Rom. 12:17-21; Overcome Evil with Good; SACC; Carl Crouse, Nov. 17, ‘13

The theme of Romans: How sinful people can be an accepting, loving, affirming community centered in Jesus Christ.  The leaders of the church in Rome have standards nobody can possibly meet so the circle of acceptance must be broadened ~ we are all sinners in need of God’s grace, nobody is worthy, No Not One.  Yet God in his merciful and loving wisdom wants the best for us all.  And he wants Christians to be together.  And he wants Christians to bless each other.  Not just tolerate each other, but bless…

            In this old world there is too much stress, too much tension, too much fighting, too many opinions, too many disagreements, too many expectations of what other people should do.  I’m talking about within the church.  REPEAT.  Too many people distance themselves from the church because there is too much.

I have fallen in love with a verse in today’s scripture that is a refreshing, realistic bit of wisdom, that describes the power we all have to change the world right now.  Rom. 12:18.   Unpack this verse ~~~~ you can only control your decisions, your behavior, the way you respond to other people.  

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“If it is possible…” leaves wiggle room.  There may be times it is not possible to be friends with others.  Yet make it a priority to bless others, go out of your way to do what is right for the other person’s sake. Make blessing other people always a priority. 

“as far as it depends on you…” You cannot control others, but you can control yourself.  You do what you can do to get along with others, to bless others, to lift others up.  If they refuse to accept your blessing, you can’t control that…

“Live at peace with everyone.”  I know what you are thinking ~ “I live at peace with most people.” /// If God wanted us to live at peace with most people and call it good enough, nothing would need to be said about living at peace…that’s easy.  Paul has in mind the annoying people of your life, not the easy people. 

Romans 12:17-18 is a Call to Peace!  Romans is full of truth. If I had to choose one purpose for the book it is to bring peace.  Peace with God ~ READ Rom. 5:1.  AND based on what God has done for us in Christ Jesus, we are to actively seek peace with others.  READ Rom. 12:17-18.  I would love to preach the definitive sermon on how to achieve world peace, but this morning a more difficult and personal message: how to get along when the person sitting next to you makes you mad.  //The people you love.  //The annoying people God calls you to work alongside in his kingdom work.  (Rachel asked me if I was going to talk about her this morning…No. I want everyone to know I do not have Rachel in mind!

In Rom. 12:20 the word enemy is used.  This is one of the subtle challenges of the Bible.  How easy to dismiss this verse as not a real problem for you and me because “enemy” surely must mean members of Al Quada that are out to destroy the U.S. and the Western World.  Enemy means the politicians that only seem to be out for themselves.  Enemy must mean the rival across town that disrespected me and if I happen to run into him then don’t attack him.   Let’s make it personal and talk about the hardest enemy of all: when your enemy is your friend: those who are closest to you that seem oblivious to your needs.  The pain of rejection.  When you are overlooked.  When your spouse seems to not notice you are tired too and ignores your needs.  Satans first line of attack is always to divide within.  Blessing those who hurt you is hard when the person is close, when you truly do not deserve it.  Life would be easy if the scripture stopped with the phrase “Do not repay evil for evil” in Rom. 12:7.  Then when I am hurt I could passively go on my merry way and have nothing else to do with you, but the scripture continues ~~~~ “DO what is right.”  Be active in loving others. 

Here is an essay that speaks to actively overcoming tension rather than passively going on your way whenever you are hurt.  This version is credited to Mother Theresa:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.

“DO what is right.”  “If it is possible, live at peace…” “Live” is an active word.  Live peacefully, doing good to those who hurt you, those who annoy you, those who don’t deserve it.  You may not get credit, you may not get accolades.  There have been times you have worked hard and done your best and given energy and time and when it is all said and done it does not appear your efforts have been noticed or you have made any difference and it is painful…Work hard anyway and do your best ~ hold your head high, because God knows…  keep on doing what God is telling you is right.  Treat people kindly no matter how they have treated you.  Keep an open door.  Speak well of others even when you see no return.  As we work our way through the rest of these verses, it boils down to this: Kill them with Kindness.  I think that’s what the “heaping burning coals on his head” in Rom. 12:20 is about. When you are hurt and overlooked, kill them with kindness.  Letting others get credit for what you have done is not easy, yet sometimes it is right if the goal is peace.  God knows your heart.  That is no hollow sentiment.  Do what is right and you will be rewarded with peace.  ////

Revenge is God’s work…get that truth in your thick mind and you will take a huge leap into finding peace.  READ Rom. 12:19

Revenge.  John Kennedy said, “Don’t get mad, get even.” That’s the way most people think, even many Christians. Maybe the revenge is passive, like a secret prayer for failure.  A few months ago as I was heading home to Nooksack, I was going the speed limit and a car zoomed up and tailed me ~ obviously I was in his way.  As I came out of the S-curve, the car sped up and sped around me and instantly a police car came from nowhere, lights flashing, sped around me before I could even pull over, and nailed that annoying guy.  YES, I cheered to myself, he got what was coming to him! 

