Bless Every Home: Serve
Bless Every Home FBC • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Bless Every Home: Serve
Luke 11:25-37
INTRODUCTION
How do we know that something is authentic?
ILL-1998 Ford Mustang Cobra
Lots of things were easy to fake. Hood, badges, wheels
VIN and engine plate- plate has names of the SVT team who assembled the motor.
More value in a real cobra than a GT made to look like a Cobra.
35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Love is the mark that proves if we are a follower of Jesus.
The example of loving your neighbor that Jesus gives is an example of serving someone in need.
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
27 And he answered, “You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself.”
28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.
34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”
37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
The Bless App-
Begin with Prayer
Listen
Eat
Serve
Share your story
4 Truths Jesus Teaches Us About Love
4 Truths Jesus Teaches Us About Love
1. Love Proves Change (25-29)
1. Love Proves Change (25-29)
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
“Inherit eternal life”= what must I do to be saved?
Saved by grace through faith that is worked out in love.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Salvation without change is a lie. The whole purpose of salvation is change.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
What it means to be a follower of Jesus is summed up in these two commands.
He answers with something he heard Jesus teach.
26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
27 And he answered, “You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself.”
28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
“do this and you will live”
Is Jesus saying that salvation is by works?
No- He is saying that salvation is through being perfect.
Whole reason for the parable is to help the scribe understand he is not perfect.
You cannot be saved without first recognizing you have a need to be saved.
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
“trying to justify himself”— just like a lawyer to try to use words to bring justification.
If you narrow the definition then he has not sinned.
2. Love Fuels Action (30-32)
2. Love Fuels Action (30-32)
30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
Love changes our motivation. Changed from inside out.
Jesus didn’t answer the question of “who is my neighbor?”
Jesus answered the question of “how am I being a neighbor?”
An immediate need provided for an immediate decision.
“By chance” - “It just so happened…”
What is motivation of Priest and Levite?
We do not know by text exactly why they avoided the man.
If he was dead- they would be unclean.
Maybe they had important religious obligations and didn’t have the time/
Mainly- Jesus is trying to shock his audience with an unlikely hero of the story.
Lots of things keep us from being the hero of the story
ILL- super heroes all have a super power.
Spiderman- Empowered by a contaminated spider.
The Hulk- empowered by gamma radiation.
Superman- empowered by the sun
We are empowered by a supernatural love.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
Love is given to us through the Holy Spirit.
It is the first of the list of Fruits of the Spirit.
Love should motivate us to be the hero of the story.
3. Love Requires Sacrifice (33-35)
3. Love Requires Sacrifice (33-35)
33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.
34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
If we are going to serve our neighbors it is going to cost us something.
This man went above and beyond what anyone could expect.
Took care of the immediate need.
Provided a place to stay for the night.
Paid for future needs.
Jesus is the greatest example of love.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
4. Love Shows Mercy (36-37)
4. Love Shows Mercy (36-37)
36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”
37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
In this context mercy is referring to showing compassion to someone in need.
We need to care about people.
Helping your neighbors is not just a game you play. You need to truly care.
Followers of Jesus show mercy.
God showed us mercy. WE do not deserve it.
It’s not about what your neighbors deserve. It’s about you being a loving neighbor.
30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.”
34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.
We did not deserve for Jesus to die for us. We didn’t earn it.
What we earned is hell.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
CONCLUSION
One day we will all have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ. We will either receive what we deserve, which is eternal separation from God, or we will receive eternal life. Mercy or justice.
Mercy is available if we accept the free gift of salvation through Jesus.
If you have received mercy you will be merciful.
How are you serving your neighbor?
How are you serving your neighbor?