Love Past What's Comfortable | Pastor Adrian Vega | Overflow Church

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

As that song was playing, all I could feel in my spirit, all I could feel from the Holy Spirit was there's burdens in the room, there's heaviness in the room.

And there's this beautiful invitation in this moment where God is saying, Hey man, bring that all to me.

Bring that all to me.

Give it all to me.

And this is a beautiful exchange that he invites us to because he didn't call us to carry the heavy, he didn't call us to carry every burden.

He said, Cast those burdens on to me because they're heavy.

And let me give you minds that is light.

And I just feel, man, there's tiredness in the room, there's weariness in the room today.

Some people are just tired, they feel like they've just been fighting the same thing and fighting the same thing, and it's a repeat every day.

There's heaviness in the room, there's burdens in the room.

Oh man, right now, in the name of Jesus, I begin to speak, Lord God, that burdens have to go in the name of Jesus.

Every burden must flee in the name of Jesus.

The spirit of heaviness, we cast it out in the name of Jesus today, Lord God.

We begin to speak.

Holy Spirit, would you begin to move in this face?

Holy Spirit, we invite you, Holy Spirit, please meet us in the room today.

Holy Spirit, the helper, would you come in the room today?

That are just way down by life right now, Lord God, that are way down in heaviness today, Lord God.

And I pray today, Lord God, that you begin to lift the burden, begin to lift the burden off their shoulder.

I pray right now in the name of Jesus that burdens are being lifted today, Lord God.

Man, Lord God, I pray right now in the name of Jesus today.

Holy Spirit, we need you to move.

We need you to move in this space, Holy Spirit.

If we came for ourselves, Lord God, then we're we're here wasting our time.

We need you, Holy Spirit, today in the room.

We need you, Holy Spirit, in this space.

And I pray right now in the name of Jesus, Lord God, move over every heart, begin to move between us in the spaces that lay between us.

I pray, Holy Spirit, that you begin to move today.

That you begin to stir some things up today.

Oh Holy Spirit, I pray right now in the name of Jesus, Lord God.

Oh Lord God, that burdens are being lifted right now in the name of Jesus.

Heaviness is being lifted in the name of Jesus today.

I pray right now in the name of Jesus.

Guys, lift up your hands right now.

Lift up your hands right now.

I don't know what you're going through this morning.

But if you're tired of being tired, then you're in the right room today.

If you're tired of being tired, then you made it in the right room today.

And I pray right now in the name of Jesus today, Lord God.

Fill every heart right now, Lord God.

Fill every heart today.

Fill every heart today.

Oh, right now in the name of Jesus, there's a scripture in Psalms 100 1 and 2, and it says, simply shout for joy to the Lord.

Shout to you know, I don't know about you guys.

I want to get some freedom back.

Can we can we just shout the name of Jesus this morning?

Can I just shout you?

Let's shout the name of Jesus today.

Right on the counter three.

One, two, three.

Jesus! Jesus meet us! Jesus! Just keep saying the name of Jesus this morning! Jesus, we need you! Jesus meet us! Jesus, freedom! Jesus hope today! Jesus healing today! Jesus, open up my eyes today! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus right now, Lord God! Jesus in the morning! Jesus in the evening! Jesus all the day long! Jesus! Jesus meet us in the room! Jesus meet us in the room today! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Man, there's a name! That name! Man, that changes every circumstance! That name changes every situation! That name lifts you up! That name takes you out of darkness! That name finds you where you are today! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! God's whispered under your breath today! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Oh, right now, Lord God, meet us today, Lord God! Meet us today, Lord God! Oh, come on, we already met the quota, Lord God.

Your scripture says that two or more are gathered in this room.

You would be in the midst of them, and I thank you, Lord God, because we meet the quota today.

You're in the room right now with us, you're here right now to change and transform today.

Oh, Lord Jesus, we call upon your name today.

We call upon your name today, Jesus.

Hallelujah.

And I just read this a couple days ago.

Man, I don't know what it is, man.

There, God wants to bring some freedom today.

You know, in Psalms 47:1, it says, Clap your hands, all ye people.

Psalms 47:1

Man, there's something about man just shouting his name.

There's something about clapping.

You know, the walls of Jericho didn't come down because the angels of the Lord knocked down the wall.

The walls of Jericho didn't fall down because uh Jesus uh came and in Almighty and all glory and his power pushed the walls down.

No, it says in the walls of Jericho began to fall when the people began to shout with the voice of victory, with a voice crying out the name of God, crying out and clapping and shouting.

Can we get some freedom in the room today?

Let's shout the name of Jesus.

Clap your hands, all ye people, clap your hands, all ye people.

Let's get freedom in the room this morning.

Hallelujah, hallelujah.

Man God, we thank you today that you're here with us, Lord God.

We thank you that you meet us in the spaces when we gather.

In Jesus' name we pray today.

Everybody said, Amen, amen, man.

You guys can have a seat.

Hallelujah.

Man, how you guys doing this morning?

How you guys doing this morning?

Man, I thought I was in a Catholic church this morning for a minute.

I said, man, what's going on?

Man, can we give God a shot of glory this morning?

Let's act alive.

Because I tell you what, he's alive, I'm alive, you alive, okay?

That didn't have to be your testimony.

Man, you know, today there's just, I mean, I have urgency in my spirit, man.

I had urgency, you know.

Last week, man, I got into some different times of prayer throughout the week.

And and the Lord just began to speak to me about just an urgency.

An urgency in the spirit.

And man, sometimes, man, we we just don't understand what urgency means.

