Luke 10:25-37
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
We are going to deal today with a very familiar story for most of you.
It is the parable of the good Samaritan.
Sometimes when we deal with the familiar we tend not to listen as closely...
because...
we think we know all there is to know about it.
Let me encourage you from the outset not to fall into that.
I don’t say that because I want you to pay attention to me...
but...
I want us to realize this is God’s Word and we need to approach it with attention and reverence...
plus...
if you’re like me, you’ll learn a thing or two from our study.
==
Let’s pray that God will teach us, and then we will jump into the text.
PRAY
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 All-important Question
The All-important Question
I want us to see that this whole conversation,
including the parable,
is about the question of eternal life.
((read the last part))
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
This is not primarily about
being a good neighbor
or
taking care of the needy
or
social justice
or
anything less than how to gain eternal life.
If all we get out of this story is that the Samaritan was a good guy and we should be too,
then we will have missed the point.
==
All real evangelism starts here, with the question of eternal life or eternal punishment.
It is not about...
prosperity in this life
healing in this life
happiness in this life
success in this life
money in this life
or
ease and comfort in this life.
Real evangelism is about the life to come and whether your soul will be in heaven or hell.
There is no third option as to where you will be.
Annihilationism is not biblical - the thought that the unsaved will cease to exist.
Naturalism teaches that you are nothing but meat, bones, blood, and chemicals that will cease to function.
That is not true either.
At the end of life we can’t hide from God in a grave.
As long as we approach evangelism by explaining the perks to be gained here and now...
we are avoiding the real heart of the matter.
People do not want to talk about hell because it is taboo...
but Jesus warned people and so must we.
Lots of people do not want to talk about the life to come because they would rather stay here.
The “Jesus will enhance your life” gospel won’t get much traction for people with good lives.
It may get some traction with people unhappy about their circumstances...
until they realize you lied to them.
Jesus never promises a life of all roses and no thorns here and now.
Actually he promises that you will have to
deny yourself,
take up your cross daily,
and follow Him.
We have to change our message from...
Jesus will fix you here
to
Jesus will deliver you in the life to come.
Do you remember our discussion of the Americanized gospel a few weeks ago?
It says that...
Jesus doesn’t mind your pride, autonomy, and materialism...
as a matter of fact...
He will enhance your life in all those areas.
Run from people who teach that.
They are false teachers who preach a different gospel.
The fruits of this teaching are evident in the children of the people who bought into it.
In the church today we are largely reaping the whirlwind of the “Jesus will enhance your life” gospel.
People have a consumer mindset about church today.
People ask...
What church should we go to?
answer: the church that gives us everything we want
awesome music
preaching that tickles my ears
The right answer is...
somewhere that glorifies God
preaches truth - not mostly truth with some poison mixed in
and
needs me.
Then when folks find a church some have to ask this every week.
Should we go to church today?
I don’t know...
is it too hot?
too cold?
are we too tired?
do we have something else we need to get done?
it’s been a busy week, don’t we deserve a break?
do I feel perfect and rested?
will they do only music that I personally prefer during every song?
might the preacher go over his alloted 30 minutes?
I haven’t found in the Bible where it says I have 30 minutes, by the way...
Paul preached so long that a guy fell asleep
fell out of a window,
was resurrected,
and Paul went back to preaching until the next morning.
==
It is no wonder people approach church with a consumer mindset.
For years we have preached about how God can enhance your life.
What we should preach is how you can be spared from the hell that we all deserve...
and...
if you are a true Christian...
how you, who have been bought with a price, can best serve your Lord and Master.
That should take away some of that consumer mentality.
Then we will start asking how can I serve the Lord and His church
rather than
How can God and the church serve me and my family.
Jesus taught how to be reconciled to God and escape judgment...
not
how to have your best life now.
==
So, this lawyer asked the right question.
I don’t know if you have ever noticed this,
but
Jesus very often answers a question with a question.
In this way He helps people think through their questions
and
what might be behind those questions.
(( Questioning Evangelism ))
==
V. 25 tells us that the guy asking Jesus this most important question was a lawyer.
When we hear the word lawyer, we think of a
criminal lawyer
corporate lawyer
estate planning lawyer
personal injury lawyer
etc.
This guy was a religious lawyer.
He was an expert in the Jewish law.
He was somebody!
He was among the intellectual, religious, and social elite.
Do you remember last week’s passage?
21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
This guy was one of the wise and understanding.
As we said last week, that does not prevent him from coming to a true knowledge of God
but
He cannot get there unless he loses his pride and comes to faith like a little child.
As so often happens when speaking to folks like this, we see in v. 29 that...
(( justify himself part ))
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
What keeps people from embracing saving faith like a child?
PRIDE
What made the glorious Lucifer rebel against God?
PRIDE
If you get a little twinge of concern about your eternal life today, what might keep you from coming to talk with me about the gospel?
PRIDE
Curiosity may kill cats, but pride sends men and women to hell.
==
This lawyer, though, to his credit at least knew the question to ask.
He was concerned about eternal life.
It seems that many Americans can amuse themselves into not thinking about it...
but...
it is absolutely essential that we think about where we will spend eternity.
