25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” 27 So he answered and said, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.”
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” 29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” 37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:25-37 (NKJV)
1. The
Legalism is the idea that we can reduce God’s law to a series of checkboxes.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is save a person from their religion.
The world religions say “Do” while Christianity says “Done”.
2. The
3 Possible Attitudes Toward People:
A. I can keep my
30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
Luke 10:30-31 (NKJV)
B. I can be
32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.
Luke 10:32 (NKJV)
C. I can operate in a spirit of
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.
Luke 10:33 NKJV
12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
Matthew 7:12 (NLT)
7-8 Don’t be misled, no one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others ignores God and harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.
Galatians 6:7-8 (MSG)
17Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you.
Proverbs 11:17 NLT
3. The
There is a rhythm for living:
A.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.
Luke 10:33 (NKJV)
Stop asking: What’s wrong with them?
Start asking: What happened to them?
2“Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:2 (NLT)
If God has placed them on your heart, then God has placed them in your path.
B.
34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.
Luke 10:34 (NKJV)
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Galatians 6:10 (NIV)
27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. 28 If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”
Proverbs 3:27-28 (NLT)
People’s needs are never an interruption, they are a part of your ministry.
Good neighbors transcend barriers.
C.
34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’
Luke 10:34-35 (NKJV)
36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” 37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:36-37 (NKJV)
17 If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord, and He will repay you! Proverbs 19:17 (NLT)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV)
8“God saved you through faith as an act of his kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God.”
Ephesians 2:8 (GW)
The borderline between Heaven and Earth is called grace.
If our religion keeps us from helping people in need, it’s probably the wrong kind of religion.
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16 (NKJV)