Being a good neighbour
Series: Evangelism
Speaker: Brian Tung
Date: 20th October 2012
Passages:
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 I thought it was really important, am I on? Yes.
00:00:03 --> 00:00:10 For us to spend a little bit of time reflecting on evangelism and mission.
00:00:10 --> 00:00:14 I read this week that this, what's the difference between mission and evangelism?
00:00:14 --> 00:00:21 Some person suggested evangelism is when you tell people within your own culture about Jesus,
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 and mission is when you do it cross-culturally.
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 Anyway, something for you to think about.
00:00:26 --> 00:00:33 And so three weeks on evangelism, and I thought, great, you know, the church and us,
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 we really need to reflect on this subject.
00:00:35 --> 00:00:41 And I'm solely responsible for picking the passages for last week and this week.
00:00:41 --> 00:00:45 And last week's passage was not at all what I was thinking,
00:00:46 --> 00:00:50 which was quite distressing when you start preparing a sermon.
00:00:50 --> 00:00:53 I thought, I want to say this, but the Bible says this.
00:00:56 --> 00:01:01 And I came across the same problem this week with this short story.
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 And there are three problems.
00:01:05 --> 00:01:08 One is, what's this got to do with evangelism?
00:01:09 --> 00:01:13 I mean, at least last week's sermon, there's some explicit reference to a mission.
00:01:14 --> 00:01:19 There's no Matthew 28, you know, authority on heaven and earth.
00:01:19 --> 00:01:22 There's no, you know, none of that.
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 And I thought, how do I...
00:01:24 --> 00:01:24 First problem.
00:01:25 --> 00:01:30 Second problem is, we're so familiar with this story, you know.
00:01:30 --> 00:01:35 And looking at a familiar story is like hearing a familiar joke.
00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 And everybody knows the punchline.
00:01:38 --> 00:01:42 And I spend 20 minutes telling you a joke that you already know.
00:01:42 --> 00:01:47 So, how do I...
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 You know, is it familiar?
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 And how do we...
00:01:52 --> 00:01:53 What does it mean for us?
00:01:54 --> 00:01:55 So, that's my second problem.
00:01:55 --> 00:02:00 The third problem is, when I spend a little bit more time looking at this passage,
00:02:01 --> 00:02:04 I kind of found that it's not what it seems.
00:02:04 --> 00:02:11 And I want to take you through this.
00:02:12 --> 00:02:13 Hopefully, it makes sense.
00:02:13 --> 00:02:16 And hopefully, I'm being faithful to what the Bible says.
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 So, it's not really what it seems.
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 And I think it does have something to say about evangelism.
00:02:23 --> 00:02:26 And we need God to help us.
00:02:26 --> 00:02:32 So, will you join me in praying to God and ask that he might help us to listen to him?
00:02:34 --> 00:02:44 Great God and Heavenly Father, we praise you that even though words that have been written so long
00:02:44 --> 00:02:50 and so familiar to us can come alive in ways that we would never expect,
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 help us not to presume on your word.
00:02:53 --> 00:03:00 And we pray, Father, that tonight you might speak again to us by your Spirit,
00:03:01 --> 00:03:06 stir our hearts, lift our eyes and move us into the world.
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 And we pray this in Jesus' name.
00:03:10 --> 00:03:10 Amen.
00:03:13 --> 00:03:18 The story is fairly familiar to us.
00:03:19 --> 00:03:23 It's a story about a smart Alec lawyer.
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 And there is no other type.
00:03:28 --> 00:03:32 Trying to trap Jesus with his cleverness and learning.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:37 And Jesus, the real hero of the story, kind of turns the situation around,
00:03:38 --> 00:03:41 outsmiles the guy by a story.
00:03:41 --> 00:03:48 You notice Jesus tells a story, an earthy story with a twist.
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 You know, parables are often stories with twists.
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 And this parable has a twist.
00:03:55 --> 00:04:00 The twists come in the form of the hero of this parable.
00:04:01 --> 00:04:04 It is an unlikely hero because it's a Samaritan.
00:04:04 --> 00:04:07 Again, we kind of missed it.
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 And I'm sure that you have heard this explained to you.
00:04:10 --> 00:04:14 The Jews hate the Samaritans, you know, with a vengeance.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:21 And so the whole being the hero thing was just unexpected for them,
00:04:22 --> 00:04:23 but familiar to us.
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 And as I was telling this morning's congregation,
00:04:27 --> 00:04:31 I was struggling to think the type of hatred, you know,
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 the Smiths know what I'm talking about.
00:04:33 --> 00:04:35 You know, swan supporters.
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 West Coast would be the Samaritans.
00:04:40 --> 00:04:45 The dirty, no good, parasitic, you know,
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 they should be destroyed from the face of the earth.
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 I get you, but nobody else.
00:04:53 --> 00:04:56 Maybe people who are from Sydney, you know.
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 Sydney would be like the Jews.
00:05:00 --> 00:05:03 People living in Melbourne, they're like the Samaritans.
00:05:04 --> 00:05:08 You know, just, they wish they've got, well,
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 they don't even have a harbour.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:12 What do they have?
00:05:15 --> 00:05:16 A brown river.
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 But, you know, it's not quite,
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 and this morning I thought maybe it's like the JWs.
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 It doesn't really quite capture it.
00:05:24 --> 00:05:25 And I was thinking this afternoon,
00:05:25 --> 00:05:30 I think it's more like this story was told
00:05:30 --> 00:05:35 and the hero of the story is Richard Dawkins.
00:05:37 --> 00:05:37 Right?
00:05:38 --> 00:05:39 Or a Muslim.
00:05:40 --> 00:05:40 Okay?
00:05:40 --> 00:05:41 A Christian audience.
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 The first two guys are good Christian folks
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 and they turn out to be bad.
00:05:47 --> 00:05:51 And then there's this guy that you kind of think,
00:05:51 --> 00:05:54 I can't stand, can't possibly be good.
00:05:54 --> 00:05:57 And Jesus says, that's the hero of the story.
00:05:59 --> 00:06:00 Shock, horror.
00:06:00 --> 00:06:03 But it still really doesn't answer the question.
00:06:03 --> 00:06:04 What's the point?
00:06:05 --> 00:06:08 You know, is it saying that we ought to be like this guy?
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 I mean, after all, this is what Jesus says in verse 37.
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 Go and do likewise.
00:06:14 --> 00:06:15 Be the Samaritan.
00:06:15 --> 00:06:16 You know, look after,
00:06:16 --> 00:06:19 look out for the needy and the marginalised in society.
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 Is that the point that Jesus is trying to make?
00:06:21 --> 00:06:24 But as I said before,
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 if you dig a little bit deeper
00:06:26 --> 00:06:31 and read it in the context of what's before and what's after,
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 I want to suggest to you,
00:06:33 --> 00:06:37 there's only a lot more to it than first appears.
00:06:38 --> 00:06:39 Well, firstly,
00:06:39 --> 00:06:43 the parable comes in the context of a conversation
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 with an antagonist.
00:06:46 --> 00:06:49 The antagonist we introduce in verse 25
00:06:49 --> 00:06:50 as an expert in a law.
00:06:50 --> 00:06:53 Presumably a wise and learned
00:06:53 --> 00:06:56 and spiritual and respected person.
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 But an antagonist, nonetheless,
00:07:00 --> 00:07:01 is obvious to us as the reader
00:07:01 --> 00:07:04 because we have an insight into his motives
00:07:04 --> 00:07:09 as opposed to the people present in our conversation.
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 We are told by Luke in verse 25
00:07:12 --> 00:07:15 that he's come to Jesus to test him.
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 I don't get a real sense
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 that this guy is a genuine spiritual seeker.
00:07:21 --> 00:07:23 You know, he's come to Jesus
00:07:23 --> 00:07:25 to not so much put him in his place,
00:07:26 --> 00:07:31 but perhaps to reveal Jesus for who he really is.
00:07:31 --> 00:07:32 Some sort of peasant,
00:07:33 --> 00:07:34 popularist,
00:07:35 --> 00:07:36 uneducated,
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 not a really spiritual person.
00:07:39 --> 00:07:40 To test Jesus,
00:07:40 --> 00:07:41 you know,
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 to see really what,
00:07:43 --> 00:07:43 you know,
00:07:43 --> 00:07:46 the true shallowness
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 of Jesus' spirituality.
00:07:49 --> 00:07:50 I think that's what he's come to do.
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 And in verse 29,
00:07:53 --> 00:07:54 we saw that he's a guy
00:07:54 --> 00:07:55 who wants to justify himself,
00:07:56 --> 00:07:57 and we'll come back to this point
00:07:57 --> 00:07:58 a little bit later.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:00 Our scene starts with a question.
00:08:01 --> 00:08:02 What is that question?
00:08:03 --> 00:08:04 Have a look
00:08:04 --> 00:08:05 if you've got the Bible in front of you?
00:08:07 --> 00:08:08 The guy comes to Jesus,
00:08:08 --> 00:08:09 and he says,
00:08:09 --> 00:08:09 teacher,
00:08:10 --> 00:08:10 very respectful,
00:08:11 --> 00:08:11 you know,
00:08:11 --> 00:08:12 flatter him.
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 And there's a question,
00:08:14 --> 00:08:14 you know,
00:08:14 --> 00:08:15 what must I do
00:08:15 --> 00:08:16 to inherit eternal life?
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 Very familiar passage.
00:08:21 --> 00:08:23 Very familiar question.
00:08:23 --> 00:08:24 It comes to us
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 in other contexts
00:08:26 --> 00:08:27 with a rich young man.
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 A very odd question
00:08:29 --> 00:08:31 when you think about it.
00:08:31 --> 00:08:32 Let me read that question
00:08:32 --> 00:08:33 to you again
00:08:33 --> 00:08:34 with my emphasis.
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 What must I do
00:08:37 --> 00:08:41 to inherit eternal life?
00:08:43 --> 00:08:43 Okay?
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 Don't bring in Luther
00:08:45 --> 00:08:46 and the whole justification
00:08:46 --> 00:08:47 by faith debate,
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 but just on the terms
00:08:50 --> 00:08:51 of the question itself,
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 doing and inheriting,
00:08:53 --> 00:08:56 what philosophers would call
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 a category error.
00:08:59 --> 00:08:59 You know,
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 like what color is Monday?
00:09:01 --> 00:09:05 There are different categories
00:09:05 --> 00:09:06 of things.
00:09:07 --> 00:09:08 Doing
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 and inheriting
00:09:10 --> 00:09:12 belong to different boxes,
00:09:12 --> 00:09:13 and you don't normally
00:09:13 --> 00:09:13 put them together,
00:09:14 --> 00:09:15 except when you want
00:09:15 --> 00:09:16 to manipulate your kids.
00:09:22 --> 00:09:23 Imagine if you're a parent
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 or a young one,
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 speaking like this
00:09:28 --> 00:09:28 to your parents,
00:09:28 --> 00:09:31 I've been good.
