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UNPOPULAR SAYINGS
OF JESUS
Lesson One:
EXPECT NOTHING IN RETURN
Luke 6:27-35
Sunday Morning Sermon
May 30, 1999
Fair Avenue Baptist Church
In Luke 6 we find some difficult words from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. They are parallel verses of Matthew Chapters 5 & 7.
These words are difficult because they place some high expectations for us as Christians.
In fact, these expectations are found in several passages throughout the Word of God. I believe that means we should pay careful attention to them.
We see:
Matt. 5:44
Matt. 5:39-42
Matt. 7:12
Matt. 5:46-47
If repetition is the key to learning, obviously there is something here we need to learn or else it would not be mentioned so many times.
There is a very simple message found in these verses and a lesson we must learn if we expect to make it in our Christian life.
And, by the way, if we fail to learn the lessons found in these verses, we will find ourselves becoming very bitter and discouraged.
There are three things I want us to look at this morning and three things we must give in order to become the Christian God expects us to be.
The title of this message is “Expect Nothing in Return.”
1. GIVE TO THOSE WHO HATE YOU
V. 27
“Do good to them which hate you.”
Let that sink in slowly.
“Do good to them which hate you.”
That’s tough...
That’s hard...
That’s extremely difficult...
Yet, this is a direct quote from Jesus Himself.
I don’t see any qualifiers here.
I don’t see any “if’s,” “and’s,” or “but’s.”
I simply see a straightforward command.
“Love your enemies.”
“Do good to them which hate you.”
You say, “Preacher, do you love your enemies?”
Why do you want to put me on the spot like that?
I must admit that it is very hard for me to love my enemies.
“Preacher, do you do good to those who hate you?”
And I must admit that it is very hard for me to do good to them which hate me.
And I have to work at it every day.
This is a very unpopular saying of Jesus.
1. Give to those who hate you
2. GIVE TO THOSE WHO CURSE YOU
V. 28
“Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.”
“Bless them”
“Pray for them”
Ouch!
“Lord, not only do you want me to give to those who hate me,
but, now, you want me to give to those who cuss me and despitefully use me?”
Man, oh, man, those are some difficult verses to swallow.
Let me see if I’ve got this straight:
First, You want me to do good to those who hate me,
Second, You want me to bless them that cuss me,
and on top of that, you want me to pray for them that despitefully use me.
Do good,
Bless,
Pray.
1-2-3
“Lord, are You sure?”
Do you pray for your enemies?
Did you pray for your enemies today?
Did you ask for God’s blessings on your enemies today?
Did you do something good this week to those who hate you?
We’re supposed to,
Jesus said so.
1. Give to those who hate you
2. Give to those who curse you
3. GIVE TO THOSE WHO CANNOT REPAY - V. 35
“But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again...”
Notice where it says, “lend, hoping for nothing again.”
Part of our Christian life is to give to those who cannot repay.
And if we follow that verse carefully, we can see where we are to lend to our enemies, hoping for nothing again.
I also believe that this verse could apply to our bus ministry.
Simply put, we are to give to those who cannot OR will not repay.
1. Give to those who hate you
2. Give to those who curse you
3. Give to those who cannot repay
Difficult,
Unpopular,
But, nevertheless...
from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lesson Two:
FORGIVE SEVEN TIMES SEVENTY
Matthew 18:21-22
Sunday Morning Sermon
June 6, 1999
Fair Avenue Baptist Church
In Matthew 18 we come to Lesson Two in our series on the Unpopular Sayings of Jesus. In fact, this may be the most difficult thing that Jesus asks us to do.
It follows VERSES 15-17 where we are told how to handle problems in the church. However, that is another lesson.
Peter asks Jesus about this matter of forgiveness. Notice carefully the wording of this passage and remember that it follows VERSES 15-17.
First, if we have a problem with someone, we are to go to them. We are NOT told to wait until they come to us. We are to go to them.
Second, we are to forgive them when they sin against us.
SO, if we feel that someone has wronged us, we are to go to them, and we are to forgive them when we feel they have sinned against us. THAT IS THE BIBLE WAY!
Unpopular - yes,
Difficult - yes,
Tough - yes.
And, not only are we to forgive them just one time, not seven times, we are to forgive them 490 times, FOR THE SAME OFFENSE!
Let’s review:
First, if you feel someone has wronged you or sinned against you, YOU ARE TO GO TO THEM! There is no reference that tells them to come to you - YOU ARE TO GO TO THEM!
Second, when you go to them you tell them what the problem is, “his fault between thee and him alone.”
Third, if you feel a brother has sinned “against” you, you are to forgive him 490 times.
1-2-3,
Easy as can be.
NOT HARDLY!
Why should we “Forgive Seven Times Seventy?”
I want us to look at three reasons why we should forgive seven times seventy.
1. IT MAKES SENSE SOCIALLY
Prov. 18:24
“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly.”
It only makes sense to learn to forgive because that is what friends and family do.
It’s amazing that we want people to forgive us but we are not interested in forgiving.
I’ve known people who cussed their mother and/or their father out and one day wanted forgiveness.
You and I both know people who have yelled and screamed and cussed and thrown a fit but sooner or later they wanted forgiveness. They wanted everyone to act like it never did happen.
We want people to forgive us when we make mistakes but we are not always so willing to forgive when others make mistakes.
You let someone do something that upsets us and we’ll stay angry for weeks and maybe months.
Yet, we do something and in just a few days we want everyone to forgive and forget and act like it never happened.
You’ll have a lot more friends if you learn to forgive.
1. It makes sense socially
2. IT MAKES SENSE PHYSICALLY
Prov. 15:13, 15
“A merry heart make a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” V. 13
“He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.” V. 15
We need to let those verses sink in carefully and thoroughly.
The Word of God is trying to tell us that we will be more healthy when our heart is right.
A merry heart is like a continual feast and everyone knows that a feast is a very good time and very enjoyable.
Many of us enjoy a good feast. We had a good feast last night after the graduation. I ate so much I need to skip lunch.
An unforgiving person has a heavy heart and will not have a cheerful countenance.
An unforgiving person becomes the person who “by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”
A broken spirit is bad for your health.
What I’m trying to say is that when you and I become unforgiving it is bad for our health.
We must learn to forgive.
1. It makes sense socially
2. It makes sense physically
3. IT MAKES SENSE SPIRITUALLY
Matt. 5:7
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”
Forgiveness is mercy.
Mercy brings blessings.
Blessings bring happiness.
Happiness is what we all want.
It only makes sense spiritually to be forgiving.
Forgiveness brings the blessings of God on our life.
Unforgiveness puts a frown on our face,
It brings “sorrow of heart,”
And it will RUIN your Christian life and walk with God,
And it can ruin relationships.
I’m sure we would rather have the blessings of God on our life than “sorrow of heart” and a “frown on our face.”
Forgiveness - happiness
Forgiveness - merry heart
Forgiveness - continual feast
Forgiveness - blessings
Forgiveness - cheerful countenance
Forgiveness - friends and relationships
Unforgiveness - sorrow heart
Unforgiveness - broken spirit
Unforgiveness - no blessings
Let’s close with one more passage from Matt. 6:14-15.
The word “trespasses” means “faults.”
If we forgive people of their faults - God forgives us.
If we do not forgive - God will not forgive our faults.
Do you see that?
Do you understand that completely?
If we do not forgive,
If we do not forgive those who have wronged us,
If we do not forgive those who we THINK have wronged us,
Then we cannot be forgiven.
We must learn to forgive.
It only makes sense.
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