A. Simon’s attitude toward the Lord (Matthew 16:14; Luke 7:39)
B. Simon’s attitude toward the woman (Luke 7:39, 47)
C. The woman’s need (Luke 7:38; 18:13)
II. The parable
A. Despite their inability to pay, both were forgiven (Luke 7:41-43)
B. God’s love for us (1 John 4:19; John 3:16)
C. Our love for God (John 14:15)
III. When God forgives, He forgives completely and eternally
A. Gone, never to be remembered (Luke 7:48; Psalm 103:11-12; Psalm 32:1)
B. No matter how big your sin is (Acts 2:36-41)
C. Contrast Simon’s unrecognized sin (1 John 1:8-10) and the woman’s “many” sins (Luke 7:39, 47)
A. Exuberance due to His forgiveness (Romans 4:5-8)
B. Transgression, sin, iniquity, and deceit
C. Forgiveness is available to the penitent (2 Samul 12:13)
II. The effects of unconfessed sin (Psalm 32:3-5)
A. Suffering is not always caused by sin, but sin always causes suffering
B. Accepting personal responsibility for sin (2 Samuel 12:13)
C. When God forgives, He forgives completely and eternally
III. Encouragement to pray while opportunity exists (Psalm 32:6-7)
A. The godly (1 John 1:5-10)
B. The danger of procrastination
C. God protects, shields, and delivers the penitent
IV. The guidance of God (Psalm 32:8-9)
A. How do we receive instruction from the Lord? (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 1:2; 119:72,104-105)
B. Warning: don’t be stubborn as a mule!
V. A call to worship with joy (Psalm 32:10-11)
A. Tremendous mercy is available in God
B. A deep appreciation for what God has done (Romans 5:6-11)
A. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27; Matthew 5:16)
B. “Bless those that curse you” (Luke 6:28a)
C. “Pray for those who spitefully use you” (Luke 6:28b; 1 Timothy 2:1-4)
II. The principle applied
A. “Offer your other [cheek] also” (Luke 6:29a; Romans 12:17-21)
B. “Give to everyone who asks of you” (Luke 6:29b-30)
C. The Golden Rule: “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise” (Luke 6:31; Matthew 7:12)
III. “What credit is that to you?”
A. Step outside your comfort zone (Luke 6:32-34; Proverbs 25:21-22)
B. “Your reward will be great” (Luke 6:35; James 4:10)
C. “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful” – show compassion toward those who mistreat you, as they do not yet know the love of God (Luke 6:36; Romans 5:6-11)
A. We must please God (Psalm 147:11; Hebrews 13:15-16; Romans 12:1-2)
B. This will upset some people (Galatians 1:10)
II. Give up the fear of change
A. Paul’s attitude toward change (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
B. The early church’s response to change (Acts 8)
III. Don’t live in the past
A. Have you been forgiven? (Philippians 3:13-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 John 2:1-2; 1 Peter 2:1-3)
B. Forgive others (Matthew 6:14-15)
IV. Stop over-thinking and worrying
A. Seek God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness (Matthew 6:25-34)
B. Turn to Him when you struggle (Philippians 4:6-7)
V. Don’t doubt yourself and put yourself down
A. You are: chosen, royal, and holy! (1 Peter 2:9)
B. He has given us power, love, and a sound mind! (2 Timothy 1:7; Romans 1:16-17; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:7; Ephesians 3:4; 2 Peter 1:3)
A. “Poor in spirit” = contrition and humility (Luke 6:20; Matthew 5:3)
B. “Rich” trust in wealth and self (Luke 6:24; Matthew 6:19-21; Mark 10:23-25; 1 Timothy 6:9-10; Luke 18:9-14; Revelation 3:17-18)
II. The hungry and the full
A. “Hunger…for righteousness” (Luke 6:21a; Matthew 5:6)
B. “The full,” in thinking he knows it all, shows how little he knows
III. The weeping and laughing
A. Godly sorrow produces repentance (Luke 6:21b; 2 Cor. 7:8-11)
B. Don’t “laugh it off” (Luke 6:25b; James 4:9; Philippians 4:4; Romans 12:12; 1 Corinthians 13:6; James 1:2)
IV. The persecuted and the praised
A. Threats from the religious (Luke 6:22-23; Acts 4:18-21; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 3:13-17)
B. The approval of men (Luke 6:26; 2 Timothy 4:3-4)
