What the World Needs Now - Radical Mercy-Givers, Part 2

Private question with whom or what are you most and what has your blood boiling these days as you see the turmoil in our country and then what would Jesus say about that very issue that person. That's today stay with me. Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge Chip Ingram trips are vital to international cycles or program friendship series. What the world needs now and in this program he wraps it up with a powerful reminder about God is who we are as is always to be with us in studio with a few final thoughts about the art is that so in case you need to step away from the program later on line LivingontheEdge.org or on the chipping remap. It's a great encouragement as we headed to the historic days ahead. Now, with part two of this message from what the world needs now to restrict salvation relationship with God is a precious supernatural gift of God and as we step into that new relationship. He says the will of God for every single follower is to say he's the sovereign ruler of the universe and now I want you to surrender all that you are and all that you have. You cannot be my disciple. Unless you deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow me at great cost but with far greater reward underneath that it says Jesus makes clear that personal agendas and selfish ambition have to die for supernatural life to expand his kingdom. Write the word under that new authority new authority. The sermon on the Mount is about a new relationship, a new allegiance and there's a new authority and under that right. His word is life. Can you imagine a human being. He was fully God, but he was fully man. He's teaching on a hillside.

You have heard it said, and this is what Moses said all these years and they says he who hears my word and believes on my word and acts on my word will spend eternity with me and with the father and he who hears my word, dear. The new authority. The new standard isn't anybody's interpretation. It's not a Rabbi Cassano scribe is not religion, it's Jesus words about you. That's different than what I grew up with.

I learned a lot of verses that went like this. A Christian is a person is a nicer person than more people and you try hard to be moral Christians. A person is a help yourself because God helps those who help themselves.

A Christian is a person that is just a little bit better, or at least thinks they are than average person and they go to use to be at least we can services three or four times a month try really hard to supposed to get some money. Read the Bible and be good and got usually mad at you. Most the time in the revolutionary these things, you know I sound so hard you ready you can never be found into you get totally thoroughly and completely lost, and I believe American Christianity.

Much of it is a self-help mantra that the Jesus who died in your place, and rose from the dead is going to make you a wonderfully happy person with a marriage that is off the charts with all your kids. If you have kids turning out right that will make you upwardly mobile, mobile, wealthy and successful. And if that doesn't happen your have permission to get mad at God. Now the fact of the matter is, God is so kind and so generous and as we follow the truth of his principles they so often come with blessing, but I believe were living in a world where we are far more in love with the blessings of God than the bless her himself and so the sermon on the Mount is about a radical change that happens inside my life in your life where I realize I am poor in spirit. I I if if if exceeding the righteousness of people that live a lot better than me it if having a deep sense of my loss and where I don't measure up.

If being passionate to want to really see God is being willing to say yes if persecution for your name. That would be a badge of honor.

If that's not my attitude.

I'm not getting the message, how you doing coming since one of those messages that you know some very good moral kind, people who were sitting on a hillside heard this message and one night when he's and they like Jesus and and he was so winsome and when he was an awesome preacher and the miracles were awesome and often you got lunch, and when he got done with this, they were undone. They were completely undone and the more religious and the more moral you are, the more undone you are because we have this false notion that where we need God's help, but were really doing pretty good. I mean, because we so unconsciously and consciously compare ourselves to others, you know, the people got really excited sinners people.

It just knew I'm doing what's wrong I don't like me. I don't think there's any hope for me anything if you're that kind of person, there's a kingdom waiting. I want to forgive but I want to invade your life. I want to help you. I want to my armor and how to invade your life and I want to draw you close to me and I want to give you a joy that circumstances can't change. I want to give you a life and a love that no matter who does anything to you ever can't take away and I want you to know that this little thing called time really is important that you were made for eternity. This is the life you were made for in the kingdom starts now. When you receive and choose to follow me and I will be ups and downs, and struggles and you will taste the kingdom and then you will be delivered into it for ever and ever and ever.

And what ever you suffer in this little thing called time for my sake will be greatly rewarded so like you to think before I go on. Where are you in the grand scheme of your relationship with God. Do you have a new relationship and are confident that the spirit of the living God lives inside of you.