You know, back in the day, if I say back in the day, you know, I wasn't saved my whole life, okay?

Back in the day, if I say back in the day, man, there was a song that came out, and this really has nothing to do with a message, but we're just going where God has taken us.

Uh, but back in the day, uh man, there was this song that came out and it says 24 hours to live.

You guys know that song?

Good, don't know the song, don't know this.

Not a good one, it wasn't a good one.

But it was it was a hip-hop song, and it it was about, hey, you got 24 hours to live, what would you do?

And really, it's just this idea of like, hey, when you're up against the clock, when the clock is is ticking, you know, beyond a shadow thought, hey, this is it.

How would you respond?

And that's kind of the premise of that particular song.

And I was thinking on that song uh this week as I was thinking about this idea uh with that God's putting in my spirit about urgency.

There's an urgency to the hour.

And you know, sometimes we just don't live with the sense of urgency.

You know, and I was watching a movie uh a couple days ago uh with Pastor Michelle, and uh, I had watched this movie before, and I had just been like, man, watch that movie, and I was like, but I don't know if I want to watch this movie, but but in the back of my mind, I was like, you know what, I'm gonna put this movie on, I just need to watch this movie.

And this is a line that stuck out in the movie, and the line was simply there's less time than you think, there's less time than you think.

And sometimes, again, we operate in this mindset.

I got enough time.

Time is a precious commodity.

But I'll tell you what, time is taking, time is going down, like we we have less time today than we did yesterday.

And not that I'm trying to tell anybody anything, okay?

I want everybody to live long lives out here today.

But you know what?

I don't know the time of the hour.

That's what the word of God tells us, right?

And what I know is the word of God tells us, hey, tomorrow is promised to no man.

So the hour is later than we think.

And there's just an urgency in my spirit, and you know, uh, over the next course of the next few weeks, we're we're gonna talk about that urgency for the gospel, the urgency for the hour we're in, the urgency for what God is trying to do here on earth.

Because we're all part of that.

Amen.

You guys know you're a part of that.

Amen.

Everybody's like, what?

Guys, God is moving.

And I'll tell you what, every every time I listen to something, every time I watch the news, every time, man, I see the things that are going on, I'm just in the reminder time is running out.

Time is running out.

That's not something for me to tell you because I'm trying to bring some kind of a fear, but the reality of it is that time is running out.

The hour, the church hour, that time is running out.

Man, and we have to get fervent about the gospel.

Amen.

I don't know what that's all about, but I hope that that's just stirring somebody up a little bit this morning.

But guys, good morning today, okay?

Uh man, we're excited to have you guys in the house.

We're excited to be together in the room.

Uh, start with the best thing I heard this week, and I thought this one was so good.

Uh, it says that don't get so worried about what you're walking into that you forget who you're walking in with.

Let me let me say that one again because that one just went over some people.

They're like, what happened?

Don't get so worried about what you're walking into that you forget who you're walking in with.

Man, sometimes, man, we we we get so caught up in the stuff of life, we get so caught up in the busyness of life that we get overwhelmed at work, we get overwhelmed by people, we get overwhelmed by things, and and and this is just a simple reminder, man.

Everywhere you step into, there is more with you than what was going on in the rooms that you're in.

Amen.

And in 2 Kings chapter 6, verse 16, he said, tie this thought together.

2 Kings 6:16

There's this moment uh in verse 16 where Elisha says, Don't be afraid.

Everybody say, Don't be afraid.

Everybody say, Don't be afraid.

For there are more on our side than on theirs.

Amen.

And really what that's talking about is that there's this moment where uh Elisha's surrounded by an army and and his servant is like, man, uh, it don't look good out there, okay?

Uh because Elisha's in the tent, the guy went out the tent, he looked around.

And I don't know what about you guys, have you ever like uh, you know, this this happened not too long ago where I got to see like the SWAT team uh trying to hit a house?

I was like, yo, this is this is like a movie right here.

And and and you know, I'm not trying to, you know, just be watching stuff, but you know, I I was very curious at that point.

I was like, well, let me see what's going on.

Uh but I'll tell you what, there's something about walking outside your house and seeing a SWAT team.

Okay?

Uh there's something a little bit terrifying when you see, uh, you know, like in in the movies and in the shows, you see like they bring in this giant like tank type that I mean the tank rolled up.

I saw the tank, I was like, oh man, this is getting real out here, okay?

And I see them all geared up and they get out the truck, and I said, Oh man, this is serious.

So I said, Well, I might as well wait because I'm gonna pray for them.

I just wanted to see what's going on.

But what happens?

Man, there's something about when you're surrounded, it's different.

And and the servant steps out of the tent, sees that he's surrounded by an army.

He runs in.

Man, Elisha, this ain't looking good, okay?

Uh we they got us all around.

They I got shaking everywhere.

They they're on horses, there's a lot of swords out there, okay?

It's just us.

Uh I don't know.

I mean, what do you tell this guy, right?

You're like, hey, hey, I mean, I'm in with you, rather die.

But this is looking a little bit rough.

And it didn't say that Elisha was worried.

It doesn't say that Elisha got panicked.

It doesn't even say that Elisha began to pray.

The scripture doesn't say any of that.

Elisha in the tent was like, I mean, this part wasn't in there, but I'm sure he was like, Like, you good?

Like, you alright?

You look a little out of breath, look a little scared.

You alright?

Well, he says, Don't be afraid.

For there are more on our side than on theirs.

And he said that he prayed that his eyes would be opened.

And when he walked out of the tent again, he saw a vaster army surrounding that army.

