Rhine Worship and Baptism August 21st

Coming Soon!
Special event next month
We will be having our Regular Sunday Service and a Beach Baptism On the Rettburg Aue next month on the 21st of August!
Hope we see you there !
Blessings
Ron

10.7.2011 Luke 7: 18-35

Are you the one? Dealing with doubts

Good morning everyone. It´s wonderful to see all of you here this morning. We thank God for everyone of you.

As most of you know…..at Calvary Chapel Wiesbaden….. We teach through the Bible verse by verse…… We are studying the Gospel….the Good news as recorded by Luke…… Today we are in Luke 7…..

Remember last time we were together…..we saw Jesus raise the dead…….. We are in the part of Luke that shows us proof that the son of man is the Son of GOD…… Yes, Luke shows us that Jesus is God come in the flesh….. to redeem us…..

Jesus raised the widow´s son from the dead…….. in the middle of the funeral procession…. The people were amazed and afraid….. let´s look at their response as we pick up again in Chapter 7….….. I´ll begin at verse 16……..

Luke 7: 16- 23 NLT

16 Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, “A mighty prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited his people today.” 17 And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding countryside.

18 The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, 19 and he sent them to the Lord to ask him, “Are you the ONE we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?”

20 John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to him, “John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the ONE we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?’”

21 At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind.

22 Then he told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.

23 And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.’”

Luke 7: 16 – 23 Neues Leben

16 Angst und Ehrfurcht erfassten die ganze Menge. Sie lobten Gott und sagten: »Ein mächtiger Prophet ist zu uns gekommen. Heute hat Gott sein Volk besucht.«

17 Berichte über diese Tat verbreiteten sich in ganz Judäa und bis über die Grenzen des Landes hinaus.

18 Johannes der Täufer erfuhr von seinen Jüngern alles, was Jesus tat. Er rief zwei seiner Jünger zu sich

19 und schickte sie zum Herrn, um ihn zu fragen: »Bist du wirklich der, der kommen soll, oder sollen wir auf einen anderen warten?«

20 Die beiden Jünger von Johannes fanden Jesus und sagten zu ihm: »Johannes der Täufer schickt uns, um zu fragen: `Bist du wirklich der, der kommen soll oder sollen wir auf einen anderen warten?´

21 Während sie bei ihm waren, heilte er viele Menschen von ihren Krankheiten, trieb böse Geister aus und gab Blinden ihr Augenlicht zurück.

22 Er gab den Jüngern des Johannes zu Antwort: »Kehrt zu Johannes zurück und berichtet ihm, was ihr gesehen und gehört habt: Blinde sehen, Gelähmte gehen, Aussätzige werden geheilt, Taube hören, Tote werden auferweckt und den Armen wird die gute Botschaft verkündet.

23 Und sagt ihm auch: `Gott segnet die, die keinen Anstoß an mir nehmen1.«

V16…. Great fear…..they knew that they were in the presence of the Messiah of God! …. God had at long last visited his people…… the Good News spread all around……perhaps 50 0r 100 kilometers…….

V18…..the disciples of John came to him and told him………. They were trying to encourage him…… He had been thrown in prison……..

John was sitting there expecting the Lord to begin His Kingdom at any minute…….. to set him free!..... He waited…..and waited……Not only did Jesus not come to set him free….. He left town…..

V19…… John sent 2 disciples……Are you …… THE ONE? A messianic title……

John knew Jesus was the Messiah!..... yet now he doubts…. he is unsure…….

I´ve called the message for today……

ARE YOU THE ONE?

Dealing with doubts….. Dealing with Uncertainty…..

Two things for us to see today

1. It´s normal to have doubts sometimes……

2 . We doubt because we look at our circumstances….. not at Jesus…… We look at our disappointment…..not at His unfailing Word….. His unfailing Love…..

First

1. It´s normal to have doubts sometimes…… Join the club……. All of us doubt sometimes……. I doubt ……The great men of the Bible doubted sometimes….

Moses…… Numbers 11: 11

Elijah…….. 1 kings 18….. a great victory….. great faith in the face of evil…..then 1 Kings 19……. He ran from Jezebel……. I´m the only one left……. No……… 7000 others……

Jeremiah…… Jeremiah 20…….

He prophesied of certain judgment….. it did not come immediately….. and the people hated him and made fun of him…..They wanted to be rid of him…… he doubted……. he tried to stop prophesying…. he tried to hold his tongue…. God´s word burned in his heart he had to speak…….

Paul……. 2 Cor 1: 8…….. Under great trials and struggles……. even Paul dispared of life…..…….

The problem is not that we doubt…….

The question is ….…. what do we do when we doubt……. John knew what to do…………

John went to Jesus…… Well he was in prison…… so……

John sent messengers to Jesus……. He was uncertain because of the very tough times…… He said…. maybe I missed something…… What a trial…….. Am I going to die here in this prison?......

Why the trials…… Why is the Christian life so hard……

Why do we doubt?

Because of unfulfilled expectations…….

We expect ……. The perfect life…..

I´m a Christian…..my life´s going to be perfect now…….right?.....

Well that´s what the prosperity teachers say…… the perfect bank account…… the perfect wife…. the perfect husband…. the perfect job……

But, That´s not what the Bible says…….