00:09:31 --> 00:09:31 You know,
00:09:32 --> 00:09:33 I worked hard at school.
00:09:33 --> 00:09:34 I don't bum around
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 like my brother does.
00:09:37 --> 00:09:39 And I'm most likely
00:09:39 --> 00:09:40 not going to put you
00:09:40 --> 00:09:41 in a nursing home.
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 But I am concerned
00:09:45 --> 00:09:46 about how many
00:09:46 --> 00:09:47 overseas trips
00:09:47 --> 00:09:48 you're taking.
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 Because you are
00:09:51 --> 00:09:51 squandering
00:09:51 --> 00:09:53 my inheritance.
00:09:53 --> 00:09:54 And while I'm
00:09:54 --> 00:09:55 at it,
00:09:55 --> 00:09:56 because I've been
00:09:56 --> 00:09:56 so good
00:09:56 --> 00:09:57 and my brother
00:09:57 --> 00:09:58 suck,
00:09:59 --> 00:10:00 do feel free
00:10:00 --> 00:10:01 to leave him
00:10:01 --> 00:10:02 out of your will.
00:10:04 --> 00:10:05 Of course,
00:10:05 --> 00:10:07 being nice people,
00:10:07 --> 00:10:07 we don't say that
00:10:07 --> 00:10:08 to our parents.
00:10:09 --> 00:10:10 But if you were
00:10:10 --> 00:10:11 a parent,
00:10:11 --> 00:10:11 you might gently
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 remind your dear son
00:10:13 --> 00:10:14 that it's not
00:10:14 --> 00:10:15 his money.
00:10:16 --> 00:10:17 And it may never
00:10:17 --> 00:10:18 be his money.
00:10:19 --> 00:10:20 It is your money
00:10:20 --> 00:10:21 to squander,
00:10:22 --> 00:10:23 to spend,
00:10:23 --> 00:10:23 to allocate,
00:10:24 --> 00:10:24 to give.
00:10:25 --> 00:10:26 It is
00:10:26 --> 00:10:28 the nature
00:10:28 --> 00:10:29 of an inheritance.
00:10:30 --> 00:10:30 You cannot be
00:10:30 --> 00:10:31 a good son
00:10:31 --> 00:10:32 and expect
00:10:32 --> 00:10:34 to have an inheritance.
00:10:35 --> 00:10:35 An inheritance,
00:10:36 --> 00:10:36 by definition,
00:10:37 --> 00:10:37 is a gift.
00:10:38 --> 00:10:39 If it is no longer
00:10:39 --> 00:10:40 a gift,
00:10:40 --> 00:10:40 it's not an inheritance,
00:10:41 --> 00:10:41 it's something else.
00:10:42 --> 00:10:42 You've earned it.
00:10:42 --> 00:10:43 It's a wage.
00:10:43 --> 00:10:44 It's a salary.
00:10:45 --> 00:10:45 You cannot,
00:10:46 --> 00:10:46 by definition,
00:10:46 --> 00:10:47 do anything
00:10:47 --> 00:10:49 to inherit
00:10:49 --> 00:10:50 a gift.
00:10:53 --> 00:10:54 A first curious thing
00:10:54 --> 00:10:55 is a curious
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 confusion,
00:10:57 --> 00:10:58 a category
00:10:58 --> 00:10:58 in the mind
00:10:58 --> 00:10:59 of this expert
00:10:59 --> 00:11:00 of the law.
00:11:02 --> 00:11:03 Jesus,
00:11:03 --> 00:11:03 just in case
00:11:03 --> 00:11:04 you
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 confuse
00:11:06 --> 00:11:07 his endorsement,
00:11:08 --> 00:11:09 you will note
00:11:09 --> 00:11:10 that doesn't
00:11:10 --> 00:11:10 sort of respond
00:11:10 --> 00:11:11 by saying,
00:11:11 --> 00:11:11 well, okay,
00:11:11 --> 00:11:12 you know,
00:11:12 --> 00:11:12 fair question.
00:11:13 --> 00:11:14 Here's the ten steps
00:11:14 --> 00:11:15 to heaven.
00:11:15 --> 00:11:16 Step one,
00:11:16 --> 00:11:17 you need to join
00:11:17 --> 00:11:18 a good church.
00:11:18 --> 00:11:19 Step two,
00:11:19 --> 00:11:20 you've got to start
00:11:20 --> 00:11:21 reading your Bible.
00:11:22 --> 00:11:22 No,
00:11:22 --> 00:11:23 he doesn't
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 endorse the question.
00:11:25 --> 00:11:25 He simply
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 asks a question
00:11:27 --> 00:11:28 in response
00:11:28 --> 00:11:28 to the question.
00:11:29 --> 00:11:30 Verse 26,
00:11:31 --> 00:11:32 what does the law
00:11:32 --> 00:11:32 say?
00:11:33 --> 00:11:33 By that,
00:11:33 --> 00:11:34 he meant
00:11:34 --> 00:11:35 the Torah,
00:11:35 --> 00:11:36 what the Jews
00:11:36 --> 00:11:36 would call
00:11:36 --> 00:11:37 the Old Testament.
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 What does the Old Testament,
00:11:40 --> 00:11:41 what does the Bible say?
00:11:42 --> 00:11:43 When you read it,
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 what do you understand
00:11:45 --> 00:11:46 is the basis
00:11:46 --> 00:11:46 on which
00:11:46 --> 00:11:47 you can
00:11:47 --> 00:11:48 inherit
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 eternal life?
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 And we see
00:11:52 --> 00:11:52 the answer
00:11:52 --> 00:11:53 by the man
00:11:53 --> 00:11:54 in verse 27,
00:11:54 --> 00:11:55 and it's a fairly
00:11:55 --> 00:11:57 standard answer
00:11:57 --> 00:11:59 of the spiritual
00:11:59 --> 00:12:01 people of the day.
00:12:01 --> 00:12:02 You know,
00:12:02 --> 00:12:02 if you ask
00:12:02 --> 00:12:03 a person
00:12:03 --> 00:12:04 what a Christian
00:12:04 --> 00:12:04 is today,
00:12:04 --> 00:12:05 you might get
00:12:05 --> 00:12:06 two ways to live
00:12:06 --> 00:12:07 or bridge to life.
00:12:07 --> 00:12:08 This is the equivalent.
00:12:09 --> 00:12:09 You know,
00:12:09 --> 00:12:10 what does the Bible
00:12:10 --> 00:12:10 teach you
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 about eternal life?
00:12:12 --> 00:12:12 And the guy says,
00:12:13 --> 00:12:13 well,
00:12:13 --> 00:12:14 two things,
00:12:14 --> 00:12:15 perfect love for God,
00:12:16 --> 00:12:17 you know,
00:12:17 --> 00:12:17 love God
00:12:17 --> 00:12:18 with everything
00:12:18 --> 00:12:19 that you have,
00:12:19 --> 00:12:19 all your heart,
00:12:20 --> 00:12:20 all your soul,
00:12:20 --> 00:12:21 all your mind,
00:12:22 --> 00:12:23 all your affections,
00:12:23 --> 00:12:24 and love people,
00:12:25 --> 00:12:26 love your neighbor
00:12:26 --> 00:12:27 as yourself.
00:12:27 --> 00:12:28 Perfect love
00:12:28 --> 00:12:29 for people around you.
00:12:29 --> 00:12:30 So love God,
00:12:31 --> 00:12:31 love people.
00:12:32 --> 00:12:33 Great answer.
00:12:33 --> 00:12:34 Doesn't fault it.
00:12:35 --> 00:12:36 Jesus doesn't do that
00:12:36 --> 00:12:37 in verse 28.
00:12:38 --> 00:12:39 He endorses
00:12:39 --> 00:12:40 the answer,
00:12:40 --> 00:12:41 not the question.
00:12:42 --> 00:12:42 And we'll come back
00:12:42 --> 00:12:43 to that answer
00:12:43 --> 00:12:44 at the end
00:12:44 --> 00:12:45 in the conclusion.
00:12:46 --> 00:12:47 But not so great
00:12:47 --> 00:12:47 a response
00:12:47 --> 00:12:48 from the lawyer,
00:12:49 --> 00:12:49 verse 29.
00:12:50 --> 00:12:51 We are told
00:12:51 --> 00:12:51 that he wanted
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 to justify himself
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 and we're not really
00:12:55 --> 00:12:55 quite told
00:12:55 --> 00:12:56 what that means.
00:12:57 --> 00:12:58 Maybe there's
00:12:58 --> 00:12:59 a bit of a crowd
00:12:59 --> 00:13:00 and,
00:13:00 --> 00:13:01 you know,
00:13:01 --> 00:13:02 he's asked this question
00:13:02 --> 00:13:03 and Jesus kind of said,
00:13:03 --> 00:13:04 well,
00:13:04 --> 00:13:04 you know the answer,
00:13:05 --> 00:13:05 you tell me.
00:13:06 --> 00:13:07 And he looks like
00:13:07 --> 00:13:07 an idiot,
00:13:08 --> 00:13:09 so he has to kind of say,
00:13:09 --> 00:13:09 well,
00:13:10 --> 00:13:10 well,
00:13:10 --> 00:13:11 I'm not a idiot.
00:13:11 --> 00:13:11 That was a really
00:13:11 --> 00:13:12 legitimate question.
00:13:13 --> 00:13:13 Maybe that's what
00:13:13 --> 00:13:14 he was doing.
00:13:14 --> 00:13:14 Maybe,
00:13:14 --> 00:13:15 I don't know.
00:13:16 --> 00:13:17 Maybe he wanted
00:13:17 --> 00:13:18 to tell himself,
00:13:18 --> 00:13:19 convince himself
00:13:19 --> 00:13:20 that he's
00:13:20 --> 00:13:22 on the right track.
00:13:22 --> 00:13:22 You know,
00:13:22 --> 00:13:23 to get,
00:13:23 --> 00:13:24 he kind of assumes
00:13:24 --> 00:13:26 that he has
00:13:26 --> 00:13:27 eternal life,
00:13:27 --> 00:13:28 he's done enough
00:13:28 --> 00:13:28 to inherit
00:13:28 --> 00:13:29 eternal life
00:13:29 --> 00:13:30 and he wanted
00:13:30 --> 00:13:31 Jesus to endorse
00:13:31 --> 00:13:32 that.
00:13:32 --> 00:13:33 Maybe that's the thing,
00:13:33 --> 00:13:34 like justify himself.
00:13:34 --> 00:13:36 But make a general
00:13:36 --> 00:13:37 observation.
00:13:37 --> 00:13:38 Any lawyers in the house?
00:13:38 --> 00:13:39 Judy?
00:13:40 --> 00:13:40 Thank you.
00:13:41 --> 00:13:42 Any other lawyers?
