Yeah, here we are, hey man, good morning. Luke chapter six, if you wanna turn with me there, we're gonna be continuing our lesson in Luke chapter six. Gonna be picking up in verse number 30? Yes, 30. Luke six, verse number 30, here Jesus calls, he called his followers, wait, will you fix that? Throughout Luke chapter six here, Jesus has been challenging us to act different from the world, okay? And it's if the world does this, then we should be doing this. Like he told us to bless them, to curse us. He tells us to love our enemies. He tells them to love everybody. And again, this is opposite of what the world teaches us and what our natural instinct is. But Jesus, he calls his followers here to us to a higher calling to a higher standard love because we are to reflect what Christ has done within us. The same love that he shows us is what we're supposed to show to others and that's pretty much what Luke chapter 6 here spends time on. We're going to hop into verse number 30 and get moving. It says, well let me just Yeah, we'll go to 27, just pick up from where we was last week. He says, by saying to you which hear, love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him which smiteth thee on one cheek, offer also the other. And him that taketh away thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also. Amen, and we talked about how this was like, the opposite of how our natural fleshly instinct wants to react. And Christ goes a little bit further here in verse number 30. He says, give to every man that asketh of thee, and of him that taketh away thy goods, ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? For sinners also do those, or love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, would thank have ye, for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them whom ye hope to receive, would thank have ye, for sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again. And your reward shall be great, and ye shall be as children of the highest, for he is kind unto the unthankful, and to the evil. where he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil but be therefore merciful as your father also is merciful amen and here in verse number 30 and 31 it says give to every man that asketh of thee and him that take it away thy goods ask them not again right so if you offer something to somebody and you're you're the one that is offering this to this person He's telling us not to ask for it again, right? It's like, if you're willing to lend, you should be willing to give. If you're willing to help, that should be the end of it. You're willing to help. You're not willing to help that you might. get help again later, or that they owe you a favor, or that now they're indebted to you because you helped them, right? That's how Satan works, actually. He gives and he expects. But here God tells us, he says, give to every man that asketh thee, and of him that taketh away thy goods, ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. Right, that's the golden rule, isn't it? Treat others as you want to be treated, and the Bible is where that came from. Acts chapter 20. Let's go there real quick. Acts chapter 20. Way too far. I gotta tell you when I get there, sorry. Acts 20, let's go to 32. It says, and now brethren, I command you I commend you to God in the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. I have coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities. to them that were with me. I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Amen. It is more blessed to give than to receive. It blesses your soul because you know that that's what God would do. Amen. I mean, a lot of times that it hits us in the back and we get the short end of the stick. But at the same time, we can feel good because we know in our heart that we did the right thing, right? That we did what Christ would do. And think about how many times Christ has done that in our life. He's done good in our life, right? but we sin against him. He has went to the Father on our behalf and we have received the remission of our sins and the forgiveness that we receive when we have wronged him, but then we don't do what he says, you see what I mean? And so God tells us here to show that same compassion toward other men. In Proverbs 19, 17, he says, he that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord. And he that, he which he hath, or sorry, and that which he hath given, will he pay him again? He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord, right? So in this text here, we're talking about giving to every man to ask of thee, and when you give it, when he take it away from you, when he actually receives it, not to ask again, right? And then in Proverbs, he tells us that he that hath pity upon the poor, the one that's giving, lended unto the Lord, right? The goodness that we do, it doesn't matter if it is reciprocated from this person or not. It doesn't matter if that debt's ever repaid, because it's not a debt. It's love extended. It's God's blessing that was given to you extended to the next person. And here in Proverbs it says, he that hath pity upon the poor, lend it to the Lord. You're not even lending to this person, right? It's like, what was it? Oh, the example that Brother Agathia and I, at Pastor G's service, he had talked about, he waited to meet Christ, and he kept waiting for his special person, waiting for his special person. These other people came, and this special person never came, but in those people that came was Christ, right? As the Bible says, we have entertained angels unaware. I mean, everything that we do to others, or another example where Christ says, I was hungry and you fed me not. I was naked and you clothed me not. He said, I was in prison and you came and visited me not. And they was like, Lord, when was he hungry and we fed thee not? When was he thirsty and we didn't give you the drink? Like, when was this? He said, and as many as you have done it unto each other, you have done it also unto me, right? And that's why he says, he that hath pity on the poor, lendeth to the Lord, because this is our giving. It's as unto the Lord, amen. Go with me to Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10. And that's everything we do in our life. What's there your hand find to do? Do all to the