Welcome, Church Family and Friends,
Scriptures; Isaiah 65:17-25, James 1: 17-27.
Sermon scripture; Luke 10:25-37
Sermon Title; The Three Mind-sets to Life.
Isaiah 65:17-25
(17) “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.
(18) But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.
(19) I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.
(20) “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.
(21) They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
(22) No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands.
(23) They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them.
(24) Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.
(25) The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the Lord .
James 1:17-27
(17) Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (18) He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
(19) My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, (20) for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. (21) Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
(22) Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (23) Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror (24) and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. (25) But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it–he will be blessed in what he does.
(26) If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. (27) Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Luke 10:25-37
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
(25) On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
(26) “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
(27) He answered: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ “
(28) “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
(29) But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
(30) In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. (31)A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. (32) So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. (33) But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. (34) He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. (35) The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
(36) “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
(37) The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
This is the word of God, for the people of God. Thanks be to God.
This parable is so familiar, that there are groups who don’t know anything at all about Christianity, but they know this story. We all know the parable of the Good Samaritan. We may not know anything at all about why the Samaritan was an important character and how Jesus turned the least likely person and most politically incorrect person into the hero. But we know the story,
And we’ve heard it so many times, that we usually just tune it out. So, maybe, what we need is to look at it in a different way. So let’s try this.
In the golden days of the settling of the west, you will remember, of course, that one of the major means of public transportation was the stagecoach. But, did you know, that in stagecoach days, they had three different kinds of tickets you could buy… 1st class, 2nd class, or 3rd class.
A First-Class Ticket meant that you got to sit down. No matter what happened, you could remain seated. If the stagecoach got stuck in the mud… or had trouble making it up a steep hill… or even if a wheel fell off, you remained seated… because you had a First Class Ticket.
A Second-Class Ticket meant that you got to sit down until there was a problem… and then you had to get off and stand to the side until the problem was resolved. You got off, stood to the side and watched somebody else fix the problem. When the situation was corrected, you could get back on the stagecoach and take your seat… because you had a Second-Class Ticket.
A Third-Class Ticket meant that you got to sit down until there was a problem… and then you had to get off and push! You had to put your shoulder to it… and help solve the problem because you had a Third-Class Ticket.
As I thought about this recently, I realized something. I realized that these are precisely the ways in which people relate to the church.
James tells us: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)
- Some think they have a First-Class Ticket… and they just sit there… and expect to be catered to and waited on and pampered.
They think like many of God’s chosen people, Isaiah was writing to, at the beginning of chapter 65, that all they had to do was sit and wait on God, to carry out His promises.
Others think they have a Second-Class Ticket. They ride along until there is a problem. Then they bail out and become detached spectators. They get off, stand to the side and watch somebody else fix it.
They are like the priest and the Levite who passed by on the other side of the road.
- Still others (and thank God for them) think they have a Third-Class Ticket. They ride along until something goes wrong… and then they get off and push! They address the problem creatively, they work on the situation productively, they help fix it. They, give their energy to the immediate task of solving the problem. They roll up their sleeves and get the job done.
Now, these three ways of relating to the church are really not so new. They are as old as the Bible itself. In fact, they were so pronounced in the time of Jesus that one of His most famous parables was told to address that situation. This is what the Parable of the Good Samaritan is all about.
The Priest and the Levite in the story thought they had privileged tickets, First or Second-class tickets.
- They didn’t want to get their hands dirty.
- They didn’t want to get mud under their fingernails.
- They weren’t about to travel, “third class”.
They were special people, important people, holy people. They didn’t need to get involved in the problems of the world. “Let someone else see to it.” That was their motto.
But, on the other hand… the Good Samaritan realized that he had a “third class ticket,” so when he encountered the problem… he knew exactly what he was supposed to do… Get off and help solve the problem… put his shoulder to it… and bring healing, roll up his sleeves and go to work.
That’s what third class ticket holders do.
- They don’t mind dealing with the difficulty.
- They don’t mind getting their hands dirty.
- They don’t mind taking a risk or getting involved.
That goes with the territory when you have a third-class ticket.
By the way, (don’t miss this now) that’s what made the Good Samaritan “good,” wasn’t it? He was willing to help, anxious to heal, eager to serve, ready to live and quick to address the problem. He was bold enough to deal with the problem in a creative, loving way. He gave the traveler who was injured a “First class ticket”, in the care that he showed him. That’s why to this day, we call him the Good Samaritan. He addressed that troublesome situation lovingly, in the Spirit of Christ.
As James reminded us; Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17).
Third class ticketholders are indeed good people to have around.
Jesus taught us that! Not only here in this parable, but also in many other places. He said: “I am among you as one who serves”…(Luke 22:27). Or in Matthew 20:25-28, “Those who act privileged will be last, but those who serve will be first! Those who rush to the front and act exalted will be called down, but those who are humble servants will be lifted up.”
“I am among you as one who serves,” that was the mind-set of Jesus. Over and over, time and again, we hear him saying it, and we see him doing it.
Remember early on how he went out into the wilderness to think through the meaning of His life and the method of His ministry. “What kind of Messiah would He be?” That was the question He was grappling with! And He was tempted to claim a first-class ticket. He was tempted to go the route of power and pleasure and privilege but No!… instead, He chose the way of the suffering servant. He chose a Third-Class Ticket.
Having made that choice, look at what he did next. He went directly to the synagogue and read aloud to the people what was to become the theme of His life. Go look it up… you’ll find it in Luke 4. Here’s what He read to jump start” His ministry: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Now, what was He saying? Simply this… “No privileged seat for Me!” I have accepted a Third-Class Ticket! And now I’m going to tackle these hard problems!”
