There is one point I want to make in Luke, Chapter 10.  Jesus was ministering to an expert in the law.  “‘You have answered right,’ Jesus said.  ‘Do this and thou shalt live’” (Luke 10:28).  It is not enough to have the right answer.  Many people can give the right answer.  We can regurgitate different principles.  Remember, in the twenty-fifth verse He was being challenged by that lawyer, and lawyers are doing the same thing today.  He tempted Him.

“One day an expert in the law stood up to test Him.  ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’  ‘What is written in the Law?’ Jesus replied. ‘How do you read it?’  He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all thy mind and ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself.’”  ‘You have answered correctly,’ Jesus said.  ‘Do this and you will live.’  But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’” (Luke 10:25-29).  You would think that sooner or later, these people would stop asking Jesus questions.  He confounded everyone who asked one of their deceitful, wicked questions with the wisdom of God; amen?  That is the advantage you and I have.  We do not have to ask Jesus questions.  We read the Word, and we already have the answer.  The truth, the answer to any question in life is in the Scriptures.

The lawyer wanted to justify himself.  “And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead—leaving him half dead—And by chance there came down a certain priest that way…” (Luke 10:30-31).  They left him half dead.  "By chance"—this is what I want us to see tonight.  We do not have to set up organizations or times of outreach.  There is nothing wrong with that.  We can do it if we realize that God is ordering our steps.  In the process, we will by chance—I would rather call “chance” the leading of the Holy Spirit, the sovereignty of God; amen?  These men had an opportunity to have the conditions of their hearts revealed to them.  Every encounter we have is an opportunity to read our hearts.  “What kind of heart is this?  Is my heart full of the goodness of God, the gentleness of God, the kindness of God, and the mercy of God?  Do I love the same way He loved me, as it relates to any need and—hear this clearly—to the household of faith first?”  We cannot get so caught up in the world’s condition that we do not first expend our time, energy, and gifts in edifying one another.

We will be going soon to one of the caucuses in Manila, Philippines.  It is going to be for the southern Asia-Pacific areas.  These are great opportunities.  This will go into Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands.  Thank God for that opportunity; amen?  But those outreaches will never have priority or be put first over this community, whether it is for time or resources.  It's to the household of faith first; amen?  This is the priority.