Church of The Open Door Sermons

Expanding Your Circle of Love

“The Struggle to Love Well”

Luke 6:27-36

 

 

Jesus’ commands to love

Love the Lord Your God

Love your neighbor

Love your enemies

Love one another

Jesus’ challenge to love

Jesus is expanding our circle of love.

Everyone has someone they struggle to love.

Question: “What does it look like to love this person well?”

Jesus’ examples of love:

“Welcoming” sinners

Full of grace and truth

Jesus’ commands focus on love not truth

Finding the balance

Question: “Am I loving like Jesus?”

Jesus’ risk of love

Being misunderstood

Being rejected

Being crucified

Sign up for the guest speakers monthly blog at https://send.org/connect/Hope-and-Light

Find Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity at https://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Allah-Finding-Jesus-Christianity/dp/0310527236

Learn more about missions and unreached people groups at https://joshuaproject.net/

Join us as we dive deeper into the Scriptures and themes from the Sunday morning sermons at Church of the Open Door! If you have questions to add to the conversation, let us know at [email protected]!

Expanding your circle of love to those different than us.

Luke 6:31, 36

How is God Merciful?

He loves us.

He blesses us.

He doesn’t treat us as we deserve.

He rescues us from our sin and shame.

He forgives our sins.

What group of people make up 25 % of the world’s population?     Muslims

The vast majority of Muslims have never met a Christian

Why?

Most live far away.

They speak a different language.

We don’t know their culture.

They are different than us.

We are afraid of them.

What percentage of Muslims are Arabs?   20%

Where do we start in reaching out to Muslims?

We start with prayer.

We remember what God has done for us.

We go to them.

We give.

Do we need to earn God’s Mercy?    No

Do Muslims come to Jesus quickly?   Usually no.

Give them time.

Give them grace.

It’s a journey.

Big picture

Are there Honor and Shame issues going on?   Yes

Are there language and cultural things that will trip us up?  Yes

Do you have to face your own prejudices?  Yes

Do you have to perfectly understand them before you share the gospel?  No

You just have to be open to the Lord.  Here I am Lord, use me.

Join us as we dive deeper into the Scriptures and themes from the Sunday morning sermons at Church of the Open Door! If you have questions to add to the conversation, let us know at [email protected]!

Title: Choosing Jesus’ Kind of Love

Series: Expanding Your Circle of Love

Text: Luke 6:31-34

Date: 1/21/24

What kind of love identifies us with Jesus?

This love is summarized in the Golden Rule. Jesus’ kind of love is…

Unconditional. Don’t base your love on their response or their reception.

Others-centered. Don’t restrict your love to the lovable.

Proactive. Don’t wait for the right opportunity; make it your lifestyle.

Reflective. Ask yourself… “What would it look like to love this person well?”

This love is for all people, including “those who love you.”

Loving those who love you isn’t extra credit, it’s an expectation.

Our love is seen most clearly in how we respond when it becomes costly.

This love is not about safe investments, it’s about freely giving.

Take Home Truth: We choose to sacrificially love one another because Jesus did it first.

LifeGroup Questions:

What is one thing that stuck out to you from the sermon?

How do people respond when they find out you’re a Christian? Why do you think they respond that way?

Agree or Disagree: The problem isn’t whether or not we will understand the Golden Rule, but whether or not we have the courage to live it out.

Which of the four points that unpacks the Golden Rule are you strongest in? Which needs the most work? (unconditional, others-centered, proactive, reflective)

How can you tell when love is a free gift and when it is a manipulative investment? What’s the difference?

How do you respond when those close to you (your spouse, your family, your friends, your church) stop holding up their end of the bargain? How might you respond differently if you were living out the Golden Rule?

Do you think that your life would be very different if people around you followed the Golden Rule? How would things be different? Spend a few minutes writing down your response.

Look back over what you wrote down for the previous question. This is how you have answered Jesus’ prompt, “What do you wish others would do for you?” Is there anything on this list that you can choose to do this week for someone else?

Expanding Your Circle of Love

Loving the Inner Circle

Luke 6:31-34

Golden Rule: Be sensitive to the needs, feelings, and concerns of others and seek to meet them.

A love that’s transactional has no real worth.

Love your friends like you love your enemies.

 

 

Don’t settle for selfish love, strive for selfless love.

For my Family:

For my Friends:

For the Church:

Expanding Your Circle of Love

“The Golden Rule”

Luke 6:31-34

NOTES:

LIFE GROUP QUESTIONS: Applying the Teaching to Our Life

What is something you took away from todays message? How did God convict you through His word?

Read Matt. 7:12. Jesus said the law and prophets are “summed up” by the golden rule. What does this mean? How should this effect our lives as followers?

What is something you experienced from a teacher, pastor, parent, friend that you vowed to treat others differently when you grew up? How has that played out?

What is a memorable experience when someone treated you the way you wanted to be treated?

In the past 3 weeks Jesus has commanded us to 1) love our enemies. 2) turn the other cheek and 3) do unto others as we would have done unto us. How seriously have you applied these? What has changed in your life?

Jesus is clear that the golden rule expands well beyond those who love us/ are good to us. Who is a person/people group you struggle to treat as you want to be treated? What will you do to follow Jesus immediately?

CHRISTlike CHARACTERISTIC: Relates with Other-Centered Love

Expanding Your Circle of Love

“As You Wish”

Luke 6:31-34

Assumptions:

There are believers and sinners

We all have a wish

We love those who love us back

What assumptions do I make regarding those who love me?

Expectations:

Love

Do Good

Give

What expectations do I have regarding those who love me?

Motives:

Benefit

Credit

Thank

Charis = grace

What motives color my actions with those who love me?

As You wish = Love:

Jesus teaches us how to love those who love us

Loving the lovely is practice for loving our enemy - it is an act of worship!

“Practice does not make perfect, only perfect practice makes perfect”

Are those who love me receiving the love of Jesus through me?

Core CHRISTlike Characteristics: Heart of Worship, Relating with Other-Centered Love

 

LifeGroup Questions: Applying the Teaching to Our Life

Begin Life Group with prayer - invite the Holy Spirit to speak and move among you.

Ice breaker: In reflecting on your life, what group of “those who love you” was the easiest to love and why? Which was the hardest?

What changed in the way you loved others after you came to know Jesus, whether it was those who loved you or those who didn't?

Go through a few or all of the questions in the outline as a point of discussion relating to your assumptions, expectations, motives and love for those who love you.

Read John 17:20-25 in closing. How does the conclusion of Jesus’ prayer aimed at us (those who will believe) relate to loving God and loving others? How does Jesus show it’s possible to do this along with loving our enemies (which Jesus modeled before and after this moment)?

End your time in prayer over these things. Encourage and strengthen each other as you pray.

Fight: A Christian Case for Non-Violence, Preston Sprinkle

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Fight-Christian-Non-Violence-Preston-Sprinkle/dp/1434704920

Join us as we dive deeper into the Scriptures and themes from the Sunday morning sermons at Church of the Open Door! If you have questions to add to the conversation, let us know at [email protected]!

Expanding Your Circle of Love

“Turn the Other Cheek”

Luke 6:29-30

Other-centered love asks the question: “What does it look like to love this person well?”

What does it look like to love:

Someone who insults you?

Surprise them with love by refusing to retaliate.

Someone who is unfair to you?

Surprise them with love by showing kindness.

Someone who is trying to take advantage of you?

Surprise them with love by being generous.

How do we live like this? Trust the way Jesus trusted the kindness, mercy and provision of the Father.