Bibles to Proverbs chapter three. Proverbs chapter three. And I'll get you one of these. Don't want to forget you. Proverbs chapter three. On Wednesday nights we've been going through this series that I've entitled Wisdom from Above. And it's taken from the phrase in James chapter three that talks about wisdom from beneath, earthly wisdom. that the world has, how it's sensual and devilish, and how you and I need to have wisdom from above. And if there's one thing we need in the days that we live, it's wisdom from above. There's so many philosophies that are out there, ideas that are out there, and we're just inundated with them through the media and through all kinds of things, people we work with. that we certainly need God's wisdom. And so hopefully this will help us in a very practical way, because really when you get to the book of Proverbs, you're talking about some very practical things, where the rubber meets the road. When this happens, this is how you respond, and this is how you're supposed to deal with this situation. So Proverbs chapter three, and if you'd find also Romans chapter 12, we'll go there in a moment also. Got a lot of verses to turn to tonight. And so at Proverbs chapter three, notice verse 29. Devise not evil against thy neighbor, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm. We could go on, but I... was feel led of the Lord to just take those two verses tonight and deal with them. Let's pray. Father, we do thank you for this evening. It's a joy to be in your house tonight. Lord, it's been great to have Pastor Fowler here and Brother Jeffcoat here and Brother Deku sharing with us his ministry. but Lord you brought us here to this time for such a time as this and I trust Lord that you've led me to preach this message Lord we need thee tonight I need a fresh filling of thy spirit we recognize without you we can do nothing Lord we know that every time your word is preached that you have something for each and every one of us and so I pray tonight that all of us including myself Lord as I preach would have ears to hear speak to our hearts change what needs to be changed in our lives and may we be willing to to obey you tonight. So please bless the message, help me as I preach, in Jesus' name we pray, amen. It was in the fall of 2017 that Senator Rand Paul was mowing his lawn and doing yard work at his home in Bowling Green, Kentucky. You may have heard this story. Paul was wearing headphones at the time. He was stacking brush into a pile on his own property But his little brush pile was near his neighbor's property. And his neighbor didn't like that. Unbeknownst to Paul, as he was stacking the brush, all of a sudden, from behind, he was tackled by his neighbor. His name was Rene Boucher, 59 years old. He was a man, a physician. He was his neighbor for 17 years. The man tackled him and began to assault him. Paul managed to throw his neighbor off of him, and they exchanged words, but Paul would have to be taken to the hospital. When he went to the hospital, they found out that he had five fractured ribs from the attack, including three displaced fractures, and later he required medical attention for pneumonia as a result of what happened in his body. Now why did this man do that? Here he is, working in his yard, stacking up brush in a pile on his own property, and he tackled him and started beating on him. Why would somebody do that? Now some would say, well, politics. He didn't like his political stand, and you know, that was, some say, a part of it. But Boucher himself said this, he said that Paul's sons would sometimes play in a creek that had run behind both of their houses, and the boys would sometimes wander a little bit onto his property. That's why he did it. He had enough. And I want to say, huh? Are you serious? Kids playing and they wandered on your property, now the little brush is near your property and it gets you all upset? You know, we live in an angry world. We do. There was a June 26, 2019 article written by Scott Henschley for NPR. It was entitled this, quote, Americans say we're angrier than a generation ago. The article reads, 84% of people surveyed said Americans, again this is 2019, June. 84% of people surveyed said Americans are angrier today compared with a generation ago. I'll say amen to that. According to the latest NPR-IBM-Watson health poll. When asked about their own feelings, 42% of those polled said they were angrier in the past year than they have been further back in time. They themselves said, I'm getting more and more angry. 