00:13:42 --> 00:13:42 Okay,
00:13:42 --> 00:13:42 good.
00:13:43 --> 00:13:43 Sorry,
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 I'm going to apologise.
00:13:46 --> 00:13:46 I'm going to seek
00:13:46 --> 00:13:47 forgiveness
00:13:47 --> 00:13:48 before,
00:13:49 --> 00:13:49 but,
00:13:49 --> 00:13:49 you know,
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 when you go to a lawyer
00:13:50 --> 00:13:51 and ask them a question,
00:13:51 --> 00:13:51 sorry,
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 I was a lawyer.
00:13:54 --> 00:13:55 I love them.
00:13:56 --> 00:13:57 My best friend
00:13:57 --> 00:13:58 is still a lawyer.
00:13:59 --> 00:14:00 Not a son of a lawyer,
00:14:00 --> 00:14:00 no,
00:14:00 --> 00:14:01 but,
00:14:01 --> 00:14:03 but I think,
00:14:03 --> 00:14:03 you know,
00:14:03 --> 00:14:03 lawyers,
00:14:03 --> 00:14:04 they kind of reflect
00:14:04 --> 00:14:05 more us than them,
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 but when you go to a lawyer
00:14:06 --> 00:14:07 to ask a question
00:14:07 --> 00:14:09 about law,
00:14:09 --> 00:14:10 what are you seeking to do?
00:14:11 --> 00:14:11 You know,
00:14:11 --> 00:14:12 for those of you
00:14:12 --> 00:14:13 young ones,
00:14:13 --> 00:14:13 you know,
00:14:13 --> 00:14:14 one day you're going to
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 finish uni
00:14:15 --> 00:14:16 and you're going to
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 have this great job
00:14:17 --> 00:14:18 and you're going to have
00:14:18 --> 00:14:19 squillions of dollars
00:14:19 --> 00:14:21 as pay
00:14:21 --> 00:14:21 and,
00:14:21 --> 00:14:22 and,
00:14:22 --> 00:14:23 and that's right,
00:14:23 --> 00:14:24 that's right.
00:14:25 --> 00:14:26 Education department,
00:14:26 --> 00:14:26 that's right.
00:14:27 --> 00:14:28 And,
00:14:28 --> 00:14:29 and you're going to go
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31 to a big firm,
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 an accounting firm
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 or a law firm
00:14:33 --> 00:14:33 and you're going to see
00:14:33 --> 00:14:36 the top charging partner
00:14:36 --> 00:14:37 and it will invariably be
00:14:37 --> 00:14:38 the tax partner
00:14:38 --> 00:14:41 and you ask the tax partner,
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 I want to know about tax law.
00:14:44 --> 00:14:44 Now,
00:14:44 --> 00:14:45 why is that?
00:14:46 --> 00:14:48 Is it because
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 you want to pay more tax?
00:14:51 --> 00:14:52 You want to find out
00:14:52 --> 00:14:53 about the law
00:14:53 --> 00:14:54 so that you pay more tax
00:14:54 --> 00:14:56 or fair share of the tax?
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 No.
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 When you see a tax lawyer
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 it's because you
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 don't want to pay tax.
00:15:02 --> 00:15:03 Right?
00:15:04 --> 00:15:04 Sorry,
00:15:04 --> 00:15:04 Katrina,
00:15:05 --> 00:15:05 you're a lawyer.
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 I'm sorry to you as well.
00:15:14 --> 00:15:14 You know,
00:15:14 --> 00:15:14 when,
00:15:15 --> 00:15:16 when you go to a lawyer
00:15:16 --> 00:15:17 they're not really interested
00:15:17 --> 00:15:19 in upholding the law.
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 Really,
00:15:25 --> 00:15:26 even though we took an oath
00:15:26 --> 00:15:26 to do that,
00:15:26 --> 00:15:27 what are you,
00:15:27 --> 00:15:28 what are you really seeking
00:15:28 --> 00:15:29 to do as a lawyer
00:15:29 --> 00:15:29 in finding out
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 what the law says
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 is to actually avoid the law.
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 That's what lawyers,
00:15:33 --> 00:15:33 and,
00:15:33 --> 00:15:34 and,
00:15:34 --> 00:15:34 and this is what
00:15:34 --> 00:15:36 I think this guy's doing
00:15:36 --> 00:15:37 in justifying himself,
00:15:37 --> 00:15:38 whatever that might mean.
00:15:39 --> 00:15:39 So,
00:15:39 --> 00:15:40 the law is
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 love my neighbor.
00:15:41 --> 00:15:41 Okay,
00:15:41 --> 00:15:42 let's,
00:15:42 --> 00:15:43 let's have some definitions
00:15:43 --> 00:15:45 because I'm not so sure
00:15:45 --> 00:15:46 about
00:15:46 --> 00:15:48 neighbor.
00:15:48 --> 00:15:49 That's a very interesting word,
00:15:49 --> 00:15:49 isn't it?
00:15:49 --> 00:15:50 Yeah,
00:15:50 --> 00:15:50 I want to know about
00:15:50 --> 00:15:51 the boundaries,
00:15:52 --> 00:15:53 you know,
00:15:53 --> 00:15:54 the semantic range
00:15:54 --> 00:15:54 of the word.
00:15:55 --> 00:15:55 I want to know
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 what the limits are.
00:15:56 --> 00:15:56 I want to,
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 particularly,
00:15:57 --> 00:15:57 I want to know
00:15:57 --> 00:15:59 what the exceptions are
00:15:59 --> 00:16:00 to this love
00:16:00 --> 00:16:01 the neighbor law.
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 You tell me,
00:16:02 --> 00:16:02 Jesus.
00:16:03 --> 00:16:04 Because,
00:16:04 --> 00:16:04 of course,
00:16:04 --> 00:16:04 after all,
00:16:05 --> 00:16:06 that's the only way
00:16:06 --> 00:16:07 to keep the law
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 is to find those exceptions.
00:16:10 --> 00:16:10 Well,
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 it is in this context
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 that Jesus told
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14 the story
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 of the good Samaritan.
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 And like every good joke,
00:16:18 --> 00:16:19 it comes in three.
00:16:20 --> 00:16:21 There's a victim of crime.
00:16:21 --> 00:16:22 The guy is traveling
00:16:22 --> 00:16:24 from Jerusalem
00:16:24 --> 00:16:25 down south
00:16:25 --> 00:16:26 to Jericho.
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 He's in the wilderness.
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 There's this road,
00:16:29 --> 00:16:30 easy picking
00:16:30 --> 00:16:31 for thugs
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 and stuff like that.
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33 And sure enough,
00:16:33 --> 00:16:33 you know,
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34 if he's telling this story,
00:16:34 --> 00:16:35 everyone will go,
00:16:35 --> 00:16:35 oh yeah,
00:16:36 --> 00:16:36 yeah,
00:16:36 --> 00:16:36 yeah,
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 that road.
00:16:37 --> 00:16:37 Oh yeah,
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 yeah.
00:16:38 --> 00:16:39 He got mugged.
00:16:39 --> 00:16:39 Yeah,
00:16:40 --> 00:16:40 his phone got taken.
00:16:41 --> 00:16:41 Yeah.
00:16:42 --> 00:16:44 And his shoes.
00:16:45 --> 00:16:46 But he's sort of
00:16:46 --> 00:16:47 beaten senseless.
00:16:47 --> 00:16:49 He's left without his shoes
00:16:49 --> 00:16:50 and he's unconscious.
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 And three guys
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 sort of went by.
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 The two obvious
00:16:55 --> 00:16:56 sort of characters,
00:16:57 --> 00:16:59 religious type people.
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 There's a priest
00:17:01 --> 00:17:04 and a Levite.
00:17:04 --> 00:17:05 And what is clear
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 is that they didn't help.
00:17:09 --> 00:17:09 They didn't,
00:17:10 --> 00:17:10 they so much
00:17:10 --> 00:17:11 didn't want to help
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 that they actually
00:17:12 --> 00:17:13 crossed the road
00:17:13 --> 00:17:14 so that they didn't
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 have to help this guy.
00:17:17 --> 00:17:17 Right?
00:17:17 --> 00:17:18 And we don't know
00:17:18 --> 00:17:19 the reason,
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 speculative,
00:17:21 --> 00:17:24 obvious,
00:17:25 --> 00:17:25 you know,
00:17:25 --> 00:17:27 if you see
00:17:27 --> 00:17:28 a person
00:17:28 --> 00:17:29 who's just been mugged
00:17:29 --> 00:17:31 and you stop
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 and help,
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 the thought might
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 go through your mind,
00:17:36 --> 00:17:37 you might be nixed,
00:17:38 --> 00:17:38 you know,
00:17:38 --> 00:17:39 the thugs
00:17:39 --> 00:17:40 might still be around,
00:17:40 --> 00:17:42 your phone might be taken,
00:17:42 --> 00:17:42 so maybe
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 it's better
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 to keep going
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45 and just call the cops
00:17:45 --> 00:17:46 on your way.
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 Maybe that's what
00:17:47 --> 00:17:48 they were doing.
00:17:48 --> 00:17:49 They were going
00:17:49 --> 00:17:49 to Jericho
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 to call the cops.
00:17:53 --> 00:17:53 Maybe,
00:17:53 --> 00:17:54 more likely,
00:17:54 --> 00:17:55 there's a fear
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 of defilement
00:17:56 --> 00:17:58 and contamination.
00:17:59 --> 00:17:59 They were,
00:18:00 --> 00:18:00 see,
00:18:00 --> 00:18:01 we don't get it
00:18:01 --> 00:18:03 because this isn't a temple
00:18:03 --> 00:18:04 and I'm not a priest.
00:18:05 --> 00:18:05 Right?
00:18:05 --> 00:18:07 In the old
00:18:07 --> 00:18:09 sacrificial system,
00:18:09 --> 00:18:10 the whole world
00:18:10 --> 00:18:11 is divided into
00:18:11 --> 00:18:13 at least two categories,
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14 clean and unclean,
00:18:14 --> 00:18:16 and the two can't mix.
00:18:17 --> 00:18:18 And a priest
00:18:18 --> 00:18:20 is a clean person.
00:18:21 --> 00:18:22 It's his job
00:18:22 --> 00:18:23 to be clean.
00:18:24 --> 00:18:25 And one of the things,
00:18:25 --> 00:18:27 not hygienically clean,
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 ceremonially clean,
00:18:30 --> 00:18:30 and one of the things
00:18:30 --> 00:18:32 that defile you
00:18:32 --> 00:18:32 as a priest
00:18:32 --> 00:18:33 or as anyone
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 is if you touch
00:18:34 --> 00:18:35 a dead thing.
00:18:35 --> 00:18:39 if you come
00:18:39 --> 00:18:39 into contact
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 or even within
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 the vicinity
00:18:41 --> 00:18:43 of a dead body,
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 that makes you unclean.
