Unified In Our Compassion Series

Intro. As you know, our theme is the Church in Unity. We must begin by unified in our Consecration. We must accept the challenge of reaching the lost, here and around the world and be Unified in our Commission. Today, our next part, could be easily tied to the Commission. The area of unity that we will approach will effect our actions that are outside of the church, but also effect our actions inside the church. We must be Unified in our Compassion!

Compassion is an inward emotion that will cause an outward action! In the small book of Jude there is a verse that has been used many times to show Compassion. Jude vs. 22 "And of some have compassion, making a difference:"

I. The Reality of one that was Critical- vs. 30 On this road we find one in Need.

A. The Man had Journeyed away from God’s Presence - Half Dead!

B. The Man had Journeyed toward a Problem - Jericho was the city of the curse and had been so since the days of Joshua.

C. The Man had Journeyed into a Peril - Any that are not journeying toward God are journeying away.

II. The Recklessness of those that were Calloused - The great responsibility upon every Christian, and in our case, every member of our church - IS TO CARE! Who Cares? That is what the priest said. That is what the Levite said.

A. Two saw the Problem - They were akin to the church at Ephesus, for they had lost the first love of knowing God! The Levite goes over and gets a better look!

B. Two saw the Peril - They both witnessed this man’s condition.

C. Two saw the Stranger and passed on the other side.

1. Neither was willing to climb down to the injured man’s level

2. Neither was willing to reach out - Neither CARED!

III. The Readiness of one the was Concerned - One cared!

A. The Selflessness of Compassion - Selflessness, not selfishness.

1. He was one that did not have to care - Samaritan -the Jews did not care. We do not find he was trained to care, or even bound to care, but he did!

2. He was one that did not have to come - He went to where the man was.

3. He was one that showed Compassion - vs. 33

B. The Sincerity of Compassion

1. There is a Purpose - If we care, it will be on purpose! Labor

Vs. 34 - He went to him, the Samaritan tried to care!

1Peter 4:10 "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

2. There is a Performance - bound up wounds - Proverbs 19:22 "The desire of a man is his kindness"

Every man and woman desires kindness, you do, so help by being kind to others - Bind up the wounds of others.

3. There is a Perseverance - “on the morrow” - He took care of him all night. Anything worth doing, Anything of value is going to take time! He spent the night with Him, nursing Him to health – He cared enough not to give up!

C. The Supply of Compassion (Life is Stewardship - you care, you give!)

1. He Paid of His Own Supply - VS. 34

- He did what he could (gave of what he had)

- He Poured in His own oil

- He Poured in His own Wine

2. He Preferred the Wounded man (He let him ride, while he walked!)

D. The Settling of Compassion –brought Him to the Inn -picture of the Church!

1. The Inn was OPEN

2. The Inn was EQUIPPED – it had a bed and a place to put the wounded

3. The Inn was SUFFICIENT TO MEET THE NEEDS – Or he would not have left the man there

4. The Inn was WILLING – We must be UNIFIED in our Compassion!

Conc. Of course here, you clearly see that the Samaritan is a picture of Christ!

Just as this Samaritan journeyed, Jesus left His throne to journey to where we were - injured and left alone in death! THAT IS OUR EXAMPLE