1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:04,660 Well I invite you to turn to Luke’s gospel in chapter 6 as we begin our new 2 00:00:04,660 –> 00:00:10,920 series entitled the Conveniently Neglected Teachings of Jesus. 3 00:00:10,920 –> 00:00:18,440 You’ll find, really, our key verse in verse 46 of Luke chapter 6 where Jesus says to 4 00:00:18,440 –> 00:00:23,799 his disciples now, why is it that you call me Lord Lord and you don’t do what 5 00:00:23,799 –> 00:00:29,379 I say? That’s an astonishing question, isn’t it? I mean here you are, you call 6 00:00:29,379 –> 00:00:36,220 yourselves my disciples you made big deal about worshiping me on Sunday, you 7 00:00:36,220 –> 00:00:40,320 tell other people that you’ve trusted your eternal destiny to me and then you 8 00:00:40,320 –> 00:00:47,200 don’t do what I say? I’ve called this series the Conveniently 9 00:00:47,200 –> 00:00:52,639 Neglected Teachings of Jesus for the simple reason that I think one of the 10 00:00:52,639 –> 00:00:56,860 causes of our neglect of the teaching of Jesus is that, frankly, they are so 11 00:00:56,919 –> 00:01:03,080 challenging. The idea for this series began in my mind over breakfast about a 12 00:01:03,080 –> 00:01:07,400 year ago, through a conversation with a friend who told me that he had been 13 00:01:07,400 –> 00:01:12,519 reading through the Gospels and that he had been profoundly challenged in a 14 00:01:12,519 –> 00:01:16,180 fresh way, though he’s been a Christian for many years, by the teaching of Jesus 15 00:01:16,180 –> 00:01:22,180 and he said the question I’m asking myself is do we do these things? And if 16 00:01:22,180 –> 00:01:31,639 not, why not? Now, we can’t do what Jesus says if we don’t know what Jesus says 17 00:01:31,639 –> 00:01:36,820 and so our aim in this series is very simply to rediscover some of the 18 00:01:36,820 –> 00:01:42,160 teachings of Jesus that too easily, as Christian believers, we forget or we 19 00:01:42,160 –> 00:01:49,739 ignore. Why? Do you call me Lord Lord and do not do what I say? Now, as most of us 20 00:01:49,800 –> 00:01:57,519 are aware, the four letters W.W.J.D. have become popular as a way of remembering 21 00:01:57,519 –> 00:02:02,980 the question, What would Jesus do? People wear them in bracelets and so forth as a 22 00:02:02,980 –> 00:02:06,620 reminder, a good reminder, as I go through to life, I’m to ask the question, 23 00:02:06,620 –> 00:02:09,880 What would Jesus do? Now, that’s a great question. 24 00:02:09,880 –> 00:02:17,360 The problem is how do you get the answer? How do you know what Jesus would do? And 25 00:02:17,479 –> 00:02:22,539 of course the only way that you can know in the 21st century what Jesus would do 26 00:02:22,539 –> 00:02:27,559 in a situation that you’re facing is by learning and by applying what Jesus 27 00:02:27,559 –> 00:02:33,000 actually said. And so our journey over these next few weeks is going to be all 28 00:02:33,000 –> 00:02:44,880 about W.D.J.S, What Did Jesus Say? Because if we can learn what Jesus said then we 29 00:02:44,979 –> 00:02:52,759 will be in a much better position to discern what Jesus would do. Now our Lord 30 00:02:52,759 –> 00:03:00,679 and our savior has many many wonderful names and titles, very quickly as we 31 00:03:00,679 –> 00:03:04,979 think about the ways in which our Lord is described in the scripture, many come 32 00:03:04,979 –> 00:03:10,720 to our mind and some of our favorites would be titles like Savior or Redeemer 33 00:03:10,720 –> 00:03:17,059 or Shepherd. We’re very very quick as evangelical Christians to say with great 34 00:03:17,059 –> 00:03:29,679 joy, Jesus is my Savior! Christ is my Redeemer! The Lord is my Shepherd! But it 35 00:03:29,679 –> 00:03:36,699 doesn’t somehow seem quite so natural for us to say Jesus is my Teacher, and 36 00:03:36,839 –> 00:03:44,720 yet that is precisely the relationship in which he stands to us. You remember in 37 00:03:44,720 –> 00:03:50,800 the upper room, when Jesus was with His disciples, He said, You call me Teacher 38 00:03:50,800 –> 00:03:56,399 and Lord, and you’re right because that is what I am. It’s a very important 39 00:03:56,399 –> 00:04:00,440 statement, of course, Teacher and Lord were used as kind of common expressions 40 00:04:00,440 –> 00:04:06,320 of respect in those days, and many people would use the phrase Teacher or Lord, and 41 00:04:06,460 –> 00:04:10,380 Jesus says, You call me Teacher and Lord, you give me this title of respect, but 42 00:04:10,380 –> 00:04:13,419 actually you’re right to do that because that is who I am. 43 00:04:13,419 –> 00:04:20,239 You give me this kind of title, but the reality is I am the Teacher, and I am 44 00:04:20,239 –> 00:04:26,859 the Lord. You see, Jesus Christ came not only to save 45 00:04:26,859 –> 00:04:32,959 you for eternity, He came to teach you how to live in this world now. And the 46 00:04:33,000 –> 00:04:38,579 proper relationship of a Christian to the Lord Jesus Christ is not just the 47 00:04:38,579 –> 00:04:44,140 relationship of a sinner to a Savior, it is also the relationship of a student to 48 00:04:44,140 –> 00:04:51,200 a Teacher. A lot of people want to know Jesus as Savior, but then we want to be 49 00:04:51,200 –> 00:04:54,760 our own teacher, we want the freedom to determine our own way of life, and of 50 00:04:54,760 –> 00:04:59,480 course you cannot