Peace Through Fogiving Your Enemies

Peace in Forgiving your Enemies Matthew 38-48

38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies^[c] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

This is part of the 'Sermon on the Mount'. As Lee Stroble says it, Jesus is making one outrageous statement after another. I don't know about you, but I have heard some very self-righteous people cite “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” and declare that this is the concept that God wants us all to follow. Now Jesus is going to turn that thinking upside-down.

Read 39-42

Now the first part of this statement makes me stagger a bit, but the rest of these but the rest of these statements simply blow me away.

The only person I ever have let anyone hit me was my cousin Lynn Wasnich. We both loved to box and we both had a set of boxing gloves. The only trouble was that when he came to my house or I went to his house we each would forget to bring the other set of gloves. So, we would go to the basement of the house where our parents couldn't see us and we would trade head hits. We would never swing for the nose of the other person so we never broke our noses of caused severe bleeding.

I have had some people get mad at me and take a swing at my cheek. However, I simply ducked and avoided the contact. Had they met the mark they were aiming for I would have had to dig deep inside for the kind of fortitude it would have taken to turn the other cheek. I am not sure at all that I could have gathered myself, turned my head and said, “okay, now this side.”

The fact is, in my humanness, I find this instruction very difficult to obey. Yet, in the Spirit of God I have found myself being used and wounded by some people who I reach out in love to, over and over again. Yeah! That is turning the other cheek too!

Read 43 Here it comes!

Read 44-45 Here comes the reason...

Read 46-48

So, here is the whole thing in a few words:

God wants us to forgive our enemies, but it is not enough to just say that we forgive them.

God wants us to love our enemies, and it involves more than simply shaking hands, hugging, or kissing and making up like Mom and Dad used to make us kids do when we had a misunderstanding or one or both were just plain selfish.

It involves care and concern that moves us to think of our enemies in a different way than we ever did before. If we really love our enemies we will pray for their eternal welfare. If we really love our enemies we will strive to reach out to them in friendship and love.

An enemy that receives Jesus Christ as their Savior will not only treat us differently. They will be different. The will be our brothers and sisters in Christ.

You could have peace by forgiving your enemies.

The Paradgm Shift:Changing Your Thinking

The Paradigm Shift: Changing Your Thinking Philippians 4:4-9

The wisest man, other than Jesus, to ever walk on the earth once said, “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.”

So, how do you think?

Norman Vincent Peale, made the term 'positive thinking' popular back in the late 60s with his talks, sermons and book “The Power of Positive Thinking”.

Dr. John Maxwell spoke of several ways of thinking to address the issues of life in the books he has written.

I was encouraged to read “Psycho Cybernetics” written by Maxwell Maltz about twenty years ago. It expresses that there is potential inside us that can only be brought to the surface by changing our thinking.

In the Bible passage of Philippians 4, the apostle Paul urges us to do something to alter our thinking.

Besides this, there is overwhelming support that we as believers in Christ need to stay on top of our thought proses and control our way of thinking and what we think about.

After all, prior to the first murder committed, Cain was warned by God to get control of his bad mood. God said to Cain, “

Why are you angry and why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do what is not right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.

Stop and think about it! God would never of instructed Cain or required from me and you what we could not deliver. As we grow in Christ, we also need to change our thinking to think like God thinks so that we will exhibit and show that we have the mind of Christ.

Philippians 4:4-9

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

5Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

6Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

9Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

1. Rejoice always, Amid every circumstance there are blessings of God to observe.

2. Let everyone see your moderation. Don't be greedy, God is watching.

3. Be careful for nothing. Understand that God will provide all of our needs if we are doing His will.

4. Think about the truth. God's Word is truth. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth (John 17:17).

5. Think about honest things.

6. Think about pure things.

7. Think about lovely things.

8. Think about good reports (and don't make good reports into bad reports just because it's not what you wanted.

9. Think about virtuous things (good things).

10. Think about the praises and be thankful, not grumpy.

11. Think about the good lessons you have learned form teachers who have exhibited those lessons in your presence.

12. Think about how no matter where you are and no matter what you are doing God is with you and God is for you.

    Do you need to change some facet, some part of your thinking?

