Giving of Yourself
Notes
Transcript
Understand What is At Stake
Understand What is At Stake
In the 1960s there was a political organization called the Student Nonviolence Coordinating committee. This organizations was comprised mostly of young college students who would participate in demonstrations of equality across the United States. Things like sit-ins, freedom rides and a number of protest happened at the expense of this organization. These people were spit on, hit across the head and other parts of their body and called names that I would not call my worst enemy. They were sprayed with hoses, attacked by dogs, arrested and thrown in jail. Granted they knew what their mission was but they also understood the nature of what they were agreeing to in effort to be a part of this movement.
There’s a place in our relationship with Jesus that I believe we all aspire to get to. The question I have for you this morning is do you know what it takes to get there. When I understand the fact that death could be the outcome of my devotion loving my enemies does not seem impossible. When I understand what being a disciple of Jesus Christ actually takes these tenets of instruction do not seem as impossible as society claims them to be. The world preaches revenge, the world preaches get it your way, be self-made, sometimes you have to step on some people to get to the places you desire to be. Meanwhile Jesus said loves your enemies, bless those who curse you, turn the other cheek.
Self-Sacrificial Living Takes Listening
Self-Sacrificial Living Takes Listening
Luke 6:27 ““But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,”
Jesus is talking to those who are willing to listen. In effort to love enemies you are going to have to spend some time listening to Jesus.
We can’t be filled on believers of revenge and other tenets of worldly influence and be diligent enough to exercise the instructions of Jesus.
If we aren’t listening to him, if we aren’t meditating on his word, the idea of loving enemies is going to be a very difficult task to carry out.
What does loving your enemies look like? We first have to ask ourselves how did we get here.
Luke 6:22 “Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake.”
I understand the blessing of loving my enemy when I understand the mission that God put in my life. The natural impulse is to hate those who hate us. Matthew 5:43 ““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’”
Nevertheless the disciple is commanded to return love for hate. How can I return love for hate? How can I show Jesus when I’m being excluded, ridiculed and oppressed?
I do good to those who hate me, that is the mindset behind true love. If Jesus is our ultimate example then He’s the example when it comes to parts of his expectations that we don’t mind dealing with and those things that we are challenged by. We see this in action with Judas, we see this in action with his commissioning of Peter. As the Christian we must be giving and forgiving.
It Could Cost You Your Life
It Could Cost You Your Life
When we understand what True Love cost we understand that it really doesn’t cost us much to be Christlike in the way we treat them. It’s imperative that we are giving and forgiving.
The ability to learn this lesson cost Jesus His life. If He was willing to lay his life on the line I should be able to at least bless those that curse me. Are you praying for those who spitefully use you. I remember I was working on a project once, and this person on my team I just did not get along with. Not only was she not supportive but she had a habit of throwing me under the bus. I prayed to God, and I said Lord teach me how to deal with this woman! I walked into the meeting space the following day and she informed me that we would no longer be working together because she was quitting.
Sometimes going to God will remove the people that are worst headaches in your life. What does it mean to bless those that curse you. It literally means to ask God to bestow divine favor on someone! Sometimes that divine favor is removing that person out of your life.
So I’m dealing with the people that curse me, the people who make statements of harm toward me by going to God.
When I know that my salvation took Jesus sacrificing his life turning the other cheek is slight work compared to what Jesus gave up. See when I have Jesus on my mind even when I buy cloak or a tunic, I get two just in case someone else needs one! When we know what it takes, these tenets of living a kingdom life don’t even measure up.
The goal is changing a life! The best way to conquer a enemy is make him a friend. I’m not showing weakness by refraining from revenge, my ability to turn the other cheek, my ability to treat others like Jesus has treated me might lead to the salvation of my worst enemy!
Being attacked by dogs, sprayed by water hoses, beaten and spit on didn’t mean much at the expense of freedom being the potential outcome.
The reason Jesus could withstand the persecution of the world because he understood the outcome of salvation and the blessing of eternity.
Give with the Right Mindset
Give with the Right Mindset
Luke 6:30–31 “Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.”
This is attainable when I understand who provides for me. I should never give expecting something in return, it’s a blessing to give in the first place!
Proverbs 3:27 “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so.”
To refuse to do when we have the ability to do so is not the way Jesus designed Christianity to work. We lose nothing by helping people! Giving in this manner shows who I truly rely on. When I rely on Jesus I’m not worried what I’ll get back from you, because even in what you took from me God has the ability to bless me with even more!
In effort to love enemies or treat people the way Christ has treated mankind, we first have look at everyone as God’s creation. Humanize the people next to you, the people that talk about you the people that mistreat you! Regardless of how people have treated you everyone has some sort of trauma on their own!
“If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility” (Henry W. Longfellow, “Driftwood”).