What Makes a Godly Neighbor? Part 2

In this concluding part of "What Makes a Godly Neighbor?" Pastor Pete moves from the internal attitude of mindfulness to the external actions of mercy and ministry, defining mercy as "mindfulness in action" and emphasizing that while the priest and Levite both saw the man in need (using the same Greek word meaning "to perceive"), only the Samaritan acted, demonstrating that seeing is not enough.

The bulk of the sermon focuses on ministry, which is defined as being a "restoring presence" that all Christians are called to, not just church staff, and Pastor Pete breaks down the three primary reasons people avoid ministry: it is messy (illustrated by the hands-on, bloody work of bandaging wounds), inconvenient (as the Samaritan sacrificed his own schedule and spent an entire day and night caring for the man), and costly (requiring not only money—two denarii plus a blank check for future expenses—but also time, effort, and personal sacrifice).

Using vivid illustrations like a rescued deer that attacks its helpers to show how "sometimes helping hurts, and sometimes those who help get hurt," Pastor Pete emphasizes that ministry will always disrupt our lives and cost us something. The sermon concludes with a moving personal challenge for listeners to redefine their legacy, not by being memorable for worldly reasons like TV neighbors (Kramer, Kimmy Gibbler, Fred and Ethel), but by being a godly neighbor who is mindful, merciful, and ministry-oriented, ultimately pointing people to Jesus rather than themselves by choosing to "go and do the same."