00:18:46 --> 00:18:47 And so for the priest,
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 and it's very clear
00:18:48 --> 00:18:49 in the Old Testament
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 that you're not even
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 to go to the funeral
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 of your family member.
00:18:54 --> 00:18:55 So imagine this priest.
00:18:55 --> 00:18:57 It's part of their job.
00:18:58 --> 00:18:58 You know,
00:18:58 --> 00:18:59 their son could be dead
00:18:59 --> 00:19:01 and they can't go
00:19:01 --> 00:19:02 to the funeral.
00:19:03 --> 00:19:03 So strict.
00:19:04 --> 00:19:04 Because,
00:19:04 --> 00:19:04 after all,
00:19:05 --> 00:19:06 if they've been defiled,
00:19:06 --> 00:19:07 no longer a priest,
00:19:07 --> 00:19:09 what use would they be
00:19:09 --> 00:19:10 as a priest
00:19:10 --> 00:19:10 for the people?
00:19:12 --> 00:19:12 Understandable.
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 Or maybe,
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 like all of us,
00:19:16 --> 00:19:16 you know,
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 they kind of focus
00:19:17 --> 00:19:18 on what they have to do.
00:19:19 --> 00:19:19 You know,
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 you're driving along,
00:19:21 --> 00:19:21 you've got an appointment,
00:19:22 --> 00:19:22 a lunch appointment,
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 you see someone break down,
00:19:24 --> 00:19:25 and you think,
00:19:25 --> 00:19:25 oh, you know,
00:19:26 --> 00:19:26 I could stop,
00:19:26 --> 00:19:28 but then I'll be late,
00:19:28 --> 00:19:28 and that wouldn't be,
00:19:29 --> 00:19:30 I'm sure somebody else,
00:19:30 --> 00:19:31 you know,
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 who isn't on the way
00:19:32 --> 00:19:32 to somewhere else
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 in a car driving somewhere,
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 they'll stop,
00:19:35 --> 00:19:37 I'll just keep going
00:19:37 --> 00:19:37 because I don't want
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 to be late.
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 Maybe these two guys,
00:19:39 --> 00:19:39 you know,
00:19:40 --> 00:19:41 we've got to go to Jerusalem,
00:19:41 --> 00:19:42 important appointments.
00:19:43 --> 00:19:44 We're not told,
00:19:45 --> 00:19:46 what we are told
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 is this third guy,
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 the enemy,
00:19:48 --> 00:19:50 the hated Samaritan.
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 He,
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 we are told,
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 felt deep compassion,
00:19:55 --> 00:19:56 a stirring of the heart,
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 of the gut,
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 for this victim,
00:19:59 --> 00:20:02 and what we have
00:20:02 --> 00:20:02 is a picture
00:20:02 --> 00:20:04 of extravagant
00:20:04 --> 00:20:06 and lavish care.
00:20:07 --> 00:20:09 Every conceivable need
00:20:09 --> 00:20:09 is met,
00:20:10 --> 00:20:11 not just the present one,
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 but he said
00:20:13 --> 00:20:14 to the innkeeper,
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 if you spend money
00:20:15 --> 00:20:16 on the guy,
00:20:16 --> 00:20:16 I'll come back
00:20:16 --> 00:20:17 and I'll pay.
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 It's rather
00:20:19 --> 00:20:21 an unrealistic picture.
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 Who would do
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 such a thing?
00:20:24 --> 00:20:26 Perhaps this is part
00:20:26 --> 00:20:26 of the intent
00:20:26 --> 00:20:28 of this character.
00:20:28 --> 00:20:31 It is so extravagant,
00:20:31 --> 00:20:33 it is so obviously
00:20:33 --> 00:20:35 a caring,
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 good,
00:20:37 --> 00:20:37 loving thing
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 to do
00:20:38 --> 00:20:40 that you cannot
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 mistake
00:20:41 --> 00:20:42 the difference
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 between the third character
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 and the first two.
00:20:45 --> 00:20:46 And Jesus finished
00:20:46 --> 00:20:46 this story
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47 with a question,
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 who's been a neighbour?
00:20:49 --> 00:20:52 And the answer,
00:20:52 --> 00:20:52 of course,
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 is the Samaritan.
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 Somewhat of a twist.
00:20:56 --> 00:20:57 Again,
00:20:57 --> 00:20:57 Jewish
00:20:57 --> 00:20:59 hearers would go,
00:20:59 --> 00:20:59 what?
00:21:00 --> 00:21:00 Don't get that.
00:21:00 --> 00:21:04 But I think
00:21:04 --> 00:21:04 there's a bit
00:21:04 --> 00:21:05 more of a twist
00:21:05 --> 00:21:06 as well too.
00:21:07 --> 00:21:07 Obviously,
00:21:08 --> 00:21:08 Jesus really
00:21:08 --> 00:21:10 doesn't answer
00:21:10 --> 00:21:10 the question
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 of the lawyer,
00:21:12 --> 00:21:13 if you notice.
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 The lawyer,
00:21:15 --> 00:21:16 okay,
00:21:16 --> 00:21:16 you know,
00:21:16 --> 00:21:16 the command
00:21:16 --> 00:21:17 is to love
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18 your neighbour,
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 so my question
00:21:19 --> 00:21:19 to you is,
00:21:20 --> 00:21:20 who is my neighbour?
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 Who is it
00:21:22 --> 00:21:23 that I have
00:21:23 --> 00:21:23 to love?
00:21:25 --> 00:21:25 What's Jesus'
00:21:26 --> 00:21:26 answer?
00:21:28 --> 00:21:29 The Samaritan?
00:21:30 --> 00:21:33 Doesn't make sense,
00:21:33 --> 00:21:33 does it?
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 So,
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 if I'm supposed
00:21:36 --> 00:21:37 to love my neighbour
00:21:37 --> 00:21:37 and the Samaritan
00:21:37 --> 00:21:38 is the neighbour,
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 how does that work?
00:21:41 --> 00:21:41 You know,
00:21:42 --> 00:21:42 it's kind of curious.
00:21:43 --> 00:21:43 It's a curious
00:21:43 --> 00:21:43 ending
00:21:43 --> 00:21:45 to the story.
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 I'd rather think
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 Jesus kind of
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 turns the question
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 on his head.
00:21:56 --> 00:21:57 As the lawyer
00:21:57 --> 00:21:57 is asked
00:21:57 --> 00:21:58 the wrong question,
00:21:58 --> 00:21:59 category errors,
00:22:00 --> 00:22:00 he's possibly
00:22:00 --> 00:22:01 another category,
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 error.
00:22:03 --> 00:22:04 You want to know
00:22:04 --> 00:22:06 about the neighbour,
00:22:07 --> 00:22:08 who the neighbour is.
00:22:08 --> 00:22:09 And what Jesus does
00:22:09 --> 00:22:11 is he turns
00:22:11 --> 00:22:12 the noun
00:22:12 --> 00:22:13 into a verb.
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 Changing categories.
00:22:17 --> 00:22:18 The question is,
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 who is my neighbour?
00:22:20 --> 00:22:21 And the question is,
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 who has been neighbourly?
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 Who's the one
00:22:25 --> 00:22:25 who loves?
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 Perhaps the question
00:22:28 --> 00:22:29 is the wrong one.
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 Who's the neighbour?
00:22:30 --> 00:22:30 Who's the neighbour?
00:22:30 --> 00:22:31 It's the wrong question.
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 The question is,
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 what does it mean
00:22:34 --> 00:22:34 for me to love
00:22:34 --> 00:22:37 to the people around me
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 who I need,
00:22:39 --> 00:22:40 who I come across
00:22:40 --> 00:22:41 my path
00:22:41 --> 00:22:43 on my road,
00:22:43 --> 00:22:44 on my way
00:22:44 --> 00:22:45 to Jerusalem?
00:22:45 --> 00:22:48 The lawyer wanted
00:22:48 --> 00:22:50 to justify himself,
00:22:50 --> 00:22:52 we are told.
00:22:53 --> 00:22:53 It's pretty clear
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 that God
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 has rather
00:22:55 --> 00:22:56 a simple expectation
00:22:56 --> 00:22:58 on his creation,
00:22:58 --> 00:22:58 us.
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 Love God,
00:23:01 --> 00:23:01 simple.
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 Love people,
00:23:03 --> 00:23:03 also simple.
00:23:05 --> 00:23:05 Which one
00:23:05 --> 00:23:06 is easier?
00:23:06 --> 00:23:06 Which one
00:23:06 --> 00:23:07 is harder?
00:23:08 --> 00:23:09 Let me
00:23:09 --> 00:23:09 take you
00:23:09 --> 00:23:10 to one John.
00:23:10 --> 00:23:12 John says,
00:23:13 --> 00:23:13 if anyone
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 who says,
00:23:14 --> 00:23:15 I love God
00:23:15 --> 00:23:16 yet hates his brother,
00:23:16 --> 00:23:17 he's a liar.
00:23:18 --> 00:23:18 Why is that?
00:23:19 --> 00:23:20 Because anyone
00:23:20 --> 00:23:21 who doesn't love
00:23:21 --> 00:23:21 his brother
00:23:21 --> 00:23:22 whom he has seen
00:23:22 --> 00:23:24 cannot love God
00:23:24 --> 00:23:25 whom he has not seen.
00:23:26 --> 00:23:27 So there's a two love,
00:23:28 --> 00:23:28 love God,
00:23:29 --> 00:23:29 love neighbour.
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 John says,
00:23:31 --> 00:23:31 it is impossible
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 for you to claim
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 that you love God
00:23:33 --> 00:23:35 if you can't even
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 love people you see.
00:23:36 --> 00:23:40 you're lying.
00:23:41 --> 00:23:43 And of the two commandments,
00:23:43 --> 00:23:44 the two expectations
00:23:44 --> 00:23:45 that God has
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 of this lawyer
00:23:46 --> 00:23:46 and of us,
00:23:47 --> 00:23:48 Jesus kind of picks,
00:23:48 --> 00:23:48 well,
00:23:48 --> 00:23:49 let's go with
00:23:49 --> 00:23:50 the easier one.
00:23:51 --> 00:23:51 Okay,
00:23:51 --> 00:23:52 let's go with
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 the loving people one.
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 How are you going
00:23:55 --> 00:23:55 with that?
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 How is that
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 working out for you?
00:23:59 --> 00:24:01 And it's pretty clear,
00:24:01 --> 00:24:01 I think,
00:24:02 --> 00:24:03 from the parable
00:24:03 --> 00:24:05 that the guy
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 isn't really
00:24:06 --> 00:24:07 interested in love
00:24:07 --> 00:24:07 at all.
00:24:10 --> 00:24:11 Perhaps it shows us
00:24:11 --> 00:24:12 something about us
00:24:12 --> 00:24:14 and our love
00:24:14 --> 00:24:15 and our claim
00:24:15 --> 00:24:16 to love God.
