Breath of Life
Ministries Presents:
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Sermon #594 -
"Love Thy Neighbor"
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PB: Luke chapter 10,
verse 25, "And, behold,
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a certain lawyer
stood up, and tempted him,
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saying, Master, what
shall I do to inherit
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eternal life? He
said unto him, What is
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written in the
law? how readest thou?
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And he answering
said, Thou shalt love
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the Lord thy God with
all thy"--what, everybody?
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Aud.: [Heart] PB:
And with all thy what?
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Aud.: [Mind]  PB:
"And with all thy strength,
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and with all thy mind; and
thy neighbor as thy"--what?
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Aud.: Self.   PB:
"And he said unto him,
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Thou hast answered
right: this do, and thou
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shalt live. But he,
willing to justify himself,
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said unto Jesus,
And who is my neighbor?
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And Jesus
answering said, A certain man
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went down from
Jerusalem to Jericho,
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and fell among
thieves, which stripped him
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of his raiment, and
wounded him, and departed,
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leaving him half
dead. And by chance there
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came down a
certain priest that way:
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and when he saw
him, he passed by on
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the other side.
And likewise a Levite,
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when he was at the
place, came and looked on him,
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and passed by on
the other side. But a
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certain
Samaritan, as he journeyed,
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came where he was:
and when he saw him,
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he had compassion"--everybody
say "compassion."
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Aud.: Compassion.  
PB: "Had compassion on him,
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And he went to him,
and bound up his wounds,
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pouring in oil and
wine, and set him on
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his own beast, and
brought him to an inn,
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and took care of
him. And on the morrow
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when he departed,
he took out two pence,
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and gave them to the
host, and said unto him,
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Take care of him;
and whatsoever thou
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spendest more,
when I come again,
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I will repay thee.
Which now of these three,
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thinkest thou, was
neighbor unto him that
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fell among the thieves? He said,
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He that shewed
mercy on him. And then
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[he said unto Jesus,
then Jesus said to] him,
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Go, and do
likewise."  Love thy neighbor.
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Love thy neighbor.
Father, bless us now
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as we go into Your
Word. Make it become
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alive and make it
become real and practical
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for Your people.
Hide me behind Your cross
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and forgive me of my
sins. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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Aud.: Amen.  PB: All
right, so I love this story.
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I've told this
before, and I love this story,
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so I'll tell it
again. Repetition deepens the
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impression. I love
the story of the little
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white first-grade
girl, who on her first day
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of school went to a
newly integrated school
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at the height of
the segregation era.
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Anxious and nervous
all day long, the little
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girl's mother met
her daughter at the door
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when the little girl
came home from school.
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And the little
girl's mother asked her
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little daughter,
"Honey, how did everything
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go today?" "Oh,
Mother, you know what?"
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says the little
girl, "a little black girl
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sat next to me."
Expecting the worst,
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the mother then tried
to respond and ask calmly,
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"And baby, what
happened?" The little girl said,
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"Oh, we were both
so scared that we held
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hands all day
long."  [Aud. Reaction]
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PB: When I share
this little story,
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I'm able to
acknowledge the fact that
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the Lord has
blessed us, and that God
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has brought us
a mighty long way.
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We may not be where
we should be in terms
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of race relations,
but praise God we're
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not where we used
to be. Do I have a
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witness in this
place?  [Aud. reaction]
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PB: You see,
there was a time when we
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couldn't vote.
There was a time when we
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couldn't eat in
certain restaurants.
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We couldn't drink
from certain water
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fountains. We
couldn't ride in the
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front of the bus.
We couldn't live in
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certain neighborhoods. But now,
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we've come this far by faith,
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leaning on the Lord. Is somebody
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know what I'm
talking about today?
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[Aud. reaction]  PB: But even as
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far as God has
brought us, we still
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have a long way
to go. While we may
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have thought, many of
us, that the tensions,
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and racial tensions, of the
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'60s were behind
us and that we entered
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a post-racial
era with the election
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of President
Barack Obama as the first
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black president
of the United States,
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that Jim Crow
was over and that the
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segregated south
was done, think again.
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Racism still runs
rampant in America's
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work force, in
our schools, in our
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communities, and
society at large.
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Segregation
continues in many schools.
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Urban schools
are understaffed and
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underfunded. Blacks
are often underemployed
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and underpaid. The penal system,
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the judicial
system, education system,
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economic system,
and a whole bunch of
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other systems,
overtly and covertly
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contribute to
the injustices in our
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society today. 
Now, I don't know if
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you've been
watching CNN this week,
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but I've been
watching. And just this
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week CNN
reported that in a private
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Instagram group,
private Instagram group chat,
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that Nikolas
Cruz, the shooter at the
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Florida high school,
in Parkland, Florida,
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repeatedly promoted racist and
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anti-Semitic views. And some of
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you don't hear
about that but let
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me tell you. In one
part of the group chat,
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Cruz wrote that he
hated Jews, the N-word-
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-I dare not repeat in
the pulpit--and immigrants.
