WEBVTT 00:00:00.650 --> 00:00:03.029 We're in the series better together. 00:00:03.031 --> 00:00:06.480 And we're talking about the value of those around us. 00:00:06.870 --> 00:00:08.429 We need people around us. 00:00:08.460 --> 00:00:13.679 We are built to do life together with people around us and Frank, frankly. 00:00:13.680 --> 00:00:16.079 I love one of the things I love about this church is owl. 00:00:16.429 --> 00:00:20.390 We love our neighbors when we were doing love your neighbor, 4 1 9. 00:00:21.030 --> 00:00:23.929 We, we actually delivered cookies to people. 00:00:24.050 --> 00:00:38.359 All the, every property that touch this particular property of the church, we went and delivered cookies to each one of them because we love our neighbors, which was, which was cool because some of them actually, several of them actually attend this church. 00:00:38.390 --> 00:00:42.710 And so they, they got cookies on top of just being a blessing in this family. 00:00:43.070 --> 00:00:44.869 And so that was awesome. 00:00:44.871 --> 00:00:51.320 And then we reach out to schools around us as foster Benton was just talking about we, we, we reach out to our city. 00:00:51.740 --> 00:01:03.829 In fact, Sylvania area, family services are very, we're very close with them and we, we helped them on many different levels and many different moments in, in, in meet many different needs through that. 00:01:04.549 --> 00:01:05.989 Uh, the chamber of commerce. 00:01:06.230 --> 00:01:08.060 We work with them very closely. 00:01:08.061 --> 00:01:15.200 In fact, I don't think they make a decision without calling Betty Bassett first, then our outreach coordinator and saying, Hey, what'd you think about this? 00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:20.030 And, and so there's just, there's a great community connection. 00:01:20.209 --> 00:01:23.359 And we're continuing to expand that and, and bless that. 00:01:23.361 --> 00:01:24.170 What is our goal? 00:01:24.171 --> 00:01:27.349 Our goal is to be a good neighbor and that's what we want to be. 00:01:27.350 --> 00:01:29.719 We want to be a good neighbor because that's what the Lord has called us to. 00:01:29.721 --> 00:01:31.489 We need neighbors. 00:01:31.490 --> 00:01:34.430 In fact, recently I read the story about O'Shea Jones. 00:01:34.909 --> 00:01:43.370 And so Shea Jones is a, uh, uh, Toledo native grew up here, born and raised here and got into boxing in a very young age. 00:01:43.640 --> 00:01:56.900 And a couple of weeks, a couple of months ago, she was wakened up at 11:00 PM and somebody was pounding on her door and she tried to, apparently she just tried to wait a mountain cause she was asleep and she, and, and, but they just kept pounding on her door. 00:01:56.900 --> 00:02:04.340 So finally she got up and she went to the door and opened the door and her neighbors were there and her neighbor said your house is on fire. 00:02:04.790 --> 00:02:14.930 And so she came out into the street and, and her nightclothes and she looked up and sure enough, there a fire had started in her attic and her house was burning. 00:02:15.229 --> 00:02:17.419 And in fact it did, it burned down. 00:02:17.870 --> 00:02:20.090 A few days later, she got a phone call. 00:02:20.449 --> 00:02:26.629 The phone call said, you've made the United States, women's Olympic boxing team. 00:02:27.349 --> 00:02:31.669 And she went and represented the United States in that capacity. 00:02:32.210 --> 00:02:33.560 But she said, how can I do this? 00:02:33.561 --> 00:02:34.909 I don't really have a place to live. 00:02:34.911 --> 00:02:37.759 And I don't have, most of my gear has been burned. 00:02:37.760 --> 00:02:39.349 How am I going to do this? 00:02:39.860 --> 00:02:46.159 And, and suddenly her neighbors stepped up and, and go fund me. 00:02:46.430 --> 00:02:49.129 Uh, efforts went out and, and people spread the word. 00:02:49.131 --> 00:02:56.840 And suddenly people started giving and she was able to, uh, receive enough in financial benefit and blessing to be able to go buy stuff. 00:02:56.990 --> 00:02:58.939 It wasn't the city, it wasn't the town. 00:02:59.080 --> 00:03:02.379 It was neighbors that stepped up and made a difference in her life. 00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:06.129 And she brought home the bronze metal to the United States. 00:03:06.729 --> 00:03:07.150 Amen. 00:03:07.509 --> 00:03:07.930 That's awesome. 