00:24:20 --> 00:24:21 He doesn't really
00:24:21 --> 00:24:22 love his neighbour.
00:24:23 --> 00:24:24 He's interested in the law
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 is to avoid it.
00:24:26 --> 00:24:27 Find me the limits,
00:24:27 --> 00:24:28 find me the exceptions.
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 If you caught it,
00:24:31 --> 00:24:31 the context
00:24:31 --> 00:24:33 of this conversation
00:24:33 --> 00:24:35 is the mission
00:24:35 --> 00:24:35 of the 70.
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 70 disciples
00:24:38 --> 00:24:38 stand out,
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 seeing God at work,
00:24:40 --> 00:24:41 amazing stuff,
00:24:41 --> 00:24:42 comes back
00:24:42 --> 00:24:42 and Jesus,
00:24:43 --> 00:24:44 that's wonderful,
00:24:44 --> 00:24:45 thank God
00:24:45 --> 00:24:45 that your name
00:24:45 --> 00:24:46 is written in heaven
00:24:46 --> 00:24:47 and then he breaks
00:24:47 --> 00:24:48 into prayer
00:24:48 --> 00:24:48 and he says,
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 Luke says,
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 at that time,
00:24:52 --> 00:24:52 Jesus,
00:24:52 --> 00:24:53 full of joy
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 through the Holy Spirit,
00:24:54 --> 00:24:54 said,
00:24:54 --> 00:24:54 I praise you,
00:24:54 --> 00:24:55 Father,
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 Lord of heaven and earth
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57 because you've hidden
00:24:57 --> 00:24:57 these things
00:24:57 --> 00:25:00 from the wise
00:25:00 --> 00:25:01 and learned
00:25:01 --> 00:25:03 and revealed them
00:25:03 --> 00:25:04 to little children.
00:25:04 --> 00:25:04 Yes,
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 Father,
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 for this was
00:25:06 --> 00:25:06 your good pleasure.
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 The things of God,
00:25:10 --> 00:25:10 the things of the kingdom,
00:25:11 --> 00:25:13 the way into heaven,
00:25:13 --> 00:25:13 the way to inherit
00:25:13 --> 00:25:14 eternal life
00:25:14 --> 00:25:15 is hidden
00:25:15 --> 00:25:17 from the wise
00:25:17 --> 00:25:18 and the learned
00:25:18 --> 00:25:22 like this lawyer.
00:25:25 --> 00:25:26 Yeah?
00:25:26 --> 00:25:27 He's one of these guys
00:25:27 --> 00:25:29 who doesn't get it.
00:25:29 --> 00:25:31 Not, I think,
00:25:31 --> 00:25:32 because of his learning
00:25:32 --> 00:25:33 or whatever it is,
00:25:34 --> 00:25:35 he just doesn't get it.
00:25:35 --> 00:25:36 Perhaps it's this
00:25:36 --> 00:25:37 self-righteousness.
00:25:38 --> 00:25:38 I don't know.
00:25:40 --> 00:25:41 But I think that's part
00:25:41 --> 00:25:42 of the point
00:25:42 --> 00:25:44 of that particular section
00:25:44 --> 00:25:45 of the parable.
00:25:46 --> 00:25:46 The guy's asking
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 the wrong question.
00:25:49 --> 00:25:50 The question isn't,
00:25:50 --> 00:25:51 who's my neighbour?
00:25:51 --> 00:25:52 It's obvious
00:25:52 --> 00:25:54 that he cannot love
00:25:54 --> 00:25:56 this extravagant love
00:25:56 --> 00:25:57 that Jesus talks about
00:25:57 --> 00:25:58 in this parable.
00:25:58 --> 00:25:59 Well, what's the point
00:25:59 --> 00:26:00 of this parable?
00:26:01 --> 00:26:01 I think the first point,
00:26:02 --> 00:26:02 most obvious point,
00:26:03 --> 00:26:03 is that
00:26:03 --> 00:26:05 we need Jesus.
00:26:07 --> 00:26:08 I don't know.
00:26:08 --> 00:26:09 Do you love like that?
00:26:11 --> 00:26:12 If you can't love
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 people like that,
00:26:13 --> 00:26:14 how much do you think
00:26:14 --> 00:26:14 you love God?
00:26:17 --> 00:26:18 I can tell you,
00:26:19 --> 00:26:19 and you don't even
00:26:19 --> 00:26:20 have to know me,
00:26:20 --> 00:26:21 I don't love like that.
00:26:22 --> 00:26:24 I know I don't love God
00:26:24 --> 00:26:25 with my whole heart,
00:26:25 --> 00:26:26 with my whole soul,
00:26:26 --> 00:26:29 with my whole energy.
00:26:31 --> 00:26:32 And it drives us
00:26:32 --> 00:26:36 to desperation,
00:26:37 --> 00:26:40 to be like a helpless infant,
00:26:41 --> 00:26:42 coming to God
00:26:42 --> 00:26:44 with nothing to offer him
00:26:44 --> 00:26:46 in terms of righteousness.
00:26:47 --> 00:26:48 We cannot demand
00:26:48 --> 00:26:50 that he will
00:26:50 --> 00:26:52 eternal life to me.
00:26:52 --> 00:26:53 There was no good
00:26:53 --> 00:26:55 to be found in us.
00:26:56 --> 00:26:57 And I think
00:26:57 --> 00:26:58 this is part of the first point
00:26:58 --> 00:26:59 in understanding
00:26:59 --> 00:27:01 Jesus and us.
00:27:02 --> 00:27:04 We need Jesus.
00:27:04 --> 00:27:05 Without him,
00:27:05 --> 00:27:06 we will not
00:27:06 --> 00:27:08 make it.
00:27:09 --> 00:27:10 And I hope,
00:27:11 --> 00:27:13 I hope you understand this.
00:27:13 --> 00:27:16 if you,
00:27:17 --> 00:27:19 in any possible way,
00:27:20 --> 00:27:21 identify with this
00:27:21 --> 00:27:22 learned,
00:27:22 --> 00:27:24 wise lawyer,
00:27:25 --> 00:27:26 in any way,
00:27:26 --> 00:27:27 thinking that,
00:27:27 --> 00:27:28 in some way,
00:27:30 --> 00:27:30 you know,
00:27:30 --> 00:27:31 you can justify yourself
00:27:31 --> 00:27:32 and wanting to,
00:27:34 --> 00:27:36 then I want to invite you
00:27:36 --> 00:27:37 to come to Jesus
00:27:37 --> 00:27:38 as a child
00:27:38 --> 00:27:39 and to ask him
00:27:39 --> 00:27:40 to help you.
00:27:42 --> 00:27:42 I think that's
00:27:42 --> 00:27:43 the first point.
00:27:45 --> 00:27:46 The second point,
00:27:46 --> 00:27:48 and much more difficult,
00:27:48 --> 00:27:49 and you might think
00:27:49 --> 00:27:50 this is a really long bow,
00:27:51 --> 00:27:51 well,
00:27:51 --> 00:27:52 I'll tell you the point
00:27:52 --> 00:27:53 and you decide.
00:27:53 --> 00:27:54 What's this got to do
00:27:54 --> 00:27:55 with evangelism?
00:27:59 --> 00:27:59 You know,
00:27:59 --> 00:28:00 it's like,
00:28:00 --> 00:28:00 if I had picked
00:28:00 --> 00:28:01 Matthew 28,
00:28:02 --> 00:28:03 it's really obvious,
00:28:03 --> 00:28:04 you know what I'm going to say,
00:28:04 --> 00:28:05 so I thought,
00:28:05 --> 00:28:06 I'll pick something else.
00:28:06 --> 00:28:07 It has nothing to do
00:28:07 --> 00:28:07 with evangelism,
00:28:07 --> 00:28:09 and I'll talk about evangelism
00:28:09 --> 00:28:09 from there.
00:28:10 --> 00:28:10 Maybe.
00:28:10 --> 00:28:11 Just to keep you interested.
00:28:12 --> 00:28:13 Maybe,
00:28:13 --> 00:28:13 you know,
00:28:14 --> 00:28:14 I could have gone
00:28:14 --> 00:28:15 with Matthew 28,
00:28:15 --> 00:28:16 you know,
00:28:16 --> 00:28:16 this is like
00:28:16 --> 00:28:17 the great commission,
00:28:18 --> 00:28:18 the great command,
00:28:19 --> 00:28:19 you know,
00:28:19 --> 00:28:20 you are all,
00:28:20 --> 00:28:21 I am all commanded
00:28:21 --> 00:28:23 to be making disciples
00:28:23 --> 00:28:24 of the nations,
00:28:24 --> 00:28:25 teaching Jesus,
00:28:25 --> 00:28:26 you know.
00:28:28 --> 00:28:29 Personally,
00:28:29 --> 00:28:31 I find it really hard
00:28:31 --> 00:28:33 to be motivated by that.
00:28:34 --> 00:28:36 It's like evangelism
00:28:36 --> 00:28:36 by guilt.
00:28:36 --> 00:28:38 You know,
00:28:39 --> 00:28:39 you're guilty
00:28:39 --> 00:28:41 because Jesus commanded you
00:28:41 --> 00:28:42 and you haven't done enough,
00:28:42 --> 00:28:45 so you need to get cracking now.
00:28:47 --> 00:28:49 I think this is why
00:28:49 --> 00:28:50 it sort of drew me
00:28:50 --> 00:28:51 to this passage
00:28:51 --> 00:28:53 and Leviticus 19.
00:28:53 --> 00:28:55 I won't go into Leviticus 19.
00:28:55 --> 00:28:56 It's a very complicated
00:28:56 --> 00:28:57 and simple passage.
00:28:58 --> 00:28:59 It starts off
00:28:59 --> 00:29:00 with the holiness of God,
00:29:00 --> 00:29:00 if you notice.
00:29:01 --> 00:29:01 You know,
00:29:01 --> 00:29:03 be holy because I'm holy.
00:29:03 --> 00:29:06 And the rest of the chapter
00:29:06 --> 00:29:07 actually expounds
00:29:07 --> 00:29:09 on what that holiness is about.
00:29:09 --> 00:29:10 And what is that holiness about?
00:29:11 --> 00:29:12 Right in the middle
00:29:12 --> 00:29:13 is a summary
00:29:13 --> 00:29:14 of the whole chapter.
00:29:16 --> 00:29:16 Of course,
00:29:17 --> 00:29:19 you shouldn't be surprised
00:29:19 --> 00:29:19 to know that
00:29:19 --> 00:29:21 the summary of the chapter
00:29:21 --> 00:29:24 is to be holy like God
00:29:24 --> 00:29:27 is to love your neighbor
00:29:27 --> 00:29:27 as yourself.
