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Taking Hatred Head on – 2 – The High Cost of Hatred and a Better Option
Taking Hatred Head On Bumper
Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt!
Hatred Head On
Hatred is widespread.
-in our heart.
Extreme radical Hate
Extreme radical Community
The answer to hatred is a new heart and community.
The Challenge
Weeks from now…
- Be extreme & radical in community.
- Take constant steps in LOVE over hate.
Days from now…
- That surprising anger – STOP and pray for your enemy.
- Might feel awkward/insincere at first, but stick with it. It changes your heart.
How are we doing?
Today…
The High Cost of Hatred and a Better Option
Me-
The high cost of Hating
College – jerk, better than you, show off car, unlikeable
Hits me with his car.
Still a jerk. Hard to not hate this guy.
The high cost of being Hated
Grocery store with Alex.
See someone(perhaps), who hates me… has lied about me, has been threatening to my wife…
Anxiety, fear, panic, flight
You-
Imagine the person you hate…
-the person you have trouble loving, serving, caring…
Imagine the person that hates you…
-causes you to want to fight (hate them back)
-causes you to want to flight (shame, guilt, fear)
Someone in the office, school, church…
Someone from a past relationship…
Just a random person…
Someone in the news, social media, celebrity, a Philadelphia Eagles fan.
Aftermath-
Consumed by hatred – High Cost.
• Deterioration of mental health: Increased stress, anxiety, and depression.
• Physical health issues: Cardiovascular problems, weakened immune system, and other physical ailments.
• Damaged relationships: Destroyed friendships, romantic partnerships, and family bonds.
• Reduced productivity: Obsessing over hatred can distract from work and personal goals, leading to decreased performance.
• Emotional exhaustion: Maintaining hatred requires significant emotional energy, leaving little for positive experiences.
• Impaired decision-making: Cloud judgment and lead to poor choices in various aspects of life.
• Spiritual/moral decline: Hatred is detrimental to personal growth and spiritual well-being.
We can see the high cost of hatred EVERYWHERE!
We Christians are not immune to the struggle of hatred.
What does Jesus say about this?
What if the cost of hate is higher than we know?
What if some of our actions that we feel are justified are not justified and hateful?
Matthew 5:21-26
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’
Murder is real serious. Real hatred.
I don’t go that far…
22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
What “judgment?” The judgment of murder.
Anger is murder.
Do you have unresolved issues of anger?
Could God judge you as a murderer?
It is not enough to say… well I am angry but I have not done anything… What is in the heart is still judged.
What about what comes out of our mouth?
“anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court.”
Raca- empty headed insult.
“And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
The hate in our heart… and the hate in our word is judged.
Anger is murder.
Our angry words put us in danger of hell fire.
Do we take our anger serious?
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
How serious is Jesus about overcoming hatred and anger and becoming reconciled?
The gift at the altar… Israelites would travel to the temple in Jerusalem to bring a sacrifice to the altar. They could travel hundreds of miles…
Jesus is saying… if at the altar you remember the problem in your relationship – leave and go home and fix it!
What if you drove in to Church from McKinney, but during that first song you remember… Jesus says go home and fix it!
Called to love, but living in hatred.
Perhaps our worship means less, when we hate others?
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary…
Better Option: Get rid of anger A.S.A.P.
Your anger is a time bomb.
Your pushback…
-But you don’t know what they did to me…
-But I am right, they are wrong…
-what about righteous anger?
Ephesians 4:26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
It is possible to be angry and not sin… but not for long.
If you are carrying anger into tomorrow, you are sinning.
Anger, mean words, hatred carries a high cost.
It makes us murderers…
If we are murderers, we more like the devil than Jesus…
Jesus called the devil a murderer from the beginning. (John 8:44)
Have you been holding on to anger?
Better Option: Get rid of anger A.S.A.P.
Get rid of it today.
-better for you.
-better for others.
-more like Jesus.
The woman in the grocery store… I had a mixture of anger and fear… after seeing her I prayed.
God gave me a dream about her.
I was sitting in a diner across from her.
We were smiling. We were friends. We were reconciled.
I woke up… Nice try God. She is not that person in the dream. SHE HATES ME. SHE WOULD HARM ME IF SHE COULD.
God spoke to my heart – Can you treat her like the person in your dream. Can you hold her in your heart like this?
When I see this lady, I don’t know what she will say or how she will act… but I am to treat her as a friend and not out of anger.
I pray for her… as a friend.
I pray for myself… I forgive her over and over.
When anger comes into my heart and mind… I surrender again. I repent. I treat her with grace.
The Challenge
Weeks from now…
- Be extreme & radical in community.
- Join a Connect Group
Days from now…
- Be free from the high cost of hatred.
- Free from hating others
- Free from being hated by others
Right now
- Get rid of anger A.S.A.P.
- Leave your gift at the altar – go to them.
- Bring your need to God.