The Breakdown

It’s really not that hard to reach out to help another. The gospel is something that is best demonstrated. “Preach the gospel at all times – if necessary – use words.” - St. Augustine

A man fell into a pit and couldn't get himself out.

A SUBJECTIVE person came along and said: - "I FEEL for you, down there."

An OBJECTIVE person came along and said: - "It's logical that someone would fall, down there."

A CHRISTIAN SCIENTIST came along: - "You only THINK that you are in a pit."

A PHARISEE said: - "Only BAD people fall into a pit."

A MATHEMATICIAN calculated HOW he fell into the pit.

A NEWS REPORTER wanted the exclusive story on his pit.

A FUNDAMENTALIST said: - "You DESERVE your pit."

CONFUCIUS said; - “If you would have listened to me, you would not be in that pit."

BUDDHA said: - "Your pit is only a state of mind."

A REALIST said: - "That's a PIT."

A SCIENTIST calculated the pressure necessary (lbs./sq.in.) to get him out of the pit.

A GEOLOGIST told him to appreciate the rock strata in the pit.

AN EVOLUTIONIST said: - "You are a rejected mutant destined to be removed from the evolutionary cycle." In other words, he is going to DIE in the pit, so that he cannot produce any "pit-falling offspring."

The COUNTY INSPECTOR asked if he had a permit to dig a pit.

A PROFESSOR gave him a lecture on: - "The Elementary Principles of the Pit."

An EVASIVE person came along and avoided the subject of his pit altogether

A SELF-PITYING person said: - "You haven't seen anything until you've seen MY PIT!!"

A CHARISMATIC said: - "Just CONFESS that you're not in a pit."

An OPTIMIST said: - "Things COULD be worse."

A PESSIMIST said: - "Things WILL get worse!!"

JESUS, seeing the man, took him by the hand and LIFTED HIM OUT of the pit.

See: Psa 40:1-2

Intro: Story of trip home from Mooer’s Camp

Assorted Thoughts:

When I was broken down I felt the following emotions:

q Helplessness

q Don’t know who to call for help

q Fear of being taken advantage of

q Vulnerability

q Anyone looked good – (Neighbor Link)

I’m the wrecker guy and I love my job.

What was I looking for from the call for help?

q I wanted assurance that everything was headed in a restorative direction.

q I wanted to be known by someone who could give me direction. Someone who was familiar with the area and knew where to go to get help.

q I wanted to get off the side of the road. Movement.

Why did this guy start out in the first place??

There may have been a thousand good reasons as to why this man should not have found himself in this position. The “why’s” of a person’s plight are irrelevant.

I should have heeded the warnings. – computer lights.

How do people break down?

q They make unwise decisions and then come to the end of their rope.

q They reach the end of their own resources.

q They fail to nurture themselves properly. Misbelief in being indispensable.

q Trying to meet God-sized needs (transformation) in human strength.

Why don’t we stop?

Danger/unknown – Always risky when we propose to love others in the name of Christ. "We become vulnerable when we love people and go out of our way to help them." That's what the wealthy industrialist Charles Schwab declared after going to court and winning a nuisance suit at age 70. Given permission by the judge to speak to the audience, he made the following statement: "I'd like to say here in a court of law, and speaking as an old man, that nine-tenths of my troubles are traceable to my being kind to others. Look, you young people, if you want to steer away from trouble, be hard-boiled. Be quick with a good loud no to anyone and everyone. If you follow this rule, you will seldom be bothered as you tread life's pathway. Except you'll have no friends, you'll be lonely, and you won't have any fun!" Schwab had made his point -- love may bring heartache, but it's worth it!

No one ever said it better than C. S. Lewis: To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket -- safe, dark, motionless, airless -- it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.... The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers of love... is Hell.

q Fear of personal inadequacy – I can’t do anything for this person. There are tragedies that face people and rather than risk saying something that sounds stupid we remain silent. We’ll talk later on in the sermon about the ministry of “presence”.

q Continued responsibility - Don’t want to get into anything that we can’t get out of. Part of the problem with the notion of winning others to Christ. If you’re going to have a spiritual baby then you need to provide for the care of the same. Jesus said – “Go and make disciples – not baby Christians. The commitment to evangelize is a commitment to disciple or it is nothing. There are people who develop patterns of non-productive and even self-destructive ways in life. They gravitate toward a mess of some sort. Patterns are difficult to break and they require the aid of a friend who will be lovingly tough and faithful to tell the truth to the individual. Unsanctified mercy. There are times when God can only teach people through adversity. We can rescue people from God’s plan assuming their pain for no apparent reason Patterns of Behavior

q Personal cost -

q Too hurried/busy -

LK 10:27 He answered: " `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, `Love your neighbor as yourself.' " 28 "You have answered

correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked

Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 In reply Jesus said:

"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. `Look after him,' he said, `and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

36 "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 37

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

The majority of people in life will “pass by”. Position is really not relative to the way a person ought to behave. Something internal that position will not provide. Those who should have cared the most failed to care. That is the sort of a statement that could make a person somewhat cynical. It is however good news for those who wish to make a difference in the lives of others. Often we can become people who greatly impact society merely by stopping.

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down

by the smallest people with the smallest pride.

Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.

Fight for some underdogs anyway.

What you spent years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you've got anyway!

-- Reader's Digest

See: 1 Cor 13:4-5

Accepted personal responsibility for this man’s welfare

Assumed continued responsibility after he left – financially.

IF SOMEONE IS IN NEED, JUST BE THERE

If there is one essential element in the art of caring, it is the ministry of presence. It is not based on "doing" but of "being there." The problem is that we are people of short attention spans, who like to fix things, particularly for those we care for. This practice isn't quick, and you need to set your

expectations accordingly.

Exercise the Ministry of Presence:

· Be fully present. Self control is required to stay fully focused.

· Don't underestimate the importance of the moment. When you are with another person who is in distress, confusion, pain, or loss, you are sharing one of life's most difficult and crucial moments.

· Don't "fix it." You are not there to lift the burden off, but rather to walk the path together; to support that person and that burden with your presence. If it is possible to lift, it is best for your companion to do it himself or herself, when he or she is stronger and ready.

· Listen. Presence opens communication lines. It does not put the other person on the defensive, but shows respect for this person, whatever the circumstances are. There are times when others are not able to move on to solutions. No matter what we say, they won't hear you. Until they can, you can be there with them.

· Keep on caring. Steadfastness and continuity help build trust, and with that trust an atmosphere in which growth and change can happen.

· Keep up your strength. Maintaining the ministry of presence takes a great deal of strength. It is easy to get frustrated, grow weary, or feel angry that the person won't move at your pace. The important thing is to remember that the person who needs the support is the hurting person, not you.

· Don't give up. Non-abandoning presence is one of the factors that makes a difference. The commitment to sticking with the person translates into real caring and trust.

· Enlist help. If the situation is long-term, you will need to create a network of support. Find others who can share the ministry with you. A widening support system may be called for: friends, family, community, and, if appropriate, professional help. As you involve others, you want to be clear that you are not abandoning this person you walk with - you are widening the caring circle. He or she may need to be reassured of that.

· Keep in contact. If you can't be with that person "in the flesh," there are other ways to reach out. Flowers, baked goods, or things you make are always welcome. Short, frequent notes from where you are (museum, office, park, or church) that say, "I'm thinking of you in my daily life, no matter how busy I am" are important because of their frequency and range. Bringing your surroundings to the recipient adds much to their life as well. Sending books, clippings, photographs can help the person who needs comfort, not preaching.

Marcy Heidish has served as a chaplain in hospitals, homeless shelters, jails, and nursing homes as well

as teaching at George Washington, Howard, and Georgetown Universities. She is the author of six

novels, including Miracles and A Woman Called Moses.

In the early church there were societies of men and women who called themselves the parabolani, that is, the riskers or gamblers. They ministered to the sick and imprisoned, and they saw to it that, if at all possible, martyrs and sometimes even enemies would receive an honorable burial. Thus in the city of Carthage during the great pestilence of A.D. 252 Cyprian, the bishop, showed remarkable courage. In self-sacrificing fidelity to his flock, and love even for his enemies, he took upon himself the care of the sick, and bade his congregation nurse them and bury the dead. What a practice of the heathen who were throwing the corpses out of the plague-stricken city and were running away in terror.