2/20/2022 - Reactions Uncovered: Love Your Enemies; Overcome Evil with Good
EPIPHANY SERIES THEME: UNCOVERED
We are in the season of the Church called Epiphany, a Greek word that means "to appear." Salvation has appeared in the person of Jesus Christ. In Epiphany, the Church explores everything that Christ makes apparent about God. You see, we need God to appear to us and make himself known to us. For not only is God beyond our understanding, his works and his ways are contrary to mankind's natural assumptions about him. In other words, the truth about God cannot possibly be discovered by us. Rather, it needs to be uncovered for us. That's what the Spirit is doing for us during this season of Epiphany. Week after week, surprising truths about Jesus our King and life in his kingdom will be uncovered. January 9 - Anointing Uncovered: What the Eye Sees Differs from What God Decrees January 16 - Delight Uncovered: God Delivers More than We Ask, Not Less January 23 - Reception Uncovered: Rejection Is Not the Exception but the Rule January 30 - Agenda Uncovered: What Must Be Said, Not What Others Want to Hear February 6 - Messengers Uncovered: The Least Qualified are the First Sent February 13 - Mission Uncovered: Let Your Light Shine! February 20 - Reactions Uncovered: Love Your Enemies; Overcome Evil with Good February 27 - Glory Uncovered: When It is Most Hidden, It is Most on Display
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany
This week we see that truth in how Christ would have us react to those who wrong us or oppose us. Jesus asks us to befriend our enemies, to love those who hate us, and to repay evil with good. Logic would say that is a recipe for being walked all over. Yet, have we not seen this tactic work? When we were Christ's enemies, he loved us to the point of death. He repays our daily evil with the daily goodness of his mercy. In doing so, he has won us for himself. Following the strategy Jesus lays out today is not a capitulation to evil. It is a means of conquering it.
God bless your worship.
Pastor Adam Mueller will preach on Genesis 45:3-15 "God Sent Me"