This week our sermon series The Gospel of Luke, Part II: A Journey through Galilee highlights Christ’s exhortation and example to love our enemies. In a world filled with revenge and retaliation, Jesus calls us to do the unimaginable and show kindness and extend forgiveness to those who have harmed us.

Tyler’s Main Points

• Love your enemies from the heart.

• Love your enemies for the church’s witness.

• Love your enemies for your own good.

• We can love our enemies because of His love for us and His power in us.

Key Takeaways

• Whereas, the world’s motto is “Love those who are in your tribe and hate/cancel those who are not,” Jesus calls us to love our enemies.

• We are to love our enemies— even those we have been taught to hate.

• The aim is not to love in deed, but to hate in heart. God’s heart to love His enemies is to be evident in God’s people.

• Instead of returning a curse for a curse when you are reviled, respond with a blessing.

• We must sincerely plead with God in prayer for favor in the lives of our enemies.

• We are to follow not just Christ’s exhortation to love our enemies, but His example.

• If you see someone who doesn’t like you with a need, you meet it.

• Even evil, sinful, ungrateful people love those who can love you back. No one naturally loves those who hate them, yet that’s exactly what Christ is calling us to do.

• Withholding love from our enemies is inviting God to withhold His favor from us.

• God shows kindness to evil and ungrateful people every day. He has shown His kindness supremely through the work of Christ on the cross.

• Jesus knew we’d need help to love our enemies, so He sent His Spirit to empower us to do what we cannot.

Discussion Questions/Application

Personal application:

• Dedicate time to pray specifically for those who are hard to love in your life and, by faith, seek to intentionally love someone who is hard to love in an intentional way this week.

• Read Romans 5:6-11 and be reminded of how God demonstrated His love for you through Christ.

Discuss with your community group:

• Who in your life are you struggling the most to love right now and why? How can you encourage one another with the Gospel towards love and good deeds?
  

Passages Referenced

Luke 6:27-36; Matthew 5:43; Leviticus 19:18; 1 John 4:8; Romans 12:19-21; Isaiah 6:4-7; Acts 7:59-60; Luke 23:33-34; 1 Peter 2:21-23; 1 Peter 3:8-12; Romans 5:8-11.

Worship Set List

House of the Lord, Such an Awesome God, Oh But God, Before the Throne of God Above, How Great is Your Love