do that because Jesus does not offer us Salvation as a 51 00:04:59,519 –> 00:05:07,820 standalone package. Jesus offers us himself and we cannot tear him up into 52 00:05:07,820 –> 00:05:13,480 pieces. Our choice is to embrace him or to turn away from him and if I embrace 53 00:05:13,480 –> 00:05:18,380 him I embrace him as all that he is, that means I embrace him as Savior. It means I 54 00:05:18,380 –> 00:05:22,799 embrace him as Lord. It means I embrace him as Shepherd. It means I embrace him 55 00:05:22,799 –> 00:05:28,839 as my teacher. You cannot divide these things up any more than you could tear 56 00:05:28,940 –> 00:05:34,320 Christ apart because they’re all in him. I cannot say Lord I want forgiveness but 57 00:05:34,320 –> 00:05:38,320 I’m not interested in obedience. I can’t say Lord I want heaven but I’m not 58 00:05:38,320 –> 00:05:42,980 interested in holiness. I can’t say Lord I want you for Savior but I don’t want 59 00:05:42,980 –> 00:05:51,440 you for teacher. My choice is simple. I can receive him or I can reject him. What 60 00:05:51,480 –> 00:05:59,380 I cannot do is to divide him. Now I think that our theme over these next couple of 61 00:05:59,380 –> 00:06:04,239 months is of great importance, not least because one of the great searches of 62 00:06:04,239 –> 00:06:11,980 this generation is the search for authenticity and I am increasingly 63 00:06:11,980 –> 00:06:19,820 convinced that it begins right here with the teaching of Jesus. It’s become very 64 00:06:19,820 –> 00:06:25,899 common for us to talk in evangelical circles about asking Jesus to be your 65 00:06:25,899 –> 00:06:31,500 savior, that’s wonderful, we all need that, 66 00:06:31,500 –> 00:06:40,440 but what about asking Jesus to be your teacher? See, when I put him in the 67 00:06:40,440 –> 00:06:49,019 position of my teacher, it means I allow him to tell me who God is, who I am, what 68 00:06:49,100 –> 00:06:54,459 human nature is, what eternity is all about, and how I get there. It means more 69 00:06:54,459 –> 00:06:59,859 than that, it means when I take him as my teacher, I become his student, it means I 70 00:06:59,859 –> 00:07:10,440 allow him to teach me about family, about ministry, about sexuality, about money. And 71 00:07:10,440 –> 00:07:14,760 that isn’t easy, because we all have our own opinions and we all have our own 72 00:07:14,880 –> 00:07:20,559 desires. We want instinctively to make up our own mind and we want to go our own 73 00:07:20,559 –> 00:07:28,000 way. We want to be our own teacher, we want to be our own Lord. And trusting 74 00:07:28,000 –> 00:07:34,459 Jesus as Teacher means that I bow to his authority. Some of us shake even at that 75 00:07:34,820 –> 00:07:45,179 word, but if I believe that he is God in the flesh then I will want that my 76 00:07:45,179 –> 00:07:52,299 opinions be moulded by his opinion and that my confused ideas about truth will 77 00:07:52,299 –> 00:07:58,019 be reshaped by his revelation of truth. Jesus spells it out in verse 40, 78 00:07:58,019 –> 00:08:03,220 a student is not above his teacher. It’s not for the student to impose his ideas 79 00:08:04,059 –> 00:08:09,040 on the teacher, it is for the teacher to come and to impart what he has to the 80 00:08:09,040 –> 00:08:15,160 student. Now John Stott I think has spoken very helpfully about this. He says 81 00:08:15,160 –> 00:08:21,420 the reasonableness of this Christian subordination, the reasonableness of it 82 00:08:21,420 –> 00:08:30,000 lies in the identity of the teacher. If Jesus of Nazareth were a mere man it 83 00:08:30,500 –> 00:08:37,520 would be ludicrous to submit our minds and our wills to him. But because he is 84 00:08:37,520 –> 00:08:46,400 the Son of God it is ludicrous not to do so. You see, his point if Jesus is just 85 00:08:46,400 –> 00:08:51,640 another man for me to take my God-given mind and submit it to the mind of 86 00:08:51,640 –> 00:08:57,640 another man would be ludicrous. But if he is indeed the Son of God for me to think 87 00:08:57,859 –> 00:09:03,020 that I can think better than him is ludicrous. For me to stand apart and to 88 00:09:03,020 –> 00:09:08,599 think that I need a thought that is independent from him is ludicrous. 89 00:09:08,599 –> 00:09:15,239 And, you know, this is not only reasonable, it’s frankly liberating. You see, the mind 90 00:09:15,239 –> 00:09:20,599 that we sometimes pride ourselves on as being independent is actually 91 00:09:20,599 –> 00:09:24,679 prejudiced by all kinds of factors 92 00:09:24,760 –> 00:09:28,280 like where you were born, where you live, your background, your colour, your 93 00:09:28,280 –> 00:09:32,359 experience, your wounds, your temperament, your desires, 94 00:09:32,359 –> 00:09:36,500 all these things feed into the way that you think. 95 00:09:36,520 –> 00:09:45,159 I think about myself, midlife, middle class, 96 00:09:45,159 –> 00:09:49,960 middle income. Scotsmen increasingly shaped by the 97 00:09:49,960 –> 00:09:53,479 midwest of America, it’s middle everything! 98 00:09:53,479 –> 00:09:57,640 It’s so boring, I mean it is depressing when you think about it, but that is who 99 00:09:57,640 –> 00:10:01,080 I am! And I think like that. I can’t get out of 100 00:10:01,080 –> 00:10:03,640 that skin. You know we talk about 101 00:10:03,640 –> 00:10:07,159 independent thought. 102 00:10:07,479 –> 00:10:14,919 Our thinking is in so many ways conditioned by who we are. Now 103 00:10:14,919 –> 00:10:19,799 what we call the independent mind actually is a mind that is shaped by the 104 00:10:19,880 –> 00:10:27,760 quicksands of self, and by the currents of culture. 105 00:10:27,799 –> 00:10:34,280 How much better to place that very far from independent mind in the 106 00:10:34,280 –> 00:10:37,559 hands and under the lordship of Jesus Christ, 107 00:10:37,559 –> 00:10:43,960 to submit myself to Christ as my teacher, to become His disciple. This is where 108 00:10:43,960 –> 00:10:48,359 authentic Christianity begins. It’s not just, 109 00:10:48,359 –> 00:10:52,440 Jesus, I ask you to save me when I die, it is Jesus, 110 00:10:52,440 –> 00:11:00,599 I trust you to teach me how to live. Well, that’s our journey over 111 00:11:00,599 –> 00:11:04,760 these next two months. So, let’s begin in Luke chapter 6, shall we, together. I do 112 00:11:04,760 –> 00:11:07,080 hope you have the Bible open in front of you, 113 00:11:07,080 –> 00:11:10,359 because the one to whom our minds are to be submitted 114 00:11:10,359 –> 00:11:13,479 is the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is his Word, 115 00:11:13,479 –> 00:11:18,359 therefore, that matters. Luke chapter 6, and we’re looking especially at verses 27 116 00:11:18,359 –> 00:11:21,320 and 28. 117 00:11:31,640 –> 00:11:35,320 I want to look at three things very simply here. The assumption that Jesus 118 00:11:35,320 –> 00:11:38,599 makes, the challenge that he gives, and then 119 00:11:38,679 –> 00:11:41,640 the outcome that he promises. First of all, then the 120 00:11:41,640 –> 00:11:45,559 assumption that Jesus makes. Now the assumption is 121 00:11:45,559 –> 00:11:48,039 very obvious just as you look at the plain 122 00:11:48,039 –> 00:11:52,919 statement of this text. You will have enemies. 123 00:11:52,919 –> 00:11:57,960 Jesus just assumes this. Many of us naively go through 124 00:11:57,960 –> 00:12:01,400 life thinking that this would be a holy extraordinary thing. Jesus just takes it 125 00:12:01,400 –> 00:12:05,799 for granted. It’s an assumption. You’re going to live 126 00:12:05,799 –> 00:12:10,840 life in this world. Some people will hate you. 127 00:12:10,840 –> 00:12:15,799 Some people will curse you. Some people will mistreat you. 128 00:12:15,799 –> 00:12:20,119 That’s the world, that’s where we live. 129 00:12:20,280 –> 00:12:26,200 I have to tell you, I find the realism of this a tremendous relief. 130 00:12:26,200 –> 00:12:30,599 See, the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world with all its pain, with all its 131 00:12:30,599 –> 00:12:34,280 abuse, with all of its hatred, with all of its 132 00:12:34,320 –> 00:12:37,479 crime, and the first thing that you will notice 133 00:12:37,479 –> 00:12:42,280 when you open the teaching of Jesus is that it actually speaks to life as we 134 00:12:42,280 –> 00:12:47,400 know it in this world. A lot of people say, oh, well, the Sermon 135 00:12:47,400 –> 00:12:50,679 on the Mount, of course, this would be marvelous in an ideal, perfect world. 136 00:12:50,679 –> 00:12:53,559 This is the teaching of Jesus for the world we live 137 00:12:53,559 –> 00:12:58,359 in. In a perfect world, you wouldn’t have enemies. 138 00:12:58,359 –> 00:13:01,640 Jesus speaks to our world. 139 00:13:02,119 –> 00:13:05,640 I tell you that is a tremendous relief. I have met so many Christians who seem to 140 00:13:05,640 –> 00:13:11,159 be more spiritual than this, you know. I don’t have any enemies at all. 141 00:13:11,159 –> 00:13:16,520 Now, give me a break. It sounds so spiritual but it is 142 00:13:16,520 –> 00:13:24,280 so false, it is so otherworldly, and it is miles away from the teaching of Jesus. 143 00:13:24,840 –> 00:13:28,200 Now an enemy is simply someone who wants to destroy you 144 00:13:28,200 –> 00:13:34,280 or to destroy what you stand for. And anyone with their eyes open can see 145 00:13:34,280 –> 00:13:37,960 that this is clearly the environment in which we are all living today at a 146 00:13:37,960 –> 00:13:44,280 number of levels not least nationally. Right now our nation is at war. 147 00:13:44,280 –> 00:13:49,400 Osama bin Laden is our enemy. He has developed a network of people 148 00:13:49,400 –> 00:13:54,840 who are dedicated to our destruction. We face as a nation the whole question 149 00:13:54,840 –> 00:13:59,640 of how we should conduct ourselves towards our enemies. 150 00:14:00,359 –> 00:14:06,679 Secondly we face it at a cultural level within our country we are seeing an 151 00:14:06,679 –> 00:14:13,080 ongoing struggle that is sometimes referred to as the culture war. 152 00:14:13,080 –> 00:14:17,080 And in this war there are apparently two groups of people. 153 00:14:17,080 –> 00:14:21,159 One group of people deeply convinced that God is the creator 154 00:14:21,159 –> 00:14:25,719 and therefore the owner of all things, that he has given a moral law to which 155 00:14:25,719 –> 00:14:29,640 we are all accountable, and that our ultimate good is found in 156 00:14:29,640 –> 00:14:34,280 following that law. The other group of people are equally 157 00:14:34,280 –> 00:14:40,520 convinced that God is a creation. A creation of religion and culture. 158 00:14:40,520 –> 00:14:46,119 That all of this godtalk is basically a product of our own psyche and history. 