71% of people said that the news either often or sometimes made them angry. I told you this several months ago, I'd stop. That whole COVID thing and everything going on, the election and all that. I finally said, I can't do this. I'm just struggling too much with my spirit. I'm just getting mad at everything. But have you noticed that people today have become more and more irritable? I mean, more and more impatient, more and more short-fused, ready to fight, ready to snap out, suspicious of one another, unkind, unfriendly, dissatisfied with life. And it's caused people to react to things at an intense level like they've never reacted before. More so than ever, they're responding in anger. In February of this year, I was going to use this story as an opener, if you will, or an introduction. I couldn't because it was just too, I just couldn't take the whole details of it, but I'll just give you a summation. February of this year, a Pennsylvania man, you may have heard this story, shot and killed his two neighbors after an argument began because they were shoveling snow towards his driveway. They exchanged words, he went in the house, he got a gun, and he shot his two neighbors dead. And then he ended up shooting himself. It ended up in a double murder and suicide. What a crazy world. What are people doing to people? Proverbs 3 and verse 29, our text says, devise not evil against thy neighbor. seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. Now I'd like to take these verses and apply them to a certain subject. I want to ask you for a little liberty in my application here tonight, but I'd like to take these verses and apply it to the subject of vengeance. Vengeance. Do you know as believers we must never take matters into our own hands and exercise vengeance? Never. Turn with me to Romans chapter 12. I told you to mark it. You should be there. Notice verse 17. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves. But rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thy enemy hunger, feed him. If he thirst, give him drink. For in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where our Christianity becomes real. Not just reading and nodding, but actually doing these things. Leviticus Leviticus 1918 reads thou shall not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people but thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself I am the Lord preacher you're getting all fuzzy on us love your neighbor yeah love our neighbor that's what the Bible says Deuteronomy 32 35 the Lord says to me belongeth vengeance and recompense Proverbs 24 29 listen closely say not I will do so to him as he has done to me I will render to the man according to his work don't say that well he did it to me I'm gonna do it to him don't say that the Bible says and don't do that you see for God's people to seek vengeance is wrong It's absolutely wrong. Now, before we begin, you say, preacher, you've already begun. Well, not really. This is just to be an introduction to the beginning. We must first understand what vengeance is and what it's not. It is not vengeance when you seek just legal action against a wrongdoing. That's not vengeance. It's not vengeance when you take someone to court illegally for harming you, that's not vengeance. Or when someone goes to jail for breaking a law, that's not vengeance either, it's justice. Or when you confront someone when they hurt you, that's not vengeance. Vengeance as it's used here in Romans chapter 12 and Leviticus chapter 19 and Deuteronomy 32, the verses I read, means this. I want you to listen closely. I don't have it written here, but it means this. To inflict pain deliberately and maliciously, contrary to the laws of justice and humanity, return for injury pain or evil received that's a mouthful but if you heard it it's very important it means when you and I inflict plain pain deliberately and maliciously against someone contrary to the laws of justice and humanity in return for somebody injuring or giving pain pain to me vengeance You see, believers must never, ever do things to other people with the intent of getting back at them. Never. But do we? Do you? Do we do things to get somebody's guilt? It's wrong. Tonight I want to preach on this subject, notice the title, the wisdom, and that's what it's about, of not taking vengeance. There's wisdom in that. There's wisdom in not recompensing evil for evil. Or maybe I could subtitle this, leaving things in God's hands. I'm going to go down a little path here, so I want you to stay with me tonight. We'll land somewhere in a little bit, but just hang with me. I want to look tonight at why taking vengeance is such a damaging thing and how we do it sometimes. Notice first of all, number one, the situations we all face. Life is full of situations, isn't it? Notice verse 28 of Proverbs chapter three, we're back there now. We read, devise, I'm sorry, verse, yeah, 20, I backed up a verse. Say not unto thy neighbor, go and come again, and tomorrow I will give when thou hast it by thee. Verse 29, our text for tonight, devise not evil against thy neighbor. Notice the word neighbor. Do you know the word neighbor is found in 144 verses in the Bible? 123 in the Old Testament, 21 verses in the New Testament. 