You know, sometimes again, we're we're just not understanding, guys.

We're stepping into every situation, but we're coming in armed.

We're not walking into situations on our own.

That's the benefit of being in the kingdom of God.

Man, God is with us.

Man, every situation I work I walk into, God is with me.

I got somebody on my side.

The word of God says he's my advocate.

Amen.

I don't know.

We we had a week off, and uh, everybody, everybody's asleep this morning.

I don't know what's going on, guys.

But we've been in a series over the last few weeks, and last uh the Sunday before last we preached a little bit different off subject.

Uh, but this week we're gonna jump right back in and finish off chapter five of Matthew.

But we've been building on these precepts around follow me the way.

And we've been talking about uh what does that mean to man follow Jesus?

What does it mean to be faith or live a life that's faith forward, spirit-led?

What does that mean?

Hey man, I'm walking by faith.

Man, the Holy Spirit is guiding my steps.

How do I get there?

Well, the first part is I gotta know Jesus, I gotta understand who He is in my life.

And we've been talking about this scripture in Psalms 119, 105 says, the word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

And I'm so glad that he is the light to my path.

And there's moments, man, where I don't know where to go, I don't know what to do.

And the moment I begin to pray, man, I feel like the light begins to shine.

A direction.

That's the faithfulness of God.

Amen.

And let's pray this morning, Lord God.

We just thank you today.

I pray, Lord God, that your Holy Spirit is here in the room.

I pray right now in the name of Jesus, Lord God, we lift heaviness, we lift burdens today.

We pray right now, Lord God, that you are in the room to heal, renew, restore.

Lord God, I pray, Lord God, that every listener of your word today will be transformed.

I pray right now, Lord God, at the sound of my voice, let the anointing begin to shake.

Lord God, things loose today in the name of Jesus.

I pray today that I will simply be a vessel and a vehicle that you would work through, Lord God, and speak through, Lord God, not my words, but your words today, God.

I pray today that you would convict, challenge, and transform us, Lord God.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen and amen.

So, man, as we're wrapping up the last part of chapter five on the Sermon on the Mount, I'm I was thinking about it, man.

How do I kind of bridge this thought together?

Uh, this last part or this last challenge uh in chapter five that that Jesus is giving to the disciples and every listener.

And I was thinking about really one of my favorite like series of movies, uh, Rush Hour.

You guys remember Rush Hour?

You know Rush Hour.

You don't act like you don't know.

You know a little rush hour.

Uh, but the premise of this movie is you got two vastly different people that come together, right?

And it is very funny, and and there's there's so much uh like just comedic things that happen uh throughout the movie, but the premise is uh initially is that hey man, somebody sees somebody that's different, and in that difference there becomes an indifference.

A distinct, well, uh you don't know how I do things, and uh you're different, or you do things in a different way.

Um and it was a disconnection.

What happens over the course of that of the movie, and and obviously there's a there's a series of movies, but uh in the course of the that first movie, what happens?

There's moments where they begin to realize, hey man, you know what?

Uh we do got a lot of similarities though.

Uh, you know, we're really got a got a conviction for what we're doing.

And what happens?

At some point, the connection, right?

At some point, they connect and and they're like, hey man, I I I think we we got something cooking here.

Why?

Because the moment you surrender your guard, something begins to happen, right?

And in this uh part of the Sermon on the Mount that we're gonna talk about in Matthew, is talking about this idea of man, how we need to preview the people around us.

And when we think about the Sermon on the Mount, we've been talking about how Jesus again is redefining righteousness from external rule following.

His message has come to reveal, deal, and deliver us into a heart that's becoming transformed.

Remember, Jesus is on this mountain, and there's a bunch of people that are there.

Uh, the ones that are closest to him are the disciples, and the idea here is he's injecting his DNA.

He's saying, Hey, this is why I'm here.

This is the purpose, like, this is the mission, this is how we get there.

This is the and how we get there is by transforming your heart.

I need you to live in a different way so that people can see something different.

Everybody say heart revival.

He has come for heart revival, and the message of the Beatitudes and the message of the Sermon on the Mount is really this idea of a heart revival.

He's saying, Hey, it's not about what's happening on the outside, it's not what it looks like on the outside, this facade that we put on, but it's me getting into your heart and changing and transforming you from the inside out.

Everybody say heart revival.

Why is it so important?

Because in Jeremiah 17, verse 9 and 10, uh, and I'm reading from the New Living Translation, it says that the human heart is the most deceitful of all things.

Jeremiah 17:9

And desperately wicked.

And that's pretty hardcore right there.

I mean, we can stop right there, and I'm like, man, we got problems right here.

It's the human heart.

It's the most deceitful of all things.

This guy right here.

They're letting us know right here.

Hey man, this guy right here deceitful.

That's really wicked.

Who really knows how bad it is?

But I ever say but I'm loving me, Jesus.

The Lord search all hearts and examine the secret motives.

I give all people their due rewards according to what their actions deserve.

The intent.

There's an intent in our heart.

God knows when we're pursuing, when we're doing the right thing for the right reasons, it's here.

It bubbles from the inside out.

But what is what is he what is this implication?

It's saying that, hey man, our heart has become corrupt.

Why?

Because what you're putting in is what you're getting out.

What you're putting in is what you're gonna put out.

So if you're you know hanging out with the wrong people and they're depositing into you something, what's coming out?

You start talking like them, you start walking like them, you start doing things like them.

You know what I'm talking about?

At some point you start saying things and someone says, Well, where'd you get that from?

