The Gospel Meddles, Part 3.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Alright, go ahead and have a seat. [0:02] Welcome to Village Church. [0:03] If this is your first time here, my name is Steve, I’m one of the pastors here at Village [0:06] Church and as always I’m thankful and grateful to see each and every one of you. [0:11] If you have your Bibles, go ahead and turn them to Romans chapter 12. [0:15] By God’s grace we will finish chapter 12 today and move on into chapter 13 next Sunday morning.

[0:22] But really what’s been going on for the past three weeks is that we’ve been going through [0:27] one of the most applicable, just practical sections of the book of Romans that deals [0:34] with how we view our lives and then what we do in the every day of actually living in [0:42] a world in which we have faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ that Jesus will return and [0:48] install his kingdom, but really how we are to view ourselves and act in a world in which [0:55] we haven’t experienced that yet, where we are hopeful for what is to come but still

[0:59] experiencing a world that’s struggling under the curse of sin, that if we trust in Jesus [1:05] we will necessarily then give our lives over as sacrifices to live for Jesus. [1:14] And Paul writes, this is simply a reasonable decision made in light of who God is and who [1:21] we are. [1:22] Made in light of what Jesus has done, if he has redeemed us, if he has risen from the [1:27] dead, if he is the Lord of all, if he is saving us, if he is going to return and set his

[1:33] kingdom up, then the only logical decision that I can make is that I will give everything [1:40] that I have over to him and obey him in every way that he has called me to obey him, seek [1:46] him through all that I have and receive the promises of God into my life. [1:51] That if I sacrifice for him, he will then give me the life that he and he alone has. [1:58] The rest of the chapter specifically where we’re going to be today flows from what Paul [2:03] said directly after he called us to be transformed by the gospel and not conformed to the image

[2:10] of this world. [2:11] He told us, he said, don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought to think. [2:17] And he says, use sober judgment. [2:21] As I love the way that Romans 12 does not call us to do anything that’s outside of [2:30] really what should just be true if you have faith. [2:34] He doesn’t say you have to be a superstar.

[2:37] He doesn’t say that you have to do things that are outside of your ability. [2:41] He doesn’t say that you have to now understand everything that there is to know about God, [2:47] everything that there is to know about Christianity, everything that there is to know about everything [2:51] that God has ever done or will ever do. [2:54] First he says, you need to give your life over because that’s the logical thing to [2:57] do.

[2:58] That’s what he means when he says your spiritual worship just literally means your reasonable [3:02] activity. [3:04] And here he says, use sober judgment. [3:07] In other words, just think clearly. [3:10] And so if you can be reasonable and think clearly, you can obey God. [3:17] Now I know those are going to be a struggle for some of us.

[3:22] But by and large I don’t think God is calling us to a sacrifice that’s too great. [3:28] He’s saying, if it’s true, well then live in light of that truth. [3:32] That’s what you ought to do. [3:34] And he says, this truth is that the things that you are able to do in your life, the [3:39] giftings that you have, if God’s the Lord of all, then He’s given you those giftings [3:44] and they are not to build yourself.

[3:50] They are to build His church, the body of Christ. [3:54] That’s what Romans 12 tells us. [3:56] And it’s all of this is in the context then of building the body of Christ. [4:00] I exist for the purposes of God above absolutely everything else. [4:06] Everything that I do must flow out of this foundational ethic. [4:12] And it then defines what genuine love is and how it finds its source in trusting the gospel

[4:18] of Jesus, serving the Lord, and living a life of hospitality towards others for the hope [4:25] that I’ve found in the gospel. [4:28] If you believe that the gospel is true. [4:33] And so, what we’re going to do today and what really started last week and the week before [4:38] that, that’s why I’m calling these part one, two, and three, is because they kind of flow [4:42] together into just how the gospel really interacts with the everyday, is that I want you to understand

[4:49] that faith in Jesus engages everyday life with the gospel. [4:55] So if you’re here and you’re a believer, or if you’re here and you’re not a believer, [4:59] maybe you’re just checking the faith in Jesus out, or maybe you’re here because someone’s [5:03] making you be here against your will, whatever the case may be, here’s what I want you to [5:09] understand. [5:09] The gospel does not retreat away from the realities of everyday life, nor does the gospel

[5:16] ask you to deny the realities of everyday life. [5:21] It doesn’t say, oh, that’s not really happening. [5:24] This is a spiritual experience that you’re going through. [5:27] So the strife of everyday, the pain of everyday, just pretend it’s not happening. [5:32] Think positively. [5:33] No, the gospel engages real life.

