“LAF”

Luke 6:35–38

  1. Introduction
    1. Tempe Nazarene Church exists for one reason: to glorify God.
    2. We do that by demonstrating His Love, Acceptance , and Forgiveness.
  2. Principles for Glorifying God
    1. Love Jesus’ way
      John 8:1–11

      1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

      But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

      9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

      11“No one, sir,” she said.
      “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

      1. Love is an action word.
      2. No condemnation.
        vs. 6–8

        But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

      3. Acceptance.
        vs. 9–10

        9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

      4. Forgiveness.
        vs. 11

        11“No one, sir,” she said.
        “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

    2. Acceptance Jesus’ Way
      1. People are more important than what they do.
      2. Offer something better.
        John 4:10–15

        10Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

        11“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?”

        13Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

        15The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

      3. Address the person not the sin.
        vs. 16–19

        16He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

        17“I have no husband,” she replied.

        Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

        19“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.

      4. Give of yourself.
        vs. 25–26

        25The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

        26Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”

    3. Forgive Jesus’ Way
      1. Do not judge.
      2. Do not condemn.
      3. Forgive
  3. The Future
    1. Result of loving, accepting, and forgiving:
      vs. 38

      I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

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