How to Live in a World that Hates You
Message 1; Love Your Enemies

Living in a Hostile World

Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor Leviticus 19:18 and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. ...

I don’t know about you, but for many years in my Christian walk, these verses seemed to have very little meaning to me.  Why?  I didn’t have any enemies that I knew of.  Nobody was cursing me, I didn’t know anyone who hated me.  I didn’t feel mistreated or persecuted.  So, these verses were just a throwback to the 1^st century, or maybe they applied to other countries, or times in the future. 

Now granted, I’ve lived a pretty sheltered life.  I grew up in a Christian home.  I’ve worked in the church.  And even my secular jobs have at least been places where people respected each other’s right to disagree without being disagreeable.

But things they are a changing.  I haven’t changed my viewpoints, my stand on the Scripture.  But there seems to be more and more instances where people, who I don’t consider enemies, would consider me an enemy. 

So, I got to thinking about it.  And I made a list of Sermon Titles, let’s say that I was advertising a sermon on Farcebook, or I sent out a tweet about a sermon I was preaching.  These are some sermon titles that would get me death threats, or at least extreme hate. 

1.     There is only one God, and He’s not a woman.  (He’s not a man either.)

2.     It was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.

3.     Evolution is a lie.

4.     If you don’t want to be shot by police, don’t resist arrest.

5.     All lives matter.

6.     God will destroy the earth in the end.

7.     Pray for your president.

8.     Merry Christmas

9.     The Bible says women shouldn’t be pastors.

10. If you don’t want a baby, don’t have sex. (Not gender specific)

11. There is a time for war.

12. You cannot be whatever you want to be.

13. You were physically born the gender God gave you.

14. Dogs don’t go to heaven.

15. Jesus is the only way.

Some of those can even get you hostility in the church.  But, the thing is, I could support all of those statements with Scripture. 

But in the world we are now in, probably much of that would be called hate speech, and saying it brings on venom, and cursing, threats, and extreme hostility.  It didn’t used to be that way, but our society has shifted.

So, as we came to a close on Acts 16 last week, something was still gnawing at me.  First, we didn’t get to finish the last few verses of the chapter.  And those verses made me think of the theme; Living in a Hostile World.  

I just want to go back through Acts, and forward a little bit, and look at some principles for Christians in a hostile world to live by.  I am using other Bible passages, but illustrating those principles with stories from the book of Acts.  Acts is a great illustrative book.  It doesn’t give us a lot of teaching.  It just tells us things that happened in the early church.  But those things that happened are great illustrations of principles we learn in the rest of Scripture. I have 8 principles so far, so we are not going to get through these in one week, or even two.

Prayer

The first principle for living in a hostile world is also the most important.

I.                    Love those who hate you. 

Jesus made this statement in Matthew 5 in direct contradiction to the way that the Jews, and everybody was living then, and now.  He said,

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor Leviticus 19:18 and hate your enemy.’

The common practice among religious and non-religious alike is to love people who love me, and to tell those who hate me to go pound sand.  “Get off my porch.” “Get out of my face.” “I don’t like you, and your mother dresses you funny.”

But Jesus raises a standard of loving your enemies.  And He elaborates on what that means practically.

But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you,

If somebody is cussing you out, reply with good and gentile words.  And not sarcastically, “Well God Bless your little heart.”

do good to those who hate you,

If someone has let you know of their contempt for you, by word or action, look for a way to do something good for them.  And by the way, He doesn’t say to do this because it will soften their heart.  You just do it because you are commanded to do it by God.

and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,

You are out there actively doing good to everyone, enemy and friend alike, and some respond by shoveling manure on your head. Pray for them.  Pray for their salvation.  And once again, don’t expect your prayer to make them treat you better.  Jesus prayed for His disciples, and the world in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Then His disciples abandoned Him, and the world crucified Him.

So, the first principle for living in a hostile world, how are we to do it, how should we act toward those who make themselves our enemies, is “love those who hate you.”

And with each of these principles I’m going to follow the same outline.  First we’ll look at the principle itself.  Then I’m going to draw from the book of Acts to illustrate that principle.  Finally, I’m going to elaborate on the reason for the principle.