[5:37] It engages that which is pleasant, and it engages, especially, I want you to see, that [5:43] which is unpleasant. [5:45] It engages pain. [5:47] The gospel doesn’t call us to deny it. [5:49] So what we’re doing is we’re not denying reality. [5:53] What I want to do is I actually want to engage it.

[5:56] And verses 14 through 21 this morning, I hope you see, will continue to meddle with how [6:01] you view life. [6:03] And it’s really going to meddle with one of the most complex and complicated parts of [6:08] life that you’re going to have. [6:10] Frankly, dealing with people you don’t like, dealing with people that you’re scared of, [6:16] dealing with people who are diametrically opposed to you, what you believe, what you

[6:26] think, what you’re aiming for in your life. [6:30] This goes beyond those that you would just simply label haters and move on. [6:35] This goes to people who are, in fact, labeled by Paul in this section as your enemies. [6:42] And then he goes on, he says, how do you care for others? [6:46] And then he finishes with really talking about what is your personal responsibility in [6:52] living for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[6:54] He’s going to engage us in all three of those categories this morning. [6:58] So look in verse 14.

[7:02] He says, bless those who persecute you. [7:07] But I don’t want to.

[7:10] Still says it. [7:12] Bless and do not curse them.

[7:16] Rejoice with those who rejoice. [7:19] Weep with those who weep. [7:21] Live in harmony with one another. [7:23] And here he’s going to repeat. [7:25] Don’t think more highly of yourself because he needs to remind you. [7:28] Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowlier.

[7:32] Give yourself to humble works. [7:34] Never be wise in your own sight. [7:38] Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all, [7:43] if possible, so far as it depends on you. [7:47] And I love the qualifiers there. [7:50] Live peaceably with all.

[7:52] Beloved, never avenge yourselves. [7:56] Leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, vengeance is mine. [8:00] I will repay, says the Lord. [8:01] To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. [8:05] If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. [8:07] For by doing so, you will heap burning coals on his head.

[8:12] I like that part. [8:14] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. [8:19] Now, here’s where I want to caution us. [8:22] There are sometimes and some people and some thought processes where you’re going to [8:27] try to take this text to either the extreme of over application and trying to deny that [8:35] you even have an enemy.

[8:37] And this text is calling you to deny even the presence of an enemy. [8:41] They’re your frenemy. [8:42] They’re your best bud. [8:44] Or to the other extent where you excuse yourself by saying, but you don’t know my [8:49] present situation. [8:52] You don’t understand what I’m going through.

[8:53] I can’t bless those who persecute me. [8:56] And so what I want to do is I just want to just let’s leave all of that. [9:00] OK. [9:01] We’re not talking about whether or not you should shoot an intruder in your house. [9:06] We’re talking about real life situations, not the outliers. [9:11] I want to deal specifically with what the text is saying.

[9:16] And if you want to have a conversation about what it’s not saying, talk to me or someone [9:20] that actually wants to have that conversation later. [9:22] But number one, I want you to understand that there is a gospel ethic for dealing with [9:28] enemies. [9:29] There is a gospel ethic for dealing with enemies. [9:33] Loving others is the constant ethic throughout all of scripture.

[9:39] OK.

[9:41] Jesus told us that we’re going to have enemies. [9:45] And so here’s what I want to really inspire you with this morning. [9:49] Maybe you’ll walk away with a grin on your face. [9:51] You will have enemies.

[9:55] That’s the assumption that this text brings. [9:58] You will be persecuted by people. [10:01] That’s the assumption this text brings into our lives. [10:06] But here’s the other thing that it’s bringing in from the text from last week. [10:10] Genuine love extends to your enemies. [10:14] It is easy to love someone who’s on the same page as you are, is it not?

[10:18] Actually, that’s even tough.

[10:22] But it’s very hard to love someone who’s opposed to you. [10:27] It’s even harder to love someone who’s not just theoretically opposed to you, but [10:31] someone who’s actually doing you great harm. [10:34] Because that’s what persecution is. [10:37] It is hatred realized. [10:39] It is the enemy mobilized.

[10:43] So Paul isn’t dealing with the theoretical here. [10:45] Paul is actually saying there’s going to come those who will persecute you. [10:50] Bless them. [10:52] Don’t curse them. [10:54] This is difficult because sin causes us to instinctively hate those who are opposed [11:00] to us and everything that we stand for.