20 times in the book of Proverbs we find instructions on how to deal with our neighbor. And each of those times, God instructs us on how we are to treat our neighbor, how we are to interact with our neighbor, how we are to respond to our neighbor. Again, our verses tonight, verse 28, say not unto thy neighbor, go and come again, and tomorrow I will give thee when thou hast it by thee. Verse 29, devise not evil against thy neighbor. And again, there's 18 more times in Proverbs we find instructions on our neighbor. Matthew 19 19 the Lord Jesus said as he's quoting the Old Testament honor thy father and thy mother and thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself well you may ask okay I see that but who is my neighbor it's interesting you ask that because there was a man in the New Testament that asked the Lord Jesus Christ the very same thing who's my neighbor well let's find out let's go over to Luke chapter 10 if you would lots of verses as I mentioned tonight Luke chapter 10 now in a broad sense and the broadest sense we could say that everyone is our neighbor couldn't we who's your neighbor look around everybody everybody's our neighbor and that's true but to better understand what is meant more specifically by neighbor we can see in Luke chapter 10 and verse 25 here's a man a lawyer in verse 25 he stands up he tempts the Lord saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And he says, what reads the law? And he goes to quote it. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, with all thy mind. And here it is, and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, thou hast answered right, this do, and thou shalt live. But he willing to justify himself said unto Jesus, and who is my neighbor? And we go on, he goes on to explain, Jesus goes on to explain who his neighbor is through the parable of the Good Samaritan. How a man, a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves which stripped him of his raiment and wounded him, I'm sorry, and departed, leaving him half dead. And of course, we know the story, the certain priest comes by and the Levite comes by and they saw and looked and didn't do anything. But the Samaritan, when he saw him, he had compassion on him. And at the end of the story, of course, in verse 36, Jesus says, which now of these three thinkest thou was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, he that showed mercy on him, then said Jesus unto him, go and do thou likewise. So couldn't we say, based on what we're seeing here and reading in this parable, that a neighbor could be defined, yes everyone, but a little bit more specifically, as anyone that God providentially brings into our path. Right? And now what happened here in Luke chapter 10, God brought this man, this injured man, into the path of the Samaritan, brought them together. We could say this, someone that you and I are forced to interact with due to God-ordained circumstances in life. So again, it's anyone that God providentially brings into our path, or someone that you and I are kind of forced to interact with due to God-ordained circumstances in life. So this would include our physical neighbors. In our homes. How many have neighbors? Raise your hand. Probably all of us. I don't think you... Somewhere. Maybe not real close. We just got new neighbors. I think within the last year or so or something like that. We had neighbors that were there. So whoever... Now watch this. Those physical neighbors are people that God providentially put into our lives. I did not choose them. God chose them for me. God put them there so we could say our physical neighbors are our neighbors. Well, that makes sense, right? Let's expand a little bit and say this. How about the people you work with? People you work with, God put them there, right? You didn't hire all these people. You didn't choose who would be standing by you in the factory or sitting by you in the office, whatever your situation may be, who you work with and so forth. Those are people that God prominently put in your life. Well, how about this? Let's get a little bit more home where we're at tonight. How about church members, right? Wouldn't you say God brought us all here together providentially to be Capital Baptist Church? Right? He did. God has providentially brought us all together, those that are members of this church. We're all neighbors, if you will. we could say your bus riders right if you have a bus right there your neighbors God brought them on your bus right you said well I tried to get them on my bus I encouraged him to come yes some you tried and some you didn't drive right and they came anyway God brought him there a man we could say those in your Sunday school class people that God brought to you providentially just like the Samaritan and this injured man and so forth God brought them there again these are your neighbors now I said all that to say this that whenever you have people as neighbors that God brings together to interact with one another there will be situations and That's a nice way to put it. Situations. There'll be conflicts. There will be difficulties. There will be personality differences. There will be misunderstandings that you and I have to deal with. That's part of life. That's part of this journey that we are on. It's a people journey. And at times, guess