I Have to Give GOD all the GLORY..

We visit our 1st church today it was awesome.  The message was one of those on time messages.  I was awesome.  We shared our video which is our Journey video. I gave the background history shared my heart and my husband give little testimony on his trip to Belarus and then he presented a teachable moment taken from the Word of God.  I want to share it with every one it was so good.  I am so proud of my husband and I am so glad he loves these children as much as I do and he is passionate about what God has called his family to do.. He shared that his heart was broken for the children when he went to Belarus 7yrs ago. He had the privilege of going into a virtual orphanage which was the church going to take food to these children what he seen was worse than anything he has ever seen. It was at that point God started a work in my husband to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus.  This message will change your heart if you let it.  And any one that feels led to use, you have our permission share the Good News of being the Good Samaritan to the Orphans.

Will The Church be a Good Samaritan?

   Today, I want to talk to you about the Good Samaritan. The story is found in Luke 10:30-35.

         

To set the stage for you; Jesus was teaching and a lawyer stood up and asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life.” He then summed up the Ten Commandments, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus replied that that was correct. The man then asked who his neighbor was.

        Let’s see what Jesus said. (Luke 10:30-35)

        In this story, Jesus shows this lawyer that a Samaritan was his neighbor. The problem with this is that a Samaritan was not very well liked by Jews. They were considered to be lower than dogs on the social scale.

        The Jewish Priest didn’t want to help his brother; the temple assistant didn’t want to serve his brother either. But a lowly dog stopped to help a man who more than likely despised him.

        As a church today, which one do we look like? Are we like the Priest and temple worker, and just turn away when we see someone in need? Or are we going to be like the Samaritan, and help those in need?

       

        Will the church just turn a deaf ear or a blind eye toward those in need?

        We are here today for 2 of those people who have been beaten and robbed by life. Kolya and his brother live in an orphanage in Russia because their mother has died and their father is in prison and no one else wants to help them.

        These 2 boys have spent the last 2 years in a home where they do not get enough to eat, no one to hold them when they are hurt, and no mom and dad to teach or show them the love of Christ.

        There are thousands of children with stories just like Kolya and his brother’s. I wonder what Christ would say to his church today if he came back to visit us today?

        I can answer that question because he has already told his church what to act like and do toward these orphans.

                Hosea 14:3b - ….. No, in you alone do the orphans find mercy

               

                Psalm 68:5 – Father to the fatherless, defender of widows – this is God, whose dwelling is holy.

                Psalm 146:9 – The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows

                Psalm 10:14b – the helpless put their trust in you. You are the defender of orphans.

                Deu. 10:18 – He gives justice to orphans and widows. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing.

                James 1:27 – Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.

        These are just a few verses that are written to us about orphans. There are a lot more that I don’t have time to go over today.

        The first 5 verses tell us about the Character of God, when it concerns orphans. As Christians, we are taught to become more like Christ every day. If this is true, then what is our character supposed to look like when it concerns orphans?

        The last verse talks about the heart of a true Christian. When we, as a church, care for orphans and widows, this is the essence of Christ.

        In conclusion, I will ask the question again,

                As a church, are we going to be like the Priest and temple worker, or are we going to choose to be like the Good Samaritan? Will we take on the heart of Christ? Will we care for the orphans and widows?

        As for me and my house, we choose to be the Good Samaritan!
                                      Phillip Grant Petitt