There will be times when we struggle……. When we are going thru great times of testing and trials……. Times when we doubt…….. but we were never promised a perfect life……. We need times of difficulty …….. times when we don´t understand why we are going thru tough stuff…….. It´s for our good…… It makes us cry out to the Lord…….. to go to Him…. with our doubts and fears and needs…… It´s the story of the Children of Israel…….

Deut 8……. let´s look…..

Deut 8: 1- 18 NLT

“Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. 5 Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.

6 “So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. 8 It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. 9 It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. 10 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.

11 “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. 12 For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13 and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! 14 Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 15 Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! 16 He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. 17 He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ 18 Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.

Deut 8: 1-18 Neues Leben

1 Befolgt gewissenhaft alle Gebote, die ich euch heute gebe! Dann werdet ihr leben und viele Nachkommen haben und das Land erobern, das der Herr euren Vorfahren mit einem Eid versprochen hat.

2 Erinnert euch an den ganzen Weg, den der Herr, euer Gott, euch während dieser 40 Jahre durch die Wüste führte. Dadurch wollte er euch demütigen und auf die Probe stellen, um euren wahren Charakter ans Licht zu bringen und um zu sehen, ob ihr seine Gebote befolgen würdet oder nicht.

3 Ja, er ließ euch eure Abhängigkeit spüren, indem er euch hungern ließ. Dann gab er euch Manna zu essen, das ihr und eure Vorfahren bis dahin nicht kanntet. Dadurch wollte er euch zeigen, dass der Mensch mehr als nur Brot zum Leben braucht. Er lebt auch von jedem Wort, das aus dem Mund des Herrn kommt.

4 Denn während dieser 40 Jahre nutzten sich eure Kleider nicht ab und auch eure Füße schwollen nicht an.

5 Daran solltet ihr erkennen, dass der Herr, euer Gott, euch erzieht, so wie Eltern ihr Kind erziehen.

6 Lebt nach dem Willen des Herrn, eures Gottes, und habt Ehrfurcht vor ihm, indem ihr seine Gebote in eurem Leben umsetzt.

7 Denn der Herr, euer Gott, bringt euch in ein gutes Land. Dort gibt es Flüsse, Seen und Quellen, die in den Tälern und Bergen entspringen,

8 und Weizen und Gerste, Weinstöcke und Feigenbäume, Granatäpfel, Ölbäume und Honig.

9 Es ist ein Land, in dem ihr euch satt essen könnt und es euch an nichts fehlen wird. Ein Land, in dem die Steine Eisen enthalten und aus dessen Bergen du Kupfer abbauen kannst.

10 Wenn ihr dann gegessen habt und satt seid, sollt ihr den Herrn, euren Gott, für das gute Land, das er euch gegeben hat, loben.

11 Passt aber auf, dass ihr den Herrn, euren Gott nicht vergesst und dann seine Gebote, Vorschriften und Gesetze, die ich euch heute gebe, nicht mehr befolgt.

12 Wenn ihr genug zu essen habt und euch prächtige Häuser baut und darin wohnt,

13 und wenn eure Schaf-, Ziegen- und Rinderherden groß werden und ihr viel Gold, Silber und vieles andere besitzt,

14 dann werdet nicht überheblich und vergesst nicht den Herrn, euren Gott, der euch aus der Sklaverei in Ägypten befreit hat.

15 Er hat euch durch die große, schreckliche Wüste mit ihren wasserlosen Gegenden, ihren Giftschlangen und Skorpionen geführt. Er ließ euch Wasser aus dem Felsen sprudeln

16 und gab euch in der Wüste Manna zu essen, eine Speise, die eure Vorfahren bis dahin nicht kannten. Auf diese Weise wollte er euch demütig machen und auf die Probe stellen, um euch letztendlich mit Gutem zu beschenken.

17 Denkt nur nicht, ihr wärt aus eigener Kraft und Anstrengung reich geworden.

18 Erinnert euch vielmehr daran, dass es der Herr, euer Gott, ist, der euch die Kraft gibt, Reichtum zu erwerben. Denn er erfüllt den Bund, den er mit euren Vorfahren schloss und der jetzt noch gilt.

Tough times trials……times of doubting….. Why?.....

The LORD tells us that it will happen and that he has a reason for it……

Deut 8……

1. remember……. God led you in the wilderness for 40 years…… He did it……

God led them thru great trials and difficulties……on purpose…… It´s not like God forgot his GPS…….. They were exactly where He wanted them to be……WHY?

2. to humble you

3. to test you…. To show you what was in your heart….. maturing process……like melting gold in a fire….. it purifies the gold ….. makes it really useful and beautiful…..

That´s right folks all the garbage that you are going thru right now……. is to show you ( to show us) what´s our your hearts….. to make us useful and beautiful……

4. teach you to depend upon the Word of God….. God´s promises….His redemption…..His unfailing Love………

5. It´s for our good …….. It helps us to obey HIM…. it makes us more like Jesus….. Jesus learned obedience by the things that he suffered…. Hebrews 5: 8…….

6. So that when He blesses us we will remember that these wonderful blessings come to us because of our Great redeemer…… not because we are something great…. So that we will be thankful not proud……. OK back to LUKE………

V20- 23….. John sent his disciples…..

