Sermon #36 Luke Sermons

Title: How can I live among

men for the glory of God?

Text: Luke 6:27-38

Subject: Christian Love

Date: Sunday Evening – August 20, 2000

Tape # V-98a

Readings: Office: Don Fortner Auditorium: James Jordan

Introduction:

How can I live among men for the glory of God? If you are a believer, I know that is a question you often ponder in the various situations you face day by day. How can I glorify Go in this situation? How can I live among men for the honor of God my Savior and the gospel of his grace? What would the Lord have me to do here? What is God’s will in this place and at this time?

Listen carefully. Here is the answer to those questions. I am going to give you my sermon right now. Everything else will just be application. Here is the answer, here’s the sermon, here’s my message – LOVE.

Proposition: If we would live among men for the glory of God, we must love them. – Love is always right. – It is the will of God for us to love one another, to love our neighbors as ourselves; and our neighbors include family, friends, brethren in Christ and even our most implacable enemies.

Let’s read Luke 6:27-38 together. Let’s see if this is not exactly what our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us in these eleven verses.

· (Luke 6:27-38) "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, {28} Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. {29} And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. {30} Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. {31} And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. {32} For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. {33} And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. {34} And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. {35} But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. {36} Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. {37} Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: {38} Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."

Our Lord Jesus here confines himself to one subject. He here teaches all who profess to be his disciples that those who follow him love people, not just that they love to be around people, but that they love people. This is his only subject in these verses.

· Love is the great, identifying mark of true Christianity.

· Love is the sweet bond of peace.

· Love is the fulfilling of the law.

· Love is that without which we are nothing before God.

· Love is that sweet grace identified first as the fruit of the Spirit.

It will profit us greatly and may even make us profitable to others, to carefully study and diligently practice that which is taught in these verses.

I. First, I want you to know the basis of my appeal in this message.

I am calling for you who hear my voice tonight to live among the people of this world in exemplary love, to love one another and your neighbors for the glory of God. But before we can exemplify the love of Christ, we must know the love of Christ.

You cannot gather grapes among thorns, or figs among thistles. You cannot expect flowers where there are no roots, or fruit without trees. It is not possible to have fruit of the Spirit unless you are united to Christ by faith, born of his Spirit, and sanctified by his grace. Until you are born of God, it is not possible for you to exemplify the love of Christ.

So the basis of my appeal is this. I am calling upon you who have experienced the mercy, grace, and love of God in Christ, to show that same mercy, grace, and love to others (Eph. 4:32-5:2).

· (Ephesians 4:32 - 5:2) "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (5:1) Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; (5:2) And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”

Let me say this, too. – It is not possible for anyone to possess the fruit of the Spirit who does not know the doctrine of the Spirit, the doctrine of Christ. There are hoards of people today who go to great pains to show other people how loving, self-denying, and sacrificial they are, who utterly despise the gospel of Christ.

“Once for all,” wrote J. C. Ryle, “let us understand , that real, genuine, self-denying love, will never grow from any roots but faith in Christ’s atonement, and a heart renewed by the Holy Ghost. We shall never make men love one another, unless we teach as Paul taught, “Walk in love as Christ hath loved us.” Teaching love on any other principle is…labor in vain”

Those who do not know the doctrine of Christ, who do not know the gospel of the grace of God, do not and cannot know the love of God. Those who do not have the love of God dwelling in them cannot walk in the love of Christ and exercise that love to others.

Do you know the love of God? Have you experienced his grace? Are you born of his Spirit? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you robed in the righteousness of God’s dear Son? Are you a saved, justified, forgiven, heaven born soul? If you are, the basis of my appeal is the mercy, love and grace you have experienced. I am calling for saved sinners to act like their Savior.

· Those who have experienced grace ought to be, and are, gracious.

· Those who have experienced mercy ought to be, and are, merciful.

· Those who have been forgiven ought to be, and are, forgiving.

· Those who know the love of God in Christ ought to love others for Christ’s sake, and do.

II. Second, in these verses, our Lord Jesus plainly shows us the character of true love.

The nature and character of true love is the nature and character of Christ’s love. How often have you said, or heard someone say, “They love in their own way”? Phooey on their way. If we love, we love God’s way. There is no other way to love.

A. Who are we to love?

Christ teaches us to love our neighbors. Religious Pharisees and hypocrites ask, “Who is my neighbor?” (Lk. 10:29). Our Lord tells us exactly who we are to love.