00:03:11.789 --> 00:03:13.949 [inaudible] Neighbors have value. 00:03:14.729 --> 00:03:15.750 They have value. 00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:18.090 So why do we want to be a good neighbor? 00:03:18.091 --> 00:03:19.319 Here's what the Bible says. 00:03:19.560 --> 00:03:25.289 Verse 15, Galatians five for the whole law can be summed up in this one. 00:03:25.290 --> 00:03:31.949 Command, love your neighbor as yourself, but here's, here's the, the contention. 00:03:32.129 --> 00:03:36.180 And Paul Paul understands the contention because he doesn't stop there. 00:03:36.449 --> 00:03:37.139 There's not a period. 00:03:37.140 --> 00:03:47.639 And then it adds the last thing he had to say, you know, he could do this, but if you're always biting and devouring, one another, watch out, be aware of destroying one another. 00:03:48.870 --> 00:03:51.689 See, Paul is pretty smart, but he's quoting someone smarter. 00:03:51.691 --> 00:03:52.860 He's quoting Jesus. 00:03:53.400 --> 00:03:55.620 Jesus has asked, what's the greatest commandment. 00:03:55.621 --> 00:03:58.620 And he says, love your Lord, the Lord, your God. 00:03:59.069 --> 00:04:03.900 And, and not, or not. 00:04:03.901 --> 00:04:10.259 If you like him, but, and love your neighbor as yourself. 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:14.069 Love God vertical. 00:04:14.430 --> 00:04:21.569 But he said, if you're loving God, you're going to also be connected horizontally to your neighbors. 00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:24.240 Now everybody wants good neighbors. 00:04:25.139 --> 00:04:26.399 I want good neighbors. 00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:30.180 My neighbors are in this room right now. 00:04:31.079 --> 00:04:33.600 I've got great neighbors, the best neighbors. 00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:44.670 But when we were buying our house here in Sylvania, before we moved from Texas, we, we, we came up and we were touring homes and, and looked in this house and we really liked it. 00:04:44.910 --> 00:04:47.819 And, and I saw the guy next door, cutting his grass. 00:04:48.360 --> 00:04:50.550 And so I, I was like, oh, that's cool. 00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:55.769 Because I mean, if you know me at all, you know, I'm not going to let that opportunity pass me by. 00:04:56.250 --> 00:05:00.079 So I jumped out of my car, out of the car and I walked over and I said, Hey, I'm Micah. 00:05:00.081 --> 00:05:01.259 And he said, Hey, I'm Brandon. 00:05:01.560 --> 00:05:02.970 And I said, I'm looking at this house. 00:05:02.971 --> 00:05:04.050 I said, how's the neighborhood. 00:05:04.050 --> 00:05:05.250 He says, it's a great neighborhood. 00:05:05.730 --> 00:05:06.959 I was like, well, that's really awesome. 00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:15.720 And so, and so we, uh, you know, what a testimony, he said, we were one of the first houses in this, on this street, whenever the neighborhood was being built. 00:05:15.721 --> 00:05:17.160 And he told me all about it. 00:05:17.161 --> 00:05:18.449 And I was like, man, this is awesome. 00:05:18.600 --> 00:05:19.860 And this is a really cool guy. 00:05:19.860 --> 00:05:23.730 And so I thought, you know, it'd be nice to be able to get to know him. 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:25.500 And, and he might be a good neighbor. 00:05:25.500 --> 00:05:28.230 So we moved in and, and things going along. 00:05:28.230 --> 00:05:35.370 And then one day he looked at me and he said, Hey, are you, uh, are you the pastor at McCord road, Christian Church at the time? 00:05:35.370 --> 00:05:37.490 And I said, I said, uh, yes, I am. 00:05:37.509 --> 00:05:39.420 He said, I thought, so we are, that's our church. 00:05:45.709 --> 00:05:47.480 I was like, thank you, Jesus. 00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:51.589 I went inside and told Christie, we can not have any fights in the yard. 00:05:51.591 --> 00:05:54.439 No fighting, no fighting in the yard. 00:05:54.440 --> 00:05:55.459 Not that we ever fight. 00:05:55.461 --> 00:06:00.170 We just have very strong debates where she's wrong and I'm right. 00:06:00.170 --> 00:06:01.040 And we've worked through it. 00:06:01.370 --> 00:06:03.889 The, um, y'all pray for me. 00:06:03.891 --> 00:06:04.399 Okay. 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:07.279 I'm going to need a neighbor so I can sleep on a couch. 00:06:07.281 --> 00:06:11.600 Anyway, we want good neighbors. 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:15.800 But here's what the Lord says to us concerning our neighborly actions. 00:06:16.069 --> 00:06:18.079 Our big idea today, God commands. 00:06:18.110 --> 00:06:20.660 I love my neighbor in the same way. 00:06:20.661 --> 00:06:21.649 I love myself. 00:06:22.519 --> 00:06:24.439 This is clear, but it's not always easy. 00:06:25.279 --> 00:06:26.480 We know that God's good. 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:30.019 So anything he commands us to do is going to be for our good, it's going to elevate us. 00:06:30.021 --> 00:06:30.889 It's going to uplift us. 00:06:30.891 --> 00:06:36.949 It's going to be good for us, but it's not always the easiest thing to deal with, to go through. 00:06:36.949 --> 00:06:48.470 And so we know if God wants it for us, then us having good neighbors and us being good neighbors is going to be ultimately for our corporate ultimate good. 00:06:48.589 --> 00:06:50.569 We are better together. 00:06:51.439 --> 00:06:56.360 But too often, we end up using the excuses like the, the lawyer that was talking to Jesus. 00:06:56.360 --> 00:06:58.910 And he said, Hey, how do I have eternal life? 00:06:58.939 --> 00:07:00.769 And this is what Jesus said. 00:07:01.399 --> 00:07:02.930 Jesus said, what does the law say? 00:07:03.620 --> 00:07:08.449 And the lawyer understanding the law said in Luke 10, he said, the man answered. 00:07:08.451 --> 00:07:15.410 You must love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself. 00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:17.329 I mean, he just answered fast. 00:07:17.331 --> 00:07:19.279 He under, he knew what the law said. 00:07:19.281 --> 00:07:21.470 He understood what the situation was. 00:07:21.471 --> 00:07:26.389 And Jesus said right now, isn't that cool when Jesus says you are right. 00:07:26.839 --> 00:07:27.319 I like it. 00:07:27.321 --> 00:07:28.459 He tells me I'm wrong a lot. 00:07:28.461 --> 00:07:32.180 But when he says I'm right, man, I I'm, I'm excited about that. 00:07:32.180 --> 00:07:33.800 I put that date in my calendar. 00:07:33.980 --> 00:07:38.149 He says, right, Jesus told him do this and you will live. 00:07:38.689 --> 00:07:39.649 So, I mean, we're good. 00:07:39.651 --> 00:07:40.939 Everything seems proper. 00:07:40.940 --> 00:07:41.930 Everything seems right. 00:07:41.930 --> 00:07:43.339 The lawyers seemed knowledgeable. 00:07:43.459 --> 00:07:45.949 Everything's copacetic, everything's working together. 00:07:45.951 --> 00:07:50.329 Verse 39 then says the man wanted to justify his actions. 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:53.089 So he asked Jesus and who is my neighbor? 00:07:54.889 --> 00:07:56.300 He didn't say who's God. 00:07:57.769 --> 00:07:59.629 It didn't say, how do I love God with all my heart? 00:07:59.630 --> 00:08:00.410 Mind, soul strength. 00:08:00.439 --> 00:08:08.060 I mean, I think that's a pretty big question, but he wasn't concerned about this relationship in order to justify his actions. 00:08:08.209 --> 00:08:09.620 He said, who's my neighbor. 00:08:10.649 --> 00:08:13.730 I want to know who, who do I have to love like that? 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:27.709 Who do I have to reach out to like that he answered correctly, but now he's trying to justify actions and, and he knows his actions doesn't equal the commandment. 00:08:29.089 --> 00:08:30.170 So he now is covering. 00:08:30.170 --> 00:08:31.579 He's trying to parse things. 00:08:32.029 --> 00:08:38.990 You know, when somebody doesn't take the actual words that are coming out of your mouth and they start saying, well, what's the definition of that word. 00:08:39.500 --> 00:08:45.230 When everybody in the world knows the definition of that word, you know, there's something off about that. 00:08:45.559 --> 00:08:47.269 And, and here's, what's happening. 00:08:47.270 --> 00:08:51.500 Foolish arguments are often used to excuse bad behavior. 00:08:52.850 --> 00:08:59.250 Anytime you find yourself making a foolish argument, you might want to back up and check your behavior. 00:08:59.850 --> 00:09:01.889 What are you trying to cover in your life? 00:09:02.669 --> 00:09:10.919 And when sometimes we'd rather argue the point than just the lineup properly, I'll argue poorly instead of aligned properly. 