corinthians, Chapter 5, verse number 17, this 823 00:36:27,910 --> 00:36:28,710 amazing thing. 824 00:36:29,110 --> 00:36:34,110 He says, therefore, if any man, any person be in Christ that's 825 00:36:34,110 --> 00:36:35,430 having salvation in him. 826 00:36:35,750 --> 00:36:38,470 He is a new creature or a new creation. 827 00:36:38,950 --> 00:36:40,270 Old things are passed away. 828 00:36:40,270 --> 00:36:42,390 Behold, all things are become new. 829 00:36:43,510 --> 00:36:45,750 That means that yes, one day we will be with him. 830 00:36:45,750 --> 00:36:47,790 But right now, God is changing us. 831 00:36:47,790 --> 00:36:49,110 God is growing us. 832 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:52,320 God is making us think different ways, respond in different 833 00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:52,800 ways. 834 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:55,360 And there's going to be times where we stumble. 835 00:36:56,000 --> 00:37:00,880 The Bible says in the book of Psalms that though he fall, he shall 836 00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:04,640 not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholds him with his hand 837 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:05,840 books. 838 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:07,360 There's gonna be times when you struggle in this. 839 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:10,520 There's gonna be times when someone sins against you and you 840 00:37:10,520 --> 00:37:11,000 say, you know what? 841 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:12,240 I'm gonna respond back. 842 00:37:12,240 --> 00:37:14,080 And you respond back in the flesh. 843 00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:16,320 Yes, there's gonna be times when that happens. 844 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:19,630 But what the Bible says is that in that moment we should recognize 845 00:37:19,790 --> 00:37:21,150 that that is the wrong thing. 846 00:37:21,150 --> 00:37:24,510 We should be pricked with the conviction of the Holy Spirit. 847 00:37:24,510 --> 00:37:25,710 We should make that right. 848 00:37:25,790 --> 00:37:29,190 And we should learn from that decision that we made, learn from 849 00:37:29,190 --> 00:37:32,030 that bad decision, learn from that fleshly decision, and understand 850 00:37:32,030 --> 00:37:33,470 that we don't have to do that. 851 00:37:33,470 --> 00:37:35,390 That's not our default setting anymore. 852 00:37:35,470 --> 00:37:38,270 Our default setting now is that we're new creations. 853 00:37:38,270 --> 00:37:42,270 We're transformed by the renewing of our mind. 854 00:37:42,670 --> 00:37:44,590 And God has called us to be different. 855 00:37:45,430 --> 00:37:48,510 And so as we come to the end of Romans, chapter 12, we see that 856 00:37:48,510 --> 00:37:49,350 the world is evil. 857 00:37:49,350 --> 00:37:50,630 We know that the world is evil. 858 00:37:50,790 --> 00:37:55,270 There might have been a time when maybe some of you and even myself 859 00:37:55,350 --> 00:37:57,670 thought that, well, there people are generally good. 860 00:37:58,150 --> 00:37:59,750 You know, the world is generally good. 861 00:38:00,070 --> 00:38:03,790 I think if we just open our eyes, turn on the news, take any 862 00:38:03,790 --> 00:38:07,710 time, we realize that the world is evil and there's evil around 863 00:38:07,710 --> 00:38:08,070 us. 864 00:38:08,310 --> 00:38:11,190 So there's no way of getting around that the world is evil. 865 00:38:11,190 --> 00:38:16,720 But as a Christian, we don't allow the evil around us and evil 866 00:38:16,720 --> 00:38:19,640 that maybe we've even experienced to dictate our life. 867 00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:23,880 And so when we're renewed in our mind, we respond differently 868 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:24,520 than the world. 