GREENSBORO, N.C. – The characteristics of neighborly love demonstrated by the Good Samaritan are a result of the love of God, and they demonstrate a pattern for how N.C. Baptists can exemplify those qualities in reaching their communities.
“It’s not about what you do, it’s about what He did,” N.C. Baptist President Quintell Hill said during his president’s address on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina’s annual meeting. “Because what He did changes what we do.”
Hill serves as lead pastor of Multiply Community Church in Monroe and his message came from Luke 10:25-37 which tells the parable of the Good Samaritan. He shared four points on the fruit of neighborly love. Hill said neighborly love is selfless, responds to others’ needs, shows compassion and sacrifices resources.
Hill said that because God demonstrated His love in Christ Jesus dying on the cross, those who know Him are known by His love.
“The red blood of Jesus comes down and covers our mess,” Hill said. “Without the blood of Jesus, we cannot love others.”
To illustrate the power in Christ’s shed blood, Hill poured a bit of water from a water bottle onto the stage. He then took a bright red T-shirt, got down on his knees and soaked up the water with the shirt.
Challenging listeners to recognize the needs of those around them and respond accordingly, Hill drew a connection between the other characters in the parable of the Good Samaritan and Christians today.
For example, Hill pointed out that Christians are sometimes unwilling to go into the dark places to share the love of God, like those who passed by the beaten man in the parable without stopping to help. Hill said that often Christians want to go to the “cute” places to plant churches while riding by aesthetically undesirable locations with the windows up and doors locked.
Hill went on to say that while the Good Samaritan’s characteristics are admirable, they are simply a result of the love of Christ.
“What’s so good about the Good Samaritan? Nothing,” Hill said. “But there’s something good about Jesus.”
Hill’s final point tied back to the selfless nature of love saying that true love sacrifices its resources, it sacrifices everything as a result of the love God has shown us through Christ.
“We must stop and show compassion,” Hill said. “Why? Because he did first. Because of the red blood of Jesus.”
Hill then hung the red T-shirt across the front of the podium to remind listeners of the power of the blood of Christ.
Hill concluded his message by reciting stanzas from the hymn “Love Lifted Me” before encouraging Christians to be about the business of sharing the gospel.
“If love has lifted you today we have no time to play games,” Hill said. “We need to go out to the highways and the byways to share what Jesus has done.”
