Services | With Every Act of Love

Bulletin

FBCWest
March 29, 2020

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth.”

“His Name Is Wonderful”
Praise and Worship
SCRIPTURE READING – Psalm 145:1 - 7

Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
SPECIAL MUSIC – By Pru Hungate

Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“The Life and Ministry of Jesus The Messiah”
“Jesus Converses with a Lawyer”

PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“With Every Act of Love“

Acknowledgements and Announcements
Benediction “Won’t Stop Now”

Sermon Notes
Luke 10:25 Lawyer tests Jesus
Luke 10:26 Jesus’ response
Luke 10:27 & 28 The correct answer
Luke 10:29 The problem with the answer
Luke 10:30 – 35 The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Luke 10:36 & 37 The neighbor
1 John 4:19 -21

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Scritpures

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Transcript of Service

Good morning.

As we're going through the life and ministry on Earth of Jesus.

The last several weeks we've taken a look at while Jesus was in Jerusalem during the feast.

A Booth Jesus is now left to rusalem. There's some things that have happened that we're not going to cover because my sermon topics, if you will, has been the life and Earthly Ministry of Jesus, what's happening in between Jesus leaving?

Jerusalem an now is that he sent out 70 of his disciples two by two to go minister to the various towns and villages that he was going to be coming too.

Which is always surprising. 'cause when you see movies or other things or you get this idea of Jesus's ministry, it always seems to be that it's just the 12 that follow him around and we kind of forget. Oftentimes the women who also were a part of his ministry, but he had gathered a number of people who were following him and he sent them on a ministry and they had great success and they were excited about it and had returned back to Jesus.

To discuss the results of their ministry and Jesus was happy for them. An was encouraging them and in that context a lawyer comes to him, an Jesus and this lawyers have a conversation now in Full disclosure, I am a lawyer.

I was a lawyer 1st and then became a pastor. People who knew me as a lawyer and then discover that I'm a passer kind of look at main funny and people who know that I'm a passer, then discover that I'm a lawyer and look at me funny and when they look at me funny I had the same comment. I have two strikes and one more. I'm out and most people can never understand how a pastor and a lawyer can intertwine an one of my explanations is that.

A lawyer should be concerned about the law an as I was given advice in law school when the facts are on your side, you pound on the facts. When the laws on your side you found on the law and when neither the facts of law on your side, you pound on the table and so as a lawyer, I think that the most effective way to communicate gods word. It's a communicate gods word, because that's what's much more influential than my.

Opinion

But because of the lawyer I've been subject to hearing numerous.

Lawyer jokes.

Most of which I can repeat because of the foul language, and I was a.

President of a business group for a year. An one of the things that I did different from the other presidents before me or after is I started out each and every meeting with a lawyer joke. Which means basically we had 50 meaning so I had to come up with 50 lawyer jokes.

And so I'm going to give you a lawyer joke, just because that's what.

We lawyers do sometimes just to be self deprecating, and so I've chosen this one 'cause there are a number I could spend the entire worshipped. I'm just giving lawyer jokes, but there was this lawyer who had been given a diagnosis that he had a terminal illness.

And he had always heard, but did not believe, that you can't take it with you.

So after having this diagnosis of a terminal illness, he went to his bank accounts an emptied out all the money from the accounts and place them into two pillowcases. Any place him in his attic, just above his bed.

And after several months, the disease took its course and the lawyer died.

A month or so after the funeral is wife wanting to put some things up, went up to the attic to put some things away, and saw the two pillowcases. Still stuff with money, she goes that fool. I told him he should have put it in the basement, and that's where most people think lawyers are going. Is is not up but down so that so here's this lawyer that comes to Jesus and unfortunately in their time just as ours.

Oftentimes lawyers don't have that great of public opinion by the public, and so in verse 25 of Luke Chapter 10, it says this and a lawyer stood up and put him to the test.

