Be kind!

Here's the text of the message I was blessed to give at the Ogden Rescue Mission tonight.  I hope sharing it with you will be a blessing.

   Dale

Be Kind.

One of my favorite things that happens here at the Mission is to see folks praying for each other.  I think it’s one of the best expressions of loving one’s neighbor when you take time to listen to someone’s problem and then lift that problem up to the God who solves problems.  It’s an extreme demonstration of faith to pray for someone because of the idea behind it that God not only hears those prayers, but will answer them.

God is good like that.  But not every prayer gets answered in the affirmative; nor does God even say Yes like we think He should sometimes.  All too often, I think, we can get discouraged when God doesn’t meet our expectations or our time table.  

Sometimes that adds to the stuff we’re going through.  Sometimes too, how we feel about something can add to the stuff we are going through as well.  We can get beat down, fall into despair, and thinking our situation will never change brings hopelessness and defeat.  I’ve been there. It’s easy to believe those lies, but I’m here tonight to tell you that despair and hopelessness are just that...lies and we can choose to believe them or not.

 I saw a quote attributed to Dr. Ravi Zacharias, who is a famous Christian teacher and lecturer the other day which said something like “We have the right to believe anything we want.  But not everything we believe is right.” Those are some true words right there. That might leave you wondering though, How can I say those things we feel are lies?” Because I don’t say it on my own authority.  Those things are talked about in the Bible.

In the light of Biblical truth, those things are lies.  But we feel them. I’ve been there. I’m going through a season of turmoil myself.  Just because I’m up here doesn’t mean my life is peachy. It means that the God that’s in control of it knows what He’s doing, and He uses me, and others like me to tell you the Good News of the Gospel.

What is that good news?  Christ paid the price for all our sins on the cross at Calvary.  There’s nobody so far gone that He can’t come in and redeem them, to change their lives, to turn what was meant for evil into good.  And that all who believe on Him as the risen Son of God who died on that cross as that sacrifice for sin can have their sins forgiven and have eternal life with Him.

That Truth, that one simple truth that so many hear and reject, is the one that shines light on the lies we believe about ourselves and others.

Easter will be here soon, and Christians around the world are passing through a period of the worship calendar known as Lent.  Lent is a time for self-reflection and it’s common for people to give up something for this 40 day period (not counting Sundays) before Easter.  As you know, Easter is far more about Jesus leaving the tomb and defeating death than a bunny, and it’s a good time to look at where we are in our spirital lives.

I opened tonight’s message with a thought about prayer, and the expression of love it represents when one stops and listens to another, then lifts up their concerns to heaven.  It’s also an expression of kindness.

Kindness is a commodity that is in very much short supply these days.  Here’s a little story to illustrate that.  

I’ve been busy with home projects and as luck would have it, one Sunday I got a new kid waiting on me at Home Depot.  He was nervous and about to make a mistake on some boards I was buying. Instead of yelling at him, I stopped him, put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly, and told him he was about to make a mistake and showed him how to do it correctly. I told him I was here to help, not get angry about it. The other young man helping him also helped him correct it.  At the end of the transaction, the trainer cashier told me thank you for being patient and kind. He said most people just yell at people and don’t understand being new. I told the kid he was doing fine and to keep going.

It took me an extra minute to help him which was faster than letting him make the mistake, calling him stupid, and waiting for a manager to fix it.  It cost me zero dollars to be kind to these young men, and it helped make the young man’s difficult day a little brighter.

Jesus had a lot to say about kindness, and it’s that topic I want to talk about.  We might talk about fear for a minute at the end, too. We’ll see how this goes…

The text I want to start with is this story about the Good Samaritan from Luke Chapter 10, which goes like this:

Luke 10:25-37 New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Back in the day, the Israelites looked down on the Samaritans as people beneath them.  They were considered unworthy, untouchable, and the religious people of the day went out of their way to avoid them, as we can see in the parable Jesus tells.  Yet it was the Samaritan that showed kindness and mercy to this fellow, providing for his needs and healing up his injuries.  

Ever felt like the guy who got robbed?  I can empathize with him. How about you?  The Mission is here for people who feel like that guy.  It’s a place where your physical needs and spiritual needs get met.  God provides this place, provides for it through donations and those who serve, to show love, kindness and mercy to whoever is in need of it.

God is pretty good like that.  Meeting needs. Changing lives.  Showing kindness to those who some might think don’t deserve it.  

When we have the love of Christ inside us, being kind to strangers and those we meet shines the light of Christ into their lives as well.  When we’re going through stuff, sometimes that kindness is the bright spot into a day that’s otherwise full of calamity and strife.

Being kind to one another is a Biblical thing.  It’s the golden rule...Do unto others and you would have them do unto you.  Notice that doesn’t say to do unto them as they have done unto you. Jesus taught the opposite.  This is from the sermon on the mount:

Matthew 5: 43-48

Love for Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

He tells us that we’re to love our enemies.  In a different part of Scripture He tells us that if someone asks you to go a mile, to go two.  That’s where the saying Go the Extra Mile comes from.

