Living As Ambassadors Of The Kingdom

1. The Question Behind the Question

Text: Luke 10:25–29

The expert in the law asks:

“Who is my neighbour?”

On the surface, it sounds sincere — but Luke tells us he wanted to justify himself.

In other words:

“How far does my responsibility go?”

“Who counts — and who doesn’t?”

That’s a very modern question. We still ask it, just with different language:

• Do they deserve my help?

• Are they like me?

• Isn’t that someone else’s problem?

Jesus doesn’t answer with a definition.

He answers with a story.

2. The Shock of the Good Samaritan

Text: Luke 10:30–35

Everyone listening would have expected the hero to be the priest or the Levite.

Instead, Jesus makes the Samaritan the neighbour.

That’s not accidental. Samaritans were:

• Religiously suspect

• Socially despised

• Written off as “other”

Jesus is saying:

Neighbour love is not about proximity, similarity, or convenience —

it’s about compassion.

The Samaritan:

• Sees the man

• Is moved with compassion

• Interrupts his journey

• Gets involved personally

• Pays a cost

Loving your neighbour is never theoretical.

It always costs time, comfort, or resources.

3. A Subtle Twist: Who Became the Neighbour?

Text: Luke 10:36–37

Jesus flips the question.

He doesn’t ask:

“Which person deserved love?”

He asks:

“Which of these was a neighbour?”

The issue isn’t who qualifies —

The issue is who are we becoming?

That’s a powerful shift for Christians today.

4. Loving Our Neighbour in Today’s World

So what does this look like now?

Our neighbours are:

• The lonely person on our street

• The difficult colleague at work

• The person with different politics, beliefs, or background

• The person everyone else avoids

Loving our neighbour doesn’t mean:

• Agreeing with everything

• Compromising our faith

• Having all the answers

It means:

• Choosing kindness over contempt

• Presence over avoidance

• Grace over judgement

5. Neighbour Love as Kingdom Ambassadorship

Text: 2 Corinthians 5:20

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors…”

An ambassador:

• Represents the values of their kingdom

• Speaks and acts on behalf of another

• Is recognised by how they behave, not just what they say

When we love our neighbour:

• We show what God’s Kingdom is like

• We make the invisible Kingdom visible

• We give people a glimpse of Jesus before they ever read a Bible

Neighbour love is not a side issue.

It’s Kingdom witness.

6. A Simple, Practical Challenge

You could land the sermon with something like this:

Three simple questions for the week ahead:

1. Who have I been walking past?

2. What would compassion look like in one small, practical step?

3. How can I represent Jesus well where God has already placed me?

You might even say:

“You don’t need to cross an ocean to be a missionary —

you just need to cross the road.”

Prayer Response

Lord Jesus,

You are the Good Samaritan who saw us in our need

and did not walk past.

Forgive us for the times we have been too busy,

too cautious,

or too comfortable to stop and care.

Open our eyes to see the people around us

not as interruptions,

but as neighbours you deeply love.

Soften our hearts with your compassion,

and give us courage to cross boundaries,

to offer kindness,

and to show grace in practical ways.

Help us to live as ambassadors of your Kingdom —

reflecting your love in our words,

your mercy in our actions,

and your hope in the way we live each day.

Send us out this week

to love where it is difficult,

to serve where it costs us something,

and to follow your example wherever you lead.

In your name, Jesus,

Amen.