THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
How should Christian's react to a world full of self centeredness ?
When Jesus was asked “Who is my neighbor?” He replied with the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke10:30-37). This parable has stood the test of time. It reminds us of how we should help our neighbors, who as the parable shows, is anyone around us that has a need. It is so famous, states have named laws “Good Samaritan” laws to protect those who try and help others. But while we may know of the parable, do we remember the extent of the help? Jesus chooses a Samaritan because all the Jews of Jesus day would have hated him. And yet he is the good neighbor who does good works even for his enemy as Jesus tells us to do in Luke 6:27. Yet he not only nurses all the wounds of this stranger who hates him but he goes the extra mile by paying for a place for him to rest and anything else that he might need. “Going the extra mile” is another saying that Jesus gave us in Matthew 5:41. And this is how we are to help others, even if they are our enemies. We should not just help but we should do everything we can to meet their need completely. This is the difference between giving a man a fish versus teaching him how to fish. The difference between us feeding the poor on holidays and feeding them every day. The difference between helping an orphan in need and making that orphan our child. We see this when Christians reach out to children through Fostering and Adoption.We see this when they want to help inner cities and move to that area in order to help every day. We even see missionaries moving to other countries and plant churches that not only spread the gospel, but also help the local people by training them in ways to provide for themselves. These are just some of the ways that Jesus told us to help our neighbors and if we love Him, we will love our neighbors by meeting their needs completely. In Philippians 2:4 Paul says to consider the interest of others as more important than our own. He demonstrates this in the next few verses by showing how Jesus, though in the form of God, did not count equality with God as a thing to be grasped, but humbled Himself and
became obedient even to the point of death, death on the cross. When God saw our need of a Savior, He responded in love. We needed a Savior and through death Jesus became that Savior. We should be thankful that like the Good Samaritan, he met our need completely. So if we love Jesus, let us show it by loving our neighbor and doing
good for them as Christ did for us. For anything less is not truly loving our neighbor.
Marty Hayes - Evangel Member
At Evangel we offer various bible studies by our Pastors and Elders to learn further how be a good neighbor.
All are welcome! (See website)
Evangel Church PCA - 423 Thompson Rd.
Alabaster, AL. 35007 205-664-0889
evangelchurchpca.org
How should Christian's react to a world full of self centeredness ?
When Jesus was asked “Who is my neighbor?” He replied with the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke10:30-37). This parable has stood the test of time. It reminds us of how we should help our neighbors, who as the parable shows, is anyone around us that has a need. It is so famous, states have named laws “Good Samaritan” laws to protect those who try and help others. But while we may know of the parable, do we remember the extent of the help? Jesus chooses a Samaritan because all the Jews of Jesus day would have hated him. And yet he is the good neighbor who does good works even for his enemy as Jesus tells us to do in Luke 6:27. Yet he not only nurses all the wounds of this stranger who hates him but he goes the extra mile by paying for a place for him to rest and anything else that he might need. “Going the extra mile” is another saying that Jesus gave us in Matthew 5:41. And this is how we are to help others, even if they are our enemies. We should not just help but we should do everything we can to meet their need completely. This is the difference between giving a man a fish versus teaching him how to fish. The difference between us feeding the poor on holidays and feeding them every day. The difference between helping an orphan in need and making that orphan our child. We see this when Christians reach out to children through Fostering and Adoption.We see this when they want to help inner cities and move to that area in order to help every day. We even see missionaries moving to other countries and plant churches that not only spread the gospel, but also help the local people by training them in ways to provide for themselves. These are just some of the ways that Jesus told us to help our neighbors and if we love Him, we will love our neighbors by meeting their needs completely. In Philippians 2:4 Paul says to consider the interest of others as more important than our own. He demonstrates this in the next few verses by showing how Jesus, though in the form of God, did not count equality with God as a thing to be grasped, but humbled Himself and
became obedient even to the point of death, death on the cross. When God saw our need of a Savior, He responded in love. We needed a Savior and through death Jesus became that Savior. We should be thankful that like the Good Samaritan, he met our need completely. So if we love Jesus, let us show it by loving our neighbor and doing
good for them as Christ did for us. For anything less is not truly loving our neighbor.
Marty Hayes - Evangel Member
At Evangel we offer various bible studies by our Pastors and Elders to learn further how be a good neighbor.
All are welcome! (See website)
Evangel Church PCA - 423 Thompson Rd.
Alabaster, AL. 35007 205-664-0889
evangelchurchpca.org