159 00:14:46,119 –> 00:14:49,159 That all moral laws are therefore relative. That they’re merely human 160 00:14:49,159 –> 00:14:53,159 constructions and therefore subject to change with time and culture. 161 00:14:53,159 –> 00:14:56,840 That our ultimate good therefore is found in following the impulses in the 162 00:14:56,840 –> 00:15:01,799 desires of our own heart and validating them in the course of law. 163 00:15:01,799 –> 00:15:07,000 So here you have two convictions that are in fundamental conflict. 164 00:15:07,000 –> 00:15:16,280 One says he’s God and I’m not. And the other says I’m God and he’s not. 165 00:15:16,280 –> 00:15:22,119 So we find ourselves in a culture war and we need to know how we should behave 166 00:15:22,119 –> 00:15:25,479 towards those who are our enemies. 167 00:15:26,119 –> 00:15:29,559 And it’s true at a personal level if you boil it down and think about it in 168 00:15:29,559 –> 00:15:32,440 another way. Jesus is making it clear that none of us 169 00:15:32,440 –> 00:15:36,039 at a personal level are going to get through life in this world 170 00:15:36,039 –> 00:15:40,200 without coming up against some people who oppose you and make life downright 171 00:15:40,200 –> 00:15:43,880 difficult for you. The person who simply sours the 172 00:15:44,039 –> 00:15:47,799 atmosphere at the office. The relative who you wish would not 173 00:15:47,799 –> 00:15:51,479 come at thanksgiving because they’re so rude. They’re so embarrassing and it’s 174 00:15:51,479 –> 00:15:55,000 difficult for everybody. If only they wouldn’t come. 175 00:15:55,000 –> 00:16:00,200 The unscrupulous boss. The unresponsive spouse. 176 00:16:00,200 –> 00:16:04,119 The manipulating parent. The incorrigible child. 177 00:16:04,119 –> 00:16:08,359 The intimidating bully and the self- righteous customer 178 00:16:08,359 –> 00:16:11,799 who thinks that you have nothing else in the whole of your life to do 179 00:16:11,799 –> 00:16:16,679 but attend immediately to her or his immediate question. 180 00:16:16,679 –> 00:16:22,760 Now all of these people have a negative influence in your life. That’s 181 00:16:22,760 –> 00:16:26,599 the politically correct way to say it. More frankly they’re a right old 182 00:16:26,599 –> 00:16:30,520 pain in the neck. Right? 183 00:16:30,520 –> 00:16:34,840 Your life would be easier and happier without them. 184 00:16:34,840 –> 00:16:37,640 But they’re there. 185 00:16:37,880 –> 00:16:42,760 And when they’re gone there’ll be other difficult people will take their place. 186 00:16:42,760 –> 00:16:47,960 So whether our enemies are big or small, whether they are evil monsters or minor 187 00:16:47,960 –> 00:16:52,760 irritants, Jesus has something to say about how we’re to deal with them. 188 00:16:52,760 –> 00:16:58,119 And notice that he shows the way in which the 189 00:16:58,119 –> 00:17:02,599 enemies express themselves in three different ways. 190 00:17:02,599 –> 00:17:06,760 First of all, hating. An enemy is someone who 191 00:17:06,839 –> 00:17:12,520 hates either you or else hates what you stand for. 192 00:17:12,520 –> 00:17:17,239 And there’s no avoiding this. Jesus experienced it more than anyone else, 193 00:17:17,239 –> 00:17:21,079 and of course if you or I are followers of Jesus, we will experience it in some 194 00:17:21,079 –> 00:17:26,839 measure too. Jesus said everyone who does evil 195 00:17:26,839 –> 00:17:32,199 hates the light, hates the light, can’t stand it. 196 00:17:32,199 –> 00:17:37,160 And Jesus said to his disciples you’re the light of the world, 197 00:17:37,160 –> 00:17:41,160 so if in any degree you are associated with the name of the Lord Jesus Christ 198 00:17:41,160 –> 00:17:46,599 some people will hate you for it. They will hate what you stand for. 199 00:17:46,599 –> 00:17:49,560 And the idea that we’re all kind of morally neutral and 200 00:17:49,560 –> 00:17:52,760 and all of this kind of thing, and so much talk about tolerance 201 00:17:52,760 –> 00:17:59,239 masks the deep antipathy that those who do evil have towards the 202 00:17:59,239 –> 00:18:03,719 light of our Lord Jesus Christ. 203 00:18:03,719 –> 00:18:08,680 And Jesus makes it very clear. You’ll be hated. 204 00:18:08,680 –> 00:18:12,839 Secondly it will express itself in cursing. Jesus speaks about those who 205 00:18:12,839 –> 00:18:18,439 curse you. Now the word curse simply means to consign something to destruction 206 00:18:18,439 –> 00:18:23,479 and curses therefore are simply words that destroy. 207 00:18:23,479 –> 00:18:26,599 And actually they’re much more common than we sometimes think. We’re not 208 00:18:26,599 –> 00:18:29,400 talking here about casting spells or this kind of thing. 209 00:18:29,400 –> 00:18:33,640 We’re talking simply about words that destroy. 210 00:18:33,640 –> 00:18:37,000 The book of proverbs says that death and life 211 00:18:37,000 –> 00:18:42,119 are in the power of the tongue. Death is in the power of the tongue. 212 00:18:42,119 –> 00:18:46,359 And it may be that at some point in your life someone has said or will say 213 00:18:46,359 –> 00:18:49,959 something that will go to the core of your being and tear you up. 214 00:18:49,959 –> 00:18:53,959 They will be death words they’ll be killing words. 