Ever had one of those days where everything was falling apart and all you needed was someone to be kind to you?  How many of those days went by without it happening?

Kindness is a commodity in short supply in our world today.  And it’s sad, because right now, we’re going through some stuff.  I heard a story today about two women in the Wal-mart in Clinton. One woman had a shopping cart full of toilet paper.   While this woman turned her back, another woman took a package of TP out of her cart because the shelf was completely empty of TP.  Instead of being kind and sharing, a fist-fight ensued which was broken up by the manager who told both women that neither was getting any and they both had to leave the store.

Imagine what a little kindness would do in that situation.  Kind like sharing, or just getting what you need and leaving some for someone else who needs some too.  But that’s not the world we live in right now.

People are scared right now, and they’re hunkering down.  Panic buying has replaced common sense and people are not thinking of others right now.  They’re afraid and when people are afraid they tend to do irrational things. Like turn into hoarders.

We get so wrapped up in our own stuff that there are others out there who need to experience some kindness.   Even Christians are guilty of this and we know it. But that’s the great news about the Good News I told you of at the first, Christians are in a relationship with the living God whose Holy Spirit guides and convicts us when we miss the mark.  Kindness should be a hallmark of what Christians are. It’s a way of demonstrating Christ’s love for us by loving others and juist being kind and saying Hi, how are you and waiting for someone to respond is a great way to do that. Praying for someone else is another.  Many of you know Pastor Karl. He and I are friends and we have lunch a few times a year together. When we do, we will ask our server if he or she has a prayer concern we can lift up while we give thanks for our meal. It’s our way of letting those folks know that they matter to us and that Jesus loves them too.

Part of what I do here when I speak is to point out that fact.  Jesus loves each of you. God loves you so much He gave His son for a sacrifice for your sins.  He provides this place for you to find respite from a cruel world. He provides a meal, provides people to serve you and to meet your spiritual needs too.  This place is a tangible thing you can see that says God loves you and He cares about you. He uses this place to care FOR you by meeting your needs.

I have a few minutes left, so I want to talk about fear for a minute amid the pandemic.  I’m sure you’ve seen or heard about people losing their minds about this. The economy crashed.  The store shelves are getting empty. This virus is nasty. And there’s a lot of fear going on.

If you’re a believer, I want to reassure you that God’s promises in the Bible are there for you.  He will get us through this. Some people are going to get sick and not make it. Most will. Our part is to pray for the sick, pray for God’s intervention, and be responsible people in the meantime.  We shouldn’t be hoarding. We should be doing what we can to help others. Serve others. Show others that God is still on His throne and Jesus is still King of Kings even in the midst of chaos.  

Don’t be afraid.  Be prudent. LIsten to good counsel and wash your hands.  Do what the doctors and community leaders ask us to do. If there’s a need for volunteers, consider volunteering to help out.  We all have something to give, some act of kindness to give, to help all of us come out of this in the best shape possible. I’d encourage you tonight to just remember the things you learned as a kid.  Wash your hands. Pray to God. And be kind and love others.

That’s my message tonight.  I don’t know what broght you here, but if you don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior, I hope you’ll consider this.  Jesus is the ONLY way to a reconciled relationship with God. We all have this hole in our hearts that God puts there and only He can fill.  Maybe you’re like who I was, and tonight you realize that nothing you’ve tried to fill it with on your own has worked. Maybe tonight’s the night you turn to Christ and ask for forgiveness of your sins and let Him start filling that hole with God.

Maybe you know about Jesus and tonight’s the night you decide you want to or need to know HIm instead of just know about Him.  Or maybe tonight’s the night you just realize you can’t do it on your own anymore, and you’re ready to give it all to Jeuss and let Him lead you to where you should be.

If that’s you tonight, the process is simple:  it starts with just a simple prayer where you just tell Jesus you need Him, you believe He is the risen Son of God, and that you ask Him to forgive your sins and ask Him to be Lord and Savior of your life.  No fancy words needed, just you talking to Jesus in your own words, and just confessing these things to Him.

If that’s you tonight and you’ve prayed that prayer, we’d love to know about it.  Please let myself or one of the mission staff know so we can welcome you to the Family and help you with the next steps.  And if tonight you’re finding you’re needing a new direction, I’d encourage you to speak to the staff about the New Life Program you heard about.  I’ve seen this program change lives. If you need that, please ask the staff for more information.

Won’t you join me in prayer?  Father, thank you for Jesus! Thank you for making that way back to You.  Lord we thank you, for the blessings of this place and pray that you make us more and more like Jesus.  Help us be kind. Thank you for the food which is about to be served; thank you for those who donated it, those who prepared it and those whose hands will clean up after the meal.  We ask your blessing on all those and that the food would bless the body with nourishment as Your word has fed the spirit. In Jesus name, Amen!