Luke 17:7-10 Compassion

Introduction

One Red Paperclip

Kyle MacDonald

·         July 12, 2005 – Decided to see if he could trade his paperclip up until he had a house.

·         July 14, 2005: Vancouver, BC, Canada This morning Rhawnie and Corinna from Vancouver called me up and offered to make a trade of their fish pen for the paperclip.

·         July 14, 2005: Seattle, WA, USA – traded fish pen for a doornob (that looks like ET on drugs)

o        Question from passerby: “What are you holding? Me: “A Knob-T" Passerby again: “What’s a Knob-T?” Me again: “It’s pretty much my favorite Seattle souvenir. It’s like a tripped-out version of E.T. crossed with a doorknob...bred for its skills and magic.”

·         July 25, 2005: Amherst, MA, USA – traded the “Knob-T”  for a Colman Cook Stove

·         September 24, 2005: San Clemente, CA, USA (Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base) – traded with a Marine Sergeant for a 1000W Honda EX generator

·         Nov 16, 2005 Maspeth Queens, NYC: Traded the generator for an “instant Party” (one beer keg one neon Budweisier sign one I.O.U. for a keg’s worth of beer.)

·         Dec 1, 2005, traded the “Instant Party” for a snowmobile owned by a radio show host in Quebec

Aside: Tv interview, “Is there anywhere you wouldn’t go to make a trade”

o        I wouldn’t go to YAHK British Columbia

o        Next day a call from “Snowsports Magazine, located 45 miles outside of … Yahk.”

·         So just after Christmas he traded the snowmobile for …Return airfare for two people from anywhere in North America to Cranbrook, a day of skiing, meals, and of course, a snowmobile trip to Yahk.

·         Jan 9, 2006 – traded the trip to Yahk with a man named Bruno for a Cintas Cube Van (needed to move the snowmobilie to Yahk)

·         Feb 22, 2006 - I traded one cube van for one recording contract with Brendan. Included in one recording contract: 1. 30 hours recording time 2. 50 hours mixingpost 3. Transportation tofrom Toronto from anywhere in the world 4. Accomodations in Toronto. 5. You album will be pitched to executives at Sony-BMG and XM radio 6.

·         April 11, 2006 traded the recording contract for One year free rent in the heart of downtown Phoenix. (If needed, the apartment can also come fully furnished.) -roundtrip airfare for two from any major airport in North America.

·         The neighbor in the duplex where the free rent would come from wanted the whole place free, so she talked to her boss, Alice Cooper, to see if he would be willing to help.  He was, and so the year in Phoeonix was traded for

-one afternoon with Alice Cooper.

·         Traded the afternoon w/ Alice Cooper for a Kiss Snowglobe … it's a motorized KISS snowglobe with multi-colored lights, and above all else, a variable speed dial

·         traded one KISS snow globe with Corbin Bernsen for one role in a movie.

o        Included in "one movie role":
-one paid, credited, speaking role in a film by Public Media Works.
-room and board during filming.
-return airfare from anywhere in the world.
-a high five from me, and if you're lucky and he's in a good mood, Corbin Bernsen.

·         Traded the Movie Role with the town of Kipling Saskatchewan for a HOUSE.

1) How to Start a Movement

It takes the courage to obey.

A. Context of Passage in Luke

Luke 13:22-15:32 = The Gospel Mission

·         Jesus’ goal is to reach the Sinners & Tax Collectors and to challenge the Pharisees

To comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable.

·         The tax collectors and sinners draw near

·         The Pharisees and religious sorts mutter and murmur

·         Jesus concludes this section talking about the Lost

o       Lost sheep

o       Lost Coin

o       Lost Son

·         That’s the challenge

Luke 16 – 18: What will we do about this challenge?

·         Lk 16 Rich man and Lazarus – Be kind to the poor

·         Lk 17:5-6 Have the faith of a mustard seed

·         Lk 17:7-10 Be servants

B. The Role of a Servant

Never has the right to entitlement

·         America is an Entitled nation

o       We deserve health care

o       We deserve a growing economy

o       We deserve prescription drug plans

o       We deserve higher pay, bigger houses, nicer cars

o       Whether we point to our hard work, our racial status, our Constitution or our past contributions to society … most people argue that they are entitled to certain benefits

·         God does not work on an Entitlement Basis

o       We make our lists of good things

o       We make our lists of things we’ve suffered

o       “Based on these things I deserve …”

God’s list: (from Rob Bell)

·         Oceans, rivers, mountains, streams, the Grand Canyon, Lake Michigan, pasta, oxygen

·         Holding hands with someone you love

·         Sunshine, snowflakes, watching a child walk for the first time, salsa, James Brown, freedom, a good book, peace, tranquility, hospitality, soccer, white blood cells, red blood cells, DNA, brain cells, bones, skin, ears, eyes, nose, toes, fingers, pizza, pesto