ARE YOU THE ONE? In that same hour…… Jesus showed them With His miracles……that He is the ONE…..The Messiah…. Fulfilling many prophesies…….. He pointed to the Word of GOD…….. Here is truth……. I am….sent me…… He healed everyone who came to Him……. He raised the dead…….

John had seen Jesus…..he had seen the Holy Spirit descending from Heaven…. He heard the LORD GOD speak from heaven….This is my beloved son……. He had been filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother´s womb….. He had seen multitudes come to repent and believe the Good News of the coming Messiah…..

But now…… there were things that John didn´t understand….. he was uncertain….he was expecting more…… he was expecting the immediate fulfillment of all that the Word said about the coming of the Messiah…… complete total deliverance from Rome…… the start of that Everlasting Messianic Kingdom……. these unfulfilled expectations….these things that we expect God to do…… can be a stumbling block to us …….because we expect our Christian life to be perfect now…..

John was in prison…..he didn´t understand…..he knew the Word but…… at this moment in his life there were things that were so hard…… so heavy….. so dark…. He was at a loss for an answer….. he was disappointed with his circumstances…… maybe he was wrong about Jesus …… He was disappointed in the LORD….. Jesus showed them that he is the Messiah…the One…..He sent them back to John to encourage him……. Yes, I am the ONE……Look…….. I am fulfilling everything the Word says……..

Blessed is he who is not offended in ME…….

Luke 7: 24- 35 NLT

24 After John’s disciples left, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? 25 Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces. 26 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 27 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,

and he will prepare your way before you.’

28 I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!”

29 When they heard this, all the people—even the tax collectors—agreed that God’s way was right,[e] for they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism.

31 “To what can I compare the people of this generation?” Jesus asked. “How can I describe them? 32 They are like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,‘We played wedding songs, and you didn’t dance, so we played funeral songs, and you didn’t weep.’

33 For John the Baptist didn’t spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ 35 But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.”

Luke 7: 24- 35 Neues Leben

24 Als sie gegangen waren, wandte Jesus sich an die Menge und sagte über Johannes: »Wer ist dieser Mann in der Wüste, den ihr unbedingt sehen wolltet? Kam er euch schwach vor wie ein Schilfrohr, das im Windhauch hin und her schwankt?

25 Oder habt ihr einen Mann erwartet, der in kostbare Gewänder gehüllt ist? Nein, Leute mit kostbaren Kleidern und verschwenderischer Lebensart wohnen in Palästen, nicht in der Wüste.

26 Oder habt ihr in ihm einen Propheten vermutet? Ja, das ist er, und er ist sogar noch mehr als das.

27 Johannes ist der Mann, von dem die Schrift sagt: `Ich sende meinen Boten vor dir her, er wird deine Ankunft vorbereiten.´2

28 Ich sage euch: Von allen Menschen, die jemals gelebt haben, war keiner größer als Johannes. Und doch ist noch der Geringste im Reich Gottes größer als er!«

29 Als sie das hörten, gaben alle - auch die Steuereinnehmer - zu, dass Gott es gut mit ihnen meinte3. Und sie ließen sich von Johannes taufen.

30 Die Pharisäer und die Schriftgelehrten dagegen lehnten den Plan, den Gott für sie hatte, ab, denn sie ließen sich nicht von Johannes taufen.

31 »Wie soll ich die Menschen dieser Generation beschreiben?«, fragte Jesus. »Womit soll ich sie vergleichen?

32 Sie sind wie Kinder, die auf der Straße spielen und sich bei ihren Freunden beklagen: `Wir haben lustige Lieder gespielt, und ihr wart nicht fröhlich; dann haben wir Klagelieder gespielt, aber ihr wart nicht traurig.´

33 Denn Johannes der Täufer trank keinen Wein und fastete oft, und von ihm sagt ihr: `Er ist von einem Dämon besessen.´

34 Der Menschensohn feiert und trinkt, und von ihm sagt ihr: `Er ist ein Schlemmer und Säufer, und die schlimmsten Leute sind seine Freunde!´

35 Doch die Weisheit erweist sich als richtig im Leben derer, die sie befolgen.

CLOSE

1 Peter 1: 1- 16 NLT

1 This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.

I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.[a] 2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

6 So be truly glad.[b] There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

10 This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. 11 They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.

12 They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.

13 So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

1 Peter1 : 1-16 Neues Leben

1 Dieser Brief ist von Petrus, einem Apostel von Jesus Christus. Ich schreibe an die Auserwählten Gottes, die als Fremde in Pontus, Galatien, Kappadozien, der Provinz Asien und Bithynien leben.

2 Gott, der Vater, hat euch vor langer Zeit erwählt, und der Geist hat euch geheiligt, sodass ihr nun Jesus Christus nachfolgt und durch seinen Tod am Kreuz gereinigt seid1. Ich wünsche euch, dass ihr immer mehr von der Gnade und dem Frieden Gottes erfüllt werdet.

3 Gelobt sei der Gott und Vater unseres Herrn Jesus Christus, denn er hat uns in seiner großen Barmherzigkeit das Vorrecht geschenkt, wiedergeboren zu werden. Jetzt haben wir eine lebendige Hoffnung, weil Jesus Christus von den Toten auferstanden ist.

