Giving On The Edge

GIVING ON THE EDGE—Luke 6:27-38

OR

God’s Plan for Our Enemies

Billy Bob goes to a diner for breakfast, buys a coffee a sits down to drink it. He looks on the side of his cup & finds a peel off prize. He pulls off the tab & yells, "I WON! I WON! I WON a motor home, I WON a motor home!"

The waitress looks to the owner-manager wide-eyed, knowing thatt he biggest prize given away is a bicycle. they both approach Billy Bob with the problem. saying, "You couldn’t possibly have won a motor home because we don’t offer that as a prize!"

Billy Bob replies, "Nope, no mistake, I WON a motor home, I WON a motor home!" Looky here...& hands the prize ticket to the manager which reads, "WIN A BAGEL."

The owner-manager was faced with the decision of Giving on the Edge of his ability.

True Disciples of Jesus will Give on the Edge of their ability.

Jesus showed His disciples the standard for the treatment of one’s enemies thru their giving.

A disciple’s love for God is found in how/what one gives on the edge

OR

Christian integrity is reflected in the way we give.

How is Christ reflected in our giving?

4 areas of giving that reflect God’s work in us.

If we behave lovingly/godly at the extreme then we will definitely behave lovingly elsewhere.

If we behave unlovingly/ungodly at the extreme then our relationship to God thru Christ is in question.

Please Lord, help us to live as You live.

1—Christ is reflected/tried on the edge of

OUR LOVE(:27a, 32)

—Explanation:(:27a, 32)

“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies,...”

“To you who hear”—Directed toward those who “hear”.

Rev. 2:11, 17, 29, 3:6, 13, 22—“’He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Jer. 35:15—“...I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, sending them again & again, saying: ‘Turn now every man from his evil way, & amend your deeds, & do not go after other gods to worship them, then you shall dwell in the land which I have given to you & to your forefathers; but you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me.”

2Tim. 4:1-4—“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God & of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living & the dead, & by His appearing & His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season & out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience & instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; & will turn away their ears from the truth, & will turn aside to myths.”

“Love your enemies”—Internal

“Love”—agapaw—Used cheifly of God’s love toward man. ‘To welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly, to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing.

“Enemies”—Resentment—Ill Will

:32—“And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.”

—Argumentation:

1Jn. 2:15—“Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

1Jn. 4:9—“By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.”

1Jn. 4:16-17—“And we have come to know & have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, & the one who abides in love abides in God, & God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.”

Jn. 3:16—“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.”

—Illustration:

Child/Does some unloving things/Loved by parents Regardless of behavior/Recognize potential

Wayne Sauder/My childhood mortal enemy/Couldn’t love Wayne until my love was changed by Jesus.

—Application:

?Is your LOVE God’s love?

?Is your limit God’s limit?

2—Christ is reflected/tried on the edge of

OUR DEEDS(:27b, 29-31, 33)

—Explanation:(:27b, 29-31, 33)

“...Do good to those who hate you,...”

“Do Good”—External

“Good”—kalwV— ‘Beautifully, finely, excellently, well, nobly, commendably, honorably, in honor.’

“Hate”—misew—Pursue with hatred, Detest.

:29—“Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; & whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.”

Not defending rights=Risk & Vulnerability

Accepting hatred in context of Ministry/Help