Sermon Notes:
What does shedding innocent blood mean?
- It means Murder in particular and Injustice in General
- It’s the utter disregard for the value of human life
Murder says your life has no value so I will take it
Injustice says your life has less value than mine so I will exploit it
The bible says we are equally created in the image of God so we should treat every person with equal value
The early church was vocal against discrimination
Society measured people’s worth based on their usefulness to society.
Read Luke 10:30-37:
The Parable of the Good Samaritan illustrated a picture of Murder, Injustice and Compassion
Murder flourishes when there is much hatred 1John 3:15, Matt. 5:21-22
Injustice thrives on selfishness
God’s solution to Hate and Injustice: Mercy and Compassion
Follow-up Questions from Sunday:
Getting to Know You:
Have you ever experienced some form of discrimination? Please share.
Quick Review:
Looking back at your notes from this week’s teaching, was there anything you heard for the first time or that caught your attention, challenged, or confused you?
Digging Deeper:
- Read Proverbs 6:16-19. God hates murder and injustice. When was the first time you encountered injustice? How did you feel? What did you do?
- God hates any form of Injustice (the exploitation and/or discrimination of another human being). What forms of injustice exist today? How is the church addressing those issues?
- Murder is rooted in anger and hatred. It is expressed in public acts of violence (shootings, racial discrimination, etc). Why do you think society is getting progressively worse? Where is all this anger coming from?
- Read Luke 10:25-37. Jesus told this parable of the Good Samaritan in response to a lawyer’s question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
- Why did Jesus choose the Samaritan to be the good guy in the story? What attitude of the lawyer did Jesus want to expose?
- What did this act of kindness cost the Good Samaritan?
- The religious leaders (Priest and Levite) did not do anything to help the man in need. Why do you think that is so? What would it cost them if they had helped the man? How would you have helped if you were in a similar situation?
- Read Matthew 5:16-17. Some Christians feel that social action (acts of charity and good works) should always accompany sharing the gospel. Others feel that good works are an end in itself and should be done because every person is created in the image of God. What do you think?
- What good deed have you done lately? How do you reach out in kindness to people in need?
Taking it Home:
What is one thing you can apply to your life from this message and how can this group remember you in prayer this week?