1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,800 Today's message was planned months ago. 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:05,600 But I do think the. Lord has something for us today, 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:09,360 especially with sort of the days we find ourselves in during the 4 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:13,240 season in our nation and so on, so forth, and it's kind of cool 5 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:14,560 to see how His timing works. Out. 6 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:15,880 It might be a little bit longer today. 7 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:18,560 So thank you for your. Patience, if you you know if you 8 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:20,880 need to move and stretch around a little bit, feel free. 9 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:22,400 Just go on the back. Do some jumping jacks. 10 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:27,640 OK, that is just fine. I want to begin by sharing. 11 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:31,240 In late September 2025 S just a few months. 12 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:35,200 Ago the Marist Poll in partnership with NPR and PBS, 13 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:37,560 they. Conducted A nationally 14 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:41,120 representative survey. About 1500 adults were surveyed. 15 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,040 And one of the most concerning findings that they found. 16 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:50,560 Was attitudes towards political violence so when asking 17 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:52,120 Americans. If we need to. 18 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:56,040 Quote, resort to violence in order to get the country back on 19 00:00:56,040 --> 00:01:00,640 track. 30% of adults now agree with that statement. 20 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:04,400 Which represents A notable increase. 21 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:09,200 From just 19 percent 18 months ago, so. 22 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,320 Agreement with the idea that violence may be necessary to get 23 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:14,240 get the. Country back on track has. 24 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:18,520 Risen 11 percentage. Points in just 18 months. 25 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:22,160 Like that's a that is a sharp. Increase that we're seeing here 26 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:26,080 in America. Now, that's not the only. 27 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:27,840 Concerning statistic, here's another one. 28 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:32,840 They also found that 62% of Americans say the country's 29 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:37,360 headed in the wrong direction, also an increase from a few 30 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:39,000 months. Ago, OK. 31 00:01:39,960 --> 00:01:42,600 So with those two things in mind, let me. 32 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:47,680 Ask you what happens when more and more people are becoming 33 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:49,520 dissatisfied with where we're headed? 34 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,360 And. More and more people are open to 35 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:55,240 violence to get things back on track. 36 00:01:57,520 --> 00:01:59,360 Does that sound like a recipe for success? 37 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:04,440 A little scary? This is the pulse of our nation. 38 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:08,080 This is where people's heads are at more and more open. 39 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:10,560 To violence. More and more discontent with 40 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,240 where we're headed. So today I want to ask the. 41 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:16,200 Question. How are? 42 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:21,600 Christians meant to respond to an ever increasing violent 43 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,680 world. What's our response to that? 44 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:29,840 More importantly, what does Jesus? 45 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:36,520 Have to say about that Jesus in the Beatitudes, which is the 46 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:40,520 series we're in right now, he says these unbelievably profound 47 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:43,200 words that just. Ring out in our cultural. 48 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,320 Moment today and we're going to be focusing on three of the 49 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:48,520 beatitudes found here in Matthew chapter 5. 50 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,200 If you have your Bibles, you can turn there beginning in verse 7. 51 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,120 These are Jesus's words. Let's listen carefully to our 52 00:02:55,120 --> 00:03:04,560 teacher and Master verse 7. Blessed are the merciful, for 53 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:09,880 they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, 54 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:17,640 for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for 55 00:03:17,640 --> 00:03:21,440 they will be called children of God. 56 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,200 These words as we studied the. Beatitudes. 57 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,040 We've spoken the last couple times. 58 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:30,200 How? The Beatitudes are not 59 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:33,800 necessarily a list of virtues that Jesus is. 60 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,800 Prescribing to us meaning. Go and be these things. 61 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:39,120 If you want blessing, be blessed in the Kingdom. 62 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:43,000 Rather than being prescriptive, we've said they're actually 63 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:48,040 descriptive, meaning these are the groups of people that, if 64 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:50,160 they enter into the Kingdom, will find. 65 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:53,680 Themselves to be happy, find themselves to be blessed. 66 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,680 Jesus mentions the merciful, the pure in heart. 67 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:00,320 And today I want to focus in on just this one. 68 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:05,280 Blessed are the peacemakers. Would you agree we need some? 69 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:09,160 Peacemakers today. Even though Jesus isn't 70 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:12,400 prescribing necessarily these things, again these represent 71 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:14,240 Kingdom. Virtues, those who will be happy 72 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:15,480 in the Kingdom. And all. 73 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,360 Throughout Scripture we see a call to peace. 74 00:04:18,399 --> 00:04:21,079 Romans 12 encourage us to. Live at peace with. 75 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:27,160 Everyone as far as it depends on us, but I got to. 76 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:31,520 Ask what is it? About the human condition, where 77 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:36,400 we just seem to struggle so much with the idea of actually making 78 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:40,520 peace. The Greek word is Irene, which 79 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:42,080 is connected to the word. Shalom. 80 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:46,840 It's it's this idea that God wants to bring Eden like 81 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,280 wholeness. Back into creation, it's a. 82 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,120 Completeness and a wholeness in. Every area of life, including. 83 00:04:52,280 --> 00:04:55,240 Our relationships with God. Our relationships with neighbors 84 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:58,920 and nations amongst itself. That Shalom is the goal. 85 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,720 But boy, we struggled with this, do we not? 86 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:07,880 In order to understand, I think we need to go back to the the 87 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:10,760 very birth place of. Violence. 88 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:12,720 Can anyone? Think of where that might. 89 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:14,040 Be in the pages of. Scripture. 90 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:18,080 It's actually in the. Very first pages of scripture we 91 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:21,400 see blood spilled in the very beginning. 92 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:24,520 So, long story really short, here's kind of an overview. 93 00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:28,360 God out of his communal nature and relationship. 94 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,120 With the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, He creates all. 95 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:34,960 Things good in this universe? He places mankind in a garden 96 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:36,120 of. Eden, it's a paradise. 97 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:37,560 There's wholeness, there's perfection. 98 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:41,280 Mankind is deceived. By the serpent and what happens 99 00:05:41,280 --> 00:05:43,040 is they. Choose to take. 100 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,840 Right for wrong in their own eyes, in their own mind, and 101 00:05:45,840 --> 00:05:50,960 they rebel against a very loving and good and holy God as a 102 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:52,920 result. The ground is cursed. 