Who’s My Neighbor? | Love Your Neighbor | Pastors Rodney Thrift and Johnny Mitcham
Johnny Mitcham   -   August 6, 2023

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
Who’s My Neighbor?

NEIGHBOR: A person who lives near another person. One’s fellow human being. Someone who shows kindliness or helpfulness toward others. A term used to address others, especially as a friendly greeting to a stranger. When I’m a neighbor, I’m friendly. (kind, helpful, and supporting)

Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV) 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Matthew 22:37-40 (ESV) 34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 7:12 (NLT) 12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”

 

SOUL TATTOO: My neighbor is anyone in proximity to me that I can share God’s love with.

 

  1. Who is my neighbor in the Old Testament?
    • HEBREW: neighbor=“rea” (ray-ah)
    • Leviticus 19:9-18 (NIV) 9 “ ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God. 11 “ ‘Do not steal. “ ‘Do not lie. “ ‘Do not deceive one another. 12 “ ‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. 13 “ ‘Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. “ ‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight. 14 “ ‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord. 15 “ ‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. 16 “ ‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people. “ ‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord. 17 “ ‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. 18 “ ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
    • SOUL TATTOO: My neighbor is anyone in proximity to me that I can share God’s love with.
  2. Who is my neighbor in the New Testament?
    • GREEK: neighbor=“plesion” (play-see-on)
    • Luke 10:25-37 (ESV) 25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
    • SOUL TATTOO: My neighbor is anyone in proximity to me that I can share God’s love with.
  3. Who am I supposed to be to my neighbor?
    • How to GROW so we can be most effective to GO.
    • Build Community:
      • Small Groups provide three things: 
        1. A place to connect with others. 
          • 1 Corinthians 9:22 (TLB) “Yes, whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him.”
        2. A place to protect each other. 
          • 1 John 3:16 (NLT) “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us. So, we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
        3. A place to grow together.
          • Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
    • Discover Purpose:
      • Each of us have a unique personality, spiritual gifts, and deep passions that are to be used in the body of Christ to advance His kingdom.
      • Ephesians 2:10 (NASB) “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.”
      • John 14:12 (NIV) “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

SOUL TATTOO: My neighbor is anyone in proximity to me that I can share God’s love with.