Are You Following Yeshua?

0:00 You know, I usually like to open up with a personal story. However in light of the verses which I will be covering today. This did not seem appropriate. We will be looking at some of yeshua's most radical and challenging teachings. To give an example of how I have fulfilled such teaching. Would be at the least an exaggeration and at most an outright lie. Furthermore to give an example of how I have failed to live up to yeshua's teaching would not be of much help to you or anyone. What can I? About such radical love that goes

0:46 to the extent of doing good to those who hate me. Offering the one who strikes me the other cheek. And lending without expecting anything in return. As my uncle Dove once told me who wants to follow someone who just lets people slap him in the face. That's a good way to get robbed and lose everything. I can understand why Yeshua is teaching is just too radical for some to even make an attempt. Yet. when I observed the lives of Believers in Yeshua Who take his instruction seriously and live out his words?

1:33 It is both challenging and transformational. Just this week last Sunday. We had the opportunity to hear from Hannah Miley. She was seven years old when she was put on a Kinder transport in order to save her life in Nazi, Germany. She would never see her parents again. She would never see her home her relatives her hometown her Comforts. Her friends were belongings. All would be taken from her. Now at 90 years old. Hannah knows the anguish of being torn out from a loving home.

2:18 And having her family and her identity annihilated at the command of an evil man and a satanic ideology. paradoxically Hannah has also experienced the destiny of the gift of life. Her parents saved her by putting her on that train. other families took her in While Millions died she lived. She faced the burning hatred of her enemies and those who senselessly murdered her family. She carried the rage and bitterness of having everything good torn from

3:04 her grasp. amazingly she learned to overcome the animosity anger and contempt for those who destroyed her family. and her people at 90 years old Hannah is a kind intelligent and compassionate woman of God. She knows what it is like to be mistreated. She knows how it feels to lose everything. Yet. She also knows what it means. to be saved she knows what it means to be forgiven. She has learned how to forgive others.

3:50 Even the ones who carried out the atrocious Act of murdering her family. You might say who is she to forgive the Nazis? They will have to stand before the Lord just like all of us. however through experiencing God's forgiveness through Yeshua and learning to extend it to others. Hannah has gone from an embittered victim to an emboldened Witness. Though none of us are promised to live for 90 years. I can't help but think that had as longevity is somehow connected to the freedom from bitterness within her

4:35 heart. She has learned to cut the cord from the toxic animosity and hatred that so many live with today. Today I will be looking at Luke chapter 6. verses 27 through 36 in light of these verses I submit to you the challenging and even fundamental question. Are you following Yeshua? From this text I would like to demonstrate three points. first unlike us God's goodness is unconditional. second I want to encourage you to help others,

5:22 see how valuable they are to the Lord. and third I want to invite you to receive the word of the Lord and move Beyond yourself. I will be reading from the Tree of Life translation the tlv and my notes can be found on the YouVersion app. Let's begin by reading Luke chapter 6. verses 27 through 30 but I say to you who are listening. Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you? Bless those. Who curse you. Pray for the ones who mistreat you.

6:10 To the one who strikes you on the cheek offer the other also. And from the one who takes your cloak. Do not hold back your shirt. Give to everyone who asks you. And whoever takes something of yours make no demands upon him. God's goodness is unconditional. This might seem like an unconventional conclusion after reading these verses as Yeshua is addressing his talmadine his disciples. But it is vitally important to realize the source. of such teaching this is divine instruction given to us through Yeshua.

6:57 Though this teaching strikes us part in the pun. as radical this is the standard from which Yeshua operates. As Rabbi Ari often points out. Yeshua is the word of God who has become flesh. In order to show us how to walk in his ways. Which are not like our ways. God loves his enemies. God does good to those who hate him. God blesses those who curse him. God reaches out to those who mistreat him consider Yeshua beaten and crucified though. He committed. No sin.

7:43 God has the power to annihilate his enemies. Yet he shows Mercy. even though he is Holy he chooses to walk with you and I it is a merciful act for God to walk with us. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. his pursuing love endures forever God's goodness is unconditional. Is your goodness unconditional? What does it take to get you to lash out at others? Are you ready to fight at the slightest provocation? Are you always on edge or ready to

8:30 burst? Do you run to do good or run to do evil? Are you a giver or a taker? If you're a taker come to our garage sale leftovers after service. Are you quick to forgive those who have hurt you? Or are you still carrying bitterness from the fourth grade? in the sequence of Luke's narrative this teaching follows immediately after Yeshua chooses his 12 talmadeem. In other words, this is his first teaching to the twelve as presented by Luke. This is foundational.

