1
00:00:05,758 --> 00:00:10,089
This man hated God.

2
00:00:10,089 --> 00:00:13,639
And he just thought it 
was the greatest thing

3
00:00:13,639 --> 00:00:16,752
to try to provoke this godly woman.

4
00:00:16,752 --> 00:00:19,234
She was God fearing.

5
00:00:19,234 --> 00:00:21,505
She was a holy woman.

6
00:00:21,505 --> 00:00:24,377
And he was a wicked man.

7
00:00:24,377 --> 00:00:26,886
Of course, he was old.

8
00:00:26,886 --> 00:00:29,379
He'd be there at home with her

9
00:00:29,379 --> 00:00:32,733
while husband's off at work.

10
00:00:32,733 --> 00:00:35,414
And he would just try to provoke her

11
00:00:35,414 --> 00:00:38,343
and he would speak in 
foul, wicked language.

12
00:00:38,343 --> 00:00:40,835
He'd try to make her life hard.

13
00:00:40,835 --> 00:00:43,278
He tormented her.

14
00:00:43,278 --> 00:00:44,780
Foul, perverse language;

15
00:00:44,780 --> 00:00:46,736
insults, mocking...

16
00:00:46,736 --> 00:00:50,512
he knew she was a Christian.

17
00:00:50,512 --> 00:00:52,229
And he was just trying to get her

18
00:00:52,229 --> 00:00:55,169
to blow her testimony.

19
00:00:55,169 --> 00:00:58,474
He just tried to jab at her.

20
00:00:58,474 --> 00:01:02,345
And on the inside, she was angry.

21
00:01:02,345 --> 00:01:06,257
She would have to leave the room and weep.

22
00:01:06,257 --> 00:01:08,450
He was trying to provoke her.

23
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She was exasperated.

24
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You know how it can be,

25
00:01:11,693 --> 00:01:14,044
if you try to go to your husband

26
00:01:14,044 --> 00:01:15,404
in a situation like that

27
00:01:15,404 --> 00:01:16,712
and it's his dad.

28
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Well, it's not that bad.

29
00:01:18,438 --> 00:01:20,304
Well, whatever happened,

30
00:01:20,304 --> 00:01:22,315
she wasn't able to get the kind of help

31
00:01:22,315 --> 00:01:26,003
she was obviously looking 
for from her husband.

32
00:01:26,003 --> 00:01:28,155
So she went to her pastor.

33
00:01:28,155 --> 00:01:30,782
She said, pastor, here's this situation...

34
00:01:30,782 --> 00:01:33,812
you know what the pastor told her?

35
00:01:33,812 --> 00:01:38,622
Every time he provokes 
you, return kindness.

36
00:01:38,622 --> 00:01:42,383
Every time he tries to get you;

37
00:01:42,383 --> 00:01:44,454
every time he speaks wickedly;

38
00:01:44,454 --> 00:01:46,178
every time he tries to provoke;

39
00:01:46,178 --> 00:01:47,784
every time he's cruel;

40
00:01:47,784 --> 00:01:49,606
every time he's unkind;

41
00:01:49,606 --> 00:01:51,595
every time he acts wickedly towards you

42
00:01:51,595 --> 00:01:54,928
return his evil with kindness.

43
00:01:54,928 --> 00:01:57,162
And I'll tell you, that good woman

44
00:01:57,162 --> 00:01:58,506
by the help of Christ,

45
00:01:58,506 --> 00:01:59,690
she went back there

46
00:01:59,690 --> 00:02:01,393
and it wasn't easy.

47
00:02:01,393 --> 00:02:02,940
She felt provoked inside.

48
00:02:02,940 --> 00:02:04,550
There'd be tears.
There'd be hurt.

49
00:02:04,550 --> 00:02:06,552
Inner turmoil.

50
00:02:06,552 --> 00:02:09,602
But she sought to return good to that man.

