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So today we are in Romans,
chapter 12.

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If you'd like to follow along
with us here, I would encourage you

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to look into the Bible with us.

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We're going to be in verse
number 14 this morning.

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That's where we're going to start.

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And our goal today is to cover
verses 14, 15, and 16.

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We've been looking here at
what Paul is describing as a life

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characterized by the grace of God.

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And we're called to present
our bodies, our lives, a living sacrifice

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wholly acceptable unto God,
which is our reasonable or logical

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service.

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And now he's describing to us
what that looks like.

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He's talked about the gifts
that are given to us by God to use

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within the body.

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He's talked to us about the
authentic love that we're called

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to display because we have
received the love of God.

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And now he's going to talk
about some difficult things that

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we might struggle with within
our Christian life, because the things

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that we're going to talk about
today are not easy.

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And I'm actually going to go a
step further and say in the flesh,

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the things that we discuss
here this morning are impossible.

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And what this is not this
morning is a list of rules that Paul

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is laying out for us to check
the box and say, okay, I'm going

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to work harder on this.

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I'm going to work harder on this.

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I'm going to work harder on this.

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And then hopefully I'll get there.

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This is not a list of rules to
be a better Christian.

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What this is all about is
seeing God work in our hearts and

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transform us.

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So it's two words I want you
to think about in contrast to each

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other.

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One is the word try or trying.

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A lot of Christians say, well,
I'm trying to be a better person.

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I'm trying to serve God.

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I'm trying to love.

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I. I'm trying to forgive.

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And that's what this passage
is all about.

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But then I think the more
biblical answer, the answer that

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I see in Scripture is not to
try harder, but to be transformed

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to be more like Christ.

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So two words, trying and transforming.

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Our prayer as Christians
should be not to try harder and God

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reward that effort, but our
prayer should be to, lord, please

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transform me so that it's an
inside change that manifests itself

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on the outside.

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We know that because we go
back to Romans 12:2, and he says,

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and be not conformed to this world.

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The idea of that conformity is
maybe some of you have experienced

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this with your children.

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It's the idea of Plato being
pushed into a mold Clay being molded

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into a certain image.

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And what the world tries to do
is say, you know what?

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It's okay that you feel this way.

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It's okay that you respond
this way.

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It's okay that you don't love
the way that you're supposed to love.

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Why?

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Because I can justify it.

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Because life is all about me.

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But no, that's not what he
says in verse two.

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He says, don't be conformed to
this world and the ways of this world,

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but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind.

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The Bible here says that we're
to be transformed.

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We're to be changed.

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The idea here would be metamorphosis.

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That's a big word.

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And we have the kids in the
room here today, and that's a word

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that you can take with you and
tell your science teacher at school.

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Metamorphosis.

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It's the idea of being transformed.

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A little caterpillar crawls up
onto a branch and forms a cocoon

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or chrysalis.

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And then a certain amount of
time passes.

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They change their form inside
of that.

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They break out.

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And obviously now they're not
a caterpillar, but they're a butterfly.

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And that's what the Bible
says, is that as a believer, we are

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changed from the way that we
used to be to the way that we are

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now in Christ.

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He says, be transformed by what?

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Well, verse two tells us, by
the renewing of your mind, the changing

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of your mind, the washing of
your mind, the cleansing of your

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mind.

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And it's not just about
thinking a little bit differently,

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but it's thinking completely differently.

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And how do we do that?

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How do we think and respond?

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Well, it says here, because
it's the will of God, and God comes

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into our life, verse 3, and
gives us grace and.

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And God gives us hope, and God
gives us forgiveness.

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And then now we're called to
live this way, not because we're

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trying harder, but because
we're allowing and.

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And submitting ourselves to
God so that he can transform us in

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the way that we live.

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Because the reason I say all
of that is that this morning the

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verses that we read are going
to be very difficult for our human

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minds to comprehend.

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Our culture is not going to
understand these verses.

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And the fact that we live in
our culture, it's going to seem somewhat

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grading and, and offensive to
hear these verses.

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But with all that being said,
let's go to verse 14 and verse 14,

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15, and 16 and even further on
in this passage, Paul gives us these

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little short statements.

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He.

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He gives us These thoughts,
these phrases.

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And I want to break down each
one of these phrases and actually

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break down every word.

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And we want to see this
morning what this means for us.

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How can we grow in these areas?

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How can we frame our mind to
be renewed in this new way of thinking

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as a Christian who follows
Christ and not as a person who follows

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the world or follows the flesh?

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Verse 14, he says, Bless them
which persecute you.

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Right there.

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Here it is.

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That's the hard phrase.

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We start out with the hardest thing.

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Sometimes it's better just to
start out with a harder thing to

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get it over with.

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The Bible says here in verse
14, that we are to bless them which

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persecute you.

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Bless and curse not.

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What is he saying here?

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What.

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What does this mean?

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Well, this parallels another
passage of Scripture in the Book

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of Matthew that we read this
morning when Jesus is preaching on

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the Sermon on the Mount.

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And we're going to get to that
here in a few moments.

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But he says here in verse 14,
bless them which persecute you.

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To bless means to speak or
desire good toward someone.

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It carries the idea of asking
God's favor upon them rather than

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wishing harm on them.

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It's not just about restraint.

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So some people read this
passage and say, well, you know what?

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When someone does something
wrong to me, I'm just not going to

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do anything bad back.

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And even though that's part of
it, it's not just about restraint.

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The Christian life is not just
about restraint.

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It's about grace.

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What is grace?

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Giving something to someone
that they don't deserve.

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The Bible says here that that
person who is persecuting us doesn't

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deserve our blessing.

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But what the Bible says is
that we're to extend that grace and

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bless them.

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Now, this doesn't mean that we
do good to them so that they can

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keep enabling us.

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That.

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That's not what this is saying.

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What this is saying is it's
really tied to the Christian response

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to an enemy.

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And it's not just about
passive restraint, but it's about

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active grace.

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Most commentators believe that
the idea of blessing someone who

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persecutes us is the idea of
praying for them.

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The.

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The idea of allowing God to
change them, because really that's

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what they need instead of me
saying someone is persecuting me.

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So you know what I'm going to do?

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You know what the world tells
me to do?

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Persecute them.

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If they're coming against me,
I'm going to come against them.

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The Bible says the idea would
be the Christian framework of Mine

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would be that those who are
persecuting me, those who are doing

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wrong to me, my desire for
them is that God changes them.

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My desire for them is that
they experience the love and the

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forgiveness and the peace of
God, because that's truly the answer

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to the problem that they're facing.

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We're going to see later on in
verse 17, he says, don't recompense

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evil for evil.

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Why?

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Because that just keeps
producing more evil.

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His idea here is this.

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To change the situation, God
needs to come on the scene.

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And so we bless them.

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Because the greatest blessing
that a person can have is that they

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know Jesus, that they
understand the love of Christ and

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the forgiveness that he gives them.

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So he says here, when someone
hurts us, our first question shouldn't

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be, how can I get even?

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Because that's the flesh.

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But the first question should
be, how can I respond in a way that

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reflects Christ?

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If someone does something
wrong to me, they say something against

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me.

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And really, this word
persecution in this passage is a

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broad category.

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It's not just someone who
physically persecutes.

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It's maybe something that
someone says to us or something that

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someone does to us.

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Maybe not physically, but
emotionally or maybe verbally.

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But nonetheless, it says here
that we are to pray and we are to

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desire something good for them.

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And it fits exactly with what
Jesus says in Matthew, chapter 5,

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verse 44.

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Because I've heard people say,
yeah, that's Paul's teaching, but

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that wouldn't be what?

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I only follow Jesus.

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Well, if you say that, first
of all, Paul and Jesus are always

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going to agree because
ultimately the Holy Spirit inspires

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the word of God.

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And so Romans is always going
to agree with Matthew.

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Luke is always going to agree
with First Corinthians.

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We see that there's that unity
of the Word.

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But I do want you to see here,
even In Matthew chapter 5, what Jesus

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says about this very same
passage, this very same thinking,

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this very same Response.

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Matthew, chapter 5, verse 43.

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He says, Ye have heard that it
had been said, thou shalt love thy

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neighbor and hate thine enemy.

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Jesus is reminding them of
something that they already know,

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something that they've already heard.

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In their culture, it was the
norm to love those who are close

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to you, to love those who are
loving to you.

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But then what they would have
been told in their culture was this.

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You can completely and freely
hate those who are your enemy, Right?

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If they're your enemy,
obviously hate them, obviously be

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mean to them, obviously do bad
to them.

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That was the culture.

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That was the prevailing
thought process back 2,000 years

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ago.

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And I would argue it's a
prevailing thought process today.

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And Jesus says something
further, though.

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He says verse 44, but I say
unto you, you have heard it said.

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But I say unto you, love your
enemies, bless them that curse you.

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There it is.

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Jesus says the same thing that
Paul is saying.

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He says, those that come
against you, those that persecute

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you, you should desire to do
good unto them.

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He says, do good to them that
hate you and pray for them.

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That's why we see this
connection with prayer.

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Pray for them which
despitefully use you and persecute

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you.

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He talks a little bit more
about what it means to be mature.

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And at the very end he says,
be therefore perfect, even as your

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Father which is in heaven is perfect.

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That idea perfect means whole,
complete, fully mature.

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So for a Christian to grow in
spiritual maturity would mean that

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we understand the importance
of doing good to those that have

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done wrong to us.

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Again, it doesn't justify the wrong.

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Let me be very clear here this morning.

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To bless those that persecute
you does not mean that I'm going

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to overlook their sin in their
life, that I'm going to overlook

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the abuse that they did to me
or maybe to another person.

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I'm going to overlook the evil
that they said.

248
00:11:15,900 --> 00:11:17,340
No, that's not what this is saying.

249
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This is not justifying their evil.

250
00:11:19,580 --> 00:11:23,590
This is what this is saying
is, is that I am not going to allow

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00:11:23,910 --> 00:11:28,510
the evil that they are doing
to dictate to me how I am going to

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00:11:28,510 --> 00:11:29,990
respond back to them or to others.