Faith are you presently living in such a way that your not your words, although those are helpful your time, your pocketbook, your words, your priorities and your passions align with he's Lord.

He has an agenda. I'm here to fulfill his agenda. Whatever blessings happen to come.

Great. And finally, are you living in a world where when you think about what is right what is wrong wears true North. What should I do with my life. His word, his word is your guide and that you have an insatiable appetite for it and that you are in it, not in a sort of like I caught Joseph don't relief and image management and always feel a bit better when I read three chapters of three better than four. I can't member in advancing. I think I'd be very pleased with three versus that ended with Lord, what would you have me do with these sure, I'll forgive Max make sure I treat my supervisor that is so unfair with kindness today.

Sure apologize to my son the way I blew up last week and each time you take those little increment responses to the authority of God's word, the spirit of God changes you from the inside out little by little by little by little until your life becomes unexplainable. Jesus life was unexplainable and the early church was unexplainable. If you would meet a Christian you scratch your head why these fully people given their money away why I care about these babies on the dump.

Why would they be willing to walk into the stadium singing arm in arm about this invisible God who they say died and came back to life and and just all I had to do was say just getting.

I don't really believe that stuff now. I want to show you. He pushes the envelope and the reason I wanted to go back through that is that these final things can can be easily misunderstood what I mean by that is that we can get into where okay I want to each one of these little teachings on a seek, how to follow and miss the point. His final and most outrageous teaching. Are you ready the law of retribution.

Probably the most misunderstood and misinterpreted, probably of anything in the sermon on the Mount verse 38. You've heard it said an eye for an eye and a tooth for tooth, but I say to you, do not resist the one is evil. But if someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to the other cheek also. And if someone sues you and ask for your tunic, let him have your cloak our government as well ahead of anyone forces you to go 1 mile, go with him 2 miles give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you if you don't know of the context of this, it doesn't make a lot of sense. The interpretation is an allusion to the same verse in Exodus 2124 Leviticus 24 1920 Leviticus is probably the cleaner. It says if anyone injures his neighbor as he is done it to them. It shall be done unto him fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, whatever injury he is given to a person, he shall receive the purpose of this in the Old Testament was to limit retribution. Some of you that have children will get this and some of you that everything from the Hatfield and McCoy's to tribal things is right. 11 of your kids steals something from the other and so the other gets it back in and pushes him. The other comes back and I look pushes them and punches him in the mouth than the other one put into the mouth and gets a bat and no words escalating retribution and so these verses were were not a right but it was look if someone does something to you that say one category then, but the law teaches that you can respond with one category if they get you with a three category, then you can only respond with the three categories, but the purpose was to say how do we limit retribution.

Are you ready justice.

What's fair because when were hurt, we usually want a lot more back the context is that it is in the Old Testament. It was in court and so in other words, if if this happened my eye or I injured her someone took on my animals. I would go to the court and then the court would decide in this law is.

This is how the court will decide what's fair. The Pharisees of the day had misapplied it and taken it into private interactions with one another. So to understand this when Jesus says you've heard it said eye for an eye, tooth for tooth Old Testament I said you do not resist the one whose evil. This is not being pacifistic like all well you want to kill me, you will hear the whole family take us out. He's saying is don't take him to court. See as you look in your notes.

What the Pharisees were saying, what's the legal limits of payback and injustice. In other words, how far can I go to exact revenge for my injury.

Did you hear the spirit. This is this what Jesus is after you hear the spirit.

In other words, what does the law allow. I mean, how hard can I get him how much damage can I do what's what's the box that I can and Jesus new standard of righteousness literally is he gives us these four vignettes, and culturally they make a lot of sense, but at first reading. It's like like every homeless person must post them all my money is that what this means no. First of all it says don't resist the one is evil. His point is you don't automatically have to take them to court and the judge maybe there's a way to to solve this because here's the question Jesus wants you to ask and answer how can I respond to injustice with mercy in order to reveal God's heart and expand his kingdom. Illustration number one if someone hit you on the right cheek. I forget 90 some percent of all the people in the world are right-handed. If you get hit on the right cheek with her right hand. It's the back of the hand. In other words, in essence, it's an insult to someone slaps you and insulted you, or in our day.