869 00:38:24,600 --> 00:38:27,240 When the world sees evil, it's just more evil. 870 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:28,600 Keep feeding the system. 871 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:31,440 When a Christian sees evil, we feed it with good. 872 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:34,280 Because the Bible says that good overcomes evil. 873 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:35,600 Because why? 874 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:38,630 We've received the mercies of God and because we have received 875 00:38:38,630 --> 00:38:41,750 the mercies of God, we don't repay evil for evil. 876 00:38:41,750 --> 00:38:42,950 We don't seek revenge. 877 00:38:42,950 --> 00:38:44,230 We don't become bitter. 878 00:38:44,550 --> 00:38:48,950 We can trust God with justice, we can trust God with peace. 879 00:38:49,030 --> 00:38:53,110 We can trust God with actively doing good to our enemies so that 880 00:38:53,110 --> 00:38:56,750 he can change their hearts and ultimately we can overcome evil with 881 00:38:56,750 --> 00:39:00,790 good, but in the greatest sense, it is God who is overcoming 882 00:39:00,790 --> 00:39:01,670 evil with good. 883 00:39:01,830 --> 00:39:04,510 And we know that we are just pointing people to a relationship 884 00:39:04,510 --> 00:39:04,950 with him. 885 00:39:06,650 --> 00:39:08,450 The way that we could summarize what we've talked about 886 00:39:08,450 --> 00:39:09,610 here this morning could be this. 887 00:39:09,610 --> 00:39:14,330 Don't let someone else's evil make us someone that we're not. 888 00:39:15,450 --> 00:39:17,650 I don't know if anyone's ever come into your life and tried to 889 00:39:17,650 --> 00:39:21,369 tell you who you are, like, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks a 890 00:39:21,369 --> 00:39:21,490 lot. 891 00:39:21,490 --> 00:39:26,010 I appreciate you telling me what you think about me, but really, 892 00:39:26,490 --> 00:39:28,970 I should not go off of what other people say about me. 893 00:39:29,450 --> 00:39:31,450 I shouldn't go off of even what I say about myself. 894 00:39:31,450 --> 00:39:33,510 Because sometimes I'm going to tell you, I say things about myself 895 00:39:33,510 --> 00:39:34,230 that are not true. 896 00:39:34,550 --> 00:39:39,110 Sometimes evil in the flesh get me to think about lies about 897 00:39:39,110 --> 00:39:39,510 myself. 898 00:39:39,510 --> 00:39:40,310 Like, man, you know what? 899 00:39:40,310 --> 00:39:41,590 I'm not as good as I think I am. 900 00:39:41,590 --> 00:39:43,990 Or, you know, I'm not a good father, I'm not a good husband, I'm 901 00:39:43,990 --> 00:39:44,710 not a good whatever. 902 00:39:44,710 --> 00:39:46,910 And those are lies that sometimes the enemy throws in our 903 00:39:46,910 --> 00:39:47,190 mind. 904 00:39:47,750 --> 00:39:49,070 But what I will say is this. 905 00:39:49,070 --> 00:39:51,990 Who we should trust is what God says about us. 906 00:39:52,470 --> 00:39:52,910 That's. 907 00:39:52,910 --> 00:39:53,990 That's what matters. 908 00:39:54,150 --> 00:39:55,470 What does God say about me? 909 00:39:55,470 --> 00:39:57,990 Well, the Bible says that if I am in Him, I am his child. 910 00:39:58,780 --> 00:40:00,860 If I am in Him, I am equipped. 911 00:40:01,420 --> 00:40:05,460 I am given power, I am given hope, I am given confidence, I'm 912 00:40:05,460 --> 00:40:06,140 given a gift. 913 00:40:06,220 --> 00:40:09,020 And ultimately, it's not about what someone else says about me. 914 00:40:09,020 --> 00:40:10,540 It's not even what I say about myself. 