Series: The Upside-Down Kingdom

 

Sermon title: Kingdom Living is Loving your enemies

(forgiveness) Anger in the heart (easily offended)

 

We do not recommend the upside-down kingdom bible or any NIV.  It a distorted version of the truth.

 

(Pole vaulting illustration)

 

As we can see from this video this man missed the mark.  The bar was set high. The pole vaulter must rise to the height of the bar to achieve greatness.  It profits him nothing if he lowers the bar to a more attainable height especially in competition.  The bar must remain at its height and the vaulter must rise to the occasion.   

 

In a similar way Jesus set the bar very high, God’s standard is perfection, He is Holy and we all fall short of the glory of God.  Jesus was the only one to walk the earth perfectly without sin.  Therefore, the only way that we can measure up is through Jesus.  It is because of Jesus that His perfect righteousness has been imputed to us who believe. 

 

As followers of Jesus, we are to adhere to His teachings.  Some of which may sound strange and unusual, even harshto those who would hear.  However, our Lord’s kingdom is not like the kingdom of this world.  Often the way up in God’s kingdom is down.  It is an upside-down kingdom.  Meaning it is backwards from what culture teaches us.

 

Afterall Jesus did not come into the world to teach us to conform to the ways of our fellow men! But in the words of the apostle Paul:

           

         Romans 12:2

 

² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

 

Jesus is the standard.  (We must be transformed to be like Him.)

 

Luke 6:27-36

 

²⁷ “But I say to you who hear, 

 

We see to whom this is addressed, to those who would hear.  Not just to those who hear with natural ears for this would encompass everyone.  But rather to those who recognize Jesus as the Son of the living God and thereby recognize His authority.   Those who hear realizes He is the master, and we must become students who are wanting to be transformed and renewed in our minds. 

 

²⁷ “But I say to you who hear, Love

 

If the Spirit of God dwells in you, you are of another nature than those of this world. It should then be expected that the God who is love according to 1 John 4:7-8 requires His servants to love as well. 

 

Love – agapaō to have a preference for, wish well to, regard the welfare of

 

1 John 4:7-8

 

⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

 

Love is not just something that God does; Love is who He is.  In both verses we are commanded to love because when His love is flowing through us it demonstrates that we know God.  The love that we show others reflects our relationship with Him. 

 

That is why Jesus said:

 

            John 13:34-35

 

³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.”

 

So, we know that love is of God, and those who are born again ought to reflect God’s love into the earth.  However, Jesus did not stop there.  But then going back to Luke 6:27.

 

²⁷ “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, 

 

Enemies – echthros hostile, hating, and opposing another

 

It’s one thing to love, anyone can love,

• A man falls in love when meets the right woman.
• A mother of a newborn knows how to love her child.
• Likewise, children for the most part reciprocate their love back their mothers.

 

This is but a natural thing.   But a supernatural Christ like love, loves even their enemies. This is something the worldly love cannot mimic. 

 

This Christ like love is so revolutionary in comparison to what this world teaches.  But again, Jesus is the standard. He exemplified this kind of love with perfection. 

 

If you are thinking Jesus is asking too much from you to love your enemies and that is beyond your ability to do so, you are correct.  You’re not able to love your enemies without Christ’s love working in you nor without the power of the Holy Spirit. 

 

As followers of the crucified and resurrected Christ you are called to lead a life that is beyond that of commonmen. 

 

You Are Called to Extraordinary Love

 

do good to those who hate you, 

²⁸ bless those who curse you, 

pray for those who abuse you.

²⁹ To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also,

and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 

³⁰ Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 

 

For every hateful action done towards us we are called to counter it with a Christlike action. 

 

Hate             Do Good

Curse            Bless

Abuse            Pray

Strikes           Offer the other (vengeance is the Lord’s, He will strike the striker)

 

1 Corinthians 7:15-16

¹⁵ But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. ¹⁶ For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?

 

         Steals            Give

 

It’s like a story I once heard.

 

A man sees a snake being burned to death and tries to save it.

The snake bites the man, causing him excruciating pain.

The man drops the snake, and it falls back into the fire.

The man finds a metal pole and uses it to save the snake's life.