what? We will be hurt by our neighbor. Maybe somebody hurt you, a church member. Something they did or said. Getting a little bit ahead of myself. It's gonna happen. There's gonna be times where we'll be taken advantage of. That's the way it goes. There'll be times where we'll be disappointed. People will let us down. We'll let people down. There'll be times when we'll be disrespected. There may be even times that we are lied to. Those bus kids and Sunday school kids, especially the church, they never lie. Yeah. You'll be sinned against. See, that's part of this journey we're on. And by the way, it can be quite challenging as we face our neighbors and the situations. But when we are hurt, and if we are hurt, and when we are taken advantage of, or if we are, when we're lied to or sinned against, whatever it may be, understand something, get to the point of this message, we must never, never seek vengeance. Amen. Never. Instead, you and I, one of the greatest challenges of the Christian life, in my opinion, is that we have to learn to deal with people biblically. Amen. It's not easy. Right. You know, some Christians, sad to say, they get to the place where they... I'm not getting involved with anybody. I'll come to church. I'll go home. I'll read my Bible. I'll pray. when I'm staying away from people. Oh, well, hello, and how you doing? Good to see you, brother. Oh, sister, great to see you. But that's it. No further than that. I'm not getting involved with people. I'm not making close friends with people. I'm just going to keep my distance. There are people like that. It's almost like they think it's a safe place. And they isolate themselves. Can I say this? That's not good. And can I take it a step further and say, that's not what God wants. You say, well, it's easier. It's not what God wants, though. It's easier to sleep on Sunday mornings and come to church, too. But that's not what God wants. You see, we have to learn to deal with people. and situations. Now, I have three reasons here. Look at that. I just got down to this little part here. We got a long night tonight. No, I'm kidding. We're going to go quick at the end. Don't get nervous. We'll be all right. Three reasons we must learn to deal with situations. Letter A is this. We are commanded to minister to people. The ministry is people, not events. We use events to reach people, but it's not the events that's the ministry. It's people. If it were just events, it'd be easy. Well, a little challenging with arranging all that. The challenging part is people. And so we are commanded, watch this, to minister to people. All of us are. Matthew 28 you know the Great Commission verse 19 and 20 go ye that's all of you everybody in here go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you and lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world amen we are commanded to give out the gospel to people all people go you know the world preach the gospel every creature right mark 16 15 That means we got to deal with people and situations. By the way, it doesn't just end there at getting them saved. We are also to minister to those that are saved. That's what we're to do. That's what the church is about. We serve in the local church, and I'll get to that here in a moment, ministering to people, those that are saved. Do you know, according to Ephesians chapter 4, if I can get there real quick, Ephesians chapter 4, the church service, I'll just go by what I remember. The church service and what we do, all this stuff we do, you see in the calendar, wow, we do a lot of stuff. There's a purpose behind it. It's not just to keep us busy so we don't bite each other's head off, you know? It's to reach people, it's to minister to people. We have the mommies and ministry thing, to minister to the mommies that need that. We had family camp to minister to family. We have Jubilee to try to hit everybody, get everybody ministered. We have Sunday school classes divided up to minister to people. That's what we're gonna do. The purpose of the church service is for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man under the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. The goal of the services at Sunday school, everything we do, is so God uses us to mold and shape people into the image of Jesus Christ. And he uses us to minister to people, all people. So if we're going to minister to others, that means we have to interact. Why don't we just go in and go out? No, no, not if you want to please the Lord. We have to get involved, which means, here we go, and I'm getting somewhere, which means that conflict is inevitable. conflict is and we have to learn to deal with situations and people and conflict biblically because we're commanded to minister to people there's another reason number two or letter B another reason we're to deal with people in situations is because we're commanded to serve the Lord with people You see, every capable believer should be actively serving the Lord through the local church. Praise the Lord. Right? If