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“I am only one, but I am one. I can"t do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do” Two Goals 1. Get close enough to see the needs of those around you. Then act on behalf of people in need. 2. Invest your one and only life wisely. READ LUKE 10:25‐37 We call the Hero in this parable the “Good Samaritan”. But to the listeners of Jesus, the Samaritans were anything else but good. They were trash, they were rabid dogs. The Samaritans were the remnants of what was left in the Northern Kingdom when Assyria destroyed Israel and Babylon destroyed Judea. The Samaritans intermarried with the locals, which made them impure; they only read the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, which made them unholy heretics. They worshipped on the tops of hills, the High Places, and did not go to Jerusalem, which the Judeans had decided was the only place to do effective sacrifices. That"s all bad stuff. A Jew could be made impure just by talking to them. The relationship between the Jews and Samaritans was one of hostility because of these things. According to the Mishna, "He that eats the bread of the Samaritans is like to one that eats the flesh of swine" (Mishna Shebiith 8:10). The Mishna is the collection of oral traditions that developed to met specific situations which the law deals with only in principle. "The Samaritan woman therefore said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)" (John 4:9). "The Jews answered and said to Him(Jesus), “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me,'" (John 8:48-49) Three Attitudes Toward Life 1. The Thief: "What you have is mine." I determine what is the best use of your possessions. 2. The Priest and Levite: "What I have is mine." I determine what is the best use of my time and possessions. 3. The Good Samaritan: "What I have belongs to God" I follow God as He determines what is the best use of my time and possessions. The first two said, What will happen to me if I stop?” But the Samaritan looked upon him, and had compassion, and he thought, “What will happen to him if I don"t?” The Samaritan Had Compassion And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him. Matthew 20:34 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” Mark 1:41 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. Luke 15:20 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. Mark 6:34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Matthew 14:14 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. Mark 8:2 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. Matthew 18:27 “LIFE THAT"S TRULY LIFE.” THE SAMARITAN DEMONSTRATES THE LIFE OF ONE WHO IS TRULY LIVING! Loving God and neighbor leads to true life. Now, I"d like to head back up to the top of this passage to verse 28, which possibly contains the most important aspect of this entire passage. In Luke 10:28, Jesus makes a powerful, implicit promise to the lawyer who first posed the question"and to us. What is that promise? If we as his followers will love the Lord our God with all our heart and our soul and with all our strength and with all our mind and if we love our neighbor as well as we do ourselves, then we will truly live. Life, in other words, comes by way of loving God with everything we are and loving our neighbor with everything we have. Contrary to what the Enemy would have us believe, life does not come by way of satisfying our own personal desires. Listen to the apostle Paul"s charge to young Timothy, 1 TIMOTHY 6:17‐19: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” Putting our hope in God. Being rich in good deeds. Being generous and willing to share. Add these things together, and what does it equal? LIFE THAT IS TRULY LIFE. Who is it that I"m supposed to love as I love myself. Who am I supposed to show favor to? Who am I called to work for; to sacrifice for, to pray for? MY Neighbors! Not just the ones we like, but the ungodly, the ones who play their music too loud, who fight too much, who don't keep their house and property up! When Christians close their eyes to the needs of those around them, even sit and judge them, we are acting worse than the ungodly. We are even worse than Sodom and Gomorrah, because we have a Bible! Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. Ezekiel 16:49 It is one thing to enjoy the Blessings of the Lord, but it is another thing to be stingy and ignore the needs of the lost and dying around you. Life that is truly life is rich in good deeds, is generous and sharing. Who owns your time, your possessions? Is it God? Or is it you? Who controls your time and possessions? Is it God, or is it you? Who is your real trust in? Imagine a party at the church of Laodicea. But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. 