The Village Church
Mutually Broken: Retaliation - Audio
Morning all right if you have your Bibles, please open them to Matthew chapter 5 We'll be looking at verses 38 through 42 this morning One wise man once said before you embark on a journey or revenge dig two graves I love those words Because they let us know that those of us who own a journey or revenge will in the end inflate more pain and more hurt into their own life as well So before you embark on a journey or revenge dig two graves Are you on that type of journey this morning? Do you know of anyone who is on this type of journey? And if so, have you dug your true grave? Yes You see as part of our simple nature to want to get even to won't revenge But it's not part of a kingdom lifestyle And this morning Jesus has a word for us when it comes to revenge or retaliation or vengeance So before you embark on a journey or revenge Let the words of Christ pierce and cut your revengeful soul Let his words cut so that you may be here Just as his words cut the original people he spoke to here in Matthew 5 verses 38 to 42 This message is part of the sermon on the Mount We've been looking at the sermon on the Mount for a while now And in these verses Jesus doing the same thing we saw him do last week Correcting the misunderstanding, the misinterpretation and the misapplication of the Old Testament Are the religious leaders of his day? We said he's showing us what a kingdom lifestyle looks like in a fallen world But he's also showing us What he wants us to respond to how he wants us to respond He's presenting us as mutually broken people who are in need of repentance who are in need of faith in him And so if you have your Bibles Matthew chapter 5 beginning in verse 38 You have heard that it was said An eye for an eye in a tooth or a tooth But I say to you do not resist the one who is evil But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek turn to him the other also If anyone will sue you to take your tunic let him have your cloak as well If anyone forcing you to go one mile Go with him two miles Give to the one who begs from you and do not refuse the one who will borrow from you This is God's word even when it's hard to hear let us pray Father God as we come to this part of your word I got a confess. It was hard Right in this because of what you're saying here and then planning it to my own life Now let's say a lot of convict me was going on this week in my own heart Because of these words and so spirit my prayer is that that you will come as I pray every week that you will come And take these words this truth and apply it to my heart and apply it to everyone's heart that is here But we need you to move we need you to open the eyes of our heart spirit But we cannot do it ourself We need you to come and do it for us so that we may see our God It'd be open to his word. Well, he has to say to us this morning, the Christ in my prayer You see Jesus as we have seen in these last couple sermons and he's almost like a skilled surgeon as he continues to operate on these religious leaders and their views of the Bible and In verse 38 he said you have heard that it was said an I for an item tooth for tooth and we know Jesus could tune to you just repeat it phrase here and It's represents the misunderstanding of these religious leaders in their terms of the Old Testament and this morning He's going to call them out for their misunderstanding of an Old Testament principle called just retribution Which is expressed in the phrase and I for an eye and a tooth for tooth This phrase is found in three Old Testament passages In Exodus 21 and Leviticus 24 and do the Rami 19 and the intent of this principle That it teaches that punishment must be just It teaches us they must must it must be a punishment must soup the crime and In the Old Testament this principle of just retribution was handled by judges public leaders not individuals See the Lord gave guidelines and instructions on how to have a justice society within Israel in Which there were consequences for crime But people were never to take the loan to their own hands through vengeance or revenge It was supposed to be used in the court of law Judges was supposed to apply this principle of just retribution Do the Rami 19 says you should appoint judges and officers in all your towns That is all your God is giving according to your tribes and this a judge the people with righteous Judgments you should not pervert justice. You should not show partiality You should not accept the bribe for a bribe the lines the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of righteousness Justice only justice share you follow that you may live inherit the land below your God is given this This is the context This race and I-49 or truth or truth It was not giving for individuals to enforce in their own private life But it was for judges public leaders Because the Lord did not want his people to resort to personal vengeance retaliation Against those in their personal relationships, but in Jesus day things were twisted This principle of just retribution was was now being used in their private lives And once again, Jesus showed the people how far off they truly were for meeting God's high standards Creating loopholes for their own convenience As Warren Christian says that these leaders had even have his scenic this principle outside the law courts to personal relationships Which is a place where it does not belong Now look at your life Your relationships When people have wronged you Do you apply this