I were to say, OK, what's your ministry? Every one of us should say, OK, this is my ministry. This is my ministry. This is what I'm involved with. I help in the kitchen, or I help in this, or I do sound, or I usher, or I do this, or I assist in a Sunday school, or I do this. We all should have something. if we're capable. I know there's shut-ins, I'm not talking about that. So again, we should be actively serving through their local church. Philippians 127 says, only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, watch this, that ye, the church at Philippi, may stand fast in one spirit with one mind, watch this, all of them, I added that, striving together for the faith of the gospel. What are we doing as a church? Yes, we're ministering to people, but we're also ministering with people. We're working together, striving together for the faith of the gospel. The Great Commission has been given to the local church, not to individuals, which means that reaching people, teaching people, ministering to others is to be done together as a church. Well, you may think, well, I didn't know it was all about that. I just wanted to come to church and go home. You're in the wrong church. Amen. You can find a church that would be happy with that. Pat you on the back, throw a few nickels in a plate. They'll be happy to show up once in a while. We don't preach that, because that's not what the Bible teaches. And we're going to face God. And I'm trying to encourage myself and you that, listen, we better serve the Lord, because this is our opportunity. Amen? And it's done together. Amen. By the way, coming to church, attending church, is not serving God in a ministry. It's not. Amen. That's the beginning. People use it as an end. It's not. It's a means to an end. We're coming to get charged up to go serve the Lord, amen, and do our ministry and so forth. Which means, watch this, as a church, we have to learn to work with and deal with one another. We do. Go to 1 Corinthians 12. We happy tonight? We awake tonight? Am I boring you tonight? Am I too long tonight? No, don't ask those questions. Never ask those questions as a preacher. Never. You might be surprised at the answer you don't want to hear. 1 Corinthians 12.4, now there are diversities of gifts, talking about gifts in a local church, but the same spirits. Watch this. We come together. Everybody has different gifts. We all do. I have a gift, you have a gift, maybe more than one, I believe we can. And they're different, but it's the same spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it's the same God, which worketh all and all. Notice, but the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man, why? To profit with all. So watch this, we're working together. You should read 1 Corinthians 12, the whole chapter talks about the church, a local church as a body, as we're all parts of this body, members, and we're to be working together. That means this, with relation to my message tonight, that all of us need to learn how to deal with stuff. Situations, conflicts with one another, things. Bus workers need to learn how to work with each other. I thought I'd get an amen from something. Don't worry, I got a list here. You didn't make it yet. Nursery workers need to work and learn how to work with each other. Kitchen workers need to learn how to work with each other. Sunday school teachers and assistants need to learn. Give me somebody who's not going to give me any problems as my assistant. Well, you're going to be alone. And then you're still gonna have problems because you're gonna, yourself is a problem. Choir members need to learn how to work with each other. Staff, we need to learn how to work with one another. Deacons, we need to learn how to work with one another. Watch this, because what we have been assigned to do by God is far greater than any conflict that arises between us. Don't miss that. our assignment from God is far greater than any little conflict you have and I have we should deal with it and we must not abandon the assignment in order to avoid conflict I'm not serving I don't want any conflict you just abandoned the assignment We want to we want to obey the assignment guess what conflict situations So again, we must deal with Situations because we're commanded to minister to people we're commanded to serve the Lord with people and the letter C We're commanded to be a testimony to people people are watching us Visitor comes in the church, and they walk by a Sunday school class, and they hear some Sunday school team I know this has not happened. I'm just this happens in other churches You know, railing on some student or railing on some assistant. Well, guess what? You just lost your testimony. You'll probably never see that person again. I wouldn't put my kid in there. Got to learn how to deal with people, deal with stuff. You see, how you and I respond to others is a testimony to others. Matthew 5.13, ye of the salt of the earth, you know the verses, but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? Ye of the light of the world, a city that's set on a hill cannot be hid. I'm skipping some verses. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Boy, those people down at church are so kind. Do you know what really drew us the very first day as a lost family walking in the Mainland Baptist Church? Do you know what, for me anyway, and I think my wife would agree with this, what drew us was their kindness and the way they said, oh, we'll show you, and the way they treated one another. We thought, wow, we've never seen this before. Praise the Lord. This don't happen around where we hang out. They were a testimony. Amen. They were a testimony. So yes, understand, situations will arise, conflicts will come, difficulties will happen, we'll be sinned against, we'll be hurt, people will get us upset, but we have to learn how to deal with people and situations biblically, why? For the sake of the gospel. For the sake of Christ. So we see number one, the situations. we all face. Then number two, I want you to notice the reaction we must avoid. I'm getting to the vengeance part right here. Again, how we as believers react to things, how we respond to people is vitally important. We are to respond in a Christ-like way. We are to be examples to other believers. First Timothy 4.12, let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believer in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. And again, so when things happen, When you and I experience conflict, when we have a difficulty with a person, whether it be on the outside, or working with them, or in the church, if they hurt us, or they sin against us, or they lie to us, or they say some mean, ugly things, we must never take vengeance. Amen. Never. We must never devise evil against our neighbor. That's the text. That's what we're dealing with tonight. Turn with me to 1 Peter 2. You want to know who the greatest example of that was? The Lord Jesus Christ. There's somebody that could have taken righteous vengeance. It was him. And vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord. But notice our example in 1 Peter 2.21. For even here unto we were called, I'm sorry, were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow in his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. 1 Peter 2.23 now. Who when he was reviled, reviled not again. when he suffered he threatened not but committed himself to him that judges righteously who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live under righteousness by whose stripes you were healed for you were a sheep going astray but are now returned under the shepherd and Bishop Bishop of your souls he's our example don't take vengeance on people Now let me throw in this disclaimer. Everybody doesn't have to be your best friend. And everyone's not going to be your best friend. And there's going to be people that are easy to deal with and people that are not easy to deal with. That's just the nature of life. But we must never, ever seek vengeance. We must never in our hearts or in any action purposefully set out to hurt somebody to get them back. But many Christians do. Their reaction is, vengeance is mine. Save me. Why do people do that? The reason that people take vengeance is because they want that person to hurt like they hurt. Somebody hurt me, and I don't like it. So they're going to hurt, too. They want that person to suffer as they made them to suffer. And by the way, beyond, I'm going to say that in a minute. They want that person to feel the pain that they're feeling. So they take vengeance. They want to make sure that person, hey, God forbid they get away with it. I don't see anything happening. No roof falling on their head. I guess I have to do something. They take vengeance. They got hurt, so they hurt. You've heard the phrase, hurt people, hurt people. And they do. But Christians shouldn't. Amen. Two things about vengeance. Letter A, write this down. The ways of vengeance. You know, there's all kinds of ways that people take vengeance. There are. Number one, there's blatant ways. Like that guy with Rand Paul. That was pretty blatant. He was mad at him at the beginning. He just jumped on his back, started hauling on him. Sometimes people, blatant would be physically hurting someone or verbally assaulting someone. That's pretty obvious that they're trying to make them hurt, criticizing them, saying words that hurt. Sometimes people take the law into their own hands. Sometimes, again, they say hurtful things to that person. Sometimes they say hurtful things about that person. It's pretty blatant. All with the intent, I'm going to get them. I'm going to get them. The goal is to make them hurt. But then number two, there's also subtle ways. That's kind of where probably more in our wheelhouse. Subtle ways. So there's blatant ways and there's subtle ways. You know, there's subtle ways that people take, many people take vengeance. Little things to try to get somebody's goo. And we do it with a smile. How you doing today? You say, how so? How about this? Ignoring