If you are a parent, have you ever been told that your child acts just like you?
And when you heard that, what was the context?
Wasn't good, was it?
Wasn't good what your child was doing.
Most of my son David's, which he's not here today, I wish he was.
Most of his growing up years, I heard that over and over and over again.
He would do something and I'd get all upset, irritated, ready to get him.
And my dad would say something.
I know another little boy who used to act that way.
And my mother's favorite line was, he's just like you.
Never said that when he did something good.
Always said that when he was getting into something.
Who are you like?
Are you like one of your parents?
Or a grandparent?
Or an older brother or sister?
Are you ever, or has anyone ever said, you are like your heavenly father?
You'd think, well that's just crazy.
Nobody would ever say that.
That's impossible.
Is it?
Jesus said on more than one occasion,
we should live in such a way that we would be called sons or children of our heavenly father.
So if Jesus said that, it's not impossible, is it?
We're going to look at one such place today in Matthew chapter 5, verse 43 and following.
If you would, go ahead and turn there.
And while you're turning, I want to sort of bring some people up to date if you haven't been here.
Or remind those who may have slept through a part of it on one occasion or two.
Over the past several weeks, we've been looking at how we're supposed to respond to people who mistreat us.
Maybe insult us.
And what we've discovered, it is not easy and it is not natural.
Look at these examples.
Paul writes in Romans chapter 12,
Bless those who persecute you.
Bless and do not curse them.
A little bit later in verse 19.
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God.
For it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.
And then we saw this from Matthew chapter 5, verse 38 and 39, what Jesus said.
You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil.
But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
If you were not here and you want to go into the details of that message,
what Jesus actually was talking about, what He wasn't,
go online at our church website and listen to it
and find out exactly what Jesus is talking about.
But just sort of as a little summary.
We've learned that these statements were primarily,
not exclusively, but primarily aimed at individuals
who were being persecuted because they were Christians.
What Jesus is talking about, He's writing to His disciples.
Paul's, Paul's writing to Christians in Romans 12.
And the idea is, as you live in this world trying to live out your faith
and you encounter persecution, you encounter people who don't like you
because you are my follower, because you're seeking to live as I have taught you.
And they mistreat you.
They insult you.
Don't seek revenge is what they're saying.
Don't retaliate.
Don't have this idea,
I don't take anything off anyone.
I don't get mad.
I get even.
The idea in all these statements,
we've got to learn as Christians to treat people better than they treat us.
Boys and girls,
boys and girls,
we're supposed to treat people better than they treat us,
not like they treat us.
Last week,
we looked specifically at how God does not call us
to live as pacifists in this world.
To just passively sit back and take all the abuse,
all the whatever people want to take out on us.
We looked at two things last week in particular.
I want to give you a real quick summary.
God provides justice and protection from evil people
through governmental authority like police,
like the court system,
and on a national level,
through the military.
God intends for justice to be carried out in this world,
for justice to be served,
not so much individuals seeking it,
but as a governmental authority seeking it,
like a law enforcement officer,
like a military person,
like through the court system.
And we get this in Romans chapter 13,
verses 1 through 4,
but I just want to read verse 4 right now.
Look at it.
He says,
But if you do wrong,
be afraid for he,
he's talking about the emperor,
the king,
he's talking about government
as if government was a person.
If you do wrong,
be afraid for he does not bear the sword in vain.
He's talking about lethal force.
For he is the servant of God,
an avenger who carries out God's wrath
on the wrongdoer.
We also saw last week
that God allows us to defend ourselves
and others with deadly force
when threatened by evil.
Here's what we saw last week.
In Luke chapter 22,
you see the verses on the screen.
Jesus did not prohibit his disciples
from walking around
carrying a sword
which was used to defend themselves.
Jesus, over three years of ministry,
when he came to the end,
Peter used his in an inappropriate way.
We looked at that last week.
But the point I want to make is,
Jesus did not tell his disciples,
you can't be armed.
They were armed.
He knew they were armed.
respected theologians explain
that this is not only allowed
defending yourself or other people
under certain circumstances,
but to do this is sometimes
the absolute moral right thing to do.
Listen to John Frame,
one of the most well-respected
ethical writers,
theologians you'll find alive today.
He says,
if someone seeks to kill you
or a family member
and there is no help available,
it is right
for you to ward off the attack
by force if necessary.
Individuals may sometimes fight
or even kill
to preserve a life,
but they should not use force,
they should not use more force
that is necessary
in a given situation.
Norman Geisler is another
well-respected writer on ethics.
He, along with J.P. Moreland,
they make an even stronger statement.
