Sermon Tone Analysis

Good News.

Love Your Enemies.

So many of us Christians love the salvation of Christ but not the teachings of Christ.

Let’s be honest, his teachings are hard, challenging.

We much prefer the idea of salvation from our sin than the command to obey his teachings.

Salvation reminds us that Christ died for us, for our sin.

His teachings remind us that following Jesus costs us something.

Salvation is free, but its costs us our life.

We can’t earn it but we can’t excuse it.

The 80’s Christian Band DeGarmo & Key out if this way, The called it The Pledge, He Died For Me I’ll Live For Him.

Jesus teaches us who to love in a way that shows the goodness of the Father.

Look at the end of Luke 6:35

When we live out the teachings of Jesus we are truly living as children of God.

When we live out the teachings of Jesus we are then revealing the character and nature of the Most High.

The Most High God is gracious to the ungrateful and evil.

That kind of blows my mind.

But maybe it shouldn’t.

Maybe it blows my mind because I don’t think I’m that evil.

Maybe it blows my mind because I think evil is what someone else does.

Maybe it blows my mind because I don’t take Jesus words seriously enough.

But if I would recognize the evil in my heart, the pride, the selfishness, the rebellion, the self-righteousness, the rebellion… If I would recognize the evil in my own heart I would truly grasp the goodness of God toward the ungrateful and evil because I know he has been good to me.

Think about how good God has been to you.

And you’re evil.

Don’t believe me that your evil?

Who’d you talk bad about this week?

Who’d you hate in your heart?

Evil.

Jesus said hatred is internal murder.

Guilty.

Evil.

But the goodness of God is goodness because He’s good to those who don’t by nature deserve it.

Luke 6:33 makes this point clear.

The goodness of God is goodness toward those who have done evil to God.

Ungodliness is anything that is contrary to the nature of God.

It’s actually ungodly to only do good to those who deserve it.

So what does godliness look like?

Well for one thing it looks like loving your enemies.

But what does loving your enemies look like?

Maybe one way to answer that question is to ask ourself what does loving our friends look like?

What does love look like?

What Does Love Look Like

Sandwiched between 2 chapters on healthy vs unhealthy church life in 1 Corinthians Paul gives us a definition of Love.

This passage is often read at weddings, but it really wasn’t intent to give us a nice wedding reading.

Paul was telling us what love should look like inside the church.

And what kind of love the Church should be known for.

Love expressed within the church and love expressed by the church should look like this.

Patient.

Kind.

Not envious.

Not boastful.

Not arrogant.

Not rude.

Not self-seeking.

Not irritable.

It lets go over wrongs.

It rejoices in righteous truth.

It bears all things.

Believes.

Hopes.

Endures.

It acts like a grown up and not a child.

Here’s a problem.

Too often church folk act childish when they should grow up.

Too often church folk look like the child in the nursery having to be reminded over and over to share.

Too often church folks are not patient.

Are not kind.

Are proud.

Are arrogant.

Are rude.

Are self-seeking and irritable.

Too often we are still holding onto that thing that rude person said instead of bearing with them in patience and confronting in truthful humility.

But love is hopeful.

Love endures.

Love believes.

Love grows up.

What does love look like?

It looks like what Jesus looks like.

It’s the kindness of God that brings repentance.

Jesus is the perfect revelation of Love of God and the perfect demonstration of what love looks like.

Jesus is God loving His enemies.

Jesus is God doing good to His enemies.

Love Your Enemies

Back in the heyday of what is called CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) there was a Christian Punk band called Smiley Kids.

To fully get the feel of the song I want you to hear some of it.

You ready?

Any punk fans?

I mean real punk, not that Blink 182 stuff.

Here we go.

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES - SMILEY KIDS (1:21-2:09)

So we they gave us our scripture text for the day, but I want you to hear the lyrics to verses

You looked me in the eye

Just as you stabbed me in the back

And I was so angry so scared, ya

You humiliated me and smashed my pride

Down to the ground and I'm so thankful, so lucky

Love your enemies!