Pastor Gunderman’s Blog

Be the Church (Matthew 5:13-16)

August 26th, 2008

Introduction: Have you read our mission statement? “Berlin Baptist Church seeks to glorify God, share Jesus Christ, equip believers, love and serve others.” I can tell you with absolute certainty we have not yet completed this mission. If you are a Christian, I’m calling on you this morning to join us in this quest to glorify God, share the Lord Jesus Christ, build up Christians and show by our deeds that we really do love others. I believe that this is what Christ has called me to, and I will not back away from it one iota. Want proof? Listen to the Savior speak as Matthew records His words in his fifth chapter.

What has Christ called the Church to be?

  1. We are called to be salt
    1. The purpose of salt
      1. To preserve – rubbed into meat to stop the spread of decay 
      2. 84 million Americans claim to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Where is the effect?  “A pound of meat surely would be affected by a quarter pound of salt. If this is real Christianity, the ‘salt of the earth,’ where is the effect of which Jesus spoke?” William Iverson  ”You know what your own country is like. I’m a visitor, and I wouldn’t presume to speak about America. But I know what Great Britain is like. I know something about the growing dishonesty, corruption, immorality, violence, pornography, the diminishing respect for human life, and the increase in abortion. Whose fault is it? Let me put it like this: if the house is dark at night, there is no sense in blaming the house. That’s what happens when the sun goes down. The question to ask is, “Where is the light?” If meat goes bad, there is no sense in blaming the meat. That is what happens when the bacteria are allowed to breed unchecked. The question to ask is, “Where is the salt?” If society becomes corrupt like a dark night or stinking fish, there’s no sense in blaming society. That’s what happens when fallen human society is left to itself and human evil is unrestrained and unchecked. The question to ask is “Where is the church?” John Stott, “Christians: Salt and Light,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 109
    2. The problem of salt: Salt can be polluted 
      1. Combined with other chemicals it can become ineffective
      2. Unrefined, the actual salt may be dissolved leaving behind a residue that looks like salt but in actuality is merely white dust.
    3. The opportunity of salt
      1. Teaching that makes a difference: “Several months ago I was on a TV show to discuss with other panel members recent problems plaguing the Jackson, Mississippi, community. The city council was in disarray because the council president and another councilman were headed off to jail. The council president was caught making shady deals with a strip club in relation to a re-zoning ordinance. The panel moderator, a news lady named Katina Rankin, looked at me and asked, “Matt, whose fault is all of this?” Suddenly, I became agitated. I prepared to tell her in dramatic on-air fashion that we are a nation of laws and that the council president trampled on those laws. If we were looking to place blame, there was only one place to put it—smack dab in his lap as he sat in his well-deserved jail cell. That is what I was going to say. But I never got the words out. One of the panelists sitting next to me was a gentleman named John Perkins—author, teacher, community developer, and national evangelical leader. Before I could respond, Perkins answered, “It’s my fault.” All heads turned his way. He elaborated. “I have lived in this community for decades as a Bible teacher. I should have been able to create an environment where what our council president did would have been unthinkable because of my efforts. You want someone to blame? I’ll take the blame. All of it.” The Clarion-Ledger (8-09-00); submitted by Matt Friedeman, Jackson, Mississippi
      2. Choices that make a difference: It was an episode of Law & Order that confronted Christian recording artist Natalie Grant with the horrors of child sex trafficking in South Asia. When she turned off the television set, she knew she was being called to do something for the 6 million children who are sold and abused worldwide. Later that evening she discovered two faith-based organizations that rescue children from prostitution: Shared Hope and International Justice Mission. In an article for Today’s Christian, Grant tells the story of how this one startling night led to a trip overseas that forever changed her outlook on life and ministry: Within a matter of months, my husband, Bernie, and I traveled to Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India, with Shared Hope and its founder, former congresswoman Linda Smith. There we were able to see, firsthand, the tragedy of child slavery and what is being done to stop it. I will never forget what I saw there. I don’t want to forget. There I was in broad daylight, walking down the street in Mumbai, when I spotted a precious little girl looking down on us from an upper-story window. She couldn’t have been more than seven. Her piercing, dark eyes stared out at me. Her hand was reaching out from between the bars of a cage, not unlike something people here in the States would keep animals in. My eyes locked on hers, for just a few seconds, and I knew that…there in that cage, that was her life. I knew that every day people walked by on the street below, and they didn’t even notice her. There was an Indian man named Deveraj who runs a rescue ministry walking with us. He said, “That’s where they hold the new girls. They only let them out to service clients.” It was all I could do not to throw up. I started sobbing, there in the street. From there, we were able to travel out from the city to a place they call the Village of Hope. When they are able to rescue girls from the brothels in the cities, they take them to this wonderful place—the first real home many of them have ever had. And they feed them, clothe them, give them an education, and teach them about