215 00:18:53,959 –> 00:19:03,239 You’ll never be any use. You’re useless you’re just not worth it. 216 00:19:03,239 –> 00:19:10,280 It’s a curse of words. They destroy something within 217 00:19:10,280 –> 00:19:15,959 and be people who speak to you like that. They’ll cause you deep pain. 218 00:19:16,280 –> 00:19:21,479 Thirdly mistreatment. Notice how Jesus speaks of those who mistreat you. 219 00:19:21,479 –> 00:19:25,160 See, if you start out with the assumption that everybody in life 220 00:19:25,160 –> 00:19:29,239 will treat you well you’ll be bitterly disappointed. 221 00:19:29,239 –> 00:19:33,319 The history of the world is strewn with the stories of how we mistreat one 222 00:19:33,319 –> 00:19:35,640 another. 223 00:19:35,719 –> 00:19:40,599 Parents mistreating children. Children mistreating parents. 224 00:19:40,599 –> 00:19:45,800 Employers mistreating employees. Employees mistreating employers. 225 00:19:45,800 –> 00:19:51,719 Teachers mistreating students. Students mistreating teachers. 226 00:19:51,719 –> 00:19:55,800 Churches mistreating pastors. Pastors mistreating churches. 227 00:19:55,800 –> 00:20:00,439 The litany goes on and on in any sphere of life. 228 00:20:01,239 –> 00:20:06,439 So, the assumption Jesus makes clear here 229 00:20:06,439 –> 00:20:13,640 in this world you will have enemies. Some people will hate you. If you stand 230 00:20:13,640 –> 00:20:18,760 for anything, this will be the case. If you identify with Jesus, it is 231 00:20:18,760 –> 00:20:22,520 unavoidable. Some people will mistreat you and some 232 00:20:22,520 –> 00:20:26,439 will speak words that are aimed to destroy you 233 00:20:26,439 –> 00:20:30,760 and tear you up in the very depth of your being. 234 00:20:30,760 –> 00:20:34,520 Now I wonder, do you share Jesus’s assumption? 235 00:20:34,520 –> 00:20:37,640 He says teaching of Jesus comes out of a whole 236 00:20:37,640 –> 00:20:43,319 understanding of the world that the Bible as a whole makes clear to us. 237 00:20:43,719 –> 00:20:48,920 We live in a sorry world that is in the grip of sin 238 00:20:48,920 –> 00:20:53,719 and that grip shows itself in all kinds of hatred, cursing and mistreatment. 239 00:20:53,719 –> 00:20:58,920 Go to any counsellor’s office and you will find that it is true. 240 00:20:59,239 –> 00:21:03,800 The assumption Jesus makes. You see, if you start with a Christian understanding 241 00:21:03,800 –> 00:21:07,640 of the world you’ll immediately have light 242 00:21:07,640 –> 00:21:12,920 because you’ve started facing reality instead of living in some kind of cloud 243 00:21:12,920 –> 00:21:18,119 cuckoo land of wishful thinking of a world that does not exist here and now. 244 00:21:18,119 –> 00:21:23,479 Jesus speaks to this world, I need him to be my teacher. 245 00:21:23,640 –> 00:21:27,479 Notice secondly, the challenge that Jesus gives. 246 00:21:27,479 –> 00:21:31,079 Look at these words of jesus, but I tell you who hear 247 00:21:31,079 –> 00:21:38,520 me, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 248 00:21:38,520 –> 00:21:45,959 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 249 00:21:45,959 –> 00:21:50,119 Wow! You almost take a breath as you read it don’t you? 250 00:21:50,119 –> 00:21:55,719 I mean this is completely the opposite of anything that we would expect, 251 00:21:55,719 –> 00:22:01,160 it is completely different from what is taught in many other world religions, 252 00:22:01,160 –> 00:22:07,000 it is utterly radical and at first reading sounds completely impossible. 253 00:22:07,000 –> 00:22:10,839 After all if you are hated the natural thing 254 00:22:10,839 –> 00:22:18,359 is to hate. Look at that in gang world and you see it repeated 255 00:22:18,359 –> 00:22:22,199 again and again, generation after generation. 256 00:22:22,199 –> 00:22:27,000 If you have been deeply wounded by words 257 00:22:27,000 –> 00:22:35,079 the natural tendency is to become one whose words are deeply wounding. 258 00:22:35,160 –> 00:22:40,920 If you have been mistreated the most natural thing in the world is for 259 00:22:40,920 –> 00:22:45,000 you to replicate that mistreatment on someone else. 260 00:22:45,000 –> 00:22:48,520 Studies show this again and again. 261 00:22:48,680 –> 00:22:52,040 Whatever the seniors did to the freshmen, 262 00:22:52,040 –> 00:22:56,040 the freshmen when they become seniors will do 263 00:22:56,040 –> 00:23:02,119 four years later. It’s always been like that that’s how it is. 264 00:23:02,760 –> 00:23:07,000 But Jesus says to his disciples, now you who hear me, 265 00:23:07,000 –> 00:23:11,640 you who hear me, you are the ones who are to break the mold. That’s what he’s 266 00:23:11,640 –> 00:23:15,239 saying to us. 267 00:23:15,959 –> 00:23:18,920 Hatred and cursing and abuse that afflicts this world 268 00:23:18,920 –> 00:23:25,640 across the globe has to stop somewhere. And the place where it stops is with 269 00:23:25,640 –> 00:23:29,400 you who hear me. 270 00:23:29,959 –> 00:23:34,119 You cannot avoid suffering some of these evils, if you live in this world, Jesus is 271 00:23:34,119 –> 00:23:36,040 saying. But you do not need to be part of 272 00:23:36,040 –> 00:23:38,839 passing them on. 273 00:23:39,239 –> 00:23:45,239 The cycle can be broken in you. 274 00:23:45,560 –> 00:23:50,839 It really can, you who hear me. 275 00:23:51,239 –> 00:23:57,400 Now before we come briefly to what Jesus means here, let’s take a moment just to 276 00:23:57,400 –> 00:24:02,359 clarify what he does not mean, because as we come to these words of 277 00:24:02,359 –> 00:24:05,560 Jesus that challenge us we need to be very careful 278 00:24:05,560 –> 00:24:10,520 in our understanding of them that we do not make greatly inflated claims that 279 00:24:10,520 –> 00:24:14,760 are unbalanced to the whole of Scripture. So what does 280 00:24:14,760 –> 00:24:19,880 this not mean? We must never interpret the Bible 281 00:24:19,880 –> 00:24:24,680 in a way that places love in opposition to justice. 