May 12, 2019

Love your Enemies

Preacher:
Series:
Passage: Luke 6:27-36, Romans 12:9-21
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Bible Text: Luke 6:27-36, Romans 12:9-21 | Preacher: Andrew Love | Series: Luke’s Gospel | Introduction

Recap: looking at the Beatitudes and Woes last week (v20-26)

Summary:

Two types of people – the children of God [the saved and the unsaved]
Not about what you do, but what you are
Woes pronounced on the second group of people – the unsaved, those who are living for self
v20-26: what you are in the presence of God
Which type of person are you?

Moving on from speaking about what you are – to speaking about what you do

Jesus is addressing His disciples
He is speaking about ‘upside down’ things [“Kingdom Values”]

Men do not say love your enemies – they say the opposite
Men say be kind only to our circle of friends
Men say do not help those who don’t deserve it

Jesus says their righteousness must be different
Tremendously challenging verses – we know we often fail and that we can only fulfill this by God’s grace

Example

The Origin of Love

What is the source of this love?
We can only love in this way if we know the love of God ourselves

We must recognise that we are sinners
We must recognise that we are enemies of God
We must recognise that the human heart is easily offended – revenge is in the heart of man

Are we happy when our enemy falls?
We are selfish and concerned about ourselves

We are not like the Lord Jesus

Have we come to the Lord Jesus?
Our hearts can be stirred in church – but have we responded?

Today is the day of salvation – if you hear His voice do not harden your heart

The Mode of Love

What does it mean to actually love your enemy?
We must do good

Not just to grit our teeth and bear it – we must go out of our way to do good
Example of Thomas Cramer
Example of David

We must bless

To do with what comes out of our mouth
Consider the book of James
Do we pity those who curse us?

We must pray

That they would grow
That they would become Christians

Perhaps the most challenging sermon in the whole of the Bible

Jesus is speaking about the private realm, not the public realm
Not speaking on an national/civil level – speaking about you as an individual Christian
Consider Rom 13 – the Bible does not teach passivism

We must offer the other cheek (v29)

It was cultural for people to slap you on the cheek as a rebuke
Jesus turned the other cheek

He rebuked them

He did not literally turn the other cheek
He was prepared to accept further insult

This does not mean that the Christian cannot take up lawful procedures
Example of Billy Bray

We must accept loss (v29b)

Not just to give unthinkingly
Example of Christian student
The passage is written in the context of our enemies – when something is taken from you
A statement that we do not live for material gain

Most challenging verses – cf Hebrews 10:34

Treat others as you would be treated (v31)

Expanded in v32-35
Your neighbour is not just those close to you – but anybody (who may be for or against you)
Do not be like the world
Invite those who won’t invite you back
Consider your motives – do it not for reward but because you love God and you love this person

Be like God/Jesus

Jesus’ concluding remarks v36
God is rich in mercy
God is kind
God does not treat us as we deserve

Closing Remarks