They cut you off in traffic and as they cut you off and try think they look back in the Americas you honked and they raise their hand. They make a gesture with their hand, usually with one of their fingers, but apparently mean something. Some people how to respond. Vengeance on getting all you know what I'm to get up on his bumper not say what he takes and it's not easy and right on the freight sees two cars chasing each other. He said what ago. The second one is someone sues you, according to the law. They couldn't that can take your outer garment that was your possession matter how poor you were and she is Jesus's hyperbole is making the point that if they want your undergarment. The tunic they went back to you and they would be a whole lot to be scratch at what the I did the injustice in your treating me like that. The third was government in the Roman law was at any time. Romans would have their baggage they could be in a city and they could stop in a city you right here and the legal law demanded that the Roman soldier said carry my bag you had to carry it for exactly a mile skylight taxes today are certain things you feel like this is unjust. This is not fair. This is how to respond from the heart to reveal God's mercy instead of my rights and so you can imagine Roman soldier in an everyone's had a bad attitude and their role in their eyes there cussing him out and probably Hebrew.

If he doesn't understand it and then he meets this Christ follower and they get to 1 mile. He looks at the Sgt. says you know you look very tired coming here another mile. Jim Stanley saying a Christian's life should be completely unexplainable. Mercy triumphs over justice. Finally, according to Jewish law.

If a relative or someone came and wanted alone. Jews were commanded to give interest-free loans to one another, and so know someone wants alone to go as well. Like, like how much, and what's the limits and I want to give too much and Jesus and what he replace that with a heart of generosity. What you said something like, while it seems like he would bet it, but this seems like a really difficult time and you said you needed $100. Here's 220 help you on your way and I go you understand the early church multiplied and took the world literally and made upside down because of these kind of behaviors Jesus when essence was saying stop demanding your personal rights and live for a different kingdom with a different set of values. The way I respond. It's not that your mattress sura of door matter you enable people. There's plenty of verses and plenty of truth about epi.

Paul says if he doesn't work. Don't feed him. This is in giving another bottle to an alcoholic but this is an situation, saying instead of my rights and what does the law allow me to pay back what might I do that would extend mercy. It goes against every human tendency in our being and it displays God's greatness and his mercy. The final thing is the law of love. And he makes this very, very clear when it comes to retribution. He says don't ask. Inside the box.

What can I do to pay people back, I want to live outside the box will look like to extend mercy in this situation so they can actually see God's heart. Notice verse 43. You've heard it said to love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your father who is in heaven.

For he makes his sun to shine on the evil and the good and he sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have, not the tax collectors do the same if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others do not even the Gentiles do the same. You therefore must be perfect. You might circle that is your heavenly Father is perfect. It means whole translated sometimes mature. It means like your heavenly father goes beyond the legal limits and he he's kind and just and fair interpretation of the day was just love the people in your circle and noticed there is an omission they leave out love them as yourself. And then there is in addition you'll never find in the Old Testament hate those outside your circle. But in the romantic teachings at swelter supposed to love one another. Their mindset was, that means we probably should hate our enemies and Jesus new standard of righteousness is love those in my circle and love and pray for my enemies and persecutors.

It's very very interesting. This radical radical life that can only be lived with him living inside you is when it comes to retribution live outside the box when it comes to love. Love outside your circle and the people that are comfortable and I would ask you, who would you see his enemies and persecutors who make your blood boil. Who's hurt you in the past whose your political enemy who are people that hold things that make you crazy poor people in your neighborhood that just make you nuts. What would it look like for you to pray for them to do good to them not enable not put yourself in any kind of danger.

But to live in a way that they would scratch their head and go scamp. I'm been treating this person like this and oh good is more powerful than evil Lord. These are not hard words. They're not even difficult words, there absolutely impossible, and only when we come to see that we are desperately in need and the we fall so much shorter than we think we fall in word, desperate need of you, Lord, we don't need remodeled. We don't need little help I need a brand new relationship for those that have never trusted Christ Lord for some of the suite we need to stop allowing other things to be our God and surrender to Jesus is Lord and father, we would confess that, apart from your word and the power that it brings by your spirit. We are hopeless and helpless to be the men and women that cause your kingdom to come in your will to be done on earth as it is back in a minute. This application just a quick reminder this message radical mercy givers is from chip series. The world needs now he's in Matthew chapter 5 reminding us of Jesus. Specific instructions during a time of deep hurt, turmoil and political strife time all-too-familiar for us today, but what better comfort and encouragement. Good to hear from our Lord the priorities and counsel uppermost on his mind for the people hearing them firsthand.

