09/15/19- Jesus and My Enemies- Pastor Adrian Mills

http://bible.com/events/688612  Jesus & My Enemies– September 15

True transformation begins not by ACTING differently but by THINKING differently. 

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 JESUS & MY ENEMIES 

Matthew 5:43-48  Verses 43-44 Jesus speaks of AGAPE, meaning “unconquerable love”  AGAPE love is not a feeling of the heart, but a determination of the mind.   We need the mind of Christ to love in this way.

Verses 44-45 We love our enemies, not so we will be blessed, but instead because this is what it means to be children of God.  

Verses 45-47 Jesus does not call us to a love that is REACTIVE but rather a love that is PROACTIVE. 

Verse 48 Jesus call us to TELEIOS, meaning “growth” or “completeness”  If we want to live out this radical call to love, then we have to allow the Spirit of God to make us like Him.

Jesus is not interested in making us moral people.  Jesus wants to make us like Him.

How do we respond?

Admit “This is beyond me”  “On my own I can’t do this”

Surrender “God, I need your Spirit” “I need your power”

ENGAGE I engage the world around me with the power of His Spirit.  

The powerful truth:  “As the Spirit transforms us, each person who encounters us encounters the living God”.

Christ’s Mind Versus the Human Mind as it Relates to Our Enemies The Mind of Christ The “Merely Human” Mind Defaulting to love (Phil 2:4) / Defaulting to defense or fear Building bridges (Luke 10:35) / Building barriers Challenging feelings of animosity (Mt 5:43-44) / Feeling justified by hate Making personal sacrifice (Luke 10:33-34) / Being inherently self-concerned Looking for opportunities to approach / Looking for opportunities to avoid (Luke 10:32)