Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 25. Proverbs chapter
25. I'd like to look at two verses
of scripture this morning, verses 21 and 22. Proverbs 25, 21. If
thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat. If he be thirsty, give him water
to drink. Thou shalt heap coals of fire
upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee. Now this blessed truth of showing
kindness, mercy to those who are our enemies was first declared
in the law. Exodus 23, 4 says, if thou meet
thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring
it back to him again. When the Lord walked upon this
earth, He honored the law by exposing the gross distortion
by the Pharisees and set forth the truth of the law to his hearers. In Matthew 5, 43 to 45, it says,
ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor
and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your
enemies, Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate
you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute
you, that you may be the children of your father which is in heaven.
For he maketh his son to rise on the evil and on the good,
and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust." The Spirit of
God moved upon the Apostle Paul to pin this truth in Romans 12,
19, 20. Avenge not yourselves, but rather
give place unto wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine.
I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger,
feed him. If he thirst, give him drink. For in so doing, thou shalt heap
coals of fire on his head. But now this divine principle
of love and mercy toward those that hate us, use us, is not
found because of sin within the natural man. I'll tell you what
we think. We seek revenge at the drop of
a hat. We want those that have treated
us disrespectfully to be treated disrespectfully. We want those
who have heart to hurt us, we want them to hurt. And if our enemy hungers or thirst,
let him starve. Let him die of thirst. Now that's
just the way we think. But with the impartation of a
new heart, there's a love that a believer possesses even to
those who are his enemies that wasn't there before he was converted,
there was no sympathy, there was no mercy, there was no kindness.
And here's the bottom line, without going into a long discourse on
how we ought to treat others, I don't want to be mean to people.
I really don't. I understand that, you know,
But here's the bottom line. Let's get down to the spiritual
part of it. That's where the prophet is going
to be. The world, according to the word of the Lord, is the
enemy of God's people. Because they are the enemies
of God. The carnal mind is enmity. against God. It's not subject
to the law of God, it doesn't have a heart to be in subjection
to the law of God, neither indeed can be. The Lord speaking to His disciples
said in John 15, 19, If ye were of the world, the world would
love his own, but because you're not of the world, but I have
chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Do you know why? According to
the word of the Lord. Do you know why the world and
its religion hates God and hates God's people? Because God does
as He will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of
the earth. That's the reason the world wants to have a few
rules and regulations to do. Let me do them. Let me check
off like that little card I saw. Check off all the boxes. And
then I've earned my way to be in heaven. But that's not what
the scripture says. Almighty God has mercy on whom
He will. He chooses. The Lord says, if
you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because
I've chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. But though the world hates us
for who we believe, who we love, who we trust, is there still
now not a heart of compassion within God's people? Mark, you
read that passage of Scripture. I thought, Lord, thank you for
putting that passage of Scripture on his heart. Brethren, my heart's
desire and prayer to God is that Israel might be saved. I do understand. I get it. Until we're called
out of darkness, there is no love for God. There's no love
for God's people, especially no love for God's preachers.
Because they're dead. I understand that. But you give
a man or woman, by the grace of God, a heart be given them,
you know, We want God to have mercy. I want Him to have mercy.
I know that the world hates these scriptures. I know that. When
they understand what's being said, when they hear what's being
said. But if there was one truly hungry
or thirsty, humanly speaking, is there not compassion? Did
the Lord take five loaves and two fish and feed the multitudes? He looked at Jerusalem, the old
Jerusalem. There's compassion for men and
women and a believer. I want God to have mercy. I would
desire God to have mercy on everybody in this room today. I think to
myself, I see those that know not the Lord. And in my mind
I'm thinking, if the Lord takes you out of
this world, I know what's going to happen. I know what's going
to happen. I pray, as I've told you before,
I pray. What about their souls? Are our enemies And I'm talking
about those that know not the Lord. I'm using scriptural language. I'm just making this up. The world hates you. How do I
know that? The Lord told me they do. I didn't
know that before. I thought everybody liked me. But now let me ask you this.
Are our enemies, those that know not our God, not in need of spiritual
bread and drink, the drink of heaven, the fountain of life?
Are they not in need? Yes, they are in need. But do they know
it? Do they know it? No. No. Why? They're not hungry. Why? They're dead. They're dead. When we were in Mexico, a few
times we'd go, we were there usually about the same time,
it's in October. In Mexico they have a celebration,
it's called the Day of the Dead. It's right around Halloween,
Day of the Dead. And Cody took us one time and
we went out and there was this huge big cathedral, big courtyard
out there. And there were these little huts,
they build these little huts They're made with palms and stuff
like that and they put them right on top of a grave. The families
do. And they, for the Day of the
Dead, they go out there and they would prepare the person that
had deceased their favorite meal. Cooked up that favorite meal.
