Sermon Tone Analysis

Q: Why did the turkey cross the road?

A: To prove it wasn’t a chicken.

Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?

A: To show the squirrel it could be done.

Chickens are always funny- right?

Well, they are always funny until you try and answer a particular question about them.

Which came first- the chicken or the egg?

This question is tough to answer regardless of your underlying worldview.

Both evolutionists and creationists.

Personally, if chickens were around with Adam and Eve I believe God created the chicken and had them lay eggs.

Amen?

But I see the conundrum the question raises in some people.

A conundrum is a rarely used word that means a confusing and difficult problem or question.

AKA a riddle.

In order to explain this as clearly as mud, I checked out what Wikipedia had to say.

Wikipedia state that the chicken or the egg causality dilemma is commonly stated as the question, "Which came first: the chicken or the egg?"

The dilemma stems from the observation that all chickens hatch from eggs and all chicken eggs are laid by chickens.

"Chicken-and-egg" is a metaphoric adjective describing situations where it is not clear which of two events should be considered the cause and which should be considered the effect, to express a scenario of infinite regress, or to express the difficulty of sequencing actions where each seems to depend on others being done first.

Plutarch posed the question as a philosophical matter in his essay "The Symposiacs", written in the 1st century CE.

(Aristotle first raised the idea as a rhetorical question in 4th century B.C., 300 or so years before Plutarch.)

(BTW Many of the pages of Plutarch’s books are missing, so you might not even find his answer to the question there.)

I believe that the best way to answer this particular causality dilemma, conundrum, or childish riddle, is to say “Who cares?” and move on to more practical matters.

Like enjoying eggs with your Sunday brunch.

Perhaps you are wondering where I am going with this, well focus up!

I am getting there.

Some things are not worth overthinking.

When you want answers and guidance count on the Holy Spirit and the Bible to provide them.

And don’t worry too much about how God works out the details.

Just start doing it.

Our text today is one of those things- Just listen to Jesus’ message and let the Holy Spirit lead you into living it out in your lives.

Don’t spend too much time questioning whether or not God needs to empower you to follow this practical application of discipleship; or is this something that believers need to decide to do and seek to conform their lives to the example.

The answer is yes, both are true.

If you trust in Jesus instead of your own power and authentically try and live the way Jesus commands you will see these attitudes grow in your life.

God wants us to treat other people as God treats us.

We shouldn’t be focused on gaining every advantage we can.

Jesus set aside the advantages of being God and did what was very costly to himself because we needed Him to do it.

Jesus died on the cross for us.

The least we can do in response is to Live Love, which just happens to be the title of today’s message.

Luke 6:27–38 (CSB)

27 “But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

29 If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also.

And if anyone takes away your coat, don’t hold back your shirt either.

30 Give to everyone who asks you, and from someone who takes your things, don’t ask for them back.

31 Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.

32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?

Even sinners love those who love them.

33 If you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you?

Even sinners do that.

34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you?

Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full.

35 But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.

Then our reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High.

For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil.

36 Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.

Do no condemn, and you will not be condemned.

Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

38 Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over—will be poured into your lap.

For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Live Love: The Text In Its Context

This is the middle section of the sermon on the plain that we heard last Sunday, beginning at Luke 6:20.

We heard Jesus lay out two very different ways of life which lead to being blessed or cursed.

Jesus commend the life style of discipleship.

Disciples need to be poor in spirit and realize that they must rely on God.

They need to be spiritually hungry, chasing holiness the way a person who hasn’t eaten for a week desires a meal.

They need to be sad about the sin in the world and hate the sin in their life.

This section now explores some of the ethical implications of discipleship, with special reference to how we should treat other people and to the effect that this may have on our own relationship with God.

Take note how Jesus reveals His authority in the message.

He makes radical demands on the allegiance of those whom he has called to follow him.

The people who were dirt poor and physically hungry probably thought Jesus was the answer to all their problems when He laid out the Kingdom blessings and woes, but this was simply crazy talking.

Who would let somebody hit them and then simply turn the other cheek.

The enemies of the Jews were the Romans.

We are supposed to love them.

They tax us to death, make us carry the soldiers baggage when they march through our lands, are often physically abusive.

Love Your Enemies

Disciples should love and do good to those who do not love them.

That is the example Jesus gave us, and called for us to follow.

1 Peter 2:21–23 (CSB) 21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

22 He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth; 23 when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.

Jesus defines loving your enemy as doing something good for the people who hate you.

Take a moment and think of a person who hates you.

Who comes to mind?

And what did you imagine doing to them?

I saw a few smiles, maybe even quick smirks out there.

It is hard to imagine doing something good down to our haters, far easier to day dream about getting even.

The deserve it, right?

They need to know they cannot gossip about you, or sabotage your life so they get what they want!

Jesus says that when people tell you they wished you were dead, or hurl even more vile, hurtful, curses don’t respond by cursing them.

Speak with spoken blessings.

Not in sarcasm or judgement, an actual heartfelt blessing!

Not easy at all, it requires a mature character and much effort.

It comes as you authentically follow Jesus, though.

We call that character the Fruit of the Spirit.

Jesus says repay their hate with love and an act of unearned kindness.

So a ter you have responded to their hate with a verbal blessing, ask the Holy Spirit to show you a way you can be a blessing to them.

Then live love by acting on the leading of the Spirit.

Do a good deed to those who hate you.

Finish with praying for the people who have hurt you by praying.

Actually you might need to start the prayers as they are cursing you and hurting you, before you bless them in word and deed.

It i God’s truth that it becomes impossible to hate anybody that you sincerely lift to God in prayer.