4 Denn Gott hat für seine Kinder ein unvergängliches Erbe, das rein und unversehrt im Himmel für euch aufbewahrt wird.

5 Und in seiner großen Macht wird er euch durch den Glauben beschützen, bis ihr das ewige Leben empfangt. Es wird am Ende der Zeit für alle sichtbar offenbart werden.

6 Freut euch deshalb von Herzen! Vor euch liegt eine große Freude, auch wenn ihr für eine Weile viel2 erdulden müsst.

7 Dies dient nur dazu, euren Glauben zu prüfen, damit sich zeigt, ob er wirklich stark und rein ist. Er wird erprobt, so wie Gold im Feuer geprüft und geläutert wird - und euer Glaube ist Gott sehr viel kostbarer als bloßes Gold. Wenn euer Glaube also stark bleibt, nachdem er durch große Schwierigkeiten geprüft wurde, wird er euch viel Lob und Herrlichkeit und Ehre einbringen an dem Tag, an dem Jesus Christus der ganzen Welt offenbart werden wird.

8 Ihn liebt ihr, obwohl ihr ihn nie gesehen habt. Obwohl ihr ihn nicht seht, glaubt ihr an ihn; und schon jetzt seid ihr erfüllt von herrlicher, unaussprechlicher Freude.

9 Das Ziel eures Glaubens wird die Rettung eurer Seelen sein.

10 Schon die Propheten wollten über diese Rettung mehr wissen und sagten voraus, was Gott euch zugedacht hat.

11 Und der Geist wirkte in ihnen, und sie versuchten zu erkennen, auf welche Zeit er sie hinwies, als er ihnen die Leiden von Christus und seine Herrlichkeit bereits damals ankündigte.

12 Es wurde ihnen gesagt, dass sich das nicht zu ihrer Zeit ereignen würde, sondern viele Jahre später, in eurer Zeit. Und nun wurde euch diese Botschaft durch diejenigen verkündet, die in der Kraft des Heiligen Geistes, der vom Himmel gesandt wurde, zu euch gepredigt haben. Und sogar die Engel sehnen sich danach, etwas davon zu sehen

13 Bemüht euch daher um ein klares, nüchternes Denken und um Selbstbeherrschung. Setzt eure ganze Hoffnung auf die Gnade, die euch bei der Wiederkehr von Jesus Christus erwartet.

14 Gehorcht Gott, weil ihr seine Kinder seid. Fallt nicht in eure alten, schlechten Gewohnheiten zurück. Damals wusstet ihr es nicht besser.

15 Aber jetzt sollt ihr in allem, was ihr tut, heilig sein, genauso wie Gott, der euch berufen hat, heilig ist.

16 Denn er hat selbst gesagt: »Ihr sollt heilig sein, weil ich heilig bin!

New testament Christianity is the human response to the revelation of God the creator as full of unfailing love….

Out of love for us….. we who did not love him…..The father sent His Son……Out of love for us…..we who did not love him…..he gave his life….. for our sins….to redeem us….

Believing in and being overwhelmed by his divine……. Perfect love……..is what makes it possible to love our neighbor and even our enemies…..as the law requires…….. the Law of God is the law of love……

Our love for others…….. is how we show our thankfulness to God for His unfailing love for us……

We look to God the father and to the LORD Jesus as our perfect examples……

Love your enemies

Luke 6: 27-36 22.5.2011

Love your Enemies

Good morning everyone. It´s wonderful to see all of you here this morning. We thank God for everyone of you.

As most of you know…..at Calvary Chapel Wiesbaden….. We teach through the Bible verse by verse…… We are studying the Gospel….the Good news as recorded by Luke……

Turn to Luke chapter 6 ……….

Jesus is teaching the people……. He had chosen the 12 apostles…….. He heals everyone who comes to Him…… and now He teaches them…….. Luke gives us only part of His sermon…….It is an important sermon because it's a sermon about salvation……. . It is a very simple and very straightforward sermon………. This sermon draws a simple contrast…… It is a contrast between those people who are blessed and those people who are cursed..... everybody everywhere who has ever lived either falls into the category of being blessed or being cursed……….

Everybody relates to God in one of two ways……. you're either blessed by God or cursed by God……. There is only one true and living God ….. and that is the God revealed on the pages of Scripture….. There is no other God….. there are no other gods…… And all men relate to the true and living God one way or another…… They are blessed by Him or they are cursed by Him…… They are in His Kingdom, or out of His Kingdom….. They are His children or the children of Satan…. They are in the kingdom of light or they're in the kingdom of darkness. ….They are citizens of heaven or of hell….. And that's how it is…… Everybody in the human race fits into one of the two categories……

And that's how Jesus begins His sermon by pointing clearly to the blessed and the cursed……. The word "blessed" is in verse 20, 21 and 22 and the cursed are referred to with "woes," woe meaning curse in verses 24, 25 and 26. And Jesus……… like any good evangelist, creates a contrast……… There are the people who are saved……. the people who are blessed, ……. and the people who are lost…… the people who are cursed…… the people who belong to God…… and those who belong to Satan…… those that have been transformed and regenerated and those that have not…….. those headed to heaven, those headed to hell…….

