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Listen "The Gospel of Luke: Real Love | Enemies | Testimony | Jesus - Video"
Episode Synopsis
Sermon Notes: 2/16/25
Pastor: Brian Crawford
Luke 6:27-36
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Check us out at: https://citylightvicksburg.org/
Or check us out here: https://www.facebook.com/citylightvicksburg
.
It’s easy to take words too literally. But with the Bible, we often don’t take Jesus’s words serious enough. We tell ourselves - “God didn’t mean THAT, did he?” Traditionally, we read this text with so many concessions and caveats. It’s hard for us to follow it. But the hardest sayings of Jesus aren’t meant to be heard as metaphor.
Love our enemies.
We often have our ideas of what love means to us. But Jesus takes the idea of real love, and takes it to new heights. The real love Christians are called to is for our enemies. We are called to love even the most unlovable people. And Jesus gives us no alternative.
What are our enemies? It’s more than people we have mild disagreements with. But rather, it’s people who plead and pray to their gods for your downfall or death. “Bless those that curse you” not in a figurative sense, but in a literal sense. Those who abuse you - who strike you - who steal from you.
If they have prayed for your downfall - love them. Those with the most possible ill will towards you, you are to love them.
And what about those that we just mildly disagree with? Those across the political isle? Across the border? Across the racial divide? It is a scandal of the highest order for Christian’s to withhold love from those we disagree with when the lord is calling us to love the very worst among us.
The appearance of real love: Do good, bless and pray. Perform, seek and pray for good things to happen to the worst of enemies.
Even more, these love actions are written in the present tense in the Greek. This is an ongoing habitual action of those following Christ. This love is not an occasional action. This treatment is a habitual act - it should be just what you do every day. It should be how you operate! Why must a Christian not treat this as occasional? Because this is a Christians testimony. It’s what sets us apart. Even sinners lend money to other sinners - so where do you stand out? It's when you love through tension and opposition. Your distinction is best on display in response to difficult relationships and struggle.
The kind of love the world teaching you to walk in ends at tension. And what Jesus says that real love, that you have been called to walk in, BEGINS at tension. When you have to seek the help of the Lord to push though - that IS LOVE.
What do we do? Do good, and lend expecting nothing in return. How do we do it? Christians are not governed by the responses of people around them, but rather God’s character, acceptance of us, and by His reward for us.
The real love of Christ rests in Christ. Not the earthly objects of our love. So your response to mistreatment in the moment is a reflection of our love of our Father in heaven.
God’s promise to us, is that we will be sons of the Most High in this command to love. Who are you? Do you value the satisfaction that comes with revenge, or do you value your relationship with your Father.
Remember… you were once that enemy of God you are now called to love.
Pastor: Brian Crawford
Luke 6:27-36
.
Check us out at: https://citylightvicksburg.org/
Or check us out here: https://www.facebook.com/citylightvicksburg
.
It’s easy to take words too literally. But with the Bible, we often don’t take Jesus’s words serious enough. We tell ourselves - “God didn’t mean THAT, did he?” Traditionally, we read this text with so many concessions and caveats. It’s hard for us to follow it. But the hardest sayings of Jesus aren’t meant to be heard as metaphor.
Love our enemies.
We often have our ideas of what love means to us. But Jesus takes the idea of real love, and takes it to new heights. The real love Christians are called to is for our enemies. We are called to love even the most unlovable people. And Jesus gives us no alternative.
What are our enemies? It’s more than people we have mild disagreements with. But rather, it’s people who plead and pray to their gods for your downfall or death. “Bless those that curse you” not in a figurative sense, but in a literal sense. Those who abuse you - who strike you - who steal from you.
If they have prayed for your downfall - love them. Those with the most possible ill will towards you, you are to love them.
And what about those that we just mildly disagree with? Those across the political isle? Across the border? Across the racial divide? It is a scandal of the highest order for Christian’s to withhold love from those we disagree with when the lord is calling us to love the very worst among us.
The appearance of real love: Do good, bless and pray. Perform, seek and pray for good things to happen to the worst of enemies.
Even more, these love actions are written in the present tense in the Greek. This is an ongoing habitual action of those following Christ. This love is not an occasional action. This treatment is a habitual act - it should be just what you do every day. It should be how you operate! Why must a Christian not treat this as occasional? Because this is a Christians testimony. It’s what sets us apart. Even sinners lend money to other sinners - so where do you stand out? It's when you love through tension and opposition. Your distinction is best on display in response to difficult relationships and struggle.
The kind of love the world teaching you to walk in ends at tension. And what Jesus says that real love, that you have been called to walk in, BEGINS at tension. When you have to seek the help of the Lord to push though - that IS LOVE.
What do we do? Do good, and lend expecting nothing in return. How do we do it? Christians are not governed by the responses of people around them, but rather God’s character, acceptance of us, and by His reward for us.
The real love of Christ rests in Christ. Not the earthly objects of our love. So your response to mistreatment in the moment is a reflection of our love of our Father in heaven.
God’s promise to us, is that we will be sons of the Most High in this command to love. Who are you? Do you value the satisfaction that comes with revenge, or do you value your relationship with your Father.
Remember… you were once that enemy of God you are now called to love.
In God we trust