You Can Count On Me Like 1, 2, 3...

Text: Ephesians 4: 29 – 32 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. “

John 15 : 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. “

Colossians 3: 12 – 14 “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

Theme: You can count on me like 1,2,3…

Introduction

- Bruno Mars sings a song called “You can count on me” [e]

- In this song, he mentions a few scenarios

- He says that if you are stuck in the middle of the sea, he will sail the world to find you [e]

- He also says that if you are lost and in the dark, he will be like a light to guide you [e]

- Let me ask you a question this morning…if any of your brothers or sisters from the church needed you, will they be able to count on you? [e]

- I was watching a Youtube video some time back where a few young people decided to conduct an experiment to see if people really care…

- One of them pretended to collapse on the side of a busy street to see if anyone will help him. [e]

- He lay on that sidewalk for about 10 minutes….

- People passed by him [e]

- People stepped over him [e]

- Some side-stepped in order to avoid him [e]

- And only after about 10 minutes, an old lady who was passing by bent down to see if he needed help [e]

- Then they moved the experiment to a more affluent part of the city [e]

- A part of the city where rich, executive type of people worked [e]

- Here he lay on the sidewalk….and no-one helped him [e]

- It actually seemed as if no-one even saw him [e]

- Some times we feel the same…as if no-one even sees us [e]

- We cry out for help, but no-one even wants to hear us [e]

- We need to stop!

- Stop what we are doing!

- Stop where we feel we want to go to in life!

- And start to take notice of others around us!

1. To inherit eternal life

- Ask the person next to you: “Do you want to inherit eternal life?” [e]

- Now ask the person next to you: “Please explain to me how to inherit eternal life?” [e]

- I said this year we are going deep into the Word…

- I am sure your explanation to each about how to inherit eternal life was absolutely correct [e]

- But Jesus added another dimension which we will discuss here this morning:

- Please turn with me to Luke 10 : 25 – 37 “25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”