· (Luke 6:27-28) "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, {28} Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you."

Our love toward others is to be like his love toward us: -- unselfish,-- disinterested, -- expecting no return of love from those we love. Our Lord Jesus loves us freely. So let us love others. He expects no return for his love, except wrath, unless he himself creates love for himself in the sinners he loves. So let us love, expecting nothing from the objects of our love.

Look at verse 35 -- “Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.”

B. How are we to love those who despise us?

We would be wise to hear what the Son of God says about this, and ignore the psychologists, psychiatrists, marriage counselors, and social workers of this God-hating, self-loving society. How are we to love people? Look at verses 29-30, and find out.

· (Luke 6:29-30) "And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. {30} Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again."

Our Lord is not here demanding utter passivity. He is not requiring that we allow those who would rob us, take our homes or murder us to do as they wish. He is talking here about insignificant things. Oh, how I pray that God will give me grace to treat insignificant things as insignificant things!

1. Loves gives in.

2. Love gives up much.

3. Loves endures much.

4. Love is kind.

5. Love strives to avoid strife.

6. Love sacrifices person rights and desires for its object, and even submits to wrong for the sake of peace.

7. Love, like the great Lover of our souls is meek and lowly of heart, long-suffering, gentle, and kind.

This is what our Master teaches us concerning the character of love. May he give us grace to exemplify it to one another, in the house of God, in our homes, and to the world around us.

· (Romans 12:9-21) "Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. {10} Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; {11} Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; {12} Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; {13} Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. {14} Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. {15} Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. {16} Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. {17} Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. {18} If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. {19} Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. {20} Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. {21} Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

· (Romans 14:19) "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."

· (1 Corinthians 13) "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. {2} And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. {3} And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. {4} Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, {5} Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; {6} Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; {7} Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. {8} Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. {9} For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. {10} But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. {11} When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. {12} For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. {13} And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."

III. Third, the Son of God gives us a very simple rule by which to live, the rule of love.

· (Luke 6:31) "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise."

· (Luke 6:37) "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:"

Our Lord knew that in this world the line between right and wrong in dealing with neighbors and friends, family and foe, would often be very hazy. Personal feelings and private interests often dim our view of things and cloud our judgment. So the Lord Jesus gave us this guide. He tells us to treat others as we would have them treat us.

To do to others as they do to us, to return evil for evil, bite for bite, injury for injury, is beastly. To return good for evil is to walk in the steps of our Master.

A. Let us always endeavor to put the best construction of the actions and words of other, judging them and their deeds as charitably as possible.

B. Always be very slow to condemn another and swift to forgive.

C. Let all error in dealing with other people be on the side of leniency, not on the side of severity.

D. We do not have to form an opinion about everything, much less express an opinion about everything, every one, or every one’s actions.

E. Believers live by principles the world simply cannot understand. – We live by the rule of Christ and the example of his love.

· (Luke 6:32-35) "For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. {33} And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. {34} And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. {35} But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."

1. As our heavenly Father is “kind to the unthankful and to the evil,” so let us be.

2. As he forgives, let us forgive.

3. As his loving kindness is unwearied, let ours be.

4. As his mercy is unlimited, let ours be unlimited.

5. As his compassions fail not, so let our compassion be unaltered by thanklessness, ingratitude, and abuse from those upon whom compassion is bestowed.

IV. Fourth, the Lord Jesus here shows us the reward of love.

Look at verses 35-38, and learn, if you have not learned it already, that love is its own reward.

· (Luke 6:35-38) "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. {36} Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. {37} Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: {38} Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."

Our Lord Jesus does not here contradict the whole Bible. He is not here telling us that our love to other people earns God’s grace, or earns us a place in heaven. Not at all! He is simply declaring that those who are born of God walk in love and that those who walk in love are born of God. Those who do not, are not. Walk in love, “hoping for nothing again, and your reward shall be great.”

A. You are a child of God. – The God of all grace has gracious children. – The God of all mercy has merciful sons and daughters. -- The God whose glory it is to forgive sin has a forgiving family.

B. If you are lenient with men, men will be lenient with you.

C. As you forgive men, you shall be forgiven of men.

D. As you give, men will give to you.

· (1 John 4:7-11) "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. {8} He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. {9} In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. {10} Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. {11} Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."