282 00:24:24,760 –> 00:24:28,680 You say, why? Well, because love and justice 283 00:24:28,680 –> 00:24:33,079 both find their perfect expression in God. 284 00:24:33,079 –> 00:24:40,520 God is as loving as he is just and he is as just as he is loving. 285 00:24:40,520 –> 00:24:45,400 Love and justice are not alternatives in God, 286 00:24:45,400 –> 00:24:49,800 and so they are not to be alternatives for us. 287 00:24:49,800 –> 00:24:54,839 The scripture speaks of this throughout the entire revelation. 288 00:24:54,839 –> 00:24:58,359 I will sing, says the psalmist, of your love 289 00:24:58,359 –> 00:25:01,800 and your justice. Notice that. Not just I’ll sing of your 290 00:25:01,800 –> 00:25:04,839 love. Love divine, all loves excelling. That’s 291 00:25:04,839 –> 00:25:07,959 very, very easy for us to do. But the psalmist says, I will 292 00:25:07,959 –> 00:25:12,839 sing of your justice. It’s every bit as important. 293 00:25:12,839 –> 00:25:17,239 The world has no model foundation without it. 294 00:25:17,239 –> 00:25:20,439 Righteousness and justice are the foundation 295 00:25:20,439 –> 00:25:23,560 of your throne, says the psalmist in Psalm 89 296 00:25:23,560 –> 00:25:28,760 and love and faithfulness go before you. You see these two things coming together, 297 00:25:28,760 –> 00:25:32,280 righteousness and justice, the very foundation of the throne of God 298 00:25:32,280 –> 00:25:36,040 and love and faithfulness go before him. These are not alternatives. 299 00:25:36,040 –> 00:25:41,719 They are perfect in God. And so it is not surprising that the 300 00:25:41,719 –> 00:25:44,280 fundamental calling of Christian believers 301 00:25:44,280 –> 00:25:50,400 is to pursue both. What does the Lord require of you, the prophet Micah says, 302 00:25:50,400 –> 00:25:57,800 to act justly and to love mercy. Not one or the other but 303 00:25:57,800 –> 00:26:02,760 both. To act justly and to love mercy. 304 00:26:02,760 –> 00:26:08,199 Not alternatives, partners, as they are in God and as they are 305 00:26:08,199 –> 00:26:11,959 therefore to be in us. So we are never to interpret any part of 306 00:26:11,959 –> 00:26:18,839 the scripture in such a way that puts love and justice in opposition to one another. 307 00:26:18,839 –> 00:26:23,160 They meet together in God. They kiss together in Christ and at the very 308 00:26:23,160 –> 00:26:31,400 center of his cross. They are to be found together in us. 309 00:26:31,400 –> 00:26:35,400 So, to give that a practical application for example, 310 00:26:35,400 –> 00:26:38,439 Don Carson says, I think very helpfully in his book, 311 00:26:38,439 –> 00:26:46,839 Love in Hard Places. Should we weep for Osama Bin Laden 312 00:26:46,839 –> 00:26:52,199 or hold him accountable for his genocide and prevent him from carrying 313 00:26:52,199 –> 00:26:57,319 out his violent intent on us? He comments, 314 00:26:57,319 –> 00:27:03,319 The right answer is yes. Yes. 315 00:27:03,319 –> 00:27:08,040 Should we weep for Osama Bin Laden? Yes. 316 00:27:08,199 –> 00:27:11,640 Should we hold him to account for his genocide and prevent him from carrying 317 00:27:11,640 –> 00:27:16,280 out his violent intent on us? Yes. 318 00:27:16,280 –> 00:27:18,680 So well why would we weep? 319 00:27:18,680 –> 00:27:25,959 Because the ultimate tragedy of a man made in the image of God 320 00:27:25,959 –> 00:27:29,000 who should end so completely in the grip of 321 00:27:29,000 –> 00:27:34,920 evil and of darkness, should make anyone who has an understanding of the 322 00:27:34,920 –> 00:27:38,439 glory of God and the awesomeness of hell 323 00:27:38,439 –> 00:27:41,479 to be moved to tears. 324 00:27:41,640 –> 00:27:46,199 Notice what Jesus says we are to do, not that love and justice are in some 325 00:27:46,199 –> 00:27:51,640 kind of competition with each other but notice what he says we are to do 326 00:27:51,640 –> 00:27:58,599 first of all in the area of deeds do good to those who hate you 327 00:27:58,599 –> 00:28:03,560 now you see when someone hates the natural instinct of course 328 00:28:03,560 –> 00:28:07,079 is that we feel hatred back in return but 329 00:28:07,079 –> 00:28:14,040 but Jesus says don’t go there in your pursuit of justice 330 00:28:14,040 –> 00:28:20,680 do good to those who hate you now you see very practically that is 331 00:28:20,680 –> 00:28:24,599 why we all feel revulsion 332 00:28:24,599 –> 00:28:29,560 at the pictures of British and American soldiers 333 00:28:29,560 –> 00:28:35,880 abusing iraqi prisoners of war we feel revulsion because we know from 334 00:28:35,880 –> 00:28:39,640 the teaching of Jesus that we are called to something better 335 00:28:39,640 –> 00:28:43,640 than that we thank god that the vast vast vast 336 00:28:43,640 –> 00:28:48,599 majority of our people who represent us so wonderfully do 337 00:28:48,599 –> 00:28:52,920 something better than that but we rightly feel a sense of 