Retaliation Is For Losers
Matt 5:38-48
Have you ever noticed that getting even, really means being
one up? Several years ago several
counselors at camp got into pranking each other. The first prank was really minor, and the resulting prank was a
little worse, but nothing major. At the
end of the week two of the counselors meant to get one of the male counselors
only to get his co-counselor and it was bad news. They had cracked eggs, used ketchup and flour and dump all this
stuff into his sleeping bag. The first few pranks were not anything bad,
but every time you “get even” things get worse.
Now imagine what happens when people do don’t like each
other get into getting even. You
probably can think of time when you or someone you know well was in that
situation, and the hurt that it caused.
PRAYER
I. Refuse
To Play The Game
A.
Retaliation
1.
Retaliation, it’s a natural response.
2.
It’s very human.
3.
Have you ever thought about the fact that getting even usually
does more damage to us than our enemies?
4.
In a recent study, they found that bitter people died earlier
than people who didn’t hold anger in them.
5.
When we get so caught up in getting even, we become terrible
people to be around. Ulcers, bad
attitude, bitterness, and much more typically identify a person who is always
concerned about getting even with everyone who slights them.
B.
Retaliation is usually obsessive
1.
In the movie “Grumpy Old Men”, 2 men spend most of a life time
getting back at each other for various sleights done against them. They wake up in the morning plotting their
next move. They live for getting the
other guy.
2.
It’s amazing how much time getting even takes.
3.
It scary to think about how much energy getting even takes.
4.
It really can become an obsession.
II. Supernatural
Lifestyle
A.
Jesus tells us we need to learn a supernatural response.
1.
One that can only happen if we are empowered by God.
2.
It cannot happen on our own, only God can give us the ability
to respond as Jesus challenges us to do in these verses.
B.
Eight insights about what God expects from us come from these
verses.
1.
Treat others better than they deserve.
a)
Got sets the precedent for us.
b)
Notice what scripture says in Matt 5:45 - the rain falls on
the just and the unjust.
c)
God treats us better than we deserve and we can do well by
treating others better than they deserve.
2.
Go “one down” with opponents
a)
Not only does he give the rain to the just and the unjust, but
he sent his son to die for everyone.
b)
rather than try to be one up, work on being one down.
c)
READ Phil. 2:3-11
3.
Live A Proactive Life
a)
Don’t sit by and react to how you have been treated, take
control.
b)
Make a decision to NOT play the retaliation game.
c)
Decide rather to do “one better” than “one up”
4.
Treat others the way God treats you.
a)
vs. 48 says, be
perfect as God is perfect.
b)
How was that perfection identified here?
c)
By the way people treated others.
5.
Put your heat into your work
a)
We need to realize that people matter.
b)
At Tulsa, Jeff Walling gave one of the most inspirational and
convicting sermons I ever heard. He
used the text of the woman crying at the feet of Jesus. Those around him couldn’t believe Jesus
would let this sinner even near him.
Jesus turns to the host and says, “do you see this woman?”
c)
Do you understand what he was saying?
d)
Do we see the invisible people.
e)
Do we see the people that don’t matter?
f)
Do we see the person hurting next to us?
g)
Do we see the people who need saving?
h)
Do we REALLY see those people?
i)
Are they more than a nuisance?
6.
Pray for your enemies
a)
One of hardest things that I have had to teach myself to do,
is pray for my enemies. At first, I
prayed they would go away, but now I have slowly learn to pray that God would
work his will in their lives.
b)
Guess what, many of those enemies are no longer my enemies,
and my battles I try to turn over to him to deal with.
c)
It’s liberating when you can do that, and a lot less
stressful.
7.
Accept God’s love
a)
We need to be lovers not fighters
b)
By realizing God’s love for us, it should remind us we don’t
need to worry about getting even because God has given us so many points we are
way ahead of the game.
8.
Use the Holy Spirit as your source of power
a)
The only way we can really take advantage of this new way of
living is to let the Holy Spirit control us.
b)
Part of the fruit of the Holy spirit is self-control and
patience among other things.
c)
Use him as your source to overcome the natural instinct we
have in us.
d)
Remember that he who is in us is greater than he who is in the
world.
III. Power of Choice
A.
Real Power
1.
We often hear that power is for the big guy, the authority,
2.
real power is power under control.
3.
When you choose not to retaliate you control the situation and
have the most powerful conflict resolution style of all.
B.
The Power of Golgatha
1.
Think of the power displayed on Golgatha
2.
Jesus could have decided at any time to seek retaliation but
he CHOSE not to do so.
3.
His enemies thought they were in control.
a)
They were the ones who beat him, mocked him.
b)
They were the ones who put him on the cross.
4.
Jesus was in complete control of that situation from the very
beginning until the end.
C.
You can let anger control you, or you can control your anger.
1.
Don’t let it eat away at you and make you a lesser person.
2.
Don’t worry about getting even, worry about getting right.