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Cruz talked about
killing Mexicans, keeping
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black people in chains,
and cutting their necks.
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Cruz said he hated
black people simply
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because they were
black. Cruz said he hated
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Jews simply because
he believed they wanted
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to destroy the
world, and white women also
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drew Cruz's hatred,
specifically those in
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interracial
relationships, because he called
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them traitors. Don't be
deceived. Racism still exists.
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Just this week I
had to make a quick trip
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to Atlanta.
Quick trip. Quick trip.
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Those from Atlanta
know what "quick trip" is.
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Quick trip to
Atlanta. But I had to make a
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quick trip to
Atlanta, and on the way home I
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was stopped twice.
Lord help me. Twice! So the
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first time I
stopped, put my hands on the
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steering wheel--you
know the drill. Cut on
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the interior lights.
Y'all don't hear what
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I got to say. Cut
on the interior lights,
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put my hands on the
wheel, and the officer
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comes up to me,
and he looks at me.
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And I can begin to
detect there's something
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in his look. So
there I am in my Hugo
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Boss suit--I can't get
a witness in this place.
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[Aud. reaction] 
PB: My shoes are shined,
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I'm in my white
shirt and my bow tie,
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in my black Mercedes Benz--
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[Aud. reaction] 
PB: --and he looks
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at me as if I'm not
supposed to be driving
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this car. I say
yeah, this is mine,
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and my wife got one, too.
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Do I have a
witness in this place?
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[Aud. reaction] 
PB: This is your car?
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Yes. Yes. Then I
say, let me humble myself,
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I need a warning. Do I
need a witness in this place?
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[Aud. reaction] 
PB: Let me see your
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registration and
your insurance and your
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driver's license.
He looks at it--sure
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is your car. It is
my car. He goes back
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to his car for a
minute. Comes back,
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you're okay, Mr.
Byrd. Just, just slow down.
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I wasn't speeding.
Well, you ran the red light.
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You don't even
know why you stopped me.
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[Aud. reaction] PB:
I go 30 minutes more.
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Again, I see the
light.  [Aud. reaction]
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PB: Twice in an
hour. I'm coming down
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that hill, you
know, Doc Guntersville.
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Somebody knows
what I'm talkin' about.
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You been stopped there
too. Come on, say amen.
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[Aud. reaction] 
PB: And I'm coming down
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that hill in
Guntersville, and sure enough!
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I see the light. I
pull over right at that
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Windom Resort, right
after you come off the lake.
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Somebody knows what
I'm talkin'--look at,
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they know what I'm
talkin' about. Put my hands
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on the steering wheel,
cut the interior lights on,
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and there comes the
police officer. Sir,
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do you know why I
stopped you? Sir, no, sir.
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Well, you were going
70 coming down that hill,
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and the speed limit
is 50. Is this your car?
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I said, yes, it's my
car. And then I looked at
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his name badge, and the
last name said "Bradford."
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I said, Brother
Bradford-- [Aud. reaction]
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PB: Can we cut
through the chase?
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Brother
Bradford, this is my car.
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Brother Bradford,
you were waiting on me.
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Brother Bradford,
you're trying to entrap me.
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Brother Bradford,
let's tell the truth.
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I'm the pastor of the
Oakwood University Church.
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I'm a pastor, I would
not tell beyond the truth.
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And I made sure while
I was talking to him I
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put my jacket over the
warning I had just received.
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Y'all don't
hear what I'm saying.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB: I said,
00:10:06.30\00:10:08.27
Brother
Bradford, I'm a good guy.
00:10:08.30\00:10:11.67
The husband of one
wife-- [Aud. reaction]
00:10:11.71\00:10:15.21
PB: Three children.
I pastor at Oakwood.
00:10:15.24\00:10:19.58
I'm trying to make
it back to Huntsville.
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I'm a good guy. This
is my car. Let me go.
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Brother Bradford, as
he's now laughing at me--
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[Aud. reaction] 
PB: Looks at my license.
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You are Carlton Byrd.
I said, I am. He said,
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just go and slow
down. I said, thank you.
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As I'm driving
off, I'm saying, Lord,
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thank You. Twice
tonight-- [Aud. reaction]
00:10:44.44\00:10:45.81
PB: I promise I
won't do anything else.
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I began to drive
and I began to think
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about what they asked me first.
00:10:53.18\00:10:54.92
Is this my car.
The problems facing
00:10:54.95\00:11:02.42
black America are still there.
00:11:02.46\00:11:06.46
Twenty-seven percent of all
00:11:06.49\00:11:08.36
African Americans live below the
00:11:08.40\00:11:09.70
poverty line.
Seventy-two percent
00:11:09.73\00:11:12.33
of African
American babies are born
00:11:12.37\00:11:14.14
to unwed mothers.
One in three black
00:11:14.17\00:11:16.54
males is in jail
under some form of
00:11:16.57\00:11:19.37
police scrutiny.
