ONLINE Sunday Service (M919) | Mount Zion Church | 14 June 2020 | OVERCOMING HATRED | Mark 6:17-29
One of the biggest challenge that we are going to have in the last days is increasing hatred. Hatred is very contagious! If someone hate us, we may easily hate them as well. That’s why in the Old Testament we can find something like this: “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy Mat.5:43.” But, instead of hating someone, Jesus teach us to love them. Jesus said: “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you Mat.5:44.”
Do you want to live in the Old Testament or in the New Testament? Jesus already opened the new and living way Heb.10:20, so that we can live in the power of Jesus. Receive Jesus and we will be able to live in His power, power to love the enemy, power to bless anyone who swearing at us, power to do good to those who hate us, and power to pray for our persecutors.
Today we are going to learn about the dangerous of hatred, and how we can overcome it completely so that we may get ourselves ready for the second coming of Jesus Christ in the cloud.
17 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. 18 Because John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
19 Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
21 Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. 22 And when Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” 23 He also swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
24 So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!”
25 Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26 And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. 27 Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, 28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb. Mark 6:17-29 NKJV
1: HATRED WILL INCREASE AS MORE RIGHTEOUSNESS REVEALED; REPENT!
Herodias hated John because she lived in sins! Herod still opened his ears to hear John and what he did, and Herod did it gladly. But Herodias just wanted to kill John. John spoke the truth. It was not lawful for Herod and Herodias to live together! And it made Herodias became furious with John.
As we are approaching the end times, the Bible told us so many times that the latter rain will happen. The Holy Spirit will work massively and abundantly to bring the church into its perfection. Holy Spirit will lead believers to speak the truth boldly. As the men of God, we also must keep speaking the truth, no matter how bad the condition around us. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God 1Pet.4:11.
When anyone ask us about abortion, we must say that it is a murder and it is not lawful for us.
When anyone ask us about marriage, we must say that we believe in the definition from the Bible that marriage is between a man and a woman.
When anyone ask us about anything, we must speak the word of God.
Not only the prophet who will prophesy nor the pastor who will preach and teach, but all believers at the end times will speak the word of God!
And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. Acts 2:17-18 NKJV
There will be so many of “John the Baptist” who will warn “the Herodias”! Do you want to be John the Baptist, or do you want to be Herodias? Do you want to let the Holy Spirit dwell in your life and He will open your mouth to prophesy, OR do you want the devil dwell in your life and hold you back to keep playing in the muddy puddle of sins?
What they did is like these true sayings: “A dog vomits and goes back to what it threw up.” And, “After a pig is washed, it goes back and rolls in the mud again.” 2Peter 2:22 ERV
In the early rain of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts, Paul preached everywhere and bring people to the salvation in Jesus. The righteousness revealed! But those who love to live in sins, they hated Paul and the hatred increase massively and very contagious so that one city came out together with full of wrath!
Demetrius, the silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, who worship Diana and also worship money, hated Paul because Paul revealed the righteousness by saying that they are not gods which are made with hands Ac.19:26. He called together the workers of similar occupation so that they full of wrath and the whole city was filled with confusion and they rushed into the theatre with one accord Ac.19:29.
The truth will be revealed more and more. Holy Spirit will use anyone around us to remind us, to rebuke us. Let’s obey what the word of God told us. Holy Spirit will also use us to declare the truth. Let’s do it boldly. Don’t be afraid to show others what we believe according to the Bible. As the men of God, we must keep saying the word of God just like John the Baptist.
2: HATRED IS THE SEED OF MURDER; BEWARE OF THE OPPORTUNE TIME FOR THE DEVIL
Herodias hated John from the first time when John declared the Word of God toward Herod and Herodias. It is only about time when the hatred will find its way to kill its victim! Jesus said to those who hate Him: “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it Jn.8:44.”
Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 1John 3:15 NKJV
James told us: “When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death Jam.1:15.”
Hatred is the seed of murder and it will wait an opportune time to bring death! Herodias wanted to kill John, but she could not until the opportune day arrived.
When the devil tempted Jesus and failed, the Bible told us that he departed from Him until an opportune time Luk.4:13. The devil may use any time as his opportune time. When Herod was trapped with his own words, it became an opportune time for Herodias to kill John. The Bible told us about the person with fiery red horse who will be granted to take peace from the earth so that anyone with fiery anger may find that moment as an opportune time to kill one another!
3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. Revelation 6:3-4 NKJV
We must overcome the sin of hatred as soon as possible. Hatred is not meant to be hidden, it must be solved! Whoever hides hatred has lying lips Pr.10:18. Though his hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness will be revealed before the assembly Pr.26:26. Hatred will keep growing. It must be thrown away. Do not hide it!
3: TURN HATRED INTO LOVE
The Pharisees and the scribes hated Jesus and they wanted to kill Jesus. But Jesus never hate them, and Jesus never thinks to kill them. Even Jesus prayed: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing Mat.23:37!
Just like how Jesus see the bad people at Jerusalem with God’s love, so do we must see our enemy with God’s love. Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins Pr.10:12. Jesus didn’t teach us about any strategy or trick not to hate our enemies.
Jesus just simply say: Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you Mat.5:44. This simple solution will definitely work if we always abide in Jesus!
Jesus continued with this: that you may be (arise as the) sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust Mat.5:45.
We are not loving our enemies as a requirement to be the sons of God. But, because we are the sons of God, that’s why we are able to do that! The children will be able to do exactly what their father do everyday since they have very close relation.
As many as received Jesus, to them He gave the right to become children of God Jn.1:12. And the Bible told us that Holy Spirit is the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father Rm.8:15.”
Holy Spirit will work miraculously in the life of believers, so that our relationship as the sons of God is not only formal but it will become functional. Even the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us Rm.5:5.
We are able to love our enemies because we always have a fresh love of God that poured by the Holy Spirit.
CONCLUSION
1. Hatred will increase as the righteousness will be revealed more. If you want to be “John the Baptist, get ready for someone that will hate you, but don’t response with hate. If you encounter with “John the Baptist”, don’t harden your heart.
2. Hatred is the seed of murder. Beware of the opportune time for the devil. Do not delay throwing away the seed of murder.
3.Let’s turn hatred into love. The only reason for us to be able to do that is because we are the sons of God. Holy Spirit will make that relationship become functional by pouring the love of God afresh continually as we walk in the Spirit.