We root for failure for those who annoy us/make us mad. I found a website: “The Pay Back.”  It sounds like a joke, but it is a real business:  “ThePayback.com is your home for all of your revenge needs. So you never had a chance to get revenge on your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend? Your current spouse lied to you when he said that he would never cheat on you?....Get Revenge On People Who Have Done You Wrong! We stand ready to help you get revenge and let these individuals know exactly what you think of them - your identity is never divulged! … how about sending DEAD flower arrangements to someone to let them know how unspecial they are. Read what one of our customers has to say…: "Just wanted to thank you guys for providing such great service. I wish I could have seen my ex's face when he got that box of dead roses! You guys really made my day. I'm glad I got even with that jerk...” Join the thousands who have used our services to get revenge! Revenge on ex-lovers * Revenge on ex-spouses * Revenge on backstabbing friends * Revenge on co-workers * Revenge on bosses” //// (Thankfully Pastors are not on their list) 

Contrast what Paul says: READ Rom. 12:19. This is a test of our attitude.  God has a different outcome in mind than we do.  We want people to get what’s coming to them.  When God says, “I will repay” it is tempting to think of God as the big brother who we can call upon to beat up the bully that is threatening me.  God has something different in mind.  When God says “I will repay,” our minds should go back to the wonderful truths of the book of Romans that God found a way to redeem sinners (I know we started Romans about 3 ½ years ago!...) God wants a transformed heart.  When God says, “I will repay” he surely has in mind the fact that he sent his son Jesus Christ to the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. None of us are worthy. We are not to seek revenge because we are as guilty as the one who is making us mad.  When the police officer caught that man speeding in Nooksack, the temptation is to cheer that justice has been done, he got what was coming to him!  The better attitude would be, “I hope this man learns something and no longer engages in dangerous driving.”  God wants people to be changed.  When God says, “It is mine to avenge, I will repay,” he means it literally: “I will send my one and only son to die on the cross.”  When people are annoying, when they fight with you, when they are disrespectful… the temptation is to fight back, to want them to get what’s coming to them, but God says there is a better way: push them towards God. Let them fight it out with God, not you, so that God can change them, so that God can forgive them, so that God can repay the offense through the cross of Christ!    

Rather than us taking justice into our own hands, God says there is a better way:  READ Rom. 12:20-21.  Be kind to your enemies.  That’s one of the ingredients of unconditional love from last week’s message.  Overcome evil with good it says.  Pay attention to the needs of your enemy.  The people that hurt you.  Don’t look for opportunities to get revenge.  Look for opportunities to help them.  “Bless those who persecute you” was another ingredient of unconditional love. 

Who Is My Enemy? Paul has in mind people who are close enough for you to be able to give a cup of water.  The hardest enemies are almost always friends, colleagues or a family member that has hurt me. 

In the book of Romans Paul is writing to the leaders of the church because they are being too exclusive, writing people off as worthy of being in the same church as them.  Paul is saying even if you can see real fault, love them anyway by being kind. 

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway.

In your families, friends, the people who are close to you, your workplace, your neighborhood, the way of God is to strive for peace whenever possible, to be active in making a difference through acts of kindness, building each other up, loving people, accepting them, forgiving them, for this is what God has done for us through Jesus Christ.  Rather than seeking revenge, the better way Rom. 12:20 says is to “heap burning coals on his head.”  The GNB translation makes sense: for by doing this you will make them burn with shame.  The thought is not we heap the coals, but rather, the result of returning evil with kindness is guilt and shame. We use the phrase, Kill them with Kindness.  If I cause you distress and you return my evil actions with kindness, you are forcing me to live with my own conscience.  Don’t seek revenge on me with the desire to get what’s coming to me, throw me on the mercy and justice of God and let God either change me or condemn me depending on how I respond to God! In the final analysis, it is between me and God.  It was never between you and me anyway.   Through deeds of love shown to those who have hurt us deeply, we may pave the way for their heart to be changed.

            The goal is peace. Peace with God. Peace with others.  The method to find peace with others is to overcome evil with good.  Amen.