Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) 22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.
The Fruit of the Spirit is really just the ability to have “Christlike reactions” to the people and circumstances of our lives.
For example:
o Love is the Christlike reaction to disagreeable people.
o Joy is the Christlike reaction to depressing circumstances.
o Peace is the Christlike reaction to distressing anxieties.
o Patience is the Christlike reaction to difficult situations.
SEE the amount of spiritual fruit that you and I have in our lives
· governs the way that we deal with people
· it affects the way that we relate to one another
· and it defines all of our relationships
Back in the day, a lawyer came to Jesus with a question
· and the answer he got summarized the essence of real Christianity
Matthew 22:36-39 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Jesus was saying that nothing matters more than relationships –
· your relationship to God and your relationships to other people.
· You can be successful in every other area of life,
· but if you such at relationships
· you’ll never be truly happy
Now, when it comes to our relationships
· there’s a word for love in action,
· and it's called KINDNESS.
It's not a feeling, it’s something you do.
· When you're kind you take action, you move,
· And you demonstrate love in a practical way.
The KJV translates the word as “gentleness,”
· but the Greek word is “CHRESTOS,”
· which also means “goodness in action,
· gentleness in dealing with others,
· benevolence, kindness, &
· the ability to act for the welfare of those taxing your patience.”
Now here’s something I think is really cool
· the word “CHRESTOS”
· is only one letter different from the word "CHRISTOS,"
· which is the Greek word for Christ.
When the first church began 2000 years ago in the Roman Empire ,
· they often confused chrestos with Christos
· and they thought Christians were just people who believed in kindness.
· They called Christianity “the kind religion.”
Now, the Bible teaches us that when God took on the form of a man
· So he could come and die so our sins could be forgiven
· It was the ultimate act of KINDNESS!
Titus 3:3-7 3 Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.
4 But—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”
If you want to know what kindness is, then just look at Jesus!
· He is the kindness of God.
· And He told us to do for others like He has for to us!
· (God never asks you to do anything for anybody else that He hasn't already done for you Himself.)
So tonight I want to talk about 4 ways that God shows His kindness to you.
· And once you understand how Jesus is kind to you,
· then you’ll know how to be kind to others that you’re in relationship with.
· Cos whatever Jesus has done for you, you are to do for others!
SO - HOW is GOD KIND TO ME
1. HE UNDERSTANDS MY WEAKNESSES
Understanding and kindness go together.
· The more you understand a person,
· the kinder you're going to be to them.
That is why it is easy for you to be unkind to strangers –
· you don't know anything about them.
But once you begin to understand somebody
· you start to become kind to them,
· because you know where they're coming from.
Hebrews 4:15-16 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Here’s a news flash for some of you:
· Jesus isn't shocked when you’re tempted,
· He’s not shocked when you struggle
· And he’s not shocked when you fall.
He's not shocked,
· he doesn’t get bent out of shape
· And neither does he think any the less of you
· Why?
· Because He's been there.
When you go through a weakness or a problem
· you want to be with somebody who understands what you're going through.
· You want some people around you who’ve walked in your shoes
· You want some people who not only went thru what you’re going thru
· But came out on the other side
Jesus says, "I've been there. I understand perfectly well."
· He’s KIND to us.
It's not a sin to be tempted.
· It's a sin to GIVE IN to temptation.
· Jesus was tempted, but He never gave in.
· That’s why He has the power to help us GET OUT of temptation.
What does this have to say about how we should be kind to other people?
Galatians 6:1-2 Dear brothers and sisters, if another Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
The first way to be kind is: BE GENTLE, NOT JUDGMENTAL!
When people are having a tough time,
· dealing with issues,
· having problems,
· being overcome with weaknesses,
· or being tempted,
· be gentle with them.
Why?
· Because God is gentle and kind with you.
· He understands your weaknesses
· and you're to be understanding of the weaknesses of others.
· That's kindness.
2. HE TELLS ME THE TRUTH
Jesus loves you just the way you are,
· but He loves you too much to let you stay that way.
· So, He tells you the truth!
· Why?
· Because it is the truth that sets you free!
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
We don’t like to hear the truth about ourselves.
· Jamie Buckingham once wrote a book called,
· “The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Make You Miserable.”
We’d prefer to hear just the good stuff about ourselves,
· but because Jesus is kind,
· He levels with us
· and he tells us the truth about how we think, how we act,
· about where we go, and who we associate with,
· about how we talk, how we dress,
· And how we live!
The Bible never glosses over the weaknesses of its heroes!
· Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for somebody is tell them the truth.
· Progress and growth come as a result of feedback.
· Since none of us is perfect we all need to be corrected.
· We all need somebody who'll level with us.
Jesus tells us the truth in kindness
· and He wants you to tell other people the truth in kindness.
· The way you can be kind is by caring enough to confront, to tell the truth.
· In counseling = neuthetic counseling = gk nuthesia = to confront
Ephesians 4:15 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
One survey in California
· the #1thing people want in a friend is HONESTY.
· Almost all “friendship surveys” put honesty in the top five!
· And the Bible agrees!
Proverbs 24:26 (CEV) Giving an honest answer is a sign of true friendship.
An honest answer is like a kiss of friendship.
A real friend tells you when you're making a mistake.
· A real friend tells you when you've got something in your teeth!
· A real friend says, "I'm not going to stand by in silence and watch you make the most stupid decision of your life."
That’s why your Pastor is the best friend you have –
· he loves you so much that he tells you the TRUTH!
3. HE FORGIVES MY SIN
God is forgiving and gracious toward us because of His kindness!
