https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Retaliation.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tText: Romans 12:17-21<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I. When someone strikes you, what is the first impulse?<\/p>\n
A. Why, to strike back<\/p>\n
B. It has been with us since childhood. “I’ll get even!”<\/p>\n 1. Therein is the core. We want to strike back because we feel justice has not\nbe carried out\n C. But I’ve noticed that it is never an equal strike back. The desire is to strike back\nwith greater force so that he’ll think twice before doing it again.\n 1. Herodias held a grudge against John the Baptist because he pointed out\nthat her marriage to Herod Antipas was wrong – Mark 6:17-20\n a. As a result, she trapped Herod into giving her John’s head – Mark\n6:22-27\n 2. James and John were upset that one town didn’t want Jesus to stay – Luke\n9:51-56\n 3. The impulse is that “justice” is needed, but in neither of our examples was\nthe consequence just in light of what happened.\n
D. Thus, we are warned not to say, “I’ll get even!” – Proverbs 24:29<\/p>\n
II. The Jews had convinced themselves that revenge was required by God – Matthew 5:38-40<\/p>\n
A. It was a misapplication of rules given to judges – Leviticus 24:19-20<\/p>\n 1. This wasn’t about personal vengeance, it was applying a just punishment\nafter a court hearing found a person guilty.\n
2. The law actually taught not to seek revenge – Leviticus 19:18<\/p>\n
B. Instead of retaliating against a personal insult, Jesus taught that we give extra<\/p>\n
C. We are to show love to those who think we are enemies – Luke 6:27-35<\/p>\n
D. “But he did this to me!”<\/p>\n 1. God with handle the problem, even if justice isn’t served by our fellow\nmen – Proverbs 20:22\n
2. And waiting seems so difficult!<\/p>\n 3. Consider that if someone does you wrong, then returning in kind must\nequally be wrong – Romans 2:1\n
III. Return good for evil <\/p>\n
A. Good never comes from evil – Romans 3:8<\/p>\n
B. Good has a chance of changing a person – Romans 12:17-21<\/p>\n
1. The burning coals is alluding to a blacksmith’s forge.<\/p>\n
2. Someone may be as stubborn as iron, but iron softens when it is heated.<\/p>\n
3. Good deeds are the coals that soften a stubborn person.<\/p>\n
C. Give blessings in return for railings – I Peter 3:9<\/p>\n
D. Encourage others to do this as well – I Thessalonians 5:15<\/p>\n
E. So how do you do it?<\/p>\n
1. First be patient – Colossians 3:12-13<\/p>\n
a. Count to ten. Give yourself time for your anger to calm down<\/p>\n
b. James 1:19-20<\/p>\n
2. Purposely set out to do good in return<\/p>\n
a. Proverbs 25:21-22 – Have your enemies over for a meal<\/p>\n b. Exodus 23:5 – Lend a hand, especially when the impulse is to\npretend you didn’t notice.\n
3. Gently teach – II Timothy 2:24-26<\/p>\n
4. Gently reprove – Galatians 6:1<\/p>\nIV. Why do you think that you are so important that you have to get back at everyone who\ncrosses you? – Galatians 6:3\n A. Have you considered that you are only here because God has been patient with\nyou? – II Peter 3:9\n
B. Extend the same patient courtesy to your fellow man<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Text: Romans 12:17-21 I. When someone strikes you, what is the first impulse? A. Why, to strike back B. It has been with us since childhood. “I’ll get even!” 1. Therein is the core. We want to strike back because we feel justice has not be carried out C. But I’ve noticed that it is never an equal strike…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[721,581,399,720],"class_list":["post-30933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-kindness","tag-patience","tag-revenge","tag-vengeance"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":62187,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/dealing-with-hostility\/","url_meta":{"origin":30933,"position":0},"title":"Dealing with Hostility","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 19, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 16:16-40 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0You know you ought to say something, but you also know it isn\u2019t going to go over well. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0They just won\u2019t understand, so they will turn on you - I Peter 4:4 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0They are going to hate you for standing for righteousness\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23361,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-christians-strike\/","url_meta":{"origin":30933,"position":1},"title":"Should Christians Strike?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 13, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Text: I Peter 2:18-25 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Labor unions are lauded for the improvements they wrought in the workplace \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0By encouraging employees to act as one, many concessions have been won from companies \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When the group appeals don\u2019t sway an employer, strikes often will \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Strikes shutdown the \u201clife blood\u201d of a business,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":87599,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-would-god-have-moses-strike-the-rock-one-time-and-not-the-next\/","url_meta":{"origin":30933,"position":2},"title":"Why would God have Moses strike the rock one time and not the next?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Dear Brother Jeffrey, I have a question and would appreciate your insights. In Exodus 17, God commanded Moses to smite the rock for water, and then in Numbers 20, He commanded Moses to speak unto the rock for water. We know that Moses smote the rock in Exodus; he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21114,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-did-moses-strike-the-rock-twice-and-what-was-aarons-participation\/","url_meta":{"origin":30933,"position":3},"title":"Why did Moses strike the rock twice and what was Aaron’s participation?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 27, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Why did Moses strike the rock twice and what was Aaron's participation? Answer: \"So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them. Then the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":88934,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/strike-the-rock\/","url_meta":{"origin":30933,"position":4},"title":"Strike the Rock?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The children of Israel were desperate for water and were crying out to Moses, \"Why have you brought us out here to die of thirst?\" God told Moses to take his rod and \"strike the rock,\" and \"water will come out of it, that the people may drink\" (Exodus 17:3-6).\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/tissot-moses-strikes-the-rock-491ed5-small-229x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":37661,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/being-a-conversationalist\/","url_meta":{"origin":30933,"position":5},"title":"Being a Conversationalist","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Download Audio Text: Romans 12:10-18 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A young lady wrote and asked, \u201cHow can you be a good conversationalist? I\u2019m so boring. I don\u2019t know how to strike up an interesting conversation.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is a good question because talking to people is something we just take\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30933"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30933\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}