Look at what they say.
To permit murder
when one could have prevented it
is morally wrong.
To allow a rape
when one could have been hindered
is an evil.
To watch an act of cruelty
to children without trying
to intervene
is morally inexcusable.
In brief,
not resisting evil
is an evil of omission.
And an evil of omission
can be just as evil
as an evil of commission.
Any man who refuses
to protect his wife
and children
against a violent intruder
fails them morally.
There's a time
and there's a place.
We should pray
that it never happens
when Christians
should act
with force
to protect someone,
to protect their own life
and it's morally right.
It's not just something
that can be done.
It's the morally right thing
to do.
God provides a way
for us in this world,
even us as Christians,
to seek justice,
to be protected
from evil people
who have no respect
for human life,
no respect
for morality
or authority.
That's important
to understand.
But,
most of us
will live our entire lives
lives.
And our enemies
will never be
such evil people
as I just described.
Most of us,
we have enemies
who may insult us,
who may mistreat us,
who may abuse us,
who may take advantage
of us,
who may persecute us
because we're Christians,
but they don't really
threaten our life
or our family
or our community,
our country.
The way
we
interact
with
enemies
is what Jesus says
in Matthew 5,
43
as the general rule
for us
as individuals.
So let's look at it.
Matthew 5,
43.
You have heard
that it was said,
you shall love
your neighbor
and hate
your enemy.
But I say to you,
love your enemies
and pray for those
who persecute you
so that you may be
sons of your Father
who is in heaven.
The idea is not
you love your enemy
and pray for those
who persecute you
and by doing that
you become sons
of your Father
or children of God.
No.
By loving your enemy,
praying for those
who persecute you,
you demonstrate,
Jesus is saying,
that you already
are
a child of God.
Verse 46 now.
Now back up,
verse 45.
So that you may
be sons of your
Father who is in heaven
for he makes
his son
rise on the evil
and on the good
and sends rain
on the just
and on the unjust.
For if you love
those who love you,
what reward
do you have?
Do not even
the tax collectors
do the same?
And if you greet
only your brothers,
he's talking about
a greeting,
not just,
hey, how you doing,
but a Jewish greeting
of peace,
of shalom.
You're really wishing
well,
wholeness,
a good quality
of life on someone.
It's a heartfelt
kind of expression.
Look at it again.
And if you greet
only your brothers,
what more
are you doing
than others?
Do not even
the Gentiles
do the same?
You therefore
must be perfect
as your heavenly
Father is perfect.
He's talking there
about being complete,
about being whole,
about living up
to what God's
called us to
in the Sermon
on the Mount.
That last phrase,
sort of a way
he ends this
section of the
Sermon on the Mount.
But let's look at
what Jesus is
talking about.
First,
the natural way
to respond to enemies
is what he says
in verse 43.
You've heard
that it was said,
you shall love
your neighbor
and hate your enemy.
The Jewish leaders
of Jesus' day
taught people
that's what
you're supposed
to do.
That's what you,
as a good Jew,
will do.
But that was not
what the Old Testament
taught.
The Old Testament,
most of us
in here know,
Jesus called it
the second greatest
commandment,
love your neighbor.
neighbor as yourself.
Throughout the Old Testament,
God commanded
his people
to love other people,
not just their fellow Jews,
but even an alien
living in your land.
Help them,
do certain things
to provide
for some of their needs.
God commanded
his people.
But over time,
the Jews
developed this
mentality,
love your neighbor
and your neighbor
is a fellow Jew.
Period.
Love your neighbor,
your fellow Jew,
and then
hate everybody else.
Look down,
despise everyone else.
And that was the mentality
that was developed.
To a Jewish person,
if you were not
a part of that group,
you were looked down upon.
You were a Gentile dog.
You were not worthy
of being spoken to
in a proper way
as we saw there
toward the end.
What Jesus is doing here
when he says,
you have heard
that it was said,
you shall love your neighbor
and hate your enemy.
He's not quoting
an Old Testament passage.
He's quoting
what was being said
at that time.
And what was being said
at that time
was this.
Love people
in a way
that comes naturally.
naturally.
What was being said
at that time
is you just
do what feels good.
You love those
that are like you.
People who look
and think
and act like you.
You love them
but just
hate.
Look down
at those
who are not like you.
Now,
loving people
who are like us,
anybody can do that.
You know,
you think to yourself,
I love my family.
I love my friends.
I love people
I work with.
I love people
I hang out with.
There's a lot of people
in this world.
I genuinely
care about them.
Have an emotional
attachment to them.
So what?