915 00:40:10,700 --> 00:40:12,180 It's what God says about me. 916 00:40:12,180 --> 00:40:13,660 And that is the definition. 917 00:40:13,740 --> 00:40:15,100 That is my identity. 918 00:40:15,660 --> 00:40:18,820 Folks, I know we're living in an identity crisis. 919 00:40:18,820 --> 00:40:21,340 In this world today, there are people who have no clue who they 920 00:40:21,340 --> 00:40:21,900 even are. 921 00:40:22,060 --> 00:40:24,460 They don't even understand what their purpose is in life. 922 00:40:24,460 --> 00:40:26,660 They're trying to find it through all different means that 923 00:40:26,660 --> 00:40:27,420 the world defines. 924 00:40:27,770 --> 00:40:30,210 But folks, I'm going to tell you the only way to find your true 925 00:40:30,210 --> 00:40:34,530 identity is to walk in Jesus Christ and to know that he is our 926 00:40:34,530 --> 00:40:37,810 heavenly Father, that nobody can take that away from us, that 927 00:40:37,810 --> 00:40:39,810 no one can take away the salvation that he brings to us. 928 00:40:39,810 --> 00:40:42,890 And that as a child of God, we are joint heirs with Christ and we 929 00:40:42,890 --> 00:40:46,250 have every opportunity to serve him and to live differently 930 00:40:46,250 --> 00:40:47,330 within this world. 931 00:40:47,330 --> 00:40:49,130 That is the identity that matters. 932 00:40:50,250 --> 00:40:50,570 So. 933 00:40:50,570 --> 00:40:53,010 So, yes, we are going through an identity crisis in this world, 934 00:40:53,010 --> 00:40:54,930 but the Bible tells us where our identity is found. 935 00:40:54,930 --> 00:40:56,730 Our identity is found in Jesus Christ. 936 00:40:57,830 --> 00:41:00,470 So when I'm hurt as a child, of the King. 937 00:41:00,790 --> 00:41:03,430 Though it might hurt physically, it might hurt emotionally, 938 00:41:03,430 --> 00:41:06,310 it might even hurt spiritually, I don't have to retaliate. 939 00:41:06,310 --> 00:41:06,550 Why? 940 00:41:06,550 --> 00:41:08,630 Because I know my father is going to take care of it. 941 00:41:09,270 --> 00:41:10,990 I know my father's going to handle it. 942 00:41:10,990 --> 00:41:13,030 And when I'm wrong, I don't seek revenge. 943 00:41:13,030 --> 00:41:17,510 When I encounter enemies against me, I do good to them. 944 00:41:17,510 --> 00:41:18,230 And the. 945 00:41:18,230 --> 00:41:22,830 The Bible tells us that when that happens, we're able to see the 946 00:41:22,830 --> 00:41:24,730 love of God flowing through us so. 947 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:26,880 So that that person can experience the love and grace of 948 00:41:26,880 --> 00:41:29,120 God and evil can be overcome with good. 949 00:41:29,200 --> 00:41:30,720 So how do we fight evil in this world? 950 00:41:30,720 --> 00:41:33,120 The only way that we fight evil in this world is not by doing 951 00:41:33,120 --> 00:41:37,000 evil, not by reciprocating hatred, not by reciprocating all 952 00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:38,880 these things that the world throws our way. 953 00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:42,200 The only way that we can see evil change within this world is 954 00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:45,440 by shining the light of Jesus Christ to them, by responding in 955 00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:48,120 goodness, by responding in forgiveness, and responding with 956 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:50,160 patience as hard as in our flesh. 957 00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:51,040 That it really is. 958 00:41:51,460 --> 00:41:55,060 It's the necessity for a Christian to live differently and 959 00:41:55,060 --> 00:41:56,140 to be Christlike. 