51
00:02:09,602 --> 00:02:11,291
And I can't remember in the story

52
00:02:11,291 --> 00:02:13,244
how long that went on;

53
00:02:13,244 --> 00:02:14,879
how much time went by,

54
00:02:14,879 --> 00:02:16,055
but I can tell you this,

55
00:02:16,055 --> 00:02:17,216
there was one day he did

56
00:02:17,216 --> 00:02:20,971
an especially wicked thing to her,

57
00:02:20,971 --> 00:02:25,457
and she went over and she 
began to cook cookies.

58
00:02:25,457 --> 00:02:27,441
She turned away from 
all her other chores

59
00:02:27,441 --> 00:02:29,063
and all her other household work.

60
00:02:29,063 --> 00:02:31,562
She cooked those cookies.

61
00:02:31,562 --> 00:02:32,705
You know what?

62
00:02:32,705 --> 00:02:36,012
They were the favorite 
kind of that old man.

63
00:02:36,012 --> 00:02:37,357
And she put them on a plate,

64
00:02:37,357 --> 00:02:39,612
and as graciously as she could,

65
00:02:39,612 --> 00:02:41,491
she came over,

66
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and she set that plate down on the table

67
00:02:43,422 --> 00:02:44,961
in front of him.

68
00:02:44,961 --> 00:02:45,851
And you know what?

69
00:02:45,851 --> 00:02:47,842
That old sinner couldn't take it anymore.

70
00:02:47,842 --> 00:02:50,619
He fell out of that chair 
on his face on the floor

71
00:02:50,619 --> 00:02:52,735
and he just wept.

72
00:02:52,735 --> 00:02:55,214
And she hadn't seen that coming.

73
00:02:55,214 --> 00:02:57,267
She didn't know what 
was going on inside.

74
00:02:57,267 --> 00:02:59,872
Every time she was returning 
that kindness to him,

75
00:02:59,872 --> 00:03:02,440
it was grating on his conscience.

76
00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,762
It was stabbing him.

77
00:03:05,762 --> 00:03:08,737
And it was hurting - it was 
like a burning coal in there.

78
00:03:08,737 --> 00:03:10,262
And finally, this was too much.

79
00:03:10,262 --> 00:03:12,413
It just broke that wicked old man.

80
00:03:12,413 --> 00:03:15,194
Like burning coals...

81
00:03:15,194 --> 00:03:16,432
And you know what?

82
00:03:16,432 --> 00:03:19,355
The testimony is that 
that man was converted.

83
00:03:19,355 --> 00:03:20,841
That man repented.

84
00:03:20,841 --> 00:03:22,937
That man saw in the example

85
00:03:22,937 --> 00:03:26,050
of his godly daughter-in-law something.

86
00:03:26,050 --> 00:03:27,789
He asked God to forgive him.

87
00:03:27,789 --> 00:03:29,782
He asked that lady to forgive him.

88
00:03:29,782 --> 00:03:31,030
He was broken.

89
00:03:31,030 --> 00:03:32,744
He's in glory now!

90
00:03:32,744 --> 00:03:34,513
Because she lived like that.

91
00:03:34,513 --> 00:03:36,298
Brethren, let me tell you something.

92
00:03:36,298 --> 00:03:40,083
This is the Word of God.

93
00:03:40,083 --> 00:03:42,551
This is for real.

94
00:03:42,551 --> 00:03:44,951
One of the reasons we 
don't know more of this

95
00:03:44,951 --> 00:03:48,077
is because we don't live more like this.

96
00:03:48,077 --> 00:03:49,529
That's a reality.

97
00:03:49,529 --> 00:03:52,534
Folks, it's not because it isn't true.

98
00:03:52,534 --> 00:03:55,706
It's not because it doesn't work.

99
00:03:55,706 --> 00:04:00,071
It's because we are far more often

100
00:04:00,071 --> 00:04:02,906
avenging ourselves than trying to show

101
00:04:02,906 --> 00:04:05,119
love and kindness when we're wronged.

102
00:04:05,119 --> 00:04:12,097
We tend to do what 
Jesus Christ did not do.

103
00:04:12,097 --> 00:04:14,038
You know what? We get offended.

104
00:04:14,038 --> 00:04:15,391
We get hurt.
We get wronged.

105
00:04:15,391 --> 00:04:17,217
What happens?

