Luke 10
You deal with compassion, is that okay?
on one occasion, an expert in the law stood up and asked what must I do to inherit eternal life What is written in the law? He replied. How do you read it? He answered love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. And with all your strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. You answered correctly, he replied. Do this and you will live. But he wanted to justify himself for the ASP. And who is my neighbor?
In reply. Jesus said A man was going down to Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes and went away. Leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be walking by. And went to the other side of the road. I'm passing by. Then I'll leave I seen this Rob or this guy and he went on the same side and fasting by. I'm kind of paraphrase a little bit if that's okay.
And then as Samaritan came by and seen him and he had compassion on him.
He went and put bandages on him. He poured oil and whining. And then he put the man on his own donkey. And then he brought him into the in and took care of him and then the next day he took some dinero I which is some coins and he gave them to The Innkeeper and said whatever needs. He has
I will pay for it.
Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to a man who fell into the hands of a robber? The expert of the law replied, the one who had mercy on him and he said, Jesus said, go and do likewise.
Excellent job. I like how he reads the story starts with this. This Parable begins with a person. He was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and so, there's a little little scheme of there, a schematic out for you up on the screen. So you start in Jericho and you cannot go down a little kids are on Valley and then you can go up on the Mount of Olives. And then it is like wow, who take the skateboard and go and go down a little dip, and then you can like ramp it up and why, you know, something are you going on now? Is that how that goes wonderful little highway right there just to just woo hoo? Yeah, this is like this, like an 808 Lane highway, right and that and that what that is. Malcolm's over there, shaking his head, he's bendy is real, he's like a little video for you. This is what the what the road actually looks like it's not exactly this eight-lane highway, it's more along the lines of this little twisty, kind of path that goes. And as it goes, there are quite a few places where you can fall off the edge, you know, one of those kind of things, it would be a great opportunity to to go. And I think, I think that I would, I would really like to go. How many do you want to go to Israel and do the Jericho really? All right, we got a few takers. Yeah. Okay. That would be fun. I think it would be fun. I might be out of breath. I think I would rather go from Jerusalem down to Jericho for sure, rather than the other way going up. But that's, that's kind of how the story goes. And so this Parable and if you spend any time around the church, maybe grew up in church or something like that. I hope at some point that you have heard this. This is one of the, one of The better-known Parables of Jesus, better known stories of Jesus. As this guy, who's, who's on this road and he, he gets jumped by the robbers. Okay. And there's all kinds of things that happen there. So I'm going to need some help today. We're going to rain and retell the story, but I'm going to need some help today. So, I'm not exactly sure what happened today in our congregation. But like most of the people sit over there. Over here, we got a few over here. So what we going to do, I'm going to split you up into two groups, okay, so this group over here you guys have the most and so do you want to be group one or group to which one you want to be Group 1 and group 2? What do you think Griffin? Okay, so you all are going to be group to. Okay, you got it. So what group are you Group to our group, are you, okay? So group one is the injured man. Okay, so this is, this is how you're going to be part of participating in the story. So, the injured Man Group, and you have a phrase to say, okay? And it goes something like this. To get us, anybody, anybody please? Help me. I was beaten and robbed and I have an owie.
Okay, so you going to practice it with me. Okay? 321, anybody, anybody please help me. I was beaten and robbed and I haven't. Oh yeah. You going to be going to get the alley right here. You all get to be the unhelpful. Holy people group.
I'm not great at what you always wanted to be another group of people in this group and it's like they say he walked on by with his nose held high pretending. It didn't hear that. Her demands cry. Okay, so, you're ready, he walked by, with his nose held high pretending, he didn't hear the hurting man's. You all have that down, will have them both on there, okay? So that's just for your reference as we get along in the story, okay? So as we begin this story, you're starting off of a Jerusalem and there's a man who begins that Journey that was twisty turny Journey on down to the Jericho plays. He's on this Jericho Road and down and He is on his way. Doing this twisting tourney deal, as it goes, all the sudden, there comes out what Robbers. And what do they do? They what? They robbing.
Oh man.
A picture of Robin and they even stripped him of his clothes. Oh no.
Good luck. Oh, goodness.
Hi. Injured, man.
Do they have an hourly already has an ally, but you almost got it.
