Tag: Luke

Love Your Enemies. Is Anything More Difficult?

Scripture: Luke 6: 27-29

“But to you who are listening I say: 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 slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.

Scripture Commentary:

In Luke 6: 21-22, Jesus says, “Blessed are you who weep now.” He also blesses those who are cast out in His name. Then in verse 27 Jesus tells us, “Love your enemies.” This message has turned people away from Jesus because this is a hard one for most people.

How can I love someone who has hurt me?

How can I love someone who is bent on destroying me? This can be hard but Jesus is telling us to act in our best interest by praying for them and forgiving them. He gives an example to follow when He says to love your enemies as you love yourself. Grant your enemies the same respect and rights as you desire for yourself.

It’s easy to do things for the people who love us but love is doing for those we have problems with, for those who have hurt us. God has forgiven us so we are to forgive those who have hurt us.

Remember this: they whipped Jesus and placed a crown of thorns on His head. They spit on Him, and nailed Him to the cross, And He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Luke 6

Luke 23

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Luke:

Save Yourself Through Belief; Save Others Through Discipleship

God Separates Light from Darkness, Good from Evil

Did You Hear Jesus Knock On Your Door?

Scripture: Luke 11: 9-10

So I tell you, ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. 10 Yes, everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.

Scripture Commentary: Ask. Search. Knock.

There is a knock at your door. Do you sit there thinking, “Do I go and see who it is,” or do you ignore it? We have apprehensions with all that is going on in the world today.

God knocks at your door every day but some of us aren’t answering.

We get up in the morning and take the day for granted, going on auto-pilot. Those who stop and give God thanks have opened the door for God to come in. When you ask God what you can do for Him this day, you are agreeing to serve Him. And in doing this, you can count on His guidance.

Put God first in your daily life.

Faith, service, and obedience to God will fill all your needs but not your desires. Ask your Lord and Creator and He will provide what you need. He will be your Provider.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Luke Chapter 11

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Luke:

Follow Jesus and Become Fishers of Men

What Is the Price of Being Tempted?

Lord, I Will Follow You

Scripture: Luke 9: 57-62

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”58  Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”60  Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”61  Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”62  Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Scripture Commentary:

Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brothers casting a net. Jesus told them, “Follow me.” Straightaway they left their nets and followed Him.

And going from there Jesus saw James and John with their father. He told the two brothers, “Follow me.” Immediately they left their father and followed Jesus.

What does Jesus want from us?

He wants total dedication, not halfhearted commitment. We cannot pick and choose from among Jesus’s ideas and follow Him selectively. We have to accept the cross along with the crown; judgment as well as mercy.

We must count the cost and be willing to abandon everything else that has given us security. Luke does not say in chapter 9, verse 59 if James and John’s father has died or if he is dying. In verse 61, Luke does not say if the someone mentioned wanted to say goodbye to family or friends. We see in Matthew 4 that Jesus called to Simon, Andrew, James and John. And they dropped everything and followed Jesus.

Jesus is calling you. Are you going to follow Him?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Luke Chapter 9

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Luke:

Lord, Remember Me When You Come into Your Kingdom

I Once Was Lost but Now I’m Found

Will You Follow When Jesus Calls?

Scripture: Luke 9: 57, 59, 61-62

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” (57) He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” (59) Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (61-62)

Scripture Commentary:

Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew, casting a net. Jesus told them to follow Him, and straightaway, they left their nets and followed.

And going from there, Jesus sees James and John with their father. Jesus told the two brothers to follow Him and immediately they left their father and followed Jesus.

What does Jesus want from us?

He wants total dedication, not half hearted commitment. We can’t pick and choose among Jesus’s teachings and follow Him selectively. We have to accept the cross along with the crown, judgment as well as mercy.

