This past Sunday I challenged Newpointe to fully participate in our community service day and not go to church but to be the church. I said that if you choose to attend another church instead of participating in this, just go ahead and stay there, because we are wanting to be difference makers and not consumers.
I have heard a couple of different responses to my challenge.
I can’t believe he said that …..
That really made me mad …
Two things I would ask?
First, asked what did I feel when I heard that? Then ask why?
Secondly, Read, Luke 10:25-37 and ask God to speak to you.
Here is part of it.
One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
The man answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
“Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”
The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus then tells us story. He mentions two prominent religious leader a priest and Levi who had an opportunity to do good, but choose not to ( some suggest that they wanted to get to the synagogue ) … it was a Samaritan who did the right thing .
Here is what the life application bible has to say.
The expert in religious law treated the wounded person as a topic for discussion; the robbers, as an object to exploit; the priest, as a problem to avoid; the Levite, as an object of curiosity. Only the Samaritan treated him as a person to love.
To this law expert , the person least likely to act correctly would be the Samaritan. This “expert’s attitude betrayed his lack of the very thing that he had earlier said the law commanded – love.
What most people need is not a hear a sermon, but to see one.
That is my prayer for August 3.
Hebrews 10:24 " Let’s us consider how we may spur ( agitate , irritate , stimulate and incite) one another toward good deeds."
