Grace Fellowship Church

www.GraceDoctrine.org

Pastor/TeacherJim Rickard

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Memory VerseMemory Verse

John 13:34, John 13:34, “A new commandment I give “A new commandment I give

to you, that you love one to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved another, even as I have loved

you, that you also love one you, that you also love one another.”another.”

The Upper Room DiscourseThe Upper Room DiscourseJohn 13-16John 13-16

John 13:34John 13:34A New CommandmentA New Commandment

11. Our Lord's description 11. Our Lord's description of Impersonal Love is of Impersonal Love is given in Luke 6:27-38.given in Luke 6:27-38.

This sermon (vs. 20-49), This sermon (vs. 20-49), deals with the disciples’ deals with the disciples’

relationships to:relationships to:1. Possessions, vs. 20-26, 1. Possessions, vs. 20-26,

2. People, vs. 27-45,2. People, vs. 27-45,3. The Lord, vs. 46-49. 3. The Lord, vs. 46-49.

You can also summarize You can also summarize the sermon in four words: the sermon in four words:

Being, vs. 20-26, Being, vs. 20-26, Loving, vs. 27-36, Loving, vs. 27-36,

Forgiving, vs. 37-45, Forgiving, vs. 37-45, Obeying, vs. 46-49.Obeying, vs. 46-49.

In the section on “People”, In the section on “People”, Jesus tells us how to get Jesus tells us how to get along with our enemies along with our enemies

(vs. 27-36) and our (vs. 27-36) and our brothers (vs. 37-45). brothers (vs. 37-45).

a. Luke 6:27-28, a. Luke 6:27-28, These mandates cannot be These mandates cannot be

fulfilled by any human fulfilled by any human power or strength.power or strength.

They can only be fulfilled They can only be fulfilled by the divine power of by the divine power of

Bible doctrine resident in Bible doctrine resident in your soul and the filling of your soul and the filling of

God the Holy Spirit.God the Holy Spirit.

b. Luke 6:29, b. Luke 6:29, This is a total lack of This is a total lack of

revenge motivation. Love revenge motivation. Love is not vengeful. is not vengeful.

c. Luke 6:30,c. Luke 6:30, This does not mean you are This does not mean you are

obliged to everyone who asks obliged to everyone who asks without regard for your own without regard for your own abilities or the circumstances abilities or the circumstances

of the person begging or of the person begging or asking of you.asking of you.

It is obliging us to liberality It is obliging us to liberality and love according to our and love according to our abilities and the true needs abilities and the true needs

and circumstances of our poor and circumstances of our poor brethren and in the order brethren and in the order which God’s Word has which God’s Word has

directed us:directed us:

1) Providing for our own 1) Providing for our own families, families,

2) Then doing good 2) Then doing good towards the body of Christ, towards the body of Christ,

3) Then to others, as we 3) Then to others, as we are able.are able.

The 2nd part is not a The 2nd part is not a restraint from pursuing restraint from pursuing

thieves or oppressors, but thieves or oppressors, but prohibiting us private prohibiting us private

revenge, or making a big revenge, or making a big deal about the little things. deal about the little things.

Deut 15:7-9Deut 15:7-9

d. Luke 6:31, d. Luke 6:31, Do unto others as you Do unto others as you

would have done to you. would have done to you. What you think is reasonable that What you think is reasonable that

others should do to you were others should do to you were they in your circumstances and they in your circumstances and

had the ability to do good to you.had the ability to do good to you.

e. Luke 6:32-34, e. Luke 6:32-34, Human love repays Human love repays

kindness with kindness. kindness with kindness. Divine AGAPE love goes Divine AGAPE love goes much further and is able to much further and is able to

be kind to those who be kind to those who mistreat you. Luke 12:48mistreat you. Luke 12:48

f. Luke 6:35-36, f. Luke 6:35-36, AGAPE Love functions AGAPE Love functions

regardless of sins or regardless of sins or offenses against you and offenses against you and without expectation of without expectation of repayment or gratitude.repayment or gratitude.

A merciful or compassionate A merciful or compassionate man easily forgets injuries, man easily forgets injuries,

pardons without being pardons without being solicited, and does not permit solicited, and does not permit repeated acts of ingratitude to repeated acts of ingratitude to deter him from doing good. deter him from doing good.