That is not complex, that is simple, that is the message of every prophet of old……. the message of Jesus, the message of John the Baptist, the message of the Apostles and the message of every true evangelist since then up to this very present hour…… The simple contrast is clear to us throughout all of biblical history and it is crystal clear to us in this sermon which Jesus preached…….

Verse 20 tells us that He was talking to disciples…… That's a broad generic word for learner, student…… There were lots of people following Him, not just the Twelve Apostles, don't confuse the disciples here with the Apostles…….. the Apostles were disciples but they are set apart from the disciples as Apostles…… Disciple means student, learner…… Apostle means messenger, sent one…….. The apostles are there……. The rest of those following Jesus and learning Jesus' teaching to one degree or another, being students of Jesus are in the broad category of disciples……. Some real some….not……

Jesus speaks to this broad category of people and says you're either blessed or cursed……. You're either in the Kingdom of God or outside the Kingdom of God……..

That's the way it was with the crowd that was following Jesus…….. They were at all points on the spectrum from being disciples........ some true disciples ….. some false disciples ….

Now how are we to understand who's who? How are we to understand who is blessed and who is cursed? The first way we understand is how they view themselves…… You can tell who has been redeemed by how they view themselves……. And that's what we learn in verses 20 to 26…… The blessed….. those who are in the Kingdom…… view themselves as poor, hungry, weeping and alienated……. And that is to say that they have a view of themselves that sees their true spiritual condition as one of sin…… That's their bankruptcy….. They see themselves as spiritually bankrupt, empty, beggars, hungering for a righteousness they don't have and can't earn. …… And there is in them a sadness, a weeping, a sorrow, a brokenness and a sense of being alienated and ostracized……..

So the first way you can tell a Christian is by how he views himself….. And inevitably he views himself as a desperate, empty, hopeless, helpless...fill in the blank...sinner…….. That's how true believers view themselves…… That is not how religious people view themselves…… That's not how the Jews viewed themselves. ….That's not how the Pharisees and Sadducees viewed themselves…….. They were selfrighteous and proud…. certain that God was proud of them……

If you don't view yourself as a helpless sinner…… helpless who can't save himself or herself…… who is absolutely bankrupt …… doing nothing to earn salvation...... if you don't see yourself in that desperation, crying out for mercy from God…… then you must see yourself as having some religious achievement….. having some moral good works by which you can gain some favor with God…….

That's the way religious people see themselves…… They have a system of self righteousness…. .

And that's the way it breaks down. Those people who are true disciples of Christ…… true followers of Christ are known by how they view themselves…… Sinners saved by grace……Spiritually poor and unworthy….. And we saw that last time……

They are not self-righteous, they see themselves as wicked sinners……. They do not believe that anything they do can make a contribution to their salvation…….. And so they see themselves as having no hope but to cry out for mercy, cry out for grace, cry out for forgiveness and plead with God to save them though they don't deserve it…….. They are the truly repentant……. they are the humble, they are the poor, the hungry, the sad, the alienated, saved by grace……. That's how they view themselves…… And anybody who doesn't view themselves like that isn't in the Kingdom........ They are religious…..hypocrites…..pretenders….. They're satisfied with their religion…… They're happy with their religion……

Tragic…… if you don't see yourself as a lost sinner totally depraved and helpless, you're not going to come to the gospel……

But the second thing that identifies a true Christian is the way you look at and think about other people...... You can tell whether a person is a true disciple of Christ……. Jesus says …….. by how they view other people……..

Let´s turn to Luke 6: 27-37…..as we continue our study….

Luke 6: 27- 36 NLT

27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. 30 Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. 31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.

35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

Luke 6: 27- 36 Neues Leben

27 Doch wenn ihr bereit seid, wirklich zu hören, dann sage ich euch: Liebt eure Feinde. Tut denen Gutes, die euch hassen.

28 Betet für das Glück derer, die euch verfluchen. Betet für die, die euch verletzen.

29 Wenn jemand dich auf die eine Wange schlägt, dann halte ihm auch die andere hin. Wenn jemand deinen Mantel will, biete ihm auch dein Hemd an.

30 Wer dich bittet, dem gib, was du hast; und wenn dir etwas weggenommen wird, versuche nicht, es wiederzubekommen.

31 Behandle andere so, wie du von ihnen behandelt werden möchtest.

32 Glaubt ihr, ihr hättet dafür Anerkennung verdient, dass ihr die liebt, die euch auch lieben? Das tun sogar die Sünder!

33 Und wenn ihr nur denen Gutes erweist, die euch Gutes tun, was ist daran so anerkennenswert? Selbst Sünder verhalten sich so!

34 Oder wenn ihr nur denen Geld leiht, die es euch zurückzahlen können, was ist daran außergewöhnlich? Selbst Sünder leihen ihresgleichen Geld in der Hoffnung, die volle Summe zurückzuerhalten.

35 Liebt eure Feinde! Erweist ihnen Gutes! Leiht ihnen Geld! Und macht euch keine Sorgen, weil sie es euch vielleicht nicht wiedergeben werden. Dann wird euer Lohn im Himmel groß sein und ihr handelt wirklich wie Kinder des Allerhöchsten, denn er erweist auch den Undankbaren und den Bösen Gutes.