103 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,000 Sin separates man from God, and we are seeing the. 104 00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:00,280 Fallout of that decision play out in every area of our world 105 00:06:00,280 --> 00:06:01,680 so far. You with me so far. 106 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:04,720 So Adam and Eve they get. Kicked out of the garden in 107 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:06,640 other. Words there there's a necessary. 108 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:10,240 Separation from both the. Holiness of God and the tree of 109 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:12,560 life that. Will keep them alive forever, so 110 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:16,800 now death is is entered in. After that, Adam and Eve. 111 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:19,560 They procreate. They have. 112 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:25,560 A man, a son named Cain and Abel if you know the story, Cain ends 113 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:30,360 up murdering his. Brother Abel, and here it is. 114 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:35,080 The first violence that we have ever encountered is found on 115 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:36,640 some of the first pages of Scripture. 116 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:40,920 Sin immediately takes lives. Cain kills his brother Abel. 117 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,320 And then Cain continues to. Reproduce. 118 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:49,160 Out of Cain's line comes a man named Lamech, and I want to 119 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:52,200 focus on Lamech for. Just a second here for a moment. 120 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:54,840 Lamech is found in Genesis. Chapter 4. 121 00:06:54,840 --> 00:06:56,720 So again, first pages of the Bible. 122 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:59,640 And we see that things. Are just spiraling out of 123 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:01,640 control by the time Lamech rolls around. 124 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:03,560 We don't know a whole lot about him. 125 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:05,840 But what we do know is he wrote this sort of. 126 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,520 Song of Violence like a hymn dedicated. 127 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:10,520 To violence. It's called the. 128 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:13,640 Song of the Sword and what we see is like this is this is the 129 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,200 time in history where like metal is starting to be crafted for 130 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,200 technology and scholars believe this is where we see some of the 131 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:22,600 1st. Weapons that were ever starting 132 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,960 to be formed. Lamech is not a good dude in 133 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:28,240 Genesis chapter 4. Take a look. 134 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:30,000 At his, sort of. Mentality. 135 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:31,720 This is what Lamech. Says. 136 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:37,720 He says I have killed a man for. Wounding me. 137 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:41,400 Let's pause there. Lamech is bragging about in 138 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:42,400 this. Song of violence, he's. 139 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:45,080 Bragging about how someone hurt me but I turned around. 140 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:48,120 And I killed him. That's the type of Lamech I am, 141 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:49,400 right? He continues. 142 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:52,560 He says if. Cain is avenged 7 times. 143 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:58,160 Then Lamech 77 times. This is the idea that God had 144 00:07:58,160 --> 00:07:59,640 his. Hand on Cain to protect him 145 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:01,200 after the poor decision. That he had made. 146 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:05,080 But Lamech is basically boasting in the fact that man, if anybody 147 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:08,400 wrongs me, I'm going to. Come at them even more 148 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:11,160 violently. He boasts about his bloodshed. 149 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:14,560 He he takes 2 wives for himself, going against God's order. 150 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:16,680 He's avenging people right like this. 151 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,000 Is a violent dude. I asked. 152 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:24,440 AII was like, hey AI, can you like help us to understand what 153 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:26,880 Lamech might look like in the 21st century? 154 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:30,320 Like a violent warlord, but like, mix it with ancient Near 155 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,760 Eastern, you know, garb and this is what it popped out. 156 00:08:33,919 --> 00:08:35,200 I thought it was. Pretty good, right? 157 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:40,480 Yikes, right? Like that. 158 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:42,880 Blood lust and blood and violence. 159 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:45,360 Right, he's got the. The the guns he's. 160 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:50,000 Just out for blood. This is the spirit of Lamech. 161 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:56,640 I'm not going to avenge 7 times, I'm going to avenge 77 times. 162 00:08:56,920 --> 00:08:59,080 You catching the catching the vibe, catching the vibe of 163 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:02,120 Lamech. What we see here is human beings 164 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:04,240 are beginning to. Spiral out of control. 165 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:05,800 You can take that off the screen if you want. 166 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:08,040 People are like, please. Take that off. 167 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:12,800 What we see is. Lamech represents an unlimited 168 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:15,560 violent retaliation and violence against. 169 00:09:15,560 --> 00:09:17,520 His opponents. You hurt me. 170 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:21,760 I kill you. That's the spirit of Lamech. 171 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:25,880 So God does something about this, not only with the. 172 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:28,480 Flood and Noah. But eventually, God chooses his 173 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:30,360 own. Select special group of people. 174 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:32,640 He's going to call them his own, and he's going to teach them a 175 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:34,720 new way to live called the Israelites. 176 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:38,040 And God gives them structure. He gives them laws. 177 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:40,680 So that they can be different. From all the nations around. 178 00:09:40,680 --> 00:09:43,560 Them this is very important. And one of those laws that he. 179 00:09:43,560 --> 00:09:47,960 Gives to his chosen children to separate them from everyone else 180 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:51,120 and to stop this sort of violence, but getting more and 181 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:53,320 more violence is he gives them the law. 182 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:58,000 In Exodus verse 21 it says this, but if there is serious injury, 183 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:04,920 you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, 184 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:09,120 etcetera. Now you may be thinking, how 185 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:11,720 does that help anything that also sounds violent? 186 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:13,760 But what we need to understand here is. 187 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:16,000 This this is called lex thalionus. 188 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:18,320 Which is the. Idea of the Law of. 189 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:21,640 Retaliation, and what its intended purpose is to do is 190 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:24,560 it's actually meant not to. Promote violence. 191 00:10:24,560 --> 00:10:27,240 It's actually meant to put parameters around it. 192 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:31,840 It's meant to introduce justice. So rather than you hurt me, I 193 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:34,440 hurt you 10 times worse. This says no, no, no, no. 194 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:38,680 I for I tooth for tooth. In other words, what's done to 195 00:10:38,680 --> 00:10:41,280 you gets done to the other, and then it's done. 196 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:44,360 Justice is served. Does that make sense? 197 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:46,880 This prevents families feuding especially. 198 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:49,160 In an honor shame society, right where your honor is. 199 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:52,360 Everything it prevents it from. Blowing out of proportion, so. 200 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:57,120 Lex tally on us represents. Keeping peace how? 201 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:01,280 Through retaliation. You with me so far. 202 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:05,000 You guys doing OK? It's meant to contain the self 203 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,680 perpetuating cycle of escalating violent revenge. 204 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:10,640 In other words, it's an equalizer of justice to purge 205 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:13,560 evil because if left unchecked, things go. 206 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:16,360 Awry. We don't have to look far to 207 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:19,760 understand this. OK, I I look to my own children. 