A.     The principle: Love those who hate you

1.    It’s not new

Many people view the Old Testament as describing an angry and vengeful God, and the New Testament as describing a Gracious, loving and forgiving God.  But God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.  The Old and New Testaments are just two chapters in the story of the same God.  God has always required that we love those who hate us. 

For example;

Exodus 23:5 ⁵ If you see the donkey of him who hates you fallen down under his burden, don’t leave him. You shall surely help him with it.

Proverbs 25:21¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink;  Proverbs 24:17  Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,

Notice that these passages address two things; your attitude toward your enemies, don’t rejoice over their calamity, and your actions; help them when they need it.

Both of those were addressed in the book of the prophet Obadiah.  Obadiah’s prophecy was addressed to the people of Edom, (related to the Israelites) who viewed Israel as an enemy.  So, when Babylon invaded Israel, the Edomites joined the Babylonians in plundering Israel.  And God condemned them, through Obadiah’s prophecy for their attitudes and actions toward Israel.

Obadiah 12-13 But don’t look down on your brother in the day of his disaster, and don’t rejoice over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction. Don’t speak proudly in the day of distress. ¹³ Don’t enter into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity. Don’t look down on their affliction in the day of their calamity, neither seize their wealth on the day of their calamity.

God’s attitude did not change from the Old Testament to the New.  It’s just that in the new, salvation has come through Jesus Christ.  And now we have a called out people called Christians, who are indwelt by God Himself, in His Spirit.  So they have the power to become all that God always wanted them to be; those who love. 

1 John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. ⁸ He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

2.    For the Christian all of life is love

1 Corinthians 16:14 ¹⁴ Let all that you do be done in love.

Everything you do should display love.  Your work ethic, your family life, the way you use your money, and the way you treat people, friend and enemy alike.

3.    But what about their sin?

I know, I know.  I was driving the other day.  I keep a gap between myself and the car in front of me.  There was lots of traffic.  We were approaching a construction zone where it narrows to one lane.  And the guy behind me was tailgating me.  He was driving aggressively.  Acting like he wanted me to speed up.  It was crazy.  He wanted me to drive up on the car in front of me.  We weren’t going to get any where any faster.  I kept the gap.  This guy gunned it and whipped around me, so he could now be 10 ft further ahead on the road.  Do you know what I wanted to do?  I’m not going to tell you.  Do you know what I did?  I’m not going to tell you. 

When people act hatefully toward us, for no reason, we want to react with anger and hate.  You know we’ve always heard

Hate the sin, love the sinner; We say, “I really hate what you’re doing, but I love you with the love of the Lord.”

It’s difficult to get both our actions and our attitudes aligned under love.  And part of the reason for that is that God is not just a God of love, He is also the God of justice, and vengeance on evil.

Have you heard of the Imprecatory psalms?

“Imprecatory Psalms, contained within the Book of Psalms of the Hebrew Bible (תנ"ך), are those that invoke judgment, calamity or curses upon one's enemies or those perceived as the enemies of God.”

David wrote them.  Let me quote from a couple.

Psalm 35: ⁴ Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.

⁵ Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them.

⁶ Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.

⁷ For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.

⁸ Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

Psalm 69: ²² Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.

²³ Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.

²⁴ Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.

²⁵ Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.

²⁶ For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.

²⁷ Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.

²⁸ Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

Now we can relate to that, “get them Lord, they deserve it.”  It’s a delicate balance, a tightrope that we walk between desiring God’s justice, and looking on the world in love.  But in the very same Psalm where David calls for the destruction of his enemies, listen to what he says,

Psalm 35: ¹¹ False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not. ¹² They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.

¹³ But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

¹⁴ I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.

Hate the sin, love the sinner.  We struggle with that.  Why? Because only God can strike the perfect balance between the two.  And it is only in God’s Spirit working in us,  that we can do both.  We can look at the world, and even our neighbors and, dare I say, family, with a holy indignation for the way they are living and treating us and others, but at the same time, love them, desire they’re salvation.

