WEBVTT 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:06.679 Good morning. It's good to see you all. I want to give a special thanks for those who showed up to 00:00:06.679 --> 00:00:11.859 our workday yesterday. We had a great time of fellowship and lots of wonderful things around 00:00:11.859 --> 00:00:24.859 the church were done. So, thank you for showing up. When I moved schools in fifth grade, there was a 00:00:24.859 --> 00:00:33.240 boy named Ken. He was my nemesis. On the playground, he always found the opportunity to give me a little 00:00:33.240 --> 00:00:41.799 extra kick when we played soccer, an extra elbow when we played football or basketball. In the 00:00:41.799 --> 00:00:50.840 classroom, there was always an extra snarky comment, scorn and shame. For whatever reason, Ken had decided 00:00:50.840 --> 00:01:03.460 that he didn't like me. He was my enemy. I wonder this morning, if I asked you, who is your enemy, 00:01:04.500 --> 00:01:11.900 what would you say? Someone who wants not good but harm for you. 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:20.180 When I ask you that question, what popped up in your mind, there might be lots of different categories 00:01:20.180 --> 00:01:27.840 that could fill this role. We live in a world where enemies pursue conflict and war and geopolitical 00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:33.700 struggles. So, there are nations at war with one another and see each other as enemies. 00:01:35.820 --> 00:01:42.980 And at times, those people are neighbors who once lived next to each other but now find themselves 00:01:42.980 --> 00:01:51.500 in conflict. We live in a political world today where candidates on both sides are saying the other 00:01:51.500 --> 00:02:02.820 is the enemy of that which is good and right. We live in a world where culture wars, where we see others 00:02:02.820 --> 00:02:09.460 with differing beliefs and convictions and values as the enemies of what is good. 00:02:09.460 --> 00:02:20.319 But it's not just out there in the media, in the conversations. It's also in our personal lives, 00:02:20.360 --> 00:02:28.340 isn't it? Whether it be playground bullies, mean girls at school, overbearing bosses, and mean girls, 00:02:28.439 --> 00:02:35.900 that's not a gender, that's just a movie reference, okay? Overbearing bosses, difficult neighbors, 00:02:35.900 --> 00:02:43.879 and even in our own homes, where we find ourselves feeling like the people that we live with, 00:02:43.879 --> 00:02:54.420 our parents, our spouse, our siblings, feel like enemies. Sometimes it's perception, and sometimes 00:02:54.420 --> 00:03:05.520 it's reality. How do we treat those who are our enemies in thought, if not in deed? 00:03:05.900 --> 00:03:14.759 You know, in our world today, we seem to have been losing our ability to deal with things well. 00:03:15.319 --> 00:03:21.000 We live in a culture of polarization, and I think we tend to look at our enemies in one of two ways. 00:03:21.099 --> 00:03:27.219 One is, some of us who hate conflict just want to minimize it. We paper over real threats and 00:03:27.219 --> 00:03:34.000 conflicts. We try to see only the good and potential good and excuse all sorts of evil. We relativize or 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:41.979 trivialize where there is true ill will towards another and a desire to harm, and we naively hope 00:03:41.979 --> 00:03:44.860 that things will simply get better. 00:03:48.139 --> 00:03:55.460 Or we demonize our enemies, and we see them as evil incarnate and hate them with passion. 00:03:55.460 --> 00:04:06.500 We create an us-them dynamic, call them the other, and then justify horrific treatment again in our 00:04:06.500 --> 00:04:14.000 minds, if not in our actions. We embrace hatred and even violence towards them as right and good, 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:19.459 and we make them out to be less than human and treat them as such. 00:04:21.980 --> 00:04:31.540 Friends, these paths do not lead anywhere good. They perpetuate evil and hatred in our world. 00:04:31.540 --> 00:04:35.240 Is there another way? 00:04:36.520 --> 00:04:44.180 This leads us to our passage today in Matthew. We're in chapter 5, verses 43 through 48. If you want to 00:04:44.180 --> 00:04:53.560 look in the Pew Bible, that's page 761. And in it, Jesus says there is another way, another path, 00:04:53.759 --> 00:04:59.939 a way of His kingdom that He is bringing. And remember, we're in the Sermon on the Mount, 00:04:59.939 --> 00:05:05.100 and if you haven't been here, let me just remind you of what Jesus is doing in this section. It's a 00:05:05.100 --> 00:05:12.040 section of teaching where Jesus is explaining to His disciples and to the crowds what kind of kingdom 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:20.819 He is going to bring as He is bringing the kingdom of God that He's declaring is at hand. And at the 00:05:20.819 --> 00:05:28.959 center of it, as we've seen in verses 19 and 20, He is calling a people of God to live by a new 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:36.419 standard with Him at the center and marked by internal transformation, not merely external 00:05:36.419 --> 00:05:45.120 conformity. So His kingdom is a distinctly Christ-centered, Christ-like, and Christ-displaying 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:52.959 kingdom. And from verse 20 on to our passage now, Jesus has laid out six contrasts. 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:58.539 You have heard it said, but I say to you, six ways in which the people that He was preaching to 00:05:58.539 --> 00:06:04.180 might normally think was right and good. And Jesus is saying, my kingdom is different than that. 00:06:04.439 --> 00:06:11.500 And let me explain to you how it is different. And so we come to the last of those six 00:06:11.500 --> 00:06:21.579 this morning, verses 43 through 48. Let's go ahead and read that together, and then we'll pray for 00:06:21.579 --> 00:06:30.319 God's help as we listen to His Word. Matthew 5, 43. You have heard that it was said, 00:06:31.139 --> 00:06:39.899 you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those 00:06:39.899 --> 00:06:48.319 who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His Son rise on 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:54.979 the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love 00:06:54.979 --> 00:07:00.979 you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your 00:07:00.979 --> 00:07:08.239 brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must 00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:17.319 be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. Please pray with me. Oh, Lord, we ask for Your help this 00:07:17.319 --> 00:07:25.939 morning. Lord, as we look at this Word, as we listen to it, I pray that You would give us humble hearts 00:07:25.939 --> 00:07:37.860 and soft hearts to receive this Word. Lord, it is a challenge to the way that we typically live and 00:07:37.860 --> 00:07:43.139 think in this world, and I pray for Your help this morning. Lord, I pray that You would help me to speak 00:07:43.139 --> 00:07:50.740 as I should, and I pray for all of us that we would receive Your Word, and that we would obey