253
00:11:31,510 --> 00:11:33,110
Let me give you an example of this.

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00:11:33,990 --> 00:11:38,830
Let's say this morning I won't
use my children as an example because

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00:11:38,830 --> 00:11:39,670
they're in here today.

256
00:11:39,830 --> 00:11:41,790
And my kids say, don't use me
as an example.

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00:11:41,790 --> 00:11:43,150
So I won't use my kids as an example.

258
00:11:43,150 --> 00:11:45,870
But let's say I was walking up
into church and I was having a good

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day.

260
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Everything was going my way.

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I prayed this morning, I read
my Bible, I got my favorite breakfast.

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I had my coffee in hand.

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00:11:55,230 --> 00:11:57,110
I mean, everything lined up
for me.

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00:11:57,110 --> 00:12:00,750
And I was feeling good about
life and I was joyful in the Lord,

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00:12:00,830 --> 00:12:02,830
and I was looking to bless
someone today.

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00:12:03,710 --> 00:12:06,270
And I walk up and someone's
walking up to church with me and

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00:12:06,270 --> 00:12:09,470
they look at me and they say
something that cuts deep, man.

268
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Maybe they said, you're really
wearing that today.

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Or.

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00:12:13,270 --> 00:12:14,870
Or maybe they say something
even further.

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00:12:14,870 --> 00:12:17,230
I can't believe that you did
this or whatever it is.

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00:12:17,230 --> 00:12:20,070
But they actually, maybe even
actively come against us and say,

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00:12:20,070 --> 00:12:22,150
Something negative, maybe even
they lie about us.

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00:12:22,470 --> 00:12:27,630
We could look at that evil
that they do to us and we can respond

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in really two different ways.

276
00:12:29,430 --> 00:12:32,470
We could respond in a way that
says, you know what, I'm going to

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00:12:32,470 --> 00:12:34,150
reciprocate that evil back to them.

278
00:12:34,310 --> 00:12:36,590
And actually that's going to
ruin me for the rest of the day.

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00:12:36,590 --> 00:12:38,630
And I'm just going to be no
help to anyone.

280
00:12:38,630 --> 00:12:41,110
I'm going to be angry, I'm
going to be short, I'm going to be

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00:12:41,270 --> 00:12:44,110
all these different levels of
bitter in my life.

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00:12:44,110 --> 00:12:44,790
And you know what?

283
00:12:44,790 --> 00:12:47,710
That's just because that
person did that and I'm blaming that

284
00:12:47,710 --> 00:12:50,190
person for the wrongs that I'm doing.

285
00:12:50,190 --> 00:12:52,790
Or I could say, yes, that
person did that.

286
00:12:52,790 --> 00:12:57,350
But I'm not going to allow
their evil, their speech, to dictate

287
00:12:57,350 --> 00:12:58,590
my evil in my life.

288
00:12:59,070 --> 00:13:00,830
I'm not going to use that as
an excuse.

289
00:13:00,910 --> 00:13:04,510
I'm not going to use that as
any reason to get away from where

290
00:13:04,510 --> 00:13:05,550
God has me to be.

291
00:13:05,550 --> 00:13:06,550
That's what Paul is saying here.

292
00:13:06,550 --> 00:13:09,750
He says, don't allow the
persecution to get to a place in

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00:13:09,750 --> 00:13:12,190
your life where you're
persecuting that person or others

294
00:13:12,190 --> 00:13:12,870
around you.

295
00:13:13,430 --> 00:13:17,990
And so the Christian doesn't
merely refuse to return evil, though.

296
00:13:18,390 --> 00:13:23,510
The Christian responds to evil
with a gospel focused goodness that's

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00:13:23,510 --> 00:13:27,310
only seen through blessing
someone, not just holding back, cursing

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00:13:27,310 --> 00:13:27,550
someone.

299
00:13:27,550 --> 00:13:28,990
Someone curses me, I curse them.

300
00:13:28,990 --> 00:13:30,270
Well, that's one part of it.

301
00:13:30,270 --> 00:13:33,190
But the other part, as we see
here in Romans chapter 12, is that

302
00:13:33,190 --> 00:13:35,510
we're actually to go further
and bless that person.

303
00:13:36,660 --> 00:13:39,580
So the first step is restraint
to go back with me to Romans chapter

304
00:13:39,580 --> 00:13:44,620
12, he says in verse number
15, Excuse me, verse 14, bless them

305
00:13:44,620 --> 00:13:45,700
which persecute you.

306
00:13:46,740 --> 00:13:48,180
Bless and curse not.

307
00:13:48,900 --> 00:13:53,540
The curse not is the restraint
that God gives us in his strength

308
00:13:53,540 --> 00:13:56,980
and his power to not do what
our flesh wants us to do.

309
00:13:57,460 --> 00:14:01,910
So restraint is me not saying
something evil back restraint is

310
00:14:01,910 --> 00:14:06,790
me not allowing that evil to
be reciprocated with another aspect

311
00:14:06,790 --> 00:14:07,470
of evil.

312
00:14:07,470 --> 00:14:09,150
But then there's something
more here.

313
00:14:09,870 --> 00:14:11,390
It says and bless.

314
00:14:12,750 --> 00:14:15,790
So the first step of this
Christian growth is restraint.

315
00:14:16,030 --> 00:14:20,670
But the second step is Christ
likeness by reciprocating not evil,

316
00:14:20,670 --> 00:14:24,710
but giving good them which
persecute you.

317
00:14:24,710 --> 00:14:26,710
That phrase there keeps
ringing in my mind.

318
00:14:26,710 --> 00:14:29,790
I don't know if you have a
person in mind or a group of people

319
00:14:29,790 --> 00:14:33,510
in mind, but I think all of us
have something in our minds of what

320
00:14:33,510 --> 00:14:34,750
that persecution is.

321
00:14:35,550 --> 00:14:38,230
And the truth is, is that
there are people who are actively

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00:14:38,230 --> 00:14:41,150
doing something evil against
Christians in the world.

323
00:14:41,390 --> 00:14:43,669
We, we know that if you look
in the news, maybe you don't see

324
00:14:43,669 --> 00:14:48,590
it in the news, but there's
active physical persecution for Christians

325
00:14:48,590 --> 00:14:49,350
in this world.

326
00:14:49,350 --> 00:14:52,110
There are people that are
dying for their faith.

327
00:14:52,430 --> 00:14:54,890
If you didn't know that, it's
time to wake up.

328
00:14:54,890 --> 00:14:57,970
There are people dying for
being Christians in this world today.

329
00:14:58,210 --> 00:15:01,010
Now, thankfully in America, we
aren't facing that.

330
00:15:01,170 --> 00:15:03,970
It's not a guarantee that that
will always be the way that it is.

331
00:15:03,970 --> 00:15:06,570
But right now in America, we
can live as Christians and we're

332
00:15:06,570 --> 00:15:11,930
not facing death, but there
are levels of persecution and sometimes

333
00:15:11,930 --> 00:15:15,770
in the world that we live in,
we can say certain things about God

334
00:15:15,770 --> 00:15:17,330
and there's verbal persecution.

335
00:15:18,050 --> 00:15:22,410
So the command becomes
powerful when he deals with who we're

336
00:15:22,410 --> 00:15:23,650
actually supposed to bless.

337
00:15:23,730 --> 00:15:27,370
It's not just those people
that give us a side eye or someone

338
00:15:27,370 --> 00:15:30,970
who isn't loving us actively,
but no, it's actually someone who

339
00:15:30,970 --> 00:15:32,130
is persecuting us.

340
00:15:32,690 --> 00:15:36,569
And so the command becomes so
powerful because we see that it's

341
00:15:36,569 --> 00:15:40,810
not just about tolerating
other people, but it's actually blessing

342
00:15:40,810 --> 00:15:41,090
them.

343
00:15:41,890 --> 00:15:45,330
What I would say in
application is this Christian love

344
00:15:45,330 --> 00:15:49,400
is tested really in the
clearest sense when the other person

345
00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:51,400
has not treated us lovingly.

346
00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:55,280
Jesus even says back in
Matthew chapter five, that's what

347
00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:56,280
the publicans do.

348
00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:58,280
The publicans love people who
love them.

349
00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:01,680
Like, it's not hard for me to
be kind to someone who was kind to

350
00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:01,880
me.

351
00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:03,800
That's the norm of the world now.

352
00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:05,360
What's the context of the publican?

353
00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:07,880
The publican was seen as the
lowest in society.

354
00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:09,000
I mean, they were traitors.

355
00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:12,080
No one in Jewish culture would
have liked a publican because he

356
00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:13,440
would have joined up with Rome.

357
00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:15,260
He would have been a traitor.

358
00:16:15,420 --> 00:16:18,180
So for Jesus to say that's
what the publicans do, the people

359
00:16:18,180 --> 00:16:19,620
would have completely
understood that.

360
00:16:19,620 --> 00:16:21,900
They would have said, well,
yeah, okay, a bad guy can love someone

361
00:16:21,900 --> 00:16:22,620
who loves them.

362
00:16:22,700 --> 00:16:26,420
So Jesus says the true test of
our Christ likeness is not just when

363
00:16:26,420 --> 00:16:27,580
people are kind to us.

364
00:16:28,380 --> 00:16:28,820
It's.

365
00:16:28,820 --> 00:16:33,700
It's easy to mirror Christlike
attributes in our life when everybody

366
00:16:33,700 --> 00:16:37,060
is on the same pages as us,
celebrating us, and it's all about

367
00:16:37,060 --> 00:16:38,940
me and everyone makes me feel good.

368
00:16:39,020 --> 00:16:42,830
But a true test of Christ
likeness is, is when people are not

369
00:16:42,830 --> 00:16:47,030
actively loving me and when
people are coming against me when,

370
00:16:47,030 --> 00:16:48,590
when things don't go my way.

371
00:16:50,030 --> 00:16:52,190
I mentioned I won't use my
kids as an analogy.

372
00:16:52,190 --> 00:16:54,750
So when I was a child, okay,
this is what would happen.

