Rob's Expository Sermon Preparation | Luke 6:17–49 (2)

Introduction:

· Have you ever noticed how an idea that seems so simple, practical, doable…proves impossible?

· Take the sermon on the mount/plain: “Just try to follow the teachings of Jesus.”

WHO GETS THE LAST LAUGH, HOW TO LOVE THE UNLOVABLE, AND THE POWER THAT MAKES IT ALL POSSIBLE.

I) The Last Laugh: Learning to Live for Eternity

A. The Upside Down Nature of God’s Kingdom (vv. 20-26)

i. Blessings & Curses: Those who experience happiness & unhappiness

1. Beatitudes: who is blessed? Satisfied? Happy? Or not?

2. Media, magazines, YouTube: wealthy, glamorous, popular…

ii. With Jesus, everything is turned around

1. The poor/vulnerable; the hungry; the ridiculed are happiest!

2. EXAMPLE: some of us grieve; we feel helpless TODAY; but…!!

B. The Reason? We Are Living for the Eternal, not the Temporal (vs 23)

i. At the center: “our reward is great in the kingdom of heaven”

1. Jesus contrasts temporal/worldly blessing w. eternal, satisfying blessing

2. EXAMPLE: Bob Saget

ii. This means that we will always be “out of sync” with the world around us

1. Your priorities; how you spend your money/time;

2. True happiness: in a sad world joy that awaits outweighs present sadness

WHO GETS “THE LAST LAUGH?” THOSE WHO LIVE FOR ETERNITY. LET’S MOVE ON.

II) Loving the Unlovable: (vv. 27-42)

A. Love even for the hard-to-love Sets Christians Apart

i. Just about everyone agrees people should be more loving…

1. No one questions that we should be more loving to others

2. But we’ll be kind to people who are easy to show kindness too – not difficult bosses, critical spouses, insensitive people…

ii. …But Christians are called to love even “sinners”(vv. 27, 32-35)

1. What sets Christians apart is that we extend kindness to…

2. Those: who strike, insult, criticize; self-absorbed; won’t repay kindness

B. The Practice of Love

i. Doing good, blessing, praying for (vv. 27-31)

1. Be Good: be generous with time, resources, energy, even to “takers”

2. Bless: Speak kind words to people who are unfair to you, gossip…

3. Pray: Do you pray for people you don’t like?

ii. Do Not judge, do not condemn (vv. 37-38, 41-42)

1. To judge isn’t to discern right/wrong, but to put yourself in God’s place

2. EXAMPLE: Sister’s Irish Dinner Bistro

WHO GETS THE LAST LAUGH? THOSE WHO LIVE FOR ETERNITY; WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO LOVE? DOING GOOD, BLESSING, PRAYING, AND WITHHOLDING JUDGMENT.

III) The Power & The Motive

A. Two Ways we’ll get this wrong:

i. “Christians should just try to follow Jesus’ teachings.”

1. Some have reduced Jesus’ ethic to a simple way of life

2. If so, you haven’t ever fully considered the demanding teachings of Jesus

ii. Guilt becomes the greatest motivator

1. Others are driven by a sense of “sola-bootstrapa” --

2. Though very effective, it leads us to despair

B. The One Way to Get this Right (VV. 43-49)

i. The final parables: Heart change is the true power for obedience

1. Fruit trees/roots; foundations for the home; treasures of the heart

2. All of this points to a source – not effort or ability BUT TO HEART!

ii. Jesus’ own practice of this “sermon” is the power to change us

1. As Jesus’ enemies, we mistreated, insulted, judged, condemned him

2. Yet, he repaid us with mercy, forgiving as “we” nailed him to a cross

3. He saw past momentary affliction, became poor for our sake; emptied himself;

Transition:

Conclusion

Learning to live as children of the most high God.