it, 00:07:50.740 --> 00:07:57.079 and that we would follow it. And Lord, we pray that You would be our help in that, and we pray 00:07:57.079 --> 00:08:07.819 these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Jesus shows us a way forward in the midst of enemies and hatred, 00:08:08.420 --> 00:08:16.439 and it is the way simply of love. And so my outline is very simple for those of you who 00:08:16.439 --> 00:08:23.000 are taking notes. First, Jesus calls us to love our enemies. That's what He calls us to. That's what 00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:29.139 this passage is about. And the second point will be the foundation of our love for our enemies, 00:08:29.220 --> 00:08:36.419 how it is that we can actually do this. So let's first explore for a little bit in verses 43 and 44, 00:08:36.879 --> 00:08:42.080 Jesus called to love our enemies. We've seen this pattern before. Again, this is the sixth one. 00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:47.920 You have heard that it was said, but I say to you. Now listen, if you went back and you looked 00:08:47.920 --> 00:08:53.740 through the whole Old Testament, you won't find the verse, you should hate your enemy. It's not 00:08:53.740 --> 00:09:01.800 actually there. But by the first century, it was a rabbinical half-step from the truths that are in 00:09:01.800 --> 00:09:08.300 Scripture, where there was a lot of emphasis on the special treatment of the Jewish people. 00:09:08.299 --> 00:09:17.059 There was a, in the Old Testament, a national nature that had implications for how the people 00:09:17.059 --> 00:09:23.979 of God interacted with other people and other nations around them. And there was a pattern that 00:09:23.979 --> 00:09:31.019 others were to be distinguished from the Jewish people, and that the idolatry of the nations around 00:09:31.019 --> 00:09:39.960 them was something to be resisted and to be despised by the people of God. And you see these things in 00:09:39.960 --> 00:09:49.039 the Old Testament. And so from these attitudes, there was in the first century, it seems, a half-step into 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:55.039 it's okay for you to hate your enemies. In fact, it might even be seen by some as a call. 00:09:55.039 --> 00:10:05.059 To love your own is to hate the other. Jesus says, this is not the kingdom that I am here to bring. 00:10:06.740 --> 00:10:15.219 The distinctive of love in my kingdom is that you will love even your enemies. And look, this love here, 00:10:15.500 --> 00:10:22.219 it's not a feeling, right? It's not the swoon that comes over you when you see that cute guy or girl 00:10:22.220 --> 00:10:28.480 across the room and think, ah, I'm in love with it. It's not this unbidden feeling that rises up in the 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:40.500 romantic well of our heart. No. What here love means is a disposition. It is a combination, and it does have 00:10:40.500 --> 00:10:49.660 feeling for it, but it is more than that. It is also a will and a choice and a thought to pursue the good of 00:10:49.659 --> 00:10:59.299 others to cherish their well-being and to seek to do them good. If you were here last week, Pastor Nick 00:10:59.299 --> 00:11:05.319 preached on verses 33 through 38 talking about not retaliating. And if you remember, there were some 00:11:05.319 --> 00:11:11.579 specifics there about blessing and not cursing, about turning the other cheek, about going this extra mile, 00:11:11.699 --> 00:11:18.319 about giving another cloak. This is a heart disposition towards another to say, 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:26.860 though you are my enemy, I will not choose to do you harm, but instead I will choose to do you good. 00:11:28.680 --> 00:11:34.220 D.A. Carson, one of the commentators who writes on this passage, says, defines it this way, 00:11:34.520 --> 00:11:44.180 this love is a generous, warm, costly self-sacrifice for another's good. And if you see, Jesus goes on, 00:11:44.179 --> 00:11:52.819 he says, you know what the first application of this is? To pray for them. To see the other person 00:11:52.819 --> 00:12:03.159 in view of God and to want God's good for them. Let me ask you a question. Have you ever tried 00:12:03.159 --> 00:12:12.299 to pray for someone who has or is doing harm to you? Have you ever prayed for someone who can only show 00:12:12.299 --> 00:12:24.779 scorn and hatred? Commentator John Stott says, it's impossible to pray for someone without loving him. 00:12:25.579 --> 00:12:31.179 And it is impossible to go on praying for him without discovering that our love for him grows 00:12:31.179 --> 00:12:39.059 and matures. When we pray for someone, we begin to see them through God's eyes. 00:12:43.139 --> 00:12:45.059 And that means we see them differently. 00:12:46.979 --> 00:12:55.620 In verses 46 and 47 of our passage, Jesus says, this is distinctive because even the tax collectors 00:12:55.620 --> 00:13:02.659 who were the worst of the worst, they were viewed as the moral reprobates, they were rebels, they were 00:13:02.659 --> 00:13:11.080 unscrupulous, they had nothing good to recommend them. Even they, right? Even they love those who love them. 00:13:12.580 --> 00:13:18.860 Don't we love people who love us? That's a great plan. Jesus says, 00:13:18.860 --> 00:13:25.860 my call to love is greater than that. Verse 47, he says, even the Gentiles, that is those who don't 00:13:25.860 --> 00:13:31.039 even know God at all and have no reason to think that they should treat someone else differently 00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:40.080 because of God, don't they also greet people in the street who greet them? People within their tribe, 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:41.340 people within their group? 00:13:44.920 --> 00:13:55.540 So Jesus says we are to love and to pray for those who are our enemies and who seek to persecute us. 00:14:02.120 --> 00:14:09.820 What might this look like? I've got a whole range here. We're going to give examples for a little bit. 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:16.720 And maybe we can ask the Lord to help us see where maybe this might be applicable to us. 00:14:17.240 --> 00:14:21.600 We're going to start with the easy ones, and then we'll move to the harder ones. So, 00:14:23.100 --> 00:14:29.680 it might be sharing your study guide with a fellow student who doesn't want to do the work, 00:14:30.420 --> 00:14:33.180 but who desperately wants to do better than you. 00:14:33.179 --> 00:14:43.799 It might be showing kindness and serving a family member, even when they have been rude or selfish, 00:14:44.399 --> 00:14:46.259 even when they have hurt you. 00:14:48.139 --> 00:14:56.019 It might be working hard for your lab supervisor when you know that all they're going to do is take 00:14:56.019 --> 00:15:02.919 credit for it, and when they take advantage of you in the process. 00:15:04.100 --> 00:15:11.079 It might mean going out at the first snowfall of this year and shoveling the sidewalk not only in 00:15:11.079 --> 00:15:15.480 front of your house, but in front of your neighbor's house, the neighbor that complains about your kids 00:15:15.480 --> 00:15:21.279 who are too loud and who always leaves the trash out and who always plays music late at night 00:15:21.279 --> 00:15:28.039 and who just seems like they have it out for you to go shovel their sidewalk as well. 00:15:31.379 --> 00:15:32.759 It's election season. 