00:29:30 --> 00:29:31 Right in the middle
00:29:31 --> 00:29:32 of Leviticus 19,
00:29:33 --> 00:29:34 love your neighbor
00:29:34 --> 00:29:35 as yourself.
00:29:35 --> 00:29:35 This is where
00:29:35 --> 00:29:37 the lawyer got it from.
00:29:38 --> 00:29:39 See,
00:29:39 --> 00:29:40 the whole intent
00:29:40 --> 00:29:41 of God
00:29:41 --> 00:29:43 has not changed.
00:29:44 --> 00:29:45 The very purpose
00:29:45 --> 00:29:48 for which we have been created
00:29:48 --> 00:29:49 has not changed.
00:29:50 --> 00:29:52 We have been created,
00:29:52 --> 00:29:53 we have been manufactured,
00:29:53 --> 00:29:54 designed
00:29:54 --> 00:29:55 to love God
00:29:55 --> 00:29:57 and in that
00:29:57 --> 00:29:58 to find freedom.
00:29:58 --> 00:29:59 And we have been designed
00:29:59 --> 00:30:01 to love people
00:30:01 --> 00:30:02 with this deep,
00:30:02 --> 00:30:03 dying,
00:30:03 --> 00:30:04 unyielding,
00:30:04 --> 00:30:05 crazy,
00:30:05 --> 00:30:06 irresponsible love.
00:30:08 --> 00:30:09 That's what it means
00:30:09 --> 00:30:10 to be truly human.
00:30:10 --> 00:30:11 What Jesus does,
00:30:12 --> 00:30:14 other than affirming it,
00:30:14 --> 00:30:15 is to save us
00:30:15 --> 00:30:16 from our failure
00:30:16 --> 00:30:17 to do that
00:30:17 --> 00:30:18 and secondly,
00:30:19 --> 00:30:20 to give us
00:30:20 --> 00:30:21 his spirit
00:30:21 --> 00:30:23 so that we can
00:30:23 --> 00:30:24 live it out.
00:30:24 --> 00:30:28 I'm only quoting,
00:30:28 --> 00:30:28 you don't need
00:30:28 --> 00:30:29 a genius,
00:30:29 --> 00:30:30 a religious genius
00:30:30 --> 00:30:31 to tell you
00:30:31 --> 00:30:32 to love your neighbor
00:30:32 --> 00:30:32 as yourself.
00:30:34 --> 00:30:35 What you need
00:30:35 --> 00:30:36 is the power
00:30:36 --> 00:30:37 to do it.
00:30:38 --> 00:30:39 That is what we lack.
00:30:42 --> 00:30:43 Jesus comes,
00:30:44 --> 00:30:45 he dies,
00:30:45 --> 00:30:46 he rises
00:30:46 --> 00:30:47 and he sent
00:30:47 --> 00:30:47 his spirit
00:30:47 --> 00:30:48 to change
00:30:48 --> 00:30:50 our hearts
00:30:50 --> 00:30:50 and now
00:30:50 --> 00:30:51 he gives us
00:30:51 --> 00:30:52 a heart
00:30:52 --> 00:30:54 of flesh
00:30:54 --> 00:30:56 so that we
00:30:56 --> 00:30:56 delight
00:30:56 --> 00:30:58 in this command.
00:30:59 --> 00:30:59 It is not
00:30:59 --> 00:31:00 a burden
00:31:00 --> 00:31:01 to love.
00:31:01 --> 00:31:02 We love
00:31:02 --> 00:31:02 to love.
00:31:03 --> 00:31:03 We love
00:31:03 --> 00:31:04 to love
00:31:04 --> 00:31:05 strangers.
00:31:06 --> 00:31:06 That's what
00:31:06 --> 00:31:07 Christians do
00:31:07 --> 00:31:09 with new hearts.
00:31:11 --> 00:31:12 Why don't
00:31:12 --> 00:31:12 we do it?
00:31:16 --> 00:31:16 Sorry,
00:31:16 --> 00:31:17 why don't
00:31:17 --> 00:31:18 we evangelize?
00:31:18 --> 00:31:20 Why don't
00:31:20 --> 00:31:22 the,
00:31:22 --> 00:31:23 and I don't
00:31:23 --> 00:31:23 know if you
00:31:23 --> 00:31:24 do evangelism.
00:31:25 --> 00:31:26 I know I don't
00:31:26 --> 00:31:27 do it and I feel
00:31:27 --> 00:31:28 awful and guilty
00:31:28 --> 00:31:29 about it.
00:31:29 --> 00:31:30 And the top
00:31:30 --> 00:31:31 three that I
00:31:31 --> 00:31:32 can put down
00:31:32 --> 00:31:33 is firstly,
00:31:33 --> 00:31:34 I'm too busy
00:31:34 --> 00:31:35 and I'm a minister
00:31:35 --> 00:31:36 so there are
00:31:36 --> 00:31:37 lots of good
00:31:37 --> 00:31:37 things I can do.
00:31:38 --> 00:31:39 So I'm too busy
00:31:39 --> 00:31:40 to evangelize.
00:31:40 --> 00:31:41 There's no
00:31:41 --> 00:31:42 decent program
00:31:42 --> 00:31:43 to be involved
00:31:43 --> 00:31:43 in.
00:31:44 --> 00:31:45 And thirdly,
00:31:45 --> 00:31:45 we're already
00:31:45 --> 00:31:46 doing it.
00:31:46 --> 00:31:46 There's a whole
00:31:46 --> 00:31:47 range of activities
00:31:47 --> 00:31:48 that we call
00:31:48 --> 00:31:48 evangelism.
00:31:49 --> 00:31:50 So we are
00:31:50 --> 00:31:50 doing it.
00:31:51 --> 00:31:52 That's me.
00:31:54 --> 00:31:54 The reason
00:31:54 --> 00:31:55 why I come
00:31:55 --> 00:31:55 to this
00:31:55 --> 00:31:56 passage,
00:31:57 --> 00:31:58 I wonder
00:31:58 --> 00:31:59 whether the
00:31:59 --> 00:31:59 reason is
00:31:59 --> 00:32:00 actually a
00:32:00 --> 00:32:00 little bit
00:32:00 --> 00:32:00 deeper.
00:32:01 --> 00:32:02 And I wonder
00:32:02 --> 00:32:02 whether this
00:32:02 --> 00:32:02 is actually
00:32:02 --> 00:32:03 the reason
00:32:03 --> 00:32:04 why we
00:32:04 --> 00:32:06 lack so
00:32:06 --> 00:32:07 many of the
00:32:07 --> 00:32:08 things that
00:32:08 --> 00:32:08 we see the
00:32:08 --> 00:32:09 Bible describe
00:32:09 --> 00:32:11 and we don't
00:32:11 --> 00:32:12 experience it.
00:32:12 --> 00:32:12 You know,
00:32:12 --> 00:32:12 we lack
00:32:12 --> 00:32:13 community.
00:32:15 --> 00:32:16 We are not
00:32:16 --> 00:32:16 perhaps as
00:32:16 --> 00:32:17 welcoming.
00:32:18 --> 00:32:18 People aren't
00:32:18 --> 00:32:19 as diligent
00:32:19 --> 00:32:19 in their
00:32:19 --> 00:32:20 ministry and
00:32:20 --> 00:32:21 we don't
00:32:21 --> 00:32:21 evangelize.
00:32:21 --> 00:32:22 I wonder
00:32:22 --> 00:32:23 whether at
00:32:23 --> 00:32:24 the heart
00:32:24 --> 00:32:24 of the
00:32:24 --> 00:32:24 matter for
00:32:24 --> 00:32:25 us
00:32:25 --> 00:32:28 is that we
00:32:28 --> 00:32:28 have no
00:32:28 --> 00:32:29 love in our
00:32:29 --> 00:32:29 hearts.
00:32:29 --> 00:32:30 God's
00:32:30 --> 00:32:31 love in our
00:32:31 --> 00:32:32 hearts.
00:32:32 --> 00:32:32 We know
00:32:32 --> 00:32:33 what the
00:32:33 --> 00:32:33 law says
00:32:33 --> 00:32:36 but as we
00:32:36 --> 00:32:37 travel down
00:32:37 --> 00:32:38 the road
00:32:38 --> 00:32:39 and we see
00:32:39 --> 00:32:40 our neighbours
00:32:40 --> 00:32:41 in desperate
00:32:41 --> 00:32:42 need,
00:32:42 --> 00:32:42 lying,
00:32:43 --> 00:32:43 sprawn,
00:32:43 --> 00:32:44 bloodied on
00:32:44 --> 00:32:45 the ground
00:32:45 --> 00:32:46 and for
00:32:46 --> 00:32:46 our own
00:32:46 --> 00:32:46 purposes
00:32:46 --> 00:32:48 we decide
00:32:48 --> 00:32:49 to cross
00:32:49 --> 00:32:49 the road
00:32:49 --> 00:32:51 to go
00:32:51 --> 00:32:51 on our
00:32:51 --> 00:32:51 way.
00:32:54 --> 00:32:54 And
00:32:54 --> 00:32:55 evangelism,
00:32:55 --> 00:32:56 like everything
00:32:56 --> 00:32:56 else,
00:32:57 --> 00:32:57 is just
00:32:57 --> 00:32:58 one of the
00:32:58 --> 00:32:59 many things
00:32:59 --> 00:32:59 on our
00:32:59 --> 00:33:00 list to
00:33:00 --> 00:33:00 do.
00:33:01 --> 00:33:01 Good
00:33:01 --> 00:33:02 intention,
00:33:03 --> 00:33:05 when I get
00:33:05 --> 00:33:05 around to
00:33:05 --> 00:33:05 it,
00:33:05 --> 00:33:06 I'll get
00:33:06 --> 00:33:06 to it.
00:33:09 --> 00:33:10 Yeah?
00:33:11 --> 00:33:11 We're too
00:33:11 --> 00:33:12 busy with
00:33:12 --> 00:33:12 that list,
00:33:13 --> 00:33:13 with our
00:33:13 --> 00:33:14 own needs.
00:33:14 --> 00:33:15 we fill
00:33:15 --> 00:33:16 the calendar,
00:33:16 --> 00:33:17 our personal
00:33:17 --> 00:33:17 one and
00:33:17 --> 00:33:18 church calendar,
00:33:18 --> 00:33:19 all sorts
00:33:19 --> 00:33:19 of things
00:33:19 --> 00:33:22 but I'm
00:33:22 --> 00:33:22 not saying
00:33:22 --> 00:33:23 it is,
00:33:24 --> 00:33:25 I'm just
00:33:25 --> 00:33:25 wondering
00:33:25 --> 00:33:26 aloud.
00:33:28 --> 00:33:29 And often
00:33:29 --> 00:33:30 I see
00:33:30 --> 00:33:30 churches,
00:33:30 --> 00:33:31 what they
00:33:31 --> 00:33:31 do is
00:33:31 --> 00:33:31 they default
00:33:31 --> 00:33:32 into a
00:33:32 --> 00:33:33 position of
00:33:33 --> 00:33:34 being friendly.