person? Do you think to yourself hmm? I for I I'm gonna get you. I'm just gonna wait I'm gonna get you pay back Wait and see You don't know when I'm not gonna tell you when but when you least expect it You're gonna get it Do you in your relationships? Are you embarking on a journey or revenge vengeance? Do you ever feel like taking the law into your hands? Because the system Keep letting me down Do you and then if you're honest with ourselves if we're really honest with ourselves then yes We sometimes feel that way We do Tigley if you have a bad neighbor, you're like man, I want to get even We at some level love vigilante justice, that's why we love movies like Batman Because we love it we see it in our own hearts if we could we'll all be vigilant if we knew we can get away with it We love those moves but Jesus is calling his disciples not to be vigilant He's not to be driven by a spirit of revenge and retaliation. He's calling us to something different And if you're convicted this morning Don't forget what Jesus is doing here. He's not beating you up He's he's morning to undo you to show you your need of repentance and save your faith in him and Through faith in him you dressed and you trust and depend upon him to empower you to do what he calls us to do in verse 39 So you can't do what he said the verse 39 if you don't know If you don't have a relationship with you if you're not growing it and you don't have saving faith Because everything he calls us to do flows out of that Verse 39 says but I say to you, but I say to you do not resist the one who is evil This is Jesus boldly correcting that they're understanding the Old Testament He is showing them that this phrase and I for an eye should not be applied first You should not use that principle in your relationship with other people and others have wrong But I say to you do not resist the one who is evil Resist means to oppose someone it involves not only the attitude of your heart, but the behavior as well Now this phrase do not resist evil does that mean you turn a blind eye to injustice or crimes or evil Jesus is not saying we should be door-man's and this let evil go unchecked and unrestrained If that was the case he will be correcting the Old Testament because the Old Testament is filled with things that restrains evil That's what the law was for No, he's correcting and misunderstanding and miss the application of it by The religious leaders of the day Do not resist the evil one means do not repay evil with evil That's the point Do not repay evil with evil in your personal dealings with other people do not return evil with evil evil what are we to return evil with? good Not with retaliation and revenge Paul says in Romans 12 do not repay evil want the one who is evil for evil But give thought to what is honorable in the set of all If possible as far as it depends upon you Live peaceably with all They love it never avenger selves leave it to the wrath of God for this written vengeance is mine I will repay to the contrary if your enemy is hungry feed him if his thirst to give him something to drink by doing so You will weep burning coals on his head do not be overcome by evil overcome evil With you You see good here doesn't mean you don't ever seek for justice legally It means you don't seek for justice through personal vengeance and revenge and retaliation You don't take the loan to your hand You don't use the principle of an eye and for our two four two in your personal dealings with other people Instead he calls us to something differently And he gives us a few illustrations to show us what he means by not returning evil with evil And these are only illustrations not regulations and they illustrate a principle and that principle is learning to die to self Learning to deny yourself learning to be to have self sacrifice basically. It's a call to love even those The first illustration is seen in verse 39 B. It says if anyone slapped you on the right cheek Turn to him the other officer And I was like wow, thanks a lot Jesus Thanks More for the kingdom, I guess and The picture you have here is you getting backhanded by another person. They're just backhanded And if a if you're a backhanded by another person, I gotta tell you it's sometimes going to be hard for you not to retell you All the time there's only personality Because the natural response is to to to latch out and to seek revenge and to smack them back But Jesus calls his disciples not to respond this way He says turn to the other cheek as well Don't retell you don't see revenge avengers, but self sacrifice Yes Help us God Now don't take this one verse to mean Jesus called us never to defend ourselves Don't take it to mean that you see this illustration of being backhanded is more of an insult Not someone coming to you or soaking which is a crime a Backhanded slap on the right cheek in such a pride Your feelings if you're a man in such a manhood or your womanhood your honor No, and insults can be shot thrown at you through words hurt for criticism or name calling someone can insult the character your integrity and How do you respond? When you are If someone insults you as your role as a mom, how do you take that mom? When your mother-in-law question insults you in your house on Christmas day How do you take that mom mothers Fathers Father-in-law's when they always have the help for advice that's insulting. How do you take it? Do you turn the other cheek or do you go back at it with them? Jesus says to us turn the other cheek See insults and always come from