1 Timothy 5:6 “LIFE THAT"S NOT TRULY LIFE.” Now, why do you suppose Paul drew attention to living “life that is truly life”? It"s as if he knew that there was a way to exist on planet Earth"moving, breathing, experiencing the technical reality of being alive"that was something other than “true life.” The implication of Paul"s exhortation to young Timothy and every Christ‐follower to come after him is that it is quite possible to go about our days, our weeks, our months, our years, even, living life that is not truly life. I don"t know about you, but I"m not interested in that sort of life. So if it were possible to shed the primary culprits for a life that is not truly life, would you want to know what they are? I hope your answer is yes! As related to the parable of the Good Samaritan that we opened with, I think there are three obvious culprits at work"culprits that the Good Samaritan had to contend with, and culprits that you and I still have to contend with today. Here they are: 1. Life that is not truly life is prejudiced. The Good Samaritan certainly could have allowed his personal prejudices to keep him from stopping and lending a hand to a person in need. But he did not. He chose instead to lay aside judgment and simply offer some compassionate aid. 2. Life that is not truly life looks like avoiding. In a similar vein, the Good Samaritan could have followed in the footsteps of the priest and the Levite religious man, both of whom quite literally avoided the man lying by the side of the road. Their behavior was selfish. But he did not. Instead of avoidance, the Good Samaritan chose engagement. And engagement is what Christ says leads to life. “Over thirty years ago, Princeton University conducted a study among theology students. Two psychologists asked a group of divinity students to walk to another building on the Princeton campus. Each student was to then deliver a short speech" they could talk about either the Good Samaritan or their motivation for studying theology. Meanwhile, the psychologists had arranged for an actor to be stationed on the path midway between the two university buildings. The actor would be on the sidewalk, slumped over, coughing and moaning, obviously needing help. The psychologists then lead a third of the seminary students to believe that they were already late for their speaking engagement in the other building, another third were told they had just enough time and the other third were told they had plenty of time.” So, what do you think? Who was most likely to offer help to the groaning man on the sidewalk? Do you think it was those who spoke about the Good Samaritan or those discussing their love of theology? Well, the content of the speeches made no difference. What did make a profound difference was how rushed and late the students believed they were. “Only 16 of the 40 students stopped at all. Of this number the most were from students who had plenty of time " 63% of those students stopped. Only 45% of those with just enough time stopped, and only 10% of those who were told that they were late stopped.” For me, what"s most incredible about this study is that 10% of those students, who were told they were already late, stopped and helped the man. They were acting Christ-like, much like our Samaritan. 3. Life that is not truly life looks like withholding. Withholding your time from someone who needs a safe ear. Withholding your energy from someone in need of physical help. Withholding your smile from someone who is feeling isolated and alone. Withholding your money from someone who has none. Withholding your touch from someone who"s been cast out. Withholding your words of grace and peace from someone who is living in sin. Interestingly, Christ"s words in Luke 10 point us to the idea that when we withhold, the one who is harmed the most is us. When we withhold, we settle for living life that is not truly life. But there is another way to live. There is a way to live “life that is truly life.” And it involves the opposite of prejudging, avoiding, and withholding. It involves giving yourself"mind, body, strength, soul"to God and to others so that you and I will one day be counted among those who chose the path paved by richness of good deeds, the path paved by generosity and the willingness to share. PERSONAL APPLICATION How good it feels to be cared for. How vital it is to care for others. When we experience the rich good deed of another, our life is immensely enriched. But something bigger than that is occurring in that moment: I believe a little slice of heaven is invading this land called Earth. “Thy kingdom come,” Jesus prayed, “in Earth as it is in heaven.” The goal, as Dallas Willard once said, is to make “more of there come down here.” That"s what is happening when we receive a good deed, and that is what is happening when we act out a good deed toward another. Questions: Have You Experienced a Good Samaritan? “Have you had your own Good Samaritan experience?” Mom and Todd “How are we doing as a church?” “who we are as a church begins with who we are one by one.” I"d like to ask you to shut your eyes and reflect on something with me. Here"s the question that I"d like for you to consider: When was the last time that someone treated you with the care and compassion of the Good Samaritan? When is the last time someone got close enough to you to see you needed caring for? Physical pain and someone soothed it. Financial pain and someone gave you some money. Relational pain for which someone offered wisdom. Spiritual pain, and someone spoke powerful words from