IN DEFENSE OF THE SPIRIT OF TRUE CHRISTIANITY
OR
HE FELL
Scripture: Luke 10: 25 -37
I. Justification
A. Define Justify:
-to render righteous or such he ought to be
-to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered.
-to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be
B. Our own
1. Who is my neighbor? v. 29 G. Campbell Morgan -> The lawyer was hard hit. He had to find some way out. He knew he had not eternal life and wanted and excuse for not having it.
Matthew Henry: "Many ask good questions with design rather to justify themselves than to inform themselves, rather proudly to show what is good in them than humbly to see what is bad in them.
This is the spirit of Cain.
2. Am I my brother's keeper? Genesis 4:9 “And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?”
3. What is the spirit of Cain? I John 3:12 “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”
4. Justifying ourselves Luke 16:13 - 15 13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the
other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 16:14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”
5. Trusting in ourselves Luke 18:9-14 *READ
How many pastors would like to have this Pharisee as a member?
He was faithful over many things.
(Insert Song --- I'll Whisper Grace vs. #2)
II. A CERTAIN MAN
A. He Fell
1. Mephibosheth Fell
II Sam 4:4 “And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He
was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his
name was Mephibosheth.”
2. Have you ever fallen? How does it feel to fall?
3. Let's ask Mephibosheth how it feels. *READ II Sam 9:1-*8
Like a dead dog.
4. Let's ask the psalmist how it feels. *READ Ps 88:1-18
Like a dead man.
B. Stripped
1. A certain man was stripped.
Approximately 18 miles from Jerusalem to Jericho. Called the “bloody way because of so many robbers infesting the country.
2. Christ was stripped. Mt 27:28 “And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet
robe.”
C. Wounded
1. A certain man was wounded.
2. My heart is wounded. Ps 109:21-31 *READ
There are times I would rather be cut in the flesh than cut to the heart.
3. My spirit is wounded. Prov. 18:14 “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?”
4. Offended Prov 18:19 “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.”
5. Christ was wounded.
Isa 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
6. The worst of heart wounds. Wounded by friends.
Zech. 13:6 “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.”
III. RESPONDING WHEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY
A. The Passing Priest – About 12,000 priest live in Jericho.
Possibly on his way to or from officiating his turn in the temple.
B. The Looking Levite
Attendants of the priests. Also on his way to or from the temple.
Matthew Henry: It is sad when those who should be examples of charity are prodigies of cruelty, and when those who should, by displaying the mercies of God, open the bowels of compassion in others, shut up their own.
C. The Saving Samaritan
M.H. --- The priest had his heart hardened against one of his own people, but the Samaritan had his opened towards one of another people. When he saw him he had compassion on him, and never took into consideration what country he was of. Though he was a Jew, he was a man, and a man in misery, and the Samaritan has learned to honour all men; he know not how soon this poor man's case may be his own, and therefore pities him, as he himself would desire and expect to be pitied in
the like case.
Ministry takes place when divine resources meet human needs through loving channels to the glory of God.
1. Samaritans
a. One in Ten Luke 17:15-17 “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 17:16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17:17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?”
b. Some have no dealings with Samaritans
John 4:9 “Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.”
c. Some liken a Samaritan unto devils.
John 8:48 “Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?”
2. The Power Of Compassion
a. Compassion saved Moses a Type of Christ
Ex 2:6 “And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
b. The LORD is compassionate
II Kings 13:23 II Chron 36:15 Ps 78:38
Ps 86:15 Ps 111:4
c. The Father of the Prodigal had compassion Luke 15:20 “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.”
d. Christ had compassion Mt 9:36 *READ Matt. 18:21-33
e. He heals Ps 147:3 “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”
f. Compassion makes a difference.
Jude 1:22 “And of some have compassion, making a difference:”
Matthew Henry: We must wish well to all and ill to none; must do all the good we can in the world and not hurt, and must fix it as a rule to ourselves to do to others as we would they should do to us; and this is to love our neighbor as ourselves.
IV. WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
Define Neighbor:
- a friend
- any other person, and where two are concerned, the other (thy fellow man, thy neighbor), according to the Jews, any member of the Hebrew race or commonwealth.
- according to Christ, any other man irrespective of race or religion with whom we live
or whom we chance to meet
The Compassionate know who is their neighbor and they are faithful keepers of the brethren.
Those who know the Saviour, know their neighbor.
Matthew 26:40
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
