January 11th, 2004, Sunday Morning

"Good" Works!
Receiving injustices/unkindness from others: does repaying in good really work?


OPENING: Romans 12:17-21


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SELF-EXAMINATION: How do you react when others do you wrong, disrespect you or commit injustices upon you? Do you exact revenge ("an eye for an eye"), ignore it or reply with forgiveness and love--as if the person who hates you is one of your family?

#1: THERE IS NEVER A JUSTIFICATION OR OPPORTUNITY TO USE EVIL TO CORRECT FOR EVIL USED

• It is the natural response of man to repay evil for evil; after all, it began with the God's Laws to Moses that this was the proper response
  
  
• Romans 12:17: But times and rules change; Just as God later sent his Son Jesus to demonstrate repaying love for evil--until your final breath--is the proper response, we are now to emulate that response to ALL evil that comes our way
  
  
• Luke 6:32: It's no triumph or achievement to love only those who love you--even the wicked and sinners do that for each other
  
  
• It's easy to respond correctly when all is going well with you and you're in a very happy frame of mind; But it's the trueness of your heart and character that are challenged and revealed to others when you respond to tough times and evil days in stressed and uncomfortable situations
  
  
• Those who commit evil against you or others DO deserve justice and punishment--but leave it up to God to dispense; Just as God has perfect timing for the good things in life, He has perfect timing for executing justice
  
  
  • Ezekiel 33:11: So why doesn't God punish "evil-doers" and sinners instantly? Because God doesn't want us to go to hell and gives us many chances to correct ourselves. It's an example of repaying love (forgiving) for evil.
  
  
• It takes no faith, courage or character to act wrong
  
  
  • Do act before thinking is easier than to think before acting (i.e., "shoot and ask questions later" mentality)
    
    
  • It takes no intelligence or discipline to react to a wrong suffered
    
    
  • A negative reaction results in you not only being no matter than the offender but brings you down to their level
  
  
• UNDERLYING MOTIVE IN GETTING BACK AT OTHERS: YOU.
  
  
  • It's a personal sense of pride and importance that someone believes they are important enough they should not have been trespassed against and that to do so results in swift penalty
  
  
• TESTIMONY:
  
  
  • David, prior to becoming king of Israel, played the harp for Saul, king of Israel; But Saul was jealous of David for his popularity over Saul so Saul talked to his servants about killing him (1 Samuel 19:1), threw a spear at him (1 Samuel 19:9-10) and hated David continually (1 Samuel 18:29)
    
    
  • Then GOD gave David the opportunity to kill Saul with his own spear, as he was sleeping, for all Saul tried and did to him; but David responded not only by not hurting Saul but acknowledging that revenge belongs to God (1 Samuel 26:7-23)

#2: WE ARE TO TAKE CARE TO DO WHAT ALL MEN INHERENTLY KNOW IS RIGHT

• All men inherently know the difference between choosing between right and wrong; Christians should especially know this and thus be held to a higher level of accountability
  
  
  • Just as men know that greed, power, lust, anger, fear, etc. are wrong (and are motivated by it), they know their opposite--what is right; and while they may not do it most of the time, they'll certainly expect you to
  
  
• Romans 12:17: (Second half of verse:) Take care to do right and honest in everyone's eyes--especially when you represent an organization--like being a church member
  
  
  • Whether or not you were wronged--if you react and re-pay, people will look down on you, even as the victim, and consequently make judgments about you and your organization
    
    
  • 2 Corinthians 8:21: You cause effect in all your actions--both public ("sight of men") and private ("sight of the Lord")
  
  
• Careful thought to your reaction ("think before acting")--whether it be positive or negative--is the good, proper first step to a controlled, disciplined response
  
  
  • Proverbs 20:22: Let your final decision be to give your situation to God in prayer and then forget about it
  
  
• Romans 12:2: Just because the world does it doesn't make it right so don't be "conformed to this world"
  
  
  • Have higher standards for yourself and be more pure than this world; while others may hate you for it, most will respect your principles and convictions--some simply because you have the discipline they can't muster

#3: KEY DANGER IN THINKING THROUGH THE RIGHT REACTION IS NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED BY EVIL

• 1 Corinthians 10:13: While people frequently say "I couldn't help myself, it was too tempting," know that God will never make a temptation greater than you can handle and will always offer an escape route from it
  
  
• Romans 12:21: Evil is overcome with good--not evil, in kind ("eye for an eye" adage)
  
  
  • Proverbs 25:21-22: In doing so, not only will God reward you but your offender will, as the Bible says, feel like "hot coals are heaped upon him"
    
    
  • Proverbs 15:1: the adage, "a Soft answer turneth away wrath..."
  
  
• TESTIMONY: Even though Job was "perfect" in God's eyes and hated evil, God tested Job by allowing Satan to take his animals, land and children away. But as tempting and natural as it felt, Job did not sin against God by responding with hostility, blame or hate (Job 1)
  
  
• It's natural and doesn't take long to have feelings of weakness and compromise (i.e., "I can't win", "it does no good to try", "no one cares", "I can't make a difference", etc.); you're not guilty of that but your final decision made (reaction)
  
  
• Bad reactions are not unrecoverable
  
  
  • Matthew 27:3-5: A decision worse than repaying with evil is to completely give up and commit suicide, like Judas did when he betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver
    
    
  • Matthew 26:33-34,75: But while Paul denied knowing Jesus and went away, crying bitterly for failing, he later came back and began what is today called the Church

#4: YOU ARE CALLED TO WIN OVER EVIL BY DOING GOOD

• Romans 12:21: It doesn't require debate, testing or analysis--the Bible concludes evil is always overcome by good
  
  
  • Love your enemies
  • Do good things for those who hate you, as well as love you
  • Give food and drink to those hungry who hate you
  • Pray for the saving of those who pray for your death
  
  
• Repaying in good will overcome evil and win over many others but keep it mind it may not change the person you're helping
  
  
  • Don't expect something in return: don't repay in good with intentions of seeing people change, expecting good in return or just for a crowd to witness you do it
    
    
  • You should repay with good because:
    
    
    • God commands it
    • You publicly demonstrate your faith and Christianity
    • It is contagious--others will eventually do the same usually when someone else takes that first step
  
  
• TESTIMONY: Jesus led a sinless and perfect life--having love for others from birth until his final dying breath on the cross. Because of His recorded life read by others, people are tearfully motivated to change their heart to do what is right
  
  
  • And keep in mind Jesus loved man through his hate, intolerance, and assault before His crucifixion (being whipped with the cat-of-nine-tails, crown of thorns, selling of His clothes, punching, mocking, spitting, hammering nails into His body, etc.)

CLOSER

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Matthew 7:14: Just as Jesus said few will enter Heaven at the end of this world, few people in this world will use good to overcome evil

Man acts like politicians: "talk the talk" but can't "walk the walk" by asking others "What would Jesus do? (W.W.J.D.) rather than following what Jesus would do

KEY: Just because the majority of the world goes one direction doesn't mean its the right one; they go that way because:

• They want to be popular and with the "in-crowd"
• They're too weak to stay disciplined

Romans 12:2: In summary, don't be like the world and repay evil for evil; be unlike the world and repay good for evil because doing good really works

RESULTS OF REPAYING EVIL FOR EVIL:

• Demonstrate lack of discipline and self-control
• You show no forgiveness, care or respect for others
• You have no trust in God

RESULTS OF REPAYING GOOD FOR EVIL:

• Following God's commandment (and receiving a blessing for it)
• Public demonstration of your faith
• Contagious effect in that others may begin to do the same