4.    The New Testament fills out the meaning

Romans 12:14-21 Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits. ¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. ¹⁹ Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” ²¹ Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Easy to say, difficult to do.  So I wanted to share with you a couple of illustrations from the book of Acts.  Two instances where someone hated the sin, but loved the sinner. 

B.    The narrative

By the way, the word love is never mentioned in the book of Acts.  But it’s displayed.  And do you know the main way that it is displayed?  Preaching the gospel.  It is not loving to withhold the truth that will save from someone.  It is not loving not to tell them of impending judgment.

1.    The preaching of Stephen

Remember the story of Stephen

He was arrested because he was effectively proclaimed the truth of the gospel.

Acts 6: ⁸ And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

⁹ Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

¹⁰ And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

So how is he an example of love?  Well let’s listen to his preaching.  He is called to defend himself before the corrupt Sanhedrin.  The very people who crucified Jesus.  Listen to his words of love.

Acts 7: ⁵¹ Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

⁵² Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

⁵³ Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

⁵⁴ When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

Would you say that Stephan was displaying God’s love?  Yes, it is loving to tell someone that they are corrupt, vile, and in danger of God’s judgment, if they are. 

Look what happened.

Acts 7: ⁵⁷ But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears, then rushed at him with one accord. ⁵⁸ They threw him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 

You say, well I’ll bet Stephen is angry with them.  I bet he’ll pray some of those imprecatory Psalms.  God, get my enemies.  No, look what happens.

⁶⁰ He kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

He prayed the same prayer that Jesus did, “Father forgive them.”

How do we get to that point in our attitude and actions?  We need to get to know God better, this is His love.  And we need to get to know ourselves better.  God loved us, and we didn’t deserve it.

Let me give you another example.

2.    The preaching of Paul

Paul and his band are preaching Christ in a synagogue assembly.  And he pulls no punches.  He preaches the crucifixion, and holds the nation of the Jews accountable.  And he calls on these Jews to believe in the resurrected Christ.  But then he gives them a warning

^{Acts 13:40} Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;

⁴¹ Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

⁴² And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

So many Gentiles believe.

⁴⁴ And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

⁴⁵ But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

⁵⁰ But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.

⁵¹ But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.

What did their Jewish enemies do?  They followed them.

14 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.

² But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.

³ Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

⁴ But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles.

⁵ And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,

⁶ They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about:

⁷ And there they preached the gospel.

So they fled again.  What did their Jewish enemies do?  They followed them.

Acts 14: ¹⁹ But some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

²⁰ But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up,

So, Paul miraculously gets up after suffering mortal wounds.  Well, I’ll bet he’ll quote Psalm 69 now, God strike their names from the book of life.  No…

and entered into the city.

He went back into town.

On the next day he went out with Barnabas to Derbe. ²¹ When they had preached the Good News to that city, and had made many disciples,

“they looked for a place where they would be appreciated.” no

they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 

they went back to the places they had been beaten, cursed, and maligned.  Why? Love

Paul said this in Romans.

Romans 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

That’s the illustration of how you hate the sin and love the sinner.  You preach and live the gospel, even calling sin, sin. Calling a sinner a sinner.  Preach the truth in love.  Hate sin with all the venom that the Spirit of God produces in you.  But pity and love the sinner.

So that’s the principle, and the illustration.  What’s the reason?  Why should we love our enemies in this hostile world?   

C.    The reason: Why love your enemies, do good to them that hate you?

Four reasons; God’s going to take care of it.  God is love. We are to be imitators of God.  God’s love is not affected by circumstance.

1.    God’s going to take care of it.

Matthew 5:44-45 ⁴⁴ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; ⁴⁵ That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

And third…

3.    We are to be imitators of God

1 John 4:7-8 ⁷ Beloved, let’s love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God. ⁸ He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love.

And the fourth reason…

4.    Nothing changes the love of God

Romans 5:8 ⁸ But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

We are to imitate God’s love.  He loved us before we turned to Him.  While we were still His enemies.

And even after we came to faith, God still extends His love.

So, ideally, nothing should change our love for our enemies.  neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing

No matter what they do, we still love them.

Our first principle for living in this hostile world is love.  Everything else falls under love.  It’s really easy to explain, and very difficult to live. 

Let’s pray