SERMON OUTLINE Sunday Nov 1, 2020
Matthew 5:48 “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly
Father is perfect.”
Why Would I Love My Enemies?
Matthew 5:45 “So that you may be sons of your Father who is in
heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good,
and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. “
Kingdom People Love their Enemies
-Because it reflects the heart of God
Romans 5:8 “But God shows his love for us in that while we were
still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now
been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him
from the wrath of God.”10 For if while we were enemies we were
reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that
we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that,
we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through
whom we have now received reconciliation.
Kingdom People Love their Enemies
– Love is leveraging your resources for the good of those
around you.
– Pray for their persecutors
Matthew 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do
you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if
you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
Kingdom People Love their Enemies
-Extend greetings to everyone
Corrie ten Boom – b 1892 d 1983
Matthew 5:48 “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly
Father is perfect.”
Kingdom People
Surrender – Follow – Listen – Do
SERMON STUDY GUIDE
We meet in Life Groups to: Connect deeper with God and each other through
prayer and relationship. Connect the Bible to life. Connect with our community
through serving.
ICE BREAKER: If you could live in any decade, which would you choose?
PRAYER: God is worthy to be sought – take time to pray together in your group.
HOW TO READ THE BIBLE
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to
make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and
teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do
every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NLT)
Ask yourselves the following questions as you read this week’s Bible passage…
What is God asking me to believe?
What is God asking me to do?
How is God preparing me to live more effectively for him?
For free tips and resources on what is in the Bible and
how to read it, visit www.thebibleproject.com. The Bible
Project creates free videos that show the Bible as a.
unified story that leads to Jesus. To find out more about
this ministry, check out this short video:
https://youtu.be/vFwNZNyDu9k.
SERMON SERIES: “Unshakeable: Living The Words of Jesus”
In this sermon series we explore how to live according to Jesus’ teachings in
Matthew chapters 5-7. This is the Gospel of the Kingdom. It is something we
are not only to know, but to do, to live. And when we do that, we are
immoveable, unshakeable because the foundation is Jesus and he is the Rock
of our salvation that is immoveable and unshakeable.
Reference: The Essence: Unpacking Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (2020). Winslade. Wipf Stock Pub.
THIS WEEK: Matthew
Matthew 5:43-48
Watch the weekend’s sermon here: http://www.coldspringschurch.net/sermons.html.
EXPLORING TOGETHER
There is value in sharing perspectives about the weekend message in
community. With dialogue around God’s truths, perspective broadens and
impacts transformation.
1. What is something from this weekend’s message that stood out to you? How
so?
TAKING IT HOME
We are not meant to just let life happen to us, conforming rather than transforming (Romans 12:1-2). We can choose to allow God’s transforming power into our
life.
2. What experience have you had of struggling to forgive someone who has
deeply offended you? What happened?
3. Are Christians allowed to have enemies? How does that correlate with the
Apostle Paul’s exhortation to, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live
at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18)
4. John 15:18–21 speaks of hatred for Christians. Why have Christians been
persecuted over the centuries?
5. How does God actually give us the love that he wants us to show toward
others—even our enemies?
6. When Jesus suggested that we pray for our enemies, for what in particular
should we pray?
7. How would you explain v.48 to someone new to the Christian faith?
WEEKLY REFLECTION
Within every Christ-follower is everything required to treat other people the
way God does—even, if not especially, those who treat us as enemies. It is a
potential within all of God’s children. All we need to do is activate it and show
the family likeness.
Surrender – Follow – Listen – Do (2 Corinthians 5:21, John 8:36, Luke 19:10)

• The Gospel – the Good News of Jesus – is that we are forgiven by God.
Because we are forgiven, through the Spirit of God we have been given
the power to forgive.
• No forgiveness, no freedom.
• In forgiveness, there is freedom. Freedom to love and be loved.
8. Jesus repeatedly taught on how we are to treat others. Relationship held a
primary position in his words. In light of this week’s message, what do you need
to surrender, follow, listen or do?