God. It was amazing to see these little girls, these pre-teen and teenage girls who had experienced the most unimaginable tragedies and abuses in their young lives, safe and happy. Completely restored. Living, breathing pictures of the peace of God… The week before we left for India, I ruptured my left vocal chord and was told I couldn’t speak a word for 30 days. At first, I didn’t think I would be able to make the trip. But in my heart, I knew God still wanted me to go. I had no idea my doctor-imposed silence would be a blessing in disguise. So often I speak before I think and verbalize without fully processing everything. Now I wasn’t able to speak a word, and as a result I think I felt deeper and was able to truly listen and understand those I met in a much deeper way. At the Village of Hope, I met these two little girls, both 5 years of age. One had already been used as a prostitute for a year and the other had AIDS. Both were now safe and happy, living with newfound hope. Those sweet girls wanted to pray for me, for my sore throat. And did they ever. I had never been prayed for like that before in my life. In their heartfelt prayers, I felt a faith and spiritual wisdom that was far beyond their age. It was a moment that will stay with me forever. I had grown up in church all my life, and I always felt I had a pretty good grasp of the power of redemption in our lives, but I had never understood it more clearly than I did that day. In the middle of those smiling girls, their eyes full of life and bright hope, I found a treasure I knew I had to share. When Bernie and I returned home, I reflected on what I’d seen and experienced in India. I knew I couldn’t go back to the status quo. I had never felt more alive, more determined to do something that mattered. I’d always believed that God had given me a voice to sing and that he had created the opportunities I’d been given to make a career and a living doing what I love. But God used India and those little girls to show me that my work as an artist should be so much bigger than it is. I’m not just here to sing. I’m here to give my life away, to share the knowledge I’ve been given, to tell others about my experience in India, and to do what I can to support the mission efforts there. I want my music to be more than pleasant songs. I want to inspire people to be instruments of God’s peace and justice in the world. Because when we are open and willing to be used in the lives of others, God can light up even the darkest of places. Natalie Grant (as told to Melissa Riddle), “Taking On a Giant,” Today’s Christian (January/February 2006) 
      3. Living that makes a difference: “The main problem with American Christians is not that they aren’t where they should be but that they are not what they should be right where they are as doctors, housewives, lawyers, computer salesmen, or nurses.” (Os Guinness, quoted by Howard Hendricks, “Beyond the Bottom Line). “Our family is deciding where to send our 13-year-old to school. I visited a Christian school not long ago. In a moment of quiet, I asked two faculty members this question. “What is the ultimate goal of our education?” I thought I had tipped my hand with the word “ultimate.” They smiled as though they’d been waiting for this question. They said, “Our goal in this institution is to train minds of young people so that they will think critically and become fully human.” They wondered why I didn’t respond more energetically, and their faces looked questioning. I said, “I thought maybe the mission statement of a Christian school would be different than an atheistic school.” They were shocked. I said, “I just thought you’d say, ‘To glorify God and enjoy him forever,’ or something like that.” They said, “Oh, we assume that.'’ I did not say, “God doesn’t like to be assumed.” I thought it, but I didn’t say it. I say it to you, and you’re getting the overflow of that emotion. John Piper, “God Is an Important Person,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 125
  2. We are called to be light
    1. The purpose of light 
      1. Light illumines: makes it possible to see things as they truly are
      2. Light attracts: illuminates the way to safety
    2. The person of Light
      1. Jesus Christ! John 8:12; 12:35,36) 
      2. Those who follow Christ – the Church- reflect His light
    3. The challenge of light
      1. To avoid the temptation to hide
      2. To accept the opportunity to shine:
        1. A Trip to the Bathroom:While serving with Operation Mobilization in India in 1967, tuberculosis forced me into a sanitarium for several months. I did not yet speak the language, but I tried to give Christian literature written in their language to the patients, doctors, and nurses. Everyone politely refused. I sensed many weren’t happy about a rich American (to them all Americans are rich) being in a free, government-run sanitarium. (They didn’t know I was just as broke as they were!) The first few nights I woke around 2:00 A.M. coughing. One morning during my coughing spell, I noticed one of the older and sicker patients across the aisle trying to get out of bed. He would sit up on the edge of the bed and try to stand, but in weakness would fall back into bed. I didn’t understand what he was trying to do. He finally fell back into bed exhausted. I heard him crying softly. The next morning I realized what the man had been trying to do. He had been trying to get up and walk to the bathroom! The stench in our ward was awful. Other patients yelled insults at the man. Angry nurses moved him roughly from side to side as they cleaned up the mess. One nurse even slapped him. The old man curled into a ball and wept. The next night I again woke up coughing. I noticed the man across the aisle sit up and again try to stand. Like the night before, he fell back whimpering. I don’t like bad smells, and I didn’t want to become involved, but I got out of bed and went over to him. When I touched his shoulder, his eyes opened wide with fear. I smiled, put my arms under him, and picked him up. He was very