04-03-2022
04-03-2022
Dr. E. Dale Locke, (LOX & Online), Rev. Trevor Johnston (WPB), Rev. Efrain Silva (COH Español)
Sermon Series: Who Cares? Growing a Heart Like Christ
Week 5: Heart Smart
English PDF file for printing.
Para imprimir el archivo PDF en Español
1. Keep trying to memorize 2 Corinthians 1:3-4: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
2. We’re in week 5 of our Lenten series, “Who Cares?” exploring compassion and how to grow a heart like Christ’s. Yesterday, in our church Bible reading plan we read 2 Corinthians 2:14 where Paul said to “Spread the aroma of the knowledge of Jesus everywhere.” Pastor Dale reminded us that everywhere we go, we represent Jesus, and that Christians are a lot like fertilizer: Spread out we can really do some good. Piled up together, we start to stink and we burn a hole in the ground!
What are some practical ways Christians can spread the aroma of Jesus?
3. Read Luke 10:25-37 –
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
4. Two weeks ago we looked at this passage with the question, Who is my neighbor? and noticed:
Some live by the life motto, “What’s yours is mine, and I’m gonna take it.”
This was true of the robbers who attacked the man in this story.
Some live out the motto, “What’s mine is mine, and I’m gonna keep it.”
This is where many of us live when it comes to our time, money, and emotional energy.
But Jesus wants us to live as the Samaritan did with the motto, “What’s mine is God’s, so I’m gonna manage and share what God has entrusted to me.”
This comes from understanding the principle in James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” How does the truth of James 1:17 impact your approach to life?
5. It used to be that the only poverty you knew about was the poverty you saw. The only scary medical situations you experienced were the ones your family and close friends experienced personally. The only tragedies you learned of were ones that happened in your home town. But now we have access to every sad, heart-breaking struggle in the world 24/7 on the phone we hold in our hands. So it’s easy to get overwhelmed and fatigued and to just check out.
How does this constant access to tragedies and bad news affect you personally?
6. Today we’re considering how to keep our hearts in the game. Andy Stanley has a great motto that represents the heart of Jesus. “Do for one, what you wish you could do for all.” What does Andy mean by that?
7. Note that the Samaritan in Jesus’s story didn’t let himself get overwhelmed or check out. He kept his heart engaged. Luke 10:33 says, “he took pity” on the man who had been attacked by robbers. When you feel pity, it’s often God prompting you to do something. If we repeatedly cut that feeling off and don’t respond to it, we might gradually lose our ability to hear God’s voice. If you’ve ever felt God prompt you to do an act of compassion for someone, share briefly about that.
Jesus wants us to keep our hearts engaged. Note how the Samaritan does that:
He Goes Deep - Luke 10:34a
8. Note that the Samaritan didn’t keep his distance but gets deeply involved in this other man’s plight. Why might people hesitate to get involved in difficult situations, even when God is prompting them to show compassion?
He Goes Long - Luke 10:34
9. Like most of us, the Samaritan in this story probably had places to go and things to do. But note his willingness to be inconvenienced. One of the best ways to gauge the spiritual climate of our soul is by our willingness to be inconvenienced. Why do you think that is?
He Goes Time - Luke 10:35
10. Note that the Samaritan’s response of compassion took a lot of his time. (Vs 35 says, “The next day.…”) How do you tend to react when it comes to letting go of your schedule and being willing to take time to help someone in need?
He Goes Money - Luke 10:35
11. The Samaritan invested a lot his own resources to provide for this stranger. He does this willingly. Pastor Dale said often the last thing to get saved is our wallet. What did he mean by that?
12. When you’re willing to respond to God’s promptings to show compassion, and you go deep and long and give up time and money; your ability to hear God’s voice tends to grow and you get to see God’s power on display. If you’ve experienced this, share about that with your group.
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Easter Egg Hunt: Next Saturday, April 9 from 9-11:30am is our Loxahatchee Campus Egg Hunt. Thank you for all the eggs you’ve donated and for volunteering to help together with your family or small group. You can still volunteer at https://communityofhope.church/egghunt Be sure to invite people you know to come and enjoy games, activities, inflatables, crafts, egg hunts and more – all at no cost – especially people who don’t have a church home. Pray for good weather and that people will feel God’s love here.
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Good Friday Experience: Friday, April 15 | 4:30pm - 7:30pm | An indoor walk-through experience designed to creatively help you reflect on what Jesus did for us on the cross. Come by yourself or with your family. Available in both English and Spanish at all our campuses with versions for adults or for families with small children. More information at https://communityofhope.church/easter
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