Oh, you know what?

But why?

Because you're hearing things so often, you you your vocabulary changes.

Why?

Because what you're putting in is coming out, and that's where in Jeremiah is saying, hey man, like don't trust your heart.

That's why people say, Oh, you know, follow your heart.

Don't follow your heart.

Is deceitful, is wicked.

But think about this is what the world teaches us.

Follow your heart.

And it sounds poetic and it sounds beautiful.

But the Lord is like, yo, don't follow that.

It's leading you in the wrong direction.

I seen very few people that followed their heart and it ended up good.

I want to marry that man.

Well, follow your heart.

A couple years later, divorce.

Because your heart.

God bless, hallelujah.

Follow your heart again because we want things and because it's a heart desire, it can lead us in wrong motivations, it can lead us down wrong roads.

So, what happens in Ezekiel chapter 36, verse 26?

Ezekiel 36:26

It says, And I will give you a new heart.

Come on now.

In God good.

He says, I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you.

I will take out your stony, stubborn heart.

What does he call that wicked heart?

He calls it stony and stubborn and give you a tender, responsive heart.

In another version, it says, I'm gonna give you a heart of flesh.

What does that mean?

It's living, it's a soft heart that feels deeply and responds to God's voice and cares for people.

When your heart is turned towards God, man, you think differently.

When your heart is turned towards God, you see things differently.

Why?

Because again, it's heart revival.

This is what we're heading towards, heart revival.

Where, man, my life is changing.

Why?

Because God's words are changing me from the inside out.

So now this stony heart that I showed up with, the wicked heart that I showed up with, he's saying, Hey, I want to give you this tender heart.

I want to give you this new heart that's responsive to me.

It was like the other day, I was uh literally, I was in, I had finished praying early in the morning at some point earlier this week, and I sat down and I was doing a little bit of work and I put on his worship song.

I don't know what happened.

Man, I just began to feel the Holy Spirit move and literally just broke down in tears, just weeping before the Lord.

And why?

Got a tender heart towards the Lord.

Why?

Because God is constantly shifting and changing the stony, stubborn heart to a heart of flesh.

That's why we need to spend more time with him.

That's how we need to get in his presence.

Why?

Because, man, every day he's working on that heart, he's transforming that heart.

Amen.

Everybody say heart transformation.

Alright, so here we're gonna get into the meat.

In Matthew 5, 43 through 48, and this is gonna be the last part of Matthew chapter 5, and then we're gonna start in verse or chapter 6, uh, which is kind of the rest of the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

But in verse 43, it says, Uh, you have heard the law say, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

That sounds rough.

Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

So again, we go back in this circle where Jesus is saying, Hey, you heard this.

What does that mean?

Hey, over time, through in synagogues, through leaders, through your parents, at some point, this has been the doctrine that you've heard and you have put belief to.

See, love your neighbor is a God command.

It's found in Leviticus, chapter 19, verse 18.

Leviticus 19:18

It says, Do not seek revenge.

That's a tough one right there, too.

Let me say that again.

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge.

That's a tough one right there, too.

Some people are like, well, you know.

Let's talk about this, Lord.

Let's let's let's negotiate what that really means.

Don't bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself.

I am the Lord.

So in this decree, he's saying, hey man, uh when you think about this idea of the golden rule, right?

Do unto others as you want them to do others.

It's basically what he's saying, hey man, love your neighbor as you love yourself.

And it's some people that they love it themselves, so you must treat your neighbors good then.

Because, you know, you if you love yourself a lot, then it's saying, hey man, in that same way, show that same level of kindness to the people around you.

Amen.

To love your neighbor is treating every person with the same basic care, respect, and dignity that you want for yourself, right?

It's all love.

It's all love, right?

So, what does that mean?

Hey man, uh, you know, and I'm I'm a neighbor person.

I'm I didn't I'm talking to the neighbors, I'm saying I'm waving to the neighbors.

Uh, you know, there's times that that pastor Michelle be like, who are you waving to?

I said, Oh, that's so and so.

How do you know that person?

I mean, well, you know, I saw them.

We talked the other day.

Um, you know, I had a guy moved across the street, got his whole life story.

Uh why, hey man, I wanted what's up?

I live across the street.

What's your name?

That's what's up, man.

Are you you good?

Okay, cool.

And what happened?

We begin to build a rapport.

Why is that important?

Because, man, if I don't say what's up, this is all part of my plan, you know what I'm saying?

Because then at some point I gotta go fishing.

Hey, man, you know what?

I saw you the other day.

I'm just gonna invite you to church.

Guys, we're fishermen.

We fish that new neighbor.

I saw, oh I was talking to my pastor, and my my neighbor next door is also a pastor, so we're talking about like, I was like, oh no, I got these guys out here.

And he's like, Oh, yeah, I'm talking to that guy over there.

I said, No, no, I already started talking to this guy.

Why?

Because we're fishermen.

We fishermen out here trying to catch.

Are you are you doing the same?

Or you're like, no, I don't even look at my neighbors.

I don't even know somebody moved out.

That's a different story for another day, okay?

Anyways, uh so it's all love, right?

It's all love.

We want to love our neighbor.

We love love, right?

But then we get this idea of hate your enemy.

Let's read the command again, though.

In Leviticus chapter 19, verse 18, it says, Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against your fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself.

Leviticus 19:18

I am the Lord.

Oh, that says P.S.

H.

No, it does not say that.

It does not say that.

Everybody's like, what, 18 and a half?

I don't know.

No, it doesn't say that.

There's no hate in here.

But what happens?