somebody. Walking away. Very subtle, but it's, I'm going to send a message. Ignoring them. Not talking to them. Not responding to their phone calls or text messages. I'm going to get them. Let them wait a while. Maybe I won't answer them at all. See how they feel. That's vengeance. It's a subtle form of vengeance. If you're doing it with the intent to hurt somebody, I'm not saying you're busy, you can't get to them. I'm not talking about that. That's vengeance. Giving them the cold shoulder. A lot of spouses do that. My parents, when they got into an argument, that was their way of dealing with things. We just want to talk for a day or two. I'm going to show him. He's not going to hear from me in a couple days. Oh, they walked right by each other in the house. I guess mom and dad had an argument. I guess so. How about this, another subtle way, playing mind games with people. People do that. They play mind games with people. They may be acting mad at them, not telling them what is wrong. What's wrong? Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing. Why are you acting the way? Oh, nothing, nothing. How about this one? Unfriending someone on social media. I'll get them. I don't even know how you do it. You're not my friend anymore. That's why I don't do it. I've seen some people. It's so ridiculous. She unfriended me. I didn't know what unfriending was. It was a word, unfriend. Is that a word? I guess it's like tweet and all that other stuff. These words we made up. Unfriend. You were my friend. Now you're my unfriend. but to dig them. I'll show him. I'll show her. You're not my friend anymore. Oh, there's a man blocking their phone number. Oh, on and on we can go. Many others. But whether that vengeance be a blatant form of vengeance or a subtle form, the goal is always the same. It's to cause that person pain and hurt. And it's wrong. You know, I've noticed something about vengeance. You don't mind, right? We've got nothing to do tonight. Chick-fil-A's open till 10. We're good, all right? I've noticed that a person that seeks vengeance is never satisfied. They could have been wronged by something that someone did, yet they will commit tenfold wrong against that person in the name of vengeance and still not be satisfied. That's how wicked vengeance is. Oh, they did this. I'm going to do this, and this, and this, and this, and this, and this, and this, and this. That's so ungodly. That's so un-Christlike. So we see the ways of vengeance. Let it be real quick, when we see the works of vengeance. That should be an S, the works. You know, one of the stories that deals with vengeance is found in Genesis 34. Just go there. I won't read the whole thing. We're going to get through this last part real quick. Genesis 34. I want to show you something. Do you remember the story of Jacob's sons reacting to the defilement of Dinah? You remember that story, right? Their sister was defiled. And of course, remember, according to the Old Testament law, if a man committed a crime, the man who defiled the woman was to be put to death. He would be the only one slain. And that would have been justice. But that wasn't enough for Jacob's boys. Look at verse chapter 34 and verse 25. And it came to pass on the third day when they were sore that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi died as brethren, took each man his sword and came upon the city boldly. Look at this, and slew all the males. they see Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem's house and went out the sons of Jacob came upon the same and spoiled the city because they had defiled their sister look at all they did here they took their sheep and their oxen and their asses and that which was in the city and that which was in the field and all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives took they captive and spoiled even all that was in the house man talk about overboard there's some people didn't do a thing And Jacob said, look at verse 30, and Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, he saw it, ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites, and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me and slay me, and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. And they said, should he deal with our sister as with a harlot? They still weren't satisfied. That's what vengeance does. Real quick, write these down. Three things vengeance does from this story, and it'll do to me and you. Number one, we lose our testimony. Jacob said, you've troubled me to make me distinct among the inhabitants of the land. It is not Christ-like to take vengeance. You're gonna lose your testimony. Number two, we lose our influence. Old Testament Israel was supposed to, yes, destroy some of the Canaanites, but they were supposed to reach them as well, those that would accept the Lord. But now Jacob's saying, they're not gonna listen. I mean, you made me distinct among the inhabitants. They're gonna wanna kill me now. They lost their influence to me. And you're gonna do the same. That person you're