[11:03] It’s one thing to disagree with someone and not see the world the way that someone [11:09] else sees it. [11:10] But this is about direct opposition to everything that I am about and everything [11:15] that I am striving for. [11:16] That is who my enemy is. [11:18] But being a living sacrifice for Jesus means to love those who would even crucify you

[11:27] out of hatred. [11:29] See, that’s what Jesus taught us on the cross. [11:33] Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. [11:36] But in our lives, usually we live with, Father, forgive them once I am finished.

[11:45] See, this is not new. [11:47] There’s a thought that Jesus came and undid a lot of hate that the Old Testament let [11:51] flow. [11:52] But that’s not that’s simply not the case. [11:54] The gospel ethic of loving your enemy stems from the eternal nature of God. [12:00] You see, Paul’s statement here towards the end about feeding and giving them something

[12:05] to drink when they are thirsty actually comes from the Old Testament. [12:07] It’s from the Book of Proverbs, verse twenty excuse me, chapter twenty five. [12:11] It says, if your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat. [12:13] If he is thirsty, give him water to drink. [12:15] For you will heap burning coals on his head and the Lord will reward you. [12:19] We’ll get to that second part later.

[12:21] I love that part. [12:22] God desires for those who trust in him to show basic kindness to everyone, regardless [12:27] of how you feel about them or how they feel about you.

[12:32] He’s a two way street. [12:33] This isn’t just about how you feel about them. [12:35] This is about how they feel about you. [12:37] And God says, show basic kindness even if they hate you. [12:41] In this text, he says, especially if they hate you. [12:45] That’s what’s implied.

[12:47] Is your enemy is someone who’s doing you great harm and God says, show them basic [12:54] kindness. [12:55] And this is the type of love that God has always called his people towards. [13:00] But we have always struggled to apply to our lives in light of our need for justice, [13:06] which also flows from the nature of God. [13:10] So what gives if he’s a God of justice?

[13:15] How am I supposed to bless those who are persecuting me? [13:19] The issue between the two and the reason that we have a struggle with making both of [13:25] them coincide isn’t a problem with God. [13:27] It’s a problem with you and with me.

[13:31] It’s a problem with where I try to find justice. [13:34] It’s a problem with how I define justice. [13:37] And it’s a problem with my faith in God. [13:41] God is both loving and just. [13:43] He proves all of that in the gospel of Jesus Christ. [13:47] So I want you to understand that the gospel is the only source of real justice that you

[13:51] will ever find against your enemies. [13:54] It’s the only source of real justice that you will ever find against those who are [14:02] trying to hurt you. [14:04] So what I want you to really grasp, though, first of all, is that the designation of [14:10] your enemy doesn’t change. [14:13] There are some who would say, well, OK, then well, then we can’t have any enemies if

[14:17] this is true. [14:18] That’s not what the text says. [14:20] The text is not putting forward some type of acceptance or inclusion. [14:25] It’s not forming some new category of pluralism that compromises clear doctrine rather [14:31] than marginalize them as enemies. [14:32] No, the gospel here through the apostle Paul is calling an enemy an enemy.

[14:39] Saying they are your enemy. [14:40] That does not change. [14:43] And so those who specifically in this context who let’s deal with those who are opposed [14:48] to the gospel, those whom we would call the most marginalized away from Christianity [14:55] would be those who are persecuting you in light of your Christianity. [15:00] Their designation as enemies of the gospel doesn’t change.

[15:03] They still have that identity. [15:06] They are enemies of the gospel. [15:08] There’s a clear understanding of the separation of identity and the lines by which you [15:13] engage them. [15:15] See, God does not give us the option to change who they are. [15:19] God does not give us the option to change the truth of what they are doing.

[15:24] Instead, the spirit just tells us to be kind.

[15:28] All the while realizing that this is not your brother unless repentance takes place [15:34] on their part. [15:35] See, I think that’s why it’s so hard. [15:38] I think that’s why it’s so difficult. [15:40] See, we want to change the face of our enemy before we’re willing to love them. [15:45] And so if we can’t change the face of our enemy, what do we do?

[15:48] We change the boundary lines. [15:51] We change the definitions. [15:53] So we make our enemy our friend. [15:55] Well, if they’re opposed to me, then I’ve got to get rid of that which they’re opposed [15:59] to. [16:01] You see, God doesn’t give us that option.

[16:03] God wants us to look in the face of our enemy while realizing this person is opposed to [16:08] me. [16:09] This person is persecuting me. [16:11] This person is my enemy. [16:14] And you know what? [16:15] I need to engage my enemy with the love of Christ.

