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

Private question with whom one are you most angry right now. What has your blood boiling these days as you see the turmoil in our country in the world and then what would Jesus say about that very issue that person. That's today stay with thanks for joining us for this edition of living only with your favorite group trips are Bible teacher for this international discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians live like Christians on just a minute you wrapped up a series what the world needs no powerful reminder about who God is and who we are as his children is always to be with us in studio after this message to share some extra insight for us to think about not going to miss but before we begin. If you been encouraged and motivated by the series. You take a minute after this message and shirt with a friend can do that through the chip in your map or by sending them the free MP3s that you will find that LivingontheEdge.org now here's chip with part two of his message. Radical mercy givers.

Matthew chapter 5 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 it's not a scribe it's not religion it's Jesus words I don't about you that's different than what I grew up with. I learned a lot of verses that went like this a Christians 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 that 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 I mean that this is 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 in and he was also 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 that just know 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 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 am 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 guilt, guilt, 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 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 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 if you don't know of the context of this, it doesn't make a lot of sense. The interpretation is an allusion to Bittner 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 punches and mouthing gets a bat and no words escalating retribution. And so what these verses were were not a right but it was look if someone does something to you that say one category, then the law teaches that you can respond with one category if they get you with a three category, then you can only respond with a three category, 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 another 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 who is evil. This is not being pacifistic like oh wow 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 is what Jesus is after you hear the spirit. In other words, what does the law allow. I mean, how hard can I get them.

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 in traffic. 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 that it's not easy right on the freight he 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 Jesus is hyperbole is making the point if they want your undergarment. The tunic they went back to you and they would be a whole equivalent to be scratch it. What do I do 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 collect 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 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, and he looks at the Sgt. says you know you look very tired.

Can I care another mile. Interestingly, saying the 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 you 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 think what he replace that with a heart of generosity. What you said something like, while it seems like you 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 they go you understand the early church multiplied and took the world literally and made it 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 happy Paul says if he doesn't work. Don't feed him. This isn't 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 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 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 the 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 be on 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 admission, 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 it's wealth you're 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 scabbed. 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. We 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 right back with this application. This message radical mercy differs from a series with the world needs now turmoil division political corruption prejudice. These are just a few of the serious issues were dealing with in our society today.

But did you know the early church and Jesus's disciples faced similar problems in this three-part series chip shares the guidance Jesus gave to his followers, some 2000 years ago and how that wisdom relates to us today. Don't list the ways to build relationships, handle injustice and live your life like never before. For more information about what the world needs now for our many resources.

Just go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org hapless nurse to have special offers will before we wrap up this message in the series. Here's chip to talk about something that's really close to his heart in order. Living the time were circumstances are super super hard. In fact, he can be downright traumatic at times.

So how do you endure in face, seemingly impossible situations like that, here's what I want to tell you, God has spoken in these times are new in James chapter 1 he provides a blueprint for us is called the art of survival and in our new daily discipleship with Chip and me to teach you from James chapter 1 how you can survive and learn to thrive even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances. Let me tell you how it works. Each day I'm going to meet with you one-on-one for 10 days or we can discover what James chapter 1 teaches about the art of survival and life's trials will start her time together where I will literally get a couple coffee open my Bible and I'll talk directly with you one-on-one and will walk through how to study the Bible, you'll learn to study the Scriptures for yourself in a way where you hear God's voice and have God speak in such a way that gives you the strength to make it through life's hardest and most difficult times. So here's the challenge spend 10 days 10 minutes a day with me 10 minutes on your own and then let me encourage you invite 10 people to join you, let's be difference makers. Let's learn the art of survival in the age of chaos. You know those early disciples turn the world upside down and that's God's plan for you and me. Won't you join me, but strip. We were so excited to share with you our new daily discipleship with Chip. The art of survival based in James chapter 1 through this free video series will discover how to handle circumstances out of our control guard our attitude against discouragement and trust God and his provision. If you're ready to learn the art of surviving in these challenging times. Then preregister today to take the daily discipleship with Chip challenge and when you sign up will send you a new leather bound prayer journal as our gift to you to take this free 10 day daily discipleship challenge go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org hapless nurse tapped discipleship will Chip. Let's get to that application.

We promised 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 of the father 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 men just before we close.

I want to thank those of you who regularly give to the ministry of Living on the Edge you're making a big difference in helping Christians live like Christians if you're enjoying the benefits of Living on the Edge, but art get on the team would you do that today. You can set up a recurring donation by calling us at AAA 333-6003 or visiting us@livingontheedge.org hapless nurse tapped donate. Thanks for doing whatever the Lord leads you to do will. Until next time, this is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge