Teaching Tuesday: Beyond Belief - Service

Series: Beyond Belief
Sermon: Service (6.1.25)
Watch the messages HERE. 

“Go and do likewise.”         
 
After Jesus told the narrative of what we call the Good Samaritan, He instructed the expert in the law to “...go and do likewise” - go and show mercy to those in need.
 
Let’s wake up every day and keep our eyes open for people we can serve; see people in need and meet their needs.
 
The Priest and the Levite “saw the man” beaten and did nothing.
 
Luke 10:31: A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
 
Don’t be in the habit of passing by on the other side of the road. Too often, we have turned our heads and shut our eyes to the needs of others because we didn’t have the emotional energy to deal with another thing.
 
We can be shocked that the religious men of God didn’t help a fellow citizen in desperate need.
 
I need to pause and be disturbed by my own lack of empathy for people in need.
 
I need to follow the example of the Samaritan. I need to see the man - really see him - and have mercy on him.
 
Luke 10:33: But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.
 
We often don’t take pity on others because we don’t have enough margin in our lives. We are too busy and don’t have time to stop and help. Busyness is not a Christian virtue. Busyness is an American virtue.
 
The Christian virtue, the discipleship virtue, is serving those in need.
 
Matthew 25:31: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
 
When we serve others, we are literally serving Jesus.
 
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
  
The Apostle Paul told the Christians in Philippi to have the same attitude as Jesus.  We need to have the attitude of Jesus.
 
Philippians 2:5-8: Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who…made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…he humbled himself and became obedient.
 
Let’s humble ourselves each day and become servants. Evaluate your attitude so you can become like the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).
 
Possible attitudes:
1.     What is yours is mine.
2.     What is mine is mine.
3.     What is mine is God’s.
 
The robbers had the first attitude: “What is yours is mine.” They didn’t care; they were going to take what they wanted, no matter who it hurt. “I will seize it.”
 
The Priest and Levite - the religious - had the second attitude: “What is mine is mine.” They refused to share what God had blessed them with. They were selfish with their time and resources. It’s mine and I am going to use it for myself. “I will keep it.”
 
The Samaritan had the third attitude: “What is mine is God’s.” He was on a business trip but still had enough margin and compassion to stop and give what he had. “I will give it.”
 
“Go and do likewise.”
 
Let’s cultivate the third attitude in our family, our neighborhood, our congregation, and our workplace.
 
What is mine is God’s. I will give it.

- Pastor Jim