" GOD STILL NEEDS HEROES "
LUKE 10:30-37
WE CAN’T BE SURE OF TOO MANY THINGS IN THIS LIFE BUT I’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU THE THINGS I HAVE ASSURANCE IN…
1. I AM ASSURED OF MY SALVATION IN CHRIST JESUS
ROMANS 8:35-39
2. I AM ASSURED OF MY CALLING TO THE VINEYARD
2 TIMOTHY 1:8-9
3. I AM ASSURED OF MY BURDEN FOR PEOPLE
EXODUS 32:30-32, ROMANS 9:1-3
GOD HAS SHOWN ME HIS BURDEN FOR THE LOST AND DYING IN THIS WORLD TODAY AND THE LAST THING YOU CAN BE ASSURED OF IS THIS MY FRIEND…
GOD IS STILL LOOKING FOR HEROES! TURN IN YOUR BIBLES TO LUKE CHAPTER 10 BEGINNING IN VERSE 30-37. ( PRAYER )
GOD SENT ONE OF HIS HEROES INTO MY LIFE WHEN I WAS ONLY FOURTEEN YEARS OLD BY THE NAME OF BUFORD LEROY ORR. GOD USED THIS HERO TO PLANT SEED IN MY HEART THAT WOULD ONE DAY BLOOM INTO SALVATION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. HE TALKED WITH ME LIKE I WAS IMPORTANT, HE LISTENED TO ME LIKE WHAT I HAD TO SAY MEANT SOMETHING, HE CARED ABOUT ME LIKE I WAS THE SON HE NEVER HAD AND HE REACHED OUT TO ME AT A TIME IN MY LIFE THAT I NEEDED SOMEONE TO REACH OUT A RESCUE HAND. MY LIFE UNTIL THAT POINT HAD BEEN FILLED WITH MANY WRONG ROLE MODELS AND IT’S A WONDER THAT I EVEN LISTENED TO HIM OR WANTED TO BE AROUND HIM. I HAD SEEN MY DADDY BEAT MY MOMA TILL HER EYES WOULD SWELL SHUT AND THEN TURN AROUND AND TAKE OUT HIS FRUSTRATION ON US. I HAD SEEN MY NOW DEAD GRANDFATHER CHASE EVERYBODY OUT OF THE HOUSE AND TEN BLOCKS UP THE ROAD WITH A CANE KNIFE THREATENING TO KILL US EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. I HAD SEEN THIS SAME MAN PULL HIS OWN TEETH OUT OF HIS MOUTH TO PROVE HOW TOUGH HE WAS. I HAVE SEEN MY OWN FATHER MEET ANOTHER WOMAN FOR SEX WHILE LEAVING ME IN A BARROOM WHILE HE WAS STILL MARRIED TO MY MOTHER.
I WATCHED ALL THAT AND SO MANY OTHER THINGS TO SHAPE MY MIND THAT IT’S A MIRACLE IN ITSELF I EVER LISTENED TO THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST FROM A MAN LIKE LEROY. HE SIMPLY SHARED JESUS WITH ME AND THE FACT THAT I WAS LOVED SO MUCH THAT HE DIED IN MY PLACE. THE GREATEST NEED I HAD IN MY LIFE AT THAT TIME WAS TO KNOW THAT SOMEWHERE OUT THERE I COULD BE LOVED BY GOD. THEN LEROY TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO MODEL MANHOOD FOR ME BY THE WAY HE LIVED HIS LIFE AND THE WAY HE WORSHIPPED GOD.
REST ASSURED OF THIS MY FRIEND, GOD STILL NEEDS HEROES TO REACH A LOST AND DYING WORLD. NOT MANY MEN AND WOMEN WHO WANT TO BE HEROES OUT THERE BUT GOD AIN’T QUIT LOOKING YET FOR A SERVANT TO UPHOLD.
· FIRST POINT FROM THE SCRIPTURE TEXT IS FOUND IN VERSE 30
THIS MAN WAS A JEW! HE WASN’T SOME FOREIGNER FROM SOME DISTANT LAND THAT LOOKED LESS THAN HUMAN BUT WAS FROM THE CITY OF JERUSALEM. HE WAS STRIPPED OF HIS POSSESSIONS AND CLOTHING BY ROBBERS AND THEN BEATEN TO DEATHS DOORSTEP BY THE SAME MEN WHO TOOK EVERYTHING HE HAD. LEFT TO DIE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD LIKE THROWAWAY TRASH. PRETTY SORRY SITE LYING THERE IN A POOL OF HIS OWN BLOOD WITH NO WAY TO HELP HIMSELF BECAUSE OF HIS CONDITION. HE MIGHT HAVE MOANED AND CRIED OUT FOR HELP IF HE HADN’T BEEN UNCONSCIOUS FROM THE PAIN OF HIS BEATING.
