LOVING OUR LOVING OUR NEIGHBOUR TO NEIGHBOUR TO

FREEDOMFREEDOMSession 3

LOVING OUR LOVING OUR NEIGHBOUR TO NEIGHBOUR TO

FREEDOMFREEDOMSession 3

FGA Genesis Home Group Peter Huang

FGA Genesis Home Group Peter Huang

Bible Study Fellowship02-18-04

HOW TO GO ABOUT IT?HOW TO GO ABOUT IT?HOW TO GO ABOUT IT?HOW TO GO ABOUT IT?

1. Must recognise

“Who Is My Neighbour” (Luke 10 25-37) – watch video clip

2. Learn from 1Peter 3:1-2

Through kindness & Love.

1. Must recognise

“Who Is My Neighbour” (Luke 10 25-37) – watch video clip

2. Learn from 1Peter 3:1-2

Through kindness & Love.

Neighbours

- those we do not know -- the stangers -

How the good Samaritan showed love for How the good Samaritan showed love for his neighbour.his neighbour.

1.1. Practical – stepped out & used Practical – stepped out & used his own money.his own money.

2.2. Patient in his love – his kindness Patient in his love – his kindness a worthwhile investment.a worthwhile investment.

3.3. Loved with perception – saw Loved with perception – saw more than an injured man. That more than an injured man. That the bleeding man was an the bleeding man was an assignment from God.assignment from God.

The Good SamaritanThe Good Samaritan

An Inspired TeachingAn Inspired Teaching

on Kindnesson Kindness

I. He Saw The NeedI. He Saw The Need

Kindness begins with our eyes.

Wounded people are everywhere. Maybe some are sitting next to you. Maybe one is standing in the pulpit.

Are we looking?

““When he sawWhen he saw the man’s condition, the man’s condition, his heart went out to him.”his heart went out to him.” (10:33 (10:33 TMSG TMSG))

Why don’t we see the woundsof the people around us?

One reason: too busyHurry is the death of kindness.

The slower we go, the more we see.

If we care, we’ll be aware.

II. He Sympathized II. He Sympathized With The Man’s PainWith The Man’s Pain

Kindness begins with our eyes and conceives

in our hearts.

An observation from life:

Learning to listen is the secret of genuine

sympathy.

““When he saw him, he had compassion”When he saw him, he had compassion” (10:33)(10:33)

“A View From The Hearse”by Joe Bailey

I was sitting, torn by grief, and somebody came along and talked to me about God's dealings of why it happened, of hope beyond the grave.

He talked constantly. He said things I knew were true. But I was unmoved, except to wish that he would go away. And he finally did.

Then another one came and sat beside me, and he didn’t talk at all. He didn’t ask me any leading questions. He just sat beside me for an hour or more, listened when I said something, answered briefly, prayed simply and left.

I was moved. I was comforted. I hated to see him go.

III. He Seized The MomentIII. He Seized The Moment

Kindness begins with our eyes, conceives in our hearts, and acts

immediately to help.

Proverbs 3:27-28 (NCV)Proverbs 3:27-28 (NCV)Whenever you are able, do good to Whenever you are able, do good to

people people who need help. If you have what your who need help. If you have what your neighbor asks for, don’t say, “Come neighbor asks for, don’t say, “Come

back later. I will back later. I will give it to you tomorrow.”give it to you tomorrow.”

““and came to him and bandaged up his and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on themwounds, pouring oil and wine on them ””

(10:34)(10:34)

To seize the moment we mustbe willing to do two things::

Be InterruptedKindness doesn’t happen on our

schedule.

Think of the excuses he could have given.

Take risksOur own fears keep us from being

kind.

Think of the legitimate risks he took.

IV. He Spent Whatever IV. He Spent Whatever WasWas Needed Needed (10:34-35)“…and he put him on his own

beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’”

There is always a cost to kindness.

Kindness inevitably causes us

to sacrifice time or money or energy or

reputation or maybe even privacy.

V. He Sought Nothing in V. He Sought Nothing in ReturnReturn

What did the Samaritan gain?

“Do good, and

lend, expecting

nothing in

return.” .” (Luke (Luke

6:35)6:35)

The RewardProverbs 11:17Proverbs 11:17

“The merciful man

does good for his own

soul, but he who is

cruel troubles his

own flesh.”

The RewardIsaiah 58:7-9Isaiah 58:7-9

7I want you to share your food with the hungry and to welcome poor wanderers into your homes. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. 8If you do these things, your salvation will come like the dawn. Yes, your healing will come quickly. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind. 9Then when you call, the LORD will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.

The RewardMatthew 25:37-40Matthew 25:37-40

3737Then the righteous will answer Him, Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You ‘Lord, when did we see You hungryhungry, , and feed You, or and feed You, or thirstythirsty, and give , and give You something to drink? You something to drink? 3838And when And when did we see You a did we see You a strangerstranger, and invite , and invite You in, or You in, or nakednaked, and clothe You? , and clothe You? 3939When did we see You When did we see You sicksick, or in , or in prisonprison, and come to You?’ , and come to You?’ 4040The King The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them… the least of them… you did it to Me.’you did it to Me.’

Neighbours - those closest to us -

• Next-door persons

• Co-workers

• Families

Why is it difficult to reach out to or love those closest

to us? Neighbours Co-workers Families

Reasons

Familiaritya) fear of disappointmentb) slow pace of change

Jesus issued a lifelong challenge to his apostles on the night of his arrest …..

“Go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.” John 15:16

the ultimate fruit of human souls.

All fruits appear in 3 stages.

GREEN BRUISED

RIPE

Peter’s prescription1Peter 3:1-5

 1 In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over 2 by observing your pure and reverent lives.  3 Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 5 This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands.

Peter’s prescription1Peter 3:1-5

1. Love recklessly2. Love consistently3. Listen carefully (1Peter 3:15)

4. Wait patiently – Trust God

“When we try to change hearts ourselves,even though we have great motivation,

we simply get in the way of God’s work.”

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?

Are they just our next-door friends?

Someone I don’t know?

We do know that we are to …

Matthew 23:36-37 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”.This is the first and greatest commandment.

And the second is like it.“Love your neighbour as Yourself.”

What if…..??

Nosy neighbours

Noisy neighbours.

A problem neighbour!!

Would you still love & help them?

Everyone is our neighbour!!

How would you respond to the following situations to demonstrate God’s love for your next-door neighbour?

1. Your neighbour’s huge dog has felt compelled to use the space in front of your gate as a toilet to prove its dominance. Every now and then you will find a number of huge dog piles there. You are more than a little irritated as your neighbour never

clean them up.2. Your neighbour, a non-believer will burn

jossticks during his prayer time. The smoke gets into your home and does irritate you.

GOD BLESSGOD BLESS