208 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:21,640 And I see the need for something like this. 209 00:11:21,680 --> 00:11:24,280 Let me give you an example. So we have like a little swing 210 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:26,080 in our basement that. Our kids love. 211 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:28,360 To play on. Both of them love to play on it 212 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:30,480 at the same time. You know where this is going. 213 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:33,480 Jane's older, she's 7, she's on the swing. 214 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:37,080 David comes up, he wants a turn. Jane, let me on Jane, you know, 215 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:39,200 casually. Jane doesn't give him a chance, 216 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,440 kind of pushes him away. Or what does David do? 217 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,800 David gets mad and he tries to get on the swing by force. 218 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:48,040 How does that go? Jane's older, she's bigger this 219 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:49,840 time. She maybe shoves him a little 220 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:50,560 bit. Oh. 221 00:11:50,560 --> 00:11:52,720 David doesn't like that. What does David do? 222 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:54,520 He comes. Back with a haymaker. 223 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:55,840 Pow. All right. 224 00:11:57,080 --> 00:11:58,920 But Jane's bigger. She's stronger, right? 225 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:00,880 She she can assert her dominance, right? 226 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:04,880 So she puts David in his place. On and on it. 227 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:07,720 Goes the cycle explodes, right? All of a sudden they're 228 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:09,160 screaming. All of a sudden we have to get 229 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:11,080 involved. And it is not fun. 230 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:14,680 Guys, I didn't have to teach them that. 231 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:17,760 At least I hope I didn't teach them that, OK? 232 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:20,720 I didn't have to teach them that. 233 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:29,240 Lamech is in their DNA. It's in our DNA, it's in our 234 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:32,160 bones. We're prone towards violence. 235 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:35,440 And so this law was meant to keep it in check and not have it 236 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:38,920 spiral out of control. OK, so. 237 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:40,840 God creates everything. It's good. 238 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:44,040 We see. Cain kill Abel, his son. 239 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:46,000 Or his descendant Lamech. His. 240 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:48,840 Violent, perpetuating violence, escalation. 241 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:52,480 God puts parameters in place through the law. 242 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:55,360 And now let's jump to Jesus's time. 243 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:58,240 This is the time of the Beatitudes that we read earlier. 244 00:12:58,560 --> 00:13:01,960 Let's jump to Jesus. You see Jesus also. 245 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:05,640 Was experienced a quote UN quote peace during his time in the 1st 246 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:08,360 century. However, this. 247 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:11,600 Piece was known as what was called Pox Romana. 248 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:14,440 Anyone remember history? Pox Romana. 249 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:20,160 It's called the peace. Of anyone Rome Pox Romana was an 250 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:24,920 era in which Rome was occupying Jewish lands, and through the 251 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:28,440 use of soldiers and legions, they would keep the peace 252 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:32,160 through power and through might. Someone was revolting up against 253 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:33,760 Rome. They were acting out of line, 254 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:35,480 Rome. Said OK. 255 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:39,040 I'm going to put you on a cross. To send a message public 256 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:42,960 execution and So what we see here. 257 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:45,280 Is that? Revolts would begin to rise up 258 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:49,320 against Rome, but they would be squashed underneath Rome's boot. 259 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:52,680 So basically this would be the. Moment where like you're on. 260 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:55,560 Facebook. Or online and the comments 261 00:13:55,560 --> 00:13:57,960 sections are getting out of control and people are fighting 262 00:13:57,960 --> 00:13:59,640 and people are rebelling and and Rome. 263 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:01,280 Sort of just like drops. The ban and. 264 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:04,000 Blocks everyone, right they have the power to do that, to limit 265 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:07,040 that sort of free speech and just come in with an iron fist 266 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:08,760 and. What we? 267 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:10,520 See here is that POC's Romana was. 268 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:12,480 Keeping the peace as well. But they were. 269 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:17,440 Doing it through power, through fear, and through military 270 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:20,200 might. So the Jewish people under the 271 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:22,400 force of this, this sort of oppressive. 272 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:25,280 Imperialist empire. They would revolt. 273 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:28,160 You'd have people like Simon the Zealot. 274 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:31,880 Who? It's likely and possible that 275 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,520 Simon the Zealot was a part of an organization called the 276 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:36,560 Sakari. Or not an organization, but 277 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:37,840 rather this. This group of. 278 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:39,240 Men. They were called dagger men. 279 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:40,760 And the idea? Is that he would. 280 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:43,760 Be like this sort of far right insurrectionist, right and they. 281 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:45,320 The idea is they'd have. Cloaks. 282 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:48,880 And they'd have daggers inside their cloaks and they'd sneak 283 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:52,520 into the crowds and they'd pull out their daggers and they would 284 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:56,080 assassinate Roman officials. They would assassinate Roman 285 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:59,400 leaders and this. Was their way of. 286 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:02,800 Insurrection. They were rebelling against the 287 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:06,120 oppressive foot of the Roman Empire. 288 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:12,360 And so again, what we see was Rome was quote, UN quote, 289 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:15,880 keeping the peace, but it was through violence and 290 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:18,840 insurrectionist guerrilla warfare was popping into place. 291 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:24,400 OK, got it so far. Following along, here's the 292 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:29,600 point. Both Lex Thalianas eye for an 293 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:35,200 eye, law of retaliation and Pox Romana weren't working. 294 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:41,320 The Jews just used Lex Thalianas eye for an eye as an excuse for 295 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:43,600 personal violent vengeance for their oppressor. 296 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:46,800 And the Romans were using violence leading to more and 297 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:48,240 more rage. And so again we see. 298 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:51,520 Violence is just perpetuating lamex. 299 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:56,920 Violence in our DNA was winning and we see. 300 00:15:56,920 --> 00:16:00,560 That happening still today. Do we not we see violence being 301 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:04,240 perpetuated? Doctor Martin Luther King, he 302 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:06,160 wrote it this way. The ultimate. 303 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:09,280 Weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral. 304 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:11,120 But. Getting the very thing it seeks 305 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:14,840 to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it 306 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,360 multiplies it. Returning. 307 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:21,360 Violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness 308 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:24,160 to a night already devoid of stars. 309 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:29,160 That language is powerful. A night already devoid of stars. 310 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:35,840 You and I, if you. Watch TV, on the news or you're 311 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:38,560 on social media, whatsoever. We need to understand something. 312 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:41,880 You and I are. Constantly being provoked to 313 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:44,640 anger. Have you recognized that? 314 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:48,240 Constantly being provoked to anger. 