A lot of people have a wrong concept of God,
· like the man who was going out to his cabin by the lake.
· As he was driving he ran out of gas.
· He got out of his car to push it off the road
· and as he got out another car came behind him and hit his car, pushed it off an embankment and drove off.
He decided he'd just walk to his cabin,
· but it started pouring rain.
· He got totally drenched and caught a cold.
Then, just as he rounded the bend to his cabin
· he noticed that lightning had struck it and it had burned down.
· He went over and started beating his head against a tree saying,
· "Why me God? Why me God?"
· The heavens opened, the clouds parted, and a voice said,
· "Because some people just tick me off!"
Some people think that's what God is really like.
· They think that God is out to get them.
· When something goes wrong in your life,
· do you think, "God’s getting even with me”?
· Have you ever thought that maybe some of your ideas about God aren't true?
One of the things the Bible teaches is that God doesn't carry a grudge.
· He is not the God of shame.
· He forgives my sins.
· Why? Because I deserve it?
· No, because of His grace!
Back in the day, when I was an associate pastor at another church
· we had a lady coming to the alter every single week saying,
· "Pastor, God convicted me of this sin."
· Every week, kind of like a “sin of the week.”
· Finally the pastor said, "Does God ever say anything nice to you?"
Maybe you were raised by parents who could never be pleased
· and you've taken that image and switched it over to God.
· That's not right.
· He is a forgiving God.
· He is KIND!
Isaiah 54:8 In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while.
But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”says the Lord, your Redeemer.
What does God’s forgiveness have to do with the way I'm supposed to treat other people?
Ephesians 4:32 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
If you have a tough time being forgiving
· it's probably because you don't feel forgiven.
· Graced people are gracious people.
· People who have received God's mercy are able to be merciful to others.
· People who understand how much they've been forgiven find it easy to forgive others.
· That’s kindness!
4. HE AFFIRMS MY WORTH
Deep inside all of us is a deep desire to feel worthwhile.
· We all want to feel significant.
· We all want to feel that we matter.
· We all want to feel that if we were to die, somebody would miss us.
You spend much of your life being motivated to do things
· that you hope will answer the question,
· "Does my life matter?"
· That’s why you compete, volunteer, work, give, etc.
In a magazine interview, Madonna said,
"I have an iron will and all of my will has always been devoted to conquering some horrible feeling of inadequacy. I'm always struggling with that fear. I push past one spell of it and discover myself as a special human being and then I get to another stage and I think I'm mediocre and uninteresting. I find a way to get myself out of that again and again. My drive in life is from this horrible fear of being inadequate and mediocre. It is always pushing me and pushing me. Because even though I've become somebody I still have to prove that I am SOMEBODY. My struggle has never ended and it probably never will."
Madonna set herself up for the ultimate frustration
· because every star’s popularity eventually fades!
The truth is that nothing else matters
· until you've established a relationship with Jesus Christ
· and begin to discover how much you matter to Him
· and base your self worth on that.
· Nothing else is going to satisfy you.
Psalm 139:16-17 16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
They cannot be numbered!
Isaiah 49:16 See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
Psychologists say that your self worth is based on
· what you think the most important person in your life thinks about you.
I suggest that you make Jesus Christ the most important person in your life,
· because nobody is ever going to love you more than He does
If you base your self worth on what other people think of you,
· then you're going to collapse when you're criticized, rejected, or ignored.
But if you build your self worth on the fact
· that God made you,
· loves you,
· thinks about you constantly,
· loves you unconditionally
· and forgives you,
· then it doesn't matter what anybody else says about you
· because they can't take away that relationship with Christ.
When Jesus Christ becomes the most important person in your life,
· your self worth soars.
· And as a result,
· you affirm the worth of others.
Romans 15:7 So accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified.
Hebrews 10:24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.
If you have trouble affirming the worth of others,
· if you have trouble forgiving others,
· if you have trouble being kind to others,
· then look at your relationship with God!
You need the Holy Ghost to grow the Fruit of the Spirit in your life!
By the way, the kindness of God is just getting started …
· it is good now, but it gets even better in eternity!
Ephesians 2:7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
Relationships are the soil in our garden of life,
· and what grows in them is OUR CHOICE.
· It’s both amusing and amazing that psychologists can identify so many universal principles of relationships,
· while remaining unable to give us any real power to deal with our difficulties
Look at the book titles: John Gray’s, “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus,”
Bill & Pam Farrel’s, “Men are like Waffles, Women are like Spaghetti,”
and one I would like to write, “Men are like Clams, Women are like Crowbars.”
What they are all saying is basically
· that “opposites ATTRACT” but then “opposites ATTACK” – in every kind of relationship!
But what they are NOT telling us is that,
· humanly speaking, we are helpless to keep our relationships truly healthy.
· Without the power of God in our lives,
· our relationships eventually disintegrate into a power struggle.
The Holy Ghost (God’s Spirit in us)
· is PRIMARILY given to get us saved and keep us saved.
· Don’t let anyone tell you that you can get saved or keep saved without the Holy Ghost.
Without the Holy Ghost we will not be in the rapture of the church when Jesus returns (Romans 8:11, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
Without the Spirit of Christ we are “none of His” – we do not belong to the family of God (Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 12:3, 2 Timothy 2:19).
The Bible teaches that we cannot even call Jesus the Lord of our lives except by the power of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 12:3).
However, a wonderful SECONDARY benefit is that when we have His Spirit in us,
· God helps us live in our everyday relationships
· by producing in us “THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.”
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