373
00:16:54,830 --> 00:16:59,670
I would obey my parents all
the time when they asked me to do

374
00:16:59,670 --> 00:17:00,590
things that made sense.

375
00:17:01,390 --> 00:17:05,950
Like, hey, you know, if they
asked me to do a chore and it actively

376
00:17:05,950 --> 00:17:07,510
helped me, I would say, okay,
I'll do that.

377
00:17:07,510 --> 00:17:09,150
That's no problem, you know?

378
00:17:09,630 --> 00:17:13,710
But when my parents asked me
to do something that did not line

379
00:17:13,710 --> 00:17:15,670
up with my plans for that day,
guess what?

380
00:17:15,670 --> 00:17:17,390
That's when the flesh wanted
to come out.

381
00:17:17,470 --> 00:17:19,070
That's when rebellion happened.

382
00:17:19,150 --> 00:17:20,710
That's when talking back happened.

383
00:17:20,710 --> 00:17:23,750
That's when all those things
that were really the true test of

384
00:17:23,750 --> 00:17:26,510
whether or not I'm obedient to
my parent, it's when it goes against

385
00:17:26,590 --> 00:17:27,310
my plan.

386
00:17:27,470 --> 00:17:30,950
And that's what it means to be
Christ, like growing Christian and

387
00:17:30,950 --> 00:17:35,170
a Romans 12 Christian, is, am
I going to follow what God has told

388
00:17:35,170 --> 00:17:39,170
me to do and how to live when
things don't go my way?

389
00:17:39,330 --> 00:17:40,970
And that's what Paul is saying here.

390
00:17:40,970 --> 00:17:41,650
Bless those.

391
00:17:42,210 --> 00:17:42,530
Why?

392
00:17:42,530 --> 00:17:46,170
Because the natural tendency
is to curse those that have cursed

393
00:17:46,170 --> 00:17:46,450
us.

394
00:17:47,570 --> 00:17:49,330
Paul basically is saying this.

395
00:17:49,890 --> 00:17:52,930
Don't let their response
determine yours.

396
00:17:54,130 --> 00:17:57,930
Don't let someone's response
to you at a store, in your home and

397
00:17:57,930 --> 00:18:00,050
your workplace dictate your response.

398
00:18:00,540 --> 00:18:01,900
They might choose evil.

399
00:18:02,780 --> 00:18:04,780
I can't control that person's decision.

400
00:18:05,020 --> 00:18:06,340
They might choose evil.

401
00:18:06,340 --> 00:18:07,700
But what am I going to choose?

402
00:18:07,700 --> 00:18:08,940
I'm going to choose grace.

403
00:18:09,500 --> 00:18:11,020
I'm going to choose patience.

404
00:18:12,060 --> 00:18:13,740
I'm going to choose Christ likeness.

405
00:18:14,140 --> 00:18:16,619
And that's the understanding
that Paul is talking about there.

406
00:18:16,619 --> 00:18:16,940
So.

407
00:18:16,940 --> 00:18:18,820
So this is that understanding.

408
00:18:18,820 --> 00:18:22,540
He says, don't curse, but
bless Christianity doesn't just teach

409
00:18:22,540 --> 00:18:24,380
us what not to do.

410
00:18:24,780 --> 00:18:25,660
Because that's a lot of it.

411
00:18:25,660 --> 00:18:28,540
A lot of Christianity is,
don't do this, right?

412
00:18:28,540 --> 00:18:30,420
Stay away from this, be aware
of this.

413
00:18:30,500 --> 00:18:35,620
But on a deeper sense, it's
more about what to do, right?

414
00:18:35,700 --> 00:18:40,180
To love, to give grace, to
walk in truth, to walk in faith.

415
00:18:40,820 --> 00:18:43,820
I want to be known more, and I
hope you do.

416
00:18:43,820 --> 00:18:47,460
I want you to be known more
for not just what you're against,

417
00:18:48,020 --> 00:18:49,380
but also what you're for.

418
00:18:50,660 --> 00:18:52,340
What's Middletown Baptist
Church known for?

419
00:18:52,420 --> 00:18:55,970
We're maybe known for all the
things we don't do, all the things

420
00:18:55,970 --> 00:18:57,650
we aren't going to do.

421
00:18:58,370 --> 00:19:02,090
But at the end of the day, I
think, and I believe that the Word

422
00:19:02,090 --> 00:19:05,210
of God teaches that the church
should be known to be a lighthouse

423
00:19:05,210 --> 00:19:06,530
for Christ, that.

424
00:19:06,530 --> 00:19:09,610
That we are standing on him,
that he has changed us and that he

425
00:19:09,610 --> 00:19:10,369
has equipped us.

426
00:19:10,530 --> 00:19:15,330
How can we be a lighthouse to
a community if we're living the same

427
00:19:15,330 --> 00:19:18,850
way that the world lives like
Love those who love you, hate those

428
00:19:18,850 --> 00:19:20,220
who love you, hate you.

429
00:19:20,460 --> 00:19:21,500
That's the way the world lives.

430
00:19:21,500 --> 00:19:24,980
And so if the church is
mirroring the world, how can we stand

431
00:19:24,980 --> 00:19:25,900
out differently?

432
00:19:25,980 --> 00:19:29,740
How can we attract people to
the cause of the gospel if we're

433
00:19:29,740 --> 00:19:30,820
not living differently?

434
00:19:30,820 --> 00:19:34,540
And that's really what he
deals with here in verse number 14.

435
00:19:35,340 --> 00:19:40,060
It's hard because, you know,
there is a lot of people that say,

436
00:19:40,300 --> 00:19:42,780
well, so what are you teaching?

437
00:19:42,780 --> 00:19:44,300
Are you teaching passivism?

438
00:19:44,780 --> 00:19:46,980
Like, someone can just hurt
me, and I just keep getting hurt

439
00:19:46,980 --> 00:19:47,660
over and over again.

440
00:19:48,020 --> 00:19:50,580
And am I supposed to just
endure abuse?

441
00:19:51,620 --> 00:19:53,620
Because that's sometimes how
this is taught.

442
00:19:54,100 --> 00:19:59,780
Actually, churches have used
passages like this out of context

443
00:20:00,020 --> 00:20:03,940
to allow people just to
continue to be abused over and over

444
00:20:04,019 --> 00:20:07,020
again and just say, well, hey,
you're not supposed to stand up for

445
00:20:07,020 --> 00:20:09,140
yourself, so just keep taking
the abuse.

446
00:20:09,380 --> 00:20:15,150
This is not a passage of
scripture that Paul or Jesus is condoning,

447
00:20:15,150 --> 00:20:18,590
just being abused and keep
getting abused over and over and

448
00:20:18,590 --> 00:20:19,150
over again.

449
00:20:19,470 --> 00:20:20,430
Why do we know that?

450
00:20:20,430 --> 00:20:25,310
Because even In Matthew
chapter 5, Jesus is not talking about

451
00:20:25,630 --> 00:20:28,590
being passive to danger around us.

452
00:20:29,790 --> 00:20:32,270
And I'm going to talk to you a
little bit about this, and I want

453
00:20:32,270 --> 00:20:35,270
this to be very important
because I need this to resonate this

454
00:20:35,270 --> 00:20:37,870
morning because I don't want
you to think that I'm taking something

455
00:20:37,870 --> 00:20:38,750
out of context.

456
00:20:39,310 --> 00:20:43,060
What Jesus is saying is that
if we are personally slighted, if

457
00:20:43,060 --> 00:20:48,100
our ego is hit, if we suffer
for doing right for him, yes, that

458
00:20:48,100 --> 00:20:50,460
is a time and a place to just
turn the other cheek.

459
00:20:51,260 --> 00:20:53,700
But if, let's say, for
example, I line up all my children

460
00:20:53,700 --> 00:20:56,380
here this morning and someone
comes in and they start harming them,

461
00:20:57,340 --> 00:20:59,860
the Bible's not teaching me to
say, well, keep harming them.

462
00:20:59,860 --> 00:21:01,100
And let me add another one here.

463
00:21:01,100 --> 00:21:02,940
You know, that's not what it's
saying here.

464
00:21:03,100 --> 00:21:05,780
And let's look at Matthew
chapter five, because I want you

465
00:21:05,780 --> 00:21:08,780
to see what Jesus is talking
about in Matthew chapter 5.

466
00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:12,160
He says to turn the other
cheek, to bless those that are persecuting

467
00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:12,440
you.

468
00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:16,040
What is, what does Jesus say
when it comes to turning the other

469
00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:16,440
cheek?

470
00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:21,080
He says in verse 38, ye have
heard that it hath been said, an

471
00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:24,600
eye for an eye and a tooth for
a tooth.

472
00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:28,840
Jesus is speaking to a culture
that's all about retaliation.

473
00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:31,000
Like, hey, you know what?

474
00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:33,000
You say something to me, guess what?

475
00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:34,080
I'm going to say something
back to you.

476
00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:37,690
And it's going to be even,
even more evil.

477
00:21:38,650 --> 00:21:40,810
That's, that's, that's
sometimes where I struggle.

478
00:21:41,050 --> 00:21:44,290
So sometimes in my flesh, when
someone says something to me, you

479
00:21:44,290 --> 00:21:47,610
know, where I turn, I try to
find a gap in their armor.

480
00:21:47,770 --> 00:21:49,770
And I try to say, you know
what, let me, let me say something

481
00:21:49,770 --> 00:21:50,490
that hurts them.

482
00:21:51,610 --> 00:21:54,290
But that's what Jesus is
speaking against here.

483
00:21:54,290 --> 00:21:57,850
He says verse 39, but I say
unto you that ye resist not evil,

484
00:21:58,170 --> 00:22:02,890
but whosoever shall smite thee
on thy right cheek, turn to him also

485
00:22:03,370 --> 00:22:04,730
turn to him the other also.

486
00:22:04,730 --> 00:22:06,930
Now a lot of people teach this
as well.

487
00:22:06,930 --> 00:22:08,690
You know, if you're just
getting abused, just keep getting

488
00:22:08,690 --> 00:22:10,410
abused and that's all you can do.