light due to old age and advanced TB. I carried him to the washroom, which was just a filthy, small room with a hole in the floor. I stood behind him with my arms under his armpits as he took care of himself. After he finished, I picked him up, and carried him back to his bed. As I laid him down, he kissed me on the cheek, smiled, and said something I couldn’t understand. The next morning another patient woke me and handed me a steaming cup of tea. He motioned with his hands that he wanted a tract. As the sun rose, other patients approached and indicated they also wanted the booklets I had tried to distribute before. Throughout the day nurses, interns, and doctors asked for literature. Weeks later an evangelist who spoke the language visited me, and as he talked to others he discovered that several had put their trust in Christ as Savior as a result of reading the literature. What did it take to reach these people with the gospel? It wasn’t health, the ability to speak their language, or a persuasive talk. I simply took a trip to the bathroom. Doug Nichols, Bothell, Washington. Leadership, Vol. 15, no. 2.
        2. Doctor Moved by Young Boy’s Prayer: In the fall of 2005, my 9-year-old son, Austin, had his tonsils removed. Before the surgery, an anesthesiologist came in to start an IV. He was wearing a cool surgical cap covered in colorful frogs. Austin loved that “frog hat.” When the doctor started to leave, Austin called out, “Hey, wait.” The doctor turned. “Yeah, buddy, what do you need?” “Do you go to church?” “No,” the doctor admitted. “I know I probably should, but I don’t.” Austin then asked, “Well, are you saved?” Chuckling nervously, the doctor said: “Nope. But after talking to you, maybe it’s something I should consider.” Pleased with his response, Austin answered, “Well you should, ’cause Jesus is great!” “I’m sure he is, little guy,” the doctor said, and quickly made his exit. When Austin’s surgery was finished, the anesthesiologist came into the waiting room to talk to me. He told me the surgery went well, then said, “Mrs. Blessit, I don’t usually come down and talk to the parents after a surgery, but I just had to tell you what your son did.” Oh boy, I thought. What did that little rascal do now? The doctor explained that he’d just put the mask on Austin when my son signaled that he needed to say something. When the doctor removed the mask, Austin blurted, “Wait a minute, we have to pray!” The doctor told him to go ahead, and Austin prayed: “Dear Lord, please let all the doctors and nurses have a good day. And Jesus, please let the doctor with the frog hat get saved and start going to church. Amen.” The doctor admitted that this had touched him. “I was so sure he would pray that his surgery went well,” he explained. “He didn’t even mention his surgery. He prayed for me! Mrs. Blessit, I had to come down and let you know what a great little guy you have.” A few minutes later, a nurse came to take me to post-op. She had a big smile on her face as we walked to the elevator. “There’s something you should know,” she said. “Some of the other nurses and I have been witnessing to and praying for that doctor for a long time. After your son’s surgery, he tracked a few of us down to tell us about Austin’s prayer. He said, ‘Well girls, you got me. If that little boy could pray for me when he was about to have surgery, then I think maybe I need his Jesus, too.’” Tina Blessit, “A Prayer Before Surgery,” Today’s Christian (July/August 2006), p. 27
        3. Poor man Returns Watch: In 1972, a young Egyptian businessman named Farahat lost an $11,000 watch. He was stunned when a garbage man dressed in filthy rags found it and returned it to him. Farahat asked him why he didn’t just keep the watch. The garbage man said, “My Christ told me to be honest until death.” Farahat later told a reporter: “I didn’t know Christ at the time, but I told [the garbage man] that I saw Christ in him. I told [him], ‘Because of what you have done and your great example, I will worship the Christ you are worshiping.’” Farahat studied the Bible and grew in his faith. Two years later he visited the garbage man’s village outside Cairo, where between 15,000 and 30,000 people were living in poverty and squalor. There was no electricity or running water. Alcohol, drugs, and gambling were pervasive. Men, women, and children sifted through huge mountains of garbage, looking for something of value that could be sold for cash or traded for food. Farahat found himself reflecting on the words of Jesus: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” He also remembered the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:13: “We have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things.” It was soon thereafter that Farahat and his wife began ministering to people’s spiritual and material needs. They preached the gospel throughout Egypt, and thousands of people turned to Christ. In 1978, Farahat was ordained by the Coptic Orthodox Church and became known as Father Sama’an. Now, about 10,000 believers meet in a large cave outside the garbage village. It is the largest church of believers in the Middle East. In May of 2005, a day of prayer was held for Muslims to turn to Christ. More than 20,000 Arab Christians gathered. The event was also broadcast on a Christian satellite TV network, where millions were watching. All this, because one garbage man chose to humbly return a watch that would have made him the richest man in town. Jerry DeLuca, Montreal West, Canada; source: Joel C. Rosenberg, Epicenter, Tyndale House Publishers (2006), p. 206    
      3. To bring glory to God
        1. Our good works should bring glory to God
        2. Our good deeds should bring others to Christ
  3. Conclusion
    1. There is a fundamental difference between the Church and the world
    2. We must accept the responsibility which this distinction places upon us
    3. We must see our Christian responsibility as twofold: evangelism and social action.
    4. No one man, woman, or child can do it alone. As the Church we shine!