[16:18] I need to engage those who persecute me with basic kindness. [16:23] And I love how the examples that Paul gives. [16:26] He says, if they’re hungry, give them something to eat. [16:29] If they’re thirsty, give them something to drink. [16:33] Never compromising a bit of the truth. [16:36] Never compromising a bit of who God is or who they are or who you are.

[16:39] Never compromising your faith. [16:42] He says, love them. [16:43] That’s not very difficult unless you hate them.

[16:49] You see, then it’s impossible. [16:51] You see, the gospel is calling us to a revolutionary type of love where you actually [16:56] believe that the cross of Jesus Christ is the only place where your justice can actually [17:01] be found. [17:02] See, because that’s what it does. [17:04] It gives you real justice for real sin done against you in real circumstances.

[17:09] And your lack of willingness to forgive makes it impossible to love. [17:19] And so this is a question of how much do you believe the gospel? [17:23] Do you believe the gospel to the extent that you really believe that the things that [17:29] have been done against you, no matter when they were in your life, can you look at that [17:38] person and say, justice for the sins done against me has been had in the cross of Jesus [17:45] Christ. And I hope and pray that you will come to believe that so that repentance can

[17:53] take place. That’s the level that Paul is dealing with here, because there are probably [17:59] people in your lives that you don’t want to repent.

[18:03] You hope that they die in their sin and burn in hell forever. [18:08] And what Paul is saying is that belief is opposed to the gospel. [18:15] And you are not in that aspect of your life believing the gospel of Jesus Christ. [18:20] You are faithless. [18:23] And how far do you have to go in that scenario to where you don’t believe the gospel for [18:29] what it really is at all?

[18:31] See, because that’s compromising the gospel on this side. [18:35] It’s where you just refuse to forgive.

[18:38] You’re like Peter when he says, exactly how many times do I have to forgive? [18:44] Because after that 490th time, I can just kill them. [18:50] There’s a 491, I don’t want to forgive them because that’s what he said. [18:53] He said 70 times 7.

[18:58] Jesus gives him this exuberant number.

[19:04] He says, just keep forgiving.

[19:07] And that’s hard. [19:09] It’s hard. [19:11] It’s hard and it’s complicated. [19:14] And there’s tension involved. [19:16] It’s like, do I become a doormat? [19:17] Of course not.

[19:19] Do I just let people trample all over me? [19:20] Of course not. [19:21] Do I not put boundaries up in my life? [19:23] Well, it can’t mean that because there’s other places in the scriptures that tell us [19:26] don’t hang around fools.

[19:31] This is about engaging real life with a real brain that God has given you and loving [19:37] people even when they are not very lovely.

[19:42] There are so many times in my life when I am not lovely, and that’s when I need kindness [19:48] the most.

[19:51] You see, friend, the lie that you believe oftentimes is that you are always lovely, [19:57] that you always deserve love. [19:59] You don’t. [20:01] You’re nowhere near as great as you think you are. [20:04] Neither am I. [20:07] But what God wants us to do is engage the world with the same type of love and kindness

[20:10] and forgiveness that Jesus has engaged us with. [20:12] I mean, here’s what Jesus said in Matthew 5. [20:14] He said, you’ve heard it said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

[20:20] But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

[20:25] You see, the designation of the enemy doesn’t change, but how you feel about the enemy [20:30] must change. [20:31] See, when Jesus often says, you have heard it said, he’s referencing the Old Testament, [20:36] but Jesus isn’t referencing the Old Testament there with both of those statements. [20:40] Deuteronomy says over and over again to love your neighbor. [20:44] But not one place in the Old Testament does it say to hate your enemy.

[20:48] So what had happened? [20:50] What had happened to where Jesus has to correct them? [20:53] Well, a little bit of personal feeling had bled over into some teaching, had it not.

[20:58] That’s why they kept asking Jesus questions like, who is my neighbor? [21:03] Like, I need it defined. [21:04] And so what does Jesus pick? [21:05] He picks a guy like a Samaritan. [21:06] They all hated Samaritans. [21:09] You see, Jesus always engages that which is the most uncomfortable about me with what

[21:15] I’m supposed to do with love towards others. [21:18] You must love your enemy as your neighbor. [21:22] The concept of hating your enemy not found in the Old Testament ethic, because these [21:29] are people that we are seeking to make disciples of Jesus Christ. [21:33] Your feelings about them matter in that extent. [21:38] So what does your enemy need the most?

[21:40] Your enemy needs the gospel the most so that they can actually become your brother or [21:44] sister. But are you willing to extend that type of love to those whom you have deemed [21:51] unlovable? You say, of course I’ve deemed them unlovable. [21:53] Look at the things that they’ve done to me.