·         A hamburger you grill yourself, the smell of a bakery, trees, leaves that change color in the fall, the feeling when your put your hand in soil, walking barefoot, wisdom, laughing, moving, Star Wars, a new haircut, the smell of a fresh cut lawn …

·         God could go on forever (Literally)

C. What Does this Look Like in Action? (Lk 17:11-19)

Healing Lepers

·         touching the untouchable

·         Few respond with gratitude

·         the one that did respond was a Samaritan

2) We Don’t Get to Escape

Point vs. Pre-Trib Premillenialism

Goal of Redemption = New Heavens & New Earth

3) Being a Gospel Servant In Seattle

Working for Justice

Bruce Waltke = Justice in the book of Proverbs is similar to Shalom

·         Shalom = fabric coming together

o       Universal flourishing

o       Wholeness

o       Delight

o       Webbing together peace, justice and love

ILL – It’s a Wonderful Life

-          Potterville = prosititues, alcoholism, homelessness

-          Fabric of society had unwoven

-          There is no-one dealing in compassion

-          Shalom has unraveled

Compassion = Repairing the fabric where it is beginning to unravel

!!! Vision House

Our vision is to make a significant contribution to the community by reducing the number of homeless men, women and children in Washington State. Our Vision is to dramatically change the lives of the homeless by providing housing and services, enabling our residents to avoid homelessness, poverty and abuse in the future.

Acts 29

Chiapas

1. The Priority of Evangelism

A transformed life begins with a relationship with God. To minister to physical needs without a spiritual foundation is shallow and short-lived. The apostle Paul wrote: "But I have become a slave to everyone, so that I can win as many people as possible" (1 Corinthians 9:19, CEV). A changed life and missionary zeal go hand in hand. This was articulated by John Kempers in this slogan: "Every Christian a convert; every convert a missionary." Giving priority to evangelism is the key to the growth of the Presbyterian churches in Chiapas from fewer than a thousand believers eighty years ago to a quarter of a million today.

2. The Focus on Leadership Formation

This training begins with the existing leaders and focuses on the training and equipping of the laity. The Holy Spirit is constantly calling church members to be leaders, and it is essential to equip those who demonstrate that God has gifted them with leadership ability.

3. The Necessity of a Healing Ministry

A holistic healing ministry demonstrates God's power and mercy. It must be combined with prayer and evangelism to be effective. Our secular, scientific American culture tries to separate the physical from the spiritual, but the Chiapas Christians testify that they cannot be divided.

4. The Indispensable Written Word

The apostle Paul wrote: "Faith comes from hearing the message" (Romans 10:17, CEV), but faith is fed by reading. The future of the church in Chiapas is bright because they now hold in their hands Bibles, hymnals, concordances, textbooks, and Christian education materials written in their own languages. Bible teaching and literature production are vitally needed to accomplish the evangelization and discipleship of the next generation.

5. The Urgency of Meeting Human Needs

Christ urges his disciples to respond to human cries for help. When we do, we reflect his love for all people, and they see as well as hear the gospel message.

4) Becoming a Servant of Compassion

Adrian Rogers told the story of a lady who took a course in first aid: "They were having testimonials about first aid, and she stood up and said, 'I want to give a testimony. The other day out in front of my house, there was an automobile accident. An old man driving his car lost control, went over the curb, and hit an oak tree head-on. He was thrown out into the street. His skull was fractured, he had compound fractures in his limbs, and he was pumping his life's blood out on the asphalt.' She said, 'It was horrible, but I remembered my first aid. I remembered if I would put my head between my knees I wouldn't faint.'

"That's the kind of Christianity a lot of people desire. We just want to put our head between our knees and say, 'Oh, I'm so glad I'm a Christian, so I can live in this horrible world.' It is a horrible world, and our Lord has put us here as His representatives. Opportunities to serve Him are everywhere." (Adrian Rogers, What Every Christian Ought to Know: Essential Truths for Growing Your Faith; submitted by Steve Eutsler. Click here to learn more about the book.)

? How do we become people like this?

Answer – teach and re-teach the Gospel to yourself

If you don’t treat the poor like you should, its because you don’t treat God like you should.

-          Are you poor in Spirit?

o       I have nothing

o       Bankrupt

o       Useless

-          Or are you “middle class” in Spirit?

o       I’ve worked hard

o       I have my list

o       I am entitled?

Conclusion

Where to Serve In the Church

·         Children’s Ministry

o       2 more teachers

o       Check-in people

·         Youth

o       WORD

o       Jr High

·         Prayer Partners

Where to Serve Outside the Church

• Vision House
• Everett Gospel Mission