960 00:41:56,140 --> 00:41:57,620 And that's Romans chapter 12. 961 00:41:57,620 --> 00:42:00,460 Now, we're going to come back here in a few weeks and we're going 962 00:42:00,460 --> 00:42:01,860 to be talking about Romans 13. 963 00:42:02,820 --> 00:42:06,420 Romans 13 tells us how to live differently as citizens in whatever 964 00:42:06,420 --> 00:42:07,419 nation that we're living in. 965 00:42:07,419 --> 00:42:10,100 It's a very polarizing passage of scripture. 966 00:42:10,420 --> 00:42:13,060 But what I'm going to tell you for the rest of this book, understand 967 00:42:14,740 --> 00:42:17,470 that what we're saying here is the different. 968 00:42:17,550 --> 00:42:18,470 I know it's different. 969 00:42:18,470 --> 00:42:20,910 I understand that what we're talking about here in church is different. 970 00:42:20,910 --> 00:42:23,150 But the Bible tells us to live differently. 971 00:42:23,630 --> 00:42:26,030 Well, nobody lives this way, Pastor, in this world today. 972 00:42:26,510 --> 00:42:27,710 There's a reason for that. 973 00:42:28,190 --> 00:42:32,150 Because everyone in the world is not walking with the love of Christ. 974 00:42:32,150 --> 00:42:33,870 They're not walking with the hope of Christ. 975 00:42:34,990 --> 00:42:37,950 I. I want to take this down to the more personal level for you today. 976 00:42:38,510 --> 00:42:40,590 Some of you might be facing evil in your life. 977 00:42:42,270 --> 00:42:44,830 This passage is not about justifying evil. 978 00:42:45,580 --> 00:42:48,060 This passage is not diminishing the pain and suffering 979 00:42:48,060 --> 00:42:49,860 that you might have gone through in your life or that you 980 00:42:49,860 --> 00:42:51,180 might still be going through in your life. 981 00:42:51,420 --> 00:42:52,460 It's not about that. 982 00:42:53,340 --> 00:42:57,180 God will make things right and there is a place for justice here 983 00:42:57,180 --> 00:42:57,780 on this earth. 984 00:42:57,780 --> 00:43:01,500 There is a place for doing what's right and stopping evil around 985 00:43:01,500 --> 00:43:01,820 us. 986 00:43:01,980 --> 00:43:05,100 But the way to do that is not by reciprocating evil. 987 00:43:05,260 --> 00:43:07,780 The way to do that is by shining the light of Jesus Christ 988 00:43:07,780 --> 00:43:10,580 upon people's lives and Telling them that the only hope is 989 00:43:10,580 --> 00:43:11,260 found in him. 990 00:43:12,650 --> 00:43:15,450 I'm not saying here today that we have to just keep being abused 991 00:43:15,450 --> 00:43:18,090 and being hurt and just overlooking sin around us. 992 00:43:18,090 --> 00:43:21,210 No, the Bible says that we respond with good and that's the 993 00:43:21,210 --> 00:43:22,330 way that we see a difference. 994 00:43:22,890 --> 00:43:25,450 And I hope that it's something that encourages here today. 995 00:43:25,450 --> 00:43:27,289 Maybe some of you are just going through pain and suffering 996 00:43:27,289 --> 00:43:27,689 right now. 997 00:43:27,689 --> 00:43:33,490 Maybe it's a loss, maybe it's fear, maybe it's inadequacy, whatever 998 00:43:33,490 --> 00:43:35,050 it might be that you're struggling with today. 999 00:43:35,290 --> 00:43:37,530 If I'm real here this morning. 1000 00:43:37,790 --> 00:43:38,270 Okay, let's. 1001 00:43:38,350 --> 00:43:38,670 What. 1002 00:43:38,670 --> 00:43:40,910 What did the Bible say in Romans chapter 12? 1003 00:43:41,230 --> 00:43:42,550 Love without dissimulation? 1004 00:43:42,550 --> 00:43:43,670 That means love without a mask. 1005 00:43:43,670 --> 00:43:46,790 Okay, I'm going to take off my mask today and you're going to take 1006 00:43:46,790 --> 00:43:48,910 off your mask right now and let's just have a real moment. 1007 00:43:48,990 --> 00:43:50,670 All of us are struggling with something. 