4/13/25 - The Grace of Kingdom Living
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Luke 6:30-38
We live in a culture that sets boundaries on almost everything.
We budget our time, our money, our attention—and sometimes, even our compassion.
From the time we’re little, we’re taught to say, “That’s mine,” or “That’s not fair,” or “They don’t deserve that.”
But Jesus turns that all upside down.
In this portion of the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus doesn’t just ask us to be good people.
He calls us to be godly people.
He doesn’t merely instruct us to love the lovable.
He tells us to love the unlovely, forgive the ungrateful, and give to the undeserving.
That kind of teaching was radical then, and it’s still radical now.
We all like the idea of grace when we’re receiving it.
But living a life of grace—especially toward people who mistreat or take advantage of us—that’s where the real challenge lies.
Clarence Jordan, who founded an interracial Christian community in the segregated South, and faced threats because of it, once said, “We’re not called to live safe lives—we’re called to live like Jesus.”
That’s the heartbeat of this passage.
Jesus is calling us to live like our Father.
To give when others would take.
To forgive when others would retaliate.
To show mercy in a world that demands justice.
He’s calling us to live beyond the limits of our human nature and lean into the limitless love of God.
Let’s begin with His first command: to live with a generous heart.
I. A Generous Heart
I. A Generous Heart
30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Jesus begins by saying, “Give to every man that asketh of thee.”
That statement alone challenges every instinct of self-preservation we have.
We ask ourselves: What if I don’t have enough?
What if they misuse it?
What if I get taken advantage of?
But Jesus doesn’t include exceptions or disclaimers.
He simply says: give.
He’s not commanding reckless financial decisions.
He’s calling for a readiness to share.
A heart that is more concerned with honoring God than protecting possessions.
It’s not about being naïve.
It’s about being willing.
so first we see it is a call to…
A. Selfless Giving
A. Selfless Giving
30 Give to every man that asketh of thee…
Jesus says, “Give to every man that asketh of thee.”
This is not about enabling sin, but reflecting God’s generous grace.
Proverbs 3:27 says,
27 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, When it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
Our culture says, “Take care of yourself first.”
Jesus says, “Take care of others and trust Me to take care of you.”
Acts 20:35 reminds us of Jesus’ words, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Here Paul says,
35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring 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.
Giving is not always financial.
Sometimes it’s
time,
sometimes attention,
sometimes kindness,
or sometimes just a listening ear.
In Acts 3, when asked for money from the lame man…Peter didn’t have silver or gold, but he gave what he had—a healing touch and the name of Jesus.
The value of your gift is not in its amount but in its sincerity.
Spurgeon said, “Giving is true loving, and a stingy Christian is a contradiction.”
But it’s not just a call to selfless giving, but also to…
B. Sacrificial Goodness
B. Sacrificial Goodness
30 …and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
This goes beyond giving—it’s letting go.
It means refusing to cling to your rights and your stuff.
It’s saying, “If someone takes from me, I won’t chase them down for repayment.”
This doesn’t mean we support theft.
It means we surrender vengeance.
Hebrews 10:34 says the early believers
34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
When your eyes are on eternity, your grip on earthly things loosens.
Jesus isn’t just training our hands—He’s training our hearts.
In 1874, Horatio Spafford lost almost everything: his fortune in the Chicago Fire, and then his children in a tragic shipwreck.
Yet he gave to others through grief.
He penned the words, “It is well with my soul,” and used his loss as a platform to comfort others.
That’s sacrificial goodness—when you give not because you have much, but because Christ has given you everything.
C. A Sympathetic Golden Rule
C. A Sympathetic Golden Rule
31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Jesus sums it up with a timeless truth.
The Golden Rule isn’t passive.
It’s not “Don’t do bad.”
It’s “Go do good.”
It asks, “How would I want to be treated?” and then acts on it.
Philippians 2:4 says,
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
This rule leads us to empathy, and empathy leads to generosity.
A little boy once told his mom, “I gave my friend half my sandwich because he forgot his lunch.”
She said, “That was kind of you.”
He replied, “Well, that’s what I’d want if I forgot mine.”
That’s the spirit of verse 31.
Not waiting for kindness, but initiating it.
Not giving back what we’ve received, but giving what we wish we would receive.
John MacArthur said, “The Golden Rule sums up the entire ethical teaching of Scripture.”
To live this way is to live as Christ lived.
To live this way is to live beyond limits.
To live this way is to show that our hearts belong to a different kingdom.
II. A Gracious Spirit
II. A Gracious Spirit
32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
34 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.
Jesus shifts now from giving our goods to giving our grace.
The focus is no longer on what we give physically, but on how we respond relationally.
What Jesus describes here is grace in action—a spirit that gives kindness, love, and goodness without expecting anything in return.
He’s not just teaching about how to handle our stuff, but how to handle people.
