INVOLVED OR COMMITTED by George Crumbly
Luke 10: 25-37
Humphrey UMC
SundayAM 7/24/2005
Luke 10
The Lord gave me this message as I as thinking about a story I heard years ago. There was a young pastor in his first church that was struggling and having a hard time, discouraged with attendance and growth. One Saturday this young pastor was in a resaurant preparing to eat breakfast with a season and experienced pastor. The young pastor with tears in his eyes looked at the elder minister and said "I just can’t seem to get folks in the church committed to anything." The elder minister told the young pastor that he needed to get them involved not just committed. The young pastor not understanding asked what the difference was between being committed and involved? About that time the waitress brought their breakfast to the table, there it was 2 big platters of eggs, hashbrowns, grits, sausage, bacon, ham, biscuits and gravy. THe elder minister looked at the young pastor and asked him what he saw, the young pastor named everything that was on the platters, then the elder minister said "Do you see those eggs? Where did they come from?" THe young pastor answered "From a chicken!" Then he asked the young pastor "Where did the sausage, ham and bacon come from?" He answered from a hog. The elder said"You see son, THE CHICKEN WAS COMMITTED, BUT THE HOG WAS INVOLVED."
Luke 10: verse 30
This morning we aren’t going to get into the first part of this text, I believe that there are 3 different examples of how the church responds today. I want to share with you 3 different attitudes of the church.
(The road here from Jerusalem to Jericho was 17 miles and was very winding with a 3,300 feet drop. All along this road there were numerous places that were perfect for an ambush)
The best way to travel this road was in groups yet the man today was traveling alone. He was beaten, robbed, thrown in the ditch and left for dead.
Today we are going to look at how 3 different churches respond to a need:
I. First Response: (Verse 31) "A certain Priest" UNCONCERN
I used to think that this man didn’t even notice that there was a need, but you can see here in this verse "And when he saw him." This man did in fact see the man in the ditch, but he passed by on the other side.
(People aren’t sure as to whether or not this man was in a hurry, if he was late to a meeting, a luncheon, a tee time or what)
What’s important today? This man noticed the need but he did not stop. I’m afraid there are alot of churches like this today, they are too busy with "self" to stop and meet a need. Jesus wasn’t about big fancy buildings or fancy programs he was about people. he was about meeting needs.
This priest was UNCONCERNED. As we travel along the road we will find all kinds of debri, brokedness. God will use people to meet the needs of people.
What kind of attitude do you bring into the church?
II. Second Response: (Verse 32) "A Levite" COMMITTED
Well, this man at least did stop by and take a look. He approached this man and gazed upon him. Yet, what is important once again? He did not do anything to meet a need. I believe there are churches like this in our society today, they see a need, they may stop and gaze upon it yet do nothing.
I’ve always wondered what this particular man might have been thinking? If it is anything like today, maybe he was the wrong color? There are still churches today that fit in this.
Maybe he was the wrong culture? Will they fit in? Churches reach out to a certain area in order to meet their needs. (Another words if we are going to build a $1,000,000.00 building we need to reach out to money people)
Maybe he was the wrong denomination? I have a problem with churches that do for themselves because others aren’t the same denomination as they are.
(This is like the man that comes to your house cold, tired and hungry and you look at them and say go...you are now full, warm and rested while doing nothing) Jesus says this man’s religion is in vain.
I’ve seen folks as well as churches that their first response to a need? "I wonder how much it will cost me?"
III. Third Response: (Verse 33-35) "A Samaritan" INVOLVED
I believe the most important part of this scripture today? "He had compassion on him." Compassion is Love in Action, Jesus didn’t point fingers or stand around and talk about what needed to be done HE MOVED WITH COMPASSION. He went to him.
I believe there are churches like this, Christians like this today, they don’t have to work at it or try or act or whatever, they just act naturally. They JUST DO IT.
This man looked beyond himself, he wasn’t concerned about cost he just gave of himself. (In the 90’s I was a prison chaplain in the Arkansas Department of Corrections in Dermott Arkansas, we would hold services once ever couple of months on Tuesday nights. There would usually be anywhere from 10-20 people from my church come with me and minister. The prisoners would testify how grate ful they were to the vistors, because they had taken time out of their busy lives & with their families and spend their money to come to the prison)
The man hurt was a Jew. The man with compassion was a Samaritan. They were bitter rivals.
We live in a dog eat dog world. People work all week, they are beat up & abused by the system. Yet somewhere in there the church has got to have compassion. The church has got to move with compassion. The church has got top be the church.
(We had a singing group a few years ago say the church instead of trying to fill the church first the church needs to be the church.) How do I respond? Is my attitude: Unconcerned? Committed? Involved?
There are needs all along the road of life how are we responding? We are responding some way or some how. To do nothing is a response.