00:15:34.459 --> 00:15:41.299 How do we love those who seem to be our opponents in the political sphere? 00:15:43.579 --> 00:15:47.100 We can reject demeaning, cruel, and offensive language. 00:15:47.100 --> 00:15:52.639 We can treat those who are opponents with a different point of view rather than seeing them 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:55.000 as someone to scorn or despise. 00:15:55.820 --> 00:16:02.019 We can work to move dialogue in substantive interaction rather than name-calling. 00:16:04.680 --> 00:16:12.180 We need to see others, even those who deeply disagree with us, through the eyes of God. 00:16:12.179 --> 00:16:25.539 Friends, consider some of us may have enemies where the harm that has been done or is being done 00:16:25.539 --> 00:16:26.399 is much deeper. 00:16:27.479 --> 00:16:30.079 Consider the biblical example of Joseph. 00:16:30.719 --> 00:16:33.019 You know Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Jacob? 00:16:33.579 --> 00:16:38.120 He was the favored son, and his brothers envied him for it. 00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:44.139 In fact, they'd envied him for it so much that they captured him. 00:16:44.679 --> 00:16:49.700 They were going to kill him, but then they decided to change their mind and sold him into slavery instead. 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:56.220 You can read the rest of Genesis 37 through 50 to find out what happened to Joseph, 00:16:56.340 --> 00:17:01.159 but it turns out in the end that Joseph, by God's grace, 00:17:01.299 --> 00:17:05.119 is promoted to a position of power and influence in Egypt, 00:17:05.119 --> 00:17:10.719 and a famine comes, and Joseph's brothers and family were starving in a famine. 00:17:11.059 --> 00:17:15.239 And they go to Egypt because it was the only place to get grain, 00:17:15.459 --> 00:17:21.799 and they show up, and there the man who has the keys to their survival 00:17:21.799 --> 00:17:26.239 is the very brother that they had hated. 00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:33.900 And he has some fun little tricks along the way, 00:17:34.120 --> 00:17:36.839 but at the end of the day, he does them good. 00:17:37.500 --> 00:17:38.759 He blesses them, 00:17:39.400 --> 00:17:42.700 and he embraces them. 00:17:47.120 --> 00:17:49.440 Here's another more extreme case. 00:17:50.019 --> 00:17:52.519 If you're familiar with the story of Corrie Ten Boom, 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:55.119 she was a Holocaust survivor. 00:17:56.379 --> 00:17:57.680 She was a follower of Jesus. 00:17:59.940 --> 00:18:05.139 After the war, she taught about God's grace and faithfulness, 00:18:05.259 --> 00:18:06.200 about forgiveness. 00:18:07.940 --> 00:18:09.299 And she tells this story. 00:18:09.460 --> 00:18:11.339 It's a little long, but I think it's worth it. 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:14.720 So, it was in a church service in Munich 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:17.259 that I saw him, a former SS man, 00:18:17.259 --> 00:18:20.720 who had stood guard at the shower room door 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:22.980 in the processing center at Ravensbrück. 00:18:23.720 --> 00:18:26.500 He was the first of our actual jailers 00:18:26.500 --> 00:18:28.740 that I had seen since that time, 00:18:28.759 --> 00:18:30.799 and suddenly it was all there, 00:18:31.180 --> 00:18:33.099 the room full of mocking men, 00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:34.160 the heaps of clothing, 00:18:34.740 --> 00:18:36.740 Betsy's pain-blanched face. 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:40.119 He came up to me as the church was emptying, 00:18:40.299 --> 00:18:41.480 beaming and bowing. 00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:45.160 How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein, he said, 00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:46.980 to think that, as you say, 00:18:47.059 --> 00:18:49.539 he has washed my sin away. 00:18:49.900 --> 00:18:53.240 His hand was thrust out to shake mine, 00:18:53.720 --> 00:18:55.599 and I, who had preached so often 00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:57.400 to the people of Blomendal, 00:18:57.620 --> 00:18:58.700 the need to forgive, 00:18:58.980 --> 00:19:00.660 kept my hand at my side. 00:19:02.099 --> 00:19:04.279 Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts 00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:05.519 boiled through me, 00:19:05.779 --> 00:19:07.339 I saw the sin in them. 00:19:07.339 --> 00:19:11.799 And Jesus Christ had died for this man. 00:19:12.899 --> 00:19:14.599 Was I going to ask for more? 00:19:15.379 --> 00:19:16.659 Lord Jesus, I prayed, 00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:18.819 forgive me and help me to forgive him. 00:19:19.220 --> 00:19:20.259 I tried to smile. 00:19:20.379 --> 00:19:21.579 I struggled to raise my hand. 00:19:21.619 --> 00:19:22.220 I could not. 00:19:22.500 --> 00:19:23.439 I felt nothing, 00:19:23.539 --> 00:19:26.220 not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. 00:19:26.980 --> 00:19:29.059 And so again, I breathed a silent prayer. 00:19:29.199 --> 00:19:30.099 Jesus, I prayed, 00:19:30.179 --> 00:19:31.299 I cannot forgive him. 00:19:31.399 --> 00:19:32.699 Give me your forgiveness. 00:19:32.700 --> 00:19:36.059 And as I took his hand, 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:38.559 the most incredible thing happened. 00:19:39.140 --> 00:19:41.460 From my shoulder, along my arm, 00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:42.360 and through my hand, 00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:44.880 a current seemed to pass from me to him 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:46.019 while into my heart 00:19:46.019 --> 00:19:48.279 sprang a love for this stranger 00:19:48.279 --> 00:19:50.080 that almost overwhelmed me. 00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:52.779 And so I discovered that it was not 00:19:52.779 --> 00:19:54.740 on our forgiveness anymore 00:19:54.740 --> 00:19:56.340 than on our goodness 00:19:56.340 --> 00:19:58.240 that the world's healing hinges, 00:19:58.900 --> 00:20:02.019 but on his, that is on God's, 00:20:02.019 --> 00:20:04.579 when he tells us to love our enemies, 00:20:04.839 --> 00:20:06.819 he gives, along with the command, 00:20:07.619 --> 00:20:08.759 the love itself. 00:20:12.139 --> 00:20:13.579 And I'll tell you, friends, 00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:17.420 not every transformation happens in a moment 00:20:17.420 --> 00:20:18.799 like it happens with Corey. 00:20:19.599 --> 00:20:23.480 Sometimes it's by repeated acts of kindness. 00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:26.920 When we don't want to be kind, 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:29.099 that our hearts change. 