God to you. Whatever the case may be, what was your personal “Good Samaritan” experience like? What was meaningful to you about it? You may open your eyes now. We"ve all been cared for by someone else at one time or another, and those experiences matter to us, don"t they? I hope that you will take some time this week to replay more of those occasions in your mind"s eye, mostly to fuel your desire to go be a Good Samaritan to the people in need who are all around you. Next, I"d like you to consider the question of how we"re doing as a church with regard to reaching out with Good Samaritan"style compassion and care. Do you believe that we are more caring and more compassionate today than we were a month ago? A year ago? When our church first began to meet? If not, what do you suppose is holding us back? Are we, as a body, prejudging? Avoiding? Withholding? All of the above? THE REMINDER. Who we are as a congregation begins with who we are as individuals. If each one of us is choosing to live life that is truly life"rich in good deeds, generosity, and willingness to share"then guess what will define us as a congregation? Yes, richness of good deeds, generosity, and a prevailing willingness to share. But if we as individuals are settling for life that is not truly life, then the opposite will be true: our congregation will not be known for things like good deeds and generosity and the willingness to share. THE CHALLENGE. Determine a Place to start Becoming a Good Samaritan LEARN If you"d like to “learn” about becoming a Good Samaritan this week, consider reading and meditating on Isaiah 6:8. It says: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I [the prophet Isaiah] said, ‘Here am I. Send me!"” What would need to shift in your life"and in your heart"for you to become “sendable” to God? LIVE OUT If you"d like to “live out” what it means to be a Good Samaritan, consider giving away one material possession that is meaningful to you this week. There are people around you who could put to use that third or fourth coat, that beloved blanket, that twenty‐dollar gift card you received for your birthday. LEAD If you already live out the Good Samaritan lifestyle and you"re ready to “lead,” consider rallying two or three of your friends to join us as we practice being Good Samaritans on October 24. CONCLUSION It was a bright, crisp fall morning, and the smell of football was in the air. Sundays were a treat in Allentown, because in Allentown there was a team worth watching, a team you could really believe in. On this particular Sunday, there was the added excitement of the opening‐day home game. Highway 101 was packed tight with football"s faithful, and between the sounds of horns blaring and drivers cursing, you could hear the well‐known fight song riding the waves of the air. Three miles from the stadium there sat a car, stuck by the side of the road, the hood up and the lone driver crouched on the ground, his back against the front tire, his arms crossed, his elbows resting on his knees, his head in hands, and the unmistakable look of desperation creeping all across his face. As the moments passed, more and more cars eased by, their drivers taking him in and yet somehow still remaining utterly oblivious to his need. In one of the approaching cars is a young man who has just moved to the city and is going to his first home game. He began to follow the team in the off‐season, learning all about past and present players, and has come to the conclusion that they are surely the best team in the league, mostly because they have the best quarterback that has ever played the game. Although he had never really given his heart and soul to any particular team before, clearly that"s not the case now. As he passes the broken‐down car, he looks briefly into the eyes of the man sitting on the side of the road and then turns back to the view of the stadium beckoning him from up ahead. “That dude is never going to make it to the game in time,” he says to himself. “But not so for me! I wouldn"t miss opening kick‐off for the world.” And off he drives, dreaming about a souvenir cup, a giant “We"re Number One” foam hand, and the quarterback"s number 7 jersey"Chris Crosse, the pride and joy of Allentown. Also inching his way up the highway is Super Fan"a moniker the fan had earned by showing up on time for every game and perching himself right there on the front row outfitted in every possible form of team attire and leading section 1A in every cheer, every jeer. His father had been a fan, as well as his grandfather"and his grandfather"s father even before that. Sportsmanship is in his blood, you might say. In fact, as far back as he can remember, rooting for this team had been part of his life. These days his car is covered with bumper stickers, flags, and banners, and when he hits his horn, it plays the beloved fight song. As he nears the distraught man on the side of the road, he thinks to himself, “This isn"t the first time I"ve seen someone broken down on the way to a game, and surely it won"t be the last. Maybe the team ought to have a bus come by and pick up these stragglers. It"s a shame that this guy"s going to miss the game, isn"t