Then and now for us. It's our sincere hope that you will share this message with a friend or family member on social media anywhere you can communicate with others who need wisdom in the Lord's guidance during these distressing days of access free MP3s and series discounts go to LivingontheEdge.org hapless nurse just capture what ship we need to get your application but would you take just a second look. Folks know how the ministry is not only continued to function but is really done some great work. Despite the shutdowns and distancing it all the people going on. Dave thankfully I have an office and a video and audio studio that I can keep doing work and I don't think I've ever been busier in my life and it's happened in ways that we never dreamed one we've been able to do things very specifically to help people one on one through something called the daily discipleship with chip where I literally got to one-on-one coaching with people of how to meet with God and how to mentor people and literally how to experience who you are in Christ, so that's been a lot of energy and the impact has literally been probably greater than any single thing we've done is we read the emails and talk to people and then to our delight, we have seen our friends in China take the resources that I'm not at liberty tell a lot about the true spirituality how to become a Romans 12 Christian in numbers that would just absolutely shock you in the midst of all of this doing training in 18 different cities and so we are so grateful for those who have given faithfully through this time that have allowed us to do what were doing and now the demands are even greater. So if you have never given to Living on the Edge now is a really great time and if you have thank you so much you have allowed us to do some things globally and nationally that we never dreamed could happen thank you very much. It's been humbling to see how people continue to support Living on the Edge even during these unprecedented days of hardship, the need for biblical wisdom and direction has risen in God's people continue to help us meet those needs. So let me include my thanks to our partners as well. If you like to join the team today would be a great day to do it to send a gift order set up a recurring donation. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org Donate on the app or give us a call a 8883336003 help me. Thank you in advance for whatever the Lord leads you to do in today's teaching Jesus addressed two crucial issues. First, what's the legal limits on our revenge right. I mean, how far can I go to pay people back in the answer is quite different than what we assume the second one was how far must my love extend how far outside my circle doesn't really need to go and we heard this radical call to respond in mercy to injustice toward us in ways that reveal the heart the father I like you to think about what that looks like in your life right now. What's that look like in your emotions and your perspective and for those of you listening to me right now that are you're a follower of Christ, you want to honor God. Let me ask you, are you loving the under circle is mercy.

The response that's coming out of your mouth. Then, in private conversations in your views on political issues and how you are painting other people.

This is really important stuff because what Jesus helps us see is that sometimes how we go about addressing injustice or things that are actually wrong. Our attitude or our way of doing it is just as wrong. In fact, he would say to his followers but I say to you, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Is that what you're doing for what good is it if you love those who love you, what credit is that even sinners do that but you love your enemies, do good land, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great because you will be sons. The ideas you will be like sons of the most high, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and evil men. Did you hear that God is kind to evil men. Does he agree with them know are there consequences. Yes. Does he bring about justice and righteousness absolutely, but he's kind to them. This whole series is what the world needs now and our role at this time in history as followers of Jesus is to bring healing and forgiveness and love and not retribution. In the same kind father we you help us as followers of Jesus to make your agenda are number one agenda. Would you help us to do the impossible to love our enemies, to bless those who curse us to pray for them and even do good to those we must violently disagree with for your glory and for their good amen powerful chip thank you will just before we close owner remind you that we have a great resource for you that goes along with the series but today's the last day to take advantage of the discounts are completely revised spiritual warfare cards provide specific scriptures that remind us that the conflicts we see are just in the here and now are part of a larger unseen spiritual battle for the hearts of men and women everywhere. Knowing the truth about the spiritual battle going on around us gives us the power we need to see it stay calm and to do battle like Jesus did with truth and grace whether there for you or to give as a gift to help and encourage someone else. I hope you pick up a setter to all discounted supplies last. For all the details on our newly revised spiritual warfare. Scripture cards tap special offers on the app give us a call a 8883336003 or visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org that's it for this program. Until next time, this is Dave thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge