======================================================================== RESIST NOT EVIL by Keith Daniel ======================================================================== Summary: This sermon emphasizes the importance of following the example of Christ in responding to challenges with love and grace, focusing on the power of controlling one's words and reactions. It highlights the need to love enemies, bless those who curse you, and seek God's strength to sit still and let Him fight your battles. The message stresses the significance of living out God's love through kind words, wisdom, and grace, even in difficult situations. Topics: "Responding with Love", "Controlling Reactions" Scripture References: Matthew 5:38, Matthew 5:43, Isaiah 53:7, 1 Peter 2:21, James 3:2, Proverbs 10:19, Ecclesiastes 3:7, Psalms 34:12, Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 19:11, 1 Peter 3:10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This sermon emphasizes the importance of following the example of Christ in responding to challenges with love and grace, focusing on the power of controlling one's words and reactions. It highlights the need to love enemies, bless those who curse you, and seek God's strength to sit still and let Him fight your battles. The message stresses the significance of living out God's love through kind words, wisdom, and grace, even in difficult situations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ In Matthew chapter 5, verse 38, ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, I say unto you that ye resist not evil or wrong that comes against you. But whosoever shall smite thee, whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him, turn to him the other also. Staggering words here. Verse 43, ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy, hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, 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 ye 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 on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father, which is in heaven, is perfect. Staggering words, contextually, what God is saying. Now, strewn across the pages of this sacred book, strewn across the pages of this sacred book, you will find that there is the message of the cross. And we had a live viewing over Easter, which was not done by many, many, many people. Now we are looking at Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, celebrated here in South Africa from the time of Andrew Murray, and as a result of the great revivals of Murray, and then eventually made into a series of meetings across our nation, seeking God, which are called the Pentecost services across South Africa. There is the message of the cross, which we heard of over Easter, but there is also the example of the cross. There is the message of the cross, strewn across the pages of the book, but there is also the example, the example of the cross. In Isaiah 33, 53, verse 7 tells us that he was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. The example of the cross. He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He openeth not his mouth. 1 Peter 2, verse 21, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps. That brings it very personal to us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, wrong in his mouth, in his speech, who when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judges righteously. Leaving us this example. This is an example of the cross that we have to look at. My father was saved late in life at the age of 51. He had had many grave sorrows as a result of alcohol in his life. The night he was saved, he got up, weeping from his knees, took my mother's hand, took her through to where all the alcohol in our home was stored, and he threw the bottles down the drain, smashing one or two, my mother told me, as he wept and he said, we will have no more alcohol in this home, Mordy, not even wine, not champagne. Do you understand? It destroyed my life. It destroyed our lives. We will never have anything of that in our home again. He never touched drink again. From the night he was saved to the day he died, totally delivered. Incredible transformation happened in my father's life that shook the powers of hell. And everyone that knew him. It was not long after that, that an old friend arrived unexpectedly to visit my father, and my father looked at him, but with different eyes. This man said, bring out the drink, Jackie. Let's have a drink. My father looked at him sadly and said, we don't have alcohol in this home anymore. And he began to explain to him that he had given his life to God. And the drink and alcohol had destroyed his life. He will not touch it or have it in the home again. Now this old friend of my father was so taken aback that he lost control. He got angry, began to scream at my father, and he cursed and even used God's name in bad language. And he took his hand and hit my father on the face. They hit him hard. Now my father before would have hurt a man very badly. And I saw that with my eyes. Anyone who crossed my father was in trouble. But he's saved now. He hit my father so hard before anybody could do anything or help him. My father helped himself up with tears coming down his face. He looked at this man gently and said, God bless you. And he turned the other cheek for the man to hit the other cheek. Now that was the only occasion we ever saw someone that actually turned literally physically the other cheek. You see, he was saved now. And here was the example of the cross immediately from the time of his salvation. Immediately from the time of his salvation. Now I want to look again at these words that I opened with. He was oppressed, this is Christ. He was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. That's staggering. He brought the lamb to the slaughter, and his sheep before his shears so he openeth not his mouth. 1 Peter 2, 21, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps. This example is staggering. There's the message of the cross which we can preach. Now there's the example of the cross which takes grace to live. But if we're saved, we can. Leaving us an example that he should follow his steps, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, who when he's reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. That takes grace. That takes grace, sir. But it's grace God will give. I knew a man whose name was Farni Horemsa, an Afrikaans speaking man here in South Africa who was the district superintendent of our mission here in Natal, where I'm sitting right now. He was one of the godliest men I've ever seen in my life, and I believe that ever lived, and I was honored to know him and be under him. When I was first saved, my brother went ahead of me for a year to our Bible school theological seminar in Cape Town, and they sent the students out to help the different conventions. And Dudley, my brother, was sent down here to Natal to help Mr. Farni Horemsa with the convention they were having here at Pennington. And Dudley phoned me and said, Keith, this message of holiness, it works. And he said, this man, Farni Horemsa, he said, I couldn't believe watching him how he reacted when everything went wrong. Everything turned against him. Well, Dudley said they were to leave early in the morning with a big lorry with beds, tents, etc., all the things that were vital, food. Young workers, lady pilgrims had to go, lady missionaries had to go in the vehicle for them ahead and try and get things going here as the people were arriving and would be arriving very soon. Well, Dudley was there to help Mr. Horemsa even with getting here with all the lorries, etc. He said the girls ran back and said the car stopped because the wheel is broken. It's a flat. It's punctured. So Mr. Horemsa trying to load up the lorry and tie the ropes, etc., of all the beds, etc., which had to go to the convention, he just walked with Dudley and the girls back down to the car and changed the wheel. And then they found the other wheel, the spare wheel, was also flat. So they had a bit of a problem. Eventually they got them going. After a lot of running around and off, they went back to the lorry and they found that the lorry had, after all the time standing there between conventions, the back tire was completely flat also. Well, now they were very late in leaving for this convention and people would be arriving and no one would be there. And the things wouldn't be there to start the convention. Well, Dudley said without any anxiety, without stress, without anger or frustration, the peace, the process of understanding in these circumstances, Mr. Horemsa just changed the tire. And it took a while. Then they found another tire, too flat to go. Now time was going by as they got this repaired, back and forth running here and there. But Horemsa gave such a lovely... When they finally arrived down the coast, traveling down, down, down to get to this convention, there was quite a lot of people that arrived. But the abrusion blocks weren't open, the bedrooms weren't open, everything seemed to have really gone wrong. And there was a lady there that was very, very angry and she began to scream at Mr. Horemsa, shouting at him and saying, what sort of people is this? And the A, B, C. She just went on and on. She was so angry that they had stood in the heat, here in the town, this subtropical climate, waiting all this time and no one, not even the abrusion now. She went on and on and everybody became quite unnerved at the way she was screaming at this poor man who just looked at her. After a long time, she stopped in her anger and he said to her, lady, is there anything more you want to say? Is there anything else you have to say? She looked at him surprised and, no, and I have something to say to you. May God bless you. May God bless you. That statement meant more than anything else that happened in the convention to everyone that was watching. Here was the example of the cross. Here was love that suffereth long and is kind. Here is blessing them that curse you. Lived out, not preached, but lived. There's a great difference to preach something you know and to live it, isn't there? Well Dudley told me that I was so blessed, but then they sent me to work with this man when I went out myself after my training. And I always remembered what my brother had said about Farney Harimsa. And I felt thrilled that I was going to work with him. We arrived at a convention here at Pennington, this time it was me, not my brother, working under Mr Harimsa. And the convention started, but one man got very angry. He was charismatically inclined and he became very, very angry that there was no emphasis on manifestations and gifts and tongues, etc. as the evidence that God has filled you with the Holy Spirit, but rather as the fruit of the Spirit, spontaneously reacting in your life as the evidence that God has control of your life, the fruit of the Spirit, the more excellent way than gifts, the things that has to be first before we think of those things. Well, this man began to get everybody to come in the room and he was preaching to them and putting hands on them and trying to get everybody, all the young people especially, to do these things of manifestations and tongues, etc. And Mr Harimsa had to speak to him. And he called me and said, come with me, Keith, I have to speak to this man, he's causing problems here. He's got a whole lot of people all getting worked up now into emphasizing sensationalism and emotionalism and gifts. And we've got to protect ourselves. So we went, found the man in the bedroom there. And Mr. Harimsa asked him very gently to stop, because the parents are getting upset and parents have been contacted who even want to come and get their children. And the man exploded. He got so angry with Mr. Harimsa, I couldn't believe the way he suddenly just screamed and began to put his fist and he came and Mr. Harimsa hit him, shouting at him. His anger was so uncontrollable. I'd been confronted. Well, of course, I stood in the way when I saw what he was about to do. And I grabbed hold of his fist as he was coming. And I said, just you touch this man. Just touch him. And I'll deal with you. Mr. Harimsa looked at me and touched me and turned and said, Keith, that's not the way. That's not the way, boy. Stop it now. Stand back. And he went in between me and this man and looked at him and said with tears coming down his face, but with a gentle smile. Listen, I want you to pray for us that God resolves this. I want you to pray that God gives us some answer, because this is not what God wants in a convention where we have to preach. The man was so struck at Harimsa's gentleness and the kindness of even asking him to pray that he was just flabbergasted. He couldn't even pray. And then Harimsa said, God bless you now. I mean it with my heart. God bless you. Tears coming down his face with a gentle smile. The man was totally unnerved by what Harimsa said and how he reacted. At the end of the convention, he stood up when there was a testimony meeting and he said, I came here believing that I had the answer of what it means to be filled with God, the Holy Spirit. Evidences were gifts. And I was very angry when I heard that it wasn't. When I looked at this man's life and he pointed to Fari Harimsa, the way he reacted to what I was doing when I tried to take over this whole convention, even though it wasn't my convention, I realized for the first time I've got nothing of any value. This is what God wants, what this man's got. And I have prayed for God to help me to find the true fullness of the Spirit. The evidence that God is in control, complete control of my life, a dedicated life as it has been preached here, is the fruit of the Spirit. I have cried out to God for my soul because of this man's life. And I want everyone here to pray for me, he said. That's a staggering thing, he said, to a life. Now, there are many fearful words in the sacred book about the tongue. And I want you to listen very carefully here to the fearful words. James 3 verse 2, if any man offend not in word, doesn't fail God in how he reacts in his words. In any circumstance, if any man offend not, doesn't fail in word. The same is a perfect man, also to bridle the whole body, he can control the whole body. The foremost proof of holiness, the foremost proof of holiness is a man's ability to refrain from entering into any conversation whereby he becomes defiled in the sight of God and man. That's the foremost, if any man offend not, doesn't fail here. The same, God says, is a perfect man in the light he's given and able also to bridle the whole body, to control the whole body. Ecclesiastes 5 verse 6 says, suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin. This is the tip of the iceberg. Fail here, you fail everywhere. James 3 verse 6, so is the tongue among our members that it defileth the whole body. And setteth on fire the course of nature. That is fearful, that is dreadfully fearful, dreadfully fearful. In the multitude of words, there wanteth not sin, there lacks no sin. But he that refraineth his lips is wise. Proverbs 10 verse 19 says, we have to have control of the tongue. If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue, he can't hold his tongue, he deceives his own heart, his religion is in vain. Worthless, James 1 verse 26 says, be thou an example, is the example of the cross. Not just the message of the cross, but the example that we have to live if we're shaved. Be thou an example. He left us an example that we should follow his steps. But now he cries out to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4.12, be thou an example of the believers in word. It always starts here. If it doesn't work here, nothing else that follows is attainable. It always begins here. This is only the tip of the iceberg. If we fail here, we fail everywhere according to the scriptures over and over again. God says love your enemies. That's a staggering, staggering statement. You don't love what they do wrong. You don't love the evil they're doing, but you love them enough to be an example and to reach out by your reaction. You see, love is defined. It's not just saying I love you with hatred in your heart and anger. Love suffereth long, 1 Corinthians 13 says. Here's the definition of what love is, the garpe love. It's not human love. It's God's love that is only attainable if God and to the degree God is in control of your life as a result of your dedicated life to him, as a result of him taking control. Love suffereth long and is kind. Have you this love? Because if you have gifts, they're worthless. 1 Corinthians 13 says. What you've got is worth nothing for God or you if you can't live this. Love suffereth long and is kind. Love is not rash, is not easily provoked. Go on your knees. That's holiness. That's holiness. You have to be slow to speak because then you'll be slow to wrath, James 1 verse 19 says. You see, the discretion of a man deferreth his anger. It's a glory to pass over a transgression, to overlook it. Proverbs 19 verse 11 says. Proverbs 15 verse 1, a soft answer turns away wrath, but harsh words, grievous words stir up anger. God tells us how to react in a way that our lives will win people, will win people. Years ago, I had to preach up in the mountains of Southern Africa, very cold town, very freezing at that time, but people came. It seemed the whole town turned up in the meetings and many got saved and I was very grateful as a preacher. The last night of that outreach, which went on for about five days, five nights, there was a man in the congregation who had arrived who I didn't know was there. He was a very, well, I suppose, well-known, famous name in Southern Africa, especially in the charismatic circles. And after the meeting, he, with all the other ministers of the town and others came to the house where I was staying and being lodged for a cup of tea or coffee. They all sat in the kitchen, which is a very large room in most cold parts of South Africa, because that's where the fire is in the stove. Well, there was a lot of people standing around, a lot of preachers, a lot of Christian leaders, and he was standing opposite the table and I was introduced to him. And I realized, oh, this is a very famous man, name in the newspapers, et cetera, through being known, so well-known among the charismatic movement and churches. No, I put my hand out, he didn't, he just started screaming at me. The whole place just went into silence and shocked as he shouted. You see, he was so full of anger that I had not mentioned in the manifestations, that I had not mentioned the gifts as being the vital evidence of the spirit-filled life of being filled with God, the Holy Spirit. But I rather preach and emphasize the fruit, spontaneous reactions as evidence, love suffer as long as God. This, this is the better way. This is what we have to seek, or we have nothing of any worth, Paul said. So, I preached this. Standard, he began to scream at me for not emphasizing the gifts as being the vital evidence of being filled with God, the Holy Spirit. Well, that staggered everybody. He carried on screaming to the degree that no one could believe he was so angry, and I couldn't believe it, in anger at me. You know, after about five minutes of screaming and shouting and carrying on about his doctrines and against mine, and that I'm grieving the spirit and quenching the spirit, et cetera, he suddenly stood there, shaking in anger, looking at me. And I asked God to give me grace, not to defend myself and fight back, because then all I have is what he's got, nothing more. And I said to him, I just changed the whole subject. I didn't defend myself. I said, Sir, I read in the newspapers that your wife has been gravely ill. Is she still so ill, or is she recovering? That's all I said. You know, he was so staggered that I had not defended myself, that I said nothing against all he attacked me about. But now I'm just caring about his circumstances. He nearly fell. He went back into his chair, staggering, and just looked at me, stunned. I don't think he'd ever seen a man in his life not defend himself when he was attacked, the way he's stunned. So I just carried on speaking. Now, everyone in that room was deeply shaken that God had given me that grace to keep quiet, deeply shaken. There was a dead silence. Eventually, I said, Sir, I have to leave. I have