Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
So they did a study and they found out the single biggest obstacle to being a good neighbor.
Do you know what it is? Your electric garage door. Because literally what's its done is
you can drive in to your house, just kinda nod at the people who live to you, pull into
the garage it drops down it becomes a mote around your house. Second thing that causes
bad neighbors or for you no to know your neighbors is electricity 100 years ago. Every house
that was built was built with a front porch. In fact if you go down to Rojo Gomez and help
us build one of those houses down there. Those neighborhoods are the coolest neighborhoods
in the world. Everybody's out front. You know why? They don't have electricity so they can't
just hang out in their house. And so every body is out in the front. Everybody is a good
neighbor. What does it mean to love your neighbor? It is to will the good as God's good is in
their life. You want the good that God wants in their life. That's what it means to love
someone.
So person in the meeting with the mayor they said we've done studies. And this is what
we've found out. From the city's perspective there is not a notable difference between
how Christians are neighbors and how non-Christians are neighbors in our community. You think
we're missing Jesus? There's not difference. And fundamentally. The right answer is love
God love your neighbor. And fundamentally Jesus said there's one thing I want you to
do, one thing, you don't need to go give your money away, I want you to? [Love God, Love
your neighbor] good look at what it says in James 2:8 if you really keep the royal law
found in scripture. You would love your neighbor as yourself. And then first john 4. Which
is so encouraging. We love because? So you know here's what he's saying. You don't have
to go wind it up to find it deep in yourself. You don't have to hold on and clench going
you know there's only so much to go around. Jesus is saying I'm gonna love you and so
fill your heart with Love that the natural thing for you to do is to? Love your neighbor.
[00:20:22] Ok so is it possible for you to say that you
love your neighbor if you don't know their name? I know its painful but the obvious answer
is, no. You can't say you love your neighbor if you don't even know their name so they
created in this book this chart, which has got a magnet on it. Which is meant to go on
your refrigerator so that it's meant to fill it out. Now we are gonna just take a moment
and fill it out. So here's your neighbor hood alright. Here's your house. Here's the people
that live next to you, the people that live across your street. And the people who live
behind you. Now I know I know, a lot of you are going but that's my neighbor I've got
a corner lot, or I'm in an apartment. Or mine, or I've only got a long street or I'm in a
culda sac. Could you work with me here a little you know. Use your imagination, I get it.
Don't try to get an out. Figure it out; you've got 8 neighbors around you right? 1, 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, 7 8. Alright here's what I want you to. Here's your house. Wherever you put your
house I want you to find 8 around you. However they're configured, alright. The challenge,
right now I'm gonna give you 60 seconds to do this. Write the names of every adult in
the house next to you and around you and every name of a child living in that house. Number
1.
2, this is were we're all gonna drop out hard. Next to the name of the adults write one thing
that you know about them, and it can't be the color of the car they drive. Alright.
So write down the name of the adults and you have to write down some insight like the work
that they do, or an interest that they have. Or a hobby they have. Do you understand it?
8 houses around you. However they are configured. Name of adults that live in the house name
of the kids, one interest, 60 seconds. Lets just make a point, here you have it, go. Borrow
a pen a pencil. [00:22:22] Music playing
[00:22:51] Are you doing this or just talking to each
other? Alright come on back, here's the deal. We don't need to go. If I gave you all the
time that you had. Boys and girls, boys and girls. Ok. Here's what they found cause they've
done this in a bunch of churches, 10 percent of us could write the names of the people
who live in the homes around us, the adults and the children 3 percent of us could write
the names and actually write 1 thing that shows that we know them, like their interest
or the job that they do. That means we fail at just knowing our neighbors at a 97% level.
Do you think we are missing Jesus?