36 Ihr sollt gütig sein, wie euer Vater gütig ist.

Look at verse 27and 28…… “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

Here is the second test for a true disciple……..

1…… how he views himself…….

2….. how he views others……..

it's clear to whom Jesus is referring because verse 27 begins with these words, "But I say to you who... hear." That's a very important statement……

There's a contrast being made here……. There's a contrast being made between people who have the ability to hear the voice of God and respond…… and people who don't hear….and don´t obey…….

1 Corinthians 2:14 says, "The natural man does not the things of God……. to him they are foolishness." There is a clear distinction between sinners who are referred to in Luke 6….. verses 32, 33 and 34, and sons of God……, referred to in verse 35…….. There is a dramatic difference one is not a true disciple….. has never been born again….. the one who has never been saved has no capacity to hear and obey divine truth……

In verse 27……the Lord narrows His audience here and says, "I'm talking to you who can get it……. I'm talking to you who have spiritual understanding…... The true believer poor, hungry, sad, unpopular........I'm talking to you who are rejected….. I'm talking to you who are persecuted…….. you're going to be known by your love of your enemies. …….This is your Godly character shining through…..."

Your relationship to other people is to be characterized by love........ No true disciple is going to cut himself off from the world…….. He's not going to retaliate……. There are some who think maybe the just and righteous thing to do is to retaliate against your persecutors……. What Jesus says in verse 27 with that astonishing economy of words with which He always spoke is simply this, "Love your enemies...love your enemies."

Why? Because that's not normal…….. And that will be a demonstration that you're not normal because they don't do that……. People outside the kingdom don't love their enemies…… They basically hate their enemies……

Hating enemies……That's the world……. That's the way sinners are…… Not a true disciple….. True disciples love their enemies, that's not normal. ……..

Now even in Israel In Jesus day……. it wasn't normal….. And you can't get more religious than they were…… in their system, listen to this, It was it was a sin to love your enemy……. So when Jesus steps in front of the crowd in this Sermon ……He's got Pharisees there and scribes there……. they followed Him everywhere, He's got priests and rabbis and local synagogue rulers and the populous and He says, "Love your enemies,"……

that to the Jews is a statement that is immoral, it is ungodly to say that……. It's not right…… That's offensive to them because they tied their spiritual virtue to their hatred…….

it would be like saying to a Jew in Jerusalem…….. "Love the Palestinian suicide bomber." ……. Or, "What you need to do is love your hostile Arab neighbors."

Well, the Jews of Jesus' day had a direction in which most of their hatred was going……..it was very, very clear, it went toward the Romans….. They didn't like the Roman rule……. they didn't like it for a lot of reasons…… They didn't like it politically because the Romans had taken away their self-rule…… And then they had appointed the despicable Herodian rulers ……

They hated the Romans because the Romans were idolatrous Gentile pagans……. When they came in with their poles on which they had the image of Caesar……. graven images because they worshiped Caesar as a god ….. .

There was a group of Jews connected with the Zealots called the Sicari who were the terrorists……..They were back stabbers……I told you about them…They were the Jewish terrorists who went around stabbing Romans in the back…… The Jews hated The Romans and they thought they hated them with holy hatred……

They also had developed a hatred for people who violated the law and traditions…… And they thought that that was a righteous thing to do….. I suppose they're not unlike some people today who think their responsibility is to hate abortionists…… or to hate people in a cult…… or hate Muslims…… or to hate people who pervert sex….. or do acts of terrorism……

It's as crucial message for us as it was for them…… Because hate has become a virtue for us…..

not a religious virtue but sort of a noble idea of justice and virtue….. We get confused……instead of hating only sin……. we start to hate sinners….. especially our enemies…. Those who hate us and want us dead……

But here Jesus steps in and says…… "Love your enemies."

This is unacceptable to the religious …… But then again, everything He said was,……. that's why He only had to preach one sermon in His hometown of Nazareth, they tried to throw Him off a cliff……

Now I want to give you several points as we work our way through verses 27 to 36, but the whole section is about Kingdom love, okay?

Now we're going to get to the point here……

This is about Supernatural Kingdom love …. true disciples of Christ are known by how they view themselves……sinners saved by grace…. and how they view others ….. with love…….

And this section unfolds for us, first of all, with four commands.

The commands of Kingdom love……

Verse 27 and 28 which I read to you has four simple commands.

The first one, love your enemies.

That's cultivating a merciful affection…… Asking God to have mercy on them….. That's how we feel about them….. Love your enemies,

We would like to think that Christians are known by their love……. in the ancient world Jews were known by their hate....... Why did the jews believe they shoud hate gentiles? Well ……

In the Old Testament when Israel was the theocracy and the tool of God…… there were times when God used Israel as that judge…… He also used Assyria as a judge…… He used Egypt as a judge.. …He used Persia as a judge on other occasions…… But God could determine to use human agencies, governments, nations as judges. …… God judged and condemned sin……. and they thought that they had some personal right to act as the judge of everybody……. even executioner if need be……. which they did in the case of Jesus…….