Now write off. We see that this lawyer is going to be in an adverse aerial relationship. He's testing Jesus. He's he's not asking the question because he wants truly to find out the information. Which is unfortunate because the question that the lawyer asked is actually one that everyone should ask, and so this lawyer stood up and put him to the test, saying teacher. What shall I do to inherit eternal life?

Excellent question, one that we all.

I think should and probably do ask how is it that I that I received this eternal life?

And he said to him, Jesus, what is it written in the law? How does it read you? Or how is your interpretation of law? Now? Jesus is responses and to give him an answer, Jesus a response, is kinda treat him like a lawyer because we lawyers learned how we be lawyers.

Why the Socratic method is you ask? The professor would ask a question and you would answer it. Ask other questions and so you learn by questioning the Jesus turns that attic on this lawyer and says, well, how are you interpreting law? What does it read to you? And he, being the lawyer, answered, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.

So even as Jesus has said previously that the whole law is found on these two points to love the Lord and to love your neighbor, and so the lawyer is answering correctly, he's got the point. And so Jesus in verse one it says. And he said to him, you have answered correctly.

So the information is accurate, the interpretation is accurate, the theology is accurate, so.

You're correct.

But Jesus knows the difference between theology and action.

Sometimes we claim to believe things that we don't live in accordance with.

People will say, well, I know God is in control.

But they're always trying to wrestle control out of God.

Or only God? Give God control when they no longer can do anything.

Or will say that I believe that God's Grace is sufficient for Maine until we continue to try to earn.

Is love.

And so Jesus has pointed to the fact that, yes, the theology is correct. You're the love, the Lord Your God and your to love your neighbor as yourself. He says, you're correct, this is do this and you will live. It didn't save. Just believe this and you will live, he said, do this and you will live.

But the lawyer.

Understood exactly what Jesus was getting at.

Because if his theology was correct and he was living in accordance with it here, go excellent Jesus. you and I agree I can live in comfort an in confidence that I have eternal life.

But the lawyer, wishing to justify himself, he said that Jesus.

Who is my neighbor?

Is looking for a loophole. Who is my neighbor? Is it the person who lives next door to me? Is it the person who lives on my block? Is it the same as the people who live in in my general area? My housing track is that my city? He wants to know what the.

Loopholes are.

Who is my neighbor and the reason I believe that this lawyers asset because he knows as well as Jesus knows.

He only loves those he wants love and he wants to reduce who is neighbor is so Jesus is going to give him an example. The verse 30 says this and Jesus replied and said a man was going down for Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers and they stripped him and beat him and went away leaving him half dead.

And by a chance of priest was going down on the road and we saw him, he passed by on the other side.

Likewise, a Levite, also, when he came to the place and saw him pass by on the other side.

But a Samaritan who is on a journey came upon him, and when he saw him, felt compassion and came to him, and bandaged up his wounds, or in oil and wine on them, and put them, put him on his own beast, and brought him to an end, and took care of him.

And on the next day he took out two dinero and gave them to the innkeeper and said.

He care of him.

And whatever more you spend when I return, I will repay you.

So Jesus gives this example and it's a.

It's an, it's an example that is going to pretty much shock Jewish believers because their attitude is, as the Samaritan is someone you look down on someone you don't associate with because they have an ethnic differences and they have a religious difference. An Jews had nothing to do with Samaritan so much so that they wouldn't even enter this American territory that they would take the long way around to get to Jerusalem or the long way around to get back from Jerusalem.

Because they do not want to even associate with Samaritans.

And so Jesus said, there was a priest who came by. He saw him. Now the freeze may have had some kind of example of of exemption because you can't touch a dead person and it may render you unclean, and he can't do service, but it certainly the priest could have done something number one. Check to see if the man was dead only half dead. He could have rendered some kind of aid by calling others, but instead he got he wanted the other side and passed by.

Levi, who simply didn't have some of the same functions as the priested but still had religious obligations to do things in the temple. And those types of things, and so.

They are those who were connected with God and in service to God. But this person also.

When on the other side.