315 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:52,120 Ben Sasse in a book called them Why We Hate Each Other wrote it 316 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:55,560 this way. He wrote clicks are cash. 317 00:16:56,440 --> 00:17:00,640 And so in our digital age, provocative social media is the 318 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:04,920 only profitable social media. Here's what he means. 319 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:06,359 He's saying when you're on social. 320 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:09,800 Media and you see a headline. It's intentionally trying to 321 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:11,520 incite rage. And anger. 322 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:13,359 And frustration. So that you'll click on it. 323 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:15,960 Why? Because they make money through 324 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:18,200 ad revenue that way. And they know that if you're. 325 00:17:18,319 --> 00:17:20,440 Outraged if you're. Frustrated by something you are 326 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:22,640 far more likely to engage? You're going to get in the 327 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:24,400 comments. That's going to drive algorithm. 328 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:26,800 Exposure, etcetera, etcetera. This is how it works. 329 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:30,000 Did you guys know this? In other words, as as the kids 330 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,400 say, you're constantly being rage baited. 331 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:38,080 All of us are being rage. Baited. 332 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:41,560 This is no different from those news stations, the 24 hour news 333 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:45,760 cycles that we see. No wonder it feels like peace 334 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:47,760 feels impossible. In our day and age, right? 335 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:53,680 No wonder it seems so difficult when we're being provoked and 336 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:58,200 antagonized all the time. Man, what do we do when peace 337 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:00,600 feels impossible and anger is encouraged? 338 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:05,040 All right, let's pause for a second. 339 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:08,320 Everyone take a deep breath in all the way out. 340 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:16,520 We need a new way of peace. We need a new way of making 341 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:21,880 Shalom of wholeness. We need to take on Jesus's way 342 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:25,680 in this. Passage. 343 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:27,720 We see that. Jesus was doing three things. 344 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:29,000 He was number 1. He was. 345 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:30,680 Proclaiming that the Kingdom had come. 346 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:32,320 There was a new kind of ruling reign. 347 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:35,680 With a new kind of authority and culture coming with it #2. 348 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:37,920 He wasn't just proclaiming it, he was manifesting it. 349 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:39,680 He was. Bringing Heaven. 350 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:42,760 On to Earth through. Healings and signs and wonders. 351 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:45,080 But he was doing a third thing as well. 352 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:47,960 He was teaching through the brilliance of the Sermon on the 353 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:49,080 Mount. He was teaching us. 354 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:52,640 How to be human. He was opening our imagination 355 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:56,280 and this is what we see here in Matthew 538. 356 00:18:57,320 --> 00:19:00,920 Matthew 5 verse 38 Jesus is. Subverting the expectations. 357 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:04,000 Of the day and showing us how to live better. 358 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:06,000 You ready? Ready to learn from the Rabbi, 359 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,080 from from the teacher, the genius of of Jesus. 360 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:13,200 This is what he says, verse 38. You have. 361 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:18,320 Heard that it was said eye for eye and tooth for tooth. 362 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:21,760 Lex thalianus right? This is the understanding they 363 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:24,520 would have had. But I tell you. 364 00:19:26,360 --> 00:19:32,120 Do not resist an evil person. Wow. 365 00:19:33,120 --> 00:19:36,120 Do not resist an evil. Person. 366 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:39,080 What is Jesus talking about here? 367 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:40,440 Well. He's not talking about, you 368 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:43,320 know, intentionally putting. Yourself in danger or staying in 369 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:44,640 a. Abusive. 370 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:47,160 Environment or relationship or anything like that, What he's 371 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:49,880 talking about is he's talking about how? 372 00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:52,640 To. Flip the offence on its head. 373 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:58,360 Let's continue 39 This is These are radical words, by the way. 374 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:02,400 These are Jesus words if. Anyone slaps you on the right 375 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:09,200 cheek, turn to them the other cheek also and if anyone wants 376 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:12,280 to. Sue you and take your shirt hand 377 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:16,440 over your code as. Well, and if anyone forces. 378 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:21,160 You to go one mile, go with them two miles, give to the one who 379 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:25,120 asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow 380 00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:27,880 from you. Wow. 381 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:32,280 Do we live live by these rules today? 382 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:38,240 If someone slaps you on one cheek. 383 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,080 In other words, if someone insults you, don't. 384 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:43,840 Return insult back to them. Don't retaliate or go to the 385 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:46,720 authorities. If someone asks you to go. 386 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:48,400 One mile, go with them. Too. 387 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:50,040 OK, what's the context? Here well. 388 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:54,560 Back in the 1st century. Under Roman occupation, the. 389 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:56,320 Romans could force requisition of. 390 00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:58,480 Aid for military purposes. OK, so can I? 391 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:00,320 Brett, can I borrow you for a second? 392 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:01,840 Is that OK? Give it up for Brett. 393 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:04,840 Thank you, Brett. OK, so Brett's a Jew. 394 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:07,200 He's a lowly individual. He doesn't have a whole lot of 395 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:09,000 power or influence. You don't have rights. 396 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:10,280 Sorry, you don't live in. America. 397 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,240 OK, I'm a Roman official, so I can look at Brett and I'd be 398 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:14,960 like you, Jew, follow me one mile. 399 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:16,760 Take my pack here. It's heavy. 400 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,280 And you have to by law, follow me for one. 401 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:22,080 Mile so I can. Go with him and he's following 402 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:24,360 behind me and I get to tell him what to do. 403 00:21:24,360 --> 00:21:26,240 Yep, he's carrying the pack. Great job by the way. 404 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:27,600 Wonderful. OK, now. 405 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:30,120 I can reach a point. I reach a point where I'm like, 406 00:21:30,120 --> 00:21:32,240 all right. Very well, you have you 407 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:33,800 fulfilled your duty, You fulfilled the law, you. 408 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:35,960 Have gone with me. One mile. 409 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:37,280 Thank you. You are free to go. 410 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:40,480 What Jesus says. It says hey, if someone does 411 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:43,520 that, offer to go with them a second mile. 412 00:21:44,320 --> 00:21:48,760 In other words, you owe. Them the first mile maybe, but 413 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:51,760 then you give them the second mile for free. 414 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,240 So I might say, hey, your duties are done you may go home. 415 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:55,840 Thank you. I'll take. 416 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:57,680 My pack. And you say, let's. 417 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:00,240 Go, you say. No, I'll keep carrying it. 418 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:04,000 I'm going to go the second mile. So now, now all of a sudden I'm 419 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:05,080 a Roman citizen. This guy's. 420 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:07,320 Carrying my pack for free. He doesn't have to do this. 421 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:09,640 All of a sudden we're. Talking we're interacting, right 422 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:11,480 We're. We're I'm, I don't know what is 423 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:12,840 going on, but this guy's willing. 