Blacks, we comprise
00:11:19.41\00:11:21.94
13 percent of the United States'
00:11:21.98\00:11:23.45
population, but
we make up 35 percent
00:11:23.48\00:11:25.48
of drug arrests,
53 percent of drug
00:11:25.51\00:11:27.28
convictions, 74
percent of drug prisoners,
00:11:27.32\00:11:29.58
and commit 55
percent of all robberies.
00:11:29.62\00:11:32.19
But don't be
deceived. It's not just us.
00:11:32.22\00:11:36.36
Just as it is for
blacks, it is for whites.
00:11:36.39\00:11:39.43
It's either, not
either-or in reference to
00:11:39.46\00:11:41.43
blacks and whites
but it's both-and,
00:11:41.46\00:11:42.80
because white men
are also in trouble.
00:11:42.83\00:11:46.03
What am I talking
about? There are fewer
00:11:46.07\00:11:47.54
white men in college
and graduate programs
00:11:47.57\00:11:48.84
per capita today
than there were 10 years
00:11:48.87\00:11:51.57
ago in the United
States. Especially in
00:11:51.61\00:11:53.61
the fields of math and
science and engineering,
00:11:53.64\00:11:55.61
which is why we
always hear all this talk
00:11:55.64\00:11:57.35
about stem
programs, science technology,
00:11:57.38\00:11:59.68
engineering and
math. America's unreadiness
00:11:59.71\00:12:02.35
to deal with the oil
shortage and global warning,
00:12:02.38\00:12:04.72
the definite
deterioration of the United
00:12:04.75\00:12:07.16
States in
industrial competence, the loss
00:12:07.19\00:12:08.86
of market share,
the automobiles, steel,
00:12:08.89\00:12:10.69
and textile
industry, the utter lack of
00:12:10.73\00:12:12.73
non-belligerent
imagination when it comes
00:12:12.76\00:12:14.83
to solving world
crisis, and the painful
00:12:14.86\00:12:16.73
lack of initiative
in dealing with the
00:12:16.77\00:12:18.67
budget crisis, the
job crisis, the drug
00:12:18.70\00:12:20.97
crisis, are just a few
of the moral intellectual
00:12:21.00\00:12:23.81
decline indicators of
the white American male.
00:12:23.84\00:12:27.58
So as Dr. King said
it, we're going to either
00:12:27.61\00:12:30.55
learn to love each
other, learn how to hang
00:12:30.58\00:12:33.82
together like
brothers and sisters, husbands
00:12:33.85\00:12:37.22
and wives,
boyfriends and girlfriends,
00:12:37.25\00:12:39.02
or we gonna surely
hang and die tragically
00:12:39.05\00:12:41.42
like fools. Let me
be clear with you today.
00:12:41.46\00:12:45.96
There is a
conspiracy led by the devil to
00:12:45.99\00:12:50.30
des troy the black
man, the white man,
00:12:50.33\00:12:53.60
the red man, the
yellow man, the white woman,
00:12:53.64\00:12:57.61
the black woman, the
red and the yellow woman.
00:12:57.64\00:13:01.04
Satan is trying to
elim--we're trying to
00:13:01.08\00:13:03.78
eliminate each
other, but the devil is
00:13:03.81\00:13:05.11
trying to eliminate
us all. So this isn't
00:13:05.15\00:13:07.25
a revolution of
black against white and
00:13:07.28\00:13:09.42
whites against
blacks. This is a revolution
00:13:09.45\00:13:11.69
of right against
wrong. And so today-
00:13:11.72\00:13:14.79
-I'm not gonna be
long--just got to get
00:13:14.82\00:13:16.52
28 minutes in for
the television show.
00:13:16.56\00:13:18.16
Come on, say
amen.  [Aud. reaction]
00:13:18.19\00:13:21.70
PB: But the cry
from this preacher
00:13:21.73\00:13:26.90
today is love thy
neighbor. Love thy
00:13:26.94\00:13:34.18
black neighbor.
Love thy white neighbor.
00:13:34.21\00:13:38.51
Love thy red
neighbor. Love thy yellow neigh-
00:13:38.55\00:13:43.08
-love thy Jewish neighbor.
Love thy Muslim neighbor.
00:13:43.12\00:13:47.06
Love thy Catholic neighbor.
00:13:47.09\00:13:49.76
Love thy Baptist neighbor.
00:13:49.79\00:13:52.06
Love thy Christian neighbor.
00:13:52.09\00:13:54.23
Love thy atheist neighbor.
00:13:54.30\00:13:56.40
Love thy poor neighbor.
00:13:56.43\00:13:58.07
Love thy rich neighbor.
00:13:58.10\00:13:59.23
Love thy Jamaican neighbor.
00:13:59.27\00:14:01.24
Love thy Bahamian neighbor.
00:14:01.27\00:14:04.01
Love thy Trinidadian neighbor.
00:14:04.04\00:14:05.84
Love thy African neighbor.
00:14:05.87\00:14:07.34
Love thy black
American neighbor.
00:14:07.38\00:14:11.65
And stop all this foolish black
00:14:11.68\00:14:13.28
on black
racism.  [Aud. reaction]
00:14:13.31\00:14:15.75
PB: We're all
neighbors. We're all black.
00:14:15.78\00:14:18.42
We were all slaves. We just got
00:14:18.45\00:14:21.12
dropped off on different shores.
00:14:21.16\00:14:22.79
I wish I had a
witness in this place.
00:14:22.82\00:14:24.66
[Aud. reaction] 
PB: Love thy neighbor.
00:14:24.69\00:14:28.43
The command to love thy neighbor
00:14:28.46\00:14:29.90
shouldn't
surprise us. After all,
00:14:29.93\00:14:31.70
loving thy
neighbor is one of the
00:14:31.73\00:14:33.27
great two laws in
the Bible. Remember,
00:14:33.30\00:14:35.30
the Old
Testament, Deuteronomy 6:5,
00:14:35.34\00:14:37.64
"Love the Lord
thy God with all thy"-
00:14:37.67\00:14:39.77
- what,
everybody? Heart. With all
00:14:39.81\00:14:41.34
they soul and with
all thy--what? Might.
00:14:41.38\00:14:42.94
The second is like
unto it. Leviticus 19:8.
00:14:42.98\00:14:45.41
"Love thy
neighbor as thy"--what?
00:14:45.45\00:14:47.18
Aud.: [Self]   PB: Jesus then,
00:14:47.22\00:14:48.32
in Matthew chapter 22, repeats
00:14:48.35\00:14:49.88
the same thing. He says,
00:14:49.92\00:14:51.42
There are two
great commandments.
00:14:51.45\00:14:52.79
A lawyer is trying to tempt him.
00:14:52.82\00:14:54.79
What is the law? Love God.
00:14:54.82\00:14:56.26
Love whom,
everybody?  Aud.: God.
00:14:56.29\00:14:57.96
PB: Love God,
and then the second
00:14:57.99\00:14:59.63
is like it. Love
thy--what? Aud.: Neighbor.
00:14:59.66\00:15:02.03
PB: And the first four
of the Ten Commandments
00:15:02.06\00:15:03.60
deal with loving
God, and the final six
00:15:03.63\00:15:05.63
of the Ten
Commandments deal with loving
00:15:05.67\00:15:07.27
our what,
everybody? Neighbor. So Jesus
00:15:07.30\00:15:10.97
is real about this
love thy neighbor thing.
00:15:11.01\00:15:14.21
But in our text,
another lawyer comes
00:15:14.24\00:15:17.21
up to Jesus. And he
asks a question, what
00:15:17.25\00:15:19.65
shall I do to
inherit eternal life? Again,
00:15:19.68\00:15:21.18
this lawyer asks
this question not for
00:15:21.22\00:15:23.92
the purpose to be
instructed but for the
00:15:23.95\00:15:25.75
purpose of tempting
Jesus. But Jesus has
00:15:25.79\00:15:28.59
something,
something for this man.
00:15:28.62\00:15:30.69
So Jesus doesn't
answer him directly,
00:15:30.73\00:15:32.46
but He starts out
telling the story,
00:15:32.49\00:15:33.66
the parable,
about a man on a journey
00:15:33.70\00:15:35.33
who is mugged,
beat up and left for
00:15:35.36\00:15:36.87
dead on the side of the road.
00:15:36.90\00:15:38.30
Jesus says the
first person to travel
00:15:38.33\00:15:39.97
the same road and see
this man was a priest,
00:15:40.00\00:15:41.97
a preacher. A
minister. Now, you would think
00:15:42.00\00:15:44.71
that out of all the
people in the world,
00:15:44.74\00:15:46.54
the preacher would
help the injured man.
00:15:46.57\00:15:49.31
But when the
preacher saw the man,
00:15:49.34\00:15:50.55
he passed by on the
other side of the road.
00:15:50.58\00:15:52.88
Maybe the priest is
afraid to defile himself.
00:15:52.91\00:15:55.78
He saw the man, was
unsure if the man was
00:15:55.82\00:15:58.09
dead or alive, and
according to Jewish law
00:15:58.12\00:15:59.69
he would have defiled
himself if he had touched
00:15:59.72\00:16:02.26
a dead man. So to
avoid any inconvenience,
00:16:02.29\00:16:05.16
he goes, the Bible
says, to the other side.
00:16:05.19\00:16:07.66
But isn't it
interesting that back in Jesus'
00:16:07.66\00:16:10.20
day, just like it is
today, some church folk
00:16:10.23\00:16:12.50
care more about
policy than people.
00:16:12.53\00:16:16.44
[Aud. reaction] 
PB: The priest forgot
00:16:16.47\00:16:20.18
that one of the
weightier matters of the
00:16:20.21\00:16:22.01
law was mercy.
