Heavenly Father, we thank you so much that we get to gather here this morning,
that we have been set free by your wonderful gospel.
Through your son's death and resurrection, we might have life and salvation in him.
And we thank you that right now we have the privilege and the joy to hear from your word.
And so we pray that what you have to teach us this morning,
we would take in and we would go back out into our world, onto our front line,
and live faithfully for you.
And we pray this in your son's precious name. Amen.
We exist in a world that loves to love.
We use the word love to describe just about anything that gives us any slight sort of affection or joy.
You might have people say, I love my car.
I love my bike.
I love my iPhone.
I love pizza.
I love, I love, I love.
We use the word I love so frequently and so much that we kind of forget what it means.
We're a world that loves to love.
Love is one of the most dominant themes in books, TV shows, and movies.
We love stories about love, especially when love is victorious,
because they are stories that tap into an innate desire to be loved and to love.
For us to love and be loved is to celebrate being accepted, included,
to feel value and worth, to be part of something that feels right and to feel good.
The problem is, as a society, we don't always agree upon what is good and what is right,
and therefore what is ultimately loving.
A very clear and recent example of this has been Malcolm Turnbull's call for an independent review of the Safe Schools program.
This program is accused of trying to influence the thinking of young children to accept LGBTI views as the norm,
even if it contradicts the values and views these children have themselves,
or the values and views their parents have taught them.
There are many ways the program has been accused of being unsafe for some,
but we don't have time to go into it.
But what I want to point out is that it's very clear that there is a profound concern on both sides for the safety of our children.
But there is a clear divide about how best to make a program that keeps these kids safe.
We are divided as a community as to how to love these kids best,
and we've seen both sides accuse the other side of being unloving.
During Bill Shorten's press conference,
Cory Bernardi came out and called him a homophobe.
Sorry, Bill Shorten called Cory Bernardi a homophobe,
and Bernardi and others believe that the program is about brainwashing our kids
towards a socialist Marxist agenda, if you will.
Those who oppose the program are called unloving and homophodes,
and they are accused of persecuting those who are for the safe school program.
And those who are for the program are called unloving and intolerant.
They are accused of extremism, liberalism, and brainwashing.
The thing is that both sides claim and desire to love these kids.
Both want safe schools for kids.
Both sides completely, though, disagree about what that looks like.
And therefore, both sides accuse the other of being unloving.
We're in a world that loves to love.
But in reality, our world loves conditionally.
That is, we love because.
Because you make me feel good.
Because you agree with the way I think.
Because you act and speak like me.
Because your views don't stop me from having my views and doing what I want.
Anything that might be perceived as a threat or an attack on someone's freedom, autonomy, beliefs,
does not and cannot be loving.
Now, how have Christians responded?
You may have heard of a church called Westboro Baptist Church.
A very vocal church in America that is well known for promoting how much God hates sinners,
which is, for them, everyone except them.
They have a strong message of hate.
They are not at all interested in loving those who disagree with them.
And they don't view any other Christian action, apart from their own, as loving.
They picket funerals of soldiers.
Their signs say, God hates gays.
God hates you.
And in their eyes, their signs are supposed to be loving somehow towards you.
Go figure.
Their response to the world is to remain in their holy huddle and judge.
And by judging, they presume they think they are loving.
Whilst Westboro Baptist is an extreme example of this,
there are still a number of Christians and churches
who think the best response to this kind of world is to not take part in it,
to not engage in it,
to remain in their little holy huddle,
to love each other,
but not to love those who are outside their congregation,
to love those who are outside their holy huddle.
They view that their responsibility is to hide away until Jesus returns
and just take care of each other.
Now, at the other end of the spectrum,
there are churches and Christians
who have abandoned biblical principle and truths
in order to love those who otherwise disagree with them.
In their mind, you can't love and accept outsiders
without doing away of old, archaic dogma.
They justify this by concluding simplistically
that the whole Bible is about love.
And if one thing is remaining in our society,
that is love.
So therefore, the priority of our lives as Christians
is to love above all else.
So therefore, some Christians have begun denying
core beliefs of our faith,
like the Trinity,
the bodily resurrection of Jesus,
his death for our sins,
is even his own deity.
Much of the Anglican Church outside of Sydney
is moving in towards this direction.
With examples such as Reverend Rod Bauer up at Gosford,
who is constantly making headlines
about being pro-gay marriage,
and also doesn't believe that Jesus died for our sins.
Even one of our previous Anglican primates of Australia,
he didn't believe in the resurrection of Jesus.