Chuck, remember this? And they'd set that meal inside
that little hut right there by the grave. And they said that
the deceased might smell the savor. And I'm thinking, they're
dead! They're not hungry. They're not
hungry. Dead people are not hungry and
they're not thirsty either. As our bodies shut down and we
get closer and closer to dying, I read where hunger is just not
there anymore. They're just not hungry. It's
just the natural hunger and thirst is just not associated with Death. So are they in need of eating? Yes. Are they in need of drinking
of the water of life? Yes. But are they hungry? No. Here's the thing. I don't know
who's hungry and who's not. I don't know who they are. So
the Lord has commanded me to do something. You go into all
the world and you preach the gospel to every creature. You tell them of the bread of
heaven. You tell them of the water of life. You tell them. When our Lord, in that verse
of scripture I just read here, you've heard us saying to you,
you love your enemies. Is that not what He did? We were
enemies in our minds, Neil. And he said, concerning his people,
his elect, I've loved you with an everlasting love. This is
what he's telling us to do. You love your enemies. Enemies
in our minds, not his, but his, but ours. Bless them that curse
you. Did he not bless us, his people? How did he bless us? Pronounce
a blessing is what that is. Pronounce a blessing. Moses said,
ask the Lord, would you show me your glory? And he said, I'll
have mercy. on whom I'll have mercy. I'll
have compassion on whom I'll have compassion. I said, but
you bless them that curse you. And did we not curse him? Our
hearts, I'll not have this man rule over me. Bless them that
curse you, do good to them that hate you. What did he do? He laid down his life while we
were yet sinners. Christ died for the ungodly.
and pray for them which despitefully use you. Did the Lord not pray
for us? In John 17, listen to this, I'm
talking about, you talking about He prayed for us before we were
converted? John 17. He's talking in his
high priestly prayer. He's talking concerning his apostles
here. He said, for their sakes I sanctify
myself that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall
believe on me through their word. I'm so thankful that the Lord
would pray for me before I knew Him. He knew me. I didn't know
Him. So whenever we see this divine
truth concerning mercy, compassion, if thine enemy be hungry, give
him bread to eat. And before I was even hungry,
before I was alive in Christ, He had to make me so, then make
me hungry. Blessed! of those that hunger
and thirst after righteousness, for they will, they shall be
fed. Here we were, dead, trespasses
and sins, didn't know it. I couldn't have lifted up my
free will, I didn't even have a free will. My will was dead,
trespasses and sins. He came into this world, to do
the will of Him that sent Him. And He said, this is the will
of Him that sent Me to finish the work, the work of redemption.
John 6.40, this is the will of Him that sent Me, that everyone
would seeth the Son, that is, that beholds Him by faith and
believeth on Him, entrusts Himself, hath everlasting life. And I
will raise Him up the last day. So concerning God's people, they're
the only ones that are hungry. Like I said, you've got to be
alive to be hungry. I understand, I understand before
men are converted out of darkness, death, sins, before they are,
there's a hunger, a lust for the things, the dregs of this
life. I understand that, but to hunger? thirst after righteousness. Man, a woman's got to be made
alive. There's got to be life imparted. So concerning that
blessed truth of, you know, if your enemy is hungry, you feed
him. That's what the Lord did. Made
him alive, made him hungry and fed him. And then after he made her alive,
now she realizes, she realizes her hunger. The Lord said in
Psalm 5.1, I'm coming to my garden, my sister, my spouse. He says,
that's my garden, my people. I've gathered my myrrh with my
spice. I've eaten my honeycomb with
my honey. I've drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, oh friends. Drink, yea, drink abundantly,
oh beloved. And how did he do this? Well,
the scripture says, verse 22, For thou shalt heap coals of
fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee. What He has done for us, this
heaping coals of fire, that's the setting forth of the glorious
power of our Lord to melt our hearts with the fire and the
coals of His love. That's what that's talking about.
It's not talking about vengeance. No. Didn't our heart burn within
us as He opened unto us the Scriptures? Listen to this precious passage
of Scripture, Song of Solomon. Talk about that burning, you
know, when God pours out those coals of fire upon our heads,
speaking of His mercy, power of His word. Song of Solomon,
chapter five, this is a beautiful passage of Scripture, verses
two to eight. Shulamite, the bride, she admits
something. But my heart waketh. The believer
knows that there's a drowsiness about us. We know that. We admit
that. Somebody said, boy, I'm telling you, he's just always
on fire for the Lord. I've never met a believer that
talks like that. They love Christ, but you know what they say? Oh,
how dull I find myself to be. This is what the believer says.
I sleep, but my heart waketh. It's the voice of my beloved
that knocketh, saying, open to me, my sister, my love, my dove,
my undefiled, for my head is filled with you and my locks
with the drops of the night. That was the word of the Lord.
Now here's what she says. Here's what we say. I've put
off my coat. How shall I put it on? I've washed
my feet. How shall I defile them? My beloved
put his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels, my heart
was moved for him. I rose up to open to my beloved.
