“‘Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?’ Jesus asked.

The man replied, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’

Then Jesus said, ‘Yes, now go and do the same.’” (Luke 10:36–37 NLT)

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In our last devotion, we looked at one role of ministry that’s key to personal revival: being an ambassador for Christ. Today, we’re going to look at a second role of ministry, also from Luke 10: being a neighbor like Jesus.

The great evangelist D. L. Moody once attended a conference on reaching the lost world. Soon, however, he grew frustrated with the proceedings because nothing was being accomplished. None of the attendees had come up with any viable strategies for reaching the lost. Moody, a man of action, decided to make a point. He instructed his song leader, Ira Sankey, to meet him at a certain street corner at 6 PM.

At the appointed time, Moody placed a little box on the sidewalk and said to Sankey, “Get up there and start singing.”

Sankey had an incredible voice, and soon a crowd gathered to listen to him. When he finished, Moody preached for a few moments. Then he said to the crowd, “I want you to go with me down to the civic auditorium, and I am going to tell you more.” The civic auditorium was where the conference was being held.

The conference attendees had left for dinner. Moody led the crowd into the auditorium and started preaching. The place was full. When the attendees returned, Moody stopped preaching and said, “We have to close our meeting because our brothers are here at the conference to talk about how to reach the masses. So let’s all go.” He made his point. You guys can talk about it all day long, but this is how you do it.

Moody’s emphasis on “doing” echoed Jesus’ message in the parable of the good Samaritan in Luke 10. In the parable, a Jewish man is robbed, beaten, and left for dead beside a road. Three travelers encounter the severely injured man. The first is a priest, probably coming from the temple. The second is a temple assistant. Both are well-respected in the religious community. Neither lift a finger to help.

The third man is a Samaritan. In Jesus’ day, Jewish people hated Samaritans. They considered Samaritans to be a racially impure and inferior people. Yet it’s the Samaritan who stops to help the man. Not just to offer his thoughts and prayers, but to tend to his wounds, transport him to a nearby inn, and pay for weeks of care.

Jesus concluded the parable with a pointed question: “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” (Luke 10:36 NLT). The answer is obvious, of course, but the lesson is lost on many people today.

Being a neighbor like Jesus has nothing to do with geographic or social common ground. It has everything to do with getting involved in the lives of other people, meeting their needs, and showing them grace and mercy. Being a neighbor like Jesus means sacrificing our time, energy, and financial resources for the sake of others. Your neighborhood is as large as you choose to make it.

Reflection question: What would being a neighbor like Jesus look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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“The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. These were his instructions to them: ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.’” (Luke 10:1–2 NLT)

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A spiritual revival often begins with a sense of dissatisfaction, a realization that something is missing in your life. Have you experienced that?

Maybe you’ve wondered what to do with your life. Maybe you’re middle-aged or getting on a little bit in years. You’re looking at the course that your life is taking and asking, “Is this really where I want to go?” Maybe you’ve reached some of the goals you set for yourself. You’ve had a certain level of success, but still feel like your life is lacking some meaning and purpose. Maybe you’re a young person asking, “What am I going to do? What should I be spending my life on?”

None of us wants to squander our lives in pursuit of nothing. We want to find purpose and meaning. We want to pursue something noble. But what does that mean? And how should that pursuit impact the way we live our lives?

In terms of revival, we might ask how we can tap into something deeper, more vibrant in our Christian faith. The answers to these questions are found in Luke 10, which highlights three roles that every follower of Jesus Christ should fill. In today’s devotion, we’ll look at the first role: ambassador. Believers must be ambassadors for Christ. We must represent Him and His message to the world. We must live in a way that reflects Him so that when people look at us, they see Him.

In Luke 10, we find Jesus at a crucial point in His life and ministry. His time in Galilee had come to an end, and He was beginning the slow journey to Jerusalem that would culminate in His crucifixion. To prepare the way, He selected 72 disciples to go ahead of Him to the areas He would be visiting.

This was a critical opportunity, and He wanted His disciples to make the most of it. If you’ve made the decision to follow Jesus, you have critical opportunities, too. Opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus. Opportunities to talk about your own journey to faith. Opportunities to introduce others to the life-changing wisdom of God’s Word.

You have no way of knowing where and when you’ll find “open doors”— people who are especially receptive to your message because of the circumstances of their lives. But you need to understand that open doors may not stay that way for long. You must be prepared to seize every opportunity. That’s what it means to be an ambassador for Christ.

Look at Luke 10:2 again. Jesus didn’t say He needed spectators or critics; He said He needed workers, people willing to step out of their comfort zones and risk rejection for something infinitely more important than comfort and acceptance.

Your work as an ambassador won’t go unnoticed. Proverbs 11:25 says, “Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” (NLT). That’s how personal revival works.

Reflection question: What would being an ambassador for Christ look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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“Then he told John’s disciples, ‘Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.’ And he added, ‘God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.’” (Luke 7:22–23 NLT)

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John the Baptist was a forerunner of Jesus. He prepared people for Jesus’ arrival. He also confronted Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for his immorality. That landed John in prison, where he began to struggle with his faith. Specifically, John began to doubt who Jesus was. Like many people of that time, John probably thought Jesus, the Messiah, was going to overthrow the Roman government and establish His kingdom immediately. When no such thing happened, John’s doubt got the better of him. He sent a message to Jesus, asking, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” (Luke 7:20 NLT). John’s faith didn’t falter because God had failed him. He doubted because he failed to understand God’s purpose and plan.

Many believers today struggle for the same reason. Our faith falters not because God has been inconsistent or unfaithful, or because God has broken His promises. We experience lapses of faith because we have a false perception of what God is supposed to accomplish. Our expectations of Him are built on misconceptions and misguided thinking. We offer our prayers to Him and expect Him to answer with exact precision. And when God doesn’t come through like we asked Him to, we—like John—may start to doubt who God is.

This is especially true if you’re experiencing—or want to experience—a rejuvenation in your relationship with Christ. If the devil starts to see spiritual embers catching fire in your life, he will do his best to extinguish them. One of his most effective strategies is to throw the cold water of doubt on them.

John the Baptist made a spiritual mistake by not fully recognizing or understanding God’s will. But even in the depths of his doubt, he did something very, very wise: He looked to Jesus for an answer. He didn’t try to sugarcoat his struggle. He asked Jesus point-blank, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” (Luke 7:20 NLT).

Look closely at Jesus’ reply in Luke 7:22–23 above. He wasn’t offended by John’s question. He didn’t condemn John for his lapse in faith. And He didn’t say, “Just believe—or else!” Instead, He pointed to verifiable evidence: “The blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life” (Luke 7:22 NLT). Jesus didn’t give John a reprimand for his doubt; He gave him the hope and assurance he needed.

If you struggle with a lapse of faith as John the Baptist did, don’t despair. Rethink your expectations. Take your doubts straight to Jesus. Ask Him to help you understand His purpose and His plan. When you open your heart to His truth, you’ll find that it far exceeds your greatest hopes and dreams.

Reflection question: In what areas and in what situations are you most vulnerable to spiritual doubts? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.