106
00:04:17,217 --> 00:04:18,870
This little thing comes up in us.

107
00:04:18,870 --> 00:04:20,375
We want to get even.

108
00:04:20,375 --> 00:04:22,221
And even though we 
may not strike out

109
00:04:22,221 --> 00:04:24,461
in a way that is just manifestly visible,

110
00:04:24,461 --> 00:04:25,731
what do we do?

111
00:04:25,731 --> 00:04:27,790
By our words, by our actions,

112
00:04:27,790 --> 00:04:30,452
by our avoidance,

113
00:04:30,452 --> 00:04:32,542
we give these little subtle deals.

114
00:04:32,542 --> 00:04:34,442
Well, I just won't talk to them.

115
00:04:34,442 --> 00:04:37,129
I'm just going to avoid where they are.

116
00:04:37,129 --> 00:04:39,815
And it may not be just the outward strike,

117
00:04:39,815 --> 00:04:42,543
but we've been offended.

118
00:04:42,543 --> 00:04:44,146
We're going to respond.

119
00:04:44,146 --> 00:04:45,825
We're going to make it known.

120
00:04:45,825 --> 00:04:47,687
We're going to get back.

121
00:04:47,687 --> 00:04:49,615
We're going to somehow deal a blow

122
00:04:49,615 --> 00:04:53,984
for the blow we feel like we've received.

123
00:04:53,984 --> 00:04:58,030
Brethren, are you really hearing this?

124
00:04:58,030 --> 00:05:00,635
That's the thing.

125
00:05:00,635 --> 00:05:02,723
Are you hearing this?

126
00:05:02,723 --> 00:05:06,103
Can you imagine what it 
would be like for this church

127
00:05:06,103 --> 00:05:08,572
if every time somebody grieved us,

128
00:05:08,572 --> 00:05:10,496
offended us or hurt us,

129
00:05:10,496 --> 00:05:13,528
we immediately responded 
with a loving action?

130
00:05:13,528 --> 00:05:16,819
A loving gesture?

131
00:05:16,819 --> 00:05:20,980
Folks, when someone wrongs us,

132
00:05:20,980 --> 00:05:22,984
we know it.

133
00:05:22,984 --> 00:05:24,867
Right?

134
00:05:24,867 --> 00:05:26,872
Folks, enemies are called enemies

135
00:05:26,872 --> 00:05:29,466
because they do the things 
that only enemies would do.

136
00:05:29,466 --> 00:05:31,964
And that doesn't mean that sometimes

137
00:05:31,964 --> 00:05:34,385
that enemy isn't another Christian.

138
00:05:34,385 --> 00:05:36,550
Basically, we can size 
up an enemy this way:

139
00:05:36,550 --> 00:05:38,855
It's not just a lost person 
that does this evil.

140
00:05:38,855 --> 00:05:40,832
It's anybody that 
strikes out against us.

141
00:05:40,832 --> 00:05:42,487
And the fact is, that even when

142
00:05:42,487 --> 00:05:44,488
it's an enemy that 
strikes out against us,

143
00:05:44,488 --> 00:05:46,437
we can leave that 
vengeance to the Lord.

144
00:05:46,437 --> 00:05:47,974
The Lord will repay.

145
00:05:47,974 --> 00:05:49,916
You say what? He's going to repay them?

146
00:05:49,916 --> 00:05:51,729
Not if there a child of God,

147
00:05:51,729 --> 00:05:53,307
but there's going to be payment.

148
00:05:53,307 --> 00:05:55,006
Christ will take that payment.

149
00:05:55,006 --> 00:05:56,622
Which you should be glad of that

150
00:05:56,622 --> 00:05:58,043
because He's taken yours too,

151
00:05:58,043 --> 00:05:59,626
and you've offended other people.

152
00:05:59,626 --> 00:06:00,767
But I'll tell you what,

153
00:06:00,787 --> 00:06:02,669
an enemy is anybody 
that comes against us.

154
00:06:02,669 --> 00:06:04,151
It's anybody that mistreats us.

155
00:06:04,151 --> 00:06:05,911
And I mean it's a true mistreatment.