Religious leaders ran with this idea of, yeah, we want to love our neighbors.

Man, the Lord said, Love your neighbors, let's love our neighbors.

What does that mean?

The familiar, people we know, people are the same culture.

But then they added something.

Guys, sometimes when you start adding stuff, you already mess it up.

You already messed it up.

But they added something, and they said, Oh, okay, well, if we're gonna love our neighbor, I guess we could hate people that are not our neighbors.

Which in those times were generally any person that lived in other places, other cities, essentially a foreigner to us, will come in, that will be considered my enemy.

God didn't say that.

But we be out and stuff.

People be out of stuff all the time.

Sometimes we be making the scripture fit our narrative.

That's another message for another day.

But sometimes we be like, oh man, but but God, God said anything is impossible.

So, you know, I'm gonna I'ma go and do something that you know you shouldn't be doing.

Oh, but but he's the God of the impossible.

That's not really how that scripture works, right?

I can do all things through Christ who's strengthened.

We be putting out on everything.

Like it's just like a hat.

We just put that on, whatever we want.

We can't just make things try to fit.

Or can we sit and try to add things to who God is?

Is Jesus plus nothing?

Jesus' word, God's word plus nothing.

When we start adding to God's word, we rob the spirit and we rob the power of that word.

So, what are we challenged to do in this moment?

Hey, man, when we're reading God's word, it's not about what you can add to it.

And this is what Jesus came to do.

Jesus came to break us away from the law or the standard of the law.

Why?

Because the law was became filtered with, hey, what God was saying, but how man interpreted it.

And I don't know about you guys, but man, just the other day, uh I saw somebody was changing out like a filter.

And when they pulled out the filter, the filter, it it looked rough.

It looked, I was like, woof, that thing looking rough.

It looked bad.

But what happens?

So, what that's telling me is everything that was running through that filter was not really being filtered the right way.

Why?

Because the filter itself was broken, it was damaged.

So, what is God saying?

Hey man, I sent my word, but at some point it began to get filtered by the wrong things.

And and and we started making things the plus.

And then at some point it stops being this, okay, but I gotta see the other things that are added.

That's what the law was doing.

And in this moment, God is like, hey, I told you to love your neighbor.

I didn't talk about hate nobody.

You guys added hate.

What does hate mean?

To hate is an intense, deep-seated emotional response of aversion, extreme dislike, or hostility towards people, ideas, or things.

It combines anger, disgust, and malice, and is widely considered the emotional opposite of love.

That's heavy.

Even sometimes, I like you know, you know, we we get just bad language over time, right?

And we be saying all kinds of stuff like, oh man, I hate this thing.

And sometimes I check myself.

I'm like, I mean, I don't really hate that thing.

You know, oh my god, I hate when these people do.

I mean, Lord forgive me.

You know, I catch myself, why?

Because like to say a word like hate is really, really strong.

But we just tag stuff all the time, and we're not thinking, we just tag it.

We label things.

And in this moment in verse 44, uh, Jesus comes back and he says, But I say, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Guys, let me tell you, man, Jesus, he don't be playing.

Because I'll tell you what, when I said love your enemies, it got quiet again, it got real quiet.

And everybody said, Whoa, what are we talking about here?

Pray for those who persecute you.

I'll tell you what, this is hard.

I don't know, even as I'm saying this, you're thinking about somebody.

Like, can I really forgive that person?

Right?

Or, man, can I really pray for that person?

I mean, you know, God's not done with me yet.

Why?

Because there's people.

Everybody said that there's people.

You know the people.

Don't act like you don't know the people.

You know the people.

Then you're like, man, that guy just, you know, we just don't see the eye to eye.

Or, man, he just gets on my bass eye.

Oh, you know, it's not me, it's him.

Or it's her.

But the word of God again is saying, but I say, reasserting God's, Jesus' authority over the word.

Jesus is saying, hey man, um, this is hard what I'm about to tell you.

But I shared this a few weeks ago.

What?

Man, there's no such thing as hard truths.

It's hard because it doesn't fit our narrative.

It's just a truth.

The truth is, God is saying, hey man, love your enemies.

That's the truth.

It's hard truth because that doesn't fit in the narrative that I've grown up in.

If they're not for you, I'm not for you.

You're not for me, I'm not for you.

It's wild, the things that you see.

You know, it's funny.

Like the other day, I'm I'm I mean, I watched college sports and and I'm watching, you know, some college football.

And some of these guys, I mean, they're I'm like, come on guys, let's settle down.

Okay.

Uh, I mean, these guys go all out.

I wish, like, man, would you get are you like that on Sunday?

I mean, please, there was this one guy I was like, they they video, he was like on ESPN and everything.

And, you know, this guy was on so extra, like extra, extra, extra.

And I was in my mind, I was like, yo, if we have people just excited like that for Jesus, yo, I mean, we would be in revival everywhere.

Another story for another day.

However, uh, I'm watching the game and and like you can literally, uh, there's this picture where like the their the home team, like, I mean, the the whole, you know, like stadium is saturated, and you see these little pockets of the people of the visiting team, uh, like their pockets of their group, right?

And and every time they would shout, you would see people literally like I mean angry.

Like they stole their lunch or something, right?

I mean it was angry.

And I'm like, guys, we're it's it's a game.

It's we're watching a game.

But what happens?

At some point, we build up this intensity for no reason, and in these moments, man, what he's saying is, hey man, that's that's that's not really your enemy.

Right?

Or love your enemy.

You know, maybe that person maybe, maybe is maybe against you, but you know, pray for that person.