9:16 We have a picture of Yeshua teaching his talmadin and there are crowds watching. Was this teaching only meant for the twelve? In verse 27 we read I say to you. Who are listening? Who is listening? Is it just the 12? Is it the crowd? Are you listening to yeshua's words today? There is a reason why Yeshua ministered to multitudes. But only had 12 talmadim. They understood the cost of discipleship. You may be quick to point out that the talmadine also made

10:01 mistakes. Yahoo da Judah betrayed Yeshua and could not live with the shame. Peter denied Yeshua three times however If you'd like to take this direction are you also willing to flip that same coin? And realize the good that these disciples did and the way that the world was dramatically changed through their Ministry. Yeshua was speaking to those who would carry his teaching to the Nations. He was speaking to those who had devoted themselves to follow his instruction. They followed Yeshua at Great cost. They were thrown out from their synagogues.

10:48 They were ostracized by their families. They suffered loss. They were even tortured crucified and beheaded for the sake of yeshua's teaching. I think they took his word seriously. Perhaps in a group such as this. Yeshua's teaching was not as radical. It was fundamental. It was the basic understanding for following Yeshua. The talmadeem took yeshua's teaching seriously. And carried yeshua's Ministry throughout the world. Making more disciples as they went. This was not about work-life balance. It was not about climbing the corporate ladder.

11:36 It was not about amassing enough wealth to be an influencer. or enough views rather It is about what an individual was willing to sacrifice for the sake of the Kingdom. Such teaching pierces to the heart and reveals whether we are talmadine or mere spectators. Are you a follower of Yeshua? I'm not asking you if you believe that Yeshua was a historical figure. Or even if you believe that Yeshua rose from the dead. I'm not talking about a mental assent to a Creed. I'm asking about your walk.

12:24 Why are you here? What are you after? What do you do when no one is watching? What is your highest priority? What are you willing to suffer for? In what ways does your life? Look like the life of Yeshua. To what extent are you willing to face the ways in which your life violates the teachings of Yeshua? Are you quick to dismiss your own wrongdoing? Do you give or perform Good Deeds to try to compensate for the evil that you have done?

13:10 What would you show a find if he weighed your heart today? And how would you respond? Who is hurt you? What scars do you carry? You may desire to be a helper and a Healer of others. But you have not yet faced your own woundedness. This week. I was reading Hannah Miley's autobiography. a Garland for ashes After experiencing the loss of everything she held dear at the hands of the Nazis She found herself bitter and angry and you can understand why.

13:55 however as an adult And as a follower of Yeshua. Hannah asked the following question. That I think is important for each of us. How can I break free from the bondage of hatred and revenge? Hannah realized that in addition to murdering her family and her people the Nazis had also filled her heart with rage and bitterness. She was allowing them to destroy her life as well. Hannah would block out the memories. She would try to suppress what had happened to her.

14:41 Her first step towards healing. Was acknowledging the fullness of the wrong that had been done to her. She had to face these wounds and bring them to the Lord in order to be healed. Which I'll tell you is more of a process than an event. However As she approached the Lord. something else happened She became aware of her own bitterness hatred contempt and self-pity. She became aware of her own desire to take Vengeance into her own hands. She began to submit herself to the Lord and to be cleansed of the poison of hatred and

15:28 retribution. Even at this early point in the apostles walk with Yeshua. They had received ridicule and mistreatment on account of yeshua's name. Yeshua was teaching them how to handle it. notice that Yeshua acknowledges the fact that they have enemies. Those who hate them. Those who curse them. Those who mistreat them. There are those who struck them. Those who took their belongings. Yeshua did not suppress the truth. He also did not react.

16:14 in violence and retribution rather he responded and he taught his talmadim how to have the same response. when my kids were little they would occasionally encounter bullies in school. I had my own encounters as a child, too. Maybe you have. however, as I became an adult I observed how these kids who were bullies suffered harm from others. And were hurting and insecure people. There is a saying that hurt people hurt people. Yeshua is teaching his followers how to be healed people.

16:59 People who acknowledge their hurt and bring it to Yeshua can receive healing and become agents of reconciliation in a hurting world. Yeshua was challenging his talmadin to go beyond the worldly cycle of action and reaction. abuse and retribution perhaps you think that Yeshua and his followers became walking doormats. However Yeshua invites us to see things differently. Rather than absorbing the hate and poison that seeks to infect us. Yeshua actually teaches us how to be impervious to the darts of the enemy.