00:09:11.909 --> 00:09:14.580 And I have three, three truths about the being a good neighbor. 00:09:14.940 --> 00:09:16.139 And I'm going to have to say them faster. 00:09:16.140 --> 00:09:17.460 You're going to have to write them fast. 00:09:18.419 --> 00:09:18.690 Truth. 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:22.169 Number one is this love is a choice that elevates everyone. 00:09:23.220 --> 00:09:34.470 And sometimes people say, well, you know, I don't, I, I want to avoid loving self, but self-love is not always bad. 00:09:35.429 --> 00:09:37.500 Having some sense of who you are. 00:09:37.500 --> 00:09:40.679 The scripture tells us to not think more of ourselves than we should. 00:09:40.710 --> 00:09:44.580 It does not say that we should not think of ourselves exactly. 00:09:44.610 --> 00:09:48.480 As we should says, don't mean lifted up in pride. 00:09:49.139 --> 00:09:52.289 But it does say that we should appreciate what we bring to the table. 00:09:52.440 --> 00:09:55.110 There should be some appreciation. 00:09:55.320 --> 00:09:57.149 So love for ourselves. 00:09:57.299 --> 00:10:04.860 In fact, he, he inexorably connects it to being able to love other people, because I cannot give out of myself what I'm going to have within myself. 00:10:05.730 --> 00:10:07.470 If I don't have it, I can't give it. 00:10:07.980 --> 00:10:16.409 And it's a, it's a clear biblical principle all throughout the God never asks us to give what we do not have, what he has not already provided us. 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:20.610 So if we're struggling to love ourselves, it's going to be a struggle to love others. 00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:24.450 It's going to be a struggle to put love out into the world. 00:10:24.899 --> 00:10:28.409 And so we must love ourselves, but the truth is most of us do. 00:10:28.769 --> 00:10:32.039 We do love ourselves to one extent or another. 00:10:32.370 --> 00:10:35.460 And so we have to define what exactly is love. 00:10:35.461 --> 00:10:36.840 What does he mean by love? 00:10:37.289 --> 00:10:45.480 I'm going to summarize it by saying love is choosing to behave in a particular way towards yourself or toward others. 00:10:46.019 --> 00:10:47.460 Now let's look at first Corinthians here. 00:10:47.490 --> 00:10:50.129 Here's the love chapter that now I think it's interesting. 00:10:50.340 --> 00:10:55.289 We use this passage of scripture in weddings and it has nothing to do with marriage. 00:10:55.919 --> 00:11:03.960 The entire context of this passage of scripture is about how people who are fellow believers in Christ are supposed to treat one another. 00:11:04.740 --> 00:11:14.909 And how people that are operating in love with their faith community or what their community at large are acting, how they're displaying. 00:11:14.909 --> 00:11:15.059 That. 00:11:15.090 --> 00:11:15.960 Here's what it says. 00:11:16.110 --> 00:11:22.200 First Corinthians 13 love is patient and kind love does not envy or boast. 00:11:22.409 --> 00:11:24.179 It's not arrogant or rude. 00:11:24.181 --> 00:11:26.850 It does not insist on its own way. 00:11:27.299 --> 00:11:29.070 It is not irritable or resentful. 00:11:29.220 --> 00:11:33.629 Anybody feeling like, man, I really, that just describes me to a T. 00:11:35.100 --> 00:11:35.700 Okay. 00:11:36.419 --> 00:11:36.750 All right. 00:11:37.559 --> 00:11:42.480 How about it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 00:11:43.019 --> 00:11:43.799 Love, bears. 00:11:43.801 --> 00:11:47.070 All things believes, all things, hopes, all things, endures. 00:11:47.071 --> 00:11:50.399 All things love, never ends. 00:11:51.059 --> 00:12:03.850 This is how he describes love, but I, you to recognize never one time in that description, in that definition of love, does the scripture say and love is feeling like butterflies are in your stomach. 00:12:03.850 --> 00:12:06.190 And love is feeling like you can't live. 00:12:06.191 --> 00:12:10.149 I can't live if living is without you. 00:12:12.220 --> 00:12:13.840 No, that's not what it says. 00:12:14.409 --> 00:12:14.980 You're welcome. 00:12:14.980 --> 00:12:15.399 By the way. 00:12:15.400 --> 00:12:16.809 Not every service got that. 00:12:18.250 --> 00:12:19.029 It's just special. 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:24.539 And so love is not about a feeling that you have. 00:12:24.541 --> 00:12:27.450 It's about the attitude and behaviors that come from your life. 00:12:28.590 --> 00:12:30.480 And you might be saying, well, you don't even know me. 00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:32.220 And you certainly don't know my neighbor. 00:12:32.909 --> 00:12:34.950 How long can I possibly love them? 00:12:35.210 --> 00:12:37.320 They're not worthy of my love. 00:12:37.769 --> 00:12:38.820 And here's what I would say. 00:12:38.821 --> 00:12:40.440 Love isn't dependent on. 00:12:40.470 --> 00:12:42.690 There were worthiness. 00:12:44.190 --> 00:12:45.600 God loved you and me. 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:49.529 When we were not worthy, he loved the world. 00:12:49.559 --> 00:12:53.129 He loved the world so much that he gave his only son. 00:12:53.519 --> 00:12:58.620 And so Paul says, Hey, if you keep fighting with your neighbor, it's all about mutual destruction. 00:12:58.620 --> 00:13:00.029 You're going to blow each other up. 00:13:00.030 --> 00:13:01.230 It's going to be bad. 00:13:01.320 --> 00:13:03.389 It's not going to be positive in your life. 00:13:03.570 --> 00:13:12.600 And, and that, that concept of mutual destruction might work great for nuclear proliferation strategies in the world, but it doesn't work well for good neighboring. 00:13:14.789 --> 00:13:15.690 I've got weeds in my yard. 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:17.759 You put, you got weeds in my yard. 00:13:17.760 --> 00:13:19.440 I'm going to put all the weeds in your yard. 00:13:20.549 --> 00:13:22.500 Oh, you, you hit my, you hit all. 00:13:22.500 --> 00:13:23.399 You hit my fence. 00:13:23.519 --> 00:13:24.330 I'm gonna blow up your lawn. 00:13:31.580 --> 00:13:32.330 Watch yourself. 00:13:35.690 --> 00:13:37.309 I'm gonna put holes in your sprinkler system. 00:13:38.690 --> 00:13:40.490 You won't find them for years. 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:43.669 Your water bill, just go up and up and up and up and up. 00:13:44.210 --> 00:13:46.850 I'm sorry if I'm giving people ideas, you need to forget them right now. 00:13:51.320 --> 00:13:51.320 Okay? 00:13:51.850 --> 00:13:54.889 That's not going to make good neighboring possible. 00:13:55.460 --> 00:13:56.809 It brings everybody down. 00:13:56.929 --> 00:13:57.710 Love lifts. 00:13:57.711 --> 00:14:10.009 Everybody up love, elevates things and elevates everyone by maintaining stewardship and everybody say, and, and giving the opportunity for redemption. 00:14:10.970 --> 00:14:12.289 So yes, be a steward. 00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:14.990 If every time you loaned them something, they break it. 00:14:15.289 --> 00:14:17.840 Quit loaning the stuff to them. 00:14:18.980 --> 00:14:19.700 I love you. 00:14:19.701 --> 00:14:21.980 And who can not borrow my weed eater? 00:14:23.320 --> 00:14:26.299 Not gonna happen, saved up. 00:14:26.330 --> 00:14:28.940 We were poor, but our carpets were dirty. 00:14:29.179 --> 00:14:30.049 And so we saved up. 00:14:30.210 --> 00:14:32.899 We couldn't afford to have carpet cleaners come in all the time. 00:14:32.900 --> 00:14:34.340 So we saved the save and save and save. 00:14:34.490 --> 00:14:36.440 And finally, we got our own carpet cleaner. 00:14:36.441 --> 00:14:37.340 We went and picked it out. 00:14:37.341 --> 00:14:38.269 We did all the research. 00:14:38.270 --> 00:14:41.029 We got the best one that we could afford at the time. 00:14:41.030 --> 00:14:44.809 And so we got it and we've shampooed our carpets and our house was whew. 00:14:44.840 --> 00:14:45.289 Nice. 00:14:45.529 --> 00:14:47.240 And, and I like clean floors. 00:14:47.240 --> 00:14:48.379 I don't like dirty floors. 00:14:48.380 --> 00:14:50.929 And so, and so I get really excited about that. 00:14:51.710 --> 00:14:58.669 Uh, we, and so a little while later, some people heard that we had the, a shampooer and they said, Hey, can we, uh, can we borrow that? 00:14:58.671 --> 00:15:00.559 And we were like, oh, absolutely. 