Citywide Baptist Church
Overcome: Romans 12:17-21
One of the biggest questions we all face is how to respond to bullies and evil acts. The "normal" approach is to respond to bullies by being a bigger bullly. Paul, and Jesus point a different way.
Locations & Times
Citywide Baptist Church (Mornington)
400 Cambridge Rd, Mornington TAS 7018, Australia
Sunday 10:00 AM
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https://www.citywidehobart.org.au/payment-or-gift-to-citywide/What do you see as evil in the world?
https://www.menti.com/alev5z4pketxThis chapter is about the nature of the Christian community and how you personally respond. It is not about how governments respond…
How do we overcome evil?
Paul introduced chapter 12 by saying that in view of God's mercy we are to offer our lives as living sacrifices, which is what it means not to conform to the pattern of this world.
The pattern of this world is shaped by the "Myth of redemptive violence."
In our world, power means enforcing your will on other people.
Violence happens when you enforce your will on others against their will.
Violence is dehumanising and doesn't change hearts or minds, so ultimately doesn't lead to peace.
Whoever battles monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster himself. And when you look long into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.
- Fredrich Nietzche
Where I grew up
There weren't many trees
Where there was, we'd tear them down
And use them on our enemies
They say that what you mock
Will surely overtake you
And you become a monster
So the monster will not break you
It's already gone too far
Who said that if you go in hard
You won't get hurt
- U2 (Peace on Earth from All that you can't leave behind)
In our world, power means enforcing your will on other people.
Violence happens when you enforce your will on others against their will.
Violence is dehumanising and doesn't change hearts or minds, so ultimately doesn't lead to peace.
Whoever battles monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster himself. And when you look long into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.
- Fredrich Nietzche
Where I grew up
There weren't many trees
Where there was, we'd tear them down
And use them on our enemies
They say that what you mock
Will surely overtake you
And you become a monster
So the monster will not break you
It's already gone too far
Who said that if you go in hard
You won't get hurt
- U2 (Peace on Earth from All that you can't leave behind)
Paul reiterates Jesus' teaching that we are not to retaliate when we are hurt.
We are to primarily care about how our actions impact our enemy's view of Jesus.
We are not to seek to get even, but to seek peace, at our own personal cost.
This is not about people pleasing… which can lead to abuse…
This is only possible if you trust that God will bring about Justice
Paul is quoting Deuteronomy
The myth of redemptive violence says we need to force peace through violence against our enemies
Paul says we should model grace to our enemies, which ultimately will defeat them
Paul says we should model grace to our enemies, which ultimately will defeat them
Paul is quoting Proverbs
When people are embarrassed or ashamed they are likely to blush red, which is what many bible commentators believe Paul is trying to say here: let your actions cause your enemies to be ashamed of themselves.
So the antidote to evil is not violence, but good:
As we are about to discover in the book of Revelation, we are not called to win the world according to the world's rules.
The ends do not justify the means.
Rather than the myth of redemptive violence, we are called to live the truth of redemptive grace.
The ends do not justify the means.
Rather than the myth of redemptive violence, we are called to live the truth of redemptive grace.
Small Group Questions:
1) Where have you most clearly seen the failure of "redemptive violence?"
2) Where have you seen love win over evil in your own experience?
3) Who are some of the people you can only treat well because you know that, ultimately, God will sit in judgment?
4) Has there ever been a time when you have felt ashamed because of how well someone treated you?
5) Paul believed the church should embody the truth of redemptive grace. Are there ways we could do that better?
1) Where have you most clearly seen the failure of "redemptive violence?"
2) Where have you seen love win over evil in your own experience?
3) Who are some of the people you can only treat well because you know that, ultimately, God will sit in judgment?
4) Has there ever been a time when you have felt ashamed because of how well someone treated you?
5) Paul believed the church should embody the truth of redemptive grace. Are there ways we could do that better?