Gtcotr/ss080821
We are in a unique moment in which God is calling His Church to action. This means you. The world has never experienced such wholesale danger. We are not in just another generational evolution … the devil has captured this world’s system and our children are at risk. We should be alarmed and moved to action. However social activism is not our end goal. There are much bigger problems than masks mandates, forced vaccines, and the passage of the infrastructure bill that has little to do with strengthening our infrastructure. Social and political justice are biproducts of individuals and communities coming to Christ.
Social activism without Holy Spirit led evangelism is just loud voices marching in circles and trading places while the whole world goes to hell.
The whole world is in trouble and the government can’t fix it. Guilt by group, identity politics, critical race theory, cancel culture, political correctness, revisionists history, and stimulus checks are not the answer. Don’t be a good host for a bad idea … I have the real answer! Turn in your Bibles with me to:
Luke 10 NKJV
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
“certain lawyer” = a very specific individual who was an expert and a teacher of the religious writings of Moses. Mark calls this man a “scribe.”
“tested” = tempted; tried; confronted in an attempt to prove Jesus wrong or to find a reason to scold, teach, or correct Him.
This was done in a public setting so to give advantage to the lawyer and to affect public opinion about Jesus. There is an art to impacting public opinion.
Just being questioned or confronted by
authority in a public setting creates a negative view of the one being confronted
or questioned.
· I love how Jesus offers no defense of Himself or His position, rather Jesus puts it back on his accusers … they love to talk …
26 He said to him, “What is
written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
27 So he answered and said,
“ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as
yourself.’ ”
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
This was absolutely true under the Law of Moses and that might have been the end of it if it were not for the scribe’s need to justify himself. Of course Jesus knew he would, and Jesus was ready to reveal the ultimate plan of God.
29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
We are so quick to justify our actions and even our inactions. However, there is no justification for our failure to love others as Christ loved us.
It is easy to ignore problems you don’t have or think you won’t have. However, we need to make some problems we don’t have our problems anyway … I’m not talking about becoming co-dependent or enabling … I’m talking about putting some of the needs of others on our plate.
We cannot help everyone, and we cannot expect the government to help anyone. But We can all help at least one.
(A brief comment on Yeonmi Park’s personal account of escaping North Korea at age 13 in 2007 > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yqa-SdJtT4 <)
1 John 3:17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
Jesus showed us how to save the world … we do it one soul at a time. You only need to help one. We save the world one soul at a time. Are you helping any one? Where is your one?
Well, perhaps this important lawyer already knew the account Jesus was about to give … perhaps he even had firsthand knowledge of it. It’s not difficult for us to imagine maybe this scribe was one of persons in the story Jesus is about to tell, or perhaps he had firsthand knowledge of the account. Let’s continue reading what Jesus shared with the scribe. “Wanting to justify himself he said to Jesus, ‘Who is my neighbor?’”
30 Then Jesus answered and
said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among
thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed,
leaving him half dead."
·
Going down – 3382 feet descent from Jerusalem
to Jericho (2557 ASL to -825 BSL)
·
Metaphorically he went from conservative to
liberal; from being religious to being agnostic; from Israel to Canaan; from
green grass to a desert; from the mountaintop to the valley; from protection to
exposure; from a walled city to open borders. He went down …
·
A certain man – notice Jesus does not say who
the man was. He could have been rich or poor; young or old; Jew or Gentile … it
could be you or me … anyone … it is of no consequence and should not be
considered or figured into this equation … it doesn’t matter who it is.
·
He fell among thieves – unexpectedly!
Perhaps he should have known but he didn’t. It surprised him and overwhelmed
him
o
Thieves represent the devil and his minions,
be they spiritual beings or human beings
o
Jesus said in John 10:10 that the thief comes
only to steal, kill, and destroy. It was the devil!!!
· He lost Possessions; Lost his Health; Lost his Hope …
31 “Now by chance a certain
priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other
side."
·
We would expect a priest coming “down” the road,
towards Jericho after serving his order in Jerusalem, to not be afraid of
getting unclean. He would presumably have another two or three months to get
ceremonially clean before having to serve in the Temple again.
·
But, getting dirty, or staying clean, was a
professional necessity and a habit hard to break, even when someone needed
help.
· The priest passed by on the other side.
32 “Likewise a Levite, when
he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side."
·
It’s the “I’ll take a look, but I don’t want
to anything” syndrome.
·
He was interested to know but not motivated
to help.
·
It doesn’t appear that either of these two
even prayed for the man.
·
Of course, a lot of good prayer will do when
someone needs a little help, and you could easily give it to them.
· You know, you can pray while you’re bandaging a wound.
James 2
15 If a brother or sister is
naked and destitute of daily food,
16 and one of you says to
them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the
things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
· You might be saying today, “Preacher … are you trying to guilt me into helping people?” Oh, if it were only that easy, you bet I would. At least some people who really need it would get help.
33 “But a certain Samaritan,
as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion."
· A foreigner, a stranger, someone considered unclean saw him, had compassion and finally someone did something to help.
34 “So he went to him
and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own
animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him."
·
The bandage, oil, and wine … The Father, the
Holy Spirit, and the Son. – The animal was his own and he led him to the Ark.
·
Evidently the Samaritan walked so that the
hurting man could ride.
·
He “took the care” of him … personally … and
then professionally
·
He didn’t quit after the first band-aid.
·
He was in it for the long haul
· He connected this man to continued care – he brought him to Church
35 “On the next day, when he
departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said
to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I
will repay you.’
36 “So which of these three
do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
I don’t’ suppose I have ever found a more direct set of marching orders from Jesus in all of the Word of God than this certain, clear command.
“Go and do likewise.”
That
sums up God’s Word to us today. You will never help
everyone until you help just one. Each one counts.
·
You
can help the hurting and you need a place to bring them that will help them
recover from how the devil has treated them.
· The ultimate goal of God is to bandage the wounded and get them to a place where they can recover whether it is here with our Church family or some other Church and pastor who will continue to help.
Each
and every week we supply food to the hungry, help to the needy, and hope to
those who sit in darkness by sharing the love of Jesus Christ with families in
our communities here in southeast Texas and abroad.
·
We
also reach out from this Church to meet needs all over the world.
o Children from the
Native American Navajo and Apache Tribes
o Inmates incarcerated
in jails and prisons here and in Arkansas
o Youth in Indonesia
o Pastors in Thailand
o Churches and
University Students in Russia
o Battered Women,
Abandoned Children, and Families in Kenya
o Children, Seminary
Students, and Churches India
o Ministries in Pakistan
o Orphans and Bible
School Students in Nepal
o Underground Church
Leaders in China
o Pastors, Children, and
Relocated Families the Philippines
o The Unreached People
of Burkina Faso
o Water Wells in Mexico
o Refugees from Syria, Iraq,
and Iran in Jordan and Turkey
o And so many more in
our community and around the world.
o The sun never sets on the ministry of GTCOTR …
Being
connected to and participating with your Church Family here at COTR insures you
are making a difference every day. But more than this, I challenge you to find
one person you can help in some meaningful way personally, above and beyond
what we do collectively as a Church.
·
Check
on them
·
Counsel
them
·
Challenge
them
·
Console
them
·
Care
about them … Meet some need
o Don’t take them to
raise and don’t enable them …
o I’m not suggesting you
send money to people you don’t know
o I am suggesting you
find someone in need to love and care for, someone who can’t help you back.
o Perhaps they have
fallen among thieves, and they are overwhelmed at how fast and how far they
have fallen.
o Maybe they have lost
their possessions, their health, or their hope
o They don’t have to be
down and out to still be out … they might be up and out … out of fellowship,
out of strength, out of hope, and just need a real friend.
·
Give
them a chance – We don’t know if the man who was helped by the Good Samaritan
did better or worse in life, what we do know is that Jesus told us to help
those who we see who are in need.
·
Find
one … you might find them sitting right beside you at work, school, or even in
Church.
· And, if you need help finding someone to help, I’ll help - contact me.
Jesus began the 10th chapter of Luke by saying: “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Luke 10:2 – You might be an answer to prayer!
You
can’t help everyone, but surely You can help just one!
Your mission, Find One! Love God more than you do yourself and love others as
much as you do yourself … Do this, Jesus said, and you will truly live!