156
00:06:05,911 --> 00:06:07,572
It's a true offensive deal to us.

157
00:06:07,572 --> 00:06:09,107
It's a true persecution to us.

158
00:06:09,107 --> 00:06:11,187
It can come from any quarter.

159
00:06:11,187 --> 00:06:14,221
And bottom line, enemies 
do what enemies do.

160
00:06:14,221 --> 00:06:15,734
And we feel what enemies do.

161
00:06:15,734 --> 00:06:17,109
This isn't a mystery to us.

162
00:06:17,109 --> 00:06:20,136
If anything in our 
life gets our attention,

163
00:06:20,136 --> 00:06:21,709
I mean really gets it,

164
00:06:21,709 --> 00:06:25,105
it's the actions of enemies against us.

165
00:06:25,105 --> 00:06:26,378
We feel it.

166
00:06:26,378 --> 00:06:27,762
And you know what Paul says?

167
00:06:27,762 --> 00:06:28,941
He comes in right there

168
00:06:28,941 --> 00:06:31,231
and he says, OK, I can say this to you:

169
00:06:31,231 --> 00:06:36,300
It isn't something you have to 
wonder whether it happened.

170
00:06:36,300 --> 00:06:38,345
When you feel offended, 
when you feel hurt,

171
00:06:38,345 --> 00:06:39,463
you know you do.

172
00:06:39,463 --> 00:06:40,625
And what he's saying is,

173
00:06:40,625 --> 00:06:41,645
right at that point,

174
00:06:41,645 --> 00:06:44,272
take that hurt,

175
00:06:44,272 --> 00:06:47,323
and return in love.

176
00:06:47,323 --> 00:06:48,880
It takes the grace of God.

177
00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:53,004
Natural man cannot do this.

178
00:06:53,004 --> 00:06:55,044
What did God say?

179
00:06:55,044 --> 00:06:56,939
What is the promise?

180
00:06:56,939 --> 00:06:59,068
He says we are 
predestinated to be conformed

181
00:06:59,068 --> 00:07:00,235
to the image of Christ.

182
00:07:00,235 --> 00:07:02,512
If you're a true child 
of God, I guarantee you,

183
00:07:02,512 --> 00:07:04,630
this will be conformed 
into your very image.

184
00:07:04,630 --> 00:07:05,964
It will be stamped in there.

185
00:07:05,964 --> 00:07:07,275
By the grace of God,

186
00:07:07,275 --> 00:07:08,917
by the power of the Holy Spirit,

187
00:07:08,917 --> 00:07:13,735
you can do this.

188
00:07:13,735 --> 00:07:17,689
Folks, take every offense, every hurt;

189
00:07:17,689 --> 00:07:21,360
let their wrongdoing to you

190
00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:24,614
be an immediate prompt in your life

191
00:07:24,614 --> 00:07:27,717
to love them.

192
00:07:27,717 --> 00:07:31,608
Are you really hearing what I'm saying?

193
00:07:31,608 --> 00:07:34,608
Look, if you're not hurt right now,

194
00:07:34,608 --> 00:07:37,782
you're thinking, I can do that.

195
00:07:37,782 --> 00:07:41,700
But when you've been 
hurt, it's not so easy.

196
00:07:41,700 --> 00:07:43,827
And I can imagine in a church like this,

197
00:07:43,827 --> 00:07:46,075
as the church grows...

198
00:07:46,075 --> 00:07:49,570
OK, let me give you an example.

199
00:07:49,570 --> 00:07:51,138
OK, we've got a sister.

200
00:07:51,138 --> 00:07:53,699
Sister hears some ladies 
got together for coffee.

201
00:07:53,699 --> 00:07:56,924
How come I wasn't invited?

202
00:07:56,924 --> 00:07:58,470
And by the way,

203
00:07:58,470 --> 00:08:00,448
who was it that planned that thing?

204
00:08:00,448 --> 00:08:02,082
Who was it that did the inviting?

205
00:08:02,082 --> 00:08:03,194
They didn't invite me?

206
00:08:03,194 --> 00:08:04,789
I'm hurt.

207
00:08:04,789 --> 00:08:05,886
Well, you know what?