to get up early to get down far away from the airport, and I have to leave early in the morning. So please forgive me. I have to get myself to sleep into my room. So I excused myself. As I walked out, he put his hand forward and came toward me. But there was such respect in his eyes and even tears. He just held my hands. And then all those preachers and many others just touched me as I walked out saying, Thank you, Keith. I walked down the passage to my room, and in that room, joy flooded my heart. A great joy flooded my heart. You see, a man hath joy by the answer of his mouth. This sacred book says, a man hath joy by the answer of his mouth, Proverbs 15, verse 23. That's a staggering word. You see, the joy of the Lord is your strength, this book says. It's not God's joy up there. He's in you by the Holy Ghost. If you fail here, it's His grief that makes you feel sad at your failure. You wouldn't unsaved feel sad, but you feel more tragically sad if you fail here than if you did some terrible sin before you were saved, because it's God, the Holy Ghost. You see, the joy in your heart, the joy, His joy, His being filled with joy, is in your heart, and you find that you have joy, joy through the answer of your mouth. A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth. Don't doubt that, but it's God's joy in you, because God is in you. That is very essential in the Christian faith. Now, love suffereth long, and is kind. It's quite a standard, but attainable as a saved person, but especially if a person is totally yielded to God and filled with God, the Holy Ghost, because the fruit, the evidence that the Holy Ghost has taken control, to the degree He has control, is your reaction, your spontaneous reaction to wrong against you. Love suffereth long. What happens if you have God's Holy Spirit? You see, that is agape love, 1 Corinthians 13. It's His love attainable through Him living out His life, through controlling your life, because you're yielded. Love suffereth long, and is kind. That's possible, though God wouldn't say it, because it's His love in you doing it. Love suffereth long, and is kind, even in the home, even in the home. You see, God says in the sacred book, there's a time to keep silence, in Ecclesiastes 3, verse 7. There's a time to speak, but there's a time to keep silence, and you will know how and when, because of the Holy Spirit in you, and His joy is attainable if you obey His voice in those circumstances, even in the home. If it doesn't work in the home, it doesn't work anywhere, Andrew Murray said. It's a time to keep silence, even in the home, before your family. That is very, very, very essential. Keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom, from your wife. There's times you have to do that. Micah 7, verse 5. A man phoned me from another country a few years ago. I'd been in his home when I was in their country. He was really a godly man, but very strong, very, very strong in his beliefs and in his expression of those beliefs to anyone. He phoned me and said, my wife is leaving me, Keith. I don't know what to do to stop her. She wants divorce. She's taking the children, and she says she can't go on anymore. Nothing will change her mind, and I have to stay away now. I'm here in this part of the house, my heart broken. I just thought I'd phone you and say pray for me. What else can I do, Keith? I've lost my family because I always stand up for my rights in such a strong way. I think it has got too much for them. I said, listen carefully to me. First of all, ask God for forgiveness. Then get up, ask God for grace. Go to your wife and your children now, before they walk out that door, and ask them for forgiveness. There's greatness in someone who says, I'm sorry. A man has nothing of any worth who can't say, I'm sorry, I was wrong, forgive me. There's greatness in such a man or woman. Ask for forgiveness and ask them to give you another chance, and they're going to, because I'm going to pray for that. But ask them in a way they have to. Go humble yourself now, or you lose your family. Then I want you to do something. I want you to take the book of Proverbs. There's 31 chapters. Many, many Christians read one chapter a day, and that they do right through their lives, so they get through Proverbs more than anything else in the Bible. This great book of wisdom. And I want you to highlight every verse that speaks about the mouth, every verse that speaks about what God wants you to do with your mouth and your words, and what will happen if you fail here, or if you pass the exam. If you do what God says, highlight it, and then daily read them, and ask God every morning and every night, give me the grace to live them, and go over them and over them, and go out there and live it in front of your family. Do what God says in every word concerning the mouth. Even a fool, if you're wise, if he just keeps quiet. Proverbs says, you've got to learn grace for that. There was, I don't know how long before he phoned me back again from that country and said, Keith, thank God you told me what you did. My wife did forgive me. My children