First Baptist Church Delray

First Baptist Church Delray

Sermon Application Questions

November 2, 2025

Pastor Steve’s Message: “Neighbors”

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37 (ESV)

Review the Exegesis of the Scripture

Read Luke 10:25-28

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him (Jesus) to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He (Jesus) said to him (the lawyer), “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 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.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

1.     What was Jesus trying to help the man understand about the heart and intention of the Old Testament law?

2.     What did Jesus make clear about the strong connection between loving Him and loving others?

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31–46

Read Luke 10:29-35

But he (the lawyer), desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 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. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. “But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 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. 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.’”

3.     Why would it have been shocking to hear that religious leaders wouldn’t be helpful, but a Samaritan, a person who was half Jew and hated by the Jews, would put in the time and effort to help?

Read Luke 10:36

(Jesus continued,) “Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”

4.     What masterful technique did Jesus use to help the lawyer learn?

Read Luke 10:37

He (the lawyer) said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

5.     What is the lesson here about love?

6.     Did Jesus expect immediate obedience?

Make Personal Applications of the Lessons

7.     Is this passage just saying to go look for people who have been robbed and beaten?

8.     What are your thoughts about the way Biblical commentator Darrell Bock put it?

“We are to love and be a neighbor to those who are part of our lives. Neighborliness is not found in a racial bond, nationality, color, gender, proximity, or by living in a certain neighborhood. We become a neighbor by responding sensitively to the needs of others.”

(Luke: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament)

9.     What is your response to the way Pastor Steve put it?

“Jesus indicated that those who are on their way to eternal life love all people, not just those who are members of their tribe.”

10.  Consider how the main point strikes you: We love God when we love others with no exclusions.

11.  Who do you find yourself wanting permission not to love?

12.  What does this command us about loving every race and ethnic group, including Jewish people?

13.  What does this command us about loving every generation, religious group, and social class?

14.  What does this command us about putting in the effort to include people of other cultures in our church, even if it rocks the boat and causes challenges?

15.  While we do need to actively protect our church from people who want to harm it, why must be ready to embrace those God is clearly drawing to himself through us?

16.  Is there someone in your life God is nudging you to love who has gotten himself messed up because of his own poor financial decision or from some poor job decision or some poor relationship decision or some poor decision about friends?

17.  Who can you help who has gone down the wrong road, even if they might go back down the wrong road tomorrow, just because they need to survive today?

18.  If you have been struggling to feel assured and to rejoice that your name is written heaven, could it be that your problem is that you are refusing to love God by loving others?