424 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:14,800 To do it. Out of his generosity. 425 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:15,720 OK. Give it up for Brett. 426 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:20,280 All right. Do you feel how the power 427 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:24,920 dynamic shifts in that moment like at at at first? 428 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:26,200 It's Rome who has the. Power. 429 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:27,280 It's the official that has the power. 430 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:29,600 You must carry my. Pack but then once he. 431 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:32,680 Offers to carry your pack. All of a sudden. 432 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:34,600 The dynamic has changed. Isn't it all? 433 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:39,160 Of a sudden, it's almost as if. As if he's in control. 434 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:42,360 Of the situation. Through his love and His 435 00:22:42,360 --> 00:22:45,880 generosity is willing to be able to suffer alongside of us. 436 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:51,760 Could Jesus? Be getting at something here, in 437 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:53,560 other words. The law. 438 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:56,160 Said you have to go one mile, but the disciple adds the second 439 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:58,480 for free. In other words, this is a way of 440 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:01,480 what's called compassionate resistance. 441 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,040 It's still. Resisting in a way. 442 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:07,880 But it's doing it through love and through generosity. 443 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:11,440 Michael J Wilson Wilkins puts it this way. 444 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:15,400 On a personal level, the disciples first responsibility 445 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:21,760 is to reverse the dynamic of the situation from taking to giving 446 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:26,240 Wow as disciples. We go from taking and we. 447 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:30,080 Choose instead to give and. What we see here. 448 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:33,400 Is that when it comes to turning the other cheek, letting someone 449 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:36,120 borrow your coat? Hand them over as well. 450 00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:38,440 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them too. 451 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:42,280 What we see here is that in each of these scenarios, Jesus 452 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:47,320 encourages peacemaking through nonviolent resistance. 453 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:52,080 Someone insults you at work in front of your. 454 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:56,160 Boss. You're up all night, you're 455 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:59,600 stewing over it. The next morning, you're 456 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:01,520 thinking about that perfect comeback. 457 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:03,200 Anyone ever had that moment before, right? 458 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:06,200 Like someone offends you and you're just like, oh, I should 459 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:08,720 have said that thing. I didn't think of it all when I 460 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:09,640 think of it. Oh, but next? 461 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:11,840 Time I see him. I'm going to say that thing to 462 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:12,760 him, right? I'm not. 463 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:14,840 Am I the only one? OK, OK, we're. 464 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:16,000 We're in good company here, right? 465 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:17,800 What is it that makes us do that? 466 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:22,320 Well, I think part of it is that. 467 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:27,640 By nature, our brains and our. Bodies need justice, do they 468 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:30,160 not? Like we need when there's an 469 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:32,680 offense, when there's vindicate, like we need to have some. 470 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:35,320 Level of justice and so we think about the perfect comeback or 471 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:37,800 vengeance or retaliation right and what we. 472 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:41,840 See In these scenarios is Jesus still is honoring the need for 473 00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:44,640 justice. In each of those scenarios, but 474 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:46,520 he's just going about it a different way. 475 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:50,480 In other words, he recognizes that yeah, it is maybe not 476 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:52,400 right. That a Roman is forcing you to 477 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:57,240 go one mile but but you'll get justice by generously taking the 478 00:24:57,240 --> 00:25:01,240 offense and going with them too. This is such an important. 479 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:03,680 Principle. Over and over throughout 480 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:08,440 Scripture, we see that Jesus and the other authors of Scripture 481 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:13,920 are far more concerned about advancing the Kingdom than they 482 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:16,560 are about our own personal vindication. 483 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:21,880 The the scriptures of writing are far more. 484 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:24,040 Interested in in. Doing everything you can to. 485 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:26,640 Promote the name of God and to promote the Kingdom than they 486 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:29,040 are about our personal vindication and our personal 487 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:31,640 justice, although that's still important. 488 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:35,120 What we see Jesus. Doing here is he's fulfilling 489 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:38,680 the law. He's fulfilling the law of Lex 490 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:41,720 Thalianus by loving your neighbor well and in doing so 491 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:45,520 he's restoring wholeness, he's restoring Shalom and he's 492 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:48,760 bringing peace. As a matter of fact, he's peace 493 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:54,720 making the apostle Peter had to learn this lesson the hard way. 494 00:25:56,360 --> 00:25:58,880 How many you know that story where Jesus is being arrested? 495 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:02,480 They're. Coming at him with weapons and 496 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:03,880 Peter is. Freaked out, right? 497 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:07,000 They're about to grab his master and take him and do who knows? 498 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:08,640 What probably execute him, right? 499 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:11,680 He he freaks out, he sees a guy coming towards Jesus. 500 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:13,160 What does Peter do? Do you guys know the story? 501 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:18,560 He grabs a sword and he does what cuts his enemy's ear. 502 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:19,840 Off. The ear. 503 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:23,240 Falls to the ground, probably bloody kind of gross, OK. 504 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:25,760 But what does Jesus? Do. 505 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:28,240 Does he? Does Jesus say yeah, get him, 506 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:29,080 Peter. Way to go. 507 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:35,320 That's my boy. No, the answer is no. 508 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:39,800 Jesus picks his enemy's. Ear up off the ground, blood and 509 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:42,160 all. Places it. 510 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:48,040 Back on his head and heals it. He makes his enemy whole again. 511 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:52,480 He restores some level of Shalom. 512 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:59,680 Peter is retaliating, he is reacting, but Jesus is in 513 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,560 control the whole time. He knows exactly what he was 514 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:06,760 doing. The famous church father from 515 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:09,440 the 2nd century to Tulian. He wrote it this way. 516 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:16,040 In disarming Peter, Christ disarms all Christians. 517 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:23,520 It's from the 2nd century. This is how we make the world 518 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:25,640 whole again. It's not by chopping ears off, 519 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:30,560 it's putting them back on. Gandhi had this line where he's. 520 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:32,800 Like eye for an eye. Makes the whole world blind, I 521 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:35,400 tell you. Putting people's ears back. 522 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,960 On makes the whole world hear. Makes the whole world whole 523 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:41,800 again. Guys, this is just scripture. 