A. Uncommon Love
A. Uncommon Love
32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
Jesus makes it clear—there’s nothing remarkable about loving people who already love you.
The world is full of that kind of love—conditional, reciprocal, and self-serving.
Even the most corrupt people can love those who benefit them.
But Christian love is supposed to stand out.
It’s not based on worthiness—it’s based on obedience.
Romans 5:8 says,
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
If Christ loved us when we were undeserving, how can we withhold love from others?
1 John 4:11 says,
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
In 1958, missionary Elisabeth Elliot returned to the jungle where her husband had been speared to death by the Auca tribe.
Why?
To bring the gospel to the very people who had murdered him.
She wrote, “To me, the will of God is a quiet certainty in the midst of turmoil, a firm place to stand when everything seems to give way.”
That’s uncommon love—a love that flows not from emotion, but from conviction.
B. Unfair Goodness
B. Unfair Goodness
33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
Again, Jesus presses the point.
There’s no spiritual credit for being good to people who are good to you.
Anyone can be polite to someone who’s polite.
But how do you treat the difficult coworker, the rude neighbor, the family member who never reciprocates?
That’s the test of real goodness.
Galatians 6:10 says,
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
Doing good to all men means some of them won’t appreciate it.
Some will misuse it.
Some won’t thank you.
But you’re not doing it for them—you’re doing it for Christ.
D.L. Moody once said, “A good example is far better than a good precept.”
Sometimes the best sermon you preach is the kindness you show to someone who doesn’t deserve it.
C. Unreciprocated Lending
C. Unreciprocated Lending
34 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.
Jesus now moves to generosity with no guarantee.
He’s not condemning lending altogether.
He’s calling out the mindset that only gives when there’s a return.
This isn’t about banking—it’s about blessing.
It’s about giving to meet a need, not to earn a profit.
Psalm 112:5 says,
5 A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: He will guide his affairs with discretion.
We lend not because we know it will come back, but because we know God sees.
13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
You may never get paid back on earth, but heaven will settle every account.
In 1849, John Pounds, a poor shoemaker, used his meager income to start the first "ragged school" in Portsmouth, England.
He taught and fed street children without ever expecting a reward.
His generosity helped spark a nationwide movement in England to educate the poor.
That’s the kind of lending Jesus blesses—the kind that expects nothing and gives everything.
III. A Godlike Mercy
III. A Godlike Mercy
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Jesus now raises the bar even higher.
It’s one thing to give or lend.
It’s another thing entirely to love your enemies, expect nothing in return, and model your mercy after the character of God.
What He’s describing here is not just moral kindness—it’s supernatural mercy.
It’s the kind of mercy only possible when we’ve experienced it ourselves.
A. Boundless Benevolence
A. Boundless Benevolence
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again…
This command flips the world’s thinking upside down.
Jesus doesn’t say, “Love the neutral.”
He says, “Love your enemies.”
He doesn’t say, “Do good to those who might thank you.”
He says, “Do good to those who hate you.”
This is not about emotional affection—it’s about intentional action.
Romans 12:20 says,
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Doing good to enemies is not weakness—it’s Christlikeness.
When you lend and expect nothing again, you’re saying, “My reward is not in your repayment—my reward is in heaven.”
Jesus isn’t telling us to become doormats.
He’s telling us to rise above bitterness and live like children of the Most High.
2 Samuel 9 gives us the story of David and Mephibosheth.
Mephibosheth was the grandson of Saul, David’s former enemy.
In those days the new king would normally kill the entire family of the former king, so they could not take back the throne.
Yet David showed him kindness, restored his land, and made him eat at the king’s table.
Why?
Because David remembered the covenant he had made with Jonathan.
That’s boundless benevolence—kindness for the sake of love and loyalty, not merit.
B. Bold Identity
B. Bold Identity
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Jesus is saying, “When you live this way, you resemble your Father.”
This isn’t how you become a child of God—it’s how you show that you already are.
Children take on the traits of their parents.
If we are children of the Highest, we should reflect His kindness.
Matthew 5:45 says
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Every day, God blesses people who curse His name.
He gives breath to blasphemers, sunshine to sinners, and rain to the rebellious.
That’s the kind of kindness Jesus is calling us to.
Ephesians 5:1 says,
1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
That word “followers” means “imitators.”
The more we show mercy, the more we mirror our Maker.
Amy Carmichael once said, “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”
Our identity as God's children isn’t proven by how we treat our friends—it’s revealed by how we treat our enemies.
C. Beautiful Mercy
C. Beautiful Mercy
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
This is the climax of the whole section.
Why live this way?
Because this is how our Father in heaven lives.
Lamentations 3:22–23 says,
22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Every day, God starts over with you.
Every morning, mercy is on your doorstep.
That’s the model.
That’s the mission.