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Are You Building on a Campsite?

June 3rd, 2008

If you’ve ever been camping you know that the size and amenities of recreational vehicles has come a long way from the old canvas tent! “Roughing it” now means having the fuse blow on your microwave while you’re trying to watch the television under the canopy! But even the most elaborate motorhome or trailer is still designed to be temporary, a compact version of the creature comforts of home. We wouldn’t think of hauling in a load of 2×4’s and plywood to build a cabin on a campsite. Campsites are temporary, campsites are not home.

In his first letter to the scattered Christians living in the area now know as northern Turkey, Peter called his readers “resident aliens.” (1 Peter 1:1) He goes on to encourage them with the good news that, although at the present time they were distressed by various trials, “the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” (1:7). Throughout the rest of the book he constantly reminds them that they are not home in Turkey, home is heaven. They are just “camping.” They are just “resident aliens.”

This same thought could just as easily be applied to Christians living in West Michigan. Even though at the present time we are distressed with rising unemployment, crime, cancer, heart failure, and death, we should not be undone as if this campsite is home. Too often we view the discouraging events of the present life as if this life were all there is. We discount the value of heaven and elevate the value of earth. Such a preoccupation with the things of this world will inevitably lead to frustration and discouragement.

What we need is a different, a heavenly, point of view. In Hebrews 12:2 we read “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Did you see that? Jesus conquered the cross because He set His eyes on the joy set before Him when He would sit at the Father’s right hand. He viewed His life on earth as “camping out” and so wasn’t disappointed when the crowds didn’t immediately recognize His deity and fall at His feet in worship. Jesus kept His eyes on home, and as a result, even the cross wasn’t enough to keep Him from joy.

So how about you, my friend? Have you been worried about all the people on the prayer list with cancer? Have you lost sleep because people you love are moving away to find work? Have you been troubled by the early passing of friends and loved ones? Are you struggling because life here isn’t matching up with the pictures in Better Homes and Gardens or People Magazine? Don’t confuse life here, with the promises of a perfect life in Heaven. Remember, you’re living on a campsite, don’t get caught building your hopes on sand.