524 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:43,200 These are this is just Jesus. Stuff. 525 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:44,960 This is what he was doing. These are his words. 526 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:49,600 OK, So what do we do then, guys? When we're confronted and we're 527 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:53,400 offended and we're attacked and we're slandered if we don't have 528 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:57,480 weapons to fight back and defend ourselves, what's our play? 529 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:02,440 How are we meant to absorb that kind of pain and offence in our 530 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:06,320 bodies and not retaliate? If we can't make a power play, 531 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:11,080 like what do we do? Jesus gives us the answer. 532 00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:13,640 Same Peter. Matthew 18. 533 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:16,920 Peter came to Jesus. And asked Lord, how many times 534 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:19,440 shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against? 535 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:24,240 Me up to seven times Rabbis likely debated this. 536 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:27,960 Some scholars say that likely rabbis agreed like. 537 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:30,400 Three times was probably. The maximum you should allow 538 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:32,560 someone to, you know, offend you and then you forgive. 539 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:34,680 Them 3 is probably the most you should do. 540 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:38,000 So Peter's being generous here. He's like 7 times Jesus. 541 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:41,680 He probably catches Jesus vibe and he's like, this guy's pretty 542 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:43,320 generous. Seven times like I'm. 543 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:45,880 Going to be a good student here, OK and. 544 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:49,440 What does Jesus say? Verse 22. 545 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:53,960 He says Jesus answered. I tell you not 7 times. 546 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:55,920 It's close, Peter, not. Seven times. 547 00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:59,600 But how many? 77 times? 548 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:07,840 Not 7 but 77. Wait a second, church? 549 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:10,600 Where have we heard? Those two numbers side by side 550 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:14,200 before. Go to this next slide. 551 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:17,160 That's right, it was from Lamech. 552 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:24,000 So Lamech says if Cain has avenged 7 times, then Lamech 77. 553 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:25,800 Times. But then Jesus comes in, He says 554 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:27,400 no, no, no. When it comes to forgiveness, I 555 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:33,160 tell you, don't just forgive 7 times, but forgive 77 times. 556 00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:37,640 I think Jesus knows what he's doing. 557 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:42,960 How do we stop the perpetuating vengeance filled? 558 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:45,920 Retaliatory cycle of violence, how do we stop? 559 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:48,800 The never ending feuding and bragging about vengeance that 560 00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:50,280 lives. In the hearts of every single 561 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:52,560 man, how do we? Finally, have justice. 562 00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:54,040 I'm going to tell you this today. 563 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:58,560 It is not by. Avenging 77 times, it is by 564 00:29:58,560 --> 00:30:03,680 forgiving 77 times. That is the way of Jesus Christ, 565 00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:08,280 our Rabbi and our Master, who teaches us how to live and how 566 00:30:08,280 --> 00:30:11,040 to be human in violent, desperate times. 567 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:20,400 That is his way we stop the violent line of Lamech by taking 568 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:26,640 on the way of Jesus. Peter must have eventually 569 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:30,520 understood this assignment, probably after he saw his Master 570 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:35,680 and King be crucified for us and then rose again after he saw how 571 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,480 Jesus treated his enemies in the garden, and then how Jesus 572 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:41,160 treated his enemies on the cross, how he while he was. 573 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:43,680 Hanging there, he didn't say curse you enemies, how could 574 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:44,120 you? He said. 575 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:47,000 Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. 576 00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:49,320 Peter must have seen. That or heard about that and 577 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:51,560 understood because he wrote these words later on in life. 578 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:56,880 First Peter 2 to this you were called because Christ suffered 579 00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:01,640 for you, leaving you an. Example everyone say example. 580 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:05,160 What is our example that you should follow? 581 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:08,680 In his steps. He committed no sin, no. 582 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:12,000 Deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults. 583 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:18,680 At him, He did not retaliate when he suffered. 584 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:23,600 He made no threats instead. What did Jesus do? 585 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:27,520 It says. Instead, he entrusted himself to 586 00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:33,360 him who judges justly. Wow, Peter Entrust. 587 00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:40,480 Or Jesus entrusted himself. To the Father, Blessed are the 588 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:46,680 peacemakers, Jesus says, for they will be called children of 589 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:49,200 God. That's what he says, and they'll 590 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:50,640 be attitudes. They will be called. 591 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:54,920 Children of God, how did Jesus do it? 592 00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:57,640 How did Jesus make peace? How did God's own Son, the child 593 00:31:57,640 --> 00:31:59,200 of God, do it? He did it by forgiving his 594 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:01,360 enemies. He. 595 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:05,400 Bore the pain and the offence and the injustice in his own 596 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:09,800 body. Church violence and unrest will 597 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:12,520 always be a reality as long as evil persists. 598 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:16,920 The wages of sin is death. But with like Jesus rather than. 599 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:20,160 Jesus violently enacting justice and ushering in peace through 600 00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:23,960 violence. Instead, Jesus took the violence 601 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:29,000 upon himself, and he did it for you and me because he loves. 602 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,440 US. He did it for you and me because 603 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:33,280 He understands how human beings are. 604 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:35,720 And to take away our sin, to take away the curse, if we 605 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:40,760 repent and step into that, Isaiah 53 reminds us He was 606 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:46,160 pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our 607 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:49,120 iniquities. The punishment that brought us 608 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:50,720 peace. That's that word again. 609 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:51,840 Peace. Shalom. 610 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:56,280 Irene was on him, and it's by his wounds that we are healed. 611 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:01,520 The violent justice that we had coming was done to Jesus instead 612 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:05,000 on the cross. Why? 613 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,320 How is he able to do that? Because he understood that God 614 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:09,160 will make all things right again. 615 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:12,320 God will make all things right again. 616 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:20,280 Lamech may say I have avenged, I am the man I have avenged 77 617 00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:22,000 times. Vengeance is mine, Lamech. 618 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:26,920 Says But Paul in Romans 12 says, Do not take revenge, my dear 619 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:28,520 friends. But. 620 00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:31,760 Leave room for God's wrath, for it is written. 621 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:35,480 It is mine to avenge. I will repay, says the Lord. 622 00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:40,600 Did you catch that? God says I'm the one who's. 623 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:42,200 Going to make things right here. I'm the one. 624 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:45,440 Who's going to avenge? You don't have to, right? 