If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same?For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
3 sermons cite this verse
… Don't resist an evildoer. Don't refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Be perfect. as your heavenly Father is perfect. Any questions? He didn't take questions. And fortunately, he didn't give tests either, because if each of those mandates had been weighted at 20 points each, what's lower than an F? You know, my score is a zero. If he just said try before each one of them, I'd score higher. But the truth is, I don't even want to want to do a couple of these things unless the perps are dead. I'm confessing so you don't have to, but if you've got 100 on that quiz, I want to meet you so I can buy your lunch, right? This part of Jesus' sermon is so hard, even for the best of us, even in the best of times, that one of my sources said it makes functional atheists of us all. Especially now, I think, at this point in the life of our nation, with calls from all sides to fight, to stand up for what's right and be counted or admit you're a pathetic, don't care about anybody but yourself, drop out from the battle for the soul of America. …
… Here's what it says. If you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? Jesus said, sinners do that. Love the people who love you. That's what the sinners do. but we are greater than that. We are not just sinners. We are, ooh, we're children of the most high God. We're saints of the most high God. Here's what John 13, 35 says. Jot that down. John 13, 35. Here's what it says. For if you love, I'm sorry, by this, by this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. Here's the sign that you are a child of God that we love each other. I know I'm a child of God. Because I love you even though you get on my nerves. Amen. That's John 13, 35. By this, all will know that you are my disciples. I know I'm his disciple because I love other people. Here's 1 John 4. …
… his son to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if we, for if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others, do not even the publican so. Be ye therefore perfect," and the word there perfect means mature, be ye therefore mature, perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect. Now the key to living with a smile is A CHRIST-centered life. The key to living a Christ-CENTERED LIFE is first of all emptying yourself out of your own self life. Even God cannot fill that which is already full, so THE, UH, CHRIST-filled life is the self-emptied life. So many of us are so full of self. And as a wise man said, a man wrapped up in himself makes a very small package. I want you to think with me now on this principle, a principle of living, selfless living, joyful living, Christ-filled living, the principle of the second mile. And remember this, it's the second mile that brings the smile. I have three things I want to tell you about the second mile this morning, and I pray God the holy spirit will not only write them in your notes, but write them on your heart. Number one, the second mile is the mastery mile. …