For those of you who were unable to attend our services this morning, we would like to offer you a brief summary of what you missed! There was an amazing amount of love in the sanctuary this morning. It was wonderful to see the parking lot full of cars and the pews full of people there to worship the Lord in His house. The rest of the Montana Mission Team has made it home safely, and many of them were in attendance this morning (filling up 1 1/2 pews themselves!). Lynne filled in for Misti on special music and sang "Revelation Song" beautifully.
Trinity Welcomes the Campbell Family
We welcomed four new members into our congregration: Tom Campbell, Marlene Campbell, Brittney Campbell, and Kristen Campbell Stroupe. Kristen is married to David and Donna's son Justin Stroupe. They came to Trinity UMC through transfer from Davidson United Methodist Church. Welcome to the Campbell family!
The message was brought to the congregation this morning by Preacher Rick, who just returned from the mission trip this past Tuesday. It was obvious that the experience he had in Montana has certainly influenced his sermon!
The Most Important Commandment
Luke 10: 25-29
"One day an expert in religious law stood up to Jesus by asking Him this question: 'Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?' Jesus replied, 'What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?' The man answered, 'You must love the Lord God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.' And, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 'Right!' Jesus told him. 'Do this and you will live!' The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, 'And WHO is my neighbor?'"
Luke 10: 30-37
"Jesus replied with an illustration: 'A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes and money, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. By chance a Jewish priest came along; but when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt deep pity. Kneeling beside him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with medicine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two pieces of silver and told him to take care of the man. 'If his bill runs higher than that,' he said, 'I'll pay the difference the next time I am here.' 'Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?' Jesus asked. The man replied, 'The one who showed him mercy.' Then Jesus said, 'Yes, now go and do the same.'"
This is the question that Rick presented to the church. WHO is YOUR neighbor? Many people today think so quickly of themselves before they think of others; however, that is not what Jesus has taught us. He has taught us to love our neighbors AS we would love ourselves. So who do you consider your neighbor to be? The person that you have time to help? Those who ask for help? Someone that you have decided deserves your help?
Think about the perspectives in the story. The Jewish priest could have been on his way to a very important "board meeting." Have you ever been in such a hurry to do the "work" of the church, that you passed by a neighbor in need? The Temple assistant, who was knowledgeable and intelligent, may have thought about the danger that he would face in helping the man. Have you ever let your head get in the way of helping someone, because of the dangers in offering someone a hand or because you thought about what others might think or say about you? Then consider the Good Samaritan. He was most likely on this path for a specific reason, and he had other things that he needed to take care of. He probably wasn't considered rich by any means; however, he felt pity for this man and was willing to give of his time, risk his life, offer his donkey, and pay for his stay at the inn. He choose to make the sacrifice for his fellow man, a man that would have considered the Samaritan to be "unclean."
This relates well to our mission in Montana. The people of Heart Butte are our neighbors and we are called by God to love them as we love ourselves. It is hard to see people living in such poverty, children who do not feel loved by their parents and eat as though they haven't eaten all week, and adults that will not take pride in their homes or their land. We as a church have visited with this community now for 13 years. In that time, we have made a difference. You will see the community come out of their homes to help our team pick up the trash and weed the yards. The children may not always feel love from their parents, but it is guaranteed that when our team leaves they feel the love of Jesus Christ and that kind of love will last a lifetime. This is what we are called to do as Christians. We are to love our neighbors, and in doing so, we are to show them the face of Jesus.
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