Sunday Morning Message. Dr. Mark Platt Transitional Senior Pastor. 10 verses to change your life forever. A sermon series with Dr.

Transcription

1 Oct. 3, 2013 Dear River Oak Grace friend, Maybe it s just me, but people seem to be more unkind, unsociable, and unfriendly. On the freeways, at sports events, in the workplace, at the mall, in schools, and even in churches, there is a new rudeness and crudeness. Dr. Mark Platt Transitional Senior Pastor Look at the way a lot of celebrities act in their personal and public lives. Consider how sports figures behave on and off the field. On television, on the internet, on the floor of Congress, and in the boardrooms of corporations, many people are harsh with their actions, words, and even their tone of voice. People say very mean things on Twitter and Facebook. I hear things like: Nice guys finish last, Look out for number one, I don t have ulcers. I give ulcers, and Do unto others as they did to you. Now, this is contrary to Ephesians 4:32, which says: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. 1 Corinthians 13:4, it says love is kind. People who are Sermon Series Christ-followers should practice kindness. So, what is kindness? It is tenderness, goodness, and helpfulness practiced for others. It is consideration, sympathy, understanding, and compassion aimed towards others. It is generosity, benevolence, and charity. It is friendliness, forbearance, cordiality, and courtesy that is performed for no selfish motives. Kindness is one of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25.) If you living for God, you should have a high amount of kindness in your life! Now, why should we behave with kindness? Here are eight reasons to practice kindness: First, kindness is the way Jesus treated people. 10 verses to change your life forever A sermon series with Dr. Mark Platt Sunday Morning Message Oct. 6 - Live Worry-free With Confidence Romans 8:28

2 Authentic Christianity is being Christ-like. And it is Christlike to be kind. Look at the kindness of Jesus to a crusty tax collector named Zacchaeus (Luke 19), a red-light lady at the well (John 4), a woman with a blood hemorrhage (Matthew 9), or the thief on the cross (Luke 23). Whether Jesus was under stress or not, whether Jesus was busy or not, or whether He was hanging on a cross in agonizing pain, Jesus was never abrupt, never uncaring, and never harsh with seeking people. Our Lord was kind. Folks, we demonstrate that we are true Christ-followers when we are kind! Secondly, kindness is what God expects from His people. The New American Standard Bible, one of the most accurate to the original languages, translates Micah 6:8, this way: what does the LORD require of you: But to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God Do you claim to follow God? Well then, God wants you to practice kindness. Zechariah 7:9 says: Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother. Thirdly, kindness is grace given by people who have received grace. Proverbs 3:27 says: Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Being kind when people are difficult, demanding, or even depraved is an act of grace. We need to be kind to our spouses, our kids, our co-workers and other drivers on the highways, even when they are clearly out-of-line. As sinners who have received God s grace, can t we show grace to another sinner? Fourthly, kindness is the way to love others. Just because you have had a bad day, are tired, sick, discouraged, or have been hurt by others does not give you the right to treat others unkindly. Kindness is what the Good Samaritan showed in Luke 10:30-37, choosing to stop and help at great personal cost to help a pompous enemy of his race. God s Word tells us: Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2:4). Kindness is taking time to care for and serve others. Love others with kindness -- a good deed, a caring word, or a warm smile. Fifth, kindness is the behavior of strong and mature people. Most people think they exhibit strength if they look tough and act uncaring. Some people think kindness is a sign of weakness. Actually, kindness is an important element to a healthy marriage or a long term friendship. Kindness shows emotional strength because you take off the facade of aggressiveness and the mask of hostility. Kind people don t Upcoming Events Enjoy the humor of Mark Gungor as he presents valuable information that can benefit any marriage. To find out more, check out: www. laughyourway.com Fri, 6:30 pm & Sat, 6:00 pm FREE TICKETS AVAILABLE at the information center. Childcare for infants and children up to age 5 years provided by reservation only: Tues, Oct. 6:30 pm in room 501 Link arms with the body of Christ in prayer. Fathers & Sons For teens - college students and their fathers Tuesdays at 7 pm Schell Rd. Sixteen sessions of the ASK curriculum by Ravi Zacharias International Ministries: org/study/introductory/ask. RSVP

3 Journey #1 SUNDAYS 9:00 am in room 501 HUME LAKE BALANCES DUE BY SUNDAY, OCT. 6 Total Cost: $199 For more information, check out the Hume Lake website at Halloween Outreach in the Community We are joining the city of Oakdale again this year at their Halloween festival at the Community Center. Please donate some candy to the cause! worry whether their kindness is reciprocated or not. Kind people are so confident that they are unafraid of rejection. Remember the strong woman of Proverbs 31? Verse 26 says this confident and strong woman: opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. And Proverbs 19:22 says the same about a man: What is desirable in a man is his kindness Sixthly, kindness is how we minister in the name of Christ. Another one of my Plattitudes says: Be kind to everyone you meet because everyone you meet has a heartache. Be kind to difficult people since they probably need kindness the most. We need to learn the empathy of Jesus (see Matthew 9:36; John 11:35.) When we have learned the kindness of Jesus, we will be able to minister far better in His name. Seventh, kindness is how we change the world. Just think, if you influence 5 people with your kindness, and then each of those 5 people passes their kindness on to another 5 people, and so on and so on, you can change the world with kindness! Kindness can be shown in time spent or money expended. It can be a letter or a phone call or even an encouraging . Showing kindness can be a simple as a word spoken and a smile given. Even the smallest acts of kindness can demonstrate the love of Christ. And the more random our kindness is the better! Lastly, kindness is really a blessing to you. Whether it is a gift, a note, an encouraging word, a greeting, or simply a smile, being kind is worth it. Proverbs 11:16 says: A kindhearted woman gains respect... Proverbs 11:17 says: A kind man benefits himself... If you would practice kindness with everyone you meet, with everyone in your family, and with everyone in your sphere of influence, your life would be happier and more fulfilling. Proverbs 14:22 says: But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good. Do you want to be a leader? Do you want to be a success in this life? Do you want to influence people? Then you need to be kind to every person you know and meet. One of my mentors taught me: People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel. Make people feel good with your kindness. So, how do we demonstrate kindness? 1. Kindness is demonstrated in the tone of your voice Is there sarcasm, disrespect, anger, or something biting about the intonation and your manner of speech? Are you careful with your tone of voice so you show respect for other people?