This is what happens when God in his power heaps the coals
and fires of his love, of his word, and he convicts us. Oh, how could I do that? How could I treat him with disrespect
like that? Oh, I feel so bad, you know. I'm telling you, I just, you
know, when I find myself, just times of saying something, and
the words come out of my mouth, and I knew it didn't come out
right, but it should have been, and I'm thinking, why don't I just be quiet? Scripture
says, If she gave him that flimsy excuse, well, I'm already in
the bed. I've kind of laid down. I've washed my feet already.
I sure don't want to defile them. My beloved put his hand in by
the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. I
rose up to open to my beloved, and my hands dropped with myrrh,
and fingers of sweet-smelling myrrh. Where he has been, is
what she's saying, where he had his hand on the door, You know,
she said, when I put my hand there, I could smell him. I opened to my beloved, but my
beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone. My soul failed
when he spake. I sought him, but I could not
find him. I called him, but he gave me
no answer. The watchman that went about
the city found me and smoked me with the word. They wounded
me, the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. I
charge you, oh daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that
you tell him that I am sick of love. My heart is broken. If your enemy, the Lord says,
is hungry, you feed him. That's what he did. If he's thirsty,
you give him water to drink. That's what he did. For thy shall
he cause a fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee."
That blessed word that goes forth in mercy, that's the power of
God unto salvation, unto comfort, unto reviving. The Lord said
in Jeremiah 23, 29, is not my word like a fire? Like as a fire,
saith the Lord, like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? The Lord has recompensed good
toward us who gave Him before we knew Him and even after we
know Him. Disrespect. The love of God has
constrained us, pulls us. Jehovah, the scripture says,
has rewarded Him. I'm going to see if I can make
good on this in closing. Listen to this scripture. Now
this last verse, for thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head,
that is, at the Lord's mercy to his people, making his word
to come to them in power and strength and convicting power. Blow, O north wind, that's what
scripture says in Song of Solomon 4. Blow, O north wind, upon my
garden. Blow, O south wind, convict my
people and comfort them. Thou shalt heap coals of fire
on his head, and the Lord shall reward thee. The Father speaking
to the Son says in Psalm 2.8, Ask of me, and I shall give thee
the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the
earth for thy inheritance. Now that promise can only be
given to the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask of me and I shall give thee
the heathen for thine inheritance." I am the heathen. So who's going to get an inheritance?
It's not me, I'm the heathen. This is the Father speaking to
the Son. Now as the Son of God, nothing
can be given unto Him that's not His by right. He's one with the Father, one
with the Spirit, God Almighty, the mighty three in one, one
God, set forth in three persons, one God. But as the submissive
mediator, the glorious head of His church, the obedient son
of righteousness who humbled himself before God, Now I'm talking
about submission that can only be perceived by faith. I can't
even enter into this. Here is the willing lamb of God
who humbled himself, who made himself of no reputation, made
himself the lowest of the low, And again, I believe it, but
I just say, Lord, how can these things be said of you? He who submitted himself, by
faith he walked. Concerning him, ask of me, the
Father said, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance
and the uttermost parts of the earth for thine inheritance.
His kingdom, that was given to him by the Father as the Father's reward to him
who saw the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.
This was finished. God saw it. And the Father was
the first one to trust Him. That's Ephesians 1.11. The first
one to trust Christ. The Father trusted Him. He knew
what He was doing. And as the reward for His sufferings,
again the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, for the reward of His sufferings,
of His obedience, of His death, again a truth that we can only
perceive by faith, the Father expresses unto Him, You ask. You ask. As the great high priest,
you ask for the kingdom and the uttermost parts of the earth
for your possession, you ask, I'll give it to you. They shall
be given unto him. Somebody say, I just don't see
how the Lord could be praying unto the Father and the Father
be hearing the prayer of the Son. Listen to this, John 17
verse 11. Here again, that high priestly
prayer. Here's the Lord praying. Now
the Lord is praying. And now I am no more in the world,
but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father,
keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that
they may be one as we are. While I was with them in the
world, I kept them in thy name. Those that thou gavest me, I've
kept, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition that
the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee, and these
things I speak in the world that they might have my joy fulfilled
in themselves. I pray not that thou shouldest
take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them
from the evil. You think he's praying for his people? You think
he's praying? You think he's asking as a great
high priest? You ask of me. Here's the federal
head. Submission that is holy, unwavering,
for his glory and our good. And we, by the grace of God,
are His reward. We, by the grace of God, are
His reward. And He's ours. I pray God grant
unto us faith. Lord, increase my faith. I pray that the Lord give us
faith. Love. To love our enemies. Be faithful. In loving our enemies, I'll tell
you the best thing in the world that we can do for them. I'll
tell you the best thing in the world we can do. Tell them the
truth. Tell them the truth. Tell them
the truth. You're going to hear all kinds
of answers. Invite somebody to come. You'll have all kinds of
excuses. They'll have this, that, and
the other. Invite them to come. Tell them
the truth concerning Christ. And I pray God be pleased to
bless it for his glory and our good, their good. Amen. All right.