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“Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” is a must see movie for students

April 23rd, 2008

Last Saturday my wife Sue and I viewed the movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. The movie is produced by Premise Media and stars Ben Stein. According to a press release from the movie’s web site “Ben Stein, the lovable, monotone teacher from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Wonder Years is on a journey to answer one of the biggest questions ever asked: Were we designed or are we simply the end result of an ancient mud puddle struck by lightning? Stein, who is also a lawyer, an economist, a former presidential speechwriter, author and social commentator, is stunned by what he finds on his journey. He discovers an elitist scientific establishment that has traded in its skepticism for dogma. But even worse, along the way, Stein uncovers a long line of biologists, astronomers, chemists and philosophers who have had their reputations destroyed and their careers ruined by a scientific establishment that allows absolutely no dissent from Charles Darwin’s theory of random mutation and natural selection.

“Big Science in this area of biology has lost its way,” says Stein. “Scientists are supposed to be allowed to follow the evidence wherever it may lead, no matter what the implications are. Freedom of inquiry has been greatly compromised, and this is not only anti-American, it’s anti-science. Its anti-the whole concept of learning.”

Expelled uncovers that educators and scientists are being ridiculed, denied tenure and even fired in some cases for the fact that they believe there is evidence of “design” in nature, challenging the idea that life is a result of random chance. For example, Stein meets Richard Sternberg, a double PhD Biologist who allowed a peer-reviewed research paper describing the evidence for intelligence in the universe to be published in the scientific journal Proceedings. Not long after publication, officials from the National Center for Science Education and the Smithsonian Institution where Sternberg was a research fellow began a coordinated smear and intimidation campaign to get the promising young scientist expelled from his position. This attack on scientific freedom was so egregious that it prompted a congressional investigation.”

I tend to be cautious about the claims movie producers make for their movies, but in this case, having watched the film, I can honestly say that Stein and his crew have succeeded in making a film that lives up to it’s promotion. He engages the scientific establishment, allows them to state their own views, and then presents the other side: a list of highly qualified and competent scientists who have been blackballed from their jobs simply because they dared to question the validity of Darwin’s theory. The movie also shows the clear historical implications of Darwinian theory.

There are several things about this movie that I appreciated. First, Stein, a well known comedian and actor, is putting his reputation on the line. This is the kind of movie that get’s one branded as a lunatic and blackballed by the Hollywood elite. Second, Stein does a good job of keeping the issue were it firmly belongs, not making this a religious debate, which is what the Scientific community has done in their successful attempts to suppress ID, but instead pointing out the clear encroachment on freedom of speech and inquiry presented by the national scientific establishment. Third, I was heartily impressed to see someone speak candidly about the chilling effect of Darwinian Theory. Stein has the courage to show the links between Darwin to Hitler and Margaret Sanger, Planned Parenthood’s founder. Finally, the last section of the movie is in itself worth the price of admission. Stein interviews British atheist Richard Dawkins about the problems of complexity, especially at the molecular level. Dawkins’ answer is too ludicrous for words!

I heartily recommend that every high school and college student, or parent, see Expelled!

Pastor Jeff

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Getting Ready for Easter

February 12th, 2008

One of the best known Bible verses is John 3:16. Jesus said to the Pharisee Nicodemus: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” What a wonderful, amazing message of God’s love for lost humanity! It’s also the message we want to send to our friends, co-workers, relatives and neighbors this Easter.

In cooperation with thousands of Churches across the world we are partnering with Thomas Nelson Publishers to share the message of John 3:16 with 316 million people this Easter. How? By spending the 40 days before Easter in prayer and meditation on the Cross through a devotional booklet God So Loved You that we are giving to every family in our congregation composed of excerpts from Max Lucados’ writings. Then on Palm Sunday each family will receive a copy of a different book The 3:16 Promise to give to a friend, neighbor, relative or co-worker along with an invitation to join us for Easter Sunday. It is our hope and prayer that through the devotional book we will grow in our understanding of God’s love and be motivated to share it with someone, and that through the sharing of The 3:16 Promise many of our friends, neighbors, relatives and co-workers will receive the gift that God has given us in Christ.

Please pick up a devotional and spend some time each day sharing it with your family, meditating on the wonderful gift we’ve received in Christ Jesus. Begin praying now for an opportunity to share The 3:16 Promise with someone. Ask God to save your friend, your neighbor, your relative or co-worker. Be open to sharing your story of faith in Christ Jesus. It’s one way we can fulfill part of our mission statement. Remember? Berlin Baptist Church seeks to glorify God, share Jesus Christ, equip disciples, love and serve others. You are Berlin Baptist Church, the message depends on you.