Everybody likes people
who are like them.
Jesus says
even the despised
tax collectors,
those traitorous Jews
who work for the Romans,
even those Gentile dogs,
they do that.
There's no reward
in that.
You're doing
nothing special.
Look at that
follow-up question,
the hard question,
verse 47.
What are you doing
more than others
if you just love
those who love you?
or you just love
those who are like you?
What Jesus wants us
to think is,
how is your love
as a follower of me?
How is your love
different than unbelievers?
Love those
who are close to you.
That's good.
It's not bad.
Love your family.
Love your friends.
Love your fellow
Sunday school class members.
Love those people
you work with,
you play sports with,
you hang out with.
That's good.
But don't pass yourself
on the back.
Don't think that makes you
some kind of model Christian.
That's nothing special.
Gang members
love one another,
don't they?
Thugs
have a brotherhood.
So to love people
just like you
means basically
nothing
in terms of it
honoring God
or being something
commendable
or something
that is rewarded.
The question
that Jesus
is confronting us
with this
is this.
Are you demonstrating
that you are God's child
by the way
that you love people
who are difficult to love
that are in your life
and you know
who they are?
Are you
showing the world
that you're a child
of God
by loving people
that you don't like?
And I hope
nobody's gonna
be so spiritual
as to say
oh there's no one
I don't like.
You're lying to yourself.
You don't like everybody.
I can tell you this
everybody doesn't like you.
We know that
don't we?
Don't we?
Aren't we
aware of that?
Everybody does not
like me.
Think it to yourself.
Everybody doesn't like me.
But
the opposite's true too.
I don't like everybody.
that's just the way it is.
That's just natural.
But what Jesus
is calling us
as Christians
as His people
love people
that you don't like.
Love people
that don't like you.
Love people
who offend you.
Who insult you.
who oppose you
about certain things.
See what Jesus
is teaching here
is to go against
our natural way
of dealing with
our enemies.
So let's look at
the next thing.
The supernatural way
to respond to our enemies.
What we're talking about
all these messages
from Romans chapter 12
about
not resisting evil
what Jesus
is talking about
about
taking an insult
turning the other cheek
and what we're looking at today.
This is not normal.
This is not natural.
This is something
that God has to give us
the help
the grace
like Brian was thinking
and the internal help
as we'll talk about
in a moment
to do.
The supernatural way
to respond to our enemies
verse 44
love your enemies.
Let's think about
what this does not mean
first.
Jesus is not saying
when He says
love your enemies
you have to have
an emotional
or an affectionate
kind of love
for them
like you do
your family.
A lot of people
are sitting right now
you're sitting
next to someone
who is your
family member
or a good friend
you just look around
for a moment
if you would
just sort of glance around
you don't have to stare
at everybody
but just look around
if you're honest
you love
certain people
in this room
a whole lot more
more heartfelt
more deeply
than you love
other people.
I can't imagine
anybody
saying otherwise.
Jesus is not saying
you ought to love
your enemy
like you love
your spouse
or your child
or your parent
or your best friend
or anything like that.
That is not
in the
realm of possibility
that Jesus is talking about.
Jesus is really
not even saying
that you have to
like someone
who is your enemy.
We all have
enemies
of various
levels
and he's not
even saying
don't let them
be enemies.
Hear this?