489
00:22:10,410 --> 00:22:12,250
You know, that's not what he's
saying here.

490
00:22:12,250 --> 00:22:12,570
Why?

491
00:22:12,810 --> 00:22:17,330
Because remember context, Most
commentators understand this to be

492
00:22:17,330 --> 00:22:20,290
that if a person was standing
here, now I'm not going to bring

493
00:22:20,290 --> 00:22:23,170
up a volunteer because that
could be taken out of context on

494
00:22:23,170 --> 00:22:23,730
the live stream.

495
00:22:23,730 --> 00:22:25,970
So I'm not going to, but just
pretend there's a person standing

496
00:22:25,970 --> 00:22:26,570
in front of me.

497
00:22:26,650 --> 00:22:30,250
If I was to strike them in
anger, to hurt them, or maybe even

498
00:22:30,250 --> 00:22:33,330
to take their lives, I, and
most people are right handed.

499
00:22:33,330 --> 00:22:35,810
If I went to strike someone, I
would be hitting them on the left

500
00:22:35,810 --> 00:22:37,410
side or the front of their face.

501
00:22:37,570 --> 00:22:41,490
And the commentators would say
that the struck on the right side

502
00:22:41,490 --> 00:22:44,130
is possibly like a backhand
slap, right?

503
00:22:44,210 --> 00:22:49,010
Just coming at them in, in a,
in a way that is, that is disrespectful.

504
00:22:49,410 --> 00:22:50,450
That's an insult.

505
00:22:50,770 --> 00:22:54,570
So if I was to backhand slap
that person, it would hit them on

506
00:22:54,570 --> 00:22:55,130
the right cheek.

507
00:22:55,130 --> 00:22:58,780
And Jesus is speaking here in
the context of someone personally

508
00:22:58,860 --> 00:23:01,340
slighting you, coming against you.

509
00:23:01,820 --> 00:23:06,780
And in this case it's an ego
hit, not necessarily an abuse thing.

510
00:23:07,100 --> 00:23:11,180
And when we see this, in this
passage, Jesus is not saying that

511
00:23:11,180 --> 00:23:14,140
you should always be passive
and that you can't protect yourself

512
00:23:14,140 --> 00:23:16,460
physically or that you can't
protect your family.

513
00:23:16,700 --> 00:23:19,220
Because we know that in other
passages later on in the book of

514
00:23:19,220 --> 00:23:23,140
Luke, Jesus speaks of the
disciples having a sword and protecting

515
00:23:23,140 --> 00:23:23,580
themselves.

516
00:23:24,550 --> 00:23:25,630
So what are we talking about here?

517
00:23:25,630 --> 00:23:28,030
We're talking about someone
who comes against us and hurts our

518
00:23:28,030 --> 00:23:28,350
ego.

519
00:23:28,350 --> 00:23:31,390
Someone who says something bad
about us, maybe someone who attacks

520
00:23:31,390 --> 00:23:34,230
the way that we look or the
way that we live or the way that

521
00:23:34,230 --> 00:23:35,110
we are believing.

522
00:23:35,350 --> 00:23:37,310
And so I do want to be clear
here this morning.

523
00:23:37,310 --> 00:23:40,470
I don't think that this
passage is saying that if someone

524
00:23:40,470 --> 00:23:43,070
is coming after you and
hurting you and you just say, well,

525
00:23:43,070 --> 00:23:46,150
you know what, I guess I'm
supposed to just put up with this

526
00:23:46,150 --> 00:23:46,790
and bless them.

527
00:23:46,870 --> 00:23:50,170
There is a time and a place to
protect yourself and step away from.

528
00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,280
There is a time and a place to
remove maybe your child or someone

529
00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:54,640
that you know from a situation.

530
00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:57,520
What this is saying, though,
is that our prayer for them should

531
00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:01,240
be that they find Jesus and
come back to a place of repentance

532
00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:04,720
and conviction and understand
what it means to be forgiven.

533
00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:11,320
And so In Romans, chapter 12,
verse 14, we see a challenge for

534
00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:14,560
us to do good to those that
persecute us.

535
00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:20,040
Not to necessarily put up with
their evil, not necessarily to condone

536
00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:24,880
their wrongdoing, but to stand
in the truth and want and desire

537
00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:26,600
what is best for them in the Lord.

538
00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:28,520
So now let's move on to verse 15.

539
00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:32,920
He now says something else,
and this doesn't seem too difficult.

540
00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,760
But when we actually start to
think about the implications here

541
00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:38,680
that we see some challenges rising.

542
00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:41,880
Verse 15 he says, Rejoice with
them that do rejoice.

543
00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:44,040
Now what is he saying here?

544
00:24:45,130 --> 00:24:46,010
He's saying this.

545
00:24:46,810 --> 00:24:52,010
We should be happy when other
people are happy.

546
00:24:52,810 --> 00:24:58,090
This verse is about empathy,
feeling their joy, feeling their

547
00:24:58,090 --> 00:24:58,890
excitement.

548
00:24:59,450 --> 00:25:02,730
This requires, though, more
than just circumstantial happiness.

549
00:25:02,810 --> 00:25:04,490
He says here, rejoice.

550
00:25:04,890 --> 00:25:07,210
We've talked about this before
in other settings.

551
00:25:07,210 --> 00:25:10,090
That rejoice is not just
about, hey, everything's going well,

552
00:25:10,090 --> 00:25:10,650
I'm happy.

553
00:25:10,970 --> 00:25:15,610
No, it's a deeper level of joy
that comes not from circumstances,

554
00:25:15,770 --> 00:25:17,930
but comes from a standing
before the Lord.

555
00:25:17,930 --> 00:25:21,250
So he says here, yes, we
should rejoice with those who are

556
00:25:21,250 --> 00:25:21,730
rejoicing.

557
00:25:21,730 --> 00:25:26,570
Rejoicing with someone else
requires me to enter into their experience.

558
00:25:28,570 --> 00:25:33,130
It takes a second for me to
understand that it's not about me.

559
00:25:33,130 --> 00:25:34,930
Their joy is not centered
around me.

560
00:25:34,930 --> 00:25:37,290
Their joy is centered around
what's happening for them.

561
00:25:37,290 --> 00:25:39,290
But I shouldn't meet them in
that joy.

562
00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:43,480
Happiness is often based upon
what happens to me.

563
00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:46,960
But rejoicing with someone
else requires me to meet them in

564
00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:47,560
their joy.

565
00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:51,240
It requires me to celebrate
something that happened to them.

566
00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:55,520
What does this take for me to
rejoice with someone else?

567
00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:57,000
Nothing good has happened for me.

568
00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:00,760
Nothing good, particularly
circumstantially, has happened good

569
00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:01,320
for me.

570
00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:05,080
But something for that other
believer has caused them joy.

571
00:26:05,670 --> 00:26:07,350
What does that mean for me?

572
00:26:07,350 --> 00:26:11,150
That means that I have to die
to my self focus and turn the focus

573
00:26:11,150 --> 00:26:15,030
over to someone else to put
their needs, their excitement, their

574
00:26:15,030 --> 00:26:16,390
desires before myself.

575
00:26:16,870 --> 00:26:19,350
And so this isn't just
rejoicing for them.

576
00:26:19,750 --> 00:26:20,430
See it with me.

577
00:26:20,430 --> 00:26:23,270
Here in verse 15, he says,
Rejoice with them.

578
00:26:23,750 --> 00:26:25,630
Sometimes we can say, well, I
rejoice for them.

579
00:26:25,630 --> 00:26:26,910
I'm glad that they got that.

580
00:26:26,910 --> 00:26:27,590
Good for them.

581
00:26:27,670 --> 00:26:31,350
No, this is not just rejoicing
for them and ending.

582
00:26:31,350 --> 00:26:34,920
This is rejoicing, rejoicing
with them because their Joy becomes

583
00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:35,600
our joy.

584
00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,600
That's what true biblical love does.

585
00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:44,800
It enters us into their life,
it enters us into their situation.

586
00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:48,119
Somebody else might be
experiencing God's blessing in many

587
00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:48,720
different ways.

588
00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:52,320
Maybe they got a promotion at
work, maybe they're getting married,

589
00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:53,480
maybe they're having a baby.

590
00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:55,160
Maybe they got a new house.

591
00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:56,680
Maybe they're reaching a goal.

592
00:26:56,680 --> 00:27:00,170
Maybe they've seen a step of
spiritual growth in their life and

593
00:27:00,170 --> 00:27:01,970
saw God answer a prayer.

594
00:27:02,690 --> 00:27:08,090
The human fleshly response
sometimes is this, why wasn't that

595
00:27:08,090 --> 00:27:08,370
me?

596
00:27:09,170 --> 00:27:11,650
Why didn't I see that happen
in my life?

597
00:27:11,650 --> 00:27:13,770
Why did that person get that
lesson so easy?

598
00:27:13,770 --> 00:27:15,090
Why did they get that house?

599
00:27:15,090 --> 00:27:16,290
Why did they get that vehicle?

600
00:27:16,290 --> 00:27:19,010
Why did the pastor notice
their ministry and not mine?

601
00:27:19,170 --> 00:27:21,850
Sometimes what happens is that
when we see something good happening

602
00:27:21,850 --> 00:27:27,470
in someone's life, it brings
about a level of bitterness and covetousness

603
00:27:27,950 --> 00:27:31,030
and envy to the place of,
yeah, great, I'll celebrate with

604
00:27:31,030 --> 00:27:31,990
them, I'll clap for them.

605
00:27:31,990 --> 00:27:35,550
But in my heart of hearts, I
needed that.

606
00:27:36,430 --> 00:27:38,030
I deserve that.

607
00:27:39,310 --> 00:27:42,910
And so the flesh is tempted to
compare and say, why them?

608
00:27:42,990 --> 00:27:43,870
Why not me?

609
00:27:44,590 --> 00:27:48,590
Love and grace in the spirit
says, I'm going to thank God with

610
00:27:48,590 --> 00:27:48,990
you.

