Missed Calls |Pt.1|The Call to Help Others

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Thank you for listening, and we look forward to growing in faith together! Church On The Rock Nashville (COTRN) Show Notes Date: April 27, 2025 Series: Missed Calls (Week 1) Title: The Call to Help Others  Speaker: Pastor Nick BirminghamText: Luke 10:25-37

Opening:

• New series: Missed Calls – exploring overlooked opportunities in our spiritual lives.
• Analogy of missing phone calls and the potential consequences.
• Spiritual "missed calls": Overlooking opportunities to help others, misunderstanding God's plan vs. our desires, focusing on expectations, and not seizing God-given moments.
• Encouragement that God can redeem missed moments.

Message Title: The call to help others, the call we silence when comfort speaks louder.

Introduction:

• Reference to the phrase "woulda, could've" from Psychology Today regarding missed opportunities in life (relationships, career, education).
• Acknowledging that we don't control everything, but God knows best.
• Desire to avoid a life tied to regret and not miss the important "calls."
• Relatable analogy of frustration when a bad call in sports changes the game (especially for Razorbacks fans!).
• Personal reflection: What is my responsibility as a person of faith? Who am I responsible for?
• The struggle of juggling personal struggles with the commitment to follow God and respond to others.
• Pastor Nick's personal anecdote about a missed opportunity to invite someone to church at Walmart and his father's prompting.
• Learning moments: Recognizing opportunities to share the gospel or God's goodness.

The Problem:

• Society's "me, me, me" mentality and the high value placed on individualism.
• Acknowledging a deeper calling beyond self-interest.
• The "me vs. we" struggle is not unique to our time; it's present in scripture.

Scripture Reading and Context: Luke 10:25-37

• The lawyer's question to Jesus: "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
• Jesus' response: Quoting the law – love God and your neighbor as yourself.
• Jesus' affirmation: "Do this and you will live."
• The lawyer, wanting to justify himself, asks: "And who is my neighbor?"
• Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan:
  • A man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho is attacked, robbed, and left half dead.
  • A priest and a Levite pass by on the other side.
  • A Samaritan comes, has compassion, bandages his wounds (pouring on oil and wine), puts him on his animal, takes him to an inn, and cares for him.
  • The next day, the Samaritan gives the innkeeper two denarii and promises to pay any additional expenses upon his return.
• Jesus' question to the lawyer: "Which of these three do you think proved to be a nei