Church As An ICU (1 of 4)
Series: What Is The Church?
Jeff Strite
Luke 4:16-21
A Russian soldier was wounded and was ordered to go to military hospital for treatment. When he arrived he found two doors: One was marked, 'For the slightly wounded,' and the other, 'For the seriously wounded'. Well, he wasn't seriously wounded so he entered through the first door and found himself going down a long hall.
At the end of it were two more doors. One marked, 'For officers' and the other, 'For nonofficers'. Since he wasn't an officer he entered through the 2nd door and found himself going down another long hall.
At the end of it were two more doors. One marked, 'For party members' and the other, 'For nonparty members'. Since wasn't a party member he took the second door and found himself out on the street.
When got home, his mother asked him, ''How did you get along at the hospital?'' ''Well Mother,'' he said, ''to tell the truth, the people there didn't do anything for me, but you ought to see the tremendous organization they have!''
What was that hospital supposed to be doing?
Well, it was SUPPOSED to be treating the sick and wounded. That's what hospitals do (or they're supposed to do). But apparently, that hospital didn't get the memo! They didn't DO what they were supposed to do. In fact, they didn't DO anything for that soldier.
Now, over the next few weeks we're going to be asking ourselves - ''What is the Church supposed to be doing?'' Why do we exist? What's our purpose! And the topic we're looking at here is seeing the Church as a hospital. Church - a place where we treat the sick and wounded.
And that is what we're supposed to do because that what Jesus came to do. The prophet Isaiah said that the Messiah (Jesus) would be ''Anointed... to preach good news to the poor. He (would be) sent... to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.'' Luke 4:18
So, is that what Jesus did? Wel ...
Series: What Is The Church?
Jeff Strite
Luke 4:16-21
A Russian soldier was wounded and was ordered to go to military hospital for treatment. When he arrived he found two doors: One was marked, 'For the slightly wounded,' and the other, 'For the seriously wounded'. Well, he wasn't seriously wounded so he entered through the first door and found himself going down a long hall.
At the end of it were two more doors. One marked, 'For officers' and the other, 'For nonofficers'. Since he wasn't an officer he entered through the 2nd door and found himself going down another long hall.
At the end of it were two more doors. One marked, 'For party members' and the other, 'For nonparty members'. Since wasn't a party member he took the second door and found himself out on the street.
When got home, his mother asked him, ''How did you get along at the hospital?'' ''Well Mother,'' he said, ''to tell the truth, the people there didn't do anything for me, but you ought to see the tremendous organization they have!''
What was that hospital supposed to be doing?
Well, it was SUPPOSED to be treating the sick and wounded. That's what hospitals do (or they're supposed to do). But apparently, that hospital didn't get the memo! They didn't DO what they were supposed to do. In fact, they didn't DO anything for that soldier.
Now, over the next few weeks we're going to be asking ourselves - ''What is the Church supposed to be doing?'' Why do we exist? What's our purpose! And the topic we're looking at here is seeing the Church as a hospital. Church - a place where we treat the sick and wounded.
And that is what we're supposed to do because that what Jesus came to do. The prophet Isaiah said that the Messiah (Jesus) would be ''Anointed... to preach good news to the poor. He (would be) sent... to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.'' Luke 4:18
So, is that what Jesus did? Wel ...
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