In the life and ministry of Jesus, we see something very, very important, namely this… that God gives us a First-Class Love, but a Third-Class Ticket. And He tells us as well as the expert of the law to, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37).
So, when troubles come, when difficulties arise, when problems emerge, we have to get off and push, we have to roll up our sleeves and go to work… if (that is) we want to live in the Spirit of Christ.
Now, let’s be more specific. Let’s bring this closer to home as we look directly at these three mind-sets, these three ways of relating to the Church and to life… and see if we can find ourselves somewhere between the lines.
I. FIRST OF ALL, LOOK WITH ME AT THE FIRST-CLASS TICKET
MIND-SET.
Some folks in the church act like they have a first-class ticket. They just sit there and expect to be catered to and waited on. “Let someone else do the dirty work, not me!” is their cry.
Recently, I read about a man who got to the point where he could no longer help out around the house. He told his wife that he was physically unable to work around the house anymore. She sent him to the doctor. The doctor gave him a complete physical and then later came in with the results.
The man said: “Doc, I can take it. Just tell me the truth. Give it to me straight.”
The doctor said: “Well, in plain English, there is nothing wrong with you. You’re just lazy!”
The man thought for a moment and then said: “Could you give me a medical term for that so I could tell my wife?”
Recently, I read a sermon with the title: Are You Standing On The Promises or Just Sitting On The Premises? The truth is that some people relate to the church with this “sitting on the premises” mind-set. They sit lazily on the premises because somehow, they have gotten in their minds the mistaken notion that they have a First-Class Ticket. So, no matter what happens, they just sit there and expect somebody else to do the work and cater to them.
II. LOOK NEXT WITH ME AT “THE SECOND-CLASS TICKET MIND-SET.”
Have you ever noticed that some folks relate to the church like they have a second-class ticket? That is, they ride along enjoying the journey until… there is a difficulty or a problem. Then, they bail out, stand to the side… and become detached spectators.
Now, while they stand there watching others working hard to solve the problem, there is an added temptation…
- The temptation to become a “Monday-morning arm-chair-quarterback.”
- The temptation to not just watch, but to criticize and gossip about the way the situation is being handled. They say things like….
“They’re doing that all wrong!”
“Would you look at that?”
“They don’t know anything?”
“That group couldn’t organize a two-car parade!”
“If you ask me, I wouldn’t do it like that!”
That’s the way the spectator mind-set works…“Let’s find somebody to blame this on!” They stand and watch. They talk and critique and blame… but they don’t help!
We read in James. “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.”(James 1:26).
Like the Priest and Levite, they move quickly to the other side thinking they have no responsibility to address the problem. “I don’t want to get involved, so I’ll stand to the side and wait until somebody else fixes this.”
But this is not the Christian response to trouble, is it? Certainly not!
This is NOT how our Lord taught us to deal with difficulties, is it? As a matter of fact, this way of relating to the church and to life is at best NOT helpful… and at worse it’s even dangerous.
III. THAT BRINGS US TO THE THIRD-CLASS TICKET MIND-SET.
In our families, in our businesses, in our nation and especially in our church,
We need people who are willing to work, anxious to help, ready to love, eager to serve.
We need people who are determined to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
We need people in the church and in the world who are “quick to get out and push” when we get stuck in the mud.
Some years ago, a minister friend of mine was talking to a man about joining the church when the man said: “I want to join the church because I want to be fed.”
My friend answered: “Well, that’s fine, but we would all be better off if you would take off your bib and put on an apron!”
Well, how is it with you today? Be honest, what kind of ticket are you holding right now?
The Scriptures make it crystal clear through the life and teachings of Jesus Christ… that God gives us a First-Class Love, but a Third-Class ticket!
Will you “Go and Do Likewise”?
In His Service,
Pastor Joe
Listen To Audio: Sermon 20210829
Listen To Audio: Service 08292021
Prayer of Confession: They may not be beaten down or lying by the road, but there are people we pass by. Some are family and friends we take for granted. Others are neighbors, who have fallen into the hands of despair. Many are strangers, people we don’t know, but quickly judge. Rescue us from the power of our sins. Pour out your justice on us, that we would shower mercy on all we meet, even as we have received forgiveness for our sins through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Pastor Joe will be available at the church on Thursday afternoon from 2 to 4. If you need to speak to him, contact Pastor Joe at 570-267-4570 (cell) or Email: joe.s.travis@gmail.com
Loose change goes to Trehab Local Food Bank
Sunday School starts at 8:30am
Newsletter Deadline – Tuesday August 31, 2021.
Choir practice will begin Thursday, Sept. 2nd at 1:00! Please come a join us in singing praises to Jesus!
Please sign up to host one of the social hours on the Sunday after Communion Service on the first Sunday of the month. Hosting only means setting out what is brought and cleaning up afterward. It does not mean bringing everything to share.
The PW is selling Franklin Hill Presbyterian Cookbooks, called “Recipes From The Hill” at $10.00 each. All proceeds go to Missions. Please purchase one for you and a friend. Please see Debbie Stalker.
EMAIL address for the church has been changed to: fhpc400@att.net
South Montrose Community Church has a fire fund started and could use all the donations they can get. You may send donations if you wish to the address below. Add a note with the donations that the money goes into their fire fund. The address is as follows:
SMCC
PO Box 86
South Montrose, Pa. 18843