17:47 He teaches us how to stay strong and healthy. He teaches us to be World Changers rather than victims. As a foundational teaching Yeshua challenges us to embrace the Paradox that the one who seeks their own life loses it. And the one who loses their life for yeshua's sake gains everything. Let's continue on in the passage. with verses 31 through 34 due to others As you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you. What credit is that to you? For even Sinners love those who love them.

18:36 And if you do good to those who are doing good to you. What credit is that to you? even Sinners do this and if you lend to those from whom you expect to take what credit is that to you? Even Sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same. Help others to see how valuable they are to God. I want you to think about someone in your life. That doesn't know the Lord. Did you think of someone raise your hand if you thought of someone someone you care about who doesn't know the Lord? Okay. Think about this person. this person

19:21 was created in the image of God. Do you want to see them come into relationship with the Lord? How do you think that they will come to know the Lord? Why do you think that God has placed this person in your life and on your heart? What if this person is looking to you to teach them the ways of the Lord? What if you are God's special agent in their life? How should you treat this person? How are you modeling the kindness of God to them? How are you different from everyone else they know?

20:07 How consistent is your walk with the ways of Yeshua? These verses tell us that people generally do good. to those who butter their bread Reciprocation is a societal, Norm. You cut me off I cut you off. You show me kindness. I show you kindness in return. You scratch my back. I scratch yours. however Yeshua offers his talmadim a different teaching. Rather than reacting to the kindness hostility and ambivalence around us. What if we became the initiators of good? What if you became the Mover?

20:53 What if you became the Agent of Change in the situation? What would it look like for you to model? Yeshua's teaching in the context or situation, which you find yourself in today? Even some of the conflict and sticky situations that you may find yourself in with your family friends loved ones Etc. As I reflect upon my path. each significant change in my life was brought about by some kind of change agent not doing the thing that I expected them to do. Someone who didn't know me saw that I was having a tough time and offered assistance.

21:39 Sometimes these are things that may have seemed very small to the person doing them. They offered some measure of Grace to me when I hadn't earned it. I can even think of other examples where people treated me with extraordinary kindness. That I had not earned from them in any way. Maybe I had kind of earned something else. But they didn't treat me in kind. These are moments that have changed my life and perspective. Do you realize the power that you wield? Do you realize that you have the ability to bring change to the world around you?

22:25 Do you realize that there are people walking the Earth today? Who will be introduced to their creator when they experience his kindness through you? Perhaps you think that you have nothing to offer. Do you realize that so many in our society feel invisible? Even if you were just to acknowledge them respectfully, they would begin to understand that a small level that there is a God who sees them and cares for them. Perhaps there is a person in your life. That is in a vulnerable situation. Do you take advantage of them or treat them as a child of God? This could make all of the difference in their life.

23:13 God wants us to begin a cycle of goodness. Going back to this law of reciprocity. God wants us to demonstrate his ways to others before they demonstrate it to us. Furthermore he wants us to be examples of yeshua's ways to those who do not know him and are surrounded by Darkness. Perhaps you're thinking. Won't this philosophy result in the Triumph of evil over good? What would happen if the people of Ukraine did not defend their Homeland and their families? If you gave away your possessions wouldn't that just result in your downfall?

24:00 Those are good questions. However We must remember the human tendency is to be self-consumed. People are still guarding their Turf and amassing power and possessions. Yeshua is teaching us how to break the cycle of selfish behavior and set a twisted World a right. Rabbi Abraham twerski after many years of studying Humanity comes to a similar conclusion. We are self-consumed. We don't love fish. He comments. We love to kill the fish and eat the fish. We really love ourselves. He goes on to teach that when we give to

24:47 others. They possess part of us. Which allows us to love that part of us which we have given to them. Yeshua's words are like a winnowing fork if we take them seriously. They revealed The Evil Within our hearts and challenge us to become more like him. They show us our own inadequacy so that we can pursue healing. If you hear these words and begin to think of how you can exploit others. The evil in your heart is being revealed. If you hear these words and think I cannot do this. You are correct.

25:34 If you hear these words and ask God to empower you to move beyond your own will in order to serve his purposes. You are thinking like a disciple of Yeshua. verses 35 and 36 read us follows But love your enemies. And do good and lend expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great and you will be sons of el Leon. For he is kind to The Ungrateful and evil ones. Be compassionate just as your father is compassionate to you.

26:20 God wants you to move Beyond yourself. And yes, the human tendency is to take care of number one Me Myself and I friendships are challenging because they force you to consider the needs of another. Marriages are even more challenging. We enter into a covenant with another individual to pursue their welfare, even when it requires sacrifice on our part. painful at times being a good parent often means suffering so that your children can thrive. Being a good employee is challenging. Because I must prioritize the needs of my employer.