00:20:29.099 --> 00:20:31.919 Sometimes it's daily determining 00:20:31.919 --> 00:20:33.980 to do good to another 00:20:33.980 --> 00:20:36.919 where transformation happens, 00:20:37.019 --> 00:20:38.839 and it doesn't happen all at once. 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:41.219 But when we started, 00:20:41.359 --> 00:20:42.899 we felt only anger, 00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:44.519 only hatred, 00:20:45.079 --> 00:20:46.799 only desire for revenge. 00:20:47.980 --> 00:20:50.639 Slowly, as we do good 00:20:50.639 --> 00:20:52.139 and think rightly, 00:20:52.579 --> 00:20:54.480 God changes our hearts, 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:57.160 and we are able to, 00:20:57.839 --> 00:20:58.740 as she did, 00:20:59.940 --> 00:21:00.259 forgive 00:21:00.259 --> 00:21:03.059 and love 00:21:03.059 --> 00:21:04.720 even our enemies. 00:21:05.980 --> 00:21:06.620 And friends, 00:21:06.759 --> 00:21:08.860 if this kind of love is possible 00:21:08.860 --> 00:21:10.480 in these extreme cases, 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:12.700 how much more 00:21:12.700 --> 00:21:15.480 in our everyday lives? 00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:21.940 Jesus calls us to love our enemies. 00:21:22.220 --> 00:21:22.420 Now, 00:21:22.640 --> 00:21:25.500 I do want to give a few pastoral reflections 00:21:25.500 --> 00:21:26.099 because, 00:21:26.900 --> 00:21:28.299 and I want to do this carefully 00:21:28.299 --> 00:21:29.299 because I don't want to 00:21:29.299 --> 00:21:31.160 unburden you. 00:21:31.940 --> 00:21:33.559 We all sit under a burden 00:21:33.559 --> 00:21:35.180 of this passage right now, right? 00:21:35.819 --> 00:21:36.819 This is hard. 00:21:37.900 --> 00:21:39.279 But I do want to make sure 00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:40.259 that I clarify 00:21:40.259 --> 00:21:42.620 because this has sometimes been used 00:21:42.620 --> 00:21:43.960 in ways that are unhelpful. 00:21:43.960 --> 00:21:45.559 First, 00:21:46.220 --> 00:21:48.640 love here does not simply mean 00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:50.759 cultural values of tolerance 00:21:50.759 --> 00:21:52.100 without discernment. 00:21:53.100 --> 00:21:54.019 Loving our enemies 00:21:54.019 --> 00:21:56.720 doesn't mean that we call sin good. 00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:59.420 We still need to call sin sin. 00:22:01.900 --> 00:22:03.340 Love does not mean 00:22:03.340 --> 00:22:06.059 that we don't appropriately address evil. 00:22:08.140 --> 00:22:10.380 If you are in an abusive situation, 00:22:10.539 --> 00:22:11.779 it is right for you 00:22:11.779 --> 00:22:13.380 to remove yourself from that 00:22:13.380 --> 00:22:15.360 rather than staying. 00:22:17.360 --> 00:22:17.960 Right? 00:22:18.560 --> 00:22:20.660 It doesn't mean you don't love them 00:22:20.660 --> 00:22:21.880 if you remove yourself 00:22:21.880 --> 00:22:23.100 from the abuse. 00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:26.600 That's on a personal level. 00:22:27.120 --> 00:22:28.840 On a civil rights level. 00:22:29.360 --> 00:22:30.800 It is good and right 00:22:30.800 --> 00:22:32.880 to work for societal change, 00:22:32.980 --> 00:22:34.100 for laws to change. 00:22:34.099 --> 00:22:35.719 It is good to advocate 00:22:35.719 --> 00:22:37.559 for that which is better. 00:22:38.439 --> 00:22:39.500 That's not 00:22:39.500 --> 00:22:41.480 hating your enemy 00:22:41.480 --> 00:22:45.119 to advocate for those kinds of change. 00:22:45.980 --> 00:22:48.259 But recognize that the best 00:22:48.259 --> 00:22:50.279 of the civil rights movement 00:22:50.279 --> 00:22:53.539 had to do with 00:22:53.539 --> 00:22:56.079 loving our enemies 00:22:56.079 --> 00:22:57.359 in the midst of it. 00:22:57.359 --> 00:23:03.039 Maybe this is repeating 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:03.939 what I just said. 00:23:04.899 --> 00:23:05.859 Loving your enemies 00:23:05.859 --> 00:23:07.559 does not mean avoiding conflict. 00:23:08.479 --> 00:23:09.579 Sometimes it means 00:23:09.579 --> 00:23:11.079 speaking painful truths. 00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:12.899 Sometimes it does mean 00:23:12.899 --> 00:23:14.500 standing up for yourself. 00:23:15.379 --> 00:23:17.139 Sometimes it does mean 00:23:17.139 --> 00:23:19.599 pursuing that which is right. 00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:20.879 but it is always 00:23:20.879 --> 00:23:22.079 in a spirit 00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:23.519 of loving the other 00:23:23.519 --> 00:23:24.399 in the process. 00:23:25.099 --> 00:23:25.899 It is always 00:23:25.899 --> 00:23:26.759 in the spirit 00:23:26.759 --> 00:23:27.639 of wanting to 00:23:27.639 --> 00:23:29.699 desire to do good, 00:23:30.039 --> 00:23:31.740 not to punish, 00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:33.079 not to condemn, 00:23:33.619 --> 00:23:35.159 not to do harm. 00:23:35.160 --> 00:23:38.320 And finally, 00:23:38.519 --> 00:23:40.019 I won't say a lot about this, 00:23:40.480 --> 00:23:42.060 but it doesn't remove 00:23:42.060 --> 00:23:43.519 governments and institutions 00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:45.440 from their right place 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:46.519 of doing justice 00:23:46.519 --> 00:23:47.279 in the world, 00:23:47.680 --> 00:23:49.759 which even may mean 00:23:49.759 --> 00:23:51.320 prosecuting war. 00:23:55.240 --> 00:23:56.560 Pastor Nick talked more 00:23:56.560 --> 00:23:57.600 about that last week. 00:23:57.980 --> 00:23:59.779 If you have more questions 00:23:59.779 --> 00:24:00.420 about that. 00:24:01.420 --> 00:24:02.440 But I want you to recognize 00:24:02.440 --> 00:24:03.759 that loving your enemies 00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:05.660 doesn't simply mean 00:24:05.660 --> 00:24:06.900 being a doormat 00:24:06.900 --> 00:24:07.960 and letting anything 00:24:07.960 --> 00:24:08.779 happen to you 00:24:08.779 --> 00:24:09.519 no matter what. 00:24:10.900 --> 00:24:12.039 But it does mean 00:24:12.039 --> 00:24:13.259 a fundamental 00:24:13.259 --> 00:24:15.220 perspective shift 00:24:15.220 --> 00:24:16.579 where even those 00:24:16.579 --> 00:24:18.299 who wish to do you harm, 00:24:18.859 --> 00:24:19.779 you look at them 00:24:19.779 --> 00:24:20.740 and you see them 00:24:20.740 --> 00:24:22.140 through the eyes of God. 00:24:23.799 --> 00:24:24.640 And therefore, 00:24:24.879 --> 00:24:26.640 you are able to love them 00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:28.980 not because they are lovable, 00:24:29.519 --> 00:24:30.480 but because 00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:32.660 of who God is. 00:24:32.660 --> 00:24:34.019 And this, of course, 00:24:34.080 --> 00:24:35.680 leads us to our second point. 00:24:36.060 --> 00:24:36.720 There is a key 00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:37.620 in the middle of this, 00:24:37.700 --> 00:24:38.640 verse 45, 00:24:38.940 --> 00:24:40.540 that we need to look at 00:24:40.540 --> 00:24:41.100 for a minute. 