Have you ever known someone who is a very religious person, but not a very nice person? Or Christians who are supposed to stand for love, grace, and forgiveness, and are hypocritical, loveless, and bitter? Just because you KNOW the right things doesn’t mean you DO the right things. This week, we’re looking at three truth to help you keep your heart in the right place.

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MESSAGE NOTES

[Luke 10:21]

“At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.”

 

[Luke 10:23-24]

““Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen. I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.”

 

[Luke 10:25-27]

“One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’””

 

  • First, his motive wasn’t right.
  • He’s an expert in the Bible.
  • So his theology was right but his heart was bad.

 

  1. KNOWING THE TRUTH OF GOD IS NOT THE SAME AS BEING RIGHT WITH GOD

 

[Matthew 22:40]

Jesus said “the entire law and all of the demands of the prophets are based on these two commands”

 

    • There is no word in Hebrew the simply means “to hear”
    • Listening and Doing are two sides of the same coin
    • This is why the prophets often said that they “had ears but did not hear”

 

[Luke 10:28-29]

“Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

 

  • “Well, exactly WHO is my neighbor? I can’t do this for everyone, that’s impossible? How can I even begin doing this?”

 

 

[Luke 10:30-35]

“Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.“By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’”

 

2. THE QUALITY OF MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS REFLECTED IN MY TREATMENT OF OTHERS

 

Can I say that it’s really easy to be a Christian at church?

  • I like being able to manage my religion (time/money)
  • But if I’ve got to color outside of the lines, step up my game, change my schedule, adjust financial planning? Not sure about that
  • Sometimes we act as though our faith is more about our self improvement than it is the mission of Jesus, the restoration of God’s Kingdom through the rescue of those who are lost

 

[Matthew 25:34-40]

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”

 

3. WHEN YOUR HEART CHANGES, YOUR ACTIONS WILL CHANGE ALSO

The Samaritan prioritized the man’s need over his own comfort

  • He put his life at risk by stopping
  • He put his agenda at risk by losing so much time
  • He put his finances at risk to do what was right

The “Neighbor” is the one who actually loves other people as much as themselves

 

[Luke 10:36-37]

“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.””

 

[Luke 18:9-14]

“Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.””

 

What I need most is a change of heart. I don’t need more money to be generous. I don’t need more time to be compassionate…

 

I need to beat my chest in sorrow, saying “O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner. I am yours for whatever you want, wherever you want, whenever you want.”

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Application Questions

1. What stood out to you from this message and why?

2. What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?

3. What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?

4. How will this message change how you act at home, work and in the your relationships?