enemies. They come from family members to Those that are close to us as well Which is hard to take it harder to take insults for them because of the relationship Jesus said do not return the insult with the answer Instead turn the other cheek Jesus calling us to take up our cross To take the insult that will come our way. He let those insults be dirt off your shoulders for the kingdom You have to don't retaliate. Don't seek to get even It's like he wants it to be thick-skinned now allowing insult to unravel us Whether it's a slap on the cheek or through insulting words, and you say yeah, that's hard. Yeah, it is hard to do it is a Few months ago I saw Mark talking with an older gentleman a young lady right side of church here And they were they were here, but they would need they needed some assistance or something So I decided to walk over to meet them and and more introduced me. He said hey This is my friend Alex He's the pastor of the church So I greeted the older man shook his hand, and then I extended my hand to the young lady She refused to shake my hand She actually moved away from me Her reason was that she was skeptical of men How do you think I responded to that I? Pulled my hand back I Was insulted yes, because she didn't shake my hand because I was black That's why Did I latch out did I refuse to help them? I took it Get off my show That's what I'm talking about there are gonna be times in your life Well, you're gonna be in so because of who you are as a Christian even maybe because of your race Because of the prince was you stand upon and sometimes you just want to have to take Because you like to not give you more damage for the kingdom That's what he's calling us to do don't respond don't return insults with insults, but we do We don't do this We don't do this just with insults But Jesus calls us to do this when we also have been wrong about other people And this is what he communicates to us in verse 40 if anyone would sue you and take your tuning Let him also have your cloak as well with this illustration. We have a picture of someone being sued For a garment that attuned it was something that was an inner garment in Jesus day and the role was the outer garment And only the Jewish law you cannot sue for the outer garment That you personally use that as a clothing, but Jesus says if we are sued give him both items as well What is he calling us to here? Is he calling us to just give every way everything we have Does he want his disciples to deny themselves to the point where they have no clothes? To the point where they can even provide and take care of their own families Or their own financial responsibilities is this the point he's making here Some people think it is Let me give you an example There's a guy that I see a Starbucks You know on a regular basis and I see him almost every time on there and one day regarding to this this real good conversation Or he shared with me a problem. He was going through a few years ago. He was in a car accident And he hit a lady from behind he was at fault And he did all the things he was supposed to do He another person called the police they trained insurance information and to his knowledge everything was taken care of his insurance company had taken care of the lady Pay for a medical expenses pay for the card to my knowledge But later on he got a letter in the mail saying he was gonna sue By this lady but damages himself in the car This guy's a believer. So my question. What does Jesus want him to do? Let the lady sue him Take everything from him Is that the point you just make it that should that have been my advice to this brother? The answer is no and as one pastor in Jackson, Mr Secret says the point is to keep Jesus point here is that he wants to Detecting us an attitude of demanding our rights Is it we are quick to to press our interests on others? He says are you willing to for a bear and for go our own rights? That's what Jesus is making here because in this life. You're gonna be wrong by other people Either accidentally or intentionally you're gonna be wrong in the some form of fashion people are gonna make folks actual Accolizations against you and you don't do that in return to them. Sometimes you just want to take You will Again, that's another way you can let it be dirt off your shoulders for the kingdom stand how truth? But don't stoop low and return evil You're gonna have neighbors people are coworkers who wrong What are you gonna do how you're gonna respond are you gonna seek to get even or are you gonna let it be dirt off your shoulders? Not talking about crimes here. Do you just talk about things that just personally you just don't like? Things that people do to irritate you How are you gonna handle those situations? Are you gonna play dirty? Like we do around this year election year dirty politics You're gonna be wrong by people loved ones church family members, and how are you gonna deal? How are you gonna deal When it's all said Let it be dirt off your shoulders in the next two illustrations Jesus gives us a picture of Being used or taking advantage of by someone If anyone fortunate you to go one mile go with him to give to the one who begs from you You're not refusing one who are barred from you. This first illustration It'll lose to a common practice in Jesus's day You see under Roman law Roman soldiers had the right to force people to assist them to carry their equipment for a thousand paces How would you like to live in Jewish time then? Yeah, but nothing you could do about it. You had