625 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:47,480 Guys, I get it. None of this makes sense. 626 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:50,960 If the resurrection isn't real. None of this feels right if we 627 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:52,120 aren't. Going to one day. 628 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:55,720 Be killed, likely sometimes at the face of persecution, 629 00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:58,040 sometimes martyrdom, sometimes just natural death. 630 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:01,120 If if we won't be risen. Back to life with Christ. 631 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:03,680 This stuff doesn't make sense if we don't believe that God will 632 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:06,080 one day raise everything back to life. 633 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:07,600 And make. All things new again and. 634 00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:11,000 Ultimate justice will prevail. Then you're right, we have no 635 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:12,800 business. Doing nonviolent resistance. 636 00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:15,120 We have no business. Doing the Jesus Day way it. 637 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:20,199 Doesn't make any sense. But if we believe, if we believe 638 00:34:20,199 --> 00:34:22,840 that God is on the throne, and if. 639 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:24,719 We believe that vengeance. Belongs to him. 640 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:28,920 That allows us, then, to make room for his justice. 641 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:34,000 You know what? I teach my kids. 642 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:36,600 When they're fighting and they're bickering and they're 643 00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:39,159 arguing over the swing, the. First thing we try to teach them 644 00:34:39,159 --> 00:34:42,520 is kids. Please try to find a way to make 645 00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:45,040 peace. On your own, through your words. 646 00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:48,480 Parents in the room right like don't just come run into mom and 647 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:50,600 dad right away try and. Figure out on your own. 648 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:52,239 Do you got any parents? Try and employ that. 649 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:55,719 Tactic doesn't always work. Does it right, but they know 650 00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:56,880 they're supposed to try and figure. 651 00:34:56,880 --> 00:34:58,480 It out and make peace on their own first. 652 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:01,120 But here's the thing. But then. 653 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:03,400 We teach them the second. Thing which is this but. 654 00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:09,040 If you guys can't work it out. Then come find us and let us 655 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:11,560 deal out any discipline that needs to happen. 656 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:14,000 You with me so far, you catching. 657 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:16,560 In other words, if you can't work it out on your own, then 658 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:20,640 come and let Dad handle. It you don't hit back, you let 659 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:26,280 dad usher out proper discipline guys in the similar way 660 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:29,360 Christians and there are many instances. 661 00:35:29,480 --> 00:35:31,560 Where if we can't make peace with one another? 662 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:35,720 We need to step back and we need to let Dad handle it. 663 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:39,080 We need to let our Heavenly Father handle it. 664 00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:40,360 Why? Because we're children of God. 665 00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:46,560 Go to Dad, he knows. He's got it. 666 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:53,880 So I want to ask. You a question as you think 667 00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:56,480 about your own life and your your relationships and stuff 668 00:35:56,480 --> 00:36:00,040 like that question for us today is whose name are you carrying? 669 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:04,120 Whose name are you carrying? Is it Lamex or is it Christ's? 670 00:36:09,310 --> 00:36:11,150 Are you living as children of God or are you living as 671 00:36:11,150 --> 00:36:18,640 children of Cain of Lamech? Living as children of God means 672 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:20,760 2 quick things you guys have been great thank you for your 673 00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:23,080 patience today. Living as children of God Two 674 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:25,520 quick things #1. It means making peace. 675 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:30,600 With God making peace with God, Jesus was the ultimate 676 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:34,120 peacemaker, and he came and was crucified to make allow us to 677 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:36,720 have peace with God, to allow us to be reconciled. 678 00:36:37,240 --> 00:36:39,880 And he did it by absorbing the pain upon himself to bring the 679 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:42,800 two back together, Colossians 1 writes. 680 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:45,840 For God was pleased to have all of his fullness dwell in Jesus 681 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:49,160 and through him to reconcile himself all things, whether 682 00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:54,760 things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through 683 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:59,560 his blood shed on the cross. So the first thing I want to ask 684 00:36:59,560 --> 00:37:00,880 you is, do you have peace with God? 685 00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:05,400 You'll never have peace with other people if you, if you 686 00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:07,440 don't have peace with God first. Do you have peace with God? 687 00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:11,600 Have you have you trusted Jesus's sacrifice on the cross 688 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:14,280 for you? He made a way so that you could 689 00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:18,760 come back in and, and have Shalom, have peace with, with 690 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:20,640 God himself. And if you haven't made that 691 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:22,400 decision, today is that day for you. 692 00:37:22,400 --> 00:37:28,000 That's the first thing. And then the second thing is 693 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:31,840 this. Not only are we called to make 694 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:34,360 peace with God, but we are called to proactively make peace 695 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:37,160 with others. First Thessalonians. 696 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:39,640 Live in. Peace with each other. 697 00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:43,960 Make sure that nobody pays. Back wrong for wrong but. 698 00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:46,320 Always strive. To do what is good for each 699 00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:52,080 other and for everyone else. Guys, if Jesus could. 700 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:56,040 Turn enemies into family. If he could take a man like 701 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:58,280 Simon the Zealot this dagger. Man who? 702 00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:01,000 Was an insurrectionist against the Roman Empire. 703 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:03,200 He could take a man like Simon the Zealot and he can put him. 704 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:05,480 Together with Matthew the tax collector. 705 00:38:05,880 --> 00:38:08,400 Who is stealing? From his own people and giving 706 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:11,080 it to Rome. If he can bring those two people 707 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:16,080 around the table and make friends out of enemies, he can 708 00:38:16,080 --> 00:38:18,880 do the same right here, right now with us today. 709 00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:25,400 And he did it through love, He did it through sharing, He did 710 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:29,000 it through truth. And he calls us to do the same. 711 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:35,560 We are called to be like Jesus. So a question for each of us is 712 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:37,560 who do you need to bury the hatchet with? 713 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:41,120 Are there any daggers that you're? 714 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:47,160 Carrying in your cloak. Any, any areas of resentment or 715 00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:49,520 bitterness with anyone in your life, man, they're just like 716 00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:53,720 thinking about it every day, like, oh, they wronged me and it 717 00:38:53,720 --> 00:38:58,200 just bothers you. Maybe for some of you, there's 718 00:38:58,200 --> 00:39:01,840 almost like a root of bitterness that's begun to take root. 719 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:07,240 And maybe even as I'm speaking, you're like, yeah, it's there. 720 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:12,280 And I get it, right. Like there's I've had, I've had 721 00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:17,280 this last year, I've had opportunities to forgive people 722 00:39:17,280 --> 00:39:22,040 over and over and over again, doing everything I can to say, 723 00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:23,720 Nope, I'm not going to let that sink in. 724 00:39:23,720 --> 00:39:25,400 I'm not going to let that offence that happened a long 725 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:28,000 time, time ago, even though it hurt, even though it was. 726 00:39:28,720 --> 00:39:30,080 Was painful, even though it wasn't right. 