Christians head in this direction
in order to make outsiders feel loved.
They are not just going against their own conscience
in order to fit in.
They truly believe,
these guys truly believe,
that love is the central aim of the Christian faith.
And then everything else in the Scripture
is relative towards achieving that aim,
towards love.
We exist in a world that loves to love.
But I think it's fair to say
we struggle to actually love each other,
even Christians.
How do we love people
without acting like self-righteous jerks
remaining in our holy huddles?
Or how do we love people
without abandoning all biblical principle
and eventually inspiring out of control
into something that doesn't even look like Christianity?
How do we love those who disagree with us?
How do we love those who don't want to love us back?
When we go to work on Monday,
or what do you do tomorrow?
How are we going to love those on our front line?
How are we going to live and love
in a world that struggles to love?
We're in a series called
Fruitfulness on the Front Line.
The whole point of this series
is to show that our faith
extends beyond the Sunday gathering,
extends beyond our Christian gatherings
throughout the week.
That there is no such thing
as a secular, sacred divide,
but that we are called to live for Christ,
to worship Him in our daily lives
with whatever it is
we've been called to do throughout the week.
And because Jesus' death and resurrection
not only saves us from our sins,
but inaugurates the reconciliation
of all things to come,
it's making all things new
and perfecting all things,
including our work,
we can then enjoy knowing
that what we do each and every single day
in our workplace,
in our homes,
in our schools,
where we volunteer,
has immense dignity.
And it's not a waste of time.
Indeed, our duty is to work
and involve ourselves in this world,
to engage with the world,
reflecting the proper order
of God's creation as we do it,
and therefore showing the world
our wonderful and great God
that we serve,
who made us to work
and to rule over this creation,
this good creation,
giving the world
a taste of what it's like
to be known by God
and what the new creation
will look like
that is to come.
One of the things
our world is so desperately
in need of tasting
is love.
Not love in the way
the world loves,
but love in the way
Christ loves.
And this morning,
we're going to see how we are called
to love in such a way
on our front line,
to give our world
that is thirsty
and hungry
a taste
of true love.
We're going to see
what it looks like
and how we're able to do it.
So firstly,
what does Christ's love
look like
in this world?
The parable of the Good Samaritan
read out before us
is to show us
what God demands
of those who follow Him.
Jesus' aim
is to point out
that the central calling
of our life
is to love God
and to love our neighbor.
This is the pattern
of life
that the law talks about.
It is to love.
But the extent
to which we are called
to love
is immensely challenging.
Jesus tells the parable
in order to show
that our neighbor
from time to time
may be someone
we least expect.
In fact,
it might be
our worst enemy.
We're going to read out
that parable once more.
So please open your Bibles again
from verse 30.
A man was going down
from Jerusalem to Jericho
and he fell among robbers
who stripped him
and beat him
and departed,
leaving him half dead.
Now by chance
a priest was going down
that road
and when he saw him
he passed by
on the other side.
So likewise a Levite,
when he came to the place
and saw him pass by
on that other side.
But a Samaritan,
as he journeyed,
came to where he was
and when he saw him
he had compassion.
He went to him
and bound up his wounds,
pouring on oil and wine.
Then he set him
on his own animal
and brought him
to an inn
and took care of him.
This is an incredible parable.
Jesus flips
our expectation
upside down.
The idea of Samaritan
exemplifying what it was
to love your neighbor
is completely unexpected.
The fact that the Samaritan
outshone the exemplary Jews,
the priest and the Levite,
is absolutely insulting
towards the Jews.
To give you some context,
the Samaritans and Jews
hated each other.
They hated each other.
Samaritans were considered
fake Jews from the north
who had mixed up
with other races.
They were considered dirty,
considered unclean,
like pork for the Jews.
They were equated
with the dirty pork.
Jews hated the Samaritans.
They were absolutely racist
towards them.
You could liken the hate
the Jews had
for Samaritans
with the hate
a white supremacist had
for black people.
It's that insane.
That's how much
they hated Samaritans.
Jesus paints
a very challenging picture
of what it is
to love our neighbor.
It might seem so foreign
in our world
and so backwards
to our culture,
but it's the very picture
we needed painted for us.
Indeed, our world
has begun trying to paint
its own picture
of what it is to love,
to love conditionally,
claiming we don't need God
to know what it is to love.
We can do it ourselves,
but the reality is
we love in a very corrupted way
and this is why
we find this story
incredibly challenging
and shocking.
It turns our version of love
and the way we view love
completely upside down.