it?” Suddenly, distracted by a breach in sports‐enthusiast protocol, Super Fan throws his head out his window and hollers at the guy in the truck in front of him, “Hey, is this your first time or what?! Everybody knows the left lane is for season‐ticket holders only!” Finally, a third man comes along. Unlike the vast majority of his highway comrades, he is not going to the game. Unfortunately, his errands ran long, and now he"s stuck in a mess of football traffic, desperate for a quicker route home. He approaches the stalled car and looks overat the man who is seated on the ground. Their eyes lock momentarily, and the man edges his car off the road instinctively, climbs out of the front seat, and approaches the other man. “Need a hand?” he offers to a relieved and now‐smiling stranger. “You have no idea,” comes the reply. “I"m Chris,” the stranger says as he rises to his feet and stretches out his hand. “Hey, Chris,” the man says. “My name"s Joe.” They try for a few minutes to get the car started again, but when that proves unsuccessful the man simply offers the stranger a ride. Once back on the road, the man asks where he can take the stranger. “Actually, I"m headed to the game,” Chris replies. So off to the stadium they go. With traffic at a near standstill, there is plenty of time to converse. The stranger pipes up with a simple question: “Do you like football?” “I used to,” says Joe. “When I was a kid we"d play football every day in my backyard. All the kids"both boys and girls"would come over, and we"d laugh and run and toss that ball around for hours. But as I got older, I stopped caring about it.” Chris asks why and hears these words in response: “Because I didn"t get to play anymore. In fact, the same thing will happen two hours from now in that stadium,” Joe says as he points to the massive structure ahead. “Seventy‐five thousand people will sit there watching twenty‐two people play. For me, football"s only fun when you"re part of the game, when you"re one of the ones actually participating. I guess when I grew up ... well, it seemed like there was just no opportunity to do that anymore"so I stopped being interested.” Chris is silent for a minute and then says with a sincere grin, “How would you like to play some football?” Two hours later a roar goes up as the team enters the field and the announcer begins to dramatically shout the names of the players. In the stands, the new fan and Super Fan have taken their respective seats and are savoring the energy and enthusiasm of the seventy‐five thousand raving fans that surround them on every side. New Fan turns to Super Fan, who is seated next to him, and shouts over the roar of the crowd, “Wouldn"t it be great to be on the field playing with the team"even if for only one quick down?” Super Fan"s face spreads into a wide smile as he nods his consent. “Yeah,” he agrees. “That would beat all.” At that moment the announcer begins his introduction of the quarterback. “Give it up for last year"s MVP, the record‐holder for most touchdowns and victories in the history of the game. Your quarterback"Caaah‐risss Croooss!” The crowd cheers its approval and then begins to settle into their seats when the announcer surprises them with one more player introduction. “Nooowww … give it up one more time for the newest member of our team! You won"t find THIS one on the bench! No, siree, he"s eager to play, and his name is Jooo‐uh Goodmaaan!” Super Fan and New Fan high‐five each other as the crowd rises to its feet. But down on the field, Chris slowly looks around the stadium and a tear rolls down his cheek as he thinks of all these “sidelined” fans. Their cheers give the world the impression that they love him and that they love the game, but too often, it is the hero down on the field they are rooting for, rather than the cause of helping as many people as possible get in the game. Sure, Chris Cross enjoyed the thrill of the Sunday football game"the energy, the enthusiasm, the adoration, the praise. But what he loved more than that was the action itself"co‐laboring with a bunch of people who were committed to sweating, fighting, and suffering together toward victory. Chris"s favorite place of all? It was down on the field, amid those who had joined him in the trenches, where the game is really played. My prayer is that our church, you and me would get in the game. We stop thinking can't, we stop thinking small, we stop thinking I'm too old, too weak, know too little. We stop making excuses for not being in the GAME of reaching out to the lost and dying people all around us. If you love the cause of Christ, and if you hate the brokenness that seems to prevail in this world, I invite you to suit up today. If you have not yet filled out a LOOP profile, fill one out today. If you know of someone who could use a lift up, but haven't let us know, fill out the project sheet. Please don"t let this opportunity pass you by. There are plenty of folks, just like Joe Goodman from our story here, anticipating your help today. Review Two Goals 1. Get close enough to see the needs of those around you. Then act on behalf of people in need. 2. Invest your one and only life wisely. Prayer Will you pray with me?