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Going the second mile Going the second mile
In the first century Romans could
force the Jews to carry their goods for one mile because it was the law. After
the Jews had carried the Roman soldiers goods for a mile they could tell them
this is as far as were going and were not going to carry your goods any
further. We have an example of this when Jesus was making his way to his
crucifixion.
Luke 23:26 Now as they led Him away, they laid
hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they
laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.
It is from this concept that
Jesus taught how Christians should be willing to go a second mile.
Matthew 5:39 "But
I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right
cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 "If anyone wants to sue you and
take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 "And whoever compels you to go
one mile, go with him two.
Notice Jesus gives us 3
different examples which teach the Christians to go beyond the first mile or
the first step and to continue on to the second mile or the second step.
1. Jesus tells us not to resist or
oppose an evil person and gives an example. He says if they strike on the right
cheek turn to him the other one as well. You have to understand that it was a
great insult in the first century to strike someone on the right cheek. Most
people would not tolerate such an insult and they would
retaliate. But, Jesus is telling us don’t retaliate don’t get revenge instead
turn your other cheek to them as well.
2. The second thing he tells us is
that the first mile or first step if would be if someone sues you and takes
your tunic or take your money then give them your cloak as well. The giving of
your cloak would be the second mile. Again this has in mind not resisting an
evil person.
3. Jesus says if someone forces
you to go one mile then go with him two. In all 3 of these examples Jesus is
teaching you and I that we are to go beyond the first mile or the first step.
So this morning we are going to be examining several principles in which we are
to go the second mile.
Bible Study.
2 Timothy 2:15 Study
to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth.
Here we see first mile or first
step in Bible study. Paul want Timothy to study God Word so that he can know
what it says and be able to use the knowledge to combat false doctrine. Every
Christian should be study God Word to learn more about him and wonderful love
and to make sure that we are living our lives in an acceptable manner before
God. Unfortunately there are many Christians today who don’t even go this first
mile in Christianity. There are so many churches out there are slowly but
surely moving away from the true Word of God. They are starting to base their
worship to God based on how they feel and what the think will draw more people.
There a great move today of people trying to make the church an entertainment
business. Instead of hearing a sermon from the word of God you will hear lesson
that thatcome from
all kind neat little stories. Now there is nothing wrong with using stories
here and there but that not what they are doing. You can sit through a whole
service and you might hear 1 or 2 verses from the Bible. This is a sad
situation because whenever you and make ourselves the center of worship instead
of God then have lost the true meaning of true worship of God and the reason
why so many are changing the ways things
are done is because they are not embracing the first mile of Christianity by
study the word of God. Some were having this problem in the 1st century.
Hebrews 5:12 For though by this time you ought to
be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first
principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid
food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of
righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of
full age, that is, those who by reason of use have
their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
There is a great danger in not
growing in your knowledge of the Lord.
Hebrews 2:1Therefore
we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift
away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels
proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just
reward, 3 how
shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation,
A Christian must be willing to go
the first mile before they can every hope to make to the second mile. We find
the second mile described in:
2 Timothy
2:1You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ
Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard
from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to
teach others also.
Not only did Paul want Timothy to
study the Word of God he wanted him to teach it as well and commit it to other
faithful people who would in turn teach to others. This would include him
teaching them by word and by example.
1 Timothy 4:12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an
example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in
purity.
That is what we are to do as
Christians today. Don’t just study Gods Word we need to live it by good
examples and by teaching it when have the opportunity.
Worship
Lets look as the first mile. Paul tells us,
Acts 20:7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples
came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them
and continued his message until midnight.
Every Christian should meet of the
first day of the week to worship God. We should not at this something that we
have to do but as something that we can do. Again, there are a lot of
Christians who do not embrace this first mile or first step of Christianity
because many will the church services and will only show up once a month or 2
or 3 times a year.
People who attend sporadically
like this simply do not have there priorities straight. They only come when
they feel need a little religion or maybe they want to see some of their old
friends. Again, this was a problem they had in the first century as well.
Hebrews
10:24 And let us consider one
another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see
the Day approaching.
When Christians decide to neglect the church which Jesus purchased with his
own blood we miss out on many wonderful opportunities to worship God and
encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ. We also miss the opportunity to
partake of the Lords Supper and give our means as the word of God commands us
to do. We must strive to do these things for the first mile of Christianity if
we are even going to come close to the second mile Christianity which is found
in.
Matthew 6:33 "But
seek first the
Not only we are to assemble with
the saints on the first day of the week we are to challenge ourselves to put
Gods kingdom first in every aspect of our live. This would include making to
Bible class so that we can learn more about God’s word and he we wants to
worship him in spirit and in truth. This means that we will do our best to be
involved with the church and the many activities that are available and try to
spread the good news to those who are around us. Paul speaks of some Christians who went that second mile in,
2
Corinthians 8:3-4 3 For I bear witness that according to
their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 4 imploring us with much urgency that we
would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
Notice they gave beyond their
ability. You see God does not want Christians to be satisfied with just going
part of the way but he wants them to go all the way and give there best just as
God gives us his best.