Serving the Savior alongside you,

Pastor Jeff Gunderman
 

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Demonstrated Love (Luke 10:25-37) (Core Value #7)

November 26th, 2007

Introduction: It’s kind of a frightening thing to share this sermon with you. On the face of it the idea that we desire to demonstrate our love for God, our church family, and our community through the sacrificial giving of ourselves and our resource is just the kind of thing that all Christian people say. But here’s the scary thing: we aren’t promising to talk about it, we are promising to do it. Let me tell you what this command has meant in my life. It means that I have walked a mile in the snow to borrow a car from a friend to take a mom and dad to the hospital to identify their dead daughter, killed in a car accident earlier that day. It means that I have stayed with a mentally ill man who got drunk, threw up on himself and his carpet, fixed him something to eat and helped clean up his house. It means shoveling snow off a roof, getting gas, renting a hotel room, and holding a friend as they sobbed and sobbed at the death of their child. I promise I will do this. It’s meant reaching into my wallet and taking out what I have to give to someone who asks. Can I tell you something, of all the things we’ve talked about, out of all the core values we’ve discussed, this one has cost me more than any other. Because of that I believe it more passionately than any other.

We desire to demonstrate our love for God, our church family, and our community through the sacrificial giving of ourselves and our resources. ( 1 Chronicles 29:14; Malachi 3:10; Mark 12:41-44; John 13:34-35; Romans 12:1; 1 Cor. 12:7).

  1. Despite the mess
    1. Ritual uncleanness 
      1. Fear of guilt by association
      2. Fear of being ‘taken’ Early-church patriarch Clement of Alexandria stated, “It is better to take the risk of giving to the undeserving than to take the risk of neglecting the deserving.” Christian History (Issue 14), p. 13; submitted by Steve Gertz, Wheaton, Illinois
    2. Real uncleanness
      1. People are messy! They don’t always react the way we expect
      2.  People are sick – we might catch the disease they have (Christians cared for the sick in the plagues in Europe) would we reach out to an HIV infected person? Will we get involved with the crisis pregnancy center? They need volunteers right now.
    3. We will get messy to show love!
  2. Despite the risk
    1. Possible danger
      1. Perhaps the bandits would come back?
      2. Isn’t it safer to stay out of the way? Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Christian History, no. 32.)
    2. Real danger
      1.  We might be misunderstood: Even if people reject the gospel, we still must love them. A good example of this was reported by Ralph Neighbour, pastor of Houston’s West Memorial Baptist Church (in Death and the Caring Community, by Larry Richards and Paul Johnson): Jack had been president of a large corporation, and when he got cancer, they ruthlessly dumped him. He went through his insurance, used his life savings, and had practically nothing left. I visited him with one of my deacons, who said, “Jack, you speak so openly about the brief life you have left. I wonder if you’ve prepared for your life after death?” Jack stood up, livid with rage. “You — —- Christians. All you ever think about is what’s going to happen to me after I die. If your God is so great, why doesn’t he do something about the real problems of life?” He went on to tell us he was leaving his wife penniless and his daughter without money for college. Then he ordered us out. Later my deacon insisted we go back. We did. “Jack, I know I offended you,” he said. “I humbly apologize. But I want you to know I’ve been working since then. Your first problem is where your family will live after you die. A realtor in our church has agreed to sell your house and give your wife his commission. I guarantee you that, if you’ll permit us, some other men and I will make the house payments until it’s sold. Then, I’ve contacted the owner of an apartment house down the street. He’s offered your wife a three bedroom apartment plus free utilities and an $850-a-month salary in return for her collecting rents and supervising plumbing and electrical repairs. The income from your house should pay for your daughter’s college. I just wanted you to know your family will be cared for.” Jack cried like a baby. He died shortly thereafter, so wrapped in pain he never accepted Christ. But he experienced God’s love even while rejecting him. And his widow, touched by the caring Christians, responded to the gospel message. (Van Campbell, Homer, Louisiana. Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 1)
      2. We might get too involved and become hurt ourselves.
    3. We will take risks to show love!
  3. Despite the divisions of our broken world
    1. Race
      1. All people are equally valuable
      2.  All people are equally lost
    2. Religion
      1. Jews considered Samaritans heretics
      2. Samaritans considered Jews heretics
    3. Income
      1. The rich need a Savior 
      2. The poor need a Savior
    4. We will care for our brothers and sisters no matter what their color or class, and we will watch for those who God places before us!

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