208
00:08:05,886 --> 00:08:07,299
Next time I have a gathering,

209
00:08:07,299 --> 00:08:10,391
I'm not going to invite her.

210
00:08:10,391 --> 00:08:11,709
You know what?

211
00:08:11,709 --> 00:08:14,235
You'll laugh,

212
00:08:14,235 --> 00:08:16,475
but I know the way people think.

213
00:08:16,475 --> 00:08:18,223
And I know what hurts people.

214
00:08:18,223 --> 00:08:19,150
And you know what?

215
00:08:19,150 --> 00:08:20,833
In a church where a lot of sinners,

216
00:08:20,833 --> 00:08:22,418
saved though many of them may be,

217
00:08:22,418 --> 00:08:24,238
try to live together 
and function together,

218
00:08:24,238 --> 00:08:26,009
we hurt each other.

219
00:08:26,009 --> 00:08:28,986
And look, we could be talking 
about enemies out there,

220
00:08:28,986 --> 00:08:31,544
but there are things that 
people do in here as well.

221
00:08:31,544 --> 00:08:33,043
And the thing that I'm saying is,

222
00:08:33,043 --> 00:08:34,436
whether it's an enemy out there

223
00:08:34,436 --> 00:08:36,977
or whether it's somebody in here,

224
00:08:36,977 --> 00:08:38,985
you hear down through the grapevine,

225
00:08:38,985 --> 00:08:41,415
so and so said such and such about you.

226
00:08:41,415 --> 00:08:42,518
Well, that hurts me.

227
00:08:42,518 --> 00:08:43,537
Well, you know what?

228
00:08:43,537 --> 00:08:46,698
Rather than saying by 
my retaliatory words,

229
00:08:46,698 --> 00:08:48,946
or by my avoidance or by my silence

230
00:08:48,946 --> 00:08:51,221
to that person I'm going to get them back,

231
00:08:51,221 --> 00:08:52,291
you know what you do?

232
00:08:52,291 --> 00:08:53,608
You say, "that hurt."

233
00:08:53,608 --> 00:09:00,116
Now, Father, show me 
specifically how to do and act

234
00:09:00,116 --> 00:09:03,373
a specific manifest act 
of love toward that person.

235
00:09:03,373 --> 00:09:05,739
If we have a church 
that's functioning like that,

236
00:09:05,739 --> 00:09:06,678
guess what?

237
00:09:06,678 --> 00:09:08,585
We don't have people like 
I've heard some people

238
00:09:08,585 --> 00:09:11,376
that have left the church 
because they didn't feel like

239
00:09:11,376 --> 00:09:14,933
they were being given enough attention.

240
00:09:14,933 --> 00:09:16,774
You know what you 
do when you get hurt

241
00:09:16,774 --> 00:09:19,136
because you don't feel like 
you're getting enough attention?

242
00:09:19,136 --> 00:09:21,628
You specifically according 
to this don't retaliate

243
00:09:21,628 --> 00:09:23,555
by I'm going to show them - I'm leaving!

244
00:09:23,555 --> 00:09:25,831
That's exactly the opposite of this.

245
00:09:25,831 --> 00:09:28,894
What this is is saying if somebody does

246
00:09:28,894 --> 00:09:30,928
strike out against me like that,

247
00:09:30,928 --> 00:09:32,469
then I'm going to return love.

248
00:09:32,469 --> 00:09:35,162
If somebody offends me, 
somebody comes against me

249
00:09:35,162 --> 00:09:38,290
I'm going to do this.

250
00:09:38,290 --> 00:09:42,771
Folks, take every hurt, every wrong,

251
00:09:42,771 --> 00:09:44,698
every unkindness, every attack,

252
00:09:44,698 --> 00:09:46,301
every provocation, every offense,

253
00:09:46,301 --> 00:09:48,445
every criticism, every crushing, mauling,

254
00:09:48,445 --> 00:09:50,053
biting, wounding thing,

255
00:09:50,053 --> 00:09:52,073
and make it specifically an occasion for

256
00:09:52,073 --> 00:09:54,383
doing that person good.