Becoming A Neighbor

Connection

Past weeks summary

Jesus is coming back one day , Its like when your mom says clean the house by 2 and you hear her pull up at 2:15 and you dont want to get caught slippling

Whle we are waiting we still have work to do.

Be ready in season and out of season

Make sure our hearts are good soil for the word of God to growth and infect ourlives.

What about everyone elese?

Family

Friends

Neighbors

Enemies

While we wait and prepare ourseleves, we are called to also prepare others around us.

Picture of heroic acts in comics.

WE( Mind)

One thing i enjoy about the hero genre of comics is the resposiblity to save someone

the person who does the saving usually goes into the situation knowing that there is a possiblity they can get harmed( possiblity therir reputation could get tarnished)

it is selfless act

it might put them at risk

but regardless of what it might cost them they still risk it if they have the ablity to do it then they will.

it made me ask this question

is it a christians resposiblity to help save others?

is it ok for us just to just work on our salvation and thats it

sometimes we use that scripture as scapegoat becasue what God might be asking us to do in that momemt might be a little uncomfortable.

This challenged my theology, becuase i was always told thought that Jesus saves he is hero not us Right? But we play apart in getting people to Jesus.

Nothing is more useless than a Christian, who does not try to save others. I cannot believe in the salvation of anyone who does not work for the salvation his neighbor - John Chrysostorm

Giving a ride to get a gas can EX

We submit to the Mission and Purpose of Jesus Christ.

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all* creation, 16 because all things in the heavens and on the earth were created by him, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers, all things were created through him and for him, 17 and he himself is before all things, and in him all things are held together Col 1:15–17.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because of which he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to send out in freedom those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” Lk 4:18–19.

Why is this a struggle ?

So much of ourlives our focus on ourselves.

Alot of times we miss opportunites to bless others and let God love on people through us becuase we take ourseleves out of the question. and we can often find ourselves by passing people thatJesus would have had a conversation with.

when the reality is that God works through people. He can do whatever he wants but his track record is that he uses willing and unwilling people to accomplish his purpose in the earth.

When we choose to follow christ at the moment of salvation it stop becoming all about our wants and what will directly beniit us , because a value of the Kingdom is that we save others.

2 Corinthians 5:11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.

The Church is the only one with the ministry of reconciliation

Because of the love of God we Have experienced in our lives we should be moved with compassion and mercy to introduce the people in ourlives to the same hope that we have.

Today if we can walk away with one thing i want us to see the role we play in people coming to know jesus and the oppurtunities that we have to be the hands( the work) and feet(Go) Jesus.

In our prepartion we cant forget about other people.

ME( Heart)

Alex and Lee

As a pastor I find my in the position of saving most of the time , but in 2020. I was in the postion where i needed to be saved.

because of unmet expectations and communication issue me and my wife separated for about a year and a half . God is good we reconciled, but i wouldnt have been in the head space to even do the hard word if it wasnt for these guy in mylife.

That season was probably there darkness season of my life , I had mad beef with God, I was in ministry no longer to be the hands and feet of Jesus but out of obligation to my church And students

These two friends refused to let me quit

Lee covered me at work

Alex covered me out of work

held me accoutable

where compassionante but didnt let me make excuses

affirmed that God still a calling my life and that he wasnt done

it momemt where i was in place to make really horrible descisons that could have ruined my reputation these two brothers held me down

this wasnt a salvation issue, I knew who God was i was just pissed at him. I had chosen to belive the lie that the enemy and my self and honest others around me that didnt care about me.

Jude 21–23 (ESV) 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Is he talking about literal fire No, but things that can bring destruction because of :

Strongholds( wrong ways of thinking)

Lies

Sit in painful situations of your family or neighbors life and not try to fix it but just be with them.

The Church needs more people who are willing to jump in the fire and save others.

GOD

The Good Samaritan

And behold, a certain legal expert stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do so that I will inherit eternal life?” 26 And he said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”* 27 And he answered and* said, “You shall love the Lord your God from all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.” 29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 And Jesus replied and* said, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who both stripped him and beat him.* After* inflicting blows on him,* they went away, leaving him* half dead. 31 Now by coincidence a certain priest was going down on that road, and when he* saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. 32 And in the same way also a Levite, when he* came down to the place and saw him,* passed by on the opposite side. 33 But a certain Samaritan who was traveling came up to him and, when he* saw him,* had compassion.

34 And he came up and* bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine, and he put him on his own animal and* brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And on the next day, he took out two denarii and* gave them* to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him, and whatever you spend in addition, I will repay to you when I return.

36 Which of these three do you suppose became a neighbor of the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 So he said, “The one who showed mercy to him.” And Jesus said to him, “You go and do likewise.” Lk 10:25–37.

YOU ( Hands)

The Gospel Demands that we become neighbors.

1 Corinthians 9:22 - "To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some."

If I love God, I must love people, I don’t have a choice to choose when -Jackie Hill Perry

hs

choice

courage

compassion

Extremely grace requires

Bring a friend to church

share your testimony

WE

The mission of the church is not to change society, although that is often a beneficial byproduct of faith filled ministry and living, but to worship and serve the Lord and bring others to saving faith in him, John Mcauthor