They would also go back to the imprecatory Psalms …….. Psalms that call an imprecation or a judgment upon somebody….. The psalmist in Psalm 59 is calling for God to judge the enemies……. Remember The psalmist…….. didn't do the judgment….. he simply said, "God, these are dishonoring to Your name….. these are dishonoring to Your glory….. these are blasphemous enemies and they are worthy of judgment……. O God, vindicate Yourself and judge them."

The Pharisees again had felt that this somehow had been delegated to them ……. But very clearly Deuteronomy 32:35 says,

"Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord."…….

When it comes time for that, I will do it, not you. ……. Those were all matters of divine action…. not human liberty.

the Jews had put the prerogatives that belonged only to God into operation in their own personal relationships…..

And, of course, that was another way in which they had skewed the Judaism of the Old Testament.

This was never Old Testament law…… Turn to …..

Exodus 23: 4 and 5 NLT

4 “If you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner. 5 If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help.

Exodus 23: 4 and 5 Neues Leben

4 Wenn ihr das Rind oder den Esel eures Feindes umherirren seht, dann bringt ihm sein Tier zurück.

5 Wenn ihr seht, dass der Esel eures Feindes unter seiner schweren Last zusammengebrochen ist, lasst ihn nicht mit dem Tier allein, sondern helft dem Tier mit ihm zusammen wieder auf.

We are commanded to love everyone…..even our enemies…..Turn to Job 31……

Job 31: 29- 33 NLT

29 “Have I ever rejoiced when disaster struck my enemies, or become excited when harm came their way? 30 No, I have never sinned by cursing anyone or by asking for revenge. 31 “My servants have never said, ‘He let others go hungry.’ 32 I have never turned away a stranger but have opened my doors to everyone. 33 “Have I tried to hide my sins like other people do, concealing my guilt in my heart?

Job 31: 29- 33 Neues Leben

29 Habe ich mich je über das Unglück meines Feindes gefreut und schadenfroh gejubelt, wenn ihm etwas Böses zustieß? 30 Nein, nie habe ich es meinem Mund erlaubt, sich so zu versündigen oder ihm mit einem Fluch den Untergang zu wünschen. 31 War es meinen Knechten vielleicht nicht möglich zu sagen: `Mit seinen Fleischvorräten hat er jeden satt gemacht.´? 32 Nein, keinen Fremden habe ich draußen übernachten lassen, meine Türen waren immer weit offen für den Wanderer! 33 Habe ich etwa versucht, wie es die menschliche Art ist, meine Sünden zu verstecken oder meine Schuld zu verheimlichen,

I am expected to love and help my enemies…… I am commanded to pray for them……I am commanded to warn them…….

All I can say to that man is……. "God will curse you if you reject Him."

I can't speak that curse into his life…….

God will judge you if you turn your back on him……. I can't bring that judgment on him……

A believers words are not magic……. It´s very popular to talk like that in Christian circles…..oh brother…. Be care ful….. don´t say your sick…..you´ll get sick…. Etc……

Proverbs 25:21 is another, I think, clear indication of the Old Testament standard……. "If your enemy is hungry," Proverbs 25:21, "give him food to eat….. If he's thirsty, give him water to drink…… For you'll heap burning coals on his head and the Lord will reward you."…… In other words, show love to your enemy….. show good will….. benevolence to your enemy……. This is what the Old Testament taught. …..

in fact, there was a very clear indication of what the Old Testament taught in Leviticus 19:18………. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Love your neighbor……. But that became an escape hatch....... Ah, your neighbor……. And then the big question, the big question in Jewish theology was...who is my neighbor?

If you're a Pharisee, your neighbor was a Pharisee and nobody else…….

In Luke 10 Jesus told a story about who your neighbor is……. and it's the story of the Good Samaritan…….. that great story………… of loving an enemy…..

a Levite passes by...this is a man who had the religious responsibility as a leader of the nation…….. he won't help……… A priest passes by…….. he won't help….. because they hated anybody outside their little clique…… Hypocrites….the very people who were commanded to teach and lead…….

But the Samaritan came by who was the outcast of outcasts…….. the most despised of all …… the half-breed traitor to Judaism……. He does what nobody else will do……

Jesus essentially is saying....... your neighbor is whoever is laying in the street and needs your help……. That's your neighbor…… Whoever comes across your path…… that's your neighbor…… without racial or religious distinction……. Even your enemy is your neighbor……..

But they didn't interpret the Old Testament that way…… Jesus then has to reassert the truth….. everything Jesus said was contrary to how they thought…….. contrary to how people think today....... love your enemies?

Love your enemies….That's the attitude you have toward them………

In verse 35 it says, "If you do this, if you love your enemies and do good to them and lend to them and expect nothing in return, your reward will be great and more than that, you will be sons of the Most High." The point being, they will recognize that this is not human and it will become clear that this identifies you as having a preternatural, or a supernatural love. So the attitude, how you feel about them? You love them.

Secondly…..we love them and we do good to those who hate us…… That's what we do…… We do good, kalos….. that's real good….. not a superficial good…..bless you be blessed…..

You do what is good…… and what is ultimately good is what is redeeming……. what has lasting goodness….. You do for them what can lead to their eternal salvation……

So the strategy then is....... what do I need to do to my enemy in order to gain an entrance and an openness for the gospel?