He says
love your enemy
you identify
this person
is an enemy
this person
maybe has
something against me
they do stuff
to me
they hurt me
you don't have
an emotional
feeling toward
them
you don't
like them
what Jesus
is saying here
when he says
love your enemies
is he's saying
have a self
giving type
of love
for them
a love
that seeks
their good
even when
they don't
seek your good
a love
that meets
a person's
need
Jesus
is not
telling us
to feel good
about our enemy
but he is
telling us
to do
good
to our
enemies
I think
one good way
to explain
this
or illustrate
this
Kent Hughes
is a pastor
he wrote
about
a book
on Sermon
on the Mount
he tells
a story
a true life
story
it was
one of his
wife's
best friends
she and
her family
moved to
a town
house
in a little
community
where everybody
was quiet
and neat
got along
well
took good
care of
their place
they got
moved in
they fixed
it up
the way
they wanted
it fixed
up
they worked
outside
in the yard
front yard
backyard
they just
had everything
neat as a pen
they were
just as happy
as they could
be
living in
their
town
house
when all
of a
sudden
a family
moved in
next door
that was
just
night and
day
different
from
everybody
else
the family
that moved
in next
door
they were
loud
they were
obnoxious
they were
profane
they could
hear them
yelling
and screaming
at one
another
using
profanity
toward one
another
in their
town
house
they trashed
their front
yard
instead of
a green
area
like other
people
had
a desert
would
just
junk
all over
that front
yard
among
these
neat
town
homes
well this
lady
let's call
her
family
the
Jones
family
their
life
became
miserable
because
they couldn't
get away
from it
they went
outside
they saw
signs
of this
neighbor
inside
they heard
these
neighbors
Hughes
said
the final
straw
for the
Jones
family
is when
the boys
of the
Wyle
family
climbed
over
the
backyard
fence
and
spray
painted
orange
paint
on the
Jones
family
patio
wall
where
everything
was neat
and clean
and fresh
looking
he says
that
Ms. Jones
was just
absolutely
enraged
she not
only did
not like
these
neighbors
but she
expressed
that to
God
she was
committed
Christian
and
she
understood
what prayer
was all
about
so she
just
talked
to God
I don't
like
these
people
I don't
want to
be around
these
people
and she
just sort
of
fussed
in her
prayer time
complained
as she
prayed
about these
sorry
neighbors
that she
had to put
up with
but then
she made
this statement
to Hughes
his wife
she
realized
after a
period
of time
I'm
wrong
in my
attitude
my
heart
is not
right
with
God
much
less
these
people
and she
says
she
literally
got down
on her
knees
and prayed
Lord
you know
that I
don't like
these
people
at all
help
me
to love
them
she said
when she
got up
she felt
absolutely
no
different
but she
decided
she was
going to
start
demonstrating
love
toward
those
neighbors
she would
start
doing
what she
would
do
if she
did
in fact
love
them
and she
started
doing
that
she
started
doing
things
like
you know
baking
a pie
taking
things
to them
to eat
just
being
friendly
to
them
asking
the
other
lady
into
her
home
to
just
drink
coffee
talk
get
to
know
one
another
this
lady
said
this
Jones
lady
said
that
they
actually
developed
she
developed
a
relationship
with
that
lady
and
with
her
family
and over
a period
of time
those
neighbors
did
not
change
they
were
still
loud
and
profane
and
junky
but
Miss
Jones
said
I
did
begin
to
love
them
and
after
a
period
of
time
those
neighbors
moved
away
and
Mrs.
Jones
response
was
she
wept
she
said
she
had
not only
learned
to
love
them
she
had
learned
to
like
them
even
though
they
didn't
change
their
ways
she
liked
them
she
just
didn't
like
their
ways
C.S.
Lewis
wrote
in his
book
Mere
Christianity
the
worldly
man
treats
certain
people
kindly
because
he
likes
them
the
Christian
trying
to
treat
everybody
kindly
finds
himself
liking
more
and more
people
as he
goes
on
what
Lewis
is saying
there
what
that
Miss
Jones
actually
did
that's
hard
almost
impossible
for us
to do
on our
own
but as
we've
talked
about
throughout
this
series
as
Christians
the
Spirit
of
God
lives
within
us
and
the
Holy
Spirit
specializes
in
love
Paul
writes
in Galatians
5
the fruit
of the
Spirit
is
love
joy
peace
patience
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
gentleness
and self
control
some
people
think
that
when
Paul
is
writing
about
that
he's
saying
the fruit
of the
Spirit
is
love
and
those
other
qualities
are
just
part
of
what
love
is
if
we
are
children
of
God
we
can
love
our
enemies
because
the
Spirit
of
God
living
in
us
will
help
us
to
will
enable
us
to
and
one
of
the
ways
we
can
get
that
love
flowing
more
naturally
as a
Christian
naturally
is to
pray for
them
look at
verse 44
pray for
those who
persecute
you
pray for
people
who have
it in
for you
because you're
a Christian
and so they
insult you
they mistreat
you
they may
even
abuse
you
only because
they don't
believe like
you believe
they don't like
it because
you believe
and live like
you do
so they
persecute
you
but what
Jesus is
saying here
praying for
them
help us