[21:57] Look at the things that they did to Jesus.

[22:00] Look at the things that you’ve done to Jesus. [22:03] Do you not continually hope that He will extend forgiveness and love to you?

[22:10] Then you are audacious to say that there is someone that you cannot forgive in this [22:16] life for something that they’ve done. [22:19] This isn’t about possible sin. [22:20] This is about real sin in a real world. [22:23] Number two, this morning, I want you to understand that there is a gospel ethic also [22:26] for caring for others.

[22:28] Evil is overcome by ordinary things done for extraordinary reasons. [22:33] That’s what Tim Keller writes. [22:34] Overcoming evil is only accomplished by living to serve the Lord and further the [22:39] gospel. What does that look like? [22:42] It looks like living based on the ethics of Romans chapter 12. [22:47] It isn’t caring for others with the love sourced in the gospel.

[22:50] It is not anything extraordinary. [22:53] It’s not have to be showing up at an event. [22:56] It does not have to be having a loud voice and culture about any specific issue. [23:02] It doesn’t have to be about those things. [23:05] I mean, look at how simple what he’s talking about is. [23:08] Look at the beginning of verse 15.

[23:09] He says, rejoice with those who rejoice. [23:12] That’s not complicated.

[23:16] I mean, I don’t even have to exegete that. [23:20] Weep with those who weep.

[23:23] Live in harmony with one another. [23:25] Don’t be haughty. [23:27] Associate with the lowly. [23:28] Never be wise in your own sight. [23:29] Repay no one evil for evil. [23:31] Give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all, if possible.

[23:34] So far as it depends on you. [23:36] Live peaceably with all. [23:38] Never avenge yourselves. [23:39] Leave it to the wrath of God.

[23:43] These are simple matters.

[23:45] This is everyday life. [23:48] This is when you wake up in the morning.

[23:52] And there’s somebody down there making coffee that you don’t like anymore.

[23:57] I mean, this is the real stuff of life.

[24:02] This is when you show up at work, two cubicles over. [24:05] Frank still stinks.

[24:11] Fraying and accounting still annoys you.

[24:16] If you’ve got a fraying and accounting, that is like a one in a million shot that I just gave. [24:21] So that’s got to be Holy Spirit providence just for you. [24:26] And so you’re like, was that for me? [24:28] Clearly. [24:29] Because I just made that up. [24:32] So that’s some Holy Spirit stuff right there if you’ve actually got the…

[24:34] And if it’s a Frank, two cubicles over that literally has B-O, wow. [24:40] You need to go just straight up preach to him tomorrow. [24:44] The Holy Spirit’s talking to you. [24:47] Oh, wow. [24:48] Some real Holy Spirit stuff right there.

[24:52] But see, oftentimes you’re looking for the Holy Spirit to be somewhere where you aren’t living real life.

[25:01] And when in the every day of life, the relationship with your husband, the relationship with your wife, the relationship with your children, the relationship with your friends, family, all of your coworkers, [25:13] people on the sports fields, people at the coffee shop, wherever it is that you’re going, here’s a gospel ethic. [25:22] This is the gospel of Jesus Christ at work, the Holy Spirit working through you. [25:28] And so when you’re looking for some extraordinary situation where you can finally put the gospel into practice, [25:35] what you’re doing is you’re trying to put handcuffs on God to not work in your real life. [25:39] Because maybe you don’t want him to work in your real life.

[25:42] Because you don’t want to forgive people. [25:45] You don’t want to talk to people. [25:47] You don’t want to care for people. [25:49] You don’t want to be happy for someone when something good happens to them. [25:53] You want to be envious. [25:54] You want to say they don’t deserve it.

[25:57] You want to be jealous. [25:59] You want to kill their happiness. [26:02] When someone’s weeping, you don’t want to be sad. [26:06] See, don’t cheer up. [26:07] It’s not that bad. [26:08] You don’t want to get down into their life and actually feel empathy for their pain.

[26:16] And far be it from God to say that you can’t take vengeance on the people who are causing you harm.

[26:24] Do you want your marriage to be healed? [26:28] Don’t be haughty. [26:30] Give yourself, see when he says associate with the low, that can also be translated and give yourself to humble tasks.

[26:39] See, the remedy is found in believing the gospel in everyday situations in life. [26:45] In almost 11 years of marriage, I have needed to be forgiven 7,233,576 times. [26:53] Seven of them today.

[26:57] Praise God, my wife believes the gospel.

