pastorbrad
Joined : 25 Jun 2007
Posts : 85
|  Subject: 02-03-08 LIVING IT OUT!  Fri Feb 01, 2008 11:08 pm | |
| LIVING IT OUT!
I'm Lovin em... Spiritual Fitness in a fast food world…
"Love your enemy"
For the weekend of Feb. 3, 08
Love your enemies… what’s that mean? I mean—who are our “enemies”? We all have people we don’t get along with… but are they our “enemies”? And how exactly are we supposed to LOVE these people who we most likely don't "like" very much?
First--let's define this term--"Enemy"
Check this verse out: Colossians 1:21 “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.”
Wow---think about this--before we surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus—it wasn’t that we hated God, or wanted to hurt him… or any of those things that we typically think of “enemies” doing… we simply were living lives contrary to God’s will and his ways. We were more of a hindrance than a help to the kingdom and the things God wants to accomplish in this world… God calls THAT mentality and “enemy.” So—now chat for a moment—who are our enemies in this world today? Who are the people that frustrate us… attempt to hinder our walk with God… do/say things that trip us up more than help us? These are our “enemies”.
READ Matthew 5:43-45 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies 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.”
Okay—we’ve got a sense of what an enemy is---now let’s talk about the word “love” as it’s used here. I’m sure you’ve heard before that in the Greek language (the language the New Testament was originally written in) there are different words for different types of “love”… romantic love… friendship love, etc. and then there is this kind of love that Jesus talks about—called, “agape” love. Agape is expressed as “a genuine desire to do what it best for another.” It calls us to put ourselves second and other’s good first. It is not a call do to what other’s “want us to do”… but what is “best” for them… what will truly help them. You don’t agape an alcoholic by caving and giving them $10 to get a bottle—even though they may beg you for it. You agape them by getting them some real help.
Okay—So, Jesus says, “Agape your enemies.” Let’s make this personal---taking into account the way we’ve defined “enemies” and love (agape)—who are your enemies and how can you agape them?
Note, Jesus adds, “…and pray for those who persecute you.” How do we pray for people who don’t like us or who are hurtful to us? What good things could possibly come from doing this?
Here’s a cool thought on prayer---Have you ever seen the movie “Shadow Lands”? It’s about CS Lewis—the great Christian Author/Thinker of the 20th Century. Lewis fell in love and married a lady named Joy. She got cancer and went through a horrible battle with it before it took her life. In the movie—they show Lewis—who was professor at Oxford University in England—praying all the time. In this one scene—one of Lewis’ colleagues (an unbeliever) asks Lewis, “Why do you continue to pray? It’s not changing anything for Joy… she’s not getting better.” Lewis’ response it awesome. He says (I paraphrase)—“Prayer isn’t about changing my circumstances… prayer is about changing me”. Wow—think about that—and apply that to this whole idea of “LOVING” and “Praying” for our enemies. How does this kind of attitude toward prayer help us love our enemies?
Pray together—Ask God to help you really agape your “enemies” this week.
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80s metal blessings,
pb
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