338 00:28:53,560 –> 00:28:57,479 whenever in any degree there is a breaking from that calling 339 00:28:57,479 –> 00:29:02,199 why because we’re to do good 340 00:29:02,199 –> 00:29:07,239 to those who hate even if they’re in our power 341 00:29:07,239 –> 00:29:12,680 as prisoners of war and when it comes to our words jesus says 342 00:29:12,680 –> 00:29:17,959 bless those who curse you so when someone has been spiteful or 343 00:29:17,959 –> 00:29:22,439 cruel or abusive in language about the things that you hold 344 00:29:22,439 –> 00:29:25,719 sacred you feel a deep impulse to speak back 345 00:29:25,719 –> 00:29:30,280 words that will destroy others jesus says don’t go there 346 00:29:30,280 –> 00:29:34,040 choose words that will bless you have something better to say 347 00:29:34,040 –> 00:29:39,479 than to indulge in abusive speech so that’s why i’m simply trying to be 348 00:29:39,479 –> 00:29:42,760 very frank and immediate in these applications 349 00:29:42,760 –> 00:29:49,640 that is why it is so counterproductive. For people to protest against the gay 350 00:29:49,640 –> 00:29:55,640 agenda with banners that say things like god hates fags. 351 00:29:55,640 –> 00:29:59,079 Oh boy we we are in a conflict where we need to speak 352 00:29:59,079 –> 00:30:03,079 about how the gay agenda is against the whole revelation of God. 353 00:30:03,079 –> 00:30:06,520 We need to speak clearly about that but not in this way 354 00:30:06,520 –> 00:30:14,599 Not in this way. So what that does is it causes secularists to say ah that’s 355 00:30:14,599 –> 00:30:19,160 the spirit of Christians and how would such a 356 00:30:19,160 –> 00:30:23,000 person ever then be drawn to Christ. 357 00:30:23,479 –> 00:30:28,839 Bless those who curse you. We have something better that we are given 358 00:30:28,839 –> 00:30:33,880 by God to say into this debate than that. 359 00:30:34,760 –> 00:30:42,199 Thirdly, our prayers. Pray for those who mistreat you. 360 00:30:42,199 –> 00:30:46,839 If somebody has mistreated you, you feel a powerful impulse to mistreat somebody 361 00:30:46,839 –> 00:30:49,319 else. Jesus says don’t go there. It can break 362 00:30:49,319 –> 00:30:55,319 with you. Instead, pray. Pray for those who 363 00:30:55,319 –> 00:31:00,439 mistreat you. And say well how are we to do this? 364 00:31:00,839 –> 00:31:06,520 This is godlike. Yes it is. When we experience hatred and cursing, 365 00:31:06,520 –> 00:31:09,000 and when we are mistreated, we naturally feel 366 00:31:09,000 –> 00:31:15,479 outrage. We feel anger. We feel revulsion. How can we overcome that? 367 00:31:16,359 –> 00:31:21,239 Here’s a couple of things very simply. Number one, identify the enemy. 368 00:31:21,239 –> 00:31:24,680 See, remember the teaching of the apostle Paul that our struggle is not against 369 00:31:24,680 –> 00:31:28,359 flesh and blood, but it’s against spiritual forces of 370 00:31:28,359 –> 00:31:33,400 evil in the heavenly realms, and in any war you find yourself in 371 00:31:33,400 –> 00:31:38,280 conflict with people who have been caught up in the power of evil that you 372 00:31:38,280 –> 00:31:42,920 seek to overcome. And it is the evil that you are seeking 373 00:31:42,920 –> 00:31:46,439 to overcome, not the person. The desire for the person is that they 374 00:31:46,439 –> 00:31:51,000 should be redeemed. The person who showed such hatred to you 375 00:31:51,000 –> 00:31:53,640 is not the enemy. The person who wounded you with these words 376 00:31:53,640 –> 00:31:59,160 is not the enemy. The enemy is the one who led them to do this. 377 00:31:59,959 –> 00:32:05,560 So, recognize the problem, secondly. What is behind hateful words? What is the 378 00:32:05,560 –> 00:32:09,800 source of hatred? What has led to the terrible, terrible 379 00:32:09,800 –> 00:32:14,359 mistreatment that goes on in our world? And the answer is it is the 380 00:32:14,359 –> 00:32:19,079 awful, revolting, destructive, cruel 381 00:32:19,079 –> 00:32:26,199 power of sin. And unless a person who’s been caught in 382 00:32:26,199 –> 00:32:29,959 that comes to radical repentance, and casts themselves 383 00:32:29,959 –> 00:32:33,479 upon the mercy of God and becomes a new person in the grace of 384 00:32:33,479 –> 00:32:37,959 the Lord Jesus Christ, that awful power is going to lead them 385 00:32:37,959 –> 00:32:43,719 to hell. Every person born into this world 386 00:32:43,719 –> 00:32:49,959 has been made in the image of god, and there is no greater tragedy than 387 00:32:49,959 –> 00:32:52,599 that a person made in the image of god should 388 00:32:52,599 –> 00:32:58,680 end up in the grip of evil that would take them there. 