00:33:37 --> 00:33:37 You know,
00:33:37 --> 00:33:37 for the
00:33:37 --> 00:33:38 hurting,
00:33:38 --> 00:33:39 dying,
00:33:39 --> 00:33:39 desperately,
00:33:40 --> 00:33:40 I need
00:33:40 --> 00:33:41 God people,
00:33:41 --> 00:33:42 when they
00:33:42 --> 00:33:42 come into
00:33:42 --> 00:33:43 our midst,
00:33:43 --> 00:33:45 if I
00:33:45 --> 00:33:45 were one
00:33:45 --> 00:33:45 of them,
00:33:46 --> 00:33:46 I really
00:33:46 --> 00:33:47 don't want
00:33:47 --> 00:33:47 friendly.
00:33:48 --> 00:33:49 What I
00:33:49 --> 00:33:49 want is
00:33:49 --> 00:33:50 love.
00:33:52 --> 00:33:52 What I
00:33:52 --> 00:33:53 want is
00:33:53 --> 00:33:53 people who
00:33:53 --> 00:33:54 care enough
00:33:54 --> 00:33:55 about me
00:33:55 --> 00:33:55 to give
00:33:55 --> 00:33:56 me time
00:33:56 --> 00:33:57 to understand
00:33:57 --> 00:33:57 me,
00:33:58 --> 00:33:58 to listen
00:33:58 --> 00:33:59 to me,
00:33:59 --> 00:34:00 to maybe
00:34:00 --> 00:34:00 think about
00:34:00 --> 00:34:01 me during
00:34:01 --> 00:34:01 the week,
00:34:01 --> 00:34:02 to pray
00:34:02 --> 00:34:02 for me,
00:34:03 --> 00:34:05 to see
00:34:05 --> 00:34:05 me in
00:34:05 --> 00:34:05 sin,
00:34:06 --> 00:34:07 to care
00:34:07 --> 00:34:07 enough to
00:34:07 --> 00:34:08 rebuke me.
00:34:08 --> 00:34:09 You don't
00:34:09 --> 00:34:09 need to be
00:34:09 --> 00:34:10 best friends
00:34:10 --> 00:34:10 with people
00:34:10 --> 00:34:11 you love.
00:34:13 --> 00:34:13 Perhaps
00:34:13 --> 00:34:13 that's the
00:34:13 --> 00:34:14 other mistake
00:34:14 --> 00:34:14 as well,
00:34:14 --> 00:34:14 too.
00:34:14 --> 00:34:15 We keep
00:34:15 --> 00:34:15 thinking,
00:34:15 --> 00:34:16 everyone
00:34:16 --> 00:34:16 needs to
00:34:16 --> 00:34:16 be our
00:34:16 --> 00:34:17 best friends,
00:34:17 --> 00:34:18 so I
00:34:18 --> 00:34:18 can only
00:34:18 --> 00:34:18 have one
00:34:18 --> 00:34:19 best friend,
00:34:19 --> 00:34:20 I can't
00:34:20 --> 00:34:20 love anybody
00:34:20 --> 00:34:21 else.
00:34:22 --> 00:34:22 No,
00:34:22 --> 00:34:23 I...
00:34:23 --> 00:34:25 Deep love
00:34:25 --> 00:34:26 is to have
00:34:26 --> 00:34:26 a concern.
00:34:27 --> 00:34:27 And one
00:34:27 --> 00:34:27 of the things
00:34:27 --> 00:34:28 I want to
00:34:28 --> 00:34:28 say is,
00:34:29 --> 00:34:30 and I
00:34:30 --> 00:34:30 don't do
00:34:30 --> 00:34:30 this very
00:34:30 --> 00:34:31 well,
00:34:31 --> 00:34:32 is what I
00:34:32 --> 00:34:32 call,
00:34:32 --> 00:34:32 we need
00:34:32 --> 00:34:33 to make
00:34:33 --> 00:34:33 relational
00:34:33 --> 00:34:34 space for
00:34:34 --> 00:34:34 people.
00:34:34 --> 00:34:37 In my
00:34:37 --> 00:34:37 own life,
00:34:38 --> 00:34:39 I'm pretty
00:34:39 --> 00:34:40 filled to
00:34:40 --> 00:34:41 the brim
00:34:41 --> 00:34:42 with relationships,
00:34:42 --> 00:34:42 you know,
00:34:42 --> 00:34:43 with a family,
00:34:43 --> 00:34:44 an extended
00:34:44 --> 00:34:45 family,
00:34:45 --> 00:34:46 and you
00:34:46 --> 00:34:46 guys,
00:34:47 --> 00:34:47 and this
00:34:47 --> 00:34:48 and that,
00:34:48 --> 00:34:48 and all
00:34:48 --> 00:34:48 sort of
00:34:48 --> 00:34:48 stuff.
00:34:49 --> 00:34:50 And when
00:34:50 --> 00:34:50 that happens,
00:34:50 --> 00:34:51 we just
00:34:51 --> 00:34:51 don't have
00:34:51 --> 00:34:51 space for
00:34:51 --> 00:34:52 anybody else.
00:34:53 --> 00:34:54 And people,
00:34:54 --> 00:34:54 you know,
00:34:54 --> 00:34:55 needy person
00:34:55 --> 00:34:55 come into
00:34:55 --> 00:34:56 our life,
00:34:56 --> 00:34:56 and it's just,
00:34:56 --> 00:34:56 look,
00:34:57 --> 00:34:58 I just can't
00:34:58 --> 00:34:58 handle this,
00:34:59 --> 00:34:59 you're going
00:34:59 --> 00:35:00 to have to
00:35:00 --> 00:35:00 be somebody
00:35:00 --> 00:35:00 else's one.
00:35:00 --> 00:35:01 We don't
00:35:01 --> 00:35:01 say that to
00:35:01 --> 00:35:01 them,
00:35:02 --> 00:35:02 but this is
00:35:02 --> 00:35:03 what we
00:35:03 --> 00:35:03 think.
00:35:04 --> 00:35:05 And we
00:35:05 --> 00:35:05 don't make
00:35:05 --> 00:35:06 time for
00:35:06 --> 00:35:08 non-Christians.
00:35:08 --> 00:35:09 We don't
00:35:09 --> 00:35:10 make time,
00:35:10 --> 00:35:10 we don't
00:35:10 --> 00:35:11 make relational
00:35:11 --> 00:35:12 space.
00:35:15 --> 00:35:15 And let me
00:35:15 --> 00:35:16 encourage you,
00:35:16 --> 00:35:17 if you want
00:35:17 --> 00:35:17 to,
00:35:17 --> 00:35:17 as a
00:35:17 --> 00:35:18 practical,
00:35:18 --> 00:35:19 small practical
00:35:19 --> 00:35:19 step,
00:35:20 --> 00:35:20 is to make
00:35:20 --> 00:35:21 that relational
00:35:21 --> 00:35:22 space for
00:35:22 --> 00:35:23 people who
00:35:23 --> 00:35:23 don't know
00:35:23 --> 00:35:23 Jesus.
00:35:25 --> 00:35:25 Okay?
00:35:26 --> 00:35:27 And I can
00:35:27 --> 00:35:27 tell you now,
00:35:27 --> 00:35:28 making room
00:35:28 --> 00:35:29 costs.
00:35:30 --> 00:35:31 It will
00:35:31 --> 00:35:31 cost you.
00:35:33 --> 00:35:33 It might
00:35:33 --> 00:35:34 cost some
00:35:34 --> 00:35:34 of your
00:35:34 --> 00:35:34 other
00:35:34 --> 00:35:35 relationships,
00:35:35 --> 00:35:35 it will
00:35:35 --> 00:35:36 cost you
00:35:36 --> 00:35:36 your time,
00:35:37 --> 00:35:38 your interests,
00:35:38 --> 00:35:38 or other
00:35:38 --> 00:35:39 things.
00:35:39 --> 00:35:39 It will
00:35:39 --> 00:35:40 cost you
00:35:40 --> 00:35:40 because it
00:35:40 --> 00:35:41 requires
00:35:41 --> 00:35:42 commitment
00:35:42 --> 00:35:43 and conviction,
00:35:43 --> 00:35:44 it will
00:35:44 --> 00:35:44 cost you,
00:35:45 --> 00:35:45 but the
00:35:45 --> 00:35:46 only way
00:35:46 --> 00:35:46 that you
00:35:46 --> 00:35:47 can truly
00:35:47 --> 00:35:47 love people,
00:35:47 --> 00:35:48 I want to
00:35:48 --> 00:35:48 suggest to
00:35:48 --> 00:35:49 you,
00:35:49 --> 00:35:49 at least a
00:35:49 --> 00:35:50 small step,
00:35:50 --> 00:35:51 is to make
00:35:51 --> 00:35:51 that space
00:35:51 --> 00:35:52 for people.
00:35:56 --> 00:35:57 There's a
00:35:57 --> 00:35:57 small group
00:35:57 --> 00:35:57 of people
00:35:57 --> 00:35:58 that I
00:35:58 --> 00:35:59 work with
00:35:59 --> 00:36:00 to help
00:36:00 --> 00:36:01 them to
00:36:01 --> 00:36:02 talk to
00:36:02 --> 00:36:03 people about
00:36:03 --> 00:36:03 Jesus,
00:36:03 --> 00:36:03 and one
00:36:03 --> 00:36:03 of the
00:36:03 --> 00:36:04 things,
00:36:04 --> 00:36:05 small
00:36:05 --> 00:36:06 target,
00:36:07 --> 00:36:07 that I
00:36:07 --> 00:36:08 invite them
00:36:08 --> 00:36:08 to do,
00:36:09 --> 00:36:09 is simply
00:36:09 --> 00:36:10 each week
00:36:10 --> 00:36:11 to pray
00:36:11 --> 00:36:12 to God
00:36:12 --> 00:36:13 to bring
00:36:13 --> 00:36:13 someone
00:36:13 --> 00:36:14 into their
00:36:14 --> 00:36:15 life that
00:36:15 --> 00:36:15 they can
00:36:15 --> 00:36:15 love.
00:36:18 --> 00:36:18 Okay?
00:36:18 --> 00:36:19 It is as
00:36:19 --> 00:36:19 simple as
00:36:19 --> 00:36:20 that.
00:36:20 --> 00:36:20 Now,
00:36:20 --> 00:36:20 the Lord
00:36:20 --> 00:36:21 might decide
00:36:21 --> 00:36:21 not to
00:36:21 --> 00:36:21 give you
00:36:21 --> 00:36:22 anyone,
00:36:23 --> 00:36:24 or more
00:36:24 --> 00:36:24 than one,
00:36:25 --> 00:36:25 but why
00:36:25 --> 00:36:26 not start
00:36:26 --> 00:36:26 with just
00:36:26 --> 00:36:27 asking him?
