Sermon by:Kathy Larson
July 1, 2012
"A Not-Random Life of Kindness"
(Left-click to play; or right-click to save)
Text: Luke 19:41-44; John 14:26-27; Philippians 4:6-7
**Sermon audio is also accessible as a free podcast in iTunes - search for "Good Shepherd Sermons or Robert Austell"**
Note from Kathy: Passages read in worship before the sermon (it would probably help to read them before you listen!)
Micah 6:6-8
With what shall I come to the Lord
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?
Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Jonah 3:10-4:11
When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it. But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord and said, “Please Lord, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.” The Lord said, “Do you have good reason to be angry?”
Then Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city. So the Lord God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant. But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day and it attacked the plant and it withered. When the sun came up God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, “ Death is better to me than life.”
Then God said to Jonah, “Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to death.” Then the Lord said, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”
Luke 6:27-36
“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Chesed: A Not-Random Life of Kindness
A. Chesed: lovingkindness (related to: in Greek, agape; in Latin, charitas)
July 1, 2012
Some Music Used
Prelude: "For a Lifetime Blessing Flow" (Stanton Lanier)
Hymn of Praise: "Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service" (Bayly/White)
Song of Praise: "Merciful God" (Getty/Townend))
The Word in Music (Kayleigh Banks, soloist): "Rise" (Brownlee/Jobe)
Hymn of Sending: "There's a Wideness in God's Mercy" (WELLESLEY)
Postlude: "America the Beautiful" (arr. Bock)
Prelude: "For a Lifetime Blessing Flow" (Stanton Lanier)
Hymn of Praise: "Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service" (Bayly/White)
Song of Praise: "Merciful God" (Getty/Townend))
The Word in Music (Kayleigh Banks, soloist): "Rise" (Brownlee/Jobe)
Hymn of Sending: "There's a Wideness in God's Mercy" (WELLESLEY)
Postlude: "America the Beautiful" (arr. Bock)
"A Not-Random Life of Kindness"
(Left-click to play; or right-click to save)
Text: Luke 19:41-44; John 14:26-27; Philippians 4:6-7
**Sermon audio is also accessible as a free podcast in iTunes - search for "Good Shepherd Sermons or Robert Austell"**
Note from Kathy: Passages read in worship before the sermon (it would probably help to read them before you listen!)
Micah 6:6-8
With what shall I come to the Lord
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?
Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Jonah 3:10-4:11
When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it. But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord and said, “Please Lord, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.” The Lord said, “Do you have good reason to be angry?”
Then Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city. So the Lord God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant. But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day and it attacked the plant and it withered. When the sun came up God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, “ Death is better to me than life.”
Then God said to Jonah, “Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to death.” Then the Lord said, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”
Luke 6:27-36
“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Sermon Outline
Chesed: A Not-Random Life of Kindness
A. Chesed: lovingkindness (related to: in Greek, agape; in Latin, charitas)
- Micah 6:6-8; Isaiah 58:6-11, Isaiah 58:6-11; Isaiah 1:10-17; Hosea 6:6/Matthew 9:13; Hosea 12:6; Zechariah 7:9; Matthew 25:31-46; James 1:27; Philippians 2:3-8
- Love without kindness is not real love; it’s just talk. 1 John 2:4; 4:20; James 2:14-26; John 21:15-17; 1 Corinthians 13:4
- Kindness without love is not real kindness; it’s obligation, legalism, or a display. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; Matthew 23
- The description of God: Exodus 20:5-6; Exodus 34:6-9, Numbers 14:13-19, Deuteronomy 7:7-11, Nehemiah 9:6-31, Psalm 86:15, 103:8, 145:8, Joel 2:12-14, Jonah 4:2, et. al.
- OT: God’s lovingkindness to an unfaithful Israel: Nehemiah 9:16-31; Hosea 1-2 (NT: and to us, even while we were His enemies: Romans 5:6-11; John 3:16; 15:13; Romans 2:1-11; 8:31-39)
- Jonah: even your enemies: Jonah 3:10-4:11
- It’s not random, it’s because we have experienced God’s chesed: Colossians 3:12-17; 1 John 4:19; Ephesians 4:32; Luke 6:27-36
- It’s not just individual acts, it’s a lifestyle of kindness, an attitude, a heart change: Philippians 2:3-8; Romans 12:9-21; Ephesians 5:21; Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 3:8; 5:5
- That heart change will manifest itself in acts of kindness, compassion, and mercy: James 2:14-26; Matthew 25:31-46; Colossians 3:1-11; Ephesians 4:22-32; John 21:15-17
1 comment:
Hello! I recently read your sermon notes on "A Not-Random Life of Kindness" and I absolutely love the content you're presenting! Right away I noticed similarities between your message and what we're doing here at 58:(www.live58.org). Live58 is a ministry dedicated to calling the church to live out the true fast of Isaiah 58 to end extreme poverty by 2035. It seems like the mission of our organization is something that is close to your heart, as you've written about here. I'd love for you to check out this video we call “Not Always” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uZV90fsoCY) to learn more about what we're all about. We'd love to partner with you, as you encourage your audience. I’d love to talk to you more if you’re interested. Feel free to email me at HannaB@live58.org.
Thanks so much,
Hanna
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