00:15:03.019 --> 00:15:08.009 It never worked the same again, stop loaning it to him. 00:15:08.669 --> 00:15:09.600 How about this? 00:15:10.259 --> 00:15:12.690 They take advantage of you every time you offer to help. 00:15:13.559 --> 00:15:18.090 Every, if they're constantly taking advantage of you, draw better boundaries in your life. 00:15:18.899 --> 00:15:27.629 So let those things be the case and give them opportunities D for redemption, don't just cut them off and act like they're dead. 00:15:29.100 --> 00:15:29.519 Allow them. 00:15:29.740 --> 00:15:35.559 Then the opportunity for redemption, it's important because you and I are going to need that opportunity at some point as well. 00:15:36.460 --> 00:15:39.159 We need grace, even as we give grace and truth. 00:15:39.160 --> 00:15:41.649 Number two is this neighbor is inclusive. 00:15:41.889 --> 00:15:42.549 Not exclusive. 00:15:43.570 --> 00:15:46.570 You see the lawyer was trying to figure out who isn't my neighbor. 00:15:47.559 --> 00:15:49.570 I mean, who can I cut off here? 00:15:49.659 --> 00:15:52.690 Who can I say no, no, them not. 00:15:52.691 --> 00:15:59.230 Now Jesus blows up his exclusivity argument with the story of the good Samaritan. 00:15:59.799 --> 00:16:05.500 He said, there's, there's a guy walking down the road and he gets mugged and he's left on the side of the road for dead. 00:16:05.500 --> 00:16:11.679 And when this happens, a priest walks by now, priest was a Jewish holy man. 00:16:11.889 --> 00:16:15.490 And this was a very exclusive group of people. 00:16:15.639 --> 00:16:25.149 Not everybody could be priests and, and, and, you know, to, to be in connection with a priest at the time would have been a really big deal, exclusive situation. 00:16:25.330 --> 00:16:27.399 And the priest looked at him and walked on. 00:16:27.879 --> 00:16:32.559 And then a Levi came along where the Levi's where the tribe from which the priest came. 00:16:32.740 --> 00:16:36.039 And so this Levi is someone who also serves in the temple. 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:39.789 Maybe they're not a priest, but they are of the Levitical line. 00:16:39.791 --> 00:16:42.850 And so, again, they're very, it's an exclusive thing. 00:16:42.850 --> 00:16:45.549 It's not just anybody and everybody he's walking by. 00:16:45.551 --> 00:16:48.220 He looks at the gentlemen and he walks on. 00:16:48.221 --> 00:16:49.330 He ignores him. 00:16:49.690 --> 00:17:00.820 Now the truth is for both of these, for both of these people to help this guy on the side of the road would have caused them a lot of issue because they would not have been able to serve in the temple for awhile. 00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:04.269 They'd have had to gone through a cleansing ceremony and so on and so forth. 00:17:04.299 --> 00:17:08.049 It was going to be a real negative thing for them. 00:17:08.050 --> 00:17:15.369 It was, it was going to cause them some, some, uh, well, their time and energy. 00:17:15.371 --> 00:17:19.569 And it was going to change their course from where they were trying to go. 00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:26.170 But when the good Samaritan, when the Samaritan comes along, he looks at the guy and decides he's worth the trouble. 00:17:26.859 --> 00:17:29.319 And so he bandages him, he cleans him off. 00:17:29.320 --> 00:17:30.099 He bandages him. 00:17:30.309 --> 00:17:34.150 He puts him on his own don't own donkey and any walks to an end. 00:17:34.630 --> 00:17:37.750 And there, he pays for the guy to stay there until he gets back. 00:17:38.859 --> 00:17:40.299 And then he moves on down the road. 00:17:41.230 --> 00:17:44.769 This is the story that Jesus tells to this lawyer. 00:17:45.730 --> 00:17:50.970 And then he says, who is the, to this man? 00:17:51.869 --> 00:17:54.180 Now the lawyer's not going to does. 00:17:54.210 --> 00:17:56.009 Doesn't like this story at all. 00:17:56.480 --> 00:17:58.380 Cause see, here's the problem with Samaritans. 00:17:58.680 --> 00:18:02.160 Samaritans were not loved by the Jews. 00:18:02.460 --> 00:18:03.660 They weren't Jews. 00:18:03.809 --> 00:18:06.990 And there was tons of racial tension between the two. 00:18:07.470 --> 00:18:10.740 And so the priest, right. 00:18:10.740 --> 00:18:12.089 Culture, right? 00:18:12.090 --> 00:18:13.380 Race, right. 00:18:13.381 --> 00:18:14.670 Religion, right. 00:18:14.671 --> 00:18:15.299 Everything. 00:18:16.589 --> 00:18:20.400 But ignoring the Levi right race, right. 00:18:20.401 --> 00:18:21.509 Religion, right. 00:18:21.510 --> 00:18:22.680 Culture, right. 