Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)
22 July 2007
U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris
Bethel Missionary Baptist Church
Seaside, California
BIG IDEA: Anyone in need is your neighbor.
References: Luke 18:18-27(RSV) Story of The Rich Young Ruler; Luke 10:25-37 (NIV); Romans 15:1-2 KJV - (We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification); Genesis 4:9 KJV - (And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?); Deuteronomy 7:9 (ASV) - Know therefore that Jehovah thy God, he is God, the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and loving kindness with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; Deuteronomy 11:1 (ASV) - Therefore thou shalt love Jehovah thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his ordinances, and his commandments, always; Matthews 19:19 (KJV) Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; Romans 13:8 (KJV) -Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)
II. READ THE PERICOPE: Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)
III. READ THE TEXT: Luke 10:34(NIV) “He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.”
IV. PURPOSE: Motivate the hearers to affirm to others that anyone in need is their neighbor.
V. INTRODUCTION:
My wife, Dedra Yvonne, was not able to be with us today. She has gone to her family’s reunion in Jacksonville, Florida. She left at 4:00 a.m. this morning.
She will be gone for a week. Please keep her and my boys, and me, in your prayers. After nearly 25 years, and three sons later, it’s going to be tough … trying to survive a week without her (smile).
If she was here, I would ask her to sing! Not only is she an awesome mother, and woman of God; But, she is an awesome singer!
The last Sunday that she and I were here, I was kindly asked by one of the ushers, if I was a preacher … and afterwards, … I was invited to sit-up here in the pulpit.
Now, having served as pastor for many military congregations for over 16 years, … I know that sitting in the pulpit provides an up-close and personal view …. of how the pastor maneuvers (or spiritually work-out) his congregation.
As you all can attest to, Reverend Lusk preached yet another dynamic sermon that Sunday. After he concluded and had taken his seat, I recall the deacons collecting the tithes and offerings …. as the congregation marched around the offering table.
I had just given my offering when one of the sisters, here, got my attention. She passed a note to me – gesturing that I pass it to Pastor Lusk.
As I recall, Pastor Lusk was obviously tired and drenched in his own sweat, yet he quickly read the note …. and responded with a plea for everyone to share …. in the financial sowing of HELPING A SISTER IN NEED.
Afterwards, I recall A lady standing and making an additional plea for the church to share … in what I call … the Investment of Sowing. This (my brothers and sisters) was my last recollection of this church: Bethel Baptist Church of Seaside, CA.
As members of Bethel Baptist … ALL OF YOU … SHOULD BE PROUD OF HAVING CREATED SUCH GODLY MEMORIES OF COMPASSION for me! Please join me in giving yourself a round of applause …. for allowing God to use you …. to HELP SOMEONE IN NEED!
********************TAKE 5 BEATS*********************
MOVE 1: Helping someone in need is SERIOUS AND IMPORTANT MINISTRY!
a. For who can ever forget the story of Cain and Abel (in Genesis 4:1-16)?
b. For don’t you remember, God asked Cain if he knew his brother’s whereabouts;
c. …and Cain replied, I know not: Am I My Brother’s Keeper?
d. Now, my brothers and sisters, most theologians and students of the Bible agree that there aren’t any scriptural indications, that Cain intentionally killed his Brother.
e. But he was definitely responsible for the health and welfare of his brother.
f. Now, Cain had no previous knowledge of what death on a human being looked like.
*********************TAKE 5 BEATS********************
MOVE 2: In fact, he probably wondered why his brother lied lifeless before him. As if he was a dead dog.
a. But, in his anger, he refused to help his brother; instead, he walked away.
b. If his brother wasn’t initially dead, he eventually died because his BROTHER DIDN’T HELP HIM.
c. NOW … we all know that helping doesn’t always mean the older is helping the younger; or the younger is helping the older;
d. And it doesn’t always mean … a brother is helping another brother … or a sister is helping another sister …
e. Sometimes HELPING … simply means … one human being is HELPING OUT ANOTHER Human being.
******************TAKE 5 BEATS********************
MOVE 3: Many years ago, while I was a graduate student at - the country’s largest African American Graduate Seminary,
a. … dubbed I.T.C.: Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia - a crime against humanity was committed on campus.
b. It’s victim was a cafeteria worker.
c. Someone who had been faithfully serving the ministers and pastors in the seminary cafeteria… came within inches of losing her life …
d. One seminarian heard some quarreling sounds and then screams of help me - looked out of her dorm window, and saw a man knifing, beating and kicking this woman, sounded the alarm of compassion.
e. The other seminarian, heard the alarm, scared the assailant away, and ran to the aid of the cafeteria woman, and wrapped up her open wounds … with bandages and cloths.