to take it Because it was the law and you can imagine what it felt like if you were picked to do that service It was humiliating you felt used you felt taken advantage of and you can't do anything about it And yet Jesus says after you go one mile. I want you to freely give them one more mile And once again, you're like Talking about Jesus one more mile Again, he illustrates self-appprints will self-sacrifice Willing to go to extra mile for someone who cares very little And you look at they said yeah, it's hard to do and you can't build apart from the spirit moving in you It's a willingness to lay down your rights for the kingdom They're all going to be times when you are used by other people. Do you believe that? Where people impose upon your rights a Boss who's going to make unreasonable demands upon you a co-worker who's going to take credit for something you did and how are you going to deal with? How are you going to deal or even a friend who asked you to come over to help move furniture and they don't do no work How are you going to deal with it? They say and watch you work How are you going to deal Where others usually take advantage of you don't seek revenge don't plan to retaliate but respond to them with good Go to second mile Go to second mile The final illustration he says give to the one who bays with you. Do not refuse the one who are barred from you Here he wants us to have a given generous heart Partner with wisdom and discernment. We're not to give to the part where people become codependent, but we give expecting nothing in return That's what he's talking give to the one who asked if you don't refuse the one who are barred from you now. Here's the reality check When you have a generous heart You're gonna get con You realize that you're going to get tricked now. I've been tricked so many times. I can't even name it But the temptation is that you can let those cons and treats hard in your heart toward helping those in need and so Jesus says Give to him or who begs if you do not refuse the one who are barred from you And so you the temptation what you have to pray for that Jesus don't let those conning moments Harden my heart to the place where I refuse to help someone who generally hasn't because if you're not careful you can let those things do that to you And what happened And so you pray that it would not happen You hear these words from Jesus and you think to yourself How in the world? Can I live this way? and during insults going a second mile Being good the people who wrong me take advantage of me and use me Isn't even possible Is it even possible? Jesus you're calling me to do something that is totally impossible. I don't want to turn to other cheek Let me be honest about it. We don't Jesus didn't you see how insulting his words were to me and her actions toward me and yet you want me to turn the other cheek Don't you see how this person has wronged me use me taking advantage of me? Jesus I get that person money and a little what he did with it. He went to the game I'm done. I can't live like this It's hard And this is what Jesus says to you bless a lot of porn speed But there's the kingdom Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be come Blessed are the meak but they shall inherit the earth Blessed are those who home-grained thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy mercy Blessed are the prayer and heart for they shall see God blessed are the peacemakers They should be called sons of God blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs Blessed are you and others revolve you in pressure to you and other all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven You are the salt of the earth You are the light of the world Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works See you turn the other cheek See you in doing wrongs Seeing you going the extra mile Seeing you continuing to have a generous heart even though you've been conned many times Let them see these good works and give glory for your father who is in heaven You see as we come to this table Find my page You know if you are a believer You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ That though he was rich He was rich Yet for your sake became poor So that you might so that by his party you might become rich He himself was insulted was wrong was used And yet was very generous He never returned evil suffered with evil but instead he returned it with his very life upon the cross He gave his life For those who were his enemies which you and I were before we came to know him He gave his life for his enemies in order to turn enemies into sons and daughters. Oh I love the good news of the gospel That's the gospel This table here this separate here is the visible reminder of that good news Enemies then turn into sons and daughters because of the cross. This is his table And he says as often as you eat this bread and in drink this cup you proclaim the Lord's death Until he comes And so this table is open to all of his sons and daughters Who actively trusting him who are willing to forsake their sins who are members of a congregation that preached the gospel this table It's for you Now there is a warning that Paul gives us He says whoever eats this brain drink this cup in the Lord and over the mountain matter is guilty concerning the body and blood of Christ to let everyone examine themselves Before they eat and drink so we're gonna have a time in which We can examine our hearts and our spirit to speak to us. So let's go to the Lord now [BLANK_AUDIO]