And these are hard things.

Again, hard because it's hard for us.

I don't, I mean, I literally can think of somebody literally right now that this was tough for me.

Where I'm like, man, love your enemy.

And I don't know if I want to call somebody my enemy, but I'll tell you what, that person didn't like me, and you know, blessed be the Lord.

He's not done with me yet.

I didn't care much for him either.

But what happens?

But God is saying, Man, I gotta love my enemy.

I gotta pray for those that persecute me.

Now, it didn't say how you gotta pray for them.

You know, maybe the prayer is like, Lord God, bless that man's life, bless that woman's life.

And I pray, Lord God, if you're using me to minister life to them, amen.

But if you need to just get them out the way, we pray for that too.

He didn't say how to pray for them, but you know, you want to pray something nice.

But if God needs to remove that person too, that's okay.

You didn't say you couldn't pray for that.

But I think the idea here is God saying, hey, you want to bless those people.

And and and I always, no matter how I felt about this individual, someone that I had worked with a long time ago, hey man, you know what?

I always came in the same spirit.

Hey man, I I'm not against you.

Hey man, more power to you, man.

At the end of the day, what happens in in some instances?

Literally, you're you're carrying a deposit, you're carrying something, and the enemy just doesn't like it.

And there's people that will work against you.

Why?

Because, hey man, in the spirit there's a conflict, and you're carrying something that don't connect here.

And at some point there is a yield.

But I'll tell you who yields.

Man, that spirit is going to yield to the power of God, amen.

But in this instance, what is he talking about?

Hey, man, the enemy, an enemy is a person who actively opposes someone or something.

But God said, Hey man, love that guy.

Who's the person that you're thinking of right now?

How do you how would you show compassion to that person or goodwill, mercy, or grace?

It gets a little uncomfortable when you think about that.

Verse 45 says, In that way, if I say that way, you will be acting as a true child of your father in heaven.

Wow.

Again, heart transformation, heart revival.

Gotta say, hey man, you gotta shift the way you see things, shift the way you respond to things.

Man, even if somebody's against you, man, you love them the right way.

Because as you're doing that, what does that mean?

He's saying, Hey man, you're acting like my children.

And he goes on and says, For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good.

And he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

What does this mean?

Hey, man, God is saying, Hey, I'm trying to get you to conform to who I am.

We have to become like our Father in heaven.

And that starts with how our heart responds to things in the people around us.

And in this moment, I was literally, as I'm thinking about this idea of that conforming, I remember that commercial back in the day.

I remember that Michael Jordan commercial, be like Mike.

You know what I'm talking about.

Don't act like you don't know.

Uh if I could be like Mike, right?

And it was the idea of like uh everybody just excited to like, man, could I dunk like Michael Jordan?

Can I shoot like Michael Jordan?

Like, I remember back in the day, like everybody was trying to be out like Mike.

Ain't nobody like Michael Jordan.

Uh nonetheless, they was trying, they was trying hard.

Um, I was Puerto Rican and I'm short.

So I did what I could.

I did what I could.

But what happens?

Man, at some point, we we're conforming ourselves to something.

And in this, this invitation is, hey, I'm trying to conform you to be like me because when you do that, you are reflecting your father in heaven.

Yeah.

Why?

Because the reality of it is, and I remember uh hearing this from my uncle, but we get this idea here of common grace.

Everybody say common grace.

And remember my uncle telling me this, he he pastors at church in Chicago for like 30 plus years, and we were talking about just the gospel, and he he starts talking about uh common grace.

And he says, you know, what common grace is is this idea that the sun, when it comes up, it's shining for everybody.

I've never seen the sun only shine for you, even though you shine and the shines upon you.

Um what happens?

That the the sun shines on everybody.

Good, bad.

I mean, the sun sh was shining this morning, and I'll tell you what, it was shining everybody on their way to church, and it was shining on everybody that stays sleeping.

It's it was shining on everybody that was singing glory to God today, and it was shining for the person that's still hung over in the room today.

The sun was still shining for all of them, wasn't it?

And what happens?

The rain likewise it falls.

And what is the rain?

When it falls, it doesn't just fall on your backyard to get your stuff green.

Or or or or material.

No, everybody's.

You get a little rain and you're going to get some rain.

It all it rains for everyone.

And what is that considered?

God's common grace.

Hey man, the sun's gonna come up for everybody, it's gonna rain for everybody.

There's gonna be people that uh men that that love the Lord and their crops are gonna flourish.

And there's gonna be the person that lives next to them, uh, and and they may be an atheist, but you know what?

The sun will still shine and the rain will still cover their crops.

And what I say, common grace.

And I was like, all right, but Uncle, you're gonna need to give me a little sum on this thing.

And he said, But what I want to tell you is for the people that are in Christ, we get special grace.

Ooh, everybody say special grace.

Everybody like that special grace.

I like some special grace.

And what does that mean?

Special grace.

That means, hey, uh, when when the sun's not shining, it's still shining for you.

Oh, come on.

When when it's not raining, your cross is still flourishing.

You see, what special grace means is hey, you're not contingent to what everyone else is contingent to.

You see, uh, what when when it's not going right for them, it will go right for you.

Why?

Because there's a special grace on your life.

That is the blessing of God.

Amen.

How many like the blessing of God?

And that's why he's saying, hey, man, uh that's where you see, hey, let God become then the justifier of all things.

Because, man, at some point, uh, man, God just shining on you.

And and that person that may not like you, or that person that might not, you might not feel like they're for you.

Hey, you don't, they're gonna still watch you when you get promoted.