00:24:45.840 --> 00:24:46.540 I'm going to start 00:24:46.540 --> 00:24:48.480 and read 44 and 45 again 00:24:48.480 --> 00:24:49.759 just so we remember this. 00:24:49.800 --> 00:24:50.680 I say to you, 00:24:50.800 --> 00:24:51.560 love your enemies 00:24:51.560 --> 00:24:52.560 and pray for those 00:24:52.560 --> 00:24:53.519 who persecute you 00:24:53.519 --> 00:24:54.540 so that you may be 00:24:54.540 --> 00:24:55.680 sons of your Father 00:24:55.680 --> 00:24:57.060 who is in heaven. 00:24:57.560 --> 00:24:58.759 For He makes His Son 00:24:58.759 --> 00:24:59.779 rise on the evil 00:24:59.779 --> 00:25:00.620 and on the good 00:25:00.619 --> 00:25:01.959 and sends rain 00:25:01.959 --> 00:25:02.679 on the just 00:25:02.679 --> 00:25:04.419 and on the unjust. 00:25:05.839 --> 00:25:07.439 The reason that we are able 00:25:07.439 --> 00:25:08.459 to love our enemy 00:25:08.459 --> 00:25:09.719 is because God 00:25:09.719 --> 00:25:11.500 shows this love 00:25:11.500 --> 00:25:13.219 for His enemies as well. 00:25:13.839 --> 00:25:15.699 God looks at the world 00:25:15.699 --> 00:25:18.219 and He shows 00:25:18.219 --> 00:25:19.719 this common grace 00:25:19.719 --> 00:25:20.419 of the sun 00:25:20.419 --> 00:25:21.739 rising every morning. 00:25:22.519 --> 00:25:23.779 He sends rain 00:25:23.779 --> 00:25:25.500 so that the fields 00:25:25.500 --> 00:25:26.500 will grow 00:25:26.500 --> 00:25:27.299 and the crops 00:25:27.299 --> 00:25:28.099 will be produced 00:25:28.099 --> 00:25:29.740 and people won't starve. 00:25:30.259 --> 00:25:33.259 He gives basic necessities 00:25:33.259 --> 00:25:34.619 in these ways. 00:25:35.319 --> 00:25:36.659 Knowing that the world 00:25:36.659 --> 00:25:37.699 that He looks at 00:25:37.699 --> 00:25:38.699 hates Him, 00:25:39.899 --> 00:25:41.339 does not honor Him, 00:25:42.219 --> 00:25:43.299 rejects Him, 00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:46.079 and yet God does this. 00:25:46.619 --> 00:25:47.939 He perfectly knows 00:25:47.939 --> 00:25:49.539 and judges all things. 00:25:49.959 --> 00:25:51.299 He knows the thoughts 00:25:51.299 --> 00:25:52.019 of our hearts, 00:25:52.119 --> 00:25:53.279 let alone the actions. 00:25:53.740 --> 00:25:54.919 He's not blind. 00:25:55.980 --> 00:25:57.199 He's not foolish. 00:25:58.099 --> 00:26:00.319 But He is a God 00:26:00.319 --> 00:26:01.240 who blesses 00:26:01.240 --> 00:26:01.959 the just 00:26:01.959 --> 00:26:03.779 and the unjust. 00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:06.019 And Jesus says 00:26:06.019 --> 00:26:07.339 this is the core 00:26:07.339 --> 00:26:08.699 of how we 00:26:08.699 --> 00:26:09.980 can love our enemies. 00:26:11.240 --> 00:26:11.839 Now, 00:26:12.139 --> 00:26:13.259 some of you 00:26:13.259 --> 00:26:14.740 are like me 00:26:14.740 --> 00:26:15.740 and you're thinking, 00:26:16.699 --> 00:26:17.000 alright, 00:26:17.139 --> 00:26:17.639 Pastor Matt, 00:26:17.699 --> 00:26:18.399 that just sounds 00:26:18.399 --> 00:26:19.819 a little too easy. 00:26:20.099 --> 00:26:21.319 And not just easy 00:26:21.319 --> 00:26:22.059 because like, 00:26:22.439 --> 00:26:22.980 it's easy, 00:26:23.099 --> 00:26:24.099 but the Bible 00:26:24.099 --> 00:26:25.079 is more complicated, 00:26:25.379 --> 00:26:25.919 isn't it? 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:27.500 It is. 00:26:28.200 --> 00:26:28.519 So, 00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:29.420 Psalm 5, 00:26:29.560 --> 00:26:30.539 verses 4-6. 00:26:30.660 --> 00:26:30.940 Josh, 00:26:30.980 --> 00:26:31.620 if we can get that 00:26:31.620 --> 00:26:32.320 up on the screen. 00:26:32.880 --> 00:26:33.920 The psalmist says this 00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:34.560 about God, 00:26:34.660 --> 00:26:35.640 for you are not a God 00:26:35.640 --> 00:26:36.920 who delights in wickedness. 00:26:37.080 --> 00:26:38.759 Evil may not dwell with you. 00:26:39.180 --> 00:26:39.900 The boastful 00:26:39.900 --> 00:26:40.820 shall not stand 00:26:40.820 --> 00:26:41.860 before your eyes. 00:26:42.259 --> 00:26:44.140 You hate all evildoers. 00:26:44.480 --> 00:26:45.980 You destroy those 00:26:45.980 --> 00:26:47.180 who speak lies. 00:26:47.519 --> 00:26:48.820 The Lord abhors 00:26:48.820 --> 00:26:49.920 the bloodthirsty 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:51.560 and the deceitful man. 00:26:52.200 --> 00:26:52.440 So, 00:26:52.500 --> 00:26:53.560 this is one of the most 00:26:53.559 --> 00:26:54.519 clear places, 00:26:54.639 --> 00:26:55.700 but we know this. 00:26:55.859 --> 00:26:57.099 God sees evil. 00:26:57.480 --> 00:26:58.839 God judges evil. 00:26:59.159 --> 00:27:00.379 He judges people. 00:27:02.200 --> 00:27:04.359 And He has this recognition. 00:27:05.159 --> 00:27:05.339 So, 00:27:05.500 --> 00:27:06.159 how do we, 00:27:06.200 --> 00:27:07.619 how do we bring this 00:27:07.619 --> 00:27:08.200 all together? 00:27:08.539 --> 00:27:10.460 How do we understand this? 00:27:12.339 --> 00:27:12.859 Well, 00:27:13.059 --> 00:27:14.259 it's really helpful. 00:27:14.759 --> 00:27:16.259 And maybe you remember this 00:27:16.259 --> 00:27:18.159 because we talked about it before, 00:27:18.419 --> 00:27:19.980 I think sometime this summer. 00:27:20.399 --> 00:27:21.700 D.A. Carson has written a book 00:27:21.700 --> 00:27:23.039 called The Difficult Doctrine 00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:23.980 of the Love of God. 00:27:24.319 --> 00:27:25.539 And if you haven't read it, 00:27:25.620 --> 00:27:27.319 it's a very wonderful book 00:27:27.319 --> 00:27:28.519 because what it does 00:27:28.519 --> 00:27:29.080 is it says, 00:27:29.480 --> 00:27:30.480 God is love, 00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:32.220 but the way God loves 00:27:32.220 --> 00:27:34.080 is actually more complex 00:27:34.080 --> 00:27:34.840 and nuanced 00:27:34.840 --> 00:27:36.559 than we tend to think of it. 00:27:37.100 --> 00:27:38.480 He distinguishes a number 00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:39.860 of different kinds of loves. 00:27:40.160 --> 00:27:40.580 He says, 00:27:40.660 --> 00:27:42.319 God has a providential love 00:27:42.319 --> 00:27:43.880 over all that He has made. 00:27:44.100 --> 00:27:45.259 That's the kind of love 00:27:45.259 --> 00:27:46.440 that Jesus is particularly 00:27:46.440 --> 00:27:47.559 referring to here. 00:27:47.799 --> 00:27:48.840 The sun rises, 00:27:49.059 --> 00:27:50.000 the rain falls, 00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:51.559 He sustains the world 00:27:51.559 --> 00:27:52.900 so it doesn't fall apart. 00:27:54.079 --> 00:27:54.940 He goes on, 00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:55.240 He says, 00:27:55.500 --> 00:27:57.279 God also has a love 00:27:57.279 --> 00:27:59.140 that is a salvific stance 00:27:59.140 --> 00:28:00.799 towards His fallen world. 00:28:01.099 --> 00:28:02.519 So the famous verse, 00:28:02.660 --> 00:28:03.559 John 3, 16, 00:28:03.640 --> 00:28:05.119 for God so loved the world. 00:28:05.380 --> 00:28:07.279 And when John says world, 00:28:07.400 --> 00:28:08.240 he means the world 00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:09.599 in rebellion against Him. 00:28:09.819 --> 00:28:10.720 He means the world 00:28:10.720 --> 00:28:12.180 that's rejecting Him right now. 00:28:12.599 --> 00:28:14.200 God so loved the world 00:28:14.200 --> 00:28:16.019 that He sent His only Son 00:28:16.019 --> 00:28:17.420 so that whoever believes in Him 00:28:17.420 --> 00:28:18.420 would not perish 00:28:18.420 --> 00:28:20.840 but gain eternal life. 00:28:21.120 --> 00:28:23.160 So His heart is for salvation 00:28:23.160 --> 00:28:24.900 even as He recognizes 00:28:24.900 --> 00:28:26.080 that there is judgment 00:28:26.080 --> 00:28:26.840 and death 00:28:26.840 --> 00:28:29.000 for those who don't receive Jesus. 