[27:02] You see, friends, this is the real stuff of life. [27:07] This is actually engaging your life with the gospel for two reasons. [27:14] First, the enemies of the gospel need to see the effect of the gospel.

[27:20] You see, for the concept of real enemies, let’s talk about the enemies in light of those who are opposed to the gospel. [27:27] Oftentimes, the reason that people are opposed to the gospel is because we have such a clear ethic here. [27:32] And are you living it?

[27:35] Our enemies need to see the effect of the gospel in our lives. [27:39] And a genuine love that forgives is only found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[27:49] Can you serve your enemy with certainty that the justice for the sin committed against you has already been laid down in the cross of Jesus? [28:00] If it weren’t for the gospel? [28:02] No, you can’t.

[28:05] And that’s the point of this passage. [28:08] You see, the point of this passage is the genuine love that really forgives, the genuine love that can really engage people in their pain, the genuine love that can really rejoice at good things, the genuine love that doesn’t look at something and say, I’m going to get you. [28:26] See, that’s only found in the gospel. [28:28] That’s the only reasonable, logical, real place that you can actually go to find what ethic for real forgiveness actually is. [28:38] And you can begin to care for those who seem so uncaring.

[28:44] So what’s the deal with the burning coals? [28:47] Well, you win victory against wrong by doing right. [28:50] That’s the logic of that reality. [28:52] And burning coals, though, does infer to a sense of pain. [28:57] Right. So this is going to feel really good for some of you. [28:59] It is the pain of receiving good from a rival and continuing to seek peace, even to the level of doing practically kind things for a rival carries a sense of shame to the enemy.

[29:14] And that is Paul’s intent here. [29:16] It confronts the person with your decency, which runs counterintuitive to the instinct of vengeance.

[29:25] Commentator on this passage writes, and he changes the wording to instead of keep burning coals on his head, he changes it to make him feel a burning sense of shame.

[29:40] See, that’s too hard. [29:42] That’s asking too much. [29:44] But good must confront evil with good. [29:48] This is real forgiveness that points to Jesus. [29:50] When they ask for the reason for your hope, you can offer them the love of Christ. [29:54] You won’t find that in retribution, nor will you find the satisfaction that you’re looking for in retribution.

[30:04] You won’t find it in your passive aggressive behavior. [30:07] You certainly won’t find reconciliation. [30:10] You certainly won’t find forgiveness. [30:12] You certainly won’t find what you’re looking for. [30:14] But the reality is, is all he’s trying to do is help you understand that you won’t find anything that you’re looking for apart from faith in Jesus. [30:21] It’s faith in Jesus that’s going to give you that sense of retribution.

[30:25] Why? Because Jesus took that person’s sin onto the cross and paid the price. [30:30] The wrath of God’s already been laid on Jesus. [30:32] Our goal then must be for that person to realize their error and also place their hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ for repentance. [30:40] See, when reconciliation becomes your goal and retribution becomes that which you’re trying to avoid, that’s when people see a real ethic for caring for others. [30:53] But you will have to sacrifice to care because this isn’t just about your enemies. [30:57] That’s the most interesting part.

[30:59] I’ll be honest about that. That’s the most interesting.

[31:03] This is also about deep care for others in general. [31:07] It begins in the body of Christ and then stretches to all. [31:10] Rejoice with those who rejoice. [31:13] This rejects envy. [31:16] Celebrate. Weep with others with true empathy. [31:20] You see, the wording there is so hard for us because the fact of the matter is that pain should be something every believer is honest about and understands deeply.

[31:34] You see, we should be able to weep with others better than we are.

[31:39] But our culture has kind of conditioned us to the extent that mourning is something that we always avoid. [31:44] Dealing with real pain is something that we flee from. [31:47] But the cross understands pain.

[31:51] The cross understands pain at a level that we’ve never experienced.

[31:56] And so we are the ones who can offer real empathy. [31:59] And so, friend, I tell you, when someone is hurting, sit and weep with them. [32:03] But I tell you and I warn you, you will need to sacrifice much in this life to truly care for others.

[32:13] You will. You will need to sacrifice much. [32:18] And part of the reason that you struggle to really care for other people is because you’re struggling to sacrifice anything to do that care.

[32:27] But faith demands that it is worth it. [32:31] Every single time.

[32:34] Because number three this morning, one of the foundation, I want to call this an underlying part of this text, excuse me, that the gospel has a gospel ethic for personal responsibility.

[32:48] There’s a gospel ethic for personal responsibility. [32:51] God is calling you to live this way. [32:55] In imperative sentences, there is often an understood yet unstated now. [33:01] For instance, the phrase rejoice with those who rejoice. [33:05] Who or what is the action being compelled from? [33:08] You.