1….. How do I feel? I love my enemy.

2……. How do I act? I find every means possible to do good….. to show that I can overcome his evil with good…….. I act in his life with goodness…….

3……How do I speak? Verse 28, "Bless those who curse you." What does it mean to bless?

It is to speak goodness into their life….. to speak blessing into their life even if they curse you…….

Not in some magic words way…… but with prayer and true desire for their good…..

Jesus puts this in the form of a command ………. He wants them to know they can follow the impulse of the new creation to love……… and not fall victim to the brainwashing of the religious system they've been in…… It isn't right to hate people…….. you've got to start all over again…… you must love that enemy……… so that you literally overpower his evil with your goodness.......

What do you do to the people who are going to kill you ……thinking they're serving God?

You speak good into their life…..You ask for God´s mercy and blessing….. Just like Moses did when the Israelites sinned with the Golden Calf…… Exodus chpts 32-34

What is that? That's the gospel…… You speak that which brings about their ultimate good…….You tell them the Good News……. It doesn't mean there's no place for warning, how can you speak goodness into their life if they don't understand their sin and judgment?

Paul loved his enemies……His love for his enemies was not natural……

It wasn't part of conventional religion ……. conventional religion is a reflection of the natural…… the demonic…….. The love that the Apostle Paul had, the love that true Christians have and have always had….. is not explained on any natural level……

Paul loved his enemies…..

Just go back and read 2 Corinthians for yourself and see the litany of things he endured……

Five times at a synagogue the Jews whipped him with 39 lashes….. And he suffered that because he loved them enough to continue to speak the gospel…… There is absent in this any sense of self-interest, self-protection…….

JESUS says, "Your christian attitude toward others involves

1…. how you feel

2….. how you act

3….. how you speak

and finally…..how you pray........

4…..how you pray."

The end of verse 28, "Pray for those who mistreat you."

What should be our prayer? Well we could say "God, we want You to reveal Christ and establish the glorious Kingdom and bring evil to an end. We want You to destroy the enemies of the truth….. We want You to silence the false prophets……. LORD…….. there's this person who hates you…… hates the gospel…… and doesn't like me …… Lord…… I want you to save that person." That's the prayer…… That's what Jesus did……. Jesus didn't act as judge on the cross…… hanging on the cross He said, "Father...what?...forgive them."

That was The prayer….. forgive them, they don't know what they're doing……..

"Forgive them." This is praying for those in the midst of being mistreated….. Those are the commands of love…..

True Christians are known by two things, how they hate sin mostly in themselves……. and how they love others…….

In this text for today……. Jesus is separating out the true disciples ….. from those who are not…… beginning in verse 29….. Jesus shows them what

true love looks like…..

v29….. turn the other cheek….. don´t pay them back….. let them be mean….. let them steal from you….

v30….. give to anyone who asks…. Lend….don´t ask for the money back…..

v31……. Really follow the commandments…… from your heart…… Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

Then in v32-34 he shows the way the world acts……

32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.

Luke6: 32-34 Neues Leben

32 Glaubt ihr, ihr hättet dafür Anerkennung verdient, dass ihr die liebt, die euch auch lieben? Das tun sogar die Sünder!

33 Und wenn ihr nur denen Gutes erweist, die euch Gutes tun, was ist daran so anerkennenswert? Selbst Sünder verhalten sich so!

34 Oder wenn ihr nur denen Geld leiht, die es euch zurückzahlen können, was ist daran außergewöhnlich? Selbst Sünder leihen ihresgleichen Geld in der Hoffnung, die volle Summe zurückzuerhalten.

Jesus says…… don´t be like that…… be like me…….. Be like your father in Heaven…..look at v 35…..

v35….. “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

Luke 6: 35,36 Neues Leben

35 Liebt eure Feinde! Erweist ihnen Gutes! Leiht ihnen Geld! Und macht euch keine Sorgen, weil sie es euch vielleicht nicht wiedergeben werden. Dann wird euer Lohn im Himmel groß sein und ihr handelt wirklich wie Kinder des Allerhöchsten, denn er erweist auch den Undankbaren und den Bösen Gutes.

36 Ihr sollt gütig sein, wie euer Vater gütig ist.

CLOSE

Romans 12: 17- 21 NLT

17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,“I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

20 Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” 21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Romans 12: 17- 21 Neues Leben

17 Vergeltet anderen Menschen nicht Böses mit Bösem, sondern bemüht euch allen gegenüber um das Gute.

18 Tragt euren Teil dazu bei, mit anderen in Frieden zu leben, so weit es möglich ist!

19 Liebe Freunde, rächt euch niemals selbst, sondern überlasst die Rache dem Zorn Gottes. Denn es steht geschrieben: »Ich allein will Rache nehmen; ich will das Unrecht vergelten«,6 spricht der Herr.

20 Handelt stattdessen so, wie es in der Schrift heißt: »Wenn dein Feind hungrig ist, gib ihm zu essen. Wenn er durstig ist, gib ihm zu trinken, und er wird beschämt darüber sein, was er dir angetan hat.«7

21 Lass dich nicht vom Bösen überwinden, sondern überwinde das Böse durch das Gute!