Someone watching the man asks why he is still trying to save the snake after it bit him.

The man replies, "The nature of the snake is to bite, but that's not going to change my nature, which is to help".

 

The world will act like the world, we should not be surprised when they hate, curse, abuse, strike or steal. 

However, we must not let the world through their behavior corrupt our Christlike nature. 

 

• Can you love those who have spoken lies about you or that have gossiped about you?
• Can you love those who have done their best to ruin you? 
• Can you feel towards them an earnest desire for their present and eternal welfare?

 

³¹ And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

 

Jesus’ commands His followers to do what they would want others to do towards them.  Notice He did not say thatothers will love you with the same love that you have given them.  But the responsibility is for the believer to do their part regardless of their response.  Others will not always treat you with the same kindness that you are required to give.

 

There are numerous children who grow up to become adults who do not love their parents even though they have who have worked hard and lavished love upon them in their childhood. 

Love does not always beget love.

 

Another example is a brutal husband, who does not love his wife even though she sacrifices everyday out of love towards him and their little ones. 

 

Or the employee that loves his/her job and gives sacrificially everyday but never receives any recognition for their work they only receive criticism.

 

Being there for someone in their time of need only to be neglected in your time of need.

 

Love is not always reciprocated.  Nonetheless we are called to love at a level that we would want to be reciprocated back to us. 

 

Consider Jesus for He was and is an example of someone who loved sacrificially even when it was not reciprocated back to Him.  He has called us to a love which is higher than loving those who love us.  He has called us to love like He loves.

 

Godliness is Godlikeness and this is not easy to attain. We need the Holy Spirit working within us.

 

³² “If you love those who love you, what benefit 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 benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that

to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.

 

• It is easy to pray for those who are kind to you.
• It is easy to speak blessing to someone you know who would reciprocate a blessing it back to you.
• It is easy to give to those who have given much to you. (example our parents)

 

If we do good to one who was good to us, we have only done what we should have done and no more! 

 

I’ll let you borrow my chainsaw, with the idea that one day you’ll let me borrow your tractor.  It’s a common courtesy. 

 

Business people do this all the time.  I’ll take you fishing with the idea that you’ll continue to do business with our company. 

 

I’ll install a deck for you, with the hope that one day you’ll install an a/c unit for me.

 

We don’t mind doing good for others if we know that it will benefit us somehow. 

 

To love those that love us is nothing peculiar to Christ’s disciples, for sinners will love those that love them. There is nothing self-denying in that; it is but following nature, 

 

³⁵ But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. ³⁶ Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Followers of Jesus are called upon to do good to those who have done them harm.  This is a hard saying and an even harder thing to put into practice.  But when we do good to those who have done evil to us we are storing up for ourselves treasure in heaven.

 

When Jesus was on the cross after being betrayed by Judas, abandoned by his disciples, after being scourged with cat of 9 tails, he was beaten beyond recognition, as he was bleeding, with nails in His hands and feet, a crown of thorns on His head, after being mocked, ridiculed, spit upon, cursed at,

 

            Luke 23:34

 

³⁴ And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

 

Could you pray that prayer over your enemies?

 

Could you ask for God’s forgiveness for the sins of your enemy?

 

We see examples of Jesus’ disciples following His example.  Take Stephen for example.

 

A man who is said to be “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” His only crime was testifying of the risen Christ.  Yet as he was being stoned to death

 

Acts 6:60

 

⁶⁰ And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

 

Christ had enemies he prayed that God would forgive them for their ignorance. We were once enemies.

Stephen had enemies he also prayed in a like manner.

 

You may also have enemies.

People who have hated you without cause. 

You may have been cursed by your enemies

You may have even been abused to some degree or another

 

yet you are instructed as a believer in Jesus Christ to love them with a Christ like love.

 

Charles Spurgeon

 

“Evil for good is devil-like, evil for evil is beast-like, good for good is man-like, good for evil is God-like”

 

As Christians we are to rise to a higher way of living than this world.  We must learn to be like our Master who givesand receives nothing in return!  Afterall we are called the children of God and He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. If we are children of God, we ought to do what others never think of.