A. “There is, beyond the azure blue, a God concealed from human sight” (Genesis 1:1; Romans 1:20)
B. “He tinted skies with heav’nly hue and framed the worlds with His great might” (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 11:3)
II. Specific revelation
A. “There was, a long, long time ago, a God whose voice the prophets heard” (2 Peter 1:16-21)
B. “He is the God that we should know” (John 17:3; 2 Peter 3:9; John 14:6)
C. “Who speaks from His inspired word” (Romans 10:17; 2 Tim. 3:16-17)
III. The creation of man
A. “Secure is life from mortal mind; God holds the germ within His hand” (Genesis 2:7; 1:26-28)
B. “Though men may search they cannot find, for God alone does understand” (Job 38:4-7; Deuteronomy 29:29)
IV. The sacrifice of the Son
A. “Our God, whose Son upon a tree, a life was willing there to give” (Ephesians 2:14-16)
B. “That He from sin might set man free, and evermore with Him could live” (Romans 6:16-18; Ephesians 3:10-11; Matthew 25:34)
I. The influence of faithful friends (Luke 5:18-19)
A. They refused to give up (Luke 8:14)
B. “Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are” (1 Corinthians 15:33)
II. The immensity of Jesus’ power (Luke 5:20-25)
A. The judgment of the scribes and Pharisees (Acts 26:5; Matthew 23; 5:20; Deuteronomy 18:18-22; Mark 14:64)
B. Jesus demonstrated His power to forgive and heal (John 3:17)
III. The importance of a proper response to Jesus (Luke 5:25-26)
A. They were amazed (Luke 2:47; 4:36)
B. They glorified God (Luke 5:25)
C. They were filled with fear (Luke 5:8)
D. “We have seen strange things today!”
I. God doesn’t expect you to do everything all at once
A. The Great Commission (Mark 16:15) was preceded by a limited commission (Matthew 10:5-7)
B. Our obligation begins in our own backyard (Matthew 10:5-6)
C. We need to obey the initial “little” command (Luke 5:3) before we “launch out into the deep” (Luke 5:4)
II. We are not doing it alone
A. “They signaled to their partners” (Luke 5:6-7)
B. Don’t be anxious or scared (Luke 5:9-10; 1 Samuel 8:6-7)
C. Even Jesus was not 100% “successful” (Mark 10:22; John 6:65-66)
D. Don’t give up (Galatians 6:9; 1 Corinthians 15:58)
III. The importance of our attitude
A. Peter seemed reluctant (Luke 5:4-5)
B. Don’t complain (1 Corinthians 10:1-11; Philippians 2:14-15)
C. Full commitment (Luke 5:11; 9:57-62; Romans 12:1-2)
INTRO. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me” (Luke 4:16-30)
I. His authority in teaching (Luke 4:31-32)
A. When what we want (tradition) trumps what God wants (revelation), then we are in trouble (Matthew 7:28-29; 15:3-9; Colossians 3:16)
B. We must look at what Christ commanded (Ephesians 5:23; Matthew 28:18-20)
II. His authority over the supernatural/spiritual realm (Luke 4:33-37)
A. Demon possession in Scriptures (Mark 9:22)
B. Why did Jesus forbid the unclean spirit from testifying? “Consider the source”
C. The people were astonished, and Jesus’ fame spread
III. His authority over disease (Luke 4:38-44)
A. Peter’s mother-in-law (Luke 4:38-39)
B. Compassionate healing (Luke 4:40-41; Matthew 14:14; 20:34; Mark 1:41)
C. The reaction of the people: “Don’t go!” (Luke 4:42-44)
INTRO. The importance of righteousness (Matthew 5:6; 23:26-28; 25:46)
I. “Blessed” indicates happiness (Deuteronomy 33:29)
A. The blessed man refuses some things (Psalm 1:1)
B. The blessed man delights in God’s Word (Psalm 1:2; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; James 1:21-25)
II. Bearing fruit for the Lord (Psalm 1:3)
A. The tree is planted intentionally (Psalm 34:14-16)
B. “In its season” (Matthew 7:17-19; John 15:1-2,4-6)
C. “Whatever he does shall prosper”
III. Further contrast between the ungodly and the righteous
A. Ungodly “are like the chaff” (Psalm 1:4)
B. They will one day lose God’s blessings (Psalm 1:5)
C. It is a special blessing to be known by the Lord and to be counted by Him as righteous (Psalm 1:6; James 2:22-23)
But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. (Acts 8:12)
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