It was only the Samaritan.

Who stopped?

Bandaged him, place Medison and anti.

Like I said, well, they poured wine to stop any kind of infection and those any bandaged him and placed him on his be so that he didn't have to walk.

He took time out of his trip. It says that he stayed at the end and cared for the van another day.

Then he took two denarii. Each dinar is worth a day's wages. Any expended. That or the care of the man, and said, that's not the limit of my care for this gentleman. If the innkeeper spends more money in his care.

Then I will repay you.

When I return, so not only did the Samaritan who the Jews would look on at contempt stop rendered, aid took the man from his.

Situation where he could have died.

Brought him to safety. Continue to nurse him.

And then saw to it at others would.

Then Jesus, after telling this story, looks at the lawyer and says.

Which of these three do you think proved to be the neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers hands?

And he said.

The one who showed mercy towards him. Notice he didn't even say the Samaritan.

His answer is the one who showed commercie.

Which is correct?

But it was a Samaritan.

And Jesus said to him.

Go and do the same.

The lawyer wanted to know who's your neighbor.

And Jesus tells him.

The person who has need.

That person is your neighbor.

That person you need to show mercy because God seeing your need.

Children mercy on you, so when you see others in need, they are your neighbor. Now I know in in today's world.

This is hard 'cause sometimes we don't know.

In essence, who's our neighbor and who's in need will see people with signs.

As we exit the freeway.

Asking for help.

And we don't know whether we should. Is it a scam? 'cause You'll hear stories about how a person will stay for a period of time and then walk away from the exit and get in their Mercedes and drive away, and then you'll have others who will come and seek your help.

So I have a Joe Davis.

Answer for you. I think it's consistent with the Scriptures.

And that is.

Follow your conscience.

If your conscience tells you to help.

Then help.

If your constant tells you, don't.

Then don't.

But I believe is Paula said we need to follow the dictates of our conscience and the point is is that if you violate your conscience oftentimes that conscience goes dimmer and dimmer and dimmer. It is better for you have to been have been taken advantage of.

As in, God will judge that person.

Then for you.

To ignore a person in need, who is your neighbor?

And not.

Now, a lot of times will say and rightfully so.

We entertain Angels unaware. Certainly Abraham did and there are times that I believe in our church experience that we've had Angels.

Hum and do things for us. And when we went to thank them, they disappeared and nobody ever heard about them. So I believe that there are Angels unaware, however.

Weather there Angels or people if they are in need.

There are neighbor.

But this lawyer.

Or Jesus through the test and failed. The second part of the test because he wanted to limit who his neighbor is was.

So he failed that part of the test, but I tell you he also failed the first part of the test.

The test which says the love your Lord Your God with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul, all your strength, all that you are. That is the first commandment and we're told, and the lawyer was thinking. He satisfied that because he didn't say well. How do I love God? He said, who's my neighbor thinking I'm safe on the first part, but I tell you he failed. I was that I know he failed because in first John Chapter 4.

1st 19.

It says this.

We love.

Because he first loved us.

We love God, not because our own initiative we decided to love God. We love God in response to his love towards us. We see the sacrifice that Jesus made very nice in bearing our shame bearing the cross. All of that or his love for us and in response to that love we love God in return. But he says this.

Verse 20 if someone says I love God.

And hates his brother is a liar.

Now that's very bowl. He didn't say if you love God but hate your neighbor, your mistake and he says your lying, your lying to those who say that you love God and you're lying to yourself.

Or the one who does not love his brother Homie has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

God needs nothing from you.

God is self sufficient. He doesn't even need your love is love is given to you, not in response to your love, but he loves you anyway.

The way you demonstrate your love for God is that you love his people.

Now.

We tend to think hate is well. I don't hate people. I don't think there will will. I don't want anything bad to happen to them.

The scriptural view of hate is to see somebody in need and doing nothing.