to love
them
it's
hard to
hate
people
that you
talk to
God
about
just like
that lady
she didn't
like them
at all
despised
them
but as
she started
talking to
God
about
them
not the
first time
probably
not even
for several
days
but as
she was
talking to
God
about
them
she
eventually
got
under
conviction
I've
got the
wrong
attitude
toward
God
and
these
people
it's
hard
to pray
for
people
about
people
and not
develop
something
positive
in relation
to them
so praying
for our
enemies
that will
help us
to develop
this love
that Jesus
commands
us
to have
for them
and the
spirit of
God
living
within
us
that's
the
spirit
of
Christ
he will
help
us
look at
how
Jesus
did
as
followers
of
Jesus
the
Holy
Spirit
will
help
us
to
become
more
like
Jesus
and
Jesus
is
the
greatest
example
who
prayed
for
those
who
crucified
him
like
this
father
forgive
them
for
they
know
not
what
they
do
this
is
the
kind
of
love
that
demonstrates
that
we
are
God's
children
as
Jesus
says
there
in
verse
45
God
demonstrates
his
love
for
all
people
even
those
who
hate
him
by
the
way
that
he
gives
good
gifts
to
everybody
look at
it
verse
45
again
he
causes
the
rain
he
makes
his
sun
shine
on
the
evil
and
on
the
good
and
sends
rain
on
the
just
and
on
the
unjust
that's
what's
called
common
grace
God
just
shows
his
common
undeserved
favor
to
everybody
in
various
ways
even
those
who
hate
him
and
despise
him
who
are
his
enemies
you know
we need
to stop
sometimes
just
pause
from time
to time
and think
my
salvation
was not
anything
I deserved
Paul
makes it
clear
from this
verse
in Romans
5
8
God
shows
his
love
for us
and this
is that
while we
were still
sinners
Christ
died
for us
you see
God
comes
to us
to
save
us
not
when we
cleaned
up
our
life
but
when
we're
still
sinners
and
willing
to
admit
our
sin
and
our
need
for
him
and
our
need
for
his
forgiveness
think
about
this
for a
moment
there
are
some
things
about
you
if
you're
a
parent
you
and
your
spouse
that
can
be
seen
in
your
children
there
are
some
things
about
Lisa
and
me
that
can
be
seen
in
both
of
our
boys
children
demonstrate
something
of the
nature
of their
parents
that also
applies to
God's
children
you know
if you're
a Christian
the spirit
of God
has been
at work
in you
ever since
God
saved
you
and so
there should
be evidence
of his
presence
and his
working
in you
you know
when
when God
saves you
puts his
spirit
in you
Paul
describes it
like this
in 2 Corinthians
5 17
anyone
if anyone
is in
Christ
he is a
new
creation
God
does a
new
work
he puts
the spirit
in us
gives us
a new
way of
looking at
life
thinking
about
life
living
life
a new
way to
live
as you
look at
yourself
how you
live
how you
relate
to
people
even
enemies
can you
see evidence
of the
nature
or character
of your
heavenly
father
in you
there will
not be
perfect
likeness
in anyone
but there
should be
some
likeness
and it
should be
growing
developing
over time
and that
certainly
should
include
love
even
loving
your
enemies
if there's
no evidence
of the
love of
God
in you
there's
no biblical
basis
for you
to even
think
that you
are a
Christian
that you
are a
child
of God
look at
what it
says
in 1
John
4
whoever
does not
love
does not
know
God
because
God
is
love
so let
me just
ask you
right here
is God
your heavenly
father
are you
sure
because you
see how he
has worked
in you
his spirits
in you
you're not
perfect
you're far
from it
but he
is working
in you
shaping
and molding
you
your character
helping you
to develop
that
Christ
like
character
love
not just
for people
like you
but love
for even
your enemies
you know
if there's
no signs
in your
life
and that
bothers
you
you think
to yourself
I don't
see any
evidence
but I
would like
to be
I want
to be
a child
of God
well admit
to God
that you're
not
if that's
the case
confess
your sin
change
your mind
about the
way you've
been living
repent
turn
from it
express
sorrow
to God
over the
way that
you have
sinned
and dishonored
him
put your
faith in
Jesus Christ
understand that
when he died
on the cross
he actually
took your
punishment
paid the
penalty for
your sins
call upon him
now
right now
this moment
to save
you
to be your
savior
your lord
surrender
your life
to him
now
he can
become
your heavenly
father
you can
be
a child
of God
as you
walk out
here today
if you
came in
not being
but the
final thought
is
as a
Christian
which most
people in
this room
were professing
Christians
there should
be evidence
in our
lives
there should
be fruit
I want to
ask you
in specifically
in relation
to this
message this
morning
do you
love those
that are
hard to
love
are you
asking God
to help
you
not just
to love
in general
but to
love
your
enemies
that's
what he's
called us
to do
let's pray
together
about it
father
show us
now how
we should
respond
so that
we can
leave here
being
and
demonstrating
that we
are your
children
and in
an attitude
of prayer
let's
all just
respond
to the
Lord
as we
need
to
I'll
be here
at the
front
and be
happy to
pray
with you
during this
time
but the
important
thing is you
listen to
the Lord
and obey
him
as he
speaks to
you