Everybody say "mercy."
00:16:22.04\00:16:24.01
Even if he would
be defiled, he should
00:16:24.05\00:16:26.45
have had
compassion and mercy for the
00:16:26.48\00:16:28.78
injured man. But
then the Bible goes on.
00:16:28.82\00:16:30.25
Jesus says,
another man comes. But just
00:16:30.29\00:16:32.82
like the priest, this
other man is a Levite.
00:16:32.85\00:16:34.62
Everybody say
"Levite."  Aud.: Levite.
00:16:34.66\00:16:36.83
PB: Levite. And he
is a deacon. He sees
00:16:36.86\00:16:38.09
the injured man
and passes by the other
00:16:38.13\00:16:40.33
side of the road.
Now, the priest and the
00:16:40.36\00:16:43.53
Levite should have
been the first people
00:16:43.57\00:16:45.13
and most expected to
help the injured man.
00:16:45.17\00:16:47.34
After all, they're of
the same race and religion
00:16:47.37\00:16:50.54
as the half-dead
brother in the ditch.
00:16:50.57\00:16:54.11
They're both
Christian, just like the man
00:16:54.14\00:16:56.31
in the ditch. Y'all
don't hear what I'm saying.
00:16:56.34\00:16:57.91
They're both
Adventists, just like the man in
00:16:57.95\00:16:59.91
the ditch. They're
both black, just like the
00:16:59.95\00:17:02.98
brother in the ditch.
They're both religious people.
00:17:03.02\00:17:05.72
They've read the law.
It's been written a hundreds
00:17:05.75\00:17:08.42
of times in their
minds, but they passed this
00:17:08.46\00:17:10.59
man right on by. They
know the law, but they
00:17:10.63\00:17:13.76
don't love. They
know commandments,
00:17:13.80\00:17:16.30
but they don't know
Christ. They're religious,
00:17:16.33\00:17:18.63
but they don't
have a relationship.
00:17:18.67\00:17:20.64
They're what I
call private sinners but
00:17:20.67\00:17:23.20
public saints. I
wish I had a witness in
00:17:23.24\00:17:25.14
this place.  [Aud. reaction]
00:17:25.17\00:17:26.17
PB: Having a form of godliness
00:17:26.21\00:17:27.58
but denying the power thereof.
00:17:27.61\00:17:29.88
They might feel a little guilty
00:17:29.91\00:17:31.71
for a couple of
minutes, but by the
00:17:31.75\00:17:33.38
time they'd
gotten around the corner,
00:17:33.42\00:17:34.88
they'd forgotten all
about the man in the ditch.
00:17:34.92\00:17:38.09
[Aud. reaction]  PB:
Can somebody relate to this?
00:17:38.12\00:17:40.66
We talk mission.
We talk evangelism.
00:17:40.69\00:17:45.66
But don't mess up our nice,
00:17:45.69\00:17:48.06
pretty church
with your strange ways.
00:17:48.10\00:17:51.63
Don't mess up
our nice clean holy
00:17:51.67\00:17:53.74
church with
your ankle bracelets,
00:17:53.77\00:17:55.60
your rings, tattoos, dreads,
00:17:55.64\00:17:57.47
or urban life
styles. And that's just
00:17:57.51\00:17:59.87
like some folk in
the church--not this
00:17:59.91\00:18:01.74
church but other
churches--they want
00:18:01.78\00:18:03.45
to keep out people the most who
00:18:03.48\00:18:04.58
need the church the
most. [Aud. reaction]
00:18:04.61\00:18:07.32
PB: But Jesus
says, then a Samaritan
00:18:07.35\00:18:10.65
guy comes along.
He's not Adventist.
00:18:10.69\00:18:13.89
He's not black.
He's of a different race
00:18:13.92\00:18:18.86
and religion that
the man in the ditch.
00:18:18.89\00:18:21.56
And neither race of
people like each other.
00:18:21.60\00:18:24.40
As a matter of
fact, they're taught to
00:18:24.43\00:18:26.33
hate each other.
They're taught to think
00:18:26.37\00:18:28.60
of one another
as less than human.
00:18:28.64\00:18:30.31
They're not supposed
to talk to one another.
00:18:30.34\00:18:32.64
But that doesn't
stop the Samaritan from
00:18:32.67\00:18:34.74
stopping to see
about the man. He gets
00:18:34.78\00:18:37.08
off his donkey. You
do know I thought about
00:18:37.11\00:18:39.91
calling this
sermon--but some of y'all
00:18:39.95\00:18:41.18
would have been mad at me--
00:18:41.22\00:18:42.08
"Get Off Your
Donkey," but I said no.