[33:10] When I tell one of my children, go clean your room, there’s an understood noun in there that I’m not talking to the neighbors.

[33:21] You. [33:22] Go clean your room. [33:23] But I don’t often say you. [33:25] I just say, go clean your room. [33:26] Well, Jesus is go cleaning our room on us here. [33:28] He’s saying you rejoice with those who rejoice.

[33:33] You bless those who persecute you. [33:36] You live in harmony with others, etc. [33:40] Paul makes this abundantly clear, especially in verse 18. [33:44] Look at what he says in verse 18. [33:45] He says, if possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. [33:55] Because there it is right there.

[33:57] And he’s been talking to you, not the person next to you. [34:03] If you’re in a struggling marriage, he’s not, and you’re the wife, he’s not talking to the husband.

[34:09] If you’re struggling with the wife, he’s not talking to your wife. [34:13] Who’s he talking to? You. [34:15] And you. [34:16] And you. [34:17] Are you a you? [34:19] Then he’s talking to you.

[34:21] I think I devolved into Dr. Seuss there. [34:25] But this is about taking personal responsibility to actually live for Jesus in your life. [34:34] Don’t blame others for what you can do. [34:37] You cannot control whether someone forgives you. [34:42] I wish you could. [34:43] I wish I could.

[34:45] But you know what you can control? [34:47] Whether you forgive someone. [34:50] You cannot control if someone will persecute you or not.

[34:56] But you can control your reaction to that persecution. [35:00] I’ve told many people that your life will be made up of two things. [35:04] The choices that you make and your reaction to the choices that other people make. [35:10] That will determine much in your life. [35:12] And here, Paul is confronting us with every single issue that he can just throw the board on this. [35:20] But before every one of these imperatives, I want you to see you.

[35:26] That this is about you.

[35:29] Paul assumes, though, that you won’t always be able to live peaceably with all. [35:34] And I’m thankful for that. [35:36] There’s a lot of guilt that I can shed in light of that. [35:39] Now, this shouldn’t become our excuse, but it does happen. [35:44] Paul assumes that it will. [35:46] And in those moments, you do need to protect the unity of the gospel.

[35:50] Philippians 2 deals with this. [35:51] Here’s what he says starting in verse 1. [35:53] He says, if there’s any encouragement in Christ, there’s any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord with one mind. [36:07] Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. [36:14] When Paul states that we are to be of the same mind, he’s specifically speaking to those in the community of faith, the church. [36:20] Remember, this is all in the guise of building the body of Christ.

[36:25] Is he speaking to preferences? [36:27] Is he saying we must all have mutual tastes in food? [36:31] No, I hope not. [36:32] He’s speaking to the enduring truths of the gospel and the purpose for which a Christian lives. [36:39] Here’s what I want to tell you about living peaceably in the personal responsibility that you have in this. [36:44] If you are contrarian by nature, much repentance will be needed by you and it will hurt.

[36:55] It will hurt because the gospel is calling you to stop being so contrarian. [36:59] Specifically, if you are contrarian outside of the bounds of Orthodox Christianity, then you are not seeking to live peaceably. [37:06] You are disobeying the command of God here. [37:10] And so there is a way where you do need to be contrarian. [37:14] And it’s where the Orthodox principles of historic Christianity, where Scripture and doctrine is very clear. [37:18] If someone opposes sound doctrine, we have to be contrary to that.

[37:22] If someone opposes direct commands of God, we must be contrary to that. [37:27] If someone tells us to hate, what would we say? [37:29] No, I can’t hate. I must love because God’s called me to that. [37:33] But here’s the key. Many of us choose then to go outside of the bounds of faith and be totally contrarian about matters. [37:40] Number one, that either don’t matter or number two are the outliers of the matter.

[37:46] For you, you have a personal responsibility to repent of your contrarian nature and seek to live in harmony with others, seek to live peaceably with all. [37:57] Paul is ensuring that your life flows from who you are in Jesus rather than who you are in your pride. [38:05] See, in verse 16, he uses an interesting phrase as well. [38:09] It’s that phrase where he says, associate with the lowly. [38:12] See, this can also mean in the same vernacular, it can mean to give yourself to humble tasks.