611
00:27:49,950 --> 00:27:52,510
This is one of the greatest
tests of spiritual maturity.

612
00:27:53,350 --> 00:28:00,390
Can I genuinely celebrate
God's goodness to someone else?

613
00:28:01,750 --> 00:28:05,110
I. I'm just, you know, most of
you might say, sure, that's not a

614
00:28:05,110 --> 00:28:05,830
problem for me.

615
00:28:05,990 --> 00:28:09,190
But I think in our heart of
hearts, there is sometimes a challenge

616
00:28:09,350 --> 00:28:11,830
to celebrate God's goodness in
someone else.

617
00:28:11,990 --> 00:28:14,990
It's easy for me to celebrate
God's goodness in my life, and I

618
00:28:14,990 --> 00:28:17,430
want everybody else to
celebrate God's goodness in my life.

619
00:28:17,590 --> 00:28:19,110
But am I ready?

620
00:28:19,590 --> 00:28:20,470
Am I willing?

621
00:28:20,470 --> 00:28:24,030
Am I able to celebrate when
God is working in someone else's

622
00:28:24,030 --> 00:28:25,990
life and I'm not hearing it
from him at that moment?

623
00:28:26,870 --> 00:28:28,390
That's a tough question.

624
00:28:29,110 --> 00:28:33,150
And it can only come through
God working in our life and us dying

625
00:28:33,150 --> 00:28:36,790
to ourselves and following him
and seeing that we're on the same

626
00:28:36,790 --> 00:28:37,110
team.

627
00:28:38,550 --> 00:28:40,710
So let me give you an analogy
of this.

628
00:28:41,910 --> 00:28:44,550
Growing up, my dad and I, we
go fishing a lot.

629
00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:51,920
And my, my dad would catch
fish, I would catch fish, and I would

630
00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:52,440
catch a fish.

631
00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:54,400
And my dad would be like,
yeah, way to go.

632
00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:57,400
And he would catch a fish, and
I'd be like, oh, man, why didn't

633
00:28:57,400 --> 00:28:58,320
I catch that fish?

634
00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:00,240
I should have thrown my bait there.

635
00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:01,440
I should have did this.

636
00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:04,320
And my dad used to say to me,
I'd rather you catch a fish.

637
00:29:04,560 --> 00:29:05,680
I want to see your joy.

638
00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:07,760
It makes me so happy when you
catch one More than myself.

639
00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:08,880
And I never got that.

640
00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:10,320
I'm like, well, no, I want to.

641
00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:11,520
I want to catch the big one.

642
00:29:11,690 --> 00:29:12,570
I want to have the picture.

643
00:29:12,570 --> 00:29:14,650
I want to have the, the, the experience.

644
00:29:15,370 --> 00:29:16,930
Then I understood what he
meant by that.

645
00:29:16,930 --> 00:29:20,490
When I had a son, first time
we went out, you know, I want.

646
00:29:20,490 --> 00:29:22,330
I want to see my kid get it.

647
00:29:22,410 --> 00:29:24,250
You know, there's joy in that.

648
00:29:24,330 --> 00:29:28,610
There's joy in me seeing that
blessing in his life.

649
00:29:28,610 --> 00:29:28,970
Why?

650
00:29:29,050 --> 00:29:31,330
Because I'm connected with him now.

651
00:29:31,330 --> 00:29:32,330
I'm connected with my dad.

652
00:29:32,330 --> 00:29:35,570
And now with maturity, I'm
super excited when my dad has something

653
00:29:35,570 --> 00:29:35,810
happen.

654
00:29:35,810 --> 00:29:37,760
But as an immature child, I wasn't.

655
00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:38,640
I didn't have that connection.

656
00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:40,160
There's a different connection
with a child.

657
00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:43,600
And when my child has that
victory, I'm excited.

658
00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:45,680
It's the same thing within our
Christian life.

659
00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:48,720
If I'm not connected to other
Christians, I'm never going to be

660
00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:49,000
joyful.

661
00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:50,840
I'm always going to say, why
wasn't it me?

662
00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:51,600
I deserve that.

663
00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:54,760
But when I have that
connection, that familial love that

664
00:29:54,760 --> 00:29:58,080
the Bible talks about there,
when that's my brother and sister

665
00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:01,240
in Christ and they have
something amazing happen, it's just

666
00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:02,960
as I'm having something
amazing happen.

667
00:30:03,260 --> 00:30:05,940
And that's what it means to
rejoice with those that are rejoicing.

668
00:30:05,940 --> 00:30:09,940
It's not about, well, I better
start smiling and clapping when they

669
00:30:09,940 --> 00:30:10,780
have something good happen.

670
00:30:10,780 --> 00:30:12,700
It's not about changing the
outside in.

671
00:30:12,700 --> 00:30:15,860
It's about allowing my heart
to be connected with them as it's

672
00:30:15,860 --> 00:30:19,220
connected with the Lord, so
that it's the natural outflow, that

673
00:30:19,220 --> 00:30:20,860
when they have joy, I have joy.

674
00:30:21,340 --> 00:30:25,740
But then the next part of
this, and sometimes this is difficult

675
00:30:25,740 --> 00:30:26,540
for us as well.

676
00:30:27,900 --> 00:30:31,650
Some that are gifted in the
gift of mercy don't struggle with

677
00:30:31,650 --> 00:30:31,930
this.

678
00:30:32,010 --> 00:30:36,010
But it says, just as we are to
rejoice with those that are rejoicing,

679
00:30:36,010 --> 00:30:37,930
so we are to weep with them
that are weeping.

680
00:30:39,690 --> 00:30:41,530
Paul reverses the situation.

681
00:30:43,210 --> 00:30:47,490
Christian love doesn't just
enter someone's happiness, but it

682
00:30:47,490 --> 00:30:49,050
also enters into their pain.

683
00:30:49,850 --> 00:30:53,290
And weeping isn't necessarily
about literally crying.

684
00:30:53,690 --> 00:30:55,650
I don't want you to feel
guilty if you're like, well, I was

685
00:30:55,650 --> 00:30:58,090
with someone and they were
weeping and I just, I. I couldn't

686
00:30:58,090 --> 00:30:58,890
shed a tear.

687
00:30:59,290 --> 00:31:03,250
It's not about literal, like
moisture coming from your eyes, even

688
00:31:03,250 --> 00:31:04,330
though that might be the case.

689
00:31:04,570 --> 00:31:09,610
But really what it is is that
it's identifying and being willing

690
00:31:10,330 --> 00:31:15,130
to feel the weight of another
person's sorrow, to be with them

691
00:31:15,130 --> 00:31:16,010
in that process.

692
00:31:16,570 --> 00:31:21,090
If it's a mourning process or
if it's, if it's a session of weeping,

693
00:31:21,090 --> 00:31:23,730
if it's a session of
listening, if it's just a session

694
00:31:23,730 --> 00:31:27,230
of being present with someone,
it's the idea that I am going to

695
00:31:27,230 --> 00:31:31,710
again identify with their
needs, stop what I am doing, die

696
00:31:31,710 --> 00:31:36,310
to myself, die to my wants and
my desires and meet them in that

697
00:31:36,310 --> 00:31:39,910
place to show that number one,
they're important, but also that

698
00:31:39,910 --> 00:31:42,030
their need and their struggle
is important as well.

699
00:31:43,230 --> 00:31:47,230
It's not just about, well,
I'll pray for you and move on.

700
00:31:48,110 --> 00:31:51,350
That's sometimes the Christian
cliche that we all use.

701
00:31:51,350 --> 00:31:54,200
And it's not a bad thing if
we're truly praying for people.

702
00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:56,960
But don't just think, and this
is sometimes where I get into trouble,

703
00:31:57,120 --> 00:31:59,200
don't just think that if you
say you'll pray for them and pray

704
00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:01,440
for them that everything's
going to be okay in their life.

705
00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:04,880
We should pray, but also at
the same time, we shouldn't allow

706
00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:07,440
for another brother or sister
to suffer alone.

707
00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:11,680
Paul doesn't say, here, fix
those who are weeping.

708
00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:16,840
That's what the, that's what
the teacher or the prophet or someone

709
00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:20,290
who's all about getting the
truth out there, hey, you know what,

710
00:32:20,290 --> 00:32:22,770
you're weeping, but hey, look,
we can go do this and fix this.

711
00:32:22,770 --> 00:32:26,650
And with like that sometimes
as, as, as a person who is that way,

712
00:32:26,890 --> 00:32:29,090
sometimes my thought is, if
someone's crying, let me just fix

713
00:32:29,090 --> 00:32:29,370
it.

714
00:32:29,610 --> 00:32:31,570
But we know that that's not
always the answer.

715
00:32:31,570 --> 00:32:35,730
It's meeting them in that
place and they need presence, they

716
00:32:35,730 --> 00:32:38,010
need the power of God, they
need the love of God.

717
00:32:38,570 --> 00:32:41,770
And so sometimes it's just
somebody willing to sit beside them

718
00:32:41,850 --> 00:32:42,730
in a valley.

719
00:32:43,290 --> 00:32:45,610
This is what really the church
should look like.

720
00:32:46,730 --> 00:32:49,610
The church should be excited
when things are happening to people

721
00:32:50,090 --> 00:32:53,530
in a good way and we should be
sorrowful when things are happening

722
00:32:53,770 --> 00:32:55,530
sorrowful in other Christians lives.

723
00:32:55,530 --> 00:32:56,890
This is what it's all about.

724
00:32:57,770 --> 00:33:00,810
We get so locked in because of
our culture.

725
00:33:01,290 --> 00:33:02,570
We get so locked into.

726
00:33:02,570 --> 00:33:03,690
Life is about me.

727
00:33:04,810 --> 00:33:07,850
And if I'm, if it's convenient
for me, I'll help that person.

728
00:33:07,850 --> 00:33:10,130
If it's convenient for me,
I'll be joyful with them.

729
00:33:10,130 --> 00:33:12,330
If it's convenient for me,
I'll cry with them.

730
00:33:12,650 --> 00:33:14,250
But at the end of the day,
it's all about me.

731
00:33:14,250 --> 00:33:18,770
But what this passage is
teaching us is that it takes a sense

732
00:33:18,770 --> 00:33:23,410
of selflessness to notice
those around us and be willing to

733
00:33:23,410 --> 00:33:24,650
meet them in that place.

734
00:33:25,690 --> 00:33:28,890
And that's what he says in
this very next verse, verse 16.

735
00:33:29,450 --> 00:33:30,730
He ties it all together.

736
00:33:31,770 --> 00:33:35,130
He Ties it all together with
rejoicing with those that rejoice

737
00:33:35,130 --> 00:33:36,530
and weeping with those that weep.

738
00:33:36,530 --> 00:33:41,200
Because he says in verse 16,
be of the same mind toward one another.

739
00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:45,400
Paul gets underneath the behavior.

740
00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:46,560
He goes deeper.

741
00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:51,200
How do we actually become
people who can rejoice with those

742
00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:52,080
who are rejoicing?

743
00:33:52,160 --> 00:33:54,760
How can we be people who are
weeping with people who are weeping?

744
00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:58,080
How can we be people who are
blessing those that persecute us?

745
00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:00,040
How can we be people who love
other people?

746
00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:03,440
Well, it starts with how we
think about other people.

747
00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:07,760
He says, be of the same mind,
think alike in the sense of having

748
00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:10,680
the same heart and attitude
towards one another.

749
00:34:11,640 --> 00:34:13,280
It doesn't mean that we agree
with everything.

750
00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:15,360
It doesn't mean that we follow
the same teams.

751
00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:16,680
It doesn't mean that we look
the same.

752
00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:19,880
It doesn't mean that we can
agree with different preferences.

753
00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:23,720
But it's this that I see your
value in God.

754
00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:25,480
And we value one another.

755
00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:27,320
We're not competing against
one another.

756
00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:29,360
We're brothers and sisters in Christ.

757
00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:30,840
We're on the same team.

758
00:34:31,270 --> 00:34:32,070
That's what he's saying here.

759
00:34:32,070 --> 00:34:36,150
He says the way to understand
these hard truths is by seeing other

760
00:34:36,150 --> 00:34:37,350
people through the right lens.

761
00:34:37,350 --> 00:34:39,910
And that is that there's value
in you.

762
00:34:39,910 --> 00:34:44,430
Not because of your talents,
not because of your money, not because

763
00:34:44,430 --> 00:34:48,630
of your skill sets, but
because of who you are in Christ

764
00:34:48,630 --> 00:34:52,150
and who we are together in
Christ as brothers and sisters.

765
00:34:53,190 --> 00:34:56,390
And so Christianity isn't
about having the right attitude,

766
00:34:56,799 --> 00:34:59,999
but really kind of seeing
people as separate and different.

767
00:35:00,799 --> 00:35:04,959
No, it says here, be of the
same mind toward one another.

768
00:35:06,879 --> 00:35:11,039
So Christianity is more than
just having the right theological

769
00:35:11,119 --> 00:35:11,999
understanding.

770
00:35:12,558 --> 00:35:16,199
It's about, yes, believing the
right things, but also it's about

771
00:35:16,199 --> 00:35:18,319
how I treat people around me.

772
00:35:18,879 --> 00:35:22,799
The person sitting beside me,
the person who disagrees with me,

773
00:35:23,430 --> 00:35:26,710
the person who might annoy me,
the person who's different, the person

774
00:35:26,950 --> 00:35:29,270
who can't do anything for me.

775
00:35:30,470 --> 00:35:34,270
That's where Christianity
becomes visible to the world around

776
00:35:34,270 --> 00:35:34,510
us.

777
00:35:34,510 --> 00:35:37,430
And that's what he says, mind
not the high things.

778
00:35:37,590 --> 00:35:39,830
Now, what does that even mean,
mind not the high things?

779
00:35:41,510 --> 00:35:45,670
The most basic way to describe
that is don't be obsessed with status.

780
00:35:46,870 --> 00:35:51,880
Don't be totally consumed with
what does that person do?

781
00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:53,040
How much do they make?

782
00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:55,360
What's their standing in society?

783
00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:58,720
Don't constantly seek what's
impressive to the world.

784
00:35:59,600 --> 00:36:03,400
Don't try to associate
yourself with people just so that

785
00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:04,560
they can make you look important.

786
00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:10,800
That is a terrible habit to
have in our lives.

787
00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:12,240
Oh, great, I'm going to meet you.

788
00:36:12,240 --> 00:36:12,720
Let me.

789
00:36:12,720 --> 00:36:15,040
Let me because in the
corporate world it's called networking,

790
00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:15,360
right?

791
00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:18,690
We need to find what you can
bring to me and if you're with me,

792
00:36:18,690 --> 00:36:20,170
how does that look to other people?

793
00:36:20,250 --> 00:36:23,850
And we've got all these clicks
and associations and it's all about

794
00:36:23,850 --> 00:36:25,690
drawing attention to ourselves.

795
00:36:26,730 --> 00:36:31,450
Don't allow ambition to make
you overlook God's people.

796
00:36:32,010 --> 00:36:35,850
So, so in modern language, to
mind not the high things, it means

797
00:36:35,850 --> 00:36:36,170
this.

798
00:36:37,290 --> 00:36:39,050
Don't be too impressed with yourself.

799
00:36:40,090 --> 00:36:44,930
He, he even go back with me to
see that they're in verse three of

800
00:36:44,930 --> 00:36:46,050
Romans chapter 12.

801
00:36:47,490 --> 00:36:52,890
He says, For I say through the
grace given unto me to every man

802
00:36:52,890 --> 00:36:56,010
that is among you not to think
of himself more highly than he ought

803
00:36:56,010 --> 00:36:56,450
to think.

804
00:36:56,610 --> 00:36:57,810
That's what he's saying here.

805
00:36:58,690 --> 00:37:00,610
Don't get so self inflated.

806
00:37:01,330 --> 00:37:04,610
Don't allow your ego to
dictate how you treat other people.

807
00:37:05,250 --> 00:37:07,250
Then he says this phrase here
in the King James.

808
00:37:07,250 --> 00:37:09,650
It's a little bit misunderstand.

809
00:37:09,730 --> 00:37:11,610
There's a little bit of
misunderstanding that could come

810
00:37:11,610 --> 00:37:15,060
about because of the word
condescend in our culture today.

811
00:37:15,300 --> 00:37:18,340
But it says, but condescend to
men of low estate.

812
00:37:18,340 --> 00:37:21,820
Now in our modern vernacular,
condescend means I'm going to kind

813
00:37:21,820 --> 00:37:23,220
of like belittle you.

814
00:37:23,700 --> 00:37:24,900
But that's not what this means.

815
00:37:25,300 --> 00:37:30,660
Literally, condescend means to
come down to a place, to lower myself

816
00:37:30,820 --> 00:37:32,740
to an equal status with them.

817
00:37:33,540 --> 00:37:38,580
And so Paul is not saying that
I need to talk down to people.

818
00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:43,360
Paul is saying here, associate
with the humble and lowly people.

819
00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:48,240
In other words, don't be too
important to spend time with people

820
00:37:48,240 --> 00:37:50,320
who aren't important in the
eyes of the world.

821
00:37:50,720 --> 00:37:52,240
James talks about this, right?

822
00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:55,199
Someone comes into the church
and they're dressed to the nines

823
00:37:55,199 --> 00:37:56,560
with everything with gold.

824
00:37:56,720 --> 00:37:59,200
And back in their time there
was gold and robes and things like

825
00:37:59,200 --> 00:37:59,320
that.

826
00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:02,880
And we look at them and go,
obviously they've got a lot of resources,

827
00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:04,280
so come get the nice seat.

828
00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:07,910
And now back in that time,
nice seat was up front, back today,

829
00:38:07,910 --> 00:38:11,550
you know, that Noah sits up on
the front, you know, but that's okay.

830
00:38:11,550 --> 00:38:14,190
The, the idea would be though
that there were some people that

831
00:38:14,190 --> 00:38:18,030
were dressed in such a way or,
or were perceived in such a way that

832
00:38:18,030 --> 00:38:19,270
they didn't have status.

833
00:38:19,510 --> 00:38:21,110
Well, no one, no one noticed them.

834
00:38:21,830 --> 00:38:24,030
We should never look at
someone and make a judgment call

835
00:38:24,030 --> 00:38:27,110
of what their status is by
just the way that they look and then

836
00:38:27,110 --> 00:38:28,030
treat them differently.

837
00:38:28,030 --> 00:38:29,350
That's what Paul is saying here.

838
00:38:30,550 --> 00:38:33,070
He says, Jesus met those
people in their need.

839
00:38:33,070 --> 00:38:34,790
Jesus talked to the woman at
the well.

840
00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:38,440
Jesus talked to those People
that, that were lame, that were blind.

841
00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:40,800
And it's not to say that, hey,
you know what?

842
00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:42,720
We neglect other people that
have status.

843
00:38:42,720 --> 00:38:46,160
No, we are just to treat
people the same way that God treats

844
00:38:46,160 --> 00:38:46,440
people.

845
00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:48,040
Standard across the board.

846
00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:49,800
They all are in need of Jesus Christ.

847
00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:52,560
If they are saved, then
they're my brother and sister in

848
00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:52,840
Christ.

849
00:38:53,720 --> 00:38:57,800
Jesus repeated this over and
over again as he did his earthly

850
00:38:57,800 --> 00:38:58,360
ministry.

851
00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:04,420
Then we get to the end of
verse 16 and he says, be not wise

852
00:39:04,420 --> 00:39:05,780
in your own conceits.

853
00:39:06,420 --> 00:39:07,420
What's he talking about here?

854
00:39:07,420 --> 00:39:10,780
Well, this is his final
warning, at least in this passage

855
00:39:10,780 --> 00:39:11,620
that we're talking about today.

856
00:39:11,620 --> 00:39:14,300
There's more warnings here,
but he says, be not wise in your

857
00:39:14,300 --> 00:39:14,980
own conceits.

