Greater New Hope 2010

Text:    Luke 10:30-33

30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, 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 on him,

Subject: Service on the Jericho Road

Introduction: In this gospel, Jesus ministers primarily in Galilee and Jerusalem.  However, between his temptation and transfiguration, Jesus ministered in Galilee. The Gospel of Luke has been called the Women’s journal of the Bible.  And it is in this Gospel that we discover that Jesus has more encounters with the women more than anywhere else in the bible. 

·       1:39 Mary is having Fellowship with Martha

·       1:45 Mary is singing her song (and he’s dealing with them through the Holy Ghost

·       7:11 he raises a Widow’s son

·       7:36 he is anointed by a sinful woman

·       8:19 his mother and his brothers want to see him…”

·       8:40 you’ll find a dead girl and the sick woman

·       10:38, you’ll find him in the house with Mary and Martha

While Matthew traces the linage of Christ back to Abraham, the father of the Jews, it is Luke’s Gospel that traces his linage back to Adam, the father of the Human race.

·       Chapter one: the birth of John the Baptist is foretold, Zechariah is made dumb after the Lord met him in the Temple and told him that Elizabeth would have a child. (Here he is dealing with a married woman in her old age).

·       39 Mary visits Elizabeth in the Hill country and the baby john the Baptist leaps in her womb.

·       46 Mary has a song; “My soul doth magnify the Lord and my horn is exalted in the God of my salvation. 

·       67 Zechariah is singing a song: Praise be unto God for he has redeemed his people.

·       Chapter two: Jesus is born…

·       Chapter three: John prepares the way…the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord…

·       Chapter four: Jesus is tempted in the wilderness…

·       Chapter five: he calls the first disciples, James and john the sons of Zebedee, who had fished all night long and caught nothing

·       10 “follow me and I will make you fishers of men…”

·       Chapter six: he’s lord of the Sabbath…

·       Chapter seven: he healed a Centurion’s servant…who said, “Lord, I am not worthy that you come into my house but only speak the word and I know that my servant shall be made whole…”

·       Chapter eight: he tells the parable of the Sower, addressed his disciples concerning his mother and his brothers

·       22 he says, “It’s time to go to the other side; Jesus went to sleep and there was a storm out on the ocean…but they woke him up; he stood up and told the storm, “Peace, be still…”

·       Chapter nine: he commissioned the twelve and gave them power to cast out demons and cure diseases.   But when the evening had come, the disciples asked him to send the crowds away, but he replied “what do you have to eat?” five loaves and two fish.” “Sit them down in fifties.

·       20 “he asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?...

·       28 he is transfigured on a mountain.

·       46 the disciples want to know, “who is the greatest in the Kingdom…’

·       57 one of them said, “I will follow you wherever you go” but Jesus replied, “The birds have their nests and the foxes have their holes but the son of man don’t have nowhere to lay his head.”

·       Chapter ten: He appointed Seventy-two

·       5 when you enter a house speak peace unto the house”

·       8 when you enter a town, eat what is set before you, heal the sick that are in the house and tell them the, “Kingdom of Heaven God is at hand

·       25 a lawyer asked him, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?

·       27 Jesus said, “Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, your strength and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.

·       Jesus said, “if you do this you shall live”

·       However, his final question was: and who is my neighbor?

·       And Jesus began to tell this story:

Luke 10:30-37

I.                   The trip

· A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, The Trouble and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

· 31 The test And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

· 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, 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 on him,

· 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

· 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

· 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

· 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Every Sunday school teacher, bible student or exegete of Holy Scripture or sacred Canon has heard the story of the Good Samaritan.  But every church member does not have the same assignment. As he celebrated his Bar-Mitzvah and acknowledged his calling, Jesus stood up in the Synagogue at Nazareth and read from the book of Isaiah:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To preach deliverance to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed,

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."        
(Isa 61:1-2).

·       The trip

·       The trouble

·       The test

My brothers and sisters, after you have been anointed and appointed, that’s when you ready for service…

Your area of service is not always your place of assignment. Many have been called but few are chosen.

I.                   The Priest – a man of ritual and sacrifice but, they were the worship leaders in Israel.  The bible speaks of the priests and Levites as if these two offices were practically the same.  For they sprang from a common ancestor, for they were the sons of Levi, one of the twelve sons of Israel or Jacob.  The first priest mentioned in the bible was “Mechizedek” the king of Salem.”  However these two offices were different:

Priests were the descendants of Aaron, and Levites were the descendants of Levy in general; in other words anybody could be a Levite but, everybody could not be a priest.   

II.                 The Levite – a keeper of the Tabernacle and a master at the order of service.

III.              The Good Samaritan – man without a title, whose name is not mentioned.

We don’t have to be on a board to participate in ministry; but our philosophy ought to be:

“If I can help somebody as a pass along, then my living shall not be in vain…”