00:18:22.681 --> 00:18:35.339 Everything walked right by him, the Samaritan, wrong race, wrong religion, wrong politics, wrong, everything stopped and helped him and bandaged him. 00:18:35.670 --> 00:18:56.819 Now Jesus says to the, to the lawyer who is the neighbor to this man, and I can hear the lawyer through gritted teeth gone, the one who showed him mercy, you actually see that in verse 37 of Luke 10, the man replied the one who showed him mercy. 00:18:57.240 --> 00:19:00.569 And then Jesus said, Hey, cool story. 00:19:00.570 --> 00:19:01.049 Right? 00:19:02.460 --> 00:19:08.529 No, Jesus said, now go and do the, uh huh. 00:19:10.650 --> 00:19:14.279 But Lord, my neighbor doesn't agree with me on politics. 00:19:14.280 --> 00:19:15.269 They're not the right religion. 00:19:15.270 --> 00:19:16.710 They're not the same race that I am. 00:19:16.829 --> 00:19:17.460 They not this. 00:19:17.461 --> 00:19:26.460 They're not that here's all the reasons why I can exclude them from being my neighbor and Jesus, just with the good Samaritan story, blows that to smithereens. 00:19:27.329 --> 00:19:29.849 Do we say smithereens in Northwest Ohio? 00:19:34.869 --> 00:19:37.720 He said, this, this is who your neighbor is. 00:19:38.410 --> 00:19:44.440 The one who shows mercy is the one who made a choice to love another as himself. 00:19:44.529 --> 00:19:48.369 And that brings the thought number three, neighbors, show mercy. 00:19:49.750 --> 00:19:51.609 I need mercy from nine neighbors. 00:19:55.420 --> 00:20:01.240 We can fit all of our vehicles in our driveway, but we don't. 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:05.160 We park them on the road. 00:20:06.779 --> 00:20:14.250 We as a loose term for my children, because nobody wants to park in front of another or behind another. 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:16.200 And there's nothing wrong with it. 00:20:16.201 --> 00:20:23.430 It's just, I've had a few people now tell me, you know, when we come around that corner, we really have to be careful when there's cars on both sides of the road. 00:20:24.359 --> 00:20:32.150 They're not all my cars, but I still ask for mercy, I need mercy. 00:20:32.779 --> 00:20:38.480 And you need mercy neighbors, show mercy. 00:20:39.559 --> 00:20:42.710 The lawyer's trying to justify himself. 00:20:43.940 --> 00:20:50.950 And he has to answer the one who shows mercy neighbors give and receive mercy. 00:20:51.700 --> 00:20:55.630 The desirable people too, this guy fell short. 00:20:57.039 --> 00:20:58.990 He was the undesirable person. 00:20:59.920 --> 00:21:03.670 The one that he maybe had everything been okay in his life. 00:21:03.700 --> 00:21:05.559 He wouldn't have even wanted to reach out to. 00:21:05.740 --> 00:21:12.819 But have you ever had a time in your world where you were, you were in such a spot where it really didn't matter who that person was. 00:21:12.820 --> 00:21:17.619 If they were willing to show mercy in your life, you were willing to connect with them. 00:21:18.609 --> 00:21:19.630 I've been in that person. 00:21:20.140 --> 00:21:21.339 I've been in that place. 00:21:22.210 --> 00:21:33.910 Could it be that the person in our neighborhood, in our community, on our street, in our school, could it be that they're just looking for somebody to reach out with them, to them and with a little bit of mercy. 00:21:34.059 --> 00:21:41.859 And that could be the way that you and I begin to share the gospel of Jesus Christ in their life and show them the goodness of God. 00:21:42.970 --> 00:21:44.950 Could that be how God uses you? 00:21:46.450 --> 00:21:55.329 Those who show mercy, those who we love and those who we accept love from must expand in our world. 00:21:55.420 --> 00:21:58.000 They can't be an ever decreasing circle. 00:21:58.150 --> 00:22:00.519 It must be an increasing circle. 00:22:00.520 --> 00:22:10.240 And in short exclusivity limits, potential inclusion in clusivity expands potential and proximity. 00:22:10.630 --> 00:22:11.920 For sense opportunity. 00:22:12.970 --> 00:22:17.349 When you're there with somebody and you see the need, meet the need, be the neighbor. 00:22:18.369 --> 00:22:22.690 When you see the opportunity to help somebody to lift them up, lift them up. 00:22:23.410 --> 00:22:26.769 You say, well, I don't, I don't know if you, I don't know if they are the same as me. 00:22:26.789 --> 00:22:27.849 I don't know if they liked me. 00:22:27.851 --> 00:22:30.519 I dunno if they, when somebody is down, they don't care. 00:22:30.730 --> 00:22:31.480 Who's hands reaching. 