The picture Jesus paints
tells us what it is
to truly love your neighbor.
It's to show that love
is unconditional.
It's not conditional love.
It's not because love.
It's love that seeks
their well-being
no matter what.
This parable
is to say that
if you want eternal life,
you must love God
and your neighbor
could be at times
your worst enemy.
This unconditional love
that Christ calls us
to have for our neighbor
means being able to see
your worst enemy
potentially lying half dead
in front of you
and instead of feeling rage
and bitterness
and anger
and maybe a bit of joy
about their plight
instead you feel
compassion.
Imagine that.
Imagine if that was
your first reaction
to seeing
your worst enemy
lying before you
half dead.
Your first reaction
was to have
compassion
on them.
This is what it means
to love your neighbor.
Not conditional.
Not because type love.
Unconditional.
But the question is
how are we able
to do this?
How are we going to love
our neighbor
when they turn out
to be our enemy?
The reality is
we really can't
if we're honest
because sin
has so corrupted
our world
and has so corrupted
the way that we love
that we don't even know
what it looks like
and truly means
to love unconditionally.
People would be
looking at this story
and going
that is wrong.
That is not right.
That is not loving
for that Samaritan
to love that Jew.
That's foolish.
It's impossible
for us
to be able
to love
our neighbor
in such a way
which is why
when we read this
we're so taken aback
and we want to challenge it.
We don't want it
to be true.
But
the great reality here
that this is not only
a depiction
of how we're
ought to love
this is a depiction
of how God loves us.
Remember
the parable's purpose
is to illustrate
what it is
to love
the Lord your God
with all your heart
mind soul and strength
and to love your neighbor
as yourself.
It's supposed to be
a depiction
of the law of God
and unconditional love
is what characterizes
this law
than it also
would be what
characterizes
God himself.
Our God then
is a God
of unconditional love
and we have seen
this haven't we
through his son.
Romans 5.8
says this
but God demonstrates
his own love
for us
in this
while we were
still sinners
Christ died
for us.
Ephesians 2
says this
all of us
also lived among
them at one time
gratifying the
cravings of our flesh
and following
his desires
and thoughts
like the rest
we were by nature
deserving of wrath
but because of
his great love
for us
God who is rich
in mercy
made us alive
with Christ
even when
we were dead
in transgressions
it is by grace
you have been saved.
When we were
God's enemy
Christ
died
for us
while we were
lying on the road
helpless victims
of our own rebellion
against him
Christ came
and he did not
pass us by
he stopped
and he had
compassion on us.
That word
compassion
is
splagitsomai
in the Greek
and what it means
is for your gut
to actually go out
for you to actually
feel sick
when you see
someone in pain
and who is hurting.
That's the kind
of compassion
that Christ
had for us.
He saved us
from our sins
by taking
our place
on the cross
even though we
were his worst
enemies
he died for us
and through his death
he gave us
new life.
What does the love
of Christ
look like?
It's unconditional.
While you were
his worst enemy
he died for you.
We enjoy
eternal life
and peace
with God
and fellowship
with each other
here this morning
because of
Christ's
unconditional love
for us.
So we then
who have been
brought into
relationship
with God
who experience
the incredible
unconditional love
of God
through his son
and have seen
how good it is
and how right
it is
have the privilege
to reflect
this love
to a world
that is so broken
and a world
that is so corrupted
in the way
it loves.
We don't do this
in our own strength
but we do it
in the strength
of Christ
knowing that we
are deeply loved
by him
set free
in him
resting in his
assurance
of forgiveness
and eternal life
enabled by his
spirit
to love
others
even those
who might be
considered our enemies
who might be
so unlovable
and so hard
to love
but the question is
how does this play out
practically?
If we can do this
in Christ strength
then what does it
look like practically
to love those
who could be
our worst enemies
who are on our
front line
who are difficult
and hard to love?
So we come to
our second question
how do we live
our lives
on the front line
in such a way
that reflects
the unconditional
love of Christ?
How do we
love those
in our world
who would least
expect it
without compromising
what it is
we believe?
Showing
unconditional love
whilst
continuing
to hold
tightly
and firmly
to the faith
that we confess
to the things
that we believe
in scripture
and not compromising
it or abandoning
it
even though we're
in a world
that wants us
to abandon
those things
how do we do that?