glory of God, right? Is to, as unto the Lord in every action that we do, where we wake up in the morning, we dress, how we get dressed, the things that we do, the way we engage with people. Luke 10 chapter, or Luke chapter 10, verse number, 25, says, and behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit, or no, go down to, yeah, what shall I do to inherit and turn alive? And he said, what is written in the law? How readest thou? And he answered and said, that thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself. Right, that sounds a lot like he that hath pity upon the poor, lend it to the Lord, amen. And verse 28, he said unto him, Thou hast answered right, this do, and thou shalt live. But he willing to justify himself said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down into Jerusalem, to Jericho, and fell upon thieves. which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead." You guys understand what that is? This man went to Jerusalem, and he got robbed. They beat him up. They took even his clothes. They took everything that he had, and they left him there, thought he was dead. Verse 31, it says, and by chance there came down a certain priest that way, walked right past him, it says, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise, the Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked upon him and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed came where he was and where he saw him and had compassion on him and see the the difference here is like out of these three people who would you expect to do something the priest the levi or the samaritan they're in jerusalem right so the jews had no dealings with the samaritans so the samaritan is actually the the the least likely one that should have done anything the the priest i mean He's the priest, right? He's the man of God. The Levite, they're the ones that serve the priests. They're the ones that they handled that sort of business. But this Samaritan, he passed by. It says, and he came where he was, and when he saw him, had compassion on him. Verse 34, it says, and he went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine and set him up on his own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And on the morrow he departed and took two pence and gave them to the host. That's the people that's at the end. He gave it to the host and said unto him, take care of him. Whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three thinkest thou was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, he that showed mercy unto him. Then Jesus said unto him, go and do thou likewise. Amen? It's a good example. Trying to figure out if I want to go to this other one. Yeah, let's do it. First Kings, chapter 17. Or no, let's not do that. All right. I'm trying to keep things short this morning because we started a little late. But ask yourself, do I give only when it's convenient for me? or do I give out of Christ-like love, right? We can't always have the idea that, is this going to benefit me? Is this going to take from me? Is this going to put me out, right? Because think of why you have anything. by the grace of God, amen? And Christlike love, it's not based on what you get is what you give. It doesn't ask, what do I get out of this? But instead it asks, how would I want to be treated if I was in their place? Amen? So when we give, there's no thanks or no recognition or no return on it. This includes our time, our patience, our forgiveness, compassion, I mean, money, fill in the blank, whatever. But when we help those who cannot repay us, we reflect the love of Christ, right? We reflect the one who gave to us. We reflect his holiness, and that's what he has called us to do, amen? He said, be holy for I am holy. And back to Luke chapter six here, in verse number 30, what was that, 31, 30? Luke six, verse number 30, he says, give to every man that asketh of thee, and to him that taketh away thy goods, Ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. Amen. Verse number 32 here. It says, for if you love them which love you, what thank have ye? For sinners also love those that love them. And if you do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? For sinners also do the same. Right? It's pretty easy how we see this. You get what you give. Right? If you love somebody, they love you. If they're mean to you, you're mean to them. Right? That's how the world operates. Verse number 32. Or, sorry, 33, says, and if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? For sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? For sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much again. In here, let's go to Romans chapter five real quick. I mean, you think about the lending thing, just like, That's how banks and things, they operate, right? Based off lending money. They don't care if you're a Christian, they don't care about any of that, but they will give because of what they're going to receive, because they're going to get that interest, because they're going to get that repayment and so forth. But here in Romans 5, let's go to verse number... Let's just start in one. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have access by faith into grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope for the glory of God. And not only so, but we also, glory in tribulations, also knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which giveth unto us. For when we were without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely would a righteous man die. Yet peradventure for good man, some would even dare to die. But God commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Amen. You want to talk about the undeserving? You want to talk about the exact opposite of the people that receive what they give? That's us, amen? Christ gave us the remission of our sins for people that had no remorse, for people that had no sorrow, they had no hard feelings toward their sin, but what broke us, what caused us to receive the gift of God was his grace. Amen. It wasn't God beating us. It wasn't God giving us what we deserve. It was God giving us enough grace and enough mercy to show us where we was wrong. Amen. That's why he says bless them that they curse you because it's in so doing they start to realize that this man don't