September 28th, 2025
Jesus Walks
Pastor Ray-ann Dela Fuente
September 28, 2025
Part 2: "The Love of Christ" - Luke 6:24-36
Opening Verse:
“If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?”
1 John 4:20 NLT
Introduction:
Welcome to an amazing Sunday here at River of Faith! We are in part two of our new series I entitled Jesus Walks! In this series we will look at the examples of Jesus Christ on how to love when it's difficult, how to forgive when we are hurting, how to care for people who may disagree with us or see us as their enemies.
To love sums up the two greatest commandments Jesus taught us! To love God and love our neighbors. To have the mind of Christ is to have the attitude of Christ and to have the attitude of Christ we must learn to love like Christ. The hardest thing for us to do is to love those that are difficult to love. To show kindness to those who in return are hostile to us.How did Jesus do it? How did Jesus love?
Main Pointers:
“What sorrow awaits you who are rich, for you have your only happiness now. What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now, for a time of awful hunger awaits you. What sorrow awaits you who laugh now, for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow. What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets.”
Luke 6:24-26 NLT
1. The law of grace far exceeds the physical laws of this earth.
A. A repeated theme in the teaching of Christ is not to desire the temporary things of this world because they are deceiving. The focus is to seek first the kingdom of heaven and everything else will come into order because of God.
B. Jesus says things like "be the least if you want to be the greatest!", "Be trustworthy in small things so that you can be trusted with bigger!", "Don't store riches here on earth..." and ultimately, "Love your enemies and turn the other cheek..."
C. Why do you think Jesus said this?
2. To love like Christ is to not do the obvious, but to obey the truth even if it's unpopular.
“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”
Luke 6:27-31 NLT
A. Jesus was speaking these words to people who are being mistreated. Jesus spoke these words to people who are tired of being taken advantage of. Why would Jesus say this to them? Doesn't he know what they are going through? Doesn't He have sympathy for them?
B. “Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him. He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.”
Mark 3:3-6 NLT
3. There is a CLEAR distinction on how the children of God must act in accordance to their faith.
“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 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. “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. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”
Luke 6:32-36 NLT
A. One of the hardest thing to do as a human being is to not be selfish. We are inherently selfish in our ways and no one can ever dispute that. To love is to put others first just as Christ did on the cross for us. We cannot change that standard. We cannot change that foundation. We can never redefine what Jesus set for us to follow.
B. “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
John 13:34-35 NLT
Conclusion:
To love like Christ is the greatest calling of every believer in Christ. To follow Christ is to love the same way as He did. It is not a question of is that easy to do or not. It's a question of being obedient or not. Loving our neighbors requires loving God first above everything else. Loving others requires knowing Christ and following His example on the cross.
Pastor Ray-ann Dela Fuente
September 28, 2025
Part 2: "The Love of Christ" - Luke 6:24-36
Opening Verse:
“If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?”
1 John 4:20 NLT
Introduction:
Welcome to an amazing Sunday here at River of Faith! We are in part two of our new series I entitled Jesus Walks! In this series we will look at the examples of Jesus Christ on how to love when it's difficult, how to forgive when we are hurting, how to care for people who may disagree with us or see us as their enemies.
To love sums up the two greatest commandments Jesus taught us! To love God and love our neighbors. To have the mind of Christ is to have the attitude of Christ and to have the attitude of Christ we must learn to love like Christ. The hardest thing for us to do is to love those that are difficult to love. To show kindness to those who in return are hostile to us.How did Jesus do it? How did Jesus love?
Main Pointers:
“What sorrow awaits you who are rich, for you have your only happiness now. What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now, for a time of awful hunger awaits you. What sorrow awaits you who laugh now, for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow. What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets.”
Luke 6:24-26 NLT
1. The law of grace far exceeds the physical laws of this earth.
A. A repeated theme in the teaching of Christ is not to desire the temporary things of this world because they are deceiving. The focus is to seek first the kingdom of heaven and everything else will come into order because of God.
B. Jesus says things like "be the least if you want to be the greatest!", "Be trustworthy in small things so that you can be trusted with bigger!", "Don't store riches here on earth..." and ultimately, "Love your enemies and turn the other cheek..."
C. Why do you think Jesus said this?
2. To love like Christ is to not do the obvious, but to obey the truth even if it's unpopular.
“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”
Luke 6:27-31 NLT
A. Jesus was speaking these words to people who are being mistreated. Jesus spoke these words to people who are tired of being taken advantage of. Why would Jesus say this to them? Doesn't he know what they are going through? Doesn't He have sympathy for them?
B. “Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him. He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.”
Mark 3:3-6 NLT
3. There is a CLEAR distinction on how the children of God must act in accordance to their faith.
“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 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. “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. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”
Luke 6:32-36 NLT
A. One of the hardest thing to do as a human being is to not be selfish. We are inherently selfish in our ways and no one can ever dispute that. To love is to put others first just as Christ did on the cross for us. We cannot change that standard. We cannot change that foundation. We can never redefine what Jesus set for us to follow.
B. “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
John 13:34-35 NLT
Conclusion:
To love like Christ is the greatest calling of every believer in Christ. To follow Christ is to love the same way as He did. It is not a question of is that easy to do or not. It's a question of being obedient or not. Loving our neighbors requires loving God first above everything else. Loving others requires knowing Christ and following His example on the cross.
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