It’s necessary to count the cost and be willing to abandon everything else that has given us security. In Luke 9: 59, Luke does not say if the father has died or is dying. In Luke 9: 61, Luke doesn’t say if he wants to say goodbye to family or friends. But we see in Matthew 4, Jesus calls to Simon, Andrew, James and John, and they dropped everything and followed Jesus.

Jesus is calling. Are you going to follow?

Read the Entire Chapters of the Scriptures Referenced:

Luke Chapter 9

Matthew Chapter 4

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Luke:

Lord, Remember Me When You Come Into Your Kingdom

How Do You Use Your Worldly Goods?

Jesus’s Heart Goes Out to Us; Don’t Cry

Scripture: Luke 7: 13-15

When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” 14 Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Scripture Commentary:

Luke chapter 7 details some of Jesus’s miracles. When He enters Nain, He sees a mother crying over the death of her son. She has already lost her husband and now her son. Jesus’s heart went out to her and He says, “Don’t cry.” He then touches the bier and tells the young man to arise.

Earlier in the chapter Jesus enters Capernaum where a certain centurion’s servant is near death. The centurion sends his friend to Jesus to ask him to heal his servant. The centurion had such faith in Jesus that he sent word that Jesus didn’t need to come Himself. He believed that Jesus need only say the words, and the servant would be healed.

These stories illustrate Jesus’s compassion, and how the people, through their faith, were saved.

What about you and your faith? Ask and it will be given; seek and you will find Jesus.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Luke Chapter 7

Read Other Chapters from the Book of Luke:

When He Saw Their Faith, He Answered Their Prayer

I Once Was Lost But Now Am Found

Love Each Other As God Loves You

Sermon, Part Two: Love is Key to the Final Destination

John 15: 12

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

Think of someone in particular who needs love. Give all the love you can, and then try to give more. How do we get to the final destination? Love each other, help each other, accept Jesus, and repent.

God doesn’t make it hard or even complicated.

All you need is faith, trust and the willingness to believe. In John 14:6, Jesus saith to Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Knowing Peter, Paul or Mary will not get you into heaven. Knowing, accepting Jesus, and repenting will get you into the Kingdom of God.

Well, you may say I have done good by my fellow man; I have put money in church; I have given to those in need. This is all good, but it will not give you the keys to eternal life in God’s Kingdom.

By uniting our lives with Jesus, we are unified with God, the Father. Some people may say that this way is too narrow. The way to God through Jesus is wide enough for the whole world, if the world chooses to accept Jesus.

God loves us so much.

God loves us so much he sent his Only Begotten Son to give us salvation and deliverance from sin. Christ is the way, the truth and the life.

Do not be like the Pharisees who loved money. They took exception to Jesus’s teaching. Christ teaches that you cannot serve two masters: money and God. The love of anything that you place before God will only last a short time. People think that material things will give them praise, but it will not. They consider their wealth to be a sign of God’s approval. God detests selfish wealth because it causes us to abandon the true spiritual gifts that God has given to us.

Wealth won’t get you into heaven – Jesus is the only way.

Remember the rich man in Luke 16:19, who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury while at the gate laid a beggar named Lazarus. The beggar was covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. The dogs came and licked the poor man’s sores. Remember that he died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side.

The rich man died and was sent to hell. We do not know the rich man’s name but the poor man’s name is Lazarus. The rich man begged for mercy, but got none. While he was living, he did not repent. Now, he is dead and he cannot undo what he did while he was alive. He had no faith in God.

What is faith?

Faith is total dependence on God and a willingness to do his will. Faith is not something we put on to show others.

In this parable in Luke Chapter 16, Jesus tells us how people ended up in different places. If your life’s map is taking you to hell and you know it, and if you are here and have heard, then you still have time to make a U-turn and start on the road to God’s Kingdom.

God gives you a choice.

He doesn’t force anything on you. He is a merciful God, full of love and forgiveness. And He gives us grace, mercy, clemency, and his protection freely.