deserve this, right? That this person is of God, or even if they don't, even if they never do, that builds that endurance, that builds that faith, and God always comes through in using that later on. But God commended his love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That's the exact opposite of what the world does. In Matthew 5, 44, he says, by saying to you, love your enemies, bless them to curse you, do good to them that hate you. Go to Genesis chapter 50. Genesis chapter 50 here, it's about Joseph. If you guys know anything about Joseph, he went through it. Joseph had a dream, he told his brothers about this dream. His brothers didn't like that dream. They set him up. They threw him into a pit. They sold him into slavery. Joseph was taken into slavery. He lived a life as a slave. Then he was a graduated slave and started working for Pharaoh. And then he was set up again and lied on. And he ended up going to prison. And he back out again and was doing good things. And he went to prison again. He ended up telling Pharaoh about a dream and so he was pulled out of prison then and he was head over the pretty much the whole Kingdom of Egypt there in Joseph in verse number Verse number Let's go 13 Says, for his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, his father, and buried him in the cave in a field of Mecca. Pahlah and Abraham brought with him the field of possession of a burying place of Ephron and Hittite before Mamre. And Joseph returned into Egypt, he and his brethren, and all that went of his father after he had buried his father. And Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, and they said, Joseph perventure will hate us, right? Because that was the thing holding everybody together, right? The glue that's holding all the pages in the book was Joseph's father. Because aside from that, it's just their relationship. And they betrayed him. They sold him into slavery. They even faked his death and put animal blood on his coat and gave it to his dad. It was like an animal must have ate him. We don't know what happened to him, right? But verse number 14, 15, saying, when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will perventure hate us and will certainly requite us all they did unto him. Amen, that's that guilt, that's that sin, that's knowing what you deserve. But then we see the grace of God here, says, and they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph forgive I pray thee now this pass of thy brethren and their sin and for And think about this. They didn't even say this. They didn't ask for forgiveness theirself They was too afraid to go before him. They sent a messenger and said that your dad said you should forgive them right it says forgive I press in for they did unto the evil and now I pray thee I forgive their trespass in the service of God of thy father. And Joseph wept and spake unto him, and spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell. Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, fear not. for am I in the place of God, right? You guys see that? It's not necessarily our place to give out this judgment. And just like here in Luke chapter, show the love of God, not the love of the flesh, not the love of the world, because that's transactional, that's temporal, that is, if you do this, I love you. If you do that, I hate you. But the love of God is, it's the love of God, it's unconditional. And then fear not, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it to pass as it is today, to save much people alive. And we know it's because of Joseph, his dream, or the Pharaoh's dream and the interpretation of the God he gave to Joseph to give to Pharaoh that I mean, it saved everyone, right? It was a whole world, what do you call it? It starts with it, famine. It was a whole world because they acted on the dream that Pharaoh had. But if they hadn't, the whole world would have been hungry, right? He says, ye thought evil against me. But God meant it for good. A lot of things that we go through, they are just that. They are lessons. And they are for us to grow us in whatever way that God is challenging us with at that time. Amen? Amen. Joseph here, he showed the love of God. And we have to ask ourselves, do I stop loving when I'm hurt? Or do I reflect Christ? Right, think about Joseph, when he's seen his brothers, think about all the emotions that he had, had their heads cut off immediately. Or he could be like, all right, now you guys are gonna be slaves, and made them slaves, right? But he did the opposite, he gave them a field, he gave them land, he gave them anything that they needed and provided for them. Our human nature, it wants to keep score with what the other person does or how this benefits us, or it keeps checks and balances, but Christ-like love, there is no revenge. And we choose, amen, through grace. He loved us. We love him because he first loved us, right? We serve God because he died for us. I mean, we live for Him because He blesses us. We thank Him because He's already done these things for us, right? And that's why we are thankful. And this means that when we pray for those who wrong us and we refuse bitterness and we treat people right, even when they don't treat us right, when we love those who love us, the world's better. Christ calls us to a higher standard, to love even when it hurts and when it isn't returned. when it isn't deserved. Back to Luke chapter six. Or we'll go back up to 30. Give to every man that asketh of thee, and of him that taketh away thy goods, ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if you love them which love you, and also love those that love them. and if you do good to them which do good unto you what thank have ye for sinners also do even the same and if you lend to others or lend to them whom you hope to receive what thank have ye for sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much again do good to do good and lend hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great and you shall be the children of the highest and he is kind unto the unthankful and unto and to the evil when we love our enemies we show the world that who our father is amen because this is the very way that how he loves us again it's unconditional it's we know that it's going to be there which is why we are slacking our sin we knew that if we do this sin that we're going to burst into flames would you do it Probably not, right? We're counting on the grace of God to be in our life. We're depending on that, amen? Go to Ephesians chapter five. But you never know, you might burst into flames. Crazy stuff is happening. Ephesians chapter five, verse one. It says, be ye therefore followers of God as dear children and walk in love. That walking low, that don't just mean you have a little pep in your step. That means that your life reflects love to those that love you, to those who you are bothered by, to those who are not right with you. You don't reciprocate that same thing, amen? you show the love of God, he says, walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling Savior. That sweet-smelling Savior is the satisfaction that sin debt has been satisfied, amen? That grace is able to be given because that sin debt has been satisfied. In 1 John 4, 19, we love him because he first loved us. In Matthew 5, 45, he that maketh the sun rise on the evil and on the good. Amen. Praise God for that, because there's days that I wasn't right with God. There's days, I mean, before I even got saved, that I had the same blessings that the saved people had. Amen, I woke up that morning, right? I had the same blessing that the saved people had. I wasn't right with God. I was a wicked sinner in every area of my life, but God woke me up still. Amen, that's the grace of God. Jesus, he prayed for his executioners then, and he said, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. He loved his enemies even while nailed to a cross, hanging up in the air, right? Go to the second Kings. Second Kings chapter six. It's hard being a Christian, y'all, I'm telling you. I battle with the flesh all the time. It's hard being a Christian. But you remember Christ praying, Father, that this cup would pass from me. Amen? Yeah, I mean, God, Jesus is God. But he became flesh. And he felt and was going to feel everything that he dealt with. Everything. It wasn't just that he's got these nails that pierced through him. He didn't feel that. He felt these things. He bled. Amen? He bled just like any of us do. And we have to be willing to do the same thing. Not to die and hang on a cross, but I mean, I guess that the Lord called us to do that. simply to love them, show that same love to them. In 2 Kings chapter 6, let's go, verse 8. Then the king of Syria warred against Israel and took counsel of his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such place, for thither is Assyrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and said himself there, not once nor twice. Therefore, the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing. And he called his servants and said unto them, will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of the servants said, None, my lord, O king, but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. Therefore sent he thither horses and chariots and great hosts, and they came by night and passed about the city. And when the servant of the man of God was risen up early, and gone forth, behold, an host come past the city, both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master, how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elijah prayed and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man. And he saw, behold, a mountain was full of horses and chariots and fire round about Elijah. Were them people there? No, they weren't there. Because they came and they seen Elijah. And they was coming after Elijah. And Elijah prayed that they would see All these people, all of a sudden they looked up and they were surrounded now, right? They had no idea that any of them people were there. And Elisha prayed and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and saw him verses and chariots and fire round about Elisha. And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord and said, smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. And Elisha said to them, this is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. And it came to pass, when they were come to Samaria, that Elijah said, Lord, open the eyes of these men that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw, and behold, they was in the midst of Samaria. It was concerned about before. Verse 21, it says, and then the king of Israel said to Elijah, when he saw them, wouldst thou smite those to whom thou hast taken captive with the sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master. And he prepared, was coming to capture him and to take him. He prepared a great provision for them. And when he had eaten and had drunk and sent them on, The Syrians, they came to capture Elijah, but God delivered them into Israel's hands, and the king wanted revenge, and, Father, shall I smite them? Shall I smite them? But Elijah responded with mercy. Right? What would you do if these guys were coming after you and you caught them? Eat and drink and go to their... And he prepared great provision for them so that bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel. See, instead of punishment, that very mercy, that grace, that ended the conflict. That ended the war that was about to happen, right? That ended the problem. We look like the father or we look like the flesh? whether we represent the world and we're just somebody that walks around with this bible in our closet somewhere or but jesus called us to love even our enemies because that is how the father loves right before we were saved it said that we were at we were at enmity losing mercy over revenge As we've seen here, returning kindness for hostility. This reflects all of it. I mean, believe all the Lord Jesus saved, amen? But the reflective mercy of the Father in Luke verse here, he says, be therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Bring to his mercy, he saved us. Right? How many people deserve to be saved? verse number 11 of goods of give me the portion of good follows to me right this is an inheritance and he divided under them his living he sent him into his fields to feed swine and he would feign have filled his belly with the husk that the swine did eat and no man and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him and the son said unto him father I have sinned against heaven