Sermons
Compassion And Kindness
Series: The Way Of SalvationCOMPASSION AND KINDNESS
Sermon By Terry Siverd
Cortland Church of Christ / October 20, 2019
Thanks to all who assisted with last Sunday's FallFest - - it was a wonderful day.
We had quite a few visitors and around three-dozen children. The weather was perfect and the fellowship was grand.
One song (#552) that we ocassionally sing is a prayer that includes words from the prophet Isaiah (Isa.64:8) - -
Have Thine own way, Lord! Thou Art The Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will, While I am waiting, yielded and still.
How does this “molding” happen?
God uses different means to shape us.
It might be our parents or grandparents; teachers (at school and church); dear friends;
special events in life, including our successes and failures; and other avenues of influence.
But one instrument that God has always employed and continues to use today is His written word.
The apostle Peter writes (2Pet.1:2-11) - -
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has
granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render
you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind
or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to
make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for
in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
Heb.4:12 states, The word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword...
Perhaps a better word than “sword” would be “scalpel” (as in a surgeon's knife).
The image in this text likely draws from the work of a priest in Old Testament times.
Before animals would be laid on the altar as a sacrifice they were open-up or filleted.
Vs.13 adds, Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is
uncovered and laid bare before the eyes or Him to whom we must give account.
Sacrificial offerings were to be “without spot or blemish” (1Pet.1:19). I'm wondering if this might relate to the
possibility that a sacrificial offering might look acceptable on the outside, but prove to diseased on the inside.
We are reminded in 1Sam.16:7 that, “God looks at the heart”. In Mt.23:27-28, Jesus scolded the scribes and
Pharisees for being “whitewashed tombs” - - pretty on the outside, but full of dead men's bones on the inside.
It's not an exact parallel, but it may help to imagine a surgeon who is attempting to cut out some bad parts.
God demands of us that we give Him our best.
Borrowing from the words of Paul in Col.3:8-16, there are some things in our behavior and conduct
that will need to be “put aside or putoff” and other things that will need to be “put on”.
Baptism is just a starting point. It's very important, but it only signals a beginning.
Jesus once told His disciples (Lk.9:23) - -
If anyone desires to follow Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
For the next several weeks, we are going to speak plainly about what it means to follow Jesus.
Deciding to follow Jesus is a serious undertaking and it demands diligence.
It requires a DAILY death to self.
This morning we want to look at two brief passages of Scripture written by the apostle Paul.
The first one we examined briefly last Sunday.
Col.3:12-14 / And so, as those who have been chosen by God, holy and beloved, put on a
heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another,
and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you,
so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Last week we spoke about the beauty and necessity of FORGIVENESS.
This morning I want us to focus on COMPASSION and KINDNESS.
A second verse that I also want us to take to heart is found in Eph.4:32 - -
be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has also forgiven you.
To all of us who are older, and who are given the responsibility of applying God's word in helping
to shape the younger ones that God has blessed us with, these words must be etched in our hearts.
We need first of all, to require our children to learn these verses (read, memorize and practice them).
But we also need to be reminded that for the Scriptures to really take hold they need to be “caught” as well
as “taught”. In others words, the young ones placed in our care need to see these words lived out in our lives.
Those of us who are adults don't need to just tell the young ones how to live, we need to SHOW them by our example.
When we read about Jesus, these qualities of compassion and kindness jump off the pages of Scripture.
One thing we know about Jesus for sure: He was both compassionate and kind.
We dare not call ourselves “Christians/Christ-ones”, if we are not the same: compassionate and kind.
The example that needs to be set by those of us who are older can be challenging to say the least.
The process of aging can work to erode these virtues of compassion and kindness.
I'm not at all an authority on geriatrics, but anecdotal evidence abounds in this regard.
In case you've not noticed, older folks frequently appear cranky, crabby and critical.
Periodically our “seniors” fall into a trap of being caustic and even cynical (thinking the worst).
Growing older is no excuse for losing the virtues of compassion and kindness.
The word compassionate means to have pity and sympathy for others.
Actually it implies the idea of “suffering with another” by means of an inward affection.
It actually speaks of a “yearning in our bowels”. The KJV uses the term “bowels of compassion”. cf. “Heart”.
All throughout the gospels we read of Jesus' compassion and kindness.
A leper once came to Jesus for help. Mk.1:41 states, (He was) moved with compassion (and)
stretched out His hand , and touched him, and said to him, 'I am willing; be cleansed.'
Mt.9:36 records, Seeing the multitudes, Jesus felt compassion for them because
they were distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd.
Lk.7:13 says, When the Lord saw her (a widow whose son had died), He felt compassion for her,
and said to her, 'Do not weep.' And He came and touched the coffin saying, 'young man, I say to you, arise'.
In Lk.14:13 Jesus told his listeners, when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
and you will be blessed. Even though the words compassion and kindness are not used, they are there!
Lk.15:11f tells the story of a father who had two sons - - both of them were leading misguided lives.
The father in the story is the type of father we all long to have - - one full of compassion and kindness for both sons.
In Lk.10:30f, Jesus tells the story of the good Samaritan.
In the eyes of the Jews, Samaritans were outcasts of society, but he Jesus makes him a role-model.
That which made him “good” was that he was compassionate and kind.
Jesus concludes the story by saying, “Go and do the same.”
We could go on and on about the compassion and kindness of Jesus, but we've noted enough to get the point.
Jesus was kind and compassionate.
I want to close with a question and an assignment.
Are you compassionate and kind?
Can the beauty of Jesus be readily seen in us?
For the most part it is true: “People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
Here's our assignment (not just for today; not just for this week; but for the rest of our lives).
IN THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, LET US RESOLVE TO ALWAYS TRY OUR BEST TO BE COMPASSIONATE AND KIND.
I read of a tombstone that simply stated: He was compassionate!
What a compliment! What a tribute! What a epitaph and what a epithet! What a good summary for a Christians' life.
The challenge for us all if to actively look for ways to show kindness and compassion.
This may seem like a LITTLE assignment, but in the grand scheme of things it is really BIG.
I marvel at how little things can sometimes make such a big difference.
The apostle John writes (1Jn.3:17-18) - -
Whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does
the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
The apostles James poses this scenario (Js.2:2-4) - -
If a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and you pay
special attention to the one wearing the fine clothes, and say to him, 'You sit here in a good place,'
and you say to the poor man, 'You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,' have you
not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motions?
Of all the theological fine points that Paul & Peter and James & John could have expounded upon,
isn't it noteworthy that they all chose to emphasize THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPASSION AND KINDNESS?
This was not coincidental.
They knew the heart of God and they knew Jesus.
Compassion and kindness are at the very heart and soul of the Jesus way.
In our quest to follow Jesus, we must not minimize the significance of compassion and kindness.
Being compassionate and kind is is central to letting our light shine!!
On the contrary, to not be compassionate and kind is to darken the glorious light of the gospel of Christ.
Every single one of us needs to become very serious about this assignment.
We never know when a soft heart or a kindly-spoken word may open a door to friendship.
And that door of friendship may eventually leading to helping another become a follower of Jesus.
