Our Love Assault

Presented by OrLando Yarborough III

Purpose of This Presentation:

What it takes for you to put God’s love into action

How we counter and supersede the world’s hatred

Opening passage: Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 (NKJV); Luke 10:25–37 (NKJV)

Our first opening text has a heading in my bible "The Value of a Friend".

At U.S. Colleges and Universities, rates of anxiety and depression among students has doubled since a decade ago to ~40%.

(https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/11/11/yale-suicides-mental-health-withdrawals/)

And while friendship is not a cure-all for these, it sure can help to have a friendly face and warm heart nearby when navigating the complexities of life.

True, friendship can be hard as young adults (as adults, too!)..can be nuanced.

Depending on the environment in which we live, the culture around us, our experiencing with friendship growing up that have formed us and shaped our perspective.

Friendship and companionship are important.

Some data say...

(and some of us here may have experienced this)

Today, about 58% of U.S. adults consider themselves lonely

Adults with mental health issues are more than twice as likely to experience loneliness as those with strong mental health.

As in most aspects of health and wellbeing, personal factors such as race, age, gender and income all play a role in how people experience loneliness, and some people are more impacted than others.

Those from underrepresented racial groups, for example, are more likely to be lonely, including 75% of Hispanic adults and 68% of Black adults – at least 10 percentage points higher than the total adult population.

Those with lower incomes are also lonelier, the data showed, with about 63% of adults earning less than $50,000 annually classified as such. (That's 10 points higher than those earning $50,000 or more, and there's a relation to Medicaid as well: About 72% of Americans who receive health benefits through Medicaid are classified as lonely, which is substantially more than the 55% of adults covered by private or employer- or union-provided health insurance benefits.)

Young adults generally appeared to be the loneliest group overall, with 79% of those aged 18 to 24 reporting feelings of loneliness. That's much higher than the 41% of seniors 66 or older who report the same.

Men and women reported loneliness at about the same rates, with 57% of men and 59% of women saying they were lonely.

(https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/loneliness-epidemic-speaks-need-behavioral-healthcare)

To the degree that any of this is true—if only half of it is true—I suggest there is a divine opportunity for God’s love through you and me.

Opening Passage: Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 (NKJV); Luke 10:25–37 (NKJV)

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 NKJV

Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Luke 10:25–37 NKJV

And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

There is something that happens when we share good things.

What's impossible becomes possible.

Less becomes more.

Outcomes and life itself can positively transform.

What happens when you give what you have in ways that enrich another and enrich you, too?

Theme/Title. Our Love Assualt in Action

(pray)

Every Sunday at BCAY, in the middle of our worship experience, we hold our “Love assault”.

Each Sunday we say,

“In the world, people like to assault others with many things including violence. Here at BCAY, we like to assault one another with God’s love. Turn to the people next to you, walk around, and love on each other.”

The Love Assault is our way of countering the harshness of people and life, underscore God’s love for someone/people, and enhance the joy, peace, comfort, and companionship of others with our own life.

We practice (love) inside this room so that we may also execute outside this room.

Loving others is not an “interruption of our regularly scheduled program.” It IS our program. Or at least, God’s idea for how we are to live life.

Our opening texts may or may not be familiar to you.

One is called the story of The Good Samaritan. And it’s somewhat intuitive why.

I think this story is a perfect illustration of answering what it takes to get into a parable of Jesus?

Doing something really bad or surprisingly really good. In this story, we have illustrations of both.

Luke 10:25–37 NKJV

And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

One person traveling and was violently assaulted by other people lying in wait.

The hurt person was avoided by one person traveling the same road.

A second person avoided the hurt man, too.

Another person, a third person traveling the same road, showed the hurt man God’s love—I would say, “assaulted him with love.”

What were the consequences?

1. The victim suffered, perhaps, longer than necessary before receiving help.

Was injured, hanging on for his life--"half-dead" the text says, and then passed over two times. (...adding insult to injury.)

2. The helper experienced Inconvenience. Time. Resources. Energy. Image.

I learn three things in this text:

The inconvenience of emotion. (Jesus and Mother Theresa)

The inconvenience of expense. Why? because of the extent of mercy.

The extent of mercy. (What does this say about God's mercury towards us, what it accomplishes?"

James 2:14–17 (NKJV): Faith Without Works is Dead

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Mercy acts to restore one to a better whole state.

As a result:

Held up on journey?

Came out of pocket. In fact, wrote a blank check.

Modified his schedule further--on return trip had to stop to settle any balance on his account.

3. Formed a collaboration for good.

Between the Samaritan and innkeeper.

(Story. Undergrad. Pushed student in electric wheelchair that was stuck in the rain/electric power wouldn't work. Was late for my class and knew I would be/told my classmates to go ahead of me. Didn't share my name with the student. Didn't say anything to the professor when i arrived late.)

(Story. Grad. Did it at Yale to buy someone food.)

(Story. Undergrad. Stopped class to offer help when another student had reportedly died by suicide.)

He allowed himself a look around. He didn't cover his eyes.

Knew his own value. Love others like you love yourself.

Knew the value of the victim.

Actively choose to be neighborly.

All in all, Was willing to be a "certain" Samaritan.

What made the samaritan good?

What he thought and ultimately did.

Posturing doesn't carry as much weight as one may like for it to.

Don't count yourself out; do what you can do.

Do what you can but stay in your lane. (Vengeance is mine, says the Lord.)

Amen Episode

Amen episode S2 E16 Stranded. Snowstorm

Help/Let someone warm up beside you.

Stop long enough that they might experience the warmth of God's love and you, too, experience it

Big Idea Summary:

There is a cost to sharing God’s love.

There is a benefit, too.

Additional Information and Resources:

Re-read our opening texts and the stories of how Jesus interacted with others.

Conclusion / Final Thoughts:

Let’s make encouragement bags to distribute.

Make one for someone in this room.

Make at least one to share with someone outside of this room.

Our Love Assault

Our Big Chance!

What Were The Consequences?

How Was The Good Samaritan Able To Do It?

Love Assault Tips

Anyone you think can use an encouraging gift and or note?

What is an encouraging sentence that you can say with confidence and conviction?

Our Love Assault in Action: