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Love Your Enemies

April 13, 2014 Speaker: Fred Greco Series: Luke

Topic: AM Service Passage: Luke 6:27–6:36

The world is a rough and tumble place. Companies compete against one another, but in doing so they try and hurt each other. In athletics, it seems that it is not enough for your team to win – your rival has to lose! It is hard for us to think anything positive about political opponents, people who have hurt us, or even those who have failed to help us in a time of need. But this is not surprising; in fact, we might say that it is “natural.” The spirit of our age, and every age before it, has been to help our friends and harm our enemies. Into this milieu comes the radical new ethic of the gospel, calling us to not only help our friends, but to “love our enemies.” Stop and think for a minute about what that means: doing good to those who not only would hurt you, but who have hurt you. It means putting others before yourself. It means being so radically different from everyone around us, that people cannot help but see the difference. It means pointing others to the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

I. Radical Love
A. Hard to Consider
B. Hard to Do

II. Sacrificial Love
A. Love Suffers
B. The Golden Rule of Love

III. Other-Worldly Love
A. The World’s Rule
B. Seeking Real Benefit

IV. Divine-Like Love
A. Love for the Ungrateful
B. Impossible Love

Questions for consideration: (1) Think of one person you know who has opposed you or given you difficulty in the last month. How can you love them as Jesus commands? (2) Why is it so important to be able to show others love without any hope of reward? (3) How can your walk with Christ be more fruitful by loving those who even hate Christ?

More in Luke

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The Reality of Jesus

December 6, 2015

The Road to Emmaus

November 29, 2015

The Resurrection of Jesus