1008 00:43:51,790 --> 00:43:55,350 All of us are wrestling with things in our life that maybe nobody 1009 00:43:55,350 --> 00:43:56,110 else knows about. 1010 00:43:56,190 --> 00:43:58,510 It might be a personal sin that we're wrestling with. 1011 00:43:58,590 --> 00:44:01,470 It might be an issue that we're dealing with, with a spouse 1012 00:44:01,470 --> 00:44:03,940 or a loved one or a friend or work or. 1013 00:44:04,010 --> 00:44:04,570 Or pain. 1014 00:44:04,650 --> 00:44:07,010 Whatever it might be, maybe even some of you are dealing with 1015 00:44:07,010 --> 00:44:08,490 doubts about your own faith. 1016 00:44:09,050 --> 00:44:11,090 I don't know what your struggle is here today. 1017 00:44:11,090 --> 00:44:13,890 I don't know what is being told to you in your mind and through 1018 00:44:13,890 --> 00:44:14,930 the lies of this world. 1019 00:44:14,930 --> 00:44:17,610 But what I will say is that where you're going to find your answers, 1020 00:44:17,850 --> 00:44:21,970 where you're going to find your sufficiency, where you're going 1021 00:44:21,970 --> 00:44:24,610 to find your identity, where you're going to find everything is 1022 00:44:24,610 --> 00:44:26,090 not through what the world tells you. 1023 00:44:26,090 --> 00:44:28,090 It's not through what your feelings are telling you. 1024 00:44:28,090 --> 00:44:29,490 It's not even what your heart is telling you. 1025 00:44:29,490 --> 00:44:30,960 The world says, follow your heart. 1026 00:44:30,960 --> 00:44:32,800 The Bible says your heart is wicked. 1027 00:44:33,040 --> 00:44:34,240 It's deceptive. 1028 00:44:35,040 --> 00:44:35,920 So where do we trust? 1029 00:44:35,920 --> 00:44:36,760 Where do we turn to? 1030 00:44:36,760 --> 00:44:37,680 Where do we look to? 1031 00:44:37,680 --> 00:44:38,960 How do I love my enemy? 1032 00:44:38,960 --> 00:44:42,200 How do I respond back with good when evil is done to me? 1033 00:44:42,200 --> 00:44:45,040 The only way that we can do that is by going off of the identity 1034 00:44:45,200 --> 00:44:47,840 that Jesus Christ has given us as a child of the King. 1035 00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:51,240 And that is Romans chapter 1 through 11 telling us everything 1036 00:44:51,240 --> 00:44:53,720 that we have in Jesus Christ, we can cry out. 1037 00:44:53,720 --> 00:44:55,360 Romans 8, Abba, Father. 1038 00:44:55,930 --> 00:44:56,930 We have access to the Father. 1039 00:44:56,930 --> 00:44:58,090 We're joint heirs with Christ. 1040 00:44:58,170 --> 00:45:00,970 Romans chapter 8, verse 1 says, there's no more condemnation 1041 00:45:01,210 --> 00:45:02,890 to them who are in Christ Jesus. 1042 00:45:04,170 --> 00:45:06,930 The end of Romans chapter 8 tells us that there's nothing that 1043 00:45:06,930 --> 00:45:09,690 can separate us from the love of God, that we're more than conquerors 1044 00:45:09,690 --> 00:45:10,730 in Jesus Christ. 1045 00:45:11,290 --> 00:45:13,050 And so that is your identity. 1046 00:45:13,050 --> 00:45:15,530 If you are in Jesus Christ here this morning, that is your hope. 1047 00:45:15,610 --> 00:45:16,730 That is your identity. 1048 00:45:16,730 --> 00:45:18,970 And I pray that that's something that you can look to today. 1049 00:45:18,970 --> 00:45:20,810 Don't allow the lies of this world. 1050 00:45:21,050 --> 00:45:22,330 Someone else is evil. 1051 00:45:22,330 --> 00:45:26,930 Someone else's vitriol in their language to you dictate how 1052 00:45:26,930 --> 00:45:28,250 you stand in Jesus Christ. 1053 00:45:28,250 --> 00:45:30,810 How you stand in Jesus Christ is what the Bible says. 1054 00:45:30,810 --> 00:45:35,290 You stand in him, hope, with hope unashamed of what he has for 1055 00:45:35,290 --> 00:45:37,010 you and the hope of Jesus Christ. 