trying to get back, maybe God wanted to use you to make a difference in their lives for good by showing your forgiveness and showing your grace. And then number three, we lose our purpose. You know, we get so caught up in getting them back that we forget why we're here, to reach the lost, to make a difference. And we get so involved in this little nitpicky stuff. I'm not saying anything. I'm not aiming at anybody. Just so you know that. If the shoe fits, wear it. Anyway. But we get so involved with this nitpicky stuff that we miss the big picture. What about soul winning? What about serial winning? She did this, he did this, and we did this, and he did this, and I'm gonna get her, and I'm gonna get him, and I can't believe that. Stop! Stop already. There's a world dying and going to hell without Christ. And she unfriended me. He blocked my phone number. He's not answering my texts. Really? Wow. That's big. Stop. You see, we have to avoid vengeance. Which leads me to number three, and we're done. Not only the situations we face, the reaction we must avoid, then lastly, the solution God gives. So how do we deal with someone that hurts us? I wanna take vengeance. Nope, shouldn't do that. So what do I do? What do I do when I can't, this person is just, it's not mean to me. They're not treating me right. Here they are, three words, you ready for them? Number one is forgive. Whatever they did to you, however they treated you, whatever they said to you, whether they asked for it or not, forgive them. Not for their sake, but for your sake. Release it to God. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you. Ephesians 4.32. Mark 11.25. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any, that your Father, also which is in heaven, may forgive you and your trespasses. Forgive them. Give it to God. And then number two, the second word is faith. You see, instead of taking matters into your own hands and think like, well, I've got to get this person. I can't let them treat me this way. I've got to do something. No, you don't have to do anything. Instead of taking matters into your own hands, let God deal with that person. Well, he's not doing it fast enough. Yeah, that's what we all think. again Romans 12 19 dearly beloved avenge not yourselves but rather give place under wrath for it is written vengeance is mine I will repay saith Lord stop trying to handle everything yourself stop trying to fix everybody stop trying to fix everything you're just going to frustrate yourself and everybody around you God will deal with things He'll deal with things and people in his time and in his way. If not, you're going to become a bitter, angry person. Stop. Give it to God. Let it go. And then C, and we're done right here, foresee. Foresee. You say, what do you mean by that? See the big picture. Listen, there is something big going on in this world and in this church. God is trying to reach people with the gospel. He's trying to get people to grow in the grace and knowledge of him. There's people out there that are lost and have never heard about Jesus Christ in our own city, in our own neighborhood. There's people that come to our church that need to be ministered to, that need to learn, that need to grow, that need a Sunday school teacher and all that. And if we get caught up in the itty bitty stuff, and miss the big picture. We're going to miss what God has left us here to do. They say when you're laying out a big wall that all you have to do at the beginning is just get a little bit off course, maybe even an eighth of an inch off line. By the time you get down that wall, you're about two feet off. All because you were knocked off course just by a little bit. I think the devil wants to knock us off course in this area of dealing with people, to get us upset at everybody, angry, wanting to seek vengeance. So before we know it, we're out here doing and dealing with stuff that is really minuscule compared to the great job and great assignment he's given us in this world. And the devil's sitting back there laughing. Look at them bickering about this. Look at them all upset. I got them all off course. The Lord says, vengeance is mine. I will repay. You see, there's wisdom in not taking vengeance. There's wisdom in dealing with people in a Christ-like way. Give things to God. Give it to him and get going serving him. That man, that Rand Paul's neighbor, he ended up getting arrested for all that. Obviously, he did. He salted the guy and all that. All for something. Well, that brush pile was close to my yard. Can you imagine him saying this to the police? Well, that brush pile, look, it's almost on my line of my property. And his kids, when they play in the creek, every so often, they kind of wander over into my back area. Police are going to say, what? Are you serious? And I wonder if God, when we say, well, he did this and she did this, he's looking down and saying, what? Are you serious? There's bigger and greater things for you in this world. Wisdom and not taking vengeance. Let's pray together.