They're gonna still watch you when you become right.

Man, I had somebody I remember one time, God, can I tell you favor is just not fair?

You guys ever heard that expression, favor is not fair?

Man, sometimes favor falls on your life, and it doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter.

God's favor is the thing that just begins to open doors in advance of you.

And I remember this one time, I felt like there was this this this lady they used to work with back in the day, and this lady just did not like me.

But how many, how many know special grace?

Everybody say favor.

And in my mind, I was like, man, this lady just not she's just not for me.

And you know, at the time I was like, I think she don't like my boss, and because I work for my boss, you don't like me as a result.

I don't know.

Because I was I always thought, man, I'm I'm the best employer anybody can ever have.

But anyways, different story, different story.

What happens in in this moment, God begins to bring favor and and grace.

And literally, I couldn't even explain it my own self.

But at some point, uh the lady who was my supervisor that didn't want to uh make make room for me, God brought somebody else on another side that didn't.

And God gave me favor with that person.

And I remember uh in one week, uh this lady was like, you know, trying to treat me wrong, and and then a couple weeks later, uh, we were peers.

And I remember that first day I was in the office, uh, I got promoted, and I'm I'm sitting and I'm doing some work, and that lady walks in, and she I could tell she was not happy.

Uh and uh, hey, what's going on?

I mean, I didn't say like you know, trying to be, you know, I'm saying I I wasn't trying to be petty, but but I was like, hey, good morning.

And then she was like, uh, you know, Mr.

Adrian, we we're good.

We good now.

Because, you know, we're on the same team.

And I'm like, lady, Jesus loves you.

Nonetheless, the idea here is what happens, man, when God is with you, there's a grace that's moving, and he's inviting us, hey man, we we we can choose to, man, become the reflection of him on the earth and become the difference that people see, or we can continue to do and respond how the earth responds or how the world responds.

But the reality of it is, hey man, uh the sun's gonna shine, it's gonna rain.

Like, what's the distinguishing?

What's the things that separate?

And in these things, this invitation of hey, man, your attitude and your heart should separate you from them.

Why?

Because when my grace begins to move on your life, they're like, Man, it's just something about that person.

They just this person got something.

Have you ever seen somebody?

They're just like, I don't know, this guy knows it can't do no wrong.

I met some people and I'm like, yo, you're definitely like cousins with Jesus.

Like, you guys are, I mean, no wrong.

Like you, whatever you do, blessing just happens.

And they're not even trying.

And I'm like, man, could you pray for me?

Touch me something, right?

Uh because that's the way God blesses people.

Amen.

46.

It says, if you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that?

Even corrupt tax collectors do that, do that much.

47.

If you are the kind, if you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?

Even pagans do that.

What does that mean?

Hey man, there's no extra credit for doing what's easy.

Oh, well, I was I was extra nice to the person that I already know.

I was extra nice to a family member.

I mean, fantastic, good for you.

But it's easy to love, especially the people that cheerlead you.

Have you ever had those people that like you just know they just they love you?

And it's easy to love them back.

Why?

Because they love you.

But the invitation is like, hey, don't do what is easy.

How are you showing the love of God to the ones that are hard to?

The ones where it's not easy, the one where they're not your cheerleader, they're not your champion.

Do you love them?

Do you show the love of God towards them?

In verse 48, but you are to be perfect.

Everybody say perfect.

Well, no one said perfect.

Everybody, ooh, that's a hard word.

Everybody say perfect.

Even as your father in heaven is perfect.

What does that mean?

He's just setting the bar high.

It's a high bar.

Why?

Because the bar is high, we we gotta come up higher.

I mean, nobody here is perfect.

I've attempted to walk on water.

It it gravity, it's just not.

And I'm I'm faithing, but why?

Because nobody's perfect.

Nobody's perfect.

In Romans 12, 2 it says, uh, don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a person by changing the way that you think.

Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

So, what is the invitation in Romans chapter 12, verse 2?

Romans 12:2

It says, I have to let God transform me into what?

A new person.

What does that mean?

Hey, God says, I love you just as you are.

I love you coming in the door.

Awesome.

But you know, we got to change a couple things if you want this thing to work out.

What does that mean?

Hey, he's got to change you.

He loves you the way you are, but he loves you enough not to leave you the same.

That's the beautiful part of God.

Amen.

He wants to make us a new creation by changing the way that you think.

Everybody say heart revival.

Because heart revival changes the way that I perceive things.

Because again, the world teaches me it's about me.

Get mine.

You owe yourself.

It's your time.

But God invites us to a life that is about others, helping others, being there for others, loving others.

And in doing so, we become a reflection of Him.

Second Corinthians, it says, uh chapter 3, verse 18.

So all of us who have had this veil removed, everybody say veil.

What does that mean to have a veil removed?

Uh for those who have ever seen uh a wedding, right?

Have you ever seen a wedding in a movie, in a show, uh, maybe in your own wedding, at some point uh the bride shows up with a veil, right?

They cover themselves.

And you can kind of like you can see them, but you can't really see them.

And there's this moment within the ceremony that the veil is lifted and I can get to see you fully.

And what it's saying here is that so all of us who have had the veil removed, what does that mean?

Hey man, until I come into real connection with God, there's something between us.

I can see him, but it's not clear.

I know he's here, but man, I can't really.

I'll tell you what, maybe if if you have glasses, you you understand.

But man, there's moments I remember when I first got my glasses, I remember talking about this one time.

Uh, but I was I was looking at something and I was like, yeah, I can kind of see that, okay.