389 00:32:59,239 –> 00:33:03,079 And you know in as much as I can begin to see that 390 00:33:03,079 –> 00:33:07,400 through and beyond the wounds of my life, 391 00:33:07,560 –> 00:33:11,880 something of the compassion of Jesus 392 00:33:11,880 –> 00:33:16,040 will be born in this heart, and even the desire 393 00:33:16,040 –> 00:33:24,839 to pray for the saving mercy of god may become something that dawns 394 00:33:24,920 –> 00:33:30,599 on a horizon where I once thought such a thing 395 00:33:30,599 –> 00:33:33,640 to be impossible, 396 00:33:34,040 –> 00:33:37,880 the last thing is this trust in the justice of God, 397 00:33:37,880 –> 00:33:40,920 you know one of the reasons that we often find it hard to show mercy is 398 00:33:40,920 –> 00:33:44,839 that we fear there may not be ultimate justice, 399 00:33:44,839 –> 00:33:47,959 and if God’s not going to do justice well I guess we’ve got to sort it all 400 00:33:47,959 –> 00:33:52,920 out ourselves, but God will do justice, and you can trust that. 401 00:33:52,920 –> 00:33:56,040 Every sin that has ever been committed will either 402 00:33:56,040 –> 00:34:02,040 ultimately come under the blood of Jesus, or it will be destroyed in hell. 403 00:34:02,359 –> 00:34:07,959 Think of that and perhaps you will find a growing ability to pray for some who 404 00:34:07,959 –> 00:34:12,439 have mistreated you, to seek blessing on those who’ve spoken 405 00:34:12,439 –> 00:34:18,040 such cruel words against you, and do good 406 00:34:18,040 –> 00:34:22,760 even to those who hate you, it is finally the outcome that Jesus promises, 407 00:34:22,760 –> 00:34:25,959 verse 35, love your enemies he says then your reward 408 00:34:25,959 –> 00:34:30,679 will be great and you will be sons of the most high 409 00:34:30,679 –> 00:34:35,080 because he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 410 00:34:35,080 –> 00:34:38,040 Now when Jesus talks about the reward, he’s obviously talking first about the 411 00:34:38,040 –> 00:34:41,239 reward in heaven. But surely even in this life there is a 412 00:34:41,239 –> 00:34:46,840 wonderful reward in these things for as long as we repay like for like, 413 00:34:46,840 –> 00:34:50,840 eye for ye, tooth for tooth, we remain under the power 414 00:34:50,919 –> 00:34:55,239 of wounds that others have inflicted. I’m acting out of response 415 00:34:55,239 –> 00:35:00,760 to what another person did to me. And that means I’m still under the power 416 00:35:00,760 –> 00:35:05,639 of it. And none of us wants to be there. 417 00:35:05,639 –> 00:35:09,879 But Jesus through his grace and mercy opens up this marvelous possibility, 418 00:35:09,879 –> 00:35:13,879 someone has mistreated you, someone has spoken destructive words into your life, 419 00:35:13,879 –> 00:35:19,479 you do not need to be bound by that evil for the rest of your days. 420 00:35:19,479 –> 00:35:23,800 You do not need to live the rest of your life playing out the consequences of 421 00:35:23,800 –> 00:35:29,080 what some other person did. That’s freedom! 422 00:35:30,120 –> 00:35:34,520 The path to freedom begins right here. 423 00:35:35,000 –> 00:35:40,760 Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. 424 00:35:40,760 –> 00:35:45,080 And says Jesus you will then be sons of the Most High, why? Because you reflect 425 00:35:45,080 –> 00:35:48,679 the very character of God. What does God do when people hate him 426 00:35:48,679 –> 00:35:52,600 and when people curse him he continues to cause the sun to rise over them. 427 00:35:52,600 –> 00:35:57,719 He sends the rain upon their crops, he causes them to have food. 428 00:35:57,719 –> 00:36:01,080 God does not deal with us as we deserve. The God of 429 00:36:01,080 –> 00:36:10,600 justice creates room for mercy and in this life he continues to do good 430 00:36:10,600 –> 00:36:15,639 to those who do evil the marvelous thing about being a Christian you know is that 431 00:36:15,800 –> 00:36:21,239 we become sons and daughters of God that means that 432 00:36:21,239 –> 00:36:23,959 the very Spirit of God, the very nature of God 433 00:36:23,959 –> 00:36:30,520 comes to live within us and where the Spirit of God comes there 434 00:36:30,520 –> 00:36:33,800 will be some reflection of the character of God 435 00:36:33,800 –> 00:36:40,120 making possible what otherwise would be impossible for me or for you 436 00:36:40,120 –> 00:36:46,360 and Jesus says this is what it looks like of your enemies 437 00:36:46,360 –> 00:36:49,239 do good to them 438 00:36:49,399 –> 00:36:56,439 and you will be sons of the Most High and your reward will be 439 00:36:56,439 –> 00:37:01,800 great let’s pray together. Lord we try and stand back from our own 440 00:37:01,800 –> 00:37:06,600 immediate circumstances and we see that the world 441 00:37:06,600 –> 00:37:09,959 needs this more than anything else 442 00:37:10,560 –> 00:37:15,719 today we can’t change the world 443 00:37:16,199 –> 00:37:23,080 but each of us can respond in faith and in obedience 444 00:37:23,800 –> 00:37:28,199 to your word within the sphere of the difficulties and wounds of our own 445 00:37:28,199 –> 00:37:30,600 lives 446 00:37:31,639 –> 00:37:35,879 we can see something of the glory of it. We’re forever and eternally grateful for 447 00:37:35,879 –> 00:37:39,879 it as you have shown this to us 448 00:37:40,360 –> 00:37:43,560 and in all the pain and in all the complexity and in all the 449 00:37:43,560 –> 00:37:49,479 ongoing difficulties of living in a world such as this 450 00:37:49,479 –> 00:37:54,040 we pray that we may not be reproducers of pain 451 00:37:54,600 –> 00:37:59,719 but rather that in your mercy and in your grace as those who hear your voice 452 00:37:59,719 –> 00:38:06,040 though it costs us greatly be those who stand with Jesus 453 00:38:06,040 –> 00:38:14,760 bringing life, bringing healing, bringing grace, bringing truth 454 00:38:14,760 –> 00:38:20,840 into the lives of others we bow before you our teacher 455 00:38:20,840 –> 00:38:28,840 our lord and mercifully our savior in Jesus’ name. 456 00:38:28,879 –> 00:38:32,439 Amen.