[38:22] See, I think what he’s dealing with here is that pride. [38:24] Don’t be haughty. Don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought. [38:30] Use sober judgment. [38:32] He says, this concept is generalized though because it can be applied to so much within the life of the body of Christ. [38:39] The gospel, yes, does reach the marginalized in society, and yes, that does apply when we’re talking about associating with the lowly. [38:46] But the overarching concept is that you are not to, excuse me, you are not to live avoiding the hard work of gospel love because of your self-centered pride.

[38:58] It’s got to mean that in the context of the rest of the passage. [39:00] Work to love people and sacrifice much to live for the gospel of Jesus Christ because I will warn you, loving others can get dirty.

[39:11] Yes, your hands can get dirty and some of you need to learn about that. [39:14] But dealing with sin and people saturated with sin should never be something you avoid. [39:22] And I’m afraid most of you have been avoiding that most of your lives. [39:26] Probably because it either takes too much time or you think it will get too complicated. [39:32] Or you think their dirt will rub off on you. [39:36] Well, if you’re not using a gospel ethic, it might, but it’s not like a disease.

[39:39] See, friend, you are redeemed from sin so that you can aid others in dealing with their sin. [39:46] I want you to understand that. [39:48] Committing yourself to humble tasks means doing unseen things for extraordinary reasons so that others may have hope in Jesus. [39:58] This is all about the mission that Jesus gave us to live. [40:02] Every ounce of this is about how we are to live so that others will see the hope of Jesus so that we can then communicate the hope of Jesus. [40:12] So none of this is possible apart from trusting Jesus.

[40:16] Loving your enemies, helping those who curse you, living in harmony, honoring, leaving vengeance to the wrath of God, feeding those who are hungry when you don’t like them, and overcoming evil. [40:28] I mean, none of this is possible apart from the gospel.

[40:34] Let me tell you, this is a knife of truth that stabs through my heart because I fail so often in every category.

[40:48] This should serve as a mirror into our lives to show us where our faith really is. [40:55] Because Paul is saying, stop dealing with the theoretical and deal with your real life. [41:02] You know, that thing that you avoid actually dealing with. [41:06] Deal with it. [41:08] None of these things are actually complicated. [41:11] In the gospel, they must become the normal ethic that we are building, giving, and leaving to the next generation.

[41:19] It must be engaged with real faith in Jesus because apart from Jesus, there’s no true forgiveness. [41:24] There’s no real love that actually finds justice for sin. [41:28] There’s not a real concept of love that can repay evil with good. [41:31] There’s no way to have real harmony and peace. [41:34] These are the things that everyone is striving for and everyone in this world wants. [41:40] But they can only get them in Jesus and then give them in the every day of life through Jesus.

[41:47] That is what turns enemies into Christians.

[41:53] And that must be your goal.

[41:58] And it only happens in a real life that’s really lived in every day tasks.

[42:07] You know, as the band comes up, our natural tendency, if we’re Christians, is to make this more comfortable. [42:21] It’s more complicated than it ought to be.

[42:24] And so for those of you in here that are believers, I want to call you to something this week. [42:33] I want you to saturate in this text a bit and every day I want you to go through this passage. [42:40] And I want you just to go to the simplest root of what he could possibly mean right now with what you’re dealing with in your life. [42:51] Right now.

[42:54] That’s how you apply this type of passage. [42:57] This isn’t a five year plan. [42:59] This is tomorrow. [43:01] This is your marriage. [43:02] This is your kids. [43:04] This is your co-workers.

[43:06] Apply this passage in those sometimes unique to you circumstances.

[43:14] And don’t see how the gospel just changes that situation. [43:18] No. [43:20] See how your faith in Jesus grows through how you deal with those situations.

[43:27] If you’re in here and you’re not a believer, you’re going to look for justice your whole life. [43:33] You’re going to look for love your whole life. [43:35] You’re going to look for hope your whole life. [43:40] You’re going to look for vengeance against people most of your life. [43:44] But here’s what I want to tell you in all honesty. [43:48] You will never find any of them apart from Jesus Christ.

[43:52] So for you today, I call you to place your hope and your trust in Jesus. [44:00] And then when you walk out of those doors today, face your enemies with faith in Jesus. [44:06] Face those who are hard to live with, with faith in Jesus. [44:11] Face those whom you want vengeance against, with faith in Jesus. [44:15] Face the world with faith in Jesus so that they can have faith in Jesus. [44:22] Trust Him.

[44:24] If that’s you, there are people in the foyer that would love to talk to you during our final worship time. [44:29] But if you are a believer, these tables are open. [44:34] The bread represents the body of Christ. [44:36] The cup represents His shed blood. [44:38] It all represents justice for your sin and the sin of your enemies. [44:45] When you’re ready, come.