Well, as chance would have it a priest walk. It's kind of like, I don't know, because of what you might understand the pastor of today's church at kind of thing like that. And this, this priest walk by. And and he saw this guy over there laying in the ditch. And if you ever been bitched at, and see if this guy in, and he looks at it, and he's naked because in that one, see you later on the other side of the road.
and then, as it would happen. So also came at Levi Levi. I don't know what you would, but there are some one who ought to be able to help him and they weren't behind and see this guy in the ditch and he's he's beat up and and he's like really busy. You know, the kind of beat up that just looks awful. Like he has like a bone sticking out of his leg and half of his ear chewed off. And and his guests are hanging out of one side of him. And the Levi has any looks at that and he says
And the injured, man.
The kind of a lie, that's really bad. I like the gods are starting to come out a little bit more. And his, and his ears have to doff and his, and his hair has been pulled out, and he even has a booger coming out of his nose.
And Along Comes. And also despised Samaritan. And when the injured man saw him,
And as soon as he said he realized out of that one, little eye that was half, open that this is a Samaritan and it didn't even like Samaritans. In fact, he didn't like Samaritan so much that he would spit every time you said their word Samaritan.
Ain't that I don't know. The Samaritans going to come over and he's going to kick me and is going to pull my guess the rest of the way out.
But what does the Samaritan do instead?
The Samaritan instead. Begins to pick him up. And pushed his guts back in and he said his leg and then push the bone back and wrap it all up. And, and then he poured some wines oil on them. To help him out and he took him to the closest Inn. What are The Innkeeper was. I wonder if the Innkeeper had after that whole Bethlehem experience in the whole Donkey and Mary. And Jesus think I wonder if it asked for a transfer and I wonder if he got transferred to this other place Blazer, no one goes to. And then he got this crazy.
The Samaritan company.
says, there's this guy, you know, I'm going to pay for and, I'm here. And if it takes any longer, if you need some more help, I'll pay for that too. And Jesus ends off the story and he says go and do likewise. The side, who is my neighbor? This is his all been started from this discussion of this neighbor idea. Then I'll hit it started with. Well, what's what's that? You know? The most important thing is, I will love God and love your neighbor and then willing to justify himself. This, this person, this religious at lead had said, well, who is my neighbor and so then you get this story and you get the idea that there is something that needs to resent her and refocus and Jesus is saying, you know what, we need to put into action, the kind of love that we talked about that. This isn't just religious talk about how we how we love everybody and how we care about other people. And we we want to see the best for them and that kind of stuff is that your talk is great but you got to put it into action. There has to be something different, this done. You can't just talk the talk walk. The walk is well, SOS hear some of these kind of things that are going on in and Luke chapter 10. Do you have your Bibles by the way? This is great because in the end and Luke chapter 10, you get several different stories and this is happening right after by the way in chapter 9, right? After this time where he has said, some things like this, where he says, if you want to be my disciple, you going to deny yourself and you got to pick up your cross every single day. You got to follow me. This is this the kind of call that Jesus has put out and he said some people rejected from that, he's a slim two to follow him and they've given some excuse. And now, this is, this is this is intense. And you want to follow me, this is this is big deal. And so we come into chapter 10 and we get to see some things I need to ask where Jesus begin to send out what, what, what's some some passengers to say, some 70 270 say 70, depending on which translation to have either one will work. But I, there's probably 77. And by the way, Who was who was at as far as we know, a gentile author by the way. Luke also wrote, most of the New Testament, you write me if you can of all his words and Luke and acts, he wrote most of the New Testament Nepal usually gets that. And that credit because he has the most letters, but as far as word count, Luke is actually the one who wrote most of the New Testament. How cool is it that a gentile rights? Most the New Testament? It he says he sends out the 70 disciples and Anna and it almost it's like it Harkens back to Genesis chapter 10 that table of Nations where there are the are the there, the table of Nations, another the 70 different nations that come out of the Gentile Nations and N. So Lucas is almost like this by the power of the Holy Spirit kind of hiding something here that he is sending out. Now they're going to Jewish places but he's sending out 70. In other words there's there's a a preview of what is to come that some point, all the Gentiles are going to get here. Good news about the kingdom of God, and this is so exciting. So he sent out and he's 70 and they go out at and he says, you're supposed to be, you're supposed to go out, don't take anything with you and I'm sending you out like sheep Among Wolves. Now, I wish that were backwards, I would rather be the wolf. I know that doesn't sound that great to me. I would, you know, I'd rather be able to tear into something being on but don't take anything with you when you go. I don't even greet. Anyone along the side of the road.