    That begins when you accept the offer of eternal life from God through His Son Jesus.

    The price has already been paid by Him on the cross of Calvary.

    Perhaps your a believer already but you've gotten trapped into some bad thinking trends where you are looking more on the negative side than the positive side of life.

    You can make a new start today if you really want to.

What's Holding You Back?

Luke 9:57-62

As I was doing some research for this morning’s message I ran across a few statistics I thought I would just throw out to you this morning, plus this is a good lead in for the title of the message. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration one person dies in a fatal crash every 13 minutes; 114 people die every day; 40,000 people die every year. Seventy-five percent of all serious motor vehicle accidents occur within 25 miles of a person’s home. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, raising seat belt usage rates by 5 percent would save 40 lives every year. Raising the rate by 10 percent would save 82 lives. Between May 24 and June 6 of this year the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ran a safety campaign called “Click It or Ticket.” The Ohio Department of Public Safety, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Governor’s Highway Safety Office called their part of the campaign “What’s Holding You Back?” And this morning I would like to ask you the same question “What’s Holding You Back?” What is keeping you from serving the Lord, what is keeping you from having a closer walk with God, what is it that is keeping you from turning your life over to Him, what is keeping you from being what He wants you to be? This morning I am going to address some things that hold us back.

I have found that lately when I preach I am preaching also at myself so I am going to go ahead and get to stepping on my own toes now instead of waiting till latter. When God first called me to preach I made up all kinds of excuses and I let me hold myself back. The first thing that holds us back is ourselves. It is so easy to put “self” first before God. God should always be first on our list of priorities our will should be to do His will. Some people get so hung up on the issue of Gods will and they think that it is something that they have to do when it should be something they want to do. God is a gentleman He does not force Himself on someone He created us with free will and we can choose to serve Him or not. I choose to make His will my will. So is there something that you don’t want to hand over to God right now is there something in your own life that is holding you back keeping you from being where God wants you to be or who God wants you to be?

The second thing that holds us back is others. There are many different “others” that can hold us back I am only going to address a few of them right now. I think that most people would agree that peer pressure is probably the main source of influence when we are talking about others. I used to be worried what other people would think of me if they knew I was a Christian. I found encouragement in Matthew 10:22 it reads “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Then after reading Luke 9:26 I realized that I should not be ashamed to be a Christian and that I should not hide who I am. Luke 9:26 reads “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” We should not let what other people think of us get in our way. Our friends, family, and coworkers can also hold us back. Our relationship with other people should not come before our relationship with God. What is holding you back from having a closer walk with God?