The answer
is not a simple one
I'm sure
you'll be able
to think
of situations
where you
won't know
what to do
exactly
but I think
the best thing
we can do
is model
our Lord
Jesus Christ
himself
as we see
how he loved
in the gospels
and do our best
to follow
his example
in our world
today
and I think
there are two
particular
things
that we see
Christ
model to us
in the gospels
that will help us
to love
our neighbour
whoever
that might be
firstly we see
that Jesus
was not afraid
to associate
with sinners
all throughout
the gospels
Jesus loves
to hang out
with sinners
and those
who are rejected
from the community
and showing them
love and grace
but a particular
story I want to
look at
is in Luke 5
which was our
second reading
Jesus
meets Levi
a tax collector
and he calls
Levi to follow him
Levi then
he's so stoked
about following
Jesus
decides to throw
a massive party
in his honour
and Levi
invites
tax collectors
and other people
along as well
now tax collectors
kind of like
Samaritans
were also hated
by the Jews
because they were
people who worked
for the Roman Empire
who took money
from the Jews
and then took
even more
than they owed
for themselves
they were considered
traitors
of the Jewish people
and so people
again would not
want to be
associated anyway
with these
tax collectors
with these
sinners
and yet here
we have Jesus
once again
hanging out
with these
unlikely people
it would be like
this situation
our Archbishop
Glenn Davies
being invited
to the house
of the Auburn City
Council's mayor
Salim Mahajah
for a party
now you can imagine
what kind of party
that might be like
Jesus goes
and spends time
with these people
with these sinners
associating with them
presumably having
lots of fun
with them
and not afraid
of what the Pharisees
thought
even though
they were questioning
his disciples
about why
he was doing this
and his response
was this
in verse 31
those who are well
need no physician
or doctor
but those who are sick
I have not come
to call the righteous
but sinners
Jesus isn't afraid
to associate
with sinful people
indeed
it's his purpose
for coming
down to earth
to associate
with them
and love them
in order he might
save them
we are not
concerned
we are not
called
to hide away
from the world
to disassociate
ourselves
from the world
and the concerns
of the world
to remain
our own holy huddles
and focus
on each other
no Jesus has called us
to engage
with these people
to love them
to extend
mercy
and grace
even if
they are undeserving
of it
in our own eyes
we do this
because for we have been
saved by grace
for we have been
experiencing
the unconditional love
of God
through his son
if it were our purpose
to just remain
this little holy huddle
right here
and avoid the world
then there would be
no point for us
in being on this earth
but we are here
because it is our privilege
and our joy
to exhibit the love
of Christ
has shown us
to the whole world
as Jesus says
it's not the healthy
who need a doctor
it's the sick
who need
a doctor
and so therefore
there's a particular
need
for us to go out
and love those
who might seem
unlovable
to love those
who no one else
will love
to love
and associate
ourselves
with those
who really
in the eyes
of the world
don't deserve
our love
but we do this
because we see
our world
is in desperate need
of the love
of Christ
and it's through
us
on our front line
we are able
to reflect it
the second thing
we see
that Jesus
exemplifies to us
is that Jesus'
purpose
in being with them
and loving them
was for their salvation
you may have noticed
I left out two words
in that last
quote of Jesus
when he responded
to the Pharisees
the very last two words
are probably the most important
in fully understanding
how Jesus
loves
sinners
and why it is
he's actually
hanging out
with these people
I'll read it again
for us
those who are well
have no need
for a physician
but those who are sick
I have not come
to call the righteous
but sinners
to repentance
Jesus understood
his purpose
in being there
in being at this party
his profound
unconditional love
for them
is seen
in his desire
to see them
repent
of their sin
and follow
him
in the eyes
of the Pharisees
Jesus looked like
he was compromising
it looked like
he was going in
just to join in
on the fun
sinful
party
I wonder
how many of us
here
have had eyes
like the Pharisees
and have secretly
judged
our Christian friends
for going out
to the pub
after work
for always posting
photos online
with a beer in hand
for being around
our non-Christian
friends a lot
I wonder
how many of us
have thought
of them
as compromising
on their faith
because they are
with sinners
as we saw
before
we're not to fear
associating
with the world
but we need
to know
why we are
doing so
our unconditional
love for our
neighbor
is expressed
in our desire
to see these
people repent
and follow
Jesus
if we were
joining in
on the sinful
activity
or abandoning
biblical truth
in order to
make it easier
to love
then it would
be compromising
the thing is
it's an illusion
to think
that we are