It doesn't mean that you want somebody's ill will. It means you do nothing for them. So to give you an example, the scripture says that the Lord Love Jacob and hated esau didn't mean he had ill will towards he saw it means that he was in going to benefit esau the way he did Jacob.

He loved Jacob Esau. He hated to Linda. Scriptural view is is that when you hate your brother, you see a need and do nothing.

So this lawyer.

Failed the first Test.

He thought he loved God, but because he was so looking to narrow the interpretation of who his neighbor was, he did not truly love God.

Jesus calls us as he called this lawyer action, he says.

How is it that you gain eternal life after having believed in me? After acknowledging that I am the door to the sheep and that you hear my voice and you come, he says that we are to demonstrate our love. We demonstrate our love for the Lord not only by the internal loving him with all our heart or soul. All our strength, all or mine. All those things that are within us. But we show our love for God by how?

We treat his people.

The awesome thing.

Is I'm sure.

You can think and probably are thinking of times when you had the opportunity to help somebody.

The OR unsure and you didn't.

And you may even feel guilty about that.

We have a love, Love Loving God.

Forgives us.

And tells us.

Repent.

Return from One Direction to another. It doesn't even necessarily be a 90 degree or 180 degree change. It may simply be a few degrees.

You mean to say I'm not loving the Lord my God, the way I too, because I have limited how I love his people and so God, thank you that you've given me a course correction.

I understand now the love you is more than a feeling. It's more than worship and singing song. It's more than attending church or listening to it through some social media, but it's.

Loving his people.

By taking action with the needs of his people.

Now that means discernment.

Or you see, I've been in church long enough to know that there are people who aren't Rooney.

And there are also in people.

Who just want to use you?

There was a woman many years ago in our congregation.

And I don't have to worry about.

Don't know who she is 'cause you will never know.

Unless you were there.

30 plus years ago.

But she would constantly seek help from the leaders of our church are Deacons and others.

In our deacons took their ministry seriously and tried to help this woman and they would take her to doctors appointments and do various things even when it cost them.

But they started to notice.

And she was taking advantage of them. She wasn't in need. She was Gimme Gimme Gimme.

So when one of the Deacon said I can't do it this day.

She turned on him and spread all kinds of rumors about him.

Hurt him deeply.

You see her act.

Is also not an act of love.

It was my needs are more important than your needs and so she was in loving her neighbor who was taking care of her.

And so, as Jesus told his disciples, we need to be as innocent as doves as wise as serpents.

There is great need.

So much so that sometimes we wonder how is it?

And we can.

Accomplish the knee.

For instance.

Someone loses their job.

We may not have the money individually.

It helped him get through that time and we can feel terrible, but you notice the Good Samaritan.

Had the means.

It's an act of love when you do something that someone's in need. When you have the ability to satisfy that need, you don't have the ability to satisfy that need.

Then I suggest two courses of action.

Horse number one, which is always good pray.

Because God already knows, but he will.

If you wisdom how to pursue and proceed next?

The second.

Ask somebody to help you.

Maybe somebody?

In that you know, and your congregation or your friends or relatives can give this person a job.

And that will fill fill the need. Yeah, you don't have enough money to pay his rent.

You might be able to find a mechanism for him to pay his rent.

And so instead of walking by the on the other side of the road, because we can't fulfill that need.

Sometimes all we can do.

Is go up.

But some wine on the wounds.

But some oil and vantage them.

And say.

I'll sit here with you.

Until we figure this out.

That's love.

It's not ignoring the problem.

Are the reason why God has called us to be a church to be a group of called out? One is that in the strength of many is greater strength.

When?

There's few. There's little string.

There is, I believe, a African.

Of.

Wisdom that says you want to run fast.

Run along.

You want to run far run together.

The church is that which enables us to run further than we could to assist in when someone using the running analogy, when someone becomes Lane we can help them carry them until the the injury is resolved. We can support one another.

Carry each other's burdens.

Because he is called us.

I love him.

And to love him.

We truly do that.

My love in each other.

And all God's people said.