Series: “Summer Stories”  Sermon: “Howdy Neighbour”

Series: “Summer Stories”  Sermon: “Howdy Neighbour”

Pond Mills Group On Facebook:

I was hoping walmart but that was a long shot. Why a church? I mean it is good for the building.

It looks so much like a cult.

Sign looks great.

That’s awesome! Finally the building will be put to good use!

Must be a money hole for that many churches to be able to feed off the area.

I think it will be good for the area. Whether or not their beliefs echo mine, it still looks as though they are help for the community. I’ll stay positive until I see otherwise.

Welcome to the neighborhood pastor Karl and Cheryl. Been along time!!   Stephanie 

Good Samaritan:  one who is compassionate and helpful to a person in distress.

Good Samaritan Law: exempts from legal liability persons, who give reasonable aid to strangers in grave physical distress.

Luke 10:25-37 “And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’”   Religious Performance      Trap Jesus

John 14:6  “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

(26) “He (Jesus) said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?’”

(27-28) “So he answered and said,‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ And He said to him, ‘You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.’”

They recite this scripture at least twice a day!

(29) “But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’”

Jesus is too kind and loving to not challenge this guys self righteousness. …Put the law on steroids. Gets AWKWARD

(30) Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 

The Jericho Road   (PICTURE)

Jerusalem to Jericho:   4000 foot drop.     17miles going down    The way of blood … the pass of Adummim”.   Caves / Robbers

(31)  Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 

Exodus 23:4-5   “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it.”

(32) Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, 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. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’   

A radical confrontation of self-righteousness:     Hero is a Samaritan.

John 8:48   “Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

The Samaritan Teaches Us:

Opportunity is everywhere   Open your eyes   Open your heart    Open your wallet

Repeat as necessary

(36) So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”

(37) And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”   Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Jesus took the law to a whole new level to try to get Him to understand – YOU NEED MERCY!!!!

The law was never meant to save you … The power of sin is the law … this kind of life is beyond our ability … we all need help … Have mercy … If that’s how you get eternal life I’m in trouble.

1 John 3:25  “Now this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he gave us the commandment.”

John 13:34  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

Not a call to religious performance.    An indictment of the whole of fallen humanity.  

You can’t and you don’t and you never will love like this.   MERCY!!! You can’t earn eternity

I can manifest God’s love … 

not through my performance but through my relationship with God by the power of the Holy Spirit

Romans 5:5 “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Where is the Jericho road?

It’s in our neighbourhood.  It’s in the people you work with.

It’s in the people sitting near you.   It’s in your family …   Brother called me …  JOURNEY WITH