1. JESUS TOLD THE DISCIPLES A SUPRISING THING IN THE BOOK OF ACTS CHAPTER ONE VERSE EIGHT. HE TOLD THEM TO WAIT FOR THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO COME UPON THEM AND TO BEGIN WITNESSING FOR HIM IN JERUSALEM, RIGHT THERE IN THEIR OWN HOMETOWN. I WONDER WHY HE DID THAT?
NOT SUCH A STRANGE REQUEST WHEN WE CONSIDER THE FACT THAT IF WE WON’T WITNESS TO THE PEOPLE WE KNOW AND LOVE, WHO WILL WE WITNESS TOO? JESUS WANTS US TO FAITHFUL IN OUR OWN HOMES FIRST, IN OUR OWN COMMUNITIES FIRST, IN OUR OWN CHURCHES FIRST BEFORE WE EVER VENTURE OUTSIDE OUR REGULAR LIVES. JESUS KNOWS THAT IF WE’RE NOT FAITHFUL IN A LITTLE BIT WE WON’T BE FAITHFUL IN MUCH. HE KNOWS THAT UNLESS WE CAN BE FAITHFUL AROUND OUR OWN, WE’LL NEVER GO TO THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE EARTH TO SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH THE HEATHEN THAT’S SO MUCH DIFFERENT THAN US.
HOW FAITHFUL TO THE NEEDS OF YOUR REGULAR LIFE HAVE YOU BEEN? DON’T SAY AMEN JUST YET BECAUSE ONE OTHER POINT NEEDS TO BE MADE BEFORE WE JUDGE OUR SERVICE.
· SECOND POINT TO MAKE IS THAT OUR ACTIONS SPEAK SO MUCH LOUDER THAN OUR WORDS
VERSES 31 AND 32 OF THIS TEXT TELLS US THAT TWO OF THE MEN ON THE ROAD THAT DAY WERE OF THE SAME RACE OR BLOODLINE AS THE NEEDY. HE ALSO TELLS US THAT THEY WERE A PRIEST AND A LEVITE WHICH WOULD INDICATE THAT BOTH OF THEM WERE CALLED TO BE SERVANTS OF THE LIVING GOD. THEIR ONLY CONCERN SHOULD HAVE BEEN TO BE ABOUT GOD’S BUSINESS REACHING OUT TO THE NEEDS AROUND THEM BUT THAT CERTAINLY WASN’T THE CASE HERE. I WONDER WHAT THEY THOUGHT WHEN THEY WALKED NEXT TO THAT HUMAN BEING IN SUCH NEED THAT WITHOUT PROPER CARE AND CONCERN HE WOULD SURELY DIE?
A. SURE WOULD LIKE TO HELP BUDDY BUT I’M TOO BUSY RIGHT NOW
B. WOULDN’T MIND HELPING YOU IF I WASN’T LATE ALREADY FOR THE LECTURE BY DR. SMOOTHMOUTH DOWN AT THE CHURCH
C. THE ONLY THING I CAN DO IS PRAY GOD WILL SEND SOMEONE ELSE TO HELP THIS POOR SOUL
THEY BOTH SAW THE NEED OF THEIR BROTHER BEATEN TO DEATHS DOORSTEP AND LYING THERE NAKED AND BRUISED AND BLEEDING BUT THEY PASSED BY WITHOUT SO MUCH AS HOLDING HIS HAND TO EVEN SEE IF HE WAS STILL ALIVE.
1. I KNOW OF A PREACHER WHO WON’T VISIT THE SICK OR THE DYING BECAUSE IT INTERFERES WITH HIS QUIET TIME AND SERMON PREPARATION. HE NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OUT AND HORSEWHIPPED AND RUN OUT OF THE MINISTRY MY FRIENDS.
FOR A MAN OF GOD TO NOT REACH OUT TO THOSE AROUND HIM IS COMPLETELY REPREHENSIBLE BECAUSE OF HIS NEED TO STUDY. WE CONCENTRATE TOO MUCH ON EDUCATION TODAY INSTEAD OF SALVATION AND SANCTIFICATION.
2. DON’T GET TOO HIGH AND MIGHTY BECAUSE YOU DON’T VISIT EITHER MY FRIEND. WITNESSING AND REACHING OUT ISN’T ONLY THE JOB OF THE PASTOR AND PREACHER.
HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THIS SCENE REALLY HAPPENED? JESUS SAID A CERTAIN MAN AND WASN’T SPEAKING A PARABLE HERE BUT INSTEAD SPOKE OUT OF HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH. HE WASN’T JUST MAKING A GOOD ILLUSTRATION BUT INSTEAD WAS SPEAKING THE TRUTH OF AN ACTUAL INCIDENT AND IT’S STILL GOING ON TODAY…
CHRISTIANITY IS THE ONLY ARMY IN EXISTENCE THAT SHOOTS IT’S WOUNDED OR JUST LEAVES THEM BEHIND TO DIE!
GET MAD, GET OUT OR GET UP OFF YOUR BEHIND BECAUSE GOD STILL NEEDS HEROES TODAY TO REACH OUT TO THE LOST BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! HE STILL NEEDS SERVANTS TO WORK THROUGH! I THANK GOD THAT WHEN SATAN HAS HIS SERVANTS HE CAN USE TO HURT CHRISTIANITY, GOD ALWAYS HAS HIS HERO TO WHOM HE CAN SAY ARISE.
IN VERSE 33 LET’S LOOK AT THE HERO GOD USED THAT DAY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF A HUMAN BEING THAT RELIGION SAID WASN’T WORTH THE EFFORT.
1. HE WASN’T OF THE SAME RACE OF THE JEWS AND WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED AN ENEMY OF THE RACE
2. FOR US TO UNDERSTAND, WE WOULD HAVE TO THINK OF HIM AS A BLACK MAN. THE JEWS HATED THE SAMARITANS WITH A PASSION BECAUSE THEY CONSIDERED THEM LOWER THAN THEMSELVES
I JUST THANK GOD THAT HE HAD A HERO ON THE ROAD THAT DAY WHO WOULD LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF GOD AND MEET THE NEED AROUND HIM.
( TELEGRAPH JOB )
HE HAD COMPASSION NOT PITY! PITY NEVER MOVES US TO DO ANYTHING BUT CONSIDER OUR OWN STANDING AND THANK GOD THAT WE’RE NOT CAUGHT IN THE SAME SITUATION. COMPASSION ON THE OTHER HAND WILL REACH OUT TO HELP THE HELPLESS AND LIFT UP THE FALLEN. THIS SAMARITAN WENT TO THE BEATEN MAN AND PUT FEET TO HIS FAITH THEN HE BOUND UP HIS WOUNDS AND POURED OIL ON THEM. HE GAVE HIM TO DRINK FROM HIS OWN THERMOS AND THEN PLACED HIM ON HIS BEAST TO CARRY HIM TO A PLACE WHERE HE COULD BE MINISTERED TO.
PROVIDED FOR HIS CARE WITH NO THOUGHT OF BEING REPAID AND OBLIGATED HIMSELF TO EVEN HELP IN THE FUTURE BY OPENING HIS WALLET.
HE LIVED BY THE PRINCIPLE ALL OF US SHOULD STUDY, WHY DO WE STRIVE SO HARD TO OBTAIN THAT WHICH WE CANNOT KEEP OR IN LAYMEN’S TERMS…
THERE AIN’T NO ARMORED CARS LOADED WITH MONEY FOLLOWING A FUNERAL PROCESSION. THIS MAN REACHED OUT WITH THE SAME COMPASSION CHRIST DID WHEN HE WENT TO THE CROSS TO DIE FOR OUR SINS. HE KNEW THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD REPAY HIM AND THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY NOT EVEN ACCEPT WHAT HE DID, BUT HE DID IT ANYWAY!
WELL YOU KNOW BROTHER MIKE THAT MAKES FOR A REAL INTERESTING SERMON ON SUNDAY BUT THERE ISN’T ANY CALL LIKE THAT ON MY SERVICE. LONG AS I COME TO CHURCH AND DO GOOD AND REACH OUT TO THE PEOPLE I LIKE, I’LL DO ALRIGHT.
LUKE 6:35-36 AND 10:36-37 PRETTY PLAIN TEXT ISN’T IT? IT’S WRITTEN IN RED SO THAT MEANS JESUS HIMSELF SAID IT. GOD STILL NEEDS HEROES MY FRIEND AND EVERYONE HERE TODAY CAN BE A HERO IN GOD’S EYES.
WILLIAM BARRETT TRAVIS IN THE ALAMO DREW HIS SWORD AND TRACED A LINE IN THE DIRT.
HAVE YOU CROSSED THE LINE DRAWN WITH THE BLOOD OF CHRIST ON CALVARY’S HILL?
INVITATION