Now you have heard about the road to God’s Kingdom. You have been given the directions: repentance, love, and forgiveness. Live a Christ-like life. That does not mean to live a perfect life because none of us can be perfect.

By studying the Word, we will walk better than we have been doing. With God’s help, we will learn how to be better and do better. Faith in God will direct you to be the person that God made you to be.

Return later this week for Part Three of the sermon, The Final Destination. In Part Three we will focus on the other destination.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

John Chapters 15

John Chapter 14

Luke Chapter 16

Read Part One of the Sermon, Your Final Destination

Work the Harvest for God

Scripture: Luke 10: 2-3

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

Scripture Commentary: Jesus needs workers for the harvest

The harvest is truly great but help is needed. There’s no unemployment but we need more workers. God has work for everyone.

Will you apply?

Are you sitting on the sidelines watching others work? We, Christians, have a job to do, and that is to spread God’s gospel to as many people as we can while we are able.

Jesus sent 72 disciples in pairs to prepare the towns for His coming. These disciples were not unique or better educated than everyone else but Jesus sent them to prepare the way.

You can do the job!

Jesus can and does use anyone to spread the gospel. So why not you? We are to prepare the people of today for Jesus’s coming. You say you are a follower, a child of God. Go and talk about what God has done and what He is doing in your life.

Will you work for God?

The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few. Will you work in God’s fields? Or will you just sit and watch?

Read the Entire Chapter:

Luke Chapter 10

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Luke:

When He Saw Their Faith, He Answered Their Prayer

Save Yourself Through Belief; Save Others Through Discipleship

Jesus Came to Save the Lost

Scripture: Luke 15: 28-32

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.  But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Scripture Commentary: I once was lost but now I am found.

In the parable of the prodigal son, it is hard for the older brother to accept his younger brother when he returned. Likewise today, it is just as difficult to accept some friends or family members.

People who repent after leading notoriously sinful lives are often held in suspicion; churches are sometimes unwilling to admit them to membership. Instead we should rejoice like the angels in heaven when one of the lost, the unbeliever, repents and turns to God.

The father forgave because he was filled with love.

The older brother’s resentment rendered him just as lost to the father’s love and his younger brother had been.

Don’t let anything keep you from forgiving others. God’s great love for us reaches out and finds sinners no matter why or how they became lost. He found me; He loves you.

Read the Entire Chapter:

Luke Chapter 15

Jesus Is More Than Enough

Scripture: Luke 21: 1-4

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.  He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.  “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.  All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Scripture Commentary: Do you give God all you can?

You may think you give all you can but if you really think about it, you can give and do more. When it comes to God taking care of us, He gives us more than we need.

God gives His love, forgiveness, and He is always there for us.

The widow in Luke 21 gave all she had to live on. She did it not knowing from where her next meal would come. She had faith in God.

Let’s be realistic, you are not going to give your last dollar but will you do all and more to help someone to spread the Gospel?

Money is not all you can give to God.

You can give your time. You can give from the gifts He has blessed you with.

The widow’s gift was a sacrifice but she gave it willingly. Are you willing to give?

Read the Entire Chapter:

Luke Chapter 21

Jesus Went to Synagogue Every Week

Scripture: Luke 4: 16-19

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read,  and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Scripture Commentary: Jesus went to the synagogue every week.

Jesus attended services. Do you? His example makes our excuses for not attending church sound weak and self-serving.

In Luke 4, Jesus proclaims that He will bring the good news to pass, but in a way that the people would not be able to grasp. Jesus was not accepted as a prophet or the Son of God in His hometown.

Many don’t accept what is clearly before them.

Many people have a similar attitude. An expert is anyone who carries a briefcase and comes from a faraway place. We don’t accept the preacher who is standing in front of us, clearly led by the Holy Spirit.

Keep your heart pliable to accept Jesus’ life-changing message. When God touches your life, share the wonderful events with others.

Read the Entire Chapter:

Luke Chapter 4