BRIGHT STAR COMMUNITY CHURCH

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Maximilian Henry
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1 BRIGHT STAR COMMUNITY CHURCH Outside the box grace! Luke 6: "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

3 Grace used as a noun (in Christian belief) is the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings. The condition or fact of being favored by someone 2. Used as a verb, do honor or credit to (someone or something) by one's presence.

4 *Someone has proposed an acronym: GRACE is God s Riches At Christ s Expense.

5 God's unmerited favor. A. W. Tozer expanded on that: "Grace is the good pleasure of God that inclines him to bestow benefits on the undeserving."

6 Grace is not merely unmerited favor; it is favor bestowed on sinners who deserve wrath. Showing kindness to a stranger is "unmerited favor"; but doing good to one's enemies is more the spirit of grace.

7 Luke 6: "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

8 32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full.

9 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

10 37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." NIV

11 Love your enemies in the ultimate level of True GRACE Luke 6: 27 & But I tell you who hear me; Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

12 We learn from Christ that we must love our enemies because of: 1. The Command about Loving Our Enemies (6:27a) 2. The Manner of Loving Our Enemies (6:27b-28) First, we must love our enemies because of The Command about Loving Our Enemies.

13 In fact, in the fourth beatitude Jesus said, Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! (6:22). With that context in mind, *Jesus said in Luke 6:27a, But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies.

14 But There are four words for love in Greek. Jesus was not asking for storge, natural affection, nor for eros, romantic love, nor for philia, the love of friendship. He was speaking of agape, which means love even of the unworthy, love which is not drawn out by merit in the beloved but which proceeds from the fact that the lover chooses to be a loving person.

15 Agape is different from all other loves. It is not a love based on natural affection, romantic love, or friendship. It is a love based on a deliberate, willful choice toward another and empowered by God. Jesus called his disciples to show a deliberate affection that was not based on what people deserved, but on the grace of God.

16 Agape love supersedes natural inclinations and often exists in spite of them. It is a deliberate love, rooted in the will a love by choice. Agape love is a deep, continuous, growing and ever-renewing activity of my will managed by the Holy Spirit. Agape love says, I will love this person because, by God s grace, I choose to love this person.

17 The Greek word for enemies (echthros) denotes the inner disposition from which hostility arises, i.e., hatred. In other words, an enemy could be anyone that is antagonistic to another. An enemy could be a demeaning boss, an abusive family member, a divorced spouse, an angry neighbor, or even a friend who has grown distant because of a disagreement.

18 Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

19 II. The Manner of Loving Our Enemies (6:27b-28)

20 Jesus gave us three ways to love our enemies. A. We Love Our Enemies by Our Actions (6:27b) First, we love our enemies by our actions. Jesus said in Luke 6:27b,... do good to those who hate you.

21 B. We Love Our Enemies by Our Words (6:28a) Second, we love our enemies by our words. Jesus said in Luke 6:28a,... bless those who curse you.

22 C. We Love Our Enemies by Our Prayers (6:28b) And third, we love our enemies by our prayers. Jesus said in Luke 6:28b,... pray for those who abuse you.

23 Paul said Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. -Romans12:9

24 Grace is not a one-time event in the Christian experience. We stand in grace. Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. The entire Christian life is driven and empowered by grace: Hebrews 13:9 It is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods.

25 Peter said we should "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). So, we could properly define grace as the free and benevolent influence of a holy God operating sovereignly in the lives of undeserving sinners.

26 BRIGHT STAR COMMUNITY CHURCH Outside the box grace! Luke 6: "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Ambassadors of God s Grace

Ambassadors of God s Grace Bill Scheidler Introduction How many here are thankful for the grace of God? God s grace is His unmerited favor. The grace that we have received from the Lord we are to extend