And I put my glasses on.

And I was like, whoa, it was different.

Why?

Because the filter changed.

And what he's saying is, hey, when I remove the veil, the filter changes.

What does that mean?

My world looks different, it feels different.

Why?

Because God is allowing me to see something that I never saw before.

Amen.

It says, Can you see and reflect the glory of the Lord?

Why the veil, when the veil is removed, we should become the reflection of Jesus.

So when people meet us, it's like they're meeting Jesus.

They see me, they're seeing Jesus.

Do people see Jesus when they meet you?

Oof.

That one got quiet.

And the Lord, we'll move on.

And the Lord, who is the Spirit, makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glory.

It's a it's a transformation.

Jesus is challenging everyone that's listening on the Sermon on the Mountain here, and He's challenging them.

Hey, you got to think different, you got to see these things in a different way because I'm changing your heart.

It doesn't happen overnight, but as you yield to Him every day, man, the veil begins to get moved off of your eyes and how you see things.

Jesus is injecting his DNA into his disciples and every listener who is there that's grasping hold of his words.

Transformation leads to perfecting of our faith.

Tell your neighbor I'm not perfect.

Tell your neighbor you're not perfect.

Because some people are like, well, I mean, I kinda, you know.

Um let everybody know, but I'm being perfected.

Amen.

Man, we're being perfected.

Guys, as we're wrapping up here, the idea here is love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Because we're not called to love only the people who love you, looking like Jesus looks different on you.

Man, when we love Jesus, man, we we we just how we respond to things changes the dynamic.

Man, when you're nice to someone that doesn't deserve kindness, it hits them differently.

I've been in spaces, I've been in rooms where I just show kindness because kindness is is that's the heart of God.

And I've the reaction and response has been like, no, this is different.

They don't know what to do sometimes.

Why?

Because they don't know how to meet kindness when they didn't come in with kindness.

It looks different.

The world responds with anger.

We should respond with grace.

The world responds with holding grudges, but we have to choose forgiveness.

And the bar is higher, but his grace abounds even the more.

Isn't that beautiful?

Because God knows, hey, this is not easy, but there's more grace for you to navigate these hard things.

Three things I want you to take away.

Number one, love past what's comfortable.

Love past what's comfortable.

Jesus calls us to love even those who oppose us.

Number two, respond like Jesus.

Our response should look different because we represent Him.

Number three, being perfected, we're not perfect.

Man, but God is transforming us to become more like Him.

That's why we're here.

That's what it means to live this faith forward life where we're challenged every day.

Man, God, I can do it better.

I gotta do it better.

I'm not there, but I'm I'm I'm on the way.

As we're closed, let's stand to our feet.

A little bit over here.

But I want to finish this up.

And I want I want to invite us to pray this morning.

Jesus said to love your enemies.

Pray for those who persecute you.

And maybe today God has brought you maybe a name or two to mind.

As you're thinking about people that just haven't been for you.

Maybe you don't call them an enemy, but they you know that they're just, man, they're not for me.

You know who they are.

Maybe it's someone who hurt you, maybe it's somebody who's disappointed you, someone you've been holding something against.

But Jesus is inviting us to healing today.

We have been taught that you don't deserve it.

But Jesus is inviting us today.

Love them and pray for them.

It's not about what someone deserves, man, it's what we choose to give them in response.

Today, maybe the prayer isn't God change them.

Maybe today we start with God change me.

Lord, search my heart.

Remove the hate in me.

Remove the bitterness in me.

Everybody put your hand on your heart today.

I'm gonna let's just begin to speak this right.

Lord, search my heart.

Repeat with me, Lord, search my heart.

Remove the hate, remove bitterness, remove resentment, and give me grace to forgive.

He wants to give you the grace and the strength to love past what's comfortable.

Today we're not perfect, man.

But I'm praying and believing that man, he is being perfected in you today.

We're not where we used to be, but I'll tell you what.

God's not done, and that's the beautiful part.

God's here to keep changing you and keep changing you and keep renewing you and keep meeting you where you are.

Keep shaping me.

Keep everybody, man.

God, keep shaping me.

Say that.

Keep shaping me, Lord.

Keep shaping me, Lord.

Make me more like you today, Lord God.

Say that.

Make me more like you today, God.

Today, there's someone somewhere that you need to release.

You need to release that, whatever you're holding.

And leave that at the altar this morning.

Lord God, we pray right now in the name of Jesus.

I pray, Lord God, there's just a spirit of surrender today, Lord God.

Let us surrender bitterness.

Let us surrender uh maybe things that we've been holding, Lord God, and and and and grabbing, laying our hands to, Lord God.

Maybe people that have wronged us or disappointed us along the way.

Lord God, today can we bring that to the altar?

Today, can we leave that at your feet?

Today we pray right now in the name of Jesus, Lord God.

Let forgiveness flood our heart right now, Lord God.

Lord God, we remove bitterness today, Lord God.

We break the yoke of bitterness right now in the name of Jesus.

Maybe today you want to rededicate your heart and say, Man, God, man, I've missed it along the way.

God, I've missed it along the way.

But man, I need you to refresh me again.

Again, we talk about this.

What, man, in Luke 9, 23, it says, anyone who wants to follow me, simply deny himself.

Following Jesus begins with surrender, it begins with a decision.

Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

Let's pray this prayer together.

Father God, I come to you.

In Jesus' name.

I confess my sin and need your grace.

I believe Jesus died for me and rose again.

Forgive me.

Make me new.

Be Lord of my life.

In Jesus' name.