858
00:39:14,980 --> 00:39:15,860
What is he saying?

859
00:39:17,860 --> 00:39:21,140
If I could put it in a way
that we would understand today, it's

860
00:39:21,140 --> 00:39:22,580
don't think you know everything.

861
00:39:23,940 --> 00:39:25,700
Don't assume you're always right.

862
00:39:25,860 --> 00:39:28,620
My, my fleshly assumption is
that I know everything that I need

863
00:39:28,620 --> 00:39:29,020
to know.

864
00:39:29,020 --> 00:39:29,230
I.

865
00:39:29,380 --> 00:39:30,020
That I'm always right.

866
00:39:30,020 --> 00:39:33,220
Like, was like, you know, my
way is the right way.

867
00:39:33,540 --> 00:39:36,900
Like, you know, if the way
that my house is run, my kids do

868
00:39:36,900 --> 00:39:39,540
it a certain way, or someone
does something within the church

869
00:39:39,540 --> 00:39:41,660
and I look at and go, yeah,
that works.

870
00:39:41,660 --> 00:39:42,580
But that's not my way.

871
00:39:42,580 --> 00:39:44,980
Because my way would be this,
this, and this.

872
00:39:45,700 --> 00:39:49,300
The understanding that Paul is
saying here is he says, don't put

873
00:39:49,940 --> 00:39:52,500
yourself in a place where you
are always right.

874
00:39:53,300 --> 00:39:58,680
Don't become so impressed with
who you are that you can't listen

875
00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:00,160
to anybody else around you.

876
00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:03,320
And that brings us back to
Romans 12:3.

877
00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:06,080
Not to think of ourselves more
highly than we ought to think.

878
00:40:06,480 --> 00:40:07,920
So the progression here is.

879
00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:11,520
Is a difficult but yet
beautiful process of seeing God work.

880
00:40:11,680 --> 00:40:15,560
He takes us from a place of
humility that he brings us to with

881
00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:16,320
his greatness.

882
00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:20,320
That humility that he brings
in our life brings us to a place

883
00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:25,370
of empathy, to rejoice with
those that are rejoicing, to week

884
00:40:25,370 --> 00:40:28,490
with those that are weeping,
to bless those that are persecuting

885
00:40:28,490 --> 00:40:28,650
us.

886
00:40:28,650 --> 00:40:31,090
And then he brings us to a
place of unity.

887
00:40:31,490 --> 00:40:34,610
Because when we're that way
and see each other from that perspective,

888
00:40:34,610 --> 00:40:35,490
we're unified.

889
00:40:35,490 --> 00:40:38,370
And then that is manifested
through Christ, like love.

890
00:40:39,890 --> 00:40:43,130
So I want to take you through
one last summary here, and then we'll

891
00:40:43,130 --> 00:40:43,730
be done.

892
00:40:44,450 --> 00:40:48,250
I think we could look at it
for four tests of Christlike love

893
00:40:48,250 --> 00:40:48,930
in this passage.

894
00:40:48,930 --> 00:40:49,510
Four tests.

895
00:40:49,660 --> 00:40:51,180
Four tests of Christlike love.

896
00:40:51,180 --> 00:40:54,500
And we'll start with a
question, and then we'll look at

897
00:40:54,500 --> 00:40:55,100
the answer.

898
00:40:55,340 --> 00:40:58,140
Number one, how do I respond
when someone Hurts me.

899
00:40:58,380 --> 00:41:01,220
That's the first evaluative
question I think we should have here

900
00:41:01,220 --> 00:41:01,980
in this passage.

901
00:41:02,220 --> 00:41:05,739
Remember back verse 14, bless
them which persecute you.

902
00:41:06,380 --> 00:41:08,540
How do I respond to hurt?

903
00:41:09,820 --> 00:41:14,860
Well, Jesus told us, Paul told
us, the Bible tells us, bless those

904
00:41:14,940 --> 00:41:16,220
that persecute us.

905
00:41:17,220 --> 00:41:20,740
So the way that we could
properly respond to that is this.

906
00:41:22,020 --> 00:41:26,820
Christian love blesses instead
of retaliates.

907
00:41:28,660 --> 00:41:32,140
That passage in context is
talking about not retaliating.

908
00:41:32,140 --> 00:41:33,220
How do we know that?

909
00:41:33,380 --> 00:41:35,140
Because it's where we're going
to start next week.

910
00:41:35,140 --> 00:41:35,940
In verse 17.

911
00:41:36,420 --> 00:41:40,860
Recompense to no man evil for
evil provide things honest in the

912
00:41:40,860 --> 00:41:41,780
sight of all men.

913
00:41:43,230 --> 00:41:45,030
So how do I respond when
someone hurts me?

914
00:41:45,030 --> 00:41:49,070
The Christlike love response
is to bless instead of retaliate.

915
00:41:49,470 --> 00:41:53,470
Second question, how do I
respond when someone else succeeds?

916
00:41:54,830 --> 00:41:57,230
We talked about rejoicing with
those that are rejoicing.

917
00:41:58,270 --> 00:42:01,870
How do I respond when someone
else sees a blessing from God?

918
00:42:01,950 --> 00:42:05,150
When someone else is the
winner, so to speak?

919
00:42:05,710 --> 00:42:14,070
Well, Christian love,
spiritual sacrifice celebrates instead

920
00:42:14,070 --> 00:42:14,910
of competing.

921
00:42:14,910 --> 00:42:17,070
Celebrates insteads of competing.

922
00:42:17,310 --> 00:42:21,990
Meaning when someone else has
a victory, I celebrate it.

923
00:42:21,990 --> 00:42:23,070
I don't compete with it.

924
00:42:23,710 --> 00:42:28,190
I don't think about, well, how
can I make them go down or how can

925
00:42:28,190 --> 00:42:29,390
I look better?

926
00:42:29,550 --> 00:42:33,310
It's not about competition,
it's about celebrating.

927
00:42:34,280 --> 00:42:36,800
Then we see number three.

928
00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:39,960
How do I respond when someone
else suffers?

929
00:42:40,600 --> 00:42:47,200
When someone else goes through
a trial, well, he says, weep with

930
00:42:47,200 --> 00:42:47,880
them that weep.

931
00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:50,440
Love, Christian love.

932
00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:54,800
Spiritual sacrifice enters
into the pain of another instead

933
00:42:54,800 --> 00:42:55,640
of avoids it.

934
00:42:55,880 --> 00:42:58,520
Our natural response is
avoiding other people's pain.

935
00:42:59,080 --> 00:43:04,270
The Spirit filled response is
to enter into their pain, enter into

936
00:43:04,270 --> 00:43:08,550
their sorrow, enter into that
weight of, of that situation that

937
00:43:08,550 --> 00:43:10,190
they're going into or that
they're in.

938
00:43:11,150 --> 00:43:12,510
And then the fourth one.

939
00:43:12,670 --> 00:43:15,470
How do I view myself in
relation to others?

940
00:43:17,150 --> 00:43:19,950
Well, Paul says, be not wise
in your own conceits.

941
00:43:20,750 --> 00:43:25,880
Love humbles itself instead of
elevating itself.

942
00:43:26,760 --> 00:43:29,560
The idea for us as Christians
would be that if I'm following Christ,

943
00:43:29,560 --> 00:43:33,080
it's not about elevating
myself, it's about humbling myself

944
00:43:33,080 --> 00:43:36,200
and elevating others and
ultimately elevating the Lord.

945
00:43:37,560 --> 00:43:44,760
And so when I'm hurt as a
Christian, living in Christ means

946
00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:47,560
that I am going to love him
enough to bless others.

947
00:43:48,120 --> 00:43:52,410
When someone else is blessed,
I'm going to rejoice when someone

948
00:43:52,410 --> 00:43:53,250
else is hurting.

949
00:43:54,210 --> 00:43:55,570
We weep.

950
00:43:56,850 --> 00:43:58,970
In every relationship that we
have in our life.

951
00:43:58,970 --> 00:44:03,650
We humble ourselves and submit
ourselves to the Lord and see others

952
00:44:03,650 --> 00:44:07,810
as God sees them in such a way
that either one, they need Jesus

953
00:44:07,810 --> 00:44:12,050
as their Savior and they need
to come to A place of conviction

954
00:44:12,370 --> 00:44:14,690
and faith and salvation.

955
00:44:14,770 --> 00:44:18,490
Or if they're my brother and
sister in Christ, then it's this.

956
00:44:18,490 --> 00:44:19,490
They're saved.

957
00:44:19,490 --> 00:44:23,610
And they might need help, they
might need teaching, they might need

958
00:44:23,610 --> 00:44:27,610
encouragement, they might need
edification, or they might need friendship.

959
00:44:27,610 --> 00:44:31,370
Whatever it is, I want to
provide for them what God wants to

960
00:44:31,370 --> 00:44:32,850
provide for them in this moment.

961
00:44:33,169 --> 00:44:37,810
And so Paul in this passage is
not just teaching us how to behave

962
00:44:37,810 --> 00:44:38,130
better.

963
00:44:39,010 --> 00:44:41,810
I could see this passage being
taken out of context and saying,

964
00:44:41,810 --> 00:44:44,480
okay, you want to be a good
Christian, check off these boxes.

965
00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:45,920
But it's not just about performance.

966
00:44:46,640 --> 00:44:47,520
It's not about trying.

967
00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:49,760
But what it's about transformation.

968
00:44:50,080 --> 00:44:54,160
He shows us what a transformed
life like Romans 12:2.

969
00:44:54,480 --> 00:44:57,800
It shows us what a transformed
life looks like when the mind of

970
00:44:57,800 --> 00:45:01,280
Christ, the renewing of the
mind, begins to shape the way that

971
00:45:01,280 --> 00:45:03,600
we deal with other people
around us.

972
00:45:04,560 --> 00:45:08,320
Transformed, renewed, changed.

973
00:45:08,320 --> 00:45:08,880
That's it.

974
00:45:09,500 --> 00:45:14,460
It's not trying, working, and
then eventually performing.