727 00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:32,080 It's not justifying what happened, but I'm not going to 728 00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:37,520 let that that take root. I'm not going to keep my dagger 729 00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:39,040 in my cloak. I'm going to bury the hatchet, 730 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:41,600 you with me. I'm going to let it go. 731 00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:48,080 Practically speaking, I want each of us to kind of wrestle 732 00:39:48,080 --> 00:39:50,600 with this. Like, what is your peacekeeping 733 00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:54,480 philosophy? Like are you operating under? 734 00:39:54,760 --> 00:39:58,280 Lex. Talianus retaliation. 735 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:01,320 You get me, I get you back. You go around. 736 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:04,040 Go around me to the boss. I'm going to find a way. 737 00:40:04,040 --> 00:40:05,440 To get to the. Boss that way or. 738 00:40:05,720 --> 00:40:07,360 Maybe it's PAX? Romana right? 739 00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:10,000 And you're just, you just come in with authority, either in 740 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:14,400 your home, with your employees, maybe it's just even, even your 741 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:16,040 own mind. You just dominate them in your 742 00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:17,520 mind. What is your peacekeeping 743 00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:21,320 philosophy? Or is it the third way through, 744 00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:28,080 through suffering love, through bearing the pain, choosing to 745 00:40:28,080 --> 00:40:32,000 forgive, giving it over to God and allowing him to take care of 746 00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:35,400 it? What is your peacemaking 747 00:40:35,400 --> 00:40:37,080 philosophy? Are you aware of it? 748 00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:43,760 Does it look like Jesus every one of us is called to? 749 00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:47,560 To incarnational living, embodied. 750 00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:51,480 Living so much of of the. Issues that we're facing today. 751 00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:54,240 Is that it's just this this digital world where we're kind 752 00:40:54,240 --> 00:40:56,800 of just bouncing ideas and offenses off each other, little 753 00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:59,400 comments here on the Internet and right, it's all just like 754 00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:02,800 fake and it's agitating and it's it's rage baiting, right? 755 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:05,600 But my question is, what does it look like for us to more and 756 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:09,280 more be a presence into each other's lives, embodied? 757 00:41:10,280 --> 00:41:12,880 What does it look like to share meals even with your enemy? 758 00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:15,720 You don't like that? Person on the other side of the 759 00:41:15,720 --> 00:41:19,920 political aisle, Have you tried inviting them over for dinner? 760 00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:30,160 Why not? In person contact gets us out of 761 00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:33,680 the perpetual cycle of provoking us to anger in the digital 762 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:36,640 sphere. That's how Jesus did it. 763 00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:40,160 He didn't just stay in heaven and and lob truth at us, right? 764 00:41:40,160 --> 00:41:44,520 He he came, and he made his dwelling among us, and he had 765 00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:47,160 meals with enemies, and spoke truth. 766 00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:48,760 And then they became reconciled to God. 767 00:41:50,440 --> 00:41:55,600 Why can't we do the same? We are called to be like Jesus. 768 00:41:57,200 --> 00:41:58,720 In other words, we need to get. Out of. 769 00:41:58,720 --> 00:42:05,480 Screens and into stories. Get out of your screen and get 770 00:42:05,480 --> 00:42:08,360 into people's. Lives actually hear their 771 00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:11,120 history, actually hear their philosophy, hear their 772 00:42:11,120 --> 00:42:17,760 background, share, talk live. Start just in your neighborhood 773 00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:19,200 with with your next door neighbor. 774 00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:21,440 OK, I'll bet. You'll find that you have a lot 775 00:42:21,440 --> 00:42:23,360 in common with. Them you may radically disagree 776 00:42:23,360 --> 00:42:27,240 on things I I radically disagree with a lot of people if I if 777 00:42:27,240 --> 00:42:29,080 I've. Shared my full view views. 778 00:42:29,080 --> 00:42:31,200 On everything going on, you all would be offended. 779 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:37,160 But you'll love me anyway, and I love you too, because we choose 780 00:42:37,160 --> 00:42:39,480 peace and we choose to follow Jesus's way. 781 00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:42,480 That's why I'm not up here. I'm not up here, just giving one 782 00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:45,120 my thoughts on what's. Going on in this world. 783 00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:47,800 Because you have enough people telling you what to think. 784 00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:50,720 How about instead we make a commitment to, to see what Jesus 785 00:42:50,720 --> 00:42:53,880 thinks and to follow him and to follow his wisdom and to trust 786 00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:55,560 that he actually knows what he's talking about. 787 00:42:55,680 --> 00:42:57,920 What if instead we got out of the screens and got into the 788 00:42:57,920 --> 00:43:00,680 word and we made disciples of Jesus Christ? 789 00:43:00,880 --> 00:43:05,440 Like I, I, I'm going to start preaching guys like we have to 790 00:43:05,440 --> 00:43:07,680 follow the rabbi. He knows what's best. 791 00:43:07,680 --> 00:43:10,400 He knows how to live. These times are not new. 792 00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:12,200 They're just different. They just look a little bit 793 00:43:12,200 --> 00:43:14,320 different. Jesus knew what he was talking 794 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:19,600 about. Man, I wish we. 795 00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:22,000 Would be a church more and more and we will be a church that is 796 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:25,000 just dedicated to following Jesus's way at all costs. 797 00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:28,360 That is listening to the. Spirit's voice and say God, 798 00:43:28,360 --> 00:43:29,480 whatever. You call us to do. 799 00:43:29,480 --> 00:43:32,720 We will be those people. God, even if it means so much, 800 00:43:33,200 --> 00:43:35,440 so much. Sacrifice and and suffering in 801 00:43:35,440 --> 00:43:37,040 our own lives and our own body. God we are. 802 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:39,480 Willing to do it because. You did it first, Jesus. 803 00:43:40,080 --> 00:43:43,160 You made enemies into. Friends, somehow Jesus and 804 00:43:43,160 --> 00:43:44,000 you've. Called us to do the. 805 00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:44,680 Same. And so we. 806 00:43:44,680 --> 00:43:48,120 Want to step into that? We want to live into that line. 807 00:43:48,120 --> 00:43:50,840 We want to live into the family name if we're going to be 808 00:43:50,840 --> 00:43:57,080 children of God. That's the invitation. 809 00:44:05,840 --> 00:44:10,080 I would rather see change through revival, not through 810 00:44:10,080 --> 00:44:16,560 revolution. I would rather see God do 811 00:44:16,560 --> 00:44:20,800 something radical in our midst by raising up people of love who 812 00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:22,640 are willing to go into the darkest places and. 813 00:44:22,880 --> 00:44:25,520 Be with people and help. Them and share with them than 814 00:44:25,520 --> 00:44:28,640 than violent revolution, you know what I mean? 815 00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:29,960 Like, isn't that a better? Way. 816 00:44:31,040 --> 00:44:33,200 So shouldn't we all be committed to making? 817 00:44:33,200 --> 00:44:35,520 Disciples and following in Jesus way. 818 00:44:35,960 --> 00:44:38,440 I hope the answer is yes and I know, I know I'm coming off as 819 00:44:38,440 --> 00:44:41,160 passionate today. Don't don't confuse my passion 820 00:44:41,160 --> 00:44:42,480 for anger. I'm not angry at all. 821 00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:45,680 I'm not angry, I'm passionate. I'm doubling down on the Jesus 822 00:44:45,680 --> 00:44:46,640 stuff. You know what I mean? 823 00:44:47,240 --> 00:44:52,840 He, He is the way all of us are called to model a cruciform 824 00:44:52,840 --> 00:44:57,080 lifestyle, a cross shaped lifestyle, absorbing the pain 825 00:44:57,080 --> 00:45:01,760 and allowing God to redeem Him. Lamech may be in our. 826 00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:05,040 Blood. But Lamech is not our Father. 827 00:45:05,840 --> 00:45:10,000 God is our Father. So live as children of God. 828 00:45:10,960 --> 00:45:18,360 Live as children of God. In a world that tries to manage 829 00:45:18,360 --> 00:45:21,440 violence through retaliation or domination, Jesus calls us to a 830 00:45:21,440 --> 00:45:25,200 third way, peacemaking through nonviolent, transformative love 831 00:45:25,200 --> 00:45:28,840 that breaks the cycle of escalation and reveals us as 832 00:45:28,840 --> 00:45:33,120 children of God. This way will require the full 833 00:45:33,120 --> 00:45:36,280 strength of God himself and the Spirit living in US. 834 00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:40,200 It requires us to embrace a constant death to self. 835 00:45:40,720 --> 00:45:43,560 A daily. Picking up of our cross and it 836 00:45:43,560 --> 00:45:47,560 requires an unwavering trust that God will avenge. 837 00:45:49,320 --> 00:45:54,200 He has seen every injustice done and He will advocate for those 838 00:45:54,200 --> 00:45:57,480 who are oppressed and those who are hurting, those who are in 839 00:45:57,480 --> 00:46:01,040 need, those who are desperate. He will prevail. 840 00:46:02,360 --> 00:46:06,320 In other words, Dad will handle it. 841 00:46:08,880 --> 00:46:15,080 And we are called to live as children of our father, but we 842 00:46:15,080 --> 00:46:16,280 are not to avenge.