I thought you were supposed to greet you. I thought we were supposed to be nice, right? But Jesus, Jesus recenters on this thing he says there is and there's something going on. That is really important. And I suppose this is part of where that that Luke 10 verse 2 comes in prayer. The lord of the Harvest are for sitting out workers into the Harvest field at the Harvest is plentiful, but the workers are, how many you all right? Is this, this idea, there is an agenda that we have. You need to tell them about the coming kingdom of God, and we don't have time to just go off in the other direction, there needs to be some priorities in our lives and guess what? He calls a 70 and he sends them out and he says you go. And as I go he says go and enter into one place and stay there and when you enter that place Say, peace be with you. Do you ever? Give peace first. How many of you were the first to give peace in your marriage. Like nobody's raising their hand. How many of us are the first to give peace somewhere else? How many of us are in this is what Jesus says, when you enter have to give peace, how many of us are ready to give peace to the rest of this world whether they deserve it or not. And yet this is what he does. He says, when you enter this house, say peace be with you and if there's someone a piece there that it'll stay there, if not your peace will return to be the first one, can you? And I can we be the first ones to be peacemakers in our world as you are going about your business? And this as you go through your day, lead a life with him, that's in your family and your job and wherever you are at, whoever it is that your meeting can this week? Can we be people who offer peace to other people? Be the ones to say, peace, be with you. It's not dependent on whether they are doing the right thing or not. But we are to be people of peace, to give that toward them, people of p and he also said something else. Very interesting and says, a couple of times in there, a couple of verses he says, 1/8, what is before you How many of you have ever had something to eat that? You didn't like Every time I read this, I have this experience back in 2010. Back window, Haiti, that great big, huge earthquake, and and lots, and lots. And lots of people died. And you've heard this before, Jeff. And I we got to, and you were there to how the three of us. We were part of the team that got to go to Haiti. And and they said some interesting things before us now. I wasn't too bad, but but one night lately, they said a meal before it was, that was amazing. It was all this, it was it was beautiful fish, cooked head and all is great and they said this before. So it was it was wonderful to have all these vegetables on it, everything with this fish and it was it was so good and what was on that platter right in front of us was with these little tiny peppers and I like hot peppers. I enjoy hot stuff. And I'm so I was like, Hey, I'm going to have one of those Peppers to. And so I took a bite of that pepper. Little did I know that they're like the third hottest pepper in the world is in Haiti and that was it. I think because I was just like the rest of the meal I was out. I couldn't do anything. The rest of it was bad, it was really bad. That was pretty mild compared to what some missionaries experience, right? Sometimes I understand numbers before you. And what some one, some people, and some other cultures, considered a delicacy are not a delicacy in Western Oklahoma. But you eat, what is before you in other words, there there is something that matters about how we interact with other people. That we need to be on that same. Kind of little that you offer peace. And that, that there's something that also says we're going to participate with you. And and what you have, we're going to accept as is for you. So if any of you want to sign up to be a missionary, we'd love to have, you talked with Pastor, Jeff has his great passion for Mission work and and you'll get to have wonderful things to eat all over the world wherever you want to go. If you pray, the Lord of the Harvest, he would send out workers into his Harvest field after after these 70 go out and they, they go and they kill people and they, they, they talk about the kingdom of God, that is coming. It says that they come back to Jesus. And, and they say to him and verse 17, it says a 70 return with Joe and I said, Lord, even the demons to me. It's in your name and they're really excited about this in Jesus replying. Verse 18 is as I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven, I've given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you. How's a sheep sound? Now, he's all kinds of the Thor tea and power button verse, 23 centers and he says this, however, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you but Rejoice instead that your name. What? The ribbon heaven. Should we get caught up on things like power? We get caught up on things like Prestige, we get caught up on those kind of things, but Jesus calls us to something very different. And instead he says, Rejoice, that your names are written in heaven because that's way more important thing to Rejoice about, Even more so than the least, evil spirits submit to you that you can cast out evil spirits and man, that is a good thing. We need some more of that there have any of, you