Sin
The first mile or first step in
regards to sin is found in:
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
Every Christian should rejoice in
the fact that God loved us enough that he has provided a way that we can have
our sin forgiven. God knows that we are going to fall short of his glory from
time to time (Rom3:23). But thanks to the wonderful grace that he offers us
through his son death on the cross once we become a Christian if we want to be
forgiven of our sins we simply repent and confess them to God and our sins we
will be forgiven and forgotten.
Hebrews 4:16 Let
us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we
may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
While this is a wonderful blessing
that every Christians has access to some Christians fail to embrace the grace
of God. Its like they are to prideful to humble themselves before God because
they don’t want to admit that they have sinned. Other may fail to repent and
confess there sin to God because they are not ready to give up the sin that
they are it. We need to realize this is dangerous game to play because sin
separates us from God and brings about spiritual death.
The second mile that Christians
should work toward is found in,
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue
in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died
to sin live any longer in it?
Paul is say that you and I should
forsake sin since we died to it. The more we grow in the knowledge and grace of
our lord the less we are going to sin. You see its easy for Christian to get the mind set
that they can just sin every single day without trying to resist the sin. They
might say well I just
confess my sin and it will be forgiven so there really no need for me to try
resist my temptations when so easy to be forgiven of them. Again, this a dangerous mindset to have and it is
not what the Bible teaches.
Romans 6:15 What
then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly
not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you
present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey,
whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
You see if you are not fighting
against your temptations everyday you are allowing sin to be your master and it
will lead you to spiritual death. Jesus said,
Matthew 6:24 " No one can serve two masters;
for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to
the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
As Christians we need have the
attitude that David did he said,
Psalm 101:3 3 I will set nothing wicked before my
eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not
cling to me.
Forgiveness
The first step of mile of
forgiveness is found in,
Luke 17:3 "Take heed to yourselves. If your
brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 "And if he sins against you seven
times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,'
you shall forgive him."
This first mile is something that
some Christians have great difficulty with. If a person does you wrong and just
tears you up inside and makes you feel like you have aged 10 years because of
the horrible thing they did to you or your loved ones this passage teaches us
that if they come to you and repent and ask you for forgiveness you must
forgive them and do your best to forget the awful thing they did against you.From a human perspective that can very difficult to do. But, notice that Jesus says that if
someone sins against 7 times in one day and comes to us and repents we must forgive them. Some of us have
hard enough time forgiving someone once much less 7 times in one day, however
this it what Jesus has commanded us to do and if we love and we want glorify
him we need to obey this command no matter how difficult it may be.
We must understand that God is not
asking us to do something that he is not willing to do. Think about it. You and
I are sinners and we deserve the wrath of God. But, God loves us and because of
his wonderful Grace he has provided away for us to have our sins removed. Once
we have obeyed the gospel call and have been baptized into Christ for the
remission of our sins all we have to obtain forgiveness is to repent and
confess our sin to God and we will be forgiven no matter how many times we sin.
That brings us to the second mile of forgiveness and is found in,
Matthew 18:21 Then Peter came to Him and said,
"Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven
times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say
to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
You see just as God is willing to
forgive us over and over again we are to follow his example and forgive those
who sin against us and repent over and over again. There is no limit on how
many times we are to forgive someone and Jesus makes it very clear the
importance of forgiving others in,
Matthew 6:14 "For
if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you. 15 "But if you do not forgive men
their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Love
Our first miles comes from,
Matthew 5: 43 " You have heard that it was said, 'You
shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
Now this is something that is
really easy for just about everybody to do. It is easy to love you neighbor or
friend and to hate your enemy. Even non-Christians do this. But, lets continue reading and learn what the
second miles is.
44 "But I say to you, 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, 45 "that you may be 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. 46 "For if you love those who love
you, what reward
haveyou? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 "And if you greet your brethren
only, what do you do more than
others? Do not even the tax
collectors do so?
Here we have another excellent
example of how Christians are different than the world. How they are to go
above and beyond what most people would be willing to do. You see it is easy to love your friends
and loved ones everyone can do that but not only are Christians to love their
neighbors they are to love their enemies. Again, this another one of those concepts that is very
difficult for some Christians to embrace but if we are going to be pleasing God
we need to try and love our enemies. Again, God is not asking to do something
that he is not willing to. Notice he make the sun to rise on the evil and the
good and he sends the rain on the just and the unjust and when you think about
we have all been the enemy of God at some point in our life because we have all
sinned and sin makes you enemy of God. Just God loved us and gave his son we
are to reach out and love our enemy.
We have looked at several points this morning and examined how as Christians we must
strive to not only to go the first mile in our Christianity but to also go the
second mile. God has left us many examples of he went out his way to help up
out of our debt of sin and how we should follow his example and always look for
ways that we can go out of our way to help those around us and to glorify God.
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