"ICHURCH SERIES - THE PLACE OF CARE"
Look Up: Luke
10:30-36
(Copyright 2006)
INTRODUCTION:
Last Sunday after
the services, a single mom with two small children who had visited with us, went
out to start her car. But the car did not start, because the battery was
dead. She asked for help from one person who did not have jumper cables,
and they just kept going. Another said that they had a pressing
appointment and really needed to go. It was a little rainy last Sunday and
maybe that was why nobody was helping. As the parking lot thinned she was
left stranded. Believe it or not, some man who was driving down Highway
51, got caught by the light at Alexander, happened to see the hood of this
lady’s car up, and came into the parking lot and jumped her car. But
then he followed her to Pro Care at the Arboretum to make sure she got there and
then, when it was determined that the problem was the battery, paid for it.
That is
disturbing, because of all places to expect care you would think it would be
here. And of all people to give care, you would expect it to be us.
NOW THAT DID
NOT HAPPEN. I REPEAT. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. It was my version of the
Parable of the Good Samaritan. But if I had not altered the story, you
would have missed the impact of this text, because you are too familiar with it.
When I was telling that story did it bother you? How did you feel? Some of you may have felt anger, some embarrassment, some shame, some
shock, some of you who parked on the other side of the building felt
self-righteous [wondering what is wrong with the people on this side of the
campus]. Why did you feel those things? Because you knew that
isn’t the way it should be.
I don’t
think the situation I described would ever happen here, because
Read
Luke 10:30-36 [Jesus’ parable was a lot more shocking than mine].
Why should
this place be a place of care? Because God’s people are found here.
Care
Potential
If Christ
lives within you, you are a potential care giver. Why? Because His
heart is in you. The text in Luke 10 said that the Samaritan was moved
with compassion. Maybe that was his personality—tender, gracious, prone
to respond to hurt and need. But for us it is more than personality [in
fact, we may not be that caring in our original makeup]. But that is no
excuse, because we have a new makeup. The One represented by the Lord’s
Supper Table lives within you. He speaks to me through that table.
He says “I care.”
When we were
lost in our sin, He cared.
When we were
alienated from God, He cared.
When we were
defeated by death, He cared.
He cared all
the way to the Cross.
When we take
our burdens to Him, He cares.
When we hurt
He cares.
He cares
enough to reign and return.
He always
cares.
“I Care” lives within me. People matter to Him, so people should
matter to us. He was on a mission for people. That is why the church
should be The Place of Care” because it is a gathering of people with “I
Care” living within them. This should be an Epicenter of caring—with
caring taking place here and radiating out from here.
Illustration: Roy Hattersley’s comments. An atheist and columnist
for the U. K.Guardian.
Care
Stoppers
Even
though we have “I Care” living within us, we can act lack ‘I don’t
care” because His in not the only nature we have.
What are some
caring stoppers?
I don’t want to be interrupted. It’s not in my schedule.
I don’t want to be impositioned. I do not want the inconvenience.
I don’t want to pay the cost. It isn’t in my budget.
I don’t want the mess—bleeding man on my donkey.
Complacency
Selfishness—masked in excuses
Leave it to somebody else [younger ones can do that, parents can do that, people
without children can do that, staff can do that, deacons can do that, the church
should have….]..
The truth of the matter is that we have to
practice the presence of Christ so that the spiritual atmosphere in which we
live becomes more and more natural instead of put on or stirred up. Caring
should not be determined by my personality, my schedule, my budget, my excuses,
etc., but by the Christ within me.
[Display of scales]
Why
do you come to church? [I just need it, fellowship, be taught, to worship,
children get taught, etc.]
That is fine.
I hope you do come for those things. But if you leave it there your life
is out of balance because of Who lives within you. Now balance that out
with [to greet, teach, lead, etc. because I care]. It is not MeChurch.
It is IChurch. Caring looks beyond me.
We need to
work for a balanced life.
What does
caring look like to a child [someone loving them, teaching them, hugging them],
to a student [inclusion rather than acting like they are invisible, to you [a
meal, a call, a card, financial help, prayer], to a guest [help to park,
directions and orientation, greeting ….?
Care
Opportunities
Caring is the underpinning of everything we do. That is what makes a
community. That is what offers hope [Nobody cares does not offer hope].
It will help to enable authenticity. It will result in response.
Caring is
both spontaneous and organized.
Display on
screen. Widows ministry [also in Acts 6].
Caring is
why we are Expanding Here. It is why we are Extending There. It is
why we give. That is why we serve. That is why we do missions.
That is why we are going to the
Gulf
When have done it unto the least of
these—“you have done it unto Him.”
This should be a place of caring, and we should be caring people. The
degree that caring happens depends on me and you—because we are the church.
The brick and mortar do not jump cars. We do. This will
not be a caring place unless WE are caring people. So what would this
church be like if were left up to you?
CONCLUSION:
Are you
related to the One Who set that table? Is He caring through you?
How? Is care helping us to balance our naturally selfish lives? If
not, what are you going to do to bring balance to yours? The Lord’s
Supper is always a check-up time.