Compared to eternity, this life is like a vapor.
(( lift the lid on a pot that is cooking and cloud of steam - where is it ten seconds later? ))
We had better ask the question this man asked.
“What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
We had also better help others to ask it.
Mankind has the awareness of eternity hardwired into us.
Whatever culture you study throughout human history, you will find an awareness of eternity.
Slaves were buried with pharaohs to serve them in the next life.
Greeks were buried with coins to pay the ferryman for transit to the underworld.
Native American warriors would sometimes be buried with their horses so they would have a ride in the Happy Hunting Grounds.
People have always understood this life is not all there is, until very recently in human history.
Satan came upon the very best and most effective ruse of them all.
Naturalistic evolution appeals to mankind’s pride and rids people of the need for God.
It’s pretty much the perfect false religion.
It is far from intellectually satisfying, but people who don’t understand the theory can just take comfort in the fact that a lot of scientists say it is true.
Scientists have become the new clergy for the religion of Darwinian evolution.
So, at those unfortunate times when we cannot escape the reality of death...
like at a funeral...
people take comfort in a religion that has no place for judgment or personal accountability.
==
Part of our job as ambassadors for Christ is to help people think about eternity.
We have one big advantage - most people innately feel the pull and reality of eternity.
That is why Way of the Master is my favorite witnessing program.
It deals with the reality of man’s guilt before God and what to do with it.
==
Let’s see how Jesus answers this lawyer’s all-important question of how to gain eternal life.
26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
After all, if anyone should know the law, it should be this religious lawyer.
Did he know?
Let’s see in the next verses.
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.”
All the law of God is condensed and summarized in the ten commandments.
The ten commandments are wonderfully summarized in this lawyer’s answer.
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.”
How do we know that this a great summary?
Because Jesus says...
28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
(( If we ended the service here I hope you would object! ))
(( We have the answer, but you know you haven’t done it and cannot do it! ))
OR
Maybe, like this lawyer, you would like to justify yourself.
This would have been a very happy event if this lawyer said,
“I know that is what the law says, but I can’t do it!”
I am stealing my own thunder here, but look ahead with me in...
13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
If this lawyer had humbled himself and acted like this tax collector he would have been saved.
It doesn’t turn out that way though, so let’s see...
The Delusion of Self-justification
The Delusion of Self-justification
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
This guy was so self-deceived and proud that he totally skipped over the part about...
loving God perfectly with all your faculties every second that you live.
The commandment is quoted from...
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
We are to love God completely and perfectly, every moment, with all of our mind, emotions, and will.
And we know that Jesus said in...
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
I don’t do this.
I can’t do this.
I wouldn’t trust the best 5 minutes of my life to get me into heaven, much less the worst parts.
“I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.”
“On Christ the Solid Rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.”
How about you?
Have you loved God perfectly with all of your faculties every second of your life?
Of course not.
This lawyer wasn’t even phased by that part though.
I guess he thought he had successfully obeyed that one.
What an astonishing display of PRIDE.
Apparently he suspects that he has also loved his neighbor as himself, but he wants to clarify to be certain.
so… (( start at desiring ))
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Who is it that deserves my love?
Obviously it is not the gentile or the Samaritan.
Maybe it is my fellow Jew, but I better make sure it is not just priests and fellow scribes.
I wouldn’t want to have to love any more people than necessary.
==
Why did this guy need to know who his neighbor was?
He wanted to gain eternal life, so he needed to know what the minimum requirement was.
If you are looking for the minimum you can do to serve the Lord, you should worry about your relationship.
That is not the attitude of one who loves the Lord.
(( marriage minimum requirements? - date nights, presents, physical intimacy, etc. ))
Why was this lawyer looking for the least minimum requirement?
Because he wanted to justify himself.
If that is the goal, you want it to be as easy as possible.
It’s not easy though… in fact it is completely impossible.
So here is what we have learned is required so far.
You have to love God with all of your faculties, supremely, every second of your life...
and...
you have to love your neighbor as much as yourself.
==
We don’t have time to see what it means to love your neighbor as yourself today.
We will have to pick that up next week.
==
Every time I preach, or you read the Bible, I hope you will see that it is to be a time of decision.
The decision time in our service is not just for the unsaved.
It is for everyone who hears the Word of God.
so...
What do we do?
What do we do?
Personally deal with the most important question.
Personally deal with the most important question.
“What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
Realize that eternity is a fact.
You will spend eternity in heaven or in hell.
Realize that in order to get to heaven you must either...
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.”
or...
come to Jesus in humility and repentance to be saved.
Help others to realize the importance of the question and help them answer it.
Help others to realize the importance of the question and help them answer it.
(( Jesus is not the world’s best co-pilot, He is your only hope of salvation from eternal hell. ))
As a believer, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, strive to love God and neighbor more perfectly.
As a believer, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, strive to love God and neighbor more perfectly.
(( only from the place of victory and deliverance can we even seriously attempt this ))
(( only through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit can we ever come close in this life ))
(( take heart - perfect love for God and others will be the case in heaven ))