loving by even
being like that
it's not
unconditional love
to compromise
on what it is
that we believe
in order to make
people feel
comfortable
it's not
unconditional love
to sweep
people's sin
under the carpet
and act like
it doesn't matter
that's the opposite
of loving
people might
love you
in this life
for how flexible
you are
in your beliefs
and in accepting
you are
of others
but Christ's
love for us
looked beyond
this life
towards eternity
and we must
do the same
our way
of love
is hard
calling people
to repent
is hard
living a life
of faithfulness
to the scripture
especially
on the front
line
is hard
but the
unconditional
love
that we exhibit
in the end
is eternal
and therefore
worth it
and that's
where it will
count
whether we're
at the pub
at work
after work
in mother's
groups
throughout the week
in the lunch
room
in the office
talking to
mums and dads
at the school
pickup
in our book
clubs
and rotary
meetings
we are called
to profoundly
love these
people
by calling
them
to repent
to remember
that our
purpose
in loving
them
is to see
them come
to know
and to love
Jesus
now that doesn't
necessarily mean
that we stand up
in the middle
of our workplaces
and start
preaching
and calling
them to baptize
and such
but what it
does mean
you can give
it a go
if you like
but what it
does mean
is living
life of
gracious
love
that seeks
to engage
with these
people
with where
they are at
not afraid
to associate
yourself
with them
and yet
at the same
time
not compromising
on your
faith
drawing the
line
that line
might be
hard to find
at times
but we ought
to do our
best
because in
the end
it is
seeking
to love
them
and to
do life
with them
as you
are both
part of
the same
world
the same
world
that God
made
and as
they seek
to share
their life
with you
you'll have
an opportunity
to share
your life
with them
and that's
where you'll
have the
opportunity
to share
the love
of God
and call
them
to repent
and there
is not
a better
way to
love people
by telling
them
the wonderful
love
and truth
of Jesus
love for
them
and by
living it
out
as you
live
your life
on the
front line
as I said
it's not
always that
simple
it's not
always that
easy and
clear
how to
show that
love
of Christ
in this
world
but where
we do
have the
opportunity
to love
it will
speak volumes
where we
can give
the world
taste
the love
of God
has lavished
upon us
and how
that
transforms
our life
on our
front line
it will
speak
volumes
a couple
of weeks
ago a
lady named
Ingrid Williams
was killed
in a car
accident
in Oklahoma
City
she was hit
by an
oncoming
car
that killed
the driver
instantly
and then she
was killed
a day later
in hospital
Monty Williams
her husband
had every
reason
to be
filled
with anger
you might
expect that
he was
had a sense
that he was
robbed
that what
happened
was unjust
and not
fair
but at the
funeral
when he
gave his
eulogy
he said
this
as a part
of it
he said
this
I want
to close
with this
and I
think it's
the most
important
thing we
need to
understand
everyone is
praying for
me and my
family
which is
right
but let us
not forget
that there
were two
people in
this situation
and that
family needs
prayer as
well
and we
have no
ill will
towards that
family
in my
house
we have
a sign
that says
as for
me and
my house
we will
serve the
Lord
we cannot
serve the
Lord
if we
don't have
a heart
of forgiveness
that family
didn't wake
up wanting
to hurt
my wife
life is
hard
it's very
hard
and that
was tough
but we
will hold
no ill
will
toward
Donaldson
family
and as
we group
and we
as a group
brothers united
in unity
should be
praying for
that family
because they
grieve as
well
so let's
not lose
sight of
what's
important
we cannot
serve the
Lord
if we
don't have
a heart
of forgiveness
that right
there is
someone who
is exhibiting
on their
front line
how the
unconditional
love of
God has
transformed
them in
every single
way
enabling him
to love
forgive
and pray
for the
family whose
member
killed his
wife
love of
this is
what it
is to
love our
neighbor
to love
those on
our front
line
it can
seem quite
daunting
quite
intimidating
but this
this story
should encourage
us to see
that the
Christian life
has so much
to offer
in this
world
as we
engage
with the
world
not compromising
our faith
but loving
a world
that desires
to see
people
we interact
with
come to
repentance
where you
are right
now
and whatever
you are
doing
it is so
important
what you're
doing is
so important
whether you
are working
full time
at home
looking out
for the
kids
full time
studying
or at
uni
full time
volunteering
playing
sport
whatever it
might be
wherever God
has placed
you
it is so
important
because he
wants you
to live out
a life
of faith
where you've
been placed
showing how
your whole
life
your work
your relationships
have been
transformed
by Jesus
as Jesus
transformed
Monty Williams
to live
in such a
way
in unconditional
love
to give
those around
you a
taste
of the
kingdom
of heaven
that is to
come
as you
live out
and exemplify
the love
of God
in your
work
and in
your life
Amen