Micah 6:8 tells us
8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; And what doth the Lord require of thee, But to do justly, and to love mercy, And to walk humbly with thy God?
We don’t just receive mercy—we’re meant to reflect it.
There’s a story from one of the Napoleon wars about a young soldier who was caught trying to desert the army.
He was sentenced to death, but his mother begged Napoleon for mercy.
Napoleon said, “He does not deserve mercy.”
She replied, “If he deserved it, it wouldn’t be mercy.”
That’s exactly right.
Mercy isn’t deserved—it’s decided.
And we decide to give it because we’ve received it.
IV. A Gracious Measure
IV. A Gracious Measure
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Jesus finishes this section with a powerful principle.
The way we treat others has a way of circling back to us.
He’s not teaching a prosperity gospel, but He is emphasizing a spiritual principle of sowing and reaping.
If you measure out grace, you’ll receive it.
If you measure out judgment, you’ll receive that too.
A. Careful in Condemnation
A. Careful in Condemnation
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned
This verse is often misunderstood.
Jesus isn’t forbidding all judgment.
He’s warning against a harsh, hypocritical, self-righteous spirit.
John 7:24 says,
24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
There is a place for discernment and correction.
But there is no place for condemnation that lacks compassion.
Romans 14:10 asks,
10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
When we sit in God’s chair and act like we know hearts, we invite the same standard upon ourselves.
The Pharisees were experts at judging others and excusing themselves.
Jesus is calling His disciples to a better way.
In the 1800s, preacher Robert Murray M’Cheyne wrote, “It is a sure sign of grace when you see your own sin as worse than your neighbor’s.”
Before you point out someone else’s faults, make sure you’ve brought yours to the cross.
B. Compassionate in Forgiveness
B. Compassionate in Forgiveness
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
This is not about earning God’s forgiveness by works.
It’s about revealing that we understand forgiveness because we extend it.
Ephesians 4:32 says,
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Forgiveness is the bridge between what we’ve received and what we give.
If we burn that bridge, we reveal that we never really walked across it.
Matthew 6:14–15 says,
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
That’s not a transaction—it’s a reflection.
If God’s mercy has truly changed your heart, it will soften it toward others.
Corrie ten Boom once said, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.”
Forgiveness sets both hearts free—the one who receives it, and the one who gives it.
C. Confident in God’s Return
C. Confident in God’s Return
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Jesus ends with a picture from the marketplace.
In Bible times, grain was measured out with generosity—pressed down, shaken to remove gaps, and then filled to the brim until it overflowed.
That’s how God gives.
That’s how grace gives.
Proverbs 11:25 says,
25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: And he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
When you live open-handed, you never run empty.
2 Corinthians 9:6 says,
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
God is not stingy with those who are generous.
Hudson Taylor once said, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.”
This promise in Luke 6:38 is not just about money—it’s about mercy, love, forgiveness, and grace.
God returns it in ways you can’t even measure.
And Jesus closes with this truth: “For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
The ruler you use on others will be used on you.
So use a long one.
Use a wide one.
Use a gracious one.
You’ll never regret being more merciful than the world expects—because you serve a God who gives more than you deserve.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Jesus has painted a picture of a life that’s not driven by what’s fair, but by what’s faithful.
He’s shown us that following Him means living differently than the world around us.
It means living with a generous heart—giving freely without expecting in return.
It means living with a gracious spirit—doing good to those who may never repay us.
It means showing a Godlike mercy—loving enemies and reflecting the kindness of our heavenly Father.
And it means living by a gracious measure—being slow to judge, quick to forgive, and confident that God will reward the life of grace.
This kind of life doesn’t make sense to the flesh.
It only makes sense in light of the cross.
Jesus gave to those who could never repay.
Jesus forgave those who nailed Him to the tree.
Jesus extended mercy when we deserved wrath.
And He calls us to follow Him.
To live like He lived.
To love like He loved.
To serve like He served.
You may never get back what you give.
You may never be thanked by those you forgive.
But you will always be rewarded by your Father in heaven.
Galatians 6:9 reminds us,
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
In the early 1900s, a missionary named Henry Morrison returned to the U.S. after serving for 40 years in Africa.
As he stepped off the ship in New York, he saw a great crowd, a band playing, and banners waving.
At first, he thought they were there for him.
But then he realized the crowd was there for President Theodore Roosevelt, who had just returned from a big-game hunting trip.
No one had come for Morrison.
He and his wife got to their small apartment, discouraged and forgotten.
He said, “After all these years of service, no one even knows we’re home.”
His wife gently replied, “Henry, we’re not home yet.”
That’s the heart of this message.
We’re not home yet.
But when we arrive, the One who sees every gift, every mercy, every act of grace—He will reward in full.
Let’s live now in a way that will make heaven rejoice later.
Let’s live beyond limits—because our Savior never put limits on His love for us.
