Own it - Taking Responsibility in the Church

The Good Samaritan - Luke 10:25-37

INTRODUCTION

HCC Core Values: Show Up, Choose Love, Go Low… Own it.

In this parable not only does Jesus teach the lawyer who his neighbour is; He teaches him what it looks like to love them.

Jesus teaches the lawyer that he isn’t just required to love those who look like him, behave like him and move in the same social circles as him - he is also to love and serve those who are different from him.

Jesus also teaches the lawyer about the character of that love - it is a love that takes responsibility, it is a love that steps up and acts.

In this church we want to be a people who have that kind of attitude - we are a people who take ownership - we want to lean into the needs we see around us rather than crossing over the road.

1. PAY ATTENTION (v31-33)

Each of the three ‘saw’ the man, but only one paid him attention.

Concert image - distraction and self absorption keep us from really paying attention to the needs around us.

Excuses, excuses, excuses. The Priest’s job was service in the temple - offering sacrifices. The Levites assisted in the maintenance of the temple services - they were heading down to Jericho after serving in the ministry. Here were two guys who were supposed to take responsibility but for whatever reason - they didn’t. I’m sure they had valid excuses - they were in a rush, they had a family they were returning to etc.

“I never knew a man refuse to help the poor who failed to give at least one admirable excuse.” (Spurgeon)

The Samaritan didn’t just see the man, he paid attention to the man, he stopped.

Pay attention to the needs around you. There will always be 1000 excuses why it’s not your job to stop, it wasn’t really the samaritans job to stop, it was the priest and Levites, but that didn’t stop him.

Loving your neighbour is about paying attention to them. Stop and look. Resist the temptation to cross over!

Take ownership - pay attention to who’s around you.

2. BE A FIRST RESPONDER (v34)

Taking ownership is about being a first responder.

Tom Cavalot Story - A guy I used to work for was out with his family at Quarry Park in Shrewsbury, which is right by the river. He watched as a buggy with a baby in it rolled down the bank and into the river, Tom dove into the river and rescued the baby.

Being a first responder is all about initiative. Tom didn’t wait to be asked - he took initiative and did something!

The Samaritan didn’t ‘have to’ help this man, it wasn’t his job - he wasn’t a Jew, he didn’t know the man, he probably wasn’t a qualified physician - but he used his initiative. He was a first responder.

Don’t wait to be asked, don’t assume someone else will do it - if you see a need, use your initiative, be a first responder.

The Samaritan went to the man - He didn’t give the man advice, he didn’t wish him all the best and be on his way, he approached him. We want to be a people who go towards need, who approach pain, and challenging situations ready to offer what we have.

The Samaritan bound up the man’s wounds. He maybe even used his own garments to make the bandages! We are all called to bind one anothers wounds - not just the pastor, not just the elders, but all of us are to respond wherever we see pain. We use what we have to bind up the wounds - even if we feel under equipped, we do what we can. We show up and respond!

Take ownership - be a first responder.

3. GIVE OF YOUR BEST (v35)

Not only did the Samaritan bind up the man’s wounds - he took him to an inn where he could rest and recuperate. He went above and beyond.

Taking ownership is about treating others like you would want to be treated.

We go above and beyond because we realise that really in the church, we are members of the same body (1 Cor 13) - if you’re in need, them I’m in need, if I’m in pain, then you’re in pain. So we give of our best to one another.

The Samaritan spent his own money to make sure that man got better, he used his own wine, his own oil, his own bandages. He didn’t ask the man to venmo him back the expenses when he got better! He was happy to give of his best.

Taking ownership is about paying it forward - whether we are giving of our time, or of our money or of our resources to build up this church, we are spending those things to the glory of God.

The story is told that one day a beggar by the roadside asked for alms from Alexander the Great as he passed by.  The man was poor and wretched and had no claim upon the ruler, no right even to lift a solicitous hand.  Yet the Emperor threw him several gold coins.

A courtier was astonished at his generosity and commented, “Sir, copper coins would adequately meet a beggar’s need.  Why give him gold?”

Alexander responded in royal fashion, “Cooper coins would suit the beggar’s need, but gold coins suit Alexander’s giving.”

CONCLUSION

Ultimately we give of our best for one another because God has given of his best for each of us. He paid attention to us in our sin and brokenness, he was our first responder, devising a plan of salvation for us before any of us was ever born - not because anyone asked him to, not because he was required to, but because He loved us. He gave of His best, He sent His only son Jesus Christ, He spared no expense, He withheld nothing from us, who deserved nothing from Him, that we might be rescued. He has surely borne our griefs and carried our sorrows - He has bound up our wounds with his own garments of righteousness - He has poured on his own wine and his own oil that we might be healed.

We take ownership of one another - because our God has taken ownership of us.