975
00:45:15,020 --> 00:45:17,420
It's about allowing God to do
the work in us.

976
00:45:17,660 --> 00:45:21,580
And so, counterintuitively,
it's not about trying and working.

977
00:45:21,900 --> 00:45:24,900
It's about submitting and
allowing God to do his work through

978
00:45:24,900 --> 00:45:25,139
us.

979
00:45:25,139 --> 00:45:26,940
Now, it's not passive on our side.

980
00:45:26,940 --> 00:45:28,540
We don't say, God, work
through me now.

981
00:45:28,540 --> 00:45:30,940
Let me just sit around and
focus on myself.

982
00:45:30,940 --> 00:45:31,900
That's not what it's about.

983
00:45:32,060 --> 00:45:35,180
It's about focusing on God,
allowing God to work, and then moving

984
00:45:35,340 --> 00:45:36,700
when he calls me to move.

985
00:45:37,580 --> 00:45:38,780
So how is this going to look?

986
00:45:39,100 --> 00:45:41,180
Well, for me, I'll tell you
how it looks.

987
00:45:41,180 --> 00:45:43,780
I'll preach a message on
compassion, and then God will put

988
00:45:43,780 --> 00:45:46,300
a situation in my life where I
need to extend compassion.

989
00:45:46,300 --> 00:45:48,060
And it's a decision that I
need to make.

990
00:45:48,220 --> 00:45:51,980
Am I going to follow what God
has clearly stated in His Word to

991
00:45:51,980 --> 00:45:55,100
exercise this compassion on
this person, or am I going to choose

992
00:45:55,100 --> 00:45:56,540
what I feel like in this moment?

993
00:45:56,780 --> 00:45:58,860
It's a matter of flesh or spirit.

994
00:45:58,860 --> 00:46:01,900
Am I going to allow the Spirit
of God to speak to me through his

995
00:46:01,900 --> 00:46:05,030
word and through
circumstances, and then obey?

996
00:46:05,030 --> 00:46:08,350
Or am I just going to say,
yeah, I know I should, but you know

997
00:46:08,350 --> 00:46:08,550
what?

998
00:46:08,550 --> 00:46:09,270
I'm busy.

999
00:46:09,270 --> 00:46:09,990
Or you know what?

1000
00:46:09,990 --> 00:46:11,430
I don't know if I could help
that person.

1001
00:46:11,750 --> 00:46:14,990
If God reveals an opportunity
for you to exercise these things

1002
00:46:14,990 --> 00:46:18,950
in your life, trust him and
take a step of faith and obedience,

1003
00:46:18,950 --> 00:46:21,630
to say, lord, I'm going to do
what you've called me to do, and

1004
00:46:21,630 --> 00:46:24,030
you're going to give me
everything I need to see this blessing

1005
00:46:24,030 --> 00:46:24,590
in my life.

1006
00:46:24,590 --> 00:46:28,070
Because again, it all starts
with that sacrifice that he calls

1007
00:46:28,070 --> 00:46:29,120
us to have why?

1008
00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:31,680
Because of everything that
he's done by the mercies of God.

1009
00:46:31,760 --> 00:46:35,560
He calls us as is reasonable
to give him our everything.

1010
00:46:35,560 --> 00:46:36,520
And that's what it looks like.

1011
00:46:36,520 --> 00:46:40,320
We'll come back next week and
we'll look at verses 17 through 21,

1012
00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:43,760
which gets a little bit more
detailed when it comes to this idea

1013
00:46:43,760 --> 00:46:45,840
of forgiveness and vengeance.

1014
00:46:46,160 --> 00:46:48,240
And it's tied together
certainly with what we've talked

1015
00:46:48,240 --> 00:46:48,720
about today.

1016
00:46:49,200 --> 00:46:52,560
But a lot of times we need a
secondary help when it comes to that

1017
00:46:52,560 --> 00:46:54,000
idea of, yeah, but I want to
get even.

1018
00:46:54,490 --> 00:46:56,570
And we'll talk about that more
next week.

1019
00:46:56,890 --> 00:46:59,850
So I'm going to ask if you're
able to I'm going to give you a chance

1020
00:46:59,850 --> 00:47:02,090
to respond if you're able to
stand with me, every head bowed,

1021
00:47:02,090 --> 00:47:04,130
every eye closed as the music
plays here.

1022
00:47:04,130 --> 00:47:07,210
In a few moments, we're going
to have a time of response.

1023
00:47:08,730 --> 00:47:13,850
This isn't necessarily a
sermon to say to you, this is where

1024
00:47:13,850 --> 00:47:16,490
you need to be and this is
where you're not.

1025
00:47:16,810 --> 00:47:19,130
So fix that and get that right
with God.

1026
00:47:19,130 --> 00:47:23,860
Today, though that might be an
element of it really, at the deeper

1027
00:47:23,860 --> 00:47:29,420
sense, it's a matter of am I
allowing God to transform me to that

1028
00:47:29,420 --> 00:47:32,580
which he has called me to live
in my life, though it'd be difficult,

1029
00:47:32,820 --> 00:47:34,580
though it be opposite of the world?

1030
00:47:34,900 --> 00:47:39,140
Am I open to that
transformation process, or am I closed

1031
00:47:39,140 --> 00:47:42,700
off, thinking it's about
trying and working and making it

1032
00:47:42,700 --> 00:47:43,860
all make sense in my mind.

1033
00:47:44,100 --> 00:47:48,420
Folks, I'm going to tell you
here today, none of us, and I'm going

1034
00:47:48,420 --> 00:47:49,260
to take a stand on this.

1035
00:47:49,260 --> 00:47:52,900
I don't think any of us have
these verses down perfectly.

1036
00:47:53,060 --> 00:47:56,260
All of us need to rejoice more
with those that are rejoicing.

1037
00:47:56,420 --> 00:47:59,220
All of us need to weep more
with those who are weeping.

1038
00:47:59,220 --> 00:48:02,580
All of us need to lower
ourselves to a place of humility

1039
00:48:02,900 --> 00:48:04,340
in cases in our life.

1040
00:48:04,500 --> 00:48:08,060
All of us to some degree, need
to understand what it means to bless

1041
00:48:08,060 --> 00:48:09,660
those that are persecuting us.

1042
00:48:09,660 --> 00:48:11,940
And so this isn't a matter of
are you there yet?

1043
00:48:12,370 --> 00:48:13,810
Because I think all of us
could understand.

1044
00:48:14,210 --> 00:48:16,130
None of us are at perfection.

1045
00:48:16,130 --> 00:48:17,410
All of us need growth.

1046
00:48:18,130 --> 00:48:24,770
So the true question for the
believer this morning is, am I seeking

1047
00:48:24,930 --> 00:48:28,930
the Lord's transformative
power in my life to do these things

1048
00:48:29,170 --> 00:48:33,970
that are beyond my power,
beyond my comprehension?

1049
00:48:34,930 --> 00:48:38,490
But I think the greater
question is that, number one, do

1050
00:48:38,490 --> 00:48:39,890
you know Jesus has your Savior?

1051
00:48:40,700 --> 00:48:43,460
You can't perform any of these
things in your life.

1052
00:48:43,460 --> 00:48:46,340
You can't see any of these
things happening unless the spirit

1053
00:48:46,340 --> 00:48:47,740
of God is moving through you.

1054
00:48:47,740 --> 00:48:51,420
And the Spirit of God does not
indwell us unless we come to him

1055
00:48:51,420 --> 00:48:52,780
in faith and trust in Him.

1056
00:48:52,940 --> 00:48:58,580
Recognize our sin, recognize
our need for a Savior, recognize

1057
00:48:58,580 --> 00:49:00,740
that Jesus can be that only Savior.

1058
00:49:00,740 --> 00:49:04,740
And trusting in his perfect
work on the cross and through the

1059
00:49:04,740 --> 00:49:08,550
resurrection to to give us
salvation, forgiveness and eternal

1060
00:49:08,550 --> 00:49:08,750
life.

1061
00:49:08,750 --> 00:49:11,350
Folks, if that's something
that you need today, it's the greatest

1062
00:49:11,350 --> 00:49:12,630
decision that you can ever make.

1063
00:49:12,710 --> 00:49:14,590
It will change the way that
you live.

1064
00:49:14,590 --> 00:49:17,590
It'll change the way that you
love, it'll change the way that you

1065
00:49:17,590 --> 00:49:19,110
deal with problems within your life.

1066
00:49:19,110 --> 00:49:21,990
And most importantly, it'll
change where you're going to spend

1067
00:49:22,150 --> 00:49:22,870
eternity.

1068
00:49:23,030 --> 00:49:25,350
All of us are going to spend
eternity somewhere.

1069
00:49:25,670 --> 00:49:27,270
The question is, is I'm going
to trust?

1070
00:49:27,270 --> 00:49:31,270
Am I going to trust in Jesus
today and know without a shadow of

1071
00:49:31,270 --> 00:49:34,800
a doubt that I will spend the
rest of of my life here on this earth

1072
00:49:34,800 --> 00:49:37,000
and ultimately for eternity in
heaven with Him?

1073
00:49:37,960 --> 00:49:42,760
May that be your prayer and
your desire to follow him today.

1074
00:49:42,920 --> 00:49:45,240
Lord, I pray that you be in
this time of invitation working hearts

1075
00:49:45,240 --> 00:49:45,480
and lives.

1076
00:49:45,480 --> 00:49:48,720
We're thankful for this
challenge, Lord.

1077
00:49:48,720 --> 00:49:51,920
We're thankful for the fact
that the freedom that we have knowing

1078
00:49:51,920 --> 00:49:55,640
that we can't do this, but you
can and we turn it over to you today.

1079
00:49:55,880 --> 00:49:58,040
Lord, I pray that you be in
this time of invitation.

1080
00:49:58,200 --> 00:49:59,960
We thank you for all that you
do for us.

1081
00:50:00,760 --> 00:50:02,240
We ask all these things in
Jesus name.

1082
00:50:02,240 --> 00:50:02,570
Amen.