00:36:27 --> 00:36:29 Yeah?
00:36:31 --> 00:36:31 And I'll
00:36:31 --> 00:36:31 share this
00:36:31 --> 00:36:32 story with
00:36:32 --> 00:36:32 these guys,
00:36:32 --> 00:36:33 and I'll
00:36:33 --> 00:36:33 share it
00:36:33 --> 00:36:34 with you
00:36:34 --> 00:36:34 guys as
00:36:34 --> 00:36:34 well.
00:36:34 --> 00:36:35 There's a
00:36:35 --> 00:36:35 little old
00:36:35 --> 00:36:35 lady,
00:36:36 --> 00:36:36 I can't
00:36:36 --> 00:36:37 remember her
00:36:37 --> 00:36:37 name,
00:36:37 --> 00:36:37 she lives
00:36:37 --> 00:36:37 in North
00:36:37 --> 00:36:38 Carolina,
00:36:39 --> 00:36:39 in her
00:36:39 --> 00:36:40 60s,
00:36:40 --> 00:36:41 she was
00:36:41 --> 00:36:41 involved
00:36:41 --> 00:36:42 in a
00:36:42 --> 00:36:43 car accident,
00:36:43 --> 00:36:44 pinned in
00:36:44 --> 00:36:44 a car,
00:36:45 --> 00:36:45 and she
00:36:45 --> 00:36:45 was in
00:36:45 --> 00:36:45 such
00:36:45 --> 00:36:46 excruciating
00:36:46 --> 00:36:46 pain,
00:36:47 --> 00:36:47 she called
00:36:47 --> 00:36:48 out to
00:36:48 --> 00:36:49 Jesus to
00:36:49 --> 00:36:50 take her
00:36:50 --> 00:36:50 at that
00:36:50 --> 00:36:50 point in
00:36:50 --> 00:36:51 time,
00:36:51 --> 00:36:51 and she
00:36:51 --> 00:36:53 felt a
00:36:53 --> 00:36:53 deep
00:36:53 --> 00:36:54 conviction
00:36:54 --> 00:36:55 that Jesus
00:36:55 --> 00:36:56 answered her
00:36:56 --> 00:36:57 by saying,
00:36:58 --> 00:36:58 I'm not
00:36:58 --> 00:36:59 done with
00:36:59 --> 00:36:59 you yet.
00:37:00 --> 00:37:01 She survived
00:37:01 --> 00:37:02 the accident,
00:37:03 --> 00:37:04 went to the
00:37:04 --> 00:37:04 hospital,
00:37:04 --> 00:37:04 and she
00:37:04 --> 00:37:05 wondered what
00:37:05 --> 00:37:05 that might
00:37:05 --> 00:37:06 mean.
00:37:07 --> 00:37:07 You know,
00:37:07 --> 00:37:08 what does
00:37:08 --> 00:37:09 God want
00:37:09 --> 00:37:10 of me that
00:37:10 --> 00:37:11 he's kept
00:37:11 --> 00:37:11 me alive?
00:37:12 --> 00:37:13 And she
00:37:13 --> 00:37:13 was sharing
00:37:13 --> 00:37:14 some of her
00:37:14 --> 00:37:14 experience with
00:37:14 --> 00:37:15 the staff in
00:37:15 --> 00:37:15 the hospital,
00:37:16 --> 00:37:16 and she
00:37:16 --> 00:37:17 decided,
00:37:17 --> 00:37:17 okay,
00:37:17 --> 00:37:17 well,
00:37:18 --> 00:37:18 maybe what
00:37:18 --> 00:37:18 I can do
00:37:18 --> 00:37:19 is to tell
00:37:19 --> 00:37:20 people about
00:37:20 --> 00:37:20 Jesus,
00:37:20 --> 00:37:20 you know,
00:37:20 --> 00:37:20 at the age
00:37:20 --> 00:37:21 of 65 or
00:37:21 --> 00:37:21 whatever,
00:37:21 --> 00:37:22 start telling
00:37:22 --> 00:37:22 people about
00:37:22 --> 00:37:22 Jesus,
00:37:23 --> 00:37:23 and she
00:37:23 --> 00:37:23 said,
00:37:23 --> 00:37:23 okay,
00:37:23 --> 00:37:23 what I'm
00:37:23 --> 00:37:24 going to
00:37:24 --> 00:37:24 do is I'm
00:37:24 --> 00:37:24 going to
00:37:24 --> 00:37:25 keep a little
00:37:25 --> 00:37:25 journal,
00:37:26 --> 00:37:26 journal,
00:37:26 --> 00:37:28 of the
00:37:28 --> 00:37:28 people I
00:37:28 --> 00:37:29 spoke to
00:37:29 --> 00:37:29 about
00:37:29 --> 00:37:30 Jesus,
00:37:30 --> 00:37:30 that Jesus
00:37:30 --> 00:37:31 led into
00:37:31 --> 00:37:31 my life
00:37:31 --> 00:37:32 to share,
00:37:33 --> 00:37:34 and I'm
00:37:34 --> 00:37:34 just going
00:37:34 --> 00:37:35 to start
00:37:35 --> 00:37:35 praying for
00:37:35 --> 00:37:35 these people
00:37:35 --> 00:37:37 in this
00:37:37 --> 00:37:37 journal.
00:37:38 --> 00:37:39 That was
00:37:39 --> 00:37:39 20 years
00:37:39 --> 00:37:40 ago.
00:37:42 --> 00:37:43 She's still
00:37:43 --> 00:37:43 alive and
00:37:43 --> 00:37:44 kicking in
00:37:44 --> 00:37:44 her 80s,
00:37:45 --> 00:37:46 and in
00:37:46 --> 00:37:46 that little
00:37:46 --> 00:37:47 book,
00:37:47 --> 00:37:48 she has,
00:37:48 --> 00:37:48 or maybe
00:37:48 --> 00:37:48 it's more
00:37:48 --> 00:37:49 than one
00:37:49 --> 00:37:49 book now,
00:37:50 --> 00:37:51 she's got
00:37:51 --> 00:37:51 about 4
00:37:51 --> 00:37:52 names.
00:37:54 --> 00:37:56 A 65-year-old
00:37:56 --> 00:37:58 woman in
00:37:58 --> 00:37:58 a car
00:37:58 --> 00:37:58 accident,
00:37:59 --> 00:37:59 that God
00:37:59 --> 00:38:00 can do
00:38:00 --> 00:38:00 this sort
00:38:00 --> 00:38:01 of work
00:38:01 --> 00:38:01 through.
00:38:03 --> 00:38:04 I wonder
00:38:04 --> 00:38:05 for you
00:38:05 --> 00:38:05 young ones,
00:38:06 --> 00:38:06 well,
00:38:06 --> 00:38:07 not so
00:38:07 --> 00:38:07 young ones,
00:38:08 --> 00:38:08 what God
00:38:08 --> 00:38:09 can do
00:38:09 --> 00:38:09 through you.
00:38:12 --> 00:38:12 A simple
00:38:12 --> 00:38:13 commitment,
00:38:13 --> 00:38:14 just ask
00:38:14 --> 00:38:16 God to
00:38:16 --> 00:38:16 lead you
00:38:16 --> 00:38:17 to someone
00:38:17 --> 00:38:17 who needs
00:38:17 --> 00:38:19 you to
00:38:19 --> 00:38:19 share Jesus
00:38:19 --> 00:38:20 with them.
00:38:21 --> 00:38:21 Don't know
00:38:21 --> 00:38:22 how?
00:38:23 --> 00:38:23 See Deb.
00:38:24 --> 00:38:25 She's running
00:38:25 --> 00:38:25 a great
00:38:25 --> 00:38:26 course.
00:38:29 --> 00:38:30 We're having
00:38:30 --> 00:38:30 two missions.
00:38:31 --> 00:38:31 They're simply
00:38:31 --> 00:38:32 seeking to,
00:38:33 --> 00:38:33 and I've
00:38:33 --> 00:38:34 sort of chosen
00:38:34 --> 00:38:34 to call to
00:38:34 --> 00:38:34 missions,
00:38:35 --> 00:38:35 who is my
00:38:35 --> 00:38:36 neighbor mission,
00:38:36 --> 00:38:37 because I want
00:38:37 --> 00:38:38 to remind us
00:38:38 --> 00:38:38 to ask that
00:38:38 --> 00:38:39 question,
00:38:39 --> 00:38:40 who can I
00:38:40 --> 00:38:40 love?
00:38:42 --> 00:38:43 Who can I
00:38:43 --> 00:38:43 love in this
00:38:43 --> 00:38:44 period of time
00:38:44 --> 00:38:46 that I can
00:38:46 --> 00:38:46 share Jesus
00:38:46 --> 00:38:47 with?
00:38:47 --> 00:38:49 my hope
00:38:49 --> 00:38:50 and my
00:38:50 --> 00:38:51 prayer before
00:38:51 --> 00:38:52 today is
00:38:52 --> 00:38:53 that we
00:38:53 --> 00:38:55 would fall
00:38:55 --> 00:38:55 in love
00:38:55 --> 00:38:56 with our
00:38:56 --> 00:38:57 city.
00:38:59 --> 00:38:59 Without
00:38:59 --> 00:39:00 love,
00:39:01 --> 00:39:01 we will
00:39:01 --> 00:39:04 not go
00:39:04 --> 00:39:04 to them
00:39:04 --> 00:39:05 with Jesus.
00:39:06 --> 00:39:07 It will be
00:39:07 --> 00:39:07 under obligation,
00:39:08 --> 00:39:08 it will be a
00:39:08 --> 00:39:09 sense of duty,
00:39:09 --> 00:39:10 but if we're
00:39:10 --> 00:39:11 in love
00:39:11 --> 00:39:12 with the
00:39:12 --> 00:39:12 people in
00:39:12 --> 00:39:12 Chesswood,
00:39:13 --> 00:39:14 with the
00:39:14 --> 00:39:14 people around
00:39:14 --> 00:39:15 us,
00:39:15 --> 00:39:16 we would
00:39:16 --> 00:39:17 care enough
00:39:17 --> 00:39:18 for them
00:39:18 --> 00:39:19 to want to
00:39:19 --> 00:39:19 share our
00:39:19 --> 00:39:20 lives,
00:39:20 --> 00:39:21 and to find
00:39:21 --> 00:39:21 out about
00:39:21 --> 00:39:22 them,
00:39:22 --> 00:39:22 and to share
00:39:22 --> 00:39:23 Jesus with
00:39:23 --> 00:39:23 them,
00:39:23 --> 00:39:23 because he
00:39:23 --> 00:39:24 will meet
00:39:24 --> 00:39:25 all their
00:39:25 --> 00:39:25 needs.
00:39:26 --> 00:39:26 Amen.