The third thing that holds us back is our feelings. This topic is kind of a loaded one and I am not going to go in to great detail with it or we could be here awhile. If we are not careful our feelings can really hold us back. Our walk with God should be one of faith and not of feelings. Our emotions can try to control us but our faith can keep them in check. Fear is a powerful and sometime crippling emotion that we have to deal with. When I was a child I was afraid of almost everything I think. The dark, fog, noises at night, being alone, heights, ghosts, aliens, and just about anything else there could be to be afraid of. Since I have been a Christian I have realized that some of those things I was afraid of did not even exist and that there was no reason for me to feel that way. As I matured as a Christian I found the best way for me to overcome fear was with John 16:33 it reads, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” This verse got me through many bad and sometime scary situations. Another feeling that can hold us back is reluctance or being unwilling to do the things that God wants us to do. When people begin to lack motivation that is a very sad and scary situation to be in. I know I speak from experience. By all rights I should be on a diet right now but for some reason I lack any and all motivation to actually do it. I can name off several reasons why I should be and they are actually really good reason but I just can’t get myself motivated to do it. Whenever there is a lack of motivation to do anything it can be really hard to get it back. It is sad to churches that have people come and sit through worship like it is their duty and then not be willing to serve in any capacity whatsoever. We should be willing to serve God because we want to not because we feel like we have to. When we start doing things because we feel like we have to they become a duty and no longer do we enjoy it. In the interest of time I am only going to look at one more feeling. I believe that this feeling actually ties together all of our previous topics. The feeling of being comfortable or content can hold us back and keep us from being what God wants us to be. Most of us would never think that being content would be bad or that being comfortable would be a problem. When we get comfortable with the way things are and become unwilling to change it becomes very difficult to accomplish anything, I would go as far to say that comfort can kill almost all motivation except the motivation to stay comfortable. Lets return to my example of my lack of motivation to diet. I have become comfortable with the fact that I am overweight and thus I have not motivation to change. Please pray for me that I will no longer be content with my weight. It has been said that when the pain of change is less than the pain to not change, then change will occur. One last point I want to make on being content is that of concern for the lost. There are people that out there that with out Jesus they will suffer an eternity in hell and never know what it means to have peace in their lives. I don’t know why or how but it seems that more and more Christians today are becoming content actually down right comfortable knowing that their friends and family are going to hell unless then know Jesus. I can remember when this alter used to be lined on Sunday mornings with people crying out to God for their lost friends and family hoping that they would turn to Jesus before it was too late. I am just as guilty as the next guy for not being as concerned as I used to be but I want to stand here today and tell you that I have a burden on my heart for my friends that do not know Jesus.

I want to review three things that can hold us back. Others, our feelings, and ourselves can all hold us back from becoming what God would have us to be. If there is something in our lives that holds us back it will fit into one of these categories or maybe even all three like my example of being content. I began this morning talking about why we should buckle up. Now I am going to finish by asking you to unbuckle. We should be wearing our seatbelts and removing our spiritual restraints. So let me ask, “What’s Holding You Back?”

The Purpose of Darkness and Light

Purposes of Darkness and Light
This week, while I was working out, I struck up a conversation with one of the trainers, who also is a professional wrestler. I ‘m not sure just how we got into the conversation, but at one point he stated he prefers being the bad guy. He sees this role as being needed to facilitate making the good guys look better.
I told him that the way he portrays himself in the ring is a prime example of evil and good, darkness and light, and godlessness and godliness in the world.
Where light shines it exposes sin and wherever the darkness is the greatest it makes the light more evident.
John 1:3-5 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood
it.
When did it all start and what is the source of light and darkness?
Genesis 1:1-5 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was
formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
2 Samuel 22:29 You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light.
Psalm 104:2 He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent.
Job 38:19 "What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside?
1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
1 Timothy 6:15-16 ...—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
What is the function of light and darkness?
Darkness represents death and sin while light gives evidence of all qualities of death and sin as well as light and godliness.
Job 34:22 There is no dark place, no deep shadow, where evildoers can hide.
2 Peter 1:19-21 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 4:6 Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.
19:8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
56:13 For you have delivered me
from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.
76:4
You are resplendent with light, more majestic than mountains rich with game.
119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
119:130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
Isaiah 9:2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned. (Also Matthew 4:16)
49:6 he says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."

What should we do?
Isaiah 2:5 Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD.
Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"
made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all
sin.
Where do you reside?
John 3:19-21 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
Where do you have fellowship?
2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
What do your actions tell about you?
Ephesians 5:8-14 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
Are you living like chosen people?
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
What is the evidence of the absence of light in our lives?
1 John 2:9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.
2 Corinthians 11:13-14 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
What is the finality of life lived in darkness?
Revelation 20:12-15 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
What is the finality of life lived in the light?
Revelation 21:23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.

Conclusion:
Where do you want to end up at the end of life.
Where you walk and how you walk will make a difference.
If you have not received the pardon for sin that was paid by Jesus Christ our LORD, you are still walking in the darkness. You can accept your pardon today and start walking in the light of the glory of God.