know, somebody that could have a spirit, didn't know better, don't even answer that. We need some more than our world. To be released from the spirits of Oppression. Where, where the enemy has come and he's taking control of so many different things in our lives. We need that. And yet Jesus says, there's something even more important than that, and it has to do with salvation. That your names are written in heaven Rejoice. There. Recenters. What is the most important thing? When you get this, this next story, that, that comes right after that, where the where the disciples have have come back and, and he's Jesus is saying, thank you, God, that you've revealed the list of these little ones and then on this occasion, and next for the law stands up in that, that's when we hear this. Parable of the Good Samaritan, you guys did a great job. By the way, I'm going to have to talk to Jeff later, but this is this is something that that he tells and the story about, Well, really about not having her nose in the air. Or not so good. That we should be the ones who care for others, and that we should put our faith into action. And, and right after that, there's another story at the very end of chapter 10. There's this, there's just a little story at the very end of chapter 10 about Martha and Mary. Maybe you've heard this story to how about how Mary she went, and she sat at the feet of Jesus, and she begin to listen to Jesus, but Martha was trying to get all the stuff done, you know? Like when the dishes are dirty, you have to wash them. When the trash is full, it has to be carried out when the babies are crying. They have to be taken care of their diapers. To be, there are things to be done. We have to have the house. There's got to be and Martha goes to Jesus and she says, hey would you tell my sister to help me to do around here? Jesus says know she's chosen. What is most important? What is it? That is most important.
Can we re Center in our lives and say, there's something bigger than just wealth, or an extravagance, there's something bigger than my schedule. There's something bigger that's going on than the things that I am so concerned about and maybe they're even good things. But I'm only taking the time to sit at Jesus feet.
And I love the Lord.
I think that. Scribe got it right once the greatest of The Commandments. Love the Lord, your God, the heart soul sister. Love your neighbor as yourself.
To go and do likewise, can we re Center? What is it that we're distracted by? In our world. This summer are the things that are taking our attention that maybe they need to be doing something different. And we re Center, can we say God, there are some things I need to be putting into action in my life that are very different. I'm going to ask that God gives you an opportunity to give peace this week.
And will you help me? Because sometimes I'm an unhelpful, holy person.
And sometimes I have my, my nose held high and sometimes I miss the opportunities, when they come by, to give peace to others and to help others and they need it. And can we help each other? Could we maybe be accountable to each other? As a community of Believers? Can we say as Believers in the Woodward Church in? That's right, you know what? We're going to choose to do life differently, this week, to be people who used to be people who will help others. To be people who are not distracted by the busyness of life, so much that we forget to set up the feet of Jesus.
I would encourage you to encourage one another in these things. To help each other. And if you happen to see a guy laying along the side of the road with a bone sticking out of his and his guts falling out, would you please call someone to help me? Would you please ignore them now? Would you please help them? Because usually what God calls us to is pretty messy.
And it doesn't look like what we had in mind and it might even involve eating something that we didn't want.
When he calls us just the same.
Pray, the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into his Harvest field. The Harvest is plentiful. It's ready. But the workers are few.
Would you be a worker in the Harvest this week?
Heavenly father, thank you so much for the gift of life that you've given us.
And Lord our fool. Our, our world is full of people with Howie's
Add, would you help us to have compassion? The love them as you've called us to.
could you help us to re-center and to Pay attention to the things that are most important that you call dust. Open our eyes to that this week. Korean Jesus name.
Hey there, pretty soon comes. We're going to we're going to end off in some some song today. And if you have things that are heavy on your heart, or maybe something in today's sermon is, has touched you, and God is working with you on something. I, I want to call us to a time of prayer and and worship at this time and if you would like to come and pray, would love to have a chance to pray with you. When you come up here, will you stay in a few? What do you stand or whether you said, whatever the case is, I want you to connect with the Lord and may God. To the power of the Holy Spirit, speak to you, what you need to hear today. If you would like a prayer, if you'd like to perform this to pray with you, I'd love to have a chance to pray with you. And let's see, let's see him connect with the Lord.