Welcome to this week's edition of the Weekend Sermon. I am glad that you have taken the time to read the sermon. I hope that you all are having a very good week.
This week I've been dealing with very bad weather and cold temperatures. I hope that the weather will get better in the days to come. Work is going well, and writing has picked up after a down period. I thank the Lord for the work that He has allowed to come my way.
I am still having problems with arthritis in my hands and fingers. Please pray that this will begin to get a little better. Thank you for your prayers.
I want to thank the Lord that a friend of mine who had the flu has recovered. She was in the hospital, but she is home now and doing better.
In prayer this week, please remember to pray for those in Congo who are experiencing the Ebola outbreak. Pray that those who are sick will recover, and pray that this outbreak will be contained and put to an end.
Please continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Pray for peace in Libya, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan. Pray for peace wherever you know there is conflict.
For our prayer focus countries of the week, let us all pray for those in the nations of Albania and Oman. Pray that many will hear about the grace and love of Jesus.
Today, we are continuing with our series of messages dealing with the Lord Jesus' ministry while on this earth. Our passage of Scripture today is found in the Gospel of Luke.
In this passage, Jesus is preparing to leave Galilee and head to Jerusalem. On his trip, He is going to pass through the region where the Samaritans live. He is planning to stay in a certain Samaritan village, so He sends two of His disciples on ahead to make preparation for His arrival.
When the Samaritans learn the Jesus is planning to go through to Jerusalem, they don't want Jesus to stay in the village. This refusal makes Jesus' disciples James and John very angry. They ask Jesus if He wants them to call down fire from Heaven to destroy the village and its people.
Jesus rebukes them and states in Luke 9:55-56, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of.; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." Jesus and His disciples then went on to another village. Let us exam what is going on in this passage and how it applies to us living in the world today.
In order to understand this passage, we have to understand the relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans. The Samaritans were a groups of people who had their own religious beliefs and their own temple. The Jewish people regarded them as being of mixed race, and they despised the Samaritans.
Jesus demonstrated His love and compassion for all people when He spoke to a Samaritan woman as recorded in John 4. Jesus stayed in the woman's village for a few days, and many Samaritans came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah.
Jesus also told the well-known story of the Good Samaritan. A Samaritan was the only one among ten lepers who were cleansed that came back to thank the Lord Jesus that he had been healed from his disease.
Both the Samaritans and the Jews were caught up in their hatred towards one another. Unfortunately, we see this same kind of hatred, racism and prejudice in our world today. People of one race or ethnic group feel that they are superior to those of another race or ethnic group. This type of behavior has no place among Christians.
Jesus clearly never demonstrated any type of prejudice while He was here on this earth. He said that whosoever could come to Him. Jesus extended His offer of love and forgiveness to people of every race, ethnic group and socio-economic class.
It makes me very sad when I hear those who claim to be followers of Jesus calling people of other races vile names. We are all brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ no matter what are race, gender, ethnicity or income level. Jesus loves everyone in this world, and those of us who follow the Lord Jesus should do the same.
John and James were offended when the people in the village didn't want Jesus to come. They wanted to call fire down from Heaven and kill all of the people. Jesus sternly rebuked them for this behavior. He let them know that He had come to save people not to destroy them.
When I was growing up in a very conservative type of church, I often heard pastors and evangelists speak with almost glee about how God was going to bring down judgment upon all the people that they considered to be evil.
Today, I still hear preachers and others speak about God bringing judgment and punishment on sinners. They act like they just can't wait to see it happen.
This isn't the spirit of Jesus Christ. Jesus made it quite clear that He came to preach a message of love and forgiveness. When the people in the village rejected Him, He moved on to the next village.
Jesus wants to have a relationship with all people. He wants everyone in this world to come to faith in Him. He is not seeking to condemn anyone. He is seeking to bring spiritual healing and hope to everyone.
With this in mind, let each of us be the kind of person who shows love and compassion to everyone. This includes those who we don't think are doing the right thing. By being hateful to others, we are driving them away from Jesus. We must show everyone the love of Jesus in order that they might come to Him and realize how much He cares about them.
Jesus loves you and He cares about you no matter who you are. He wants you to come to Him and believe in Him. I hope that you will turn your life over to the Lordship of Jesus today if you have never done so.
I hope that if you know Jesus, that you will seek to imitate His way of love in this world. This world is so filled with hate and prejudice. The world needs Christians to spread the love and hope of Jesus in order to make this world a better place.
Next week, we will continue with our messages about the Lord Jesus. I plan to post the sermon on Friday. I will post the verses of the week on Monday. I will be posting a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
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