00:18:42.12\00:18:43.62
[Aud. reaction]  PB:
He gets off his donkey,
00:18:43.65\00:18:49.86
bandages up the man's wounds,
00:18:49.89\00:18:53.29
and then the
Bible says pours oil
00:18:53.33\00:18:55.46
and wine on the
man. Then he puts
00:18:55.50\00:18:57.60
the guy on his own donkey,
00:18:57.63\00:18:58.97
takes him to a hotel where
00:18:59.00\00:19:00.34
he can be taken care of.
00:19:00.37\00:19:01.44
He goes out of his way,
00:19:01.47\00:19:03.07
and probably misses whatever
00:19:03.10\00:19:06.27
meeting he was
planning to go to.
00:19:06.31\00:19:08.78
He spends his
own money for the guy
00:19:08.81\00:19:11.21
to stay in a
hotel, even promises
00:19:11.25\00:19:13.98
to pay the hotel
manager for any extra
00:19:14.02\00:19:16.05
expenses, even
though he probably
00:19:16.08\00:19:17.99
wasn't
particularly wealthy himself,
00:19:18.02\00:19:20.06
but he helps the man.
He loves his neighbor.
00:19:20.09\00:19:25.26
In the church
we talk about love.
00:19:25.29\00:19:27.03
We talk about
compassion. We talk
00:19:27.03\00:19:30.50
about mercy. But
really, do we know
00:19:30.53\00:19:33.37
what it means to
love thy neighbor?
00:19:33.40\00:19:36.34
You see, when we
really get close to
00:19:36.37\00:19:38.44
those who are
hurting, it will always
00:19:38.47\00:19:40.41
cost us
something. Working with other
00:19:40.44\00:19:44.01
people's wounds
is messy business.
00:19:44.05\00:19:47.38
I wish I had a
witness in this place.
00:19:47.42\00:19:49.08
[Aud. reaction] 
PB: Investing in people
00:19:49.12\00:19:51.09
who are in pain
knocks us off our normal
00:19:51.12\00:19:54.29
schedule. It's not convenient.
00:19:54.32\00:19:57.76
It's not pretty. It
takes a lot of time.
00:19:57.79\00:20:01.23
It means we must deny ourselves.
00:20:01.26\00:20:04.30
It means we must
come out of our comfort
00:20:04.33\00:20:06.50
zones and deal with
people who don't look
00:20:06.53\00:20:08.90
like us; who
don't dress like us;
00:20:08.94\00:20:12.07
who don't smell
like us; who don't
00:20:12.11\00:20:15.08
act like us;
who are not the same
00:20:15.11\00:20:16.91
color as us; who
don't go to the same
00:20:16.95\00:20:19.58
church like us;
who are not of the same
00:20:19.61\00:20:22.45
denomination like
us. But Jesus said,
00:20:22.48\00:20:24.69
love thy neighbor.
Love thy--that white man.
00:20:24.72\00:20:30.69
Love that white
woman. Love that drunk man.
00:20:30.73\00:20:34.83
Love that
drug-using woman. Love that
00:20:34.86\00:20:39.23
Baptist brother.
Love that Catholic sister.
00:20:39.27\00:20:43.04
Love your roommates;
love your classmates;
00:20:43.07\00:20:47.31
love your
coworker; love your boss;
00:20:47.34\00:20:49.94
love thy
neighbor. Love the one who
00:20:49.98\00:20:52.05
doesn't look like
ya and smell like ya,
00:20:52.08\00:20:53.92
who doesn't come
from the same side of
00:20:53.95\00:20:55.32
town and say love thy neighbor.
00:20:55.35\00:20:58.09
And so there are four things we
00:20:58.12\00:21:01.36
learn from the Samaritan. I tell
00:21:01.39\00:21:03.06
you this and I'll
sit down. Number one,
00:21:03.09\00:21:04.86
he was willing to get involved.
00:21:04.89\00:21:07.20
Now we can quote
Scripture and recite
00:21:07.23\00:21:10.17
cliché's on love
and God, but until
00:21:10.20\00:21:13.13
we are willing to
get involved in the
00:21:13.17\00:21:15.00
lives of others,
we're only blowing smoke.
00:21:15.04\00:21:17.74
We are only sounding
brass and tinkling cymbal.
00:21:17.77\00:21:23.01
The Samaritan treated
and bandaged the man's
00:21:23.04\00:21:25.48
wounds, put the
injured man on his donkey,
00:21:25.51\00:21:27.18
took him to a hotel and
cared for him throughout
00:21:27.22\00:21:29.88
the night. The
Samaritan could have said to
00:21:29.92\00:21:32.15
himself, I give
already to the poor fund at
00:21:32.19\00:21:35.16
my church. I
regularly tithe. I give
00:21:35.19\00:21:41.56
combined budgets.
I've done my part.
00:21:41.60\00:21:45.50
But the man didn't
do that. The Bible says,
00:21:45.53\00:21:47.67
he had
compassion and acted on it.