27:06 Even being a good boss means prioritizing the needs of Those whom you are serving. Community is challenging because we get stretched and confronted by others. In society, we are challenged by those who are demanding of our time. Our Attention our resources and even our loyalty. each of us have decisions to make who will you serve? Don't become so consumed by the enemy outside that you fail to see the Enemy Within. Yeshua is teaching his talmadim how to break the bondage to self. We have the desire to be seen.

27:53 We have the desire to be served. We have the desire to be powerful. We have the desire to be important. to quote one lyricist I want to be the very best. like no one ever was I know you feel that way. You got to catch them all. Now put that side. You don't you don't have to. You are a child of God. You are not merely a mixture of your mother and father limited to their successes and doomed to repeat their failures. God who is infinite all-knowing all wise full of grace and compassion the

28:40 master of the universe has created you. That is greatness. The challenge comes down to how you will wield this power that you have been given. How will you apply this spark of life that the Lord has given you? You have choices to make. These choices have consequences even the choice to do nothing means that you will miss out. And the opportunities on the path of life. Perhaps the biggest challenge that you will face. Is how to deal with your own impulses? What happens when you don't get your way? What happens when someone tells you? No?

29:27 What happens when someone cuts you off on the highway? What happens when someone insults you? What happens when someone yells at you? How do you face rejection? in society around us We see what happens when people break. And enraged young man loses control and murders his classmates and teachers. A maniacal dictator invades a peaceful land and destroys the lives of the people. A bully seeks relief from parental abuse through hurting smaller children. a person harms themselves to punish their bad behavior

30:14 This is not the will of the Lord. This is what happens when we take it into our own hands. On the contrary Yeshua is establishing the kingdom of God. He is establishing the world to come. It seems so far in an odd and counterintuitive to follow his instruction today. However This foundational teaching of Yeshua is so radical. To our selfish ways. That it has the power to change lives and change the world. While you might be quick to dismiss yeshua's teaching as hyperbole or wishful thinking.

31:01 Consider the impact of yeshua's life and teaching upon world history. He walked the Earth 2,000 years ago. before the internet kids and he went viral. It was no fad either. We are still talking about his wondrous works and audacious love throughout the entire world. Even the enemies of our faith must offer a response. to the teachings of Yeshua even the disciples as imperfect as they were people like us took yeshua's word seriously and brought the word of God out of Israel willingly.

31:48 To fulfill the calling echoed through Abraham the prophets and Yeshua himself. To be a light to the Nations. The sacrifices that they made were not in vain. They became World Changers and we are still talking about their Works to this day. Do you wish to be extraordinary? If so, you must break off from what is ordinary. Let me tell you what is ordinary. taking all you can Loving those who love you and hating those who hate you. This is an ordinary life. For those who have ears to hear Yeshua gives a prescription for an extraordinary life. Denying your own impulses.

32:36 considering others more important than yourself showing kindness even to those who are ungrateful and Evil. This kind of extraordinary life comes as a result of looking in the mirror and seeing your own sin. When you realize that God is treating you with unearned compassion and kindness. the response is to desire to bless God and unlock this reality in the lives of those around you. God loves you. You act as his enemy. God sustains you even when you hate him

33:22 God gives to you even when you take advantage of his kindness. God is compassionate upon the just and the unjust furthermore for those who are listening. He is teaching us his ways. in conclusion I come back to the Stark question that we must each ask of ourselves. Am I following Yeshua? Anyone who professes Faith should use these verses to examine the sincerity of their own faith and calling. We are reminded today that God's goodness is unconditional.

34:08 even if we make evil choices or seek his harm We cannot change his goodness. It is extended to us and even to our enemies. so rather than retaliating against those who hurt us. Let us follow in yeshua's example. By helping others to see how valuable they are to God. There are people in our lives that have no idea that they are children of God until we treat them accordingly. lastly although I wish to congratulate you on the progress you have made as a follower of Yeshua. I'm here to remind you that God is not done with you. He still wants you to take steps to move

34:54 Beyond yourself and your current point of progress. There are deeper Treasures, which the Lord desires to uncover as you press in just a bit further. Allow yeshua's words to permeate your heart today so that you can continue to be refined and conformed into the image of Yeshua our Lord. shabbat shalom you ever record? Yeah, I don't know. we who make He sadonai panavala.

35:43 They are similar hashal. OT yesadunai panavaleja They are similar hashaloo. The name of our Messiah Yeshua. Amen.