1 / 17

Foreign Agents of Subversive Love

Foreign Agents of Subversive Love. Definitions…. Foreign agent : anyone who actively carries out the interests of a foreign country while located in another host country Subversive : seeking or intended to undermine the power and authority of an established system or institution

manju
Download Presentation

Foreign Agents of Subversive Love

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Foreign Agents of Subversive Love

  2. Definitions… • Foreign agent:anyone who actively carries out the interests of a foreign country while located in another host country • Subversive: seeking or intended to undermine the power and authority of an established system or institution • Love (agape): "an intentional response to promote well-being when responding to that which has generated ill-being.“ (Oord)

  3. The earth is still under the sway of the “god of this world”

  4. The prophets of the OT looked towards revolution Isaiah 61 • “freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” • “year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God” • “to comfort all who mourn” • “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing.”

  5. So did the prophets of the NT Luke 3:1-19 (John the Baptist) • “Prepare the way of the Lord” • “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath” • “The ax is already at the root of the tree” • “share with the one who has none” • “don’t extort money” • “His winnowing fork is in his hand”

  6. So did the prophets of the NT Rev 11:15 “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.”

  7. Jesus defined his ministry in terms of bringing this revolution Luke 4:16-21 • “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,    because he has anointed me    to proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners    and recovery of sight for the blind, • to set the oppressed free,19     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” • “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

  8. He asked us to be part of this revolution Matt 4:16-17 • “The people living in darkness have seen a great light…” • “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven has come near” Matt 6:33 • “But seek ye first the Kingdom…”

  9. Revolution is in our spiritual DNA

  10. So what made Jesus different from any other revolutionary of the day?

  11. Jesus turned prevailing wisdom of using force against evil on its head Matt 5:38-48, Luke 6:27-36 "Don't react violently against the one who is evil.” “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighborand hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. 

  12. This was clearly understood by the Apostles 1 Pet 3:9 (Peter) "9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. Romans 12:17-20 (Paul) • “Do not repay anyone evil for evil” • “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty give him something to drink…”

  13. Jesus backed up his words with his own sacrifice John 10:17-18 “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord…This command I received from my Father.”  (Jesus and the Father were of one mind that sacrificial love is the means of establishing the Kingdom)

  14. Sacrificial love is not just the means but it is the end itself John 18:36 • Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight…But now my kingdom is from another place.” Matt 20:25, Luke 22:25 • “The Gentiles lord it over them” • “But you are not to be like that” • “the greatest among you should be like the least” • “whoever wants to be first must be your slave”

  15. We are explicitly called to imitate the sacrificial love demonstrated by Jesus Phil 2 • “Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” • “He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” • “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross” • “Therefore God exalted him” The victorious conqueror of Revelation is the lamb who was slain

  16. We must receive his heart and align our will

  17. The most practical action item is to pray – especially for our enemies Luke 6:27 – Pray for those who mistreat you 1 Tim 2:2 – I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all peoples, for kings and all who are in high position Eph 6:12 – We wrestle…against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world Prayer restrains evil, changes our hearts, humanizes our enemies, and changes their hearts

More Related