00:22:33.009 --> 00:22:35.230 Let's reach, let's reach as a church. 00:22:35.259 --> 00:22:37.539 Let's reach as individuals let's reach as a community. 00:22:37.660 --> 00:22:39.220 Let's just reach for one another. 00:22:39.849 --> 00:22:41.380 Well, I may not agree with them on everything. 00:22:41.500 --> 00:22:49.210 I guarantee that you don't, you don't agree with everything that everybody that lives in your house and you're probably not kicking them out. 00:22:50.829 --> 00:22:52.329 You probably don't agree on everything. 00:22:52.330 --> 00:22:55.359 Reach Jesus didn't agree with me at all. 00:22:55.361 --> 00:22:59.799 And he said, I'm going to give my life for you so that you might be saved. 00:23:01.150 --> 00:23:02.259 How can I guarantee that? 00:23:02.260 --> 00:23:02.799 They're awesome. 00:23:02.800 --> 00:23:06.039 By the way, I just want to tell you, my neighbors are awesome. 00:23:07.180 --> 00:23:10.869 The ones that attend this church and the ones that don't, I've got great neighbors. 00:23:11.619 --> 00:23:12.519 They watch out for me. 00:23:12.520 --> 00:23:13.839 And I get the privilege of watching 00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:15.309 Out for them as well. 00:23:15.310 --> 00:23:19.119 Proximity presents opportunity to lift up one another. 00:23:20.440 --> 00:23:21.549 And I'll close with this. 00:23:21.550 --> 00:23:26.450 Parents teach your children to offer mercy and they'll never let it for friends. 00:23:31.369 --> 00:23:37.039 I didn't tell this story in the last service and I'll tell it quickly, but prayer partners get ready to come up. 00:23:38.509 --> 00:23:39.289 You don't have to move right now. 00:23:39.319 --> 00:23:40.009 Just be ready. 00:23:41.390 --> 00:23:47.269 When I was a kid in, um, I went to a bunch of different junior highs and a bunch of D 15 elementary schools and junior highs. 00:23:48.140 --> 00:23:49.730 And, but I'll never forget. 00:23:51.230 --> 00:23:55.400 I was in wood wood school in Massachusetts. 00:23:56.569 --> 00:24:01.400 And there was a kid in that school who was just absolutely. 00:24:02.180 --> 00:24:03.680 I mean, nobody wanted to be his friend. 00:24:03.720 --> 00:24:05.089 I was the new guy in school. 00:24:05.869 --> 00:24:07.130 We were in the same class. 00:24:07.490 --> 00:24:10.160 His name was Michael and Michael would always sit to the side. 00:24:10.161 --> 00:24:13.279 His hair was all long and straggly and always looked dirty. 00:24:13.280 --> 00:24:15.500 And he looked as a person looked, just looked dirty. 00:24:15.740 --> 00:24:17.000 He smelled a little off. 00:24:18.049 --> 00:24:20.000 And so everybody was just like sitting everywhere else. 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:24.829 But see, I'd already been the new kid in a bunch of schools and new kids. 00:24:25.160 --> 00:24:27.619 We don't always start off with like tons of friends. 00:24:29.269 --> 00:24:33.049 And so I saw Michael sitting next to him by himself. 00:24:33.050 --> 00:24:35.299 And so I went and sat down and I'm like, Hey, what's going on? 00:24:35.300 --> 00:24:38.869 And he's like, are you talking to me? 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:42.380 Yeah, I'm talking to you. 00:24:43.130 --> 00:24:43.490 Um, okay. 00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:44.960 Because nobody talks to me. 00:24:45.829 --> 00:24:46.400 Why not? 00:24:47.900 --> 00:24:49.849 You know me, I'm shy and bashful backward. 00:24:49.851 --> 00:24:50.420 I just can't. 00:24:51.799 --> 00:24:54.109 I want to know why, why, why doesn't anybody talk to you? 00:24:55.400 --> 00:24:55.789 I don't know. 00:24:59.880 --> 00:25:03.440 Couple of days later, somebody came up to me and said, Hey, were you talking to him? 00:25:03.441 --> 00:25:04.880 That kid over there, Michael, the other day? 00:25:04.940 --> 00:25:05.210 Yeah. 00:25:05.650 --> 00:25:06.589 Well, you don't want to talk to him. 00:25:07.369 --> 00:25:13.039 Why not slowly but surely I started becoming friends with Michael. 00:25:14.450 --> 00:25:15.259 You know what happened? 00:25:17.089 --> 00:25:21.529 Michael started getting haircuts, started cleaning up. 00:25:22.700 --> 00:25:24.950 He started coming to school dress better. 00:25:25.130 --> 00:25:27.470 He could, he was just so alone. 00:25:28.039 --> 00:25:29.420 You didn't think it mattered at all. 00:25:30.259 --> 00:25:32.029