Sermon note (1st svc)
- Pastor Judah Smith
Welcome to the Inn
What is ahead of you is so great!
God has incredible plan for your life!
Luke 10:25-37 (ESV)
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.
He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Be a neighbour
Do this and you will live
We can be around stuffs and something for so many years yet miss something so obvious.
As a child, it is always about Jesus. Jesus is always the point. Childlike faith.
Boaz is about Jesus.
The key to unlock and understand the stories in the Bible is Jesus. Jesus is always the answer and He is always the point!
He can be right in front of us all this time but we miss the most obvious aspect of life.
When Jesus was on earth, Jesus was constantly revealing Himself and showing mankind that He was the answer.
We have been trying to do it with our own effort and always feel we are not good enough.
What must I do to earn the eternal life? (the orientation is wrong) What do i need to do?
Jesus answered him what he needs to do.
Do the and live.
The Lord knows no one can do that.
Jesus was bringing us to the end of ourselves
I say, The Lord says
Conclusion of the sermon of the Mount
Be perfect – that is impossible.
We cannot do it. But there is a super hero who can do for us!
I need a Hero!
Jesus constantly revealing Himself.
A man was injured, broken (half dead) on the road. He was waiting for someone to help him. Priest passed by and did not stop. Levite passed by and did not stop. The samaritan passed by and was moved with compassion. (The Jews hate the samaritan) She helped him and brought him to the inn. Jesus asked who is the neighbour
The lawyer was listening to this story.
What is story is about?
About Jesus. Jesus who is the fulfilment of the law.
He brings us to the end of ourselves who said we cannot and bring the glory to Him and He can.
We are all travellers, going from here to there. Life is a vapour. We always believe once we get over there we are happy.
From here to there. Once we get there, it starts all over again.
The answer to our engine soul is not getting there, it is Jesus!
When life starts to be from here to there, life starts to beat you up.
You can be alive physically but death spiritually
What the lawyer cannot see is he is half dead.
We are lost, broken and half dead. Who comes by? The Lord.
A Levite was a noble person, a good person. This is powerless to the deliverable of a half-dead state.
The Samaritan came on his own and she was received not.
Jesus was rejected by the Jews and came to his own.
He came down from His heavenly throne and put on skin and bone and walked. He wants to put us back again. Heal us !
He is good! He is so good!
He starts to put us back together.
It is always about Jesus! Not about our deeds. Is about Jesus and His beauty and His majesty.
When we have no strength, He moved towards us.
He who knew no sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
We have traded places!
He took the broken man on the road to the inn.
What is the inn?
Jesus wants us to see the scene where the samaritan talked to the inn person.
Luke 10:35
And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
Jesus is coming back! We are going home! Our home is with Him in eternity!
We are going home!
In the meantime He got a place where He takes His loved ones. Welcome to the inn!
You came to church today, you walked into the inn!
There was a day i tried to make sense of life on my own. Trying to get there and once i get there i felt empty. I was lost. Jesus came. He revealed His plan for me. He put me in the local community and build friendship and my life grow from strength to strength
God takes broken and heal them and put them in the inn.
Along this dangerous highway, difficult road, the inn starts popping out. The soldiers who were vulnerable to the lies and pain, the inn existed as a place of care, love.
Be reminded of who we are and why we are here.
We were broken and Jesus put us back again.
You and I are missionaries. Not to convince people to Jesus but to care.
We are here to build a place and a space. We are not far. Our hearts are opened wide.
Take care of them. Take care of your own church. Look how loved you are.
Sons and daughters, take care of those broken in the path.
Care for sinners. Care for them, this is where it all starts.
You matter and you are important. Be the innkeeper, take care of His people.
Not one He is willing to lose.
Be a neighbour that cares.
You do not need to know everything about bible. You know about Jesus, you got the permission to love and care the people.
Whatever you spent, God will repay!
The blessing of God will overflow in your life! It will be more than you can contain!
Jesus found me and put me in the inn to be cared for by the innkeeper.
What a wonderful God and Saviour we have!
