Sunday, September 17, 2017 - Jesus Said: "Love Your Enemies"
Pastor Roger C. Marcos
September 17, 2017
Delivered at North York Church of Christ
As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison. - Nelson Mandela
Good morning, here I am standing in your midst to deliver the given topic by God which I believe that this topic SOMETHING WE ALL STRUGGLE. Our question; How Can I Love Someone that keeps sinning Against Me?
There’s no reason loving them but let me ask question????
To me this is a reflection of the gospel. Do You Give God a Reason to Love You?
Today’s message is all about something seldom to tackle because it’s against human predicament. So, one of the challenging commands given by the One who has the authority, the Lord, says to Love Your Enemies.
One of the most difficult command Jesus has ever given. And it is extremely difficult to believe Jesus meant what He said.
“Love your enemies.” Easy to say, hard to do.
What does it mean to love the people who have ruined everything you hold dear?
How do You Pray for Someone You Despise? There’s a Saying: Hating Accomplishes Nothing.
Text: Mt 5:43-44 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. NKJV.
What Can We Say Then to Jesus’ Message? Jesus and His audience lived under an oppressive occupying Roman government. The Romans employed torture and murder to keep people in line. Everyone listening to Jesus talk about this “love your enemies”
Here Jesus is quoting a teaching of the Scribes and Pharisees.
Leviticus 19:18 told the children of Israel to “love your neighbor as yourself.” God’s Word never said to “hate your enemy.” The religious leaders added that part to the law. It is really the easy thing for us to do. But Jesus has an entirely different way of looking at things. He does not tell us that we should only love those close to us and hate our enemies. His kingdom works in a much different way.
Think about It: Applied properly, loving your enemies ..Can Bless and transform your own life and truly make this world a better place to live.
By the way, we need to Scrutinize and Investigate Jesus’ COMMAND to love your enemies more closely by First Asking these THREE MAIN Questions:
I. WHO IS MY ENEMY?
That leads to a very practical question: Who are my enemies? In the broadest sense, an enemy is anyone who turns against me. Jesus is not talking about enemies on the other side of the world. He is talking about personal enemies who tend to be much closer to home. In fact, home is the first place to look for our enemies. Jesus said, “A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household” Matthew 10:36.
He mentions three close relationships that can go sour:
A father and his son, A mother and her daughter, A mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law.
A. Anyone Who Curses You. 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you. Matthew 5:44
When Scripture speaks of blessing those who curse us, this cursing can include insults, reproaches, and verbal offenses of all kinds. Many people struggle for weeks, months, or even years as a result of wounds caused by curses. A Blessing Can Break the Bondage of a Curse.
Although a curse always has potential to do great evil, a blessing has potential to accomplish greater good.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rom.12:1
Proverbs 24:17 ESV Do not rejoice when your Enemy Falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles.
B. Anyone Who Hates You... When we experience abuse from others, our natural response is to strike back. Pride prompts us to return hurt for hurt and insult for insult. However, God instructs us to love our enemies: AMEN!
Luke 6:27 NKJV 27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.
John 15:18-19NKJV
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
C. Anyone Who Spitefully Uses You...
Matthew 27:27-30 NKJV
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.
Our enemy can be a family member, neighbor, co-worker, fellow-citizen,
In other words, just about anyone who does not like You.. Now let's ask...
II. WHY LOVE YOUR ENEMY?
Greet them instead of avoiding them
A. To Be Like Our Loving God.
Luke 6:35-36 NKJV 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
Romans 5:8 NKJV
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
B. To Be Unlike Sinners...
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Matthew 5:46-47
32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. Luke 6:32-33
C. To Overcome Evil.. Romans 12:20-21 NKJV
20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Not Letting Evil Overcome You.
"I will never let another man ruin my life by making me hate him." - George Washington Carver
"Those who hate you don't win unless you hate them - and then you destroy yourself." - Richard Nixon
Overcoming Evil By Doing Good. Rom. 12:20-21
"Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?" - Abraham Lincoln
"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend." - Martin L. King, Jr
The ultimate goal should be to transform our enemies into brethren
Ro 10:1. Is that not what God did with us? So let us now ask...
Romans 10:1 (NKJV) 10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayers to God for Israel is that they may be saved.
III. HOW DO WE LOVE OUR ENEMIES?
A. By Blessing Them.
The Lord Jesus Commanded. - Matthew 5:44 NKJV
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
Romans 12:14 NKJV 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
1 Peter 3:9 NKJV 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
B. By Doing Good To Them.
Matthew 5:44 NKJV 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
Luke 6:27 NKJV 27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.
C. By Praying For Them.
As Jesus taught -
Matthew 5:44 NKJV 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
Luke 23:34 (NKJV) 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.
Acts 7:60 (NKJV) 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Romans 10:1 (NKJV) 10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.
CONCLUSION
We are commanded to love our enemies with an act of the will...
- Displaying active good will toward them (agape)
- Blessing them, doing to good them, praying for them.
He loved to pronounce a curse-- may it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing-- may it be far from him. Psalm 109:17