forgave me. They unpacked their bags, weeping, and I wept as I asked for forgiveness from my heart, and to be given another chance. And I did read Proverbs, and all those verses I did highlight concerning the tongue, and I read them daily, the ones up here, and I ask God daily for grace. And Keith, my wife has become happy, and my children. There's no anger. There's no disappearing and shutting doors and not speaking to me for a long time. There's love in my heart, because of me, because of me changing, Keith. That is very staggering. In the lips of him that hath understanding, wisdom is found. Proverbs 10 verse 13 says, even a woman that feareth the Lord, Proverbs 31 verse 30 said, she openeth her mouth with wisdom, verse 26, and in her tongue is the law of kindness. It's not just a man. In her tongue, she opens her mouth in wisdom. In her tongue is the law of kindness. These words are strewn throughout God's holy book. What is a man? What man is he that desireth life and liveth many days? What is a man? What man is he that desireth life and loveth many days, that he may see good and it answers us, keep thy tongue. If you want to desire life and to love life and not hate it, to see good, keep thy tongue from evil, thy lips from speaking guile, from failing here. Psalm 34 verse 12, he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile, no wrong. 1 Peter 3 verse 10 tells us, say not, I will recompense evil. I'll pay back or repay what evil done to me. No, wait on the Lord and he shall save thee. Don't recompense evil. Wait for God's grace to be given to you. Always leave the fighting to God. Men are going to fight up, fight you till the day you die. Don't doubt this, but when men will destroy you and they're going to, there's none of us that's going to escape that. Somehow the devil will find somebody to destroy you, who will live to destroy you, who dig up for dirt to destroy you, who won't stop until he can destroy, who won't settle, nothing will stop him. No matter how much you seek peace, they seek evil. They turn your good to evil, no matter what you do. Be careful now when people would destroy you and they're going to. God said to the Israelites in a moment that is very staggering and he's speaking to us through them in the Old Testament, their strength is to sit still. You're going to find strength in leaving the battle to God. He'll do the fighting for you. You're asked to love them, maybe with a tear in your eyes, but seeking grace that love sufferers, law and his kind, to love your enemies, to do good to them that hate you. You have to seek God for this, but this is attainable. Leave the fighting to God. Their strength is to sit still, God says. Always remember this. He opened, if not his mouth, he left as an example that we should follow his steps. We have come to the end of the series here in South Africa and I'm grateful to those who have listened. Remained speaking over this last weekend on Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday was not only me, but the principal of our Bible school, Mr. Mayberg, Dr. Mayberg, who we thank for speaking in English, another language, and doing very well. And to Mr. Johan de Breen, the head of our mission, he also spoke in English, but they did so well. We thank God for them. We thank God for those of you that have listened. We thank God for my son, Roy, and the district superintendent here who's been helping us here, and Roy from America, doing these things to get everything over the internet and live for you to view. They have been up early in the morning, late in the nights, to be in control of all these things so that you could be seen. Thank you to our son, Roy, and to Vian Herber, who is the head here in Pennington, where Roy's home is, where Jenny and I are right now doing recordings. We thank God for the speakers. We thank God for those who have helped, that this can be viewed, and all the sacrifices they made to make it possible. We thank you for taking the time in this tragic moment of the world's history, where a terrible plague and hurt has hit the land, and where there's been time to seek God as never before. And perhaps one of the reasons God allowed all this is to make that time to force when God stopped this world, and forced the world to stop. I think he had a lot more in mind than all the tragedies and the sorrow. He had in mind that the world stops to think about life, what it's all about. And so thank you for taking the time to listen. May God bless you as you pray for us in the Afrika Evangelistic Band here in South Africa. May God bless you as you seek him through the messages you've heard, and find a walk with him that will stagger the powers of hell. God wonderfully bless you now, and thank you from my heart. But please pray for us as a mission and as speakers. Thank you. ======================================================================== Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/BPLT5GRuq-E.mp4 Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/keith-daniel/resist-not-evil/ ========================================================================