00:28:30.180 --> 00:28:30.539 Right? 00:28:31.460 --> 00:28:33.240 There is also in the Bible 00:28:33.240 --> 00:28:34.600 a particular love 00:28:34.600 --> 00:28:36.320 that God has for His people. 00:28:36.860 --> 00:28:37.840 As Carson says it, 00:28:37.900 --> 00:28:39.360 a particular effective 00:28:39.360 --> 00:28:41.180 selecting love 00:28:41.180 --> 00:28:43.560 towards His elect. 00:28:43.559 --> 00:28:46.440 And then He goes on, 00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:46.700 He says, 00:28:46.960 --> 00:28:48.559 and it certainly is clear 00:28:48.559 --> 00:28:49.259 that there are places 00:28:49.259 --> 00:28:49.759 in Scripture 00:28:49.759 --> 00:28:51.159 where God loves 00:28:51.159 --> 00:28:53.039 obedient believers, 00:28:53.259 --> 00:28:54.940 those who follow His commands, 00:28:55.099 --> 00:28:56.500 in a particular way 00:28:56.500 --> 00:28:57.619 that He doesn't love 00:28:57.619 --> 00:28:59.819 the disobedience in us 00:28:59.819 --> 00:29:01.279 without upending 00:29:01.279 --> 00:29:02.519 the other kinds of love 00:29:02.519 --> 00:29:02.980 that we have. 00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:03.359 And look, 00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:04.079 we know this. 00:29:04.139 --> 00:29:04.839 If you're a parent, 00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:05.519 you know this. 00:29:05.819 --> 00:29:06.839 You love your child 00:29:06.839 --> 00:29:07.440 but you hate 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:08.659 what they do sometimes. 00:29:09.480 --> 00:29:09.759 Right? 00:29:10.639 --> 00:29:11.019 We do, 00:29:11.179 --> 00:29:12.059 and it's the same thing 00:29:12.059 --> 00:29:12.519 with our friends. 00:29:12.519 --> 00:29:14.000 We all have this nuance 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:14.859 in our love 00:29:14.859 --> 00:29:15.099 where, 00:29:15.420 --> 00:29:15.559 hey, 00:29:15.619 --> 00:29:16.480 I'm for you 00:29:16.480 --> 00:29:16.940 but man, 00:29:17.019 --> 00:29:18.019 this drives me crazy 00:29:18.019 --> 00:29:19.119 or this isn't right. 00:29:21.480 --> 00:29:23.299 And God has that kind of love. 00:29:23.440 --> 00:29:24.819 So when we go back 00:29:24.819 --> 00:29:25.700 to thinking about 00:29:25.700 --> 00:29:26.639 how is it 00:29:26.639 --> 00:29:28.619 that God loves, 00:29:29.740 --> 00:29:31.859 how then is God's disposition 00:29:31.859 --> 00:29:32.879 towards His enemies? 00:29:33.279 --> 00:29:34.579 And it's true that then 00:29:34.579 --> 00:29:35.940 God both loves 00:29:35.940 --> 00:29:36.940 and hates His enemies 00:29:36.940 --> 00:29:37.859 in some ways 00:29:37.859 --> 00:29:39.599 because He loves them 00:29:39.599 --> 00:29:41.519 in this providential love 00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:42.259 for all people. 00:29:42.259 --> 00:29:43.059 He loves them 00:29:43.059 --> 00:29:44.339 in this desire, 00:29:44.460 --> 00:29:45.500 this heart stance 00:29:45.500 --> 00:29:47.339 for salvation for them. 00:29:48.900 --> 00:29:50.299 But He hates them 00:29:50.299 --> 00:29:51.740 because of their 00:29:51.740 --> 00:29:53.799 insistent rebellion 00:29:53.799 --> 00:29:54.839 and ongoing 00:29:54.839 --> 00:29:57.079 rejection of Him. 00:29:58.960 --> 00:29:59.279 Right? 00:30:00.039 --> 00:30:01.039 God's love 00:30:01.039 --> 00:30:02.039 that brings this 00:30:02.039 --> 00:30:03.019 providential care 00:30:03.019 --> 00:30:04.259 doesn't mean that everyone, 00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:05.819 He saves everyone. 00:30:05.819 --> 00:30:06.019 God loves the world. 00:30:09.519 --> 00:30:10.919 So we need to think 00:30:10.919 --> 00:30:12.019 carefully about 00:30:12.019 --> 00:30:13.000 what it means 00:30:13.000 --> 00:30:13.720 when we say 00:30:13.720 --> 00:30:14.899 God loves the world 00:30:14.899 --> 00:30:16.899 and when we think about 00:30:16.899 --> 00:30:17.980 what it means for us 00:30:17.980 --> 00:30:19.259 to love our enemies. 00:30:19.259 --> 00:30:19.460 enemies. 00:30:23.460 --> 00:30:25.180 But our love for enemies 00:30:25.180 --> 00:30:26.559 should imitate His, 00:30:27.799 --> 00:30:29.619 desiring to do them good, 00:30:31.160 --> 00:30:33.119 seeking to show them 00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:34.879 the Father in heaven 00:30:34.879 --> 00:30:36.299 who is providing for them 00:30:36.299 --> 00:30:37.180 and who has provided 00:30:37.180 --> 00:30:38.119 most of all 00:30:38.119 --> 00:30:40.579 Jesus for them. 00:30:40.579 --> 00:30:42.779 And of course, 00:30:43.000 --> 00:30:44.759 this is the kind 00:30:44.759 --> 00:30:46.460 of sonship then 00:30:46.460 --> 00:30:47.699 that God calls us to. 00:30:47.779 --> 00:30:49.220 You see this in verse 46 00:30:49.220 --> 00:30:50.019 where He says, 00:30:50.980 --> 00:30:51.839 do this so that 00:30:51.839 --> 00:30:52.859 you may be sons. 00:30:53.419 --> 00:30:54.559 And sons here 00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:57.559 is a family term 00:30:57.559 --> 00:30:58.619 saying you're going to 00:30:58.619 --> 00:30:59.659 bear the resemblance 00:30:59.659 --> 00:31:01.039 of those that you come from. 00:31:01.199 --> 00:31:01.399 Right? 00:31:02.080 --> 00:31:02.480 So, 00:31:02.880 --> 00:31:03.840 He's saying that 00:31:03.840 --> 00:31:05.360 if we have a love 00:31:05.360 --> 00:31:06.040 for our enemies, 00:31:06.180 --> 00:31:06.880 we are showing 00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:07.980 that this is like 00:31:07.980 --> 00:31:09.940 the God that we serve. 00:31:11.080 --> 00:31:11.560 Right? 00:31:12.620 --> 00:31:13.380 And look, 00:31:13.820 --> 00:31:15.180 we need to recognize 00:31:15.180 --> 00:31:18.280 how distinctive this is 00:31:18.280 --> 00:31:20.040 because there are 00:31:20.040 --> 00:31:21.540 secular reconciliation 00:31:21.540 --> 00:31:23.759 people out there. 00:31:23.900 --> 00:31:24.380 And you know what? 00:31:24.400 --> 00:31:25.340 They're doing good work. 00:31:25.860 --> 00:31:27.759 I don't want to despise them 00:31:27.759 --> 00:31:29.060 or say that it's bad. 00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:29.740 But, 00:31:29.740 --> 00:31:31.440 they will resort 00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:32.420 to principles 00:31:32.420 --> 00:31:33.640 of human dignity 00:31:33.640 --> 00:31:35.599 and mutual respect. 00:31:36.339 --> 00:31:38.019 Things that we would agree on 00:31:38.019 --> 00:31:38.559 based on 00:31:38.559 --> 00:31:39.579 this is how we ought 00:31:39.579 --> 00:31:40.339 to treat one another 00:31:40.339 --> 00:31:41.519 because God created us 00:31:41.519 --> 00:31:42.480 all in His image. 00:31:42.620 --> 00:31:42.819 Right? 00:31:42.960 --> 00:31:43.259 And so, 00:31:43.380 --> 00:31:45.099 this is a good principle 00:31:45.099 --> 00:31:45.880 that's out there 00:31:45.880 --> 00:31:47.120 that gives a basis 00:31:47.120 --> 00:31:49.359 for loving 00:31:49.359 --> 00:31:51.279 even our enemies. 