Luke 6:27-31
People Principals
\\#20-38\\ go together. They are parts of the Sermon on the Mount,
but this is not that sermon.
1. \\#17\\ Luke’s message happens in the plain; Matthew’s on a
mountain \\#Matt 5:1\\.
2. \\#17\\ Luke’s message has Jesus in the company of His
disciples and the multitude gathering around; Matthew has the
order reversed.
3. \\#20\\ Luke’s message records a blessing for those poor;
Matthew records a blessing for those poor in spirit.
What’s going on?
1. Jesus preached this message, in whole or in part, more than
once.
2. In Matthew, it appears that He was preaching to the multitudes
and the disciples were listening. In Luke, Jesus seems to be
preach to His Apostles, the "SENT ONES," and the multitudes
are listening.
Why is the message for the Apostles so similar to the messages for
the masses? Because there isn’t as much difference between the
leaders and the laity as some would like to imagine!
1. God is the God of both.
2. Sin is sin for both.
3. And God wants both to be holy.
Contrary to what many think, laity should not have to change much
to become leaders!
Some question when this sermon was applicable—to be obeyed. Some
want to make a millennium sermon or a tribulational sermon. I do not
think it is. I think it was and is a right now sermon. In fact, I
think Jesus was preaching it to His disciples and those who would
follow them because they were going to have to do these very things.
Those in that plain were going to have to put these commands into
practice and throughout Christian history, many of their followers
have as well!
Others think the Bible is not very practical. They ought to read it.
While much of our preaching does deal with our position before
Christ, the Bible has plenty to say about our position before people.
This passage gives us some old-fashioned commands about our behavior
toward others. With these commands, I see some principals to help
us in all situations.
To preach this sermon, let’s divide the thoughts up by the different
type of people we are going to be dealing with. I will tell you in
advance, the people types that Jesus mentions are mostly bad types.
Of the four He mentions, two are aggressors and one is a thief! From
that fact, I get the thought that if Jesus wanted us to treat bad
people good, He would want us to treat good people who do bad things
good. You know the type of people I mean, the unthinking, the
foolish, those who just made a mistake.
I. \\#27-28\\ Dealing with our enemies:
A. First four commandments:
1. Love them
2. Do good to them
3. Bless them (speak good of them before others and to them)
4. Pray for them
B. Notice the lack of malice, revenge, even justice.
1. Someone is probably thinking, "Where is the fun in acting
like this?"
2. After all, we all know the Golden Rule, "Do unto others at
least as bad as they have done unto you."
3. But there is no hint of anger or revenge in this commands
at all.
C. Notice that each one requires more from us than the last.
1. Love is good but to do good to someone who is our enemy
requires more.
2. Doing good is good but to speak well to and about an enemy
requires more.
3. To speak well about an enemy to another person is good but
to speak well about them to God requires more.
4. This type of behavior continues through the remainder of
the chapter.
a. \\#29\\ Turn the cheek when slapped.
b. \\#29\\ When someone takes your coat, give them the
shirt off your back.
c. \\#30\\ Give your possessions never expecting them to
be returned.
d. \\#31\\ Do to others as you want them to do to you.
D. I see here a principal. Christians are to go further!
1. In fact, that is exactly what Jesus was challenging His
disciples to do.
2. Go further than the sinners.
a. \\#32\\ Sinners do that.
b. \\#33\\ Sinners do that.
c. \\#34\\ Sinners do that.
3. What I see is that whatever an unsaved person can do in
the power of the flesh is in no way sufficient for us!
a. Christians are to be more noble, more pure, more
giving, more forgiving.
b. We are to behave in ways that only a God-Filled
Christian could.
4. Jesus held a model before the disciples eyes:
Luke 6:36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your
Father also is merciful.
5. We are to be as God in dealing with our enemies.
E. How is this suppose to:
1. bring me satisfaction?
2. punish my enemies?
3. stop their abuse?
4. It won’t unless. We are being commanded to suffer for now—
if necessary—so that God can be glorified and work in
their lives of those who hate us.
5. But then God is not about swift destruction of the wicked.
a. If He was, they would all be destroyed all ready.
b. He is more about converting the wicked.
F. "But, Preacher, how far am I to go?"
1. Go as far as you can go, then go a little further.
2. That is what Jesus taught when He commanded the disciples
to go the second mile.
3. It dawns on me as I am studying through these verses that
perhaps God is not giving these commands just for the
benefit of the wicked who are abusing the saved. Perhaps
He is giving these commands for the benefit of the saved,
so that we might grow in grace and become a little more
like the Father.
4. That is what happened to Stephen! He mimicked what he
perhaps saw his Master do. "Father, forgive them for
they know not what they do."
G. What if I can’t remember all the good things I’m supposed
to do these horrid people. Two thoughts:
1. Always put the people before the problems.
2. Always put others before yourself.
II. \\#29\\ Dealing with violence:
A. One Command - When struck, turn the other cheek.
B. Principal - PEACE INSTEAD OF VIOLENCE
C. God places a premium on peace.
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they
shall be called the children of God.
Romans 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth
in you, live peaceably with all men.
2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell.
Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind,
live in peace; and the God of love and peace
shall be with you.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith,
D. There are some adjustments that are going to have to be made
for us to do these things.
1. Humility
2. Forgiveness
3. Long Suffering
III. \\#29-30\\ Dealing with the thieves:
A. Three commandments:
1. Give it all. (Last part of 29)
2. Give to all.
3. Give without expecting it to be returned.
B. Principal - Give instead of possessing
Luke 6:38 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.
C. How I am supposed to deal with that?
1. Don’t amass a lot of possessions to begin with. Instead
amass rewards in heaven.
2. Consider what you do have the Lord’s.
3. Don’t lend things to people. Lend them to the Lord.
D. How we are suppose to survive that way?
1. We will have to learn to get by with less.
2. We will have to learn to trust the Lord.
E. Those are not easy precepts for anyone to accept but it is
what our Lord demands.
1. The believers in New Testament church of Jerusalem were
apparently told to sell their possession and give it to
the church.
2. Why? Because the persecution was going to come.
3. But the people did not know that. What God told them to
do must have been hard, but those that did it, did not
lose their wealth. They invested it and earned heaven’s
rewards.
4. I don’t know what persecution may come, but death
certainly is coming—and we can’t take it with us!
5. Leaving it behind just gives the government something to
take and the kids something to fuss about.
6. Why not invest it into heaven’s rewards?
IV. \\#31\\ Dealing with everyone:
A. The principal - Treat others like you want others to treat you.
1. Don’t treat them like they deserve.
2. Don’t treat them as you deserve.
3. Treat them like you want to be treated.
B. How would that be?
1. Kindly even when we are rude.
2. Forgivingly even when we are wrong.
3. Generously even when we are selfish.
4. Lovingly even when we are unlovable.
Then it dawns on me that perhaps God wants us to take all of this
abuse for another reason. Perhaps God is trying to show the wicked
just how good, how merciful, how loving He is. How will He do that?
Through us and how we handle their abuses.
Wouldn’t it be worth it if a soul came to Christ?
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