00:21:47.70\00:21:50.37
Number two, we can
learn from the good
00:21:50.41\00:21:52.01
Samaritan. He
ignored racism. Now,
00:21:52.04\00:21:56.31
even though he was
considered a despised
00:21:56.34\00:21:59.58
Samaritan, he rose
above such shallowness
00:21:59.61\00:22:02.58
for the care of a
fellow human being.
00:22:02.62\00:22:04.85
That's like an
American slave showing
00:22:04.89\00:22:07.29
compassion to a
plantation owner.
00:22:07.32\00:22:10.03
Or a Jewish
prisoner demanding and
00:22:10.06\00:22:12.19
demonstrating
concern for a Nazi guard
00:22:12.23\00:22:15.10
during World War
II. The good Samaritan
00:22:15.13\00:22:18.30
ignored racism. I
long for the day where
00:22:18.33\00:22:25.31
there will be no
more racism. And when
00:22:25.34\00:22:29.71
we talk about
racism--listen to me good-
00:22:29.74\00:22:31.51
-we always talking
about racism in the world,
00:22:31.55\00:22:32.95
but let's talk about
racism in the corporate church.
00:22:32.98\00:22:35.85
Because in case you
didn't know, now you
00:22:35.88\00:22:38.52
know, we still have
racism in the corporate
00:22:38.55\00:22:40.29
church. I wish I had
a witness in this place.
00:22:40.32\00:22:42.96
Time won't let mem
go there, but just know,
00:22:42.99\00:22:46.33
it's true. I sit on
committees you don't sit on.
00:22:46.36\00:22:48.33
I know it's true.  Number
three, he had a good name.
00:22:48.36\00:22:51.90
Now, you have to
wonder. If the Samaritan had
00:22:51.93\00:22:54.07
been to that hotel
before, he probably paid
00:22:54.10\00:22:56.67
for somebody else's
stay. Think about it.
00:22:56.71\00:23:00.24
Because why would the
hotel owner say, it's good.
00:23:00.28\00:23:03.18
It's all right. When he
told him, if he has more
00:23:03.21\00:23:05.38
charges don't worry,
cover my tab. This we
00:23:05.41\00:23:09.35
do know. The
innkeeper trusted the Samaritan,
00:23:09.38\00:23:13.12
probably because
the Samaritan had proven
00:23:13.15\00:23:15.02
himself to be
trustworthy.  Then finally
00:23:15.06\00:23:17.79
number four, we
can learn from the good
00:23:17.83\00:23:19.66
Samaritan. He was
generous. Now remember,
00:23:19.69\00:23:21.63
the Samaritan
didn't know how long the
00:23:21.66\00:23:25.20
injured man would be
laid up in the hotel.
00:23:25.23\00:23:28.50
But my eisegesis--you
know there's a difference
00:23:28.54\00:23:32.14
between exegesis--eisegesis.
My eisegesis
00:23:32.17\00:23:35.84
leads me to
conclude that because the
00:23:35.88\00:23:38.61
text said that
the atta--attack left
00:23:38.65\00:23:41.45
the man half
dead, that his stay in
00:23:41.48\00:23:45.29
the hotel was going
to be a prolonged stay.
00:23:45.32\00:23:48.32
Are you hearing what I'm saying?
00:23:48.36\00:23:49.39
I wish I had time
to elaborate on that.
00:23:49.42\00:23:50.99
But the well-being
and welfare of this
00:23:51.03\00:23:53.13
stranger was
more important to the
00:23:53.16\00:23:55.03
good Samaritan than whatever the
00:23:55.06\00:23:56.60
cost of the
hotel might have been.
00:23:56.63\00:23:58.00
The man was
generous. So this is the
00:23:58.03\00:24:01.27
essential
message of this parable.
00:24:01.30\00:24:04.37
If we are to be good neighbors,
00:24:04.41\00:24:09.11
we need to be more
like the Samaritan.
00:24:09.14\00:24:13.28
So Jesus concludes
with the admonition:
00:24:13.31\00:24:17.32
Go and do
likewise. In other words,
00:24:17.35\00:24:21.69
do act two.
That's the message for us
00:24:21.72\00:24:26.70
today. Get off your
donkey-- [Aud. reaction]
00:24:26.73\00:24:32.87
PB: --and love your
neighbor. Now, the ditch-
00:24:32.90\00:24:38.14
-gotta close--the
ditch from Jerusalem to
00:24:38.17\00:24:41.11
Jericho is a huge
one and it's filled with
00:24:41.14\00:24:43.85
human suffering.
Can you see the child?
00:24:43.88\00:24:45.88
The relative? Your
friend? Your coworker?
00:24:45.91\00:24:53.82
The homeless man
or woman? The Arab?
00:24:53.86\00:24:56.83
The Middle
Easterner? The Muslim?
00:24:56.86\00:24:59.26
The black
person, the white person,
00:24:59.29\00:25:01.60
the Hispanic, the
Haitian? Can you see
00:25:01.63\00:25:04.47
the stranger in pain?
Can you hear their groans?