00:31:52.539 --> 00:31:53.480 This is at the basis 00:31:53.480 --> 00:31:54.120 of some of the 00:31:54.120 --> 00:31:55.579 reconciliation processes 00:31:55.579 --> 00:31:56.220 that happen 00:31:56.220 --> 00:31:56.960 in some of the most 00:31:56.960 --> 00:31:57.859 war-torn parts 00:31:57.859 --> 00:31:58.579 of the world. 00:31:58.579 --> 00:32:00.139 It's also what happens 00:32:00.139 --> 00:32:01.159 in marriage counseling 00:32:01.159 --> 00:32:03.119 and everywhere 00:32:03.119 --> 00:32:03.839 in between. 00:32:06.859 --> 00:32:07.419 But, 00:32:07.500 --> 00:32:08.740 at the end of the day, 00:32:08.799 --> 00:32:10.220 if that's all you have, 00:32:11.220 --> 00:32:13.240 what you're bringing 00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:13.879 to the table 00:32:13.879 --> 00:32:14.740 is a pursuit 00:32:14.740 --> 00:32:15.480 of reconciliation 00:32:15.480 --> 00:32:17.179 that says along lines of, 00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:18.919 don't you want 00:32:18.919 --> 00:32:20.179 to treat them 00:32:20.179 --> 00:32:21.259 the way you want 00:32:21.259 --> 00:32:22.099 them to treat you? 00:32:22.099 --> 00:32:24.019 And that's a good principle. 00:32:25.019 --> 00:32:27.019 But the Christian call 00:32:27.019 --> 00:32:28.679 is deeper than that. 00:32:29.899 --> 00:32:31.379 To be like God 00:32:31.379 --> 00:32:33.019 in the way 00:32:33.019 --> 00:32:34.279 that He loves the world 00:32:34.279 --> 00:32:36.759 is greater than this. 00:32:37.339 --> 00:32:37.959 And by the way, 00:32:38.059 --> 00:32:39.899 this is what verse 48 means. 00:32:40.399 --> 00:32:41.759 Verse 48 does not mean 00:32:41.759 --> 00:32:42.639 we're meant to be 00:32:42.639 --> 00:32:44.059 morally perfect 00:32:44.059 --> 00:32:45.159 in every way. 00:32:45.539 --> 00:32:46.679 It does not mean 00:32:46.679 --> 00:32:48.339 that we're suddenly set 00:32:48.339 --> 00:32:49.619 to this new standard 00:32:49.619 --> 00:32:51.319 of complete perfection. 00:32:51.719 --> 00:32:52.919 The word there is, 00:32:53.179 --> 00:32:53.879 if you know it, 00:32:54.059 --> 00:32:55.019 telos. 00:32:55.399 --> 00:32:56.579 It's complete 00:32:56.579 --> 00:32:57.619 to be fulfilled 00:32:58.199 --> 00:32:59.259 in what we were meant 00:32:59.259 --> 00:32:59.839 to be. 00:33:00.619 --> 00:33:01.259 And what Jesus 00:33:01.259 --> 00:33:02.459 is saying here is, 00:33:02.779 --> 00:33:04.699 as we love our enemies, 00:33:05.359 --> 00:33:07.519 we are moving into 00:33:07.519 --> 00:33:08.939 and closer to 00:33:08.939 --> 00:33:10.439 what God's original 00:33:10.439 --> 00:33:11.839 creation intent was, 00:33:12.079 --> 00:33:13.719 what His redemptive plan 00:33:13.719 --> 00:33:14.559 is for us, 00:33:14.559 --> 00:33:16.219 and what we will look like 00:33:16.220 --> 00:33:16.839 in heaven. 00:33:18.700 --> 00:33:19.079 And so, 00:33:19.220 --> 00:33:20.960 this is why we do this. 00:33:23.140 --> 00:33:24.400 The true power, 00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:24.779 though, 00:33:24.940 --> 00:33:26.019 is in the gospel. 00:33:26.759 --> 00:33:27.519 Bonnie read 00:33:27.519 --> 00:33:28.839 from Romans earlier, 00:33:29.240 --> 00:33:30.539 but I'm going to read it again 00:33:30.539 --> 00:33:32.500 because this is where 00:33:32.500 --> 00:33:33.440 we as Christians 00:33:33.440 --> 00:33:34.360 understand 00:33:34.360 --> 00:33:35.700 how it is 00:33:35.700 --> 00:33:36.579 that we can love 00:33:36.579 --> 00:33:37.200 our enemies 00:33:37.200 --> 00:33:38.259 the way God 00:33:38.259 --> 00:33:39.640 loves our enemies. 00:33:41.240 --> 00:33:42.220 Romans 5, 00:33:42.299 --> 00:33:42.860 verse 6, 00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:43.620 says this, 00:33:43.619 --> 00:33:45.559 For while we were still weak 00:33:45.559 --> 00:33:46.399 at the right time, 00:33:46.659 --> 00:33:47.419 Christ died 00:33:47.419 --> 00:33:48.579 for the ungodly. 00:33:49.139 --> 00:33:50.739 For one will scarcely die 00:33:50.739 --> 00:33:51.719 for a righteous person, 00:33:51.759 --> 00:33:52.479 though perhaps 00:33:52.479 --> 00:33:53.299 for a good person 00:33:53.299 --> 00:33:53.959 one would dare 00:33:53.959 --> 00:33:54.699 even to die. 00:33:55.519 --> 00:33:56.319 But God shows 00:33:56.319 --> 00:33:57.459 His love for us 00:33:57.459 --> 00:33:59.639 in that while we were 00:33:59.639 --> 00:34:00.559 still sinners, 00:34:01.159 --> 00:34:03.000 Christ died for us. 00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:04.579 Since, therefore, 00:34:04.579 --> 00:34:05.979 we have now been justified 00:34:05.979 --> 00:34:06.899 by His blood, 00:34:07.000 --> 00:34:07.759 much more 00:34:07.759 --> 00:34:09.139 shall we be saved 00:34:09.139 --> 00:34:09.839 by Him 00:34:09.839 --> 00:34:11.019 from the wrath of God. 00:34:11.019 --> 00:34:14.340 for if we were enemies, 00:34:15.159 --> 00:34:16.860 if while we were enemies 00:34:16.860 --> 00:34:19.500 we were reconciled to God 00:34:19.500 --> 00:34:20.840 by the death of His Son, 00:34:21.440 --> 00:34:22.500 much more now 00:34:22.500 --> 00:34:23.800 that we are reconciled 00:34:23.800 --> 00:34:24.840 shall we be saved 00:34:24.840 --> 00:34:25.800 by His life. 00:34:26.380 --> 00:34:27.119 More than that, 00:34:27.179 --> 00:34:28.719 we also rejoice in God 00:34:28.719 --> 00:34:30.300 through our Lord Jesus Christ 00:34:30.300 --> 00:34:30.880 through whom 00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:32.639 we have now received 00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:33.360 reconciliation. 00:34:34.619 --> 00:34:35.179 Friends, 00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:36.340 this is really simple 00:34:36.340 --> 00:34:37.519 and really hard. 00:34:37.519 --> 00:34:42.420 the gospel tells us 00:34:42.420 --> 00:34:43.099 that we 00:34:43.099 --> 00:34:46.219 were and are 00:34:46.219 --> 00:34:47.480 the enemies of God 00:34:47.480 --> 00:34:48.860 in our sin 00:34:48.860 --> 00:34:51.179 and deserve nothing 00:34:51.179 --> 00:34:51.780 but judgment 00:34:51.780 --> 00:34:52.659 for that sin. 00:34:53.980 --> 00:34:55.119 Until we remember 00:34:55.119 --> 00:34:56.400 that in our sin 00:34:56.400 --> 00:34:57.259 we are rebels 00:34:57.259 --> 00:34:59.199 and haters of God, 00:34:59.739 --> 00:35:01.539 we will never understand 00:35:01.539 --> 00:35:03.139 what He has done for us. 00:35:03.780 --> 00:35:05.480 We will never have 00:35:05.480 --> 00:35:06.699 the humility 00:35:06.699 --> 00:35:09.719 that we need 00:35:09.719 --> 00:35:10.960 in order to love 00:35:10.960 --> 00:35:11.820 our enemies. 