4 2. Kindness is demonstrated in the words of your tongue Do you say things with sweetness and gentleness? Are you rude, argumentative, or hurtful with your words? Your word choices can speak with gentleness and respect or with harshness and contempt your choice! 3. Kindness is demonstrated in the intentions of your heart What are you trying to accomplish? Are you attempting to help a person? Are you harming or hurting them, building them up or tearing them down? Are pleasing yourself or others? Do you have a personal agenda that is not God s agenda? 4. Kindness is demonstrated in the assumptions of your mind Do you believe the best about this person? Have you made assumptions about that person that are unfounded and unfair? Are you assuming something about the other person that is not accurate? 5. Kindness is demonstrated in the actions of your behavior Are you helping or hindering this person? Are you affirming or diminishing the other person? Are you allowing that person to be who God wants them to be? Are you showing them grace and love? I heard about a nurse who worked in the oncology ward of a hospital. She saw a young man in the hallway outside a dying man s room. She ushered him to the bedside of an elderly man. Your son is here, she said several times until the patient s eyes opened. The old man was heavily sedated but he saw the young man in the dim light. The old man reached out his hand and the young man tightly wrapped his fingers around it, squeezing a message of encouragement. The nurse brought a chair next to the bedside. All through the night, the young man held the old man s hand, and offered words of comfort. The dying man said nothing but he held his hand tightly. Parenting Class 9:00 am 5th & 6th room (203) A ten week class, Nurturing a Dynamic and Personal faith Taught by Tom & Cheryl Price. NEXT MEETING - Sun, Oct. 13 1:15 pm in room 301 D aily B ible R eading September 29-Oct 5 Isaiah 46-66; Galatians, Ephesians October 6-12 Jeremiah 1-21; Philippians, Colossians Jeremiah 22-40; 1 Thessalonians Jeremiah 41-52; 2 Thessalonians 27-Nov 2 Lamentations; 1 & 2 Timothy As dawn came, the old man died. The young man placed the lifeless hand he had been holding on the bed, and then he notified the nurse. As the nurse began to say words of comfort and sympathy to the young man, he interrupted her. Who was that man? the young man wanted to know. The startled nurse replied, I thought he was your father. No, he was not my father, he told the nurse. I never saw him before in my life. Then why didn t you say something when I took you to him? the nurse wanted to know. The young man explained, I knew he

5 needed his son, and his son just wasn t here. When I realized he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, I decided to be his son for a while. Folks, this story is just one example of kindness. There are thousands and thousands of other examples of ways to be kind. Let s start to show kindness today and everyday! Watch for people who need your kindness. Go out of your way to be kind in the stores, at school, in the restaurants, at work, and on the highways. Then, join me in a promise before God to be kind to every person and everybody we meet! And by the way, kindness starts with your family. Friday, October 6:30 pm room 301 Just bring your dominoes and sombreros and join the fun! Cost: $5 for food. Contact Kathy Bauman for details. Meeting - Oct. 6:30 pm for all those interested in participating. In Proverbs 3:3, God says to you and me: Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. Let s be kind to every person and in every circumstance at work, at church, in the car, at school, with our family, and with people we don t even know! And let s start today! Well, that ends my epistle for this week. We have a great Sunday coming. Our Heavenly Brew Café will have lattes, espresso, and great coffee. There are pastries and other goodies. Our ministries to children, to youth, and our excellent classes for adults will help you grow in faith. Our Worship Team will lead us in exalting our Great God. I have a great text for my message this Sunday, the familiar Romans 8:28. My title is Live Worry-free with Confidence. Perhaps you are going through a hard time? Maybe you are struggling with something that happened in the past and how it fits the purposes of God? This great verse has some wonderful lessons for all of us. I have been encouraged and blessed by studying this verse this week. I know it will help you too! Performances -- Nov. 15, 16 & 17 We need servers, seamstresses, indoor decorators, outdoor construction workers, kitchen team players, food providers, childcare workers, help with publicity and other items. Plan to attend the meeting if you are interested in participating in the next Theater with a Mission outreach performance. So, see you this Sunday for worship! Bring a Bible, a smile, and an open mind to let God talk to you. Remember, we have 2 worship choices and 2 learning choices for you: 9:00 AM Worship Service up-beat praise and worship 9:00 AM Classes/Groups learning opportunities for every age and stage 11:00 AM Worship Service up-beat praise and worship 11:00 AM Classes/Groups learning opportunities for every age and stage I love being your pastor! Pastor Mark Platt mplatt@riveroakgrace.org