Sermon Tone Analysis

*Intro* – A student called up his mom one evening from college and asked her for some money.

Mom said, "Sure, sweetie.

I will send you some money with the economics book you left 2 weeks ago.”

"Uh, oh yeah, I need the book, too,” responded the kid.

So his Mom packaged the book along with two checks and went to mail it off.

When she returned, Dad asked, "Well how much did you give the boy this time?"

"Oh, I wrote two checks, one for $50, and the other for $1,000."

"$1050!!!" yelled Dad.

"Are you crazy???" "Don’t worry Hon," Mom said.

"I put the $50 check on top, but I put the $1,000 somewhere between the pages in chapter 15! He’ll never find it!"

Makes me wonder how much reward from God we’ve left tucked in chapter 15 by disobedience?

God says, “Love your enemies.”

We say, “But surely not this one,” and we just left $1,000 tucked between the pages.

Living gracefully – the theme of Luke 6:27-36.

True followers of Jesus live with a gracefulness that is just not natural.

To help us do that He gives us four precepts (vv.

27-28 = Love your enemies; Do good to those who hate you; Bless those who curse you; Pray for those who abuse you), four prototypes or examples and today a 3-fold purpose or motivation.

Why in the world should we be the only one on our block who is loving and praying our enemies, turning the other cheek, etc.? Why bother?

Jesus answers.

*I.

It Benefits Ourselves*

Living with grace is one way we invest in eternity.

We see this beginning in v. 32, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you?

For even sinners love those who love them.

33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you?

For even sinners do the same.

34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you?

Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.”

What Jesus is saying is, “Look, it’s great you love your friends – but so does everybody!

Investing in eternity is costly – rights, reputation, riches, maybe even life.

Will you go THERE with me?”

We’re all just human enough to ask, “What’s in it for me?” right?

How do I know this supernatural living won’t just be a waste of time?

How about – you have God’s guarantee!

Even if my enemy never comes to faith in Christ, even worst case, they do me serious damage, still I have God’s promise.

He will grace my life.

And the reward will far exceed whatever I give up.

Look at v. 35, “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great.”

This is a “can’t lose” proposition, It’s the only “can’t lose” proposition because it is offered by an omnipotent (can do anything), eternal (forever), truthful (never lies) Savior.

When Jesus says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:19-21) – this is what He is talking about.

Giving up your rights to revenge, grudges and “natural” living.

He is looking for supernatural, not natural.

So what reward is He talking about here?

Well sometimes there’s reward in this life!

Occasionally, God’s servants prosper physically – men like Abraham, David, Daniel and others.

But the Bible never promises physical prosperity as a reward.

But it does promise peace and contentment.

Do you realize how many people would kill for peace of mind?

Contentment – the satisfaction of knowing that our whole future is in His hands – that’s a great reward.

God promises that if we bring our anxieties to Him in prayer, “ the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7).

That’s priceless, Beloved.

Paul went on in Phil 4 to say in v. 12, “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.

In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

There is priceless reward even now in serving Christ.

But when Jesus says, “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great”, He is primarily thinking of eternity.

He has in mind the same promise that God issued through Paul in Rom 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

The ultimate reward is sure – but it is out there! Jesus knows full well that things will never balance out in this life, but the day is coming when it will all come right.

What if the enemy that I love and pray for continues to abuse me and mine?

Even kills me?

What then?

God answers in II Cor 4:17, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.

For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Jesus is saying, “Don’t get hung up on temporal abuse – bad as it is.

True reward awaits you – hidden, unseen, but even more real.

Turn to Gen 14. Abram’s nephew, Lot, is taken captive by some neighboring warlords.

Uncle Abram comes to the rescue and returns Lot and all the other residents of Sodom who have been taken.

So we read in Gen 14:21, “21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.”

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

24 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me.”

You can bet the king of Sodom couldn’t believe his ears.

No self-respecting leader in his time would have turned down such a reward.

But Abram was not living on default settings.

He was living radically.

So look at 15:1: “After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”

“Abe, I saw what you did.

Don’t worry.

I have your back.

I am your shield, your protection.

But more than that, your reward shall be far more than you turned down.”

But wait.

The Hebrew can be translated another way.

KJV translates: “Do not be afraid, Abram.

I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

In that case, Abram’s reward is God Himself.

That’s the greatest reward of all.

That’s what we were made for.

That’s what Abram got; that’s what Jesus promises.

Reward far greater than any price we might pay.

God promises in Rev 21:7, “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”

We have no idea what we lose by living on natural reaction instead of grace?

William McKinley once had 2 names for Ambassador to Eng.

Years before McKinley had rushed onto a streetcar to get the last vacant seat.

Soon an elderly woman got on, carrying a heavy basket.

No one offered a seat as she walked the aisle.

One of the men McKinley was later to consider for ambassador was on the car.

But instead of helping the woman, he deliberately shifted his newspaper so it would look like he hadn’t seen her.

When McKinley saw this, he walked down the aisle, took her basket, and offered her his seat.

The man never knew someone saw, but that one little act deprived him of the crowning honor of his life.