*********************TAKE 5 BEATS********************
MOVE 4: Likewise, in our text, this morning, … Jesus shares the story that many theologians call “The Good Samaritan”.
a. The parable about the Good Samaritan is actually a parable of Jesus …. teaching a “YOUNG LAWYER” how to obtain ETERNAL LIFE.
b. For don’t you remember, … Jesus had just finished teaching the 70 disciples …. and those that were gathered to hear him … that they should NOT be overly happy … because they were able to HEAL AND CAST devils out of people lives;
c. but they should rejoice …. because THEIR NAMES WERE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN …
d. AfTERWARDS … THE young lawyer stood up … and asked … MASTER … WHAT CAN I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?
*******************TAKE 5 BEATS*********************
MOVE 5: JESUS REPONDED to the question … WHAT DOES THE LAW OF MOSES INSTRUCT YOU TO DO?
a. AND THE LAWYER SAID: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself - Luke 10:27 (KJV)
b. And Jesus said to him. You have answered correctly. Do what you have said … and you shall live … and have … ETERNAL …LIFE …
c. But … the LAWYER trying to justify himself asked … WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
d. In other words, MASTER … YOU KNOW ME. I WOULD GLADLY LOVE MY NEIGHBOR AS MYSELF … IF I ONLY KNEW WHO MY NEIGHBOR WAS …
*******************TAKE 5 BEATS***********************
MOVE 6: Now, my brothers and sisters, if you would come a little closer within the rudiments of your mind, and allow your imaginations to work with you …. Perhaps you can hear Jesus in 2007:
a. For Jesus replied, … A man was traveling from San Francisco, California to Monterey … when he fell into the hands of SOME SEA-SIDE gang members.
a. They robbed him. They beat him. And they ran away, leaving … the man almost dead.
b. Afterwards, a Minister who happened to be …. headed to Bethel Missionary Baptist Church (in Seaside) … went down the same road and saw the man lying in the street .. with blood all around him ...
c. But, he didn’t do anything to HELP him. Instead, he crossed the street and continued towards BETHEL.
d. Later, a DEACON in the church, also came down the same road.
e. In fact, the deacon looked on the man and saw that he had been traumatized. For the man eyes were rolling towards the back of his head … and he was definitely about to die …
f. Now, … the deacon had been a medic in the military …
g. So, he recognized the severity of the problem. Still, he provided no assistance. He didn’t HELP. He crossed the street … and he also continued towards BETHEL.
*********************TAKE 5 BEATS********************
MOVE 7: Still later, a YOUNG MAN … who was a member of F.A.R.M. (Faithful Anointed Righteous Men) … was traveling down that same road, headed toward the same church (Bethel Missionary Baptist) … when he saw the injurious man that NEEDED HELP.
a. But unlike the first two… He had compassion for him. He ran to his aid, and wrapped-up his open wounds with bandages and cloths.
b. Then he put him ON … HIS MOTOR-CYCLE … and carried him …. to THE EMBASSY SUITE … and TOOK CARE OF HIM.
c. HE STAYED WITH HIM ALL NIGHT.
d. HE HAD CHURCH TO ATTEND … HE HAD CLASSES TO TEACH. BUT HE STAYED WITH THE INJURED MAN ALL …. NIGHT.
e. The next day, he took money out of his own pocket … and gave it to THE MANAGER OF THE EMBASSY and said, …
************************Take 5 Beats******************
MOVE 8: If this man requires additional time in this HOTEL; when I come back through here, I’ll pay the difference …
a. Now … after sharing the parable …. Jesus turned to the young LAWYER and asked: Which of the three (the MINISTER, THE DEACON, or the Member of the Faithful Anointed Righteous Men (F.A.R.M.)
b. …… was a Good Neighbor to the man that was victimized by the GANG?
c. And the lawyer responded, …
d. … the Young Man …. that was a member of the F.A.R.M.
e. Jesus said to him, Go and do thou likewise.
f. In other words, GO AND DO THE SAME THING THE YOUNG MAN DID … and you SHALL INHERIT … ENTERNAL LIFE.
g. GO AND DO THE SAME THING THAT THE YOUNG F.A.R.M. DID … and you will be able to rejoice … because your name will also be written in heaven …
********************TAKE 5 BEATS******************
CELEBRATION:
My brothers and sisters, …. the Cafeteria Worker is alive today … because of two seminarians; and their BANDAGES OF LOVE …
If it had not been for their HELP AND CARE … this woman would have loss her life.
As a single parent, her children would have been motherless, … but …THANKS BE TO GOD … her life was salvaged … BECAUSE OTHERS DIDN’T MIND HELPING ... Others didn’t mind …. SCARIFICING THEIR TIME …
OTHERS DIDN’T MIND …. PAYING THE BILL OF HELPING SOMEONE IN NEED …
For the Bible says (in Romans 15:1-2) …We then that are strong … ought to bear …the infirmities of the weak, …
and not to please ourselves… every one of us please his neighbour for his good ..
The Apostle Paul also … reminds us (in Romans 13:8 – KJV) that as Christians … we .. ought … to
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
