JESUS’ 3 COMMANDS
Our country is tearing itself apart. Even within the Church there are competing ideas about what we should do. Today I want to talk about that.
Because my dad was Bill Bright…
Others who have read my book, GITI….
My answer might surprise both groups.
Listen to what Billy Graham said….
I think many people misuse Billy’s statement.
Million dollar question: Do you think Billy meant we should never get “Political?’
Jesus gave us 3 primary commands:
- Love God
- Love your neighbor: Good Samaritan (summarize)
- Great Commission
If you ignore one of those commands, you ignore all 3.
Many Christians focus on Great Commission but forget vulnerable. That’s wrong.
Other Christians focus on vulnerable but forget Great Commission:
- “Evangelism not my gift”
- “Compassion not my gift.”
Don’t ever say, “Evangelism is not my gift” in order to justify your disobedience.
Jesus gave all 3 commands. You can’t follow Jesus and embrace 2 his commands but ignore the 3rd. You either do what he asked you to do, or you don’t. Partial obedience is also partial disobedience.
If you preach the gospel on the street corner everyday like St. Francis of Assisi, but ignore….
Combat racism, abortion, sex-trafficking and poverty but forget about the souls…
As followers of Jesus we must:
- Love God
- Love our neighbor: Good Samaritan
- Verbally share the gospel
Most leaders of Abolition devout Christians.
- “love your neighbor”
- Slavery highly POLITICIZED
- Billy Graham, say they were “Wrong?”
My point:
As an individual I may never ignore telling people about Jesus as God give me opportunity or the hurting, when it is within my power to help.
Example: Bill Bright, Great Commission, fasted one day a week
Did Billy Graham meant we should never get political?
Abolitionists wrong?
Standing up for the unborn wrong?
Do you really think that’s what Billy Graham meant?
Focusing on preaching the gospel is no excuse for behaving like the priest or Levite in the story of Good Samaritan.
As followers of Jesus we must help the hurting even if it means “getting political.” As followers of Jesus we must preach the gospel, even if it means “getting political.”
Incomplete obedience is disobedience.
Point: not a guilt trip, but to encourage you to think about what it means to….
As Billy Graham said, we need to “light a fire”
We do this by making God’s heart our heart, both for the hurting AND the lost.
Just like Jesus.
God is the issue — in every issue