It is obliging us not to It is obliging us not to withhold AGAPE Love withhold AGAPE Love from fear that if we lend from fear that if we lend

we may lose what we lend.we may lose what we lend.

g. Luke 6:37, g. Luke 6:37, AGAPE Love excludes AGAPE Love excludes

gossiping, maligning and gossiping, maligning and judging. Here we also have judging. Here we also have

the positive aspect of the positive aspect of reaping what you sow.reaping what you sow.

h. Luke 6:38, h. Luke 6:38, AGAPE Love means a AGAPE Love means a

heart for giving that results heart for giving that results in tremendous rewards and in tremendous rewards and blessings for both time and blessings for both time and

eternity. Deut 15:10; eternity. Deut 15:10; Prov 19:17; 22:9; 28:8Prov 19:17; 22:9; 28:8

Our loving and merciful Our loving and merciful actions will be rewarded by actions will be rewarded by

God, either indirectly through God, either indirectly through others or directly via divine others or directly via divine

providence. Deut 24:19; providence. Deut 24:19; Eccl 11:1; Psa 41:1-3; Eccl 11:1; Psa 41:1-3;

Prov 11:25; 28:27; 2 Cor 9:6Prov 11:25; 28:27; 2 Cor 9:6

SummarySummary

Seven aspects of Seven aspects of Unconditional Love. Unconditional Love.

1) Love your enemies.1) Love your enemies.2) Do good to those who hate 2) Do good to those who hate

you.you.3) Bless those who curse 3) Bless those who curse

you.you.4) Pray for those who 4) Pray for those who

mistreat you.mistreat you.

5) Do not retaliate.5) Do not retaliate.

6) Give freely.6) Give freely.

7) Treat others the way you 7) Treat others the way you want to be treated.want to be treated.

The application of AGAPE The application of AGAPE love makes you distinctive love makes you distinctive from others (vs. 32-34,), from others (vs. 32-34,), and as having the same and as having the same

characteristics as the characteristics as the heavenly Father (vs. 35).heavenly Father (vs. 35).

5 areas of “what you sow is 5 areas of “what you sow is what you will reap”. what you will reap”. vs. 36-38; cf. Gal 6:7 vs. 36-38; cf. Gal 6:7

5 areas of “what you sow is 5 areas of “what you sow is what you will reap”. what you will reap”. vs. 36-38; cf. Gal 6:7 vs. 36-38; cf. Gal 6:7

1) Mercy will lead to 1) Mercy will lead to mercy, Luke 6:36.mercy, Luke 6:36.

2) Judgment will lead to 2) Judgment will lead to judgment, vs.37a.judgment, vs.37a.

2) Judgment will lead to 2) Judgment will lead to judgment, vs.37a.judgment, vs.37a.

3) Condemnation will lead to 3) Condemnation will lead to condemnation, vs. 37b.condemnation, vs. 37b.

2) Judgment will lead to 2) Judgment will lead to judgment, vs.37a.judgment, vs.37a.

3) Condemnation will lead to 3) Condemnation will lead to condemnation, vs. 37b.condemnation, vs. 37b.

4) Pardon will lead to pardon, 4) Pardon will lead to pardon, vs. 37c.vs. 37c.

2) Judgment will lead to 2) Judgment will lead to judgment, vs.37a.judgment, vs.37a.

3) Condemnation will lead to 3) Condemnation will lead to condemnation, vs. 37b.condemnation, vs. 37b.

4) Pardon will lead to pardon, 4) Pardon will lead to pardon, vs. 37c.vs. 37c.

5) Giving will lead to giving, 5) Giving will lead to giving, vs. 38.vs. 38.

PrinciplePrinciple::Attitudes and actions often Attitudes and actions often

reflect back on the reflect back on the individual.individual.

1 John 3:23, “This is His 1 John 3:23, “This is His commandment, that we commandment, that we

believe in the name of His believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love Son Jesus Christ, and love

one another, just as He one another, just as He commanded us.”commanded us.”

Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship Church

Thursday, February 5, 2009Thursday, February 5, 2009

Tape # 09-009

AGAPE Love, Luke 6 AGAPE Love, Luke 6 Upper Room Discourse, Part 241Upper Room Discourse, Part 241

John 13:34; Luke 6:27-38

James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2009