00:25:04.50\00:25:08.67
But human pain is
so horrible that many
00:25:08.70\00:25:11.11
of us have learned
to close our ears to it.
00:25:11.14\00:25:13.38
It's natural for
us to make excuses and
00:25:13.41\00:25:16.34
simply pass by
on the other side,
00:25:16.38\00:25:19.95
but Jesus has not
called us to live that way.
00:25:19.98\00:25:23.18
Jesus has called us
to love thy neighbor.
00:25:23.22\00:25:29.46
Let me tell you
something. I know there
00:25:29.49\00:25:34.10
are some folk who
hate you. 'Cause there
00:25:34.10\00:25:37.60
are some folk that
hate me. They hate my guts.
00:25:37.63\00:25:42.27
But in order for them
to get in the Kingdom,
00:25:42.30\00:25:44.01
they gotta love
me. Come on, say amen.
00:25:44.04\00:25:46.91
[Aud. reaction]  PB: I
don't care what you wear;
00:25:46.94\00:25:50.01
I don't care what
color you change your hair;
00:25:50.05\00:25:53.98
I don't care how nice
you are: there are some
00:25:54.02\00:25:57.02
people that hate you.
You can give them money;
00:25:57.05\00:26:01.46
you can buy them gifts,
and they will take them.
00:26:01.49\00:26:06.56
But they still hate
you because you're blessed.
00:26:06.59\00:26:10.47
I wish I had a
witness in this place.
00:26:10.50\00:26:12.63
But I read somewhere
that greater is He that
00:26:12.67\00:26:17.34
is in me than he that
is in the world. So let me
00:26:17.37\00:26:22.24
throw this in. In
life, stop telling people you
00:26:22.28\00:26:27.08
got lucky. Lucky and
luck is for the people who
00:26:27.12\00:26:33.15
play the numbers. You
don't play the numbers,
00:26:33.19\00:26:35.46
do you? Ha ha. Luck
is for people who gamble.
00:26:35.49\00:26:40.76
Luck is for people
who roll the dice. I'm not
00:26:40.80\00:26:45.60
rollin' the dice. I'm
blessed. I'm blessed in
00:26:45.63\00:26:52.07
the city; I'm blessed
in the field; I'm blessed
00:26:52.11\00:26:56.28
in my going out and my
coming in. I was blessed
00:26:56.31\00:27:00.55
before I came in the
world. The hand of the wo-
00:27:00.58\00:27:03.05
-Lord was upon me. Can the
blessed people of God say so.
00:27:03.08\00:27:06.55
[Aud. reaction]  PB:
Are there some blessed
00:27:06.59\00:27:07.82
people in this place
today? [Aud. reaction]
00:27:07.86\00:27:09.69
PB: Let me tell
you something. Worship,
00:27:09.72\00:27:12.49
worship provokes the
fire of God to fall on
00:27:12.53\00:27:16.23
the worshiper. But it
also provides the hatred
00:27:16.26\00:27:18.70
of men to come against
the worshiper. But Jesus
00:27:18.73\00:27:22.94
said, love your enemies.
Bless those that curse you.
00:27:22.97\00:27:28.18
Do good to them
that hate ya and pray for
00:27:28.21\00:27:31.38
them which
despitefully use you and
00:27:31.41\00:27:33.75
persecute you.
Jesus wants us to follow
00:27:33.78\00:27:35.62
the example of the
good Samaritan and to
00:27:35.65\00:27:38.15
be a good
neighbor. How do we do this?
00:27:38.19\00:27:39.79
Number one, we
gotta have vision.
00:27:39.82\00:27:41.39
We gotta have what, everybody?
00:27:41.42\00:27:42.49
Aud.: Vision.  PB: We
need eyes to see those
00:27:42.52\00:27:43.79
that are hurting.
Too many of us have sight
00:27:43.83\00:27:46.16
but no vision.  [Aud. reaction]
00:27:46.19\00:27:47.86
PB: Number two,
we need compassion.
00:27:47.93\00:27:55.07
We need what,
everybody?  Aud.: Compassion.
00:27:55.10\00:27:56.91
PB: We need the love
of God in our hearts.
00:27:56.94\00:27:59.41
Number three, we've
got to go to the people
00:27:59.44\00:28:01.21
and do whatever it
takes to reach people
00:28:01.24\00:28:04.18
"Thank you very
much for tuning into this
00:28:04.21\00:28:06.38
week's Breath of Life Broadcast.
00:28:06.41\00:28:07.58
We hope and pray
that you have been blessed
00:28:07.62\00:28:09.88
by Dr. Byrd's
inspirational message.
00:28:09.92\00:28:12.72
If you would like
to hear this sermon in
00:28:12.75\00:28:14.16
its entirety, please
feel free to visit us at
00:28:14.19\00:28:17.19
www.breathoflife.tv or
call us at 256.929.6460.
00:28:17.23\00:28:27.04
[END]
00:28:27.07\00:28:42.08