00:35:12.500 --> 00:35:13.139 Because friends, 00:35:13.199 --> 00:35:14.240 it was not because 00:35:14.240 --> 00:35:15.079 of our goodness 00:35:15.079 --> 00:35:16.900 that God loved us. 00:35:17.760 --> 00:35:19.280 The problem that we have 00:35:19.280 --> 00:35:20.000 is that we think 00:35:20.000 --> 00:35:21.519 our enemies are really bad 00:35:21.519 --> 00:35:22.860 and we're not as bad 00:35:22.860 --> 00:35:23.460 as they are. 00:35:23.699 --> 00:35:24.780 And they deserve 00:35:24.780 --> 00:35:25.780 something worse 00:35:25.780 --> 00:35:26.980 than we do. 00:35:28.980 --> 00:35:30.539 But God says 00:35:30.539 --> 00:35:31.860 and the gospel says 00:35:31.860 --> 00:35:34.240 while we were His enemies, 00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:37.399 Christ died for us. 00:35:38.059 --> 00:35:40.439 While you were His enemy, 00:35:40.979 --> 00:35:43.459 Christ died for you. 00:35:45.239 --> 00:35:46.439 And He did it 00:35:46.439 --> 00:35:47.879 because He loves you. 00:35:49.399 --> 00:35:50.539 He did it 00:35:50.539 --> 00:35:51.579 to pay the penalty 00:35:51.579 --> 00:35:52.699 for your sin. 00:35:53.739 --> 00:35:54.639 He did it 00:35:54.639 --> 00:35:55.559 by bearing 00:35:55.559 --> 00:35:58.179 what we deserve. 00:35:59.379 --> 00:36:00.179 The judgment 00:36:00.179 --> 00:36:02.379 and the despising 00:36:02.380 --> 00:36:03.579 and the rejection 00:36:03.579 --> 00:36:05.019 and the scorn 00:36:05.019 --> 00:36:06.300 that we want 00:36:06.300 --> 00:36:06.820 to inflict 00:36:06.820 --> 00:36:08.500 on our enemies 00:36:08.500 --> 00:36:10.180 that God rightly 00:36:10.180 --> 00:36:11.460 would inflict on us 00:36:11.460 --> 00:36:12.740 because of our sin, 00:36:13.380 --> 00:36:15.340 Jesus bore that 00:36:15.340 --> 00:36:16.280 for us 00:36:16.280 --> 00:36:17.420 on the cross 00:36:17.420 --> 00:36:19.160 so that we might 00:36:19.160 --> 00:36:19.800 be loved 00:36:19.800 --> 00:36:21.519 undeservingly. 00:36:21.660 --> 00:36:22.720 So that we might 00:36:22.720 --> 00:36:23.519 be accepted 00:36:23.519 --> 00:36:25.000 and embraced 00:36:25.000 --> 00:36:26.480 and cherished 00:36:26.480 --> 00:36:28.460 by God. 00:36:28.460 --> 00:36:28.519 God. 00:36:33.199 --> 00:36:34.059 And if God 00:36:34.059 --> 00:36:34.539 loves us 00:36:34.539 --> 00:36:35.179 like that, 00:36:36.179 --> 00:36:39.159 then 00:36:39.159 --> 00:36:40.679 we can begin 00:36:40.679 --> 00:36:41.559 to understand 00:36:41.559 --> 00:36:42.300 what it might 00:36:42.300 --> 00:36:42.860 look like 00:36:42.860 --> 00:36:43.900 for us 00:36:43.900 --> 00:36:44.519 to love 00:36:44.519 --> 00:36:45.320 our enemies 00:36:45.320 --> 00:36:46.360 the way 00:36:46.360 --> 00:36:47.079 God does. 00:36:51.019 --> 00:36:51.500 Friends, 00:36:51.599 --> 00:36:52.480 this is the good news 00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:53.119 of the gospel 00:36:53.119 --> 00:36:56.300 that we have been 00:36:56.300 --> 00:36:57.400 loved like this 00:36:57.400 --> 00:36:58.760 and not only loved 00:36:58.760 --> 00:36:59.340 but given 00:36:59.340 --> 00:37:00.220 a new life 00:37:00.220 --> 00:37:00.860 in Christ 00:37:00.860 --> 00:37:01.800 where Christ 00:37:01.800 --> 00:37:02.420 himself, 00:37:02.599 --> 00:37:03.019 the lover 00:37:03.019 --> 00:37:04.039 of our souls 00:37:04.039 --> 00:37:05.539 indwells us 00:37:05.539 --> 00:37:06.039 so that 00:37:06.039 --> 00:37:07.180 we might 00:37:07.180 --> 00:37:07.660 love 00:37:07.660 --> 00:37:08.380 with the love 00:37:08.380 --> 00:37:09.039 that we have 00:37:09.039 --> 00:37:09.900 been loved. 00:37:12.280 --> 00:37:13.119 A love 00:37:13.119 --> 00:37:13.920 even for 00:37:13.920 --> 00:37:14.720 our enemies. 00:37:19.019 --> 00:37:19.700 We're going to 00:37:19.700 --> 00:37:20.460 close in a minute 00:37:20.460 --> 00:37:23.180 with a great hymn 00:37:23.180 --> 00:37:24.840 and can it be. 00:37:24.940 --> 00:37:25.519 I'm going to read 00:37:25.519 --> 00:37:26.320 the first verse 00:37:26.320 --> 00:37:26.880 and then we'll go 00:37:26.880 --> 00:37:27.380 to prayer 00:37:27.380 --> 00:37:28.680 and then we'll 00:37:28.680 --> 00:37:29.280 sing this. 00:37:29.860 --> 00:37:30.760 And can it be 00:37:30.760 --> 00:37:31.640 that I should 00:37:31.640 --> 00:37:32.220 gain 00:37:32.220 --> 00:37:33.480 an interest 00:37:33.480 --> 00:37:35.099 in the Savior's 00:37:35.099 --> 00:37:35.539 blood? 00:37:36.640 --> 00:37:37.500 Died he 00:37:37.500 --> 00:37:38.320 for me 00:37:38.320 --> 00:37:39.180 who caused 00:37:39.180 --> 00:37:39.860 his pain 00:37:39.860 --> 00:37:41.660 for me 00:37:41.660 --> 00:37:42.440 who him 00:37:42.440 --> 00:37:43.079 to death 00:37:43.079 --> 00:37:43.740 pursued? 00:37:45.119 --> 00:37:46.380 Amazing love, 00:37:46.700 --> 00:37:47.740 how can it be 00:37:47.740 --> 00:37:49.400 that thou, 00:37:49.539 --> 00:37:50.160 my God, 00:37:50.880 --> 00:37:51.599 shouldst die 00:37:51.599 --> 00:37:52.059 for me? 00:37:52.160 --> 00:37:52.700 Let's pray. 00:37:52.699 --> 00:37:55.119 O Lord, 00:37:55.239 --> 00:37:56.179 we pray this 00:37:56.179 --> 00:37:56.579 morning 00:37:56.579 --> 00:37:58.379 for help 00:37:58.379 --> 00:38:00.699 for Lord, 00:38:00.779 --> 00:38:01.359 our hearts 00:38:01.359 --> 00:38:02.119 do not 00:38:02.119 --> 00:38:04.339 easily move 00:38:04.339 --> 00:38:05.480 in these ways. 00:38:07.379 --> 00:38:07.980 Lord, 00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:08.859 we want to 00:38:08.859 --> 00:38:11.000 have revenge. 00:38:11.500 --> 00:38:12.719 We want to 00:38:12.719 --> 00:38:13.819 strike back 00:38:13.819 --> 00:38:14.359 when we are 00:38:14.359 --> 00:38:14.799 struck. 00:38:15.460 --> 00:38:16.319 We want to 00:38:16.319 --> 00:38:17.519 treat our 00:38:17.519 --> 00:38:18.319 enemies with 00:38:18.319 --> 00:38:18.719 hatred, 00:38:19.359 --> 00:38:20.179 with scorn. 00:38:20.179 --> 00:38:22.480 Lord, 00:38:22.559 --> 00:38:23.259 we confess 00:38:23.259 --> 00:38:23.879 this to 00:38:23.879 --> 00:38:24.179 you. 00:38:25.859 --> 00:38:26.319 And Lord, 00:38:26.460 --> 00:38:27.059 even if we 00:38:27.059 --> 00:38:27.519 don't want to 00:38:27.519 --> 00:38:27.919 do those 00:38:27.919 --> 00:38:28.199 things, 00:38:28.339 --> 00:38:28.480 Lord, 00:38:28.539 --> 00:38:29.259 we desire 00:38:29.259 --> 00:38:30.339 just distance 00:38:30.339 --> 00:38:33.299 and ignoring 00:38:33.299 --> 00:38:33.739 them. 00:38:34.859 --> 00:38:35.579 But Lord, 00:38:35.679 --> 00:38:35.940 you have 00:38:35.940 --> 00:38:36.419 called us 00:38:36.419 --> 00:38:36.980 to love 00:38:36.980 --> 00:38:38.319 even our 00:38:38.319 --> 00:38:38.699 enemies. 00:38:40.079 --> 00:38:40.659 Help us, 00:38:40.839 --> 00:38:40.960 Lord. 00:38:42.460 --> 00:38:43.039 Help us 00:38:43.039 --> 00:38:43.559 to know 00:38:43.559 --> 00:38:44.339 your gospel 00:38:44.340 --> 00:38:45.019 deeply 00:38:45.019 --> 00:38:45.500 enough 00:38:45.500 --> 00:38:46.539 to understand 00:38:46.539 --> 00:38:47.039 how this 00:38:47.039 --> 00:38:47.460 could be 00:38:47.460 --> 00:38:47.740 so. 00:38:48.740 --> 00:38:49.240 And by 00:38:49.240 --> 00:38:49.940 your Spirit, 00:38:50.160 --> 00:38:50.579 fill us 00:38:50.579 --> 00:38:50.940 with the 00:38:50.940 --> 00:38:51.260 knowledge 00:38:51.260 --> 00:38:51.760 of your 00:38:51.760 --> 00:38:52.380 love for 00:38:52.380 --> 00:38:52.920 us 00:38:52.920 --> 00:38:57.500 so that 00:38:57.500 --> 00:38:57.860 we might 00:38:57.860 --> 00:38:58.500 love others, 00:38:59.780 --> 00:39:00.420 even our 00:39:00.420 --> 00:39:00.840 enemies, 00:39:01.880 --> 00:39:02.340 in your 00:39:02.340 --> 00:39:02.579 name. 00:39:03.440 --> 00:39:03.980 We pray 00:39:03.980 --> 00:39:04.460 this in 00:39:04.460 --> 00:39:05.100 Jesus' name. 00:39:05.840 --> 00:39:06.140 Amen. 00:39:06.140 --> 00:39:06.280 Amen.