Right Angles - Going Horizontal

The “Right Angle” to go vertical is 90 degrees… Straight up to God!... What is the “Right Angle” to go horizontal?… 180 degrees is the “Right Angle”… Going Horizontal at 180 degrees is to stop being focused on self primarily and to to make a complete turn or to do a 180 and to begin to be one who is focused on others… For most of us others are obstacles to overcome or resources to use...

John 15:13
13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
 
1 John 3:16
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
 
When Jesus is asked how to inherit eternal life He says in Luke Chapter 10... "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself."

The question we attempted to look at this Sunday in church is "who is our neighbor and how do we love them"?  As we looked at the story known as "The Good Samaritan" in Luke Chapter 10 we focused on 3 areas: 

1.  Falling among thieves
2.  A Priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan 
3.  How to love your neighbor (which I want to touch on here...)
 
a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.
 
Who loves their neighbor? A person with a heart that has been renewed through the 90 degree angle process and is moved with compassion when they see those who have "fallen among thieves"…
 
he went to him and bandaged his wounds,
 
Who loves their neighbor? A person who is willing to go the hurting and get close enough to bandage their wounds…
 
pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal,
 
Who loves their neighbor? A person who is willing to share what they have…
 
he brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
 
Who loves their neighbor? A person who will try to get people to a safe place to heal… like church?… And then be there with them to take care of them…
 
When Jesus was born the bible says there was “No room for Him in the inn”…
 
Is there room in your life's inn and in your church's inn for those who have fallen among thieves?… Will you move with compassion and share what you have and bandage wounds and care for them?…
 
when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.
 
Who loves their neighbor? A person willing to make a “Long Term Investment”…  This loving neighbor gave money and they promised to return to help finish the work…
 
This is what it means to “Go Horizontal” by making a 180 degree turn from selfishness and to begin to love your neighbor as yourself…
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