1056 00:45:37,010 --> 00:45:39,130 And so I pray that that's something that you can lean on. 1057 00:45:39,289 --> 00:45:42,090 As we continue the study in the book of Romans, I'm going to 1058 00:45:42,090 --> 00:45:44,290 ask if you're able to to stand with me, every head bowed, every 1059 00:45:44,290 --> 00:45:46,490 eye closed, as the music plays here this morning. 1060 00:45:46,730 --> 00:45:50,030 For the next few minutes, what I want you to think about is number 1061 00:45:50,030 --> 00:45:52,750 one, where do you place your identity? 1062 00:45:53,630 --> 00:45:54,430 Who are you? 1063 00:45:54,510 --> 00:45:55,550 What's your purpose? 1064 00:45:56,430 --> 00:45:59,790 If it's anything outside of being a child of the Lord, a servant 1065 00:45:59,790 --> 00:46:02,670 of the King, then we miss our purpose. 1066 00:46:02,670 --> 00:46:03,870 We miss our focus. 1067 00:46:05,629 --> 00:46:08,550 If you have trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior here this morning, 1068 00:46:08,550 --> 00:46:09,550 that is a great thing. 1069 00:46:09,550 --> 00:46:11,470 That's the best decision that you can ever make. 1070 00:46:11,470 --> 00:46:14,870 But secondarily, have you made the decision in your life to live 1071 00:46:14,870 --> 00:46:18,800 differently, to respond differently, to look to Christ as 1072 00:46:18,800 --> 00:46:20,640 our guide for every relationship? 1073 00:46:20,880 --> 00:46:25,840 Have you looked at conflict in your life as a way of testimony or 1074 00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:29,600 as a foothold that Satan can grab you and pull you in with bitterness? 1075 00:46:30,320 --> 00:46:33,720 Folks, I'm struggling right now, even in my own life, with certain 1076 00:46:33,720 --> 00:46:34,760 things that I'm wrestling with. 1077 00:46:34,760 --> 00:46:37,160 And if I'm wrestling with things, I know that all of us to 1078 00:46:37,160 --> 00:46:38,560 some degree, are wrestling with things. 1079 00:46:38,560 --> 00:46:40,960 And it's not about understanding everything, but it's 1080 00:46:40,960 --> 00:46:44,720 about giving it over to God and saying, God, you understand this. 1081 00:46:44,720 --> 00:46:47,400 I'm going to put it in your hands and you're going to be the 1082 00:46:47,400 --> 00:46:48,600 one that handles this for me. 1083 00:46:48,600 --> 00:46:51,320 It's trusting that he is good. 1084 00:46:51,320 --> 00:46:53,560 It's trusting that he is all powerful. 1085 00:46:53,560 --> 00:46:56,360 And it's trusting that he will have it all under control. 1086 00:46:56,600 --> 00:46:58,040 And I give my life to Him. 1087 00:46:58,360 --> 00:46:58,920 That's you. 1088 00:46:58,920 --> 00:46:59,320 This morning. 1089 00:46:59,320 --> 00:47:02,520 I. I pray that you can come and give that over to him today. 1090 00:47:02,600 --> 00:47:04,640 If you don't know Jesus as your savior, trust in Him. 1091 00:47:04,640 --> 00:47:07,400 He came and lived a perfect life, died on the cross, rose again 1092 00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:09,720 on the third day, and offers you the gift of salvation. 1093 00:47:10,040 --> 00:47:11,000 It's not about works. 1094 00:47:11,080 --> 00:47:13,600 It's about faith in his work that he gave for you. 1095 00:47:13,600 --> 00:47:16,440 Lord, I pray that you be in this time of invitation work in hearts 1096 00:47:16,440 --> 00:47:16,760 and lives. 1097 00:47:16,760 --> 00:47:20,400 Lord, help us to see you as our Heavenly Father, the answer to 1098 00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:25,400 all of our problems, the hope of eternity and I pray that you can 1099 00:47:25,400 --> 00:47:26,920 heal us in our brokenness. 1100 00:47:27,080 --> 00:47:30,470 Lord, I thank you for what you do Jesus name Amen so.