02.17.2021 | EVERY BELIEVER CAN WALK IN LOVE
EVERY BELIEVER CAN WALK IN LOVE
How do we respond to people who dislike us, oppose us, and persecute us?
How do we respond to people who seem to be our enemies?
Luke 9:51-56 shows us how not to respond.
Luke 9:53 – “But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.”
Luke 9:54 – “And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, ‘Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?’”
What is motivating James and John?
What is their solution?
What is Jesus’ response?
Luke 9:55 – “But He turned and rebuked them and said, ‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.’”
Luke 9:56 – “For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”
Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Jesus came to earth on a Divine search and rescue mission.
Jesus came to save people, rescue people, heal people, and set people free.
Jesus is totally committed to fulfilling His mission.
Luke 9:51 – “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that he steadfastly set His face to go up to Jerusalem.”
Jesus is inviting us to join Him in His mission to save the lost.
There is a cost for us, as there was for Him.
Luke 9:23 – “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up the cross daily, and follow Me.’”
We deny our flesh, we take up the cross daily, surrender daily, and follow Jesus.
I have decided to follow Jesus – no turning back.
We don’t want to respond to our enemies with anger, judgment, rejection, revenge, hatred, or bitterness.
How do we respond to those who persecute us?
Luke 6:27-28 – “But I say to you who hear; love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”
Four Steps to Loving Our Enemies:
1. Make a decision to love.
Luke 6:27a – “Love your enemies.”
Agape Love: self-giving, unconditional; love by choice, not by feeling or emotion
“Love is a choice. We seek to treat others with honor, high value.” – Gary Smalley
2. Stop anything that is hurtful. Begin doing good.
Luke 6:27b – “Do good to those who hate you.”
Stop hurtful words and hurtful actions.
Ask the Holy Spirit how you can do something good for the person who is persecuting you.
3. Speak words of blessing
Luke 6:28a – “Bless those who curse you.”
Bless means to speak well of.
4. Begin to pray for them.
Luke 6:28b – “Pray for those who spitefully use you.”
Acts 7:60 – “Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord do not charge them with this sin.’”
Where do we get this kind of love?
Romans 5:5 – “Now hope does not disappoint us, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”