Kind / Good / Faithful

Manuscript Template

Title:  Kind / Good / Faithful

Focus Statement:  

Function Statement:  

Tweetable Phrase:  

Main Text:  Acts 9:32-43 (Dorcas)

Supporting Text:  

Intro: Matthew 7:12

Good: Psalm 34:8, Psalm 100:5, Psalm 145:9, Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 1:31, 1 Timothy 4:4, Proverbs 25:21-22

Kind: Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:12, 1 Peter 3:8-9

Faithful: Revelation 2:10, Matthew 25:21

Redemptive Closure (point to Jesus):  Matthew 5:35-48, Matthew 5:33-37

Benediction:  Matthew 23:23

Questions to Review

Is the bottom line clear? Main point should be able to be said in a single sentence.

What’s the opening line? Not hello, start with a question or something to grab attention.

Is the transition from the introduction to main point clear?

What’s my main point? Make it short and memorable

Does it matter? Is the topic relevant to the congregation?

Where is the power in the text? What word or phrase highlights the tension?

How am I moving toward application?

What is my main to-do (application)? Be specific.

What does it matter? The WHY creates urgency.

How am I closing? Have a plan.

5 Things Each Sermon Must Do With the Biblical Text

Teach it: Cultural context, exegesis, what does it mean?

Illustrate it: Add emotion, illustrations, pictures, stories.

Apply it: How do we respond?

Distinguish it: How is this different? Invite the Holy Spirit in.

Portable-ize it: Make it RHYME (no WIN in COMPARISON), ALLITERATE it, make it ECHO (who are of infinite worth to the infinite God), use a METAPHORE (the Root of murder is anger...only God can uproot it from our hearts), or make it CONTRAST (a life devoted to self, leave you alone)

https://ideogram.ai/t/explore

WELCOME

Good morning!!! My name is Ryan Hanson, and I have the honor of serving here at The Light KC as the lead pastor. I’m so glad you’re here with us.

‌Welcome to those joining us online. We hope you're doing well and hope to see you in person in the coming weeks.

And a special welcome to those joining us for the first time. We’re so glad you chose to be here.

ME/INTRO - Tension

Can I just say what all of us already know?

People can be horrible?

All we have to do is look at the comment section of any website, and the reality of how terrible humanity can be becomes crystal clear.

We

assume

jump to conclusions without all the facts

and we say and do things that we know will hurt people.

We do it behind the shield of a keyboard, but many times we do it face to face with people.

Worst of all, we’re probably the worst to the people we love the most, our family.

But WHY?

We all know how to be good people.

We all know how to be kind.

We repeat the golden rule to our kids like a record with a divinely placed skip in it - Matthew 7:12

Matthew 7:12 NIV

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

And we don’t have to be mean.

Even when we’re at our worst, we can turn it off the instant if our phone rings. Magically we can flip the switch and be super kind to whoever is calling as if we weren’t just screaming at someone for doing something we didn’t appreciate.

Dallas Willard

Dallas Willard, a writer specializing in Christian Spiritual Formation, answers the question of why humanity is so mean this way.

He believes that the issue is that we all lack Self-Awareness. He writes:

“It is amusing that people will admit to lying, for example, but stoutly deny that they are liars.”

And this goes far beyond lying. We’re great at justifying all kinds of actions without allowing ourselves to believe those actions define us.

But the problem is worse that a lack of self-awareness.

Dallas Willard goes on to write that at some level we all believe that to do good, we need to be prepared to do some level of evil. He writes:

“We want to be good, but we are prepared, ready, to do evil--should circumstances require it. And of course they do 'require' it, with deadening regularity. As Jesus himself indicated, those who practice sin actually are slaves of it. (John 8:34) Ordinary life confirms it. How consistently do you find people able to do good and avoid evil as they intend.”

Examples

And at some level it’s really hard to believe that being nice and kind to people is possible.

We have far too many terrible examples, that reinforce these beliefs.

The people who society labels as successful are more often than not nasty, mean, loud, selfish, and indifferent to others

We watch movies where the heroes break laws, kill people, and do terrible things to achieve the noble / good task they set out to achieve

We all probably believe to varying degrees that if we are good / kind people, we’ll be looked at as weak / naive and will be taken advantage of

The examples of people who truly do live good lives, seem too much like outliers for us to believe it is possible for us.

Jesus is an example we should all strive to be like

Hebrews 4:15 - tempted in every way and did not sin

Luke 23:9 - even while being interrogated by King Herod, remained silent, not attacking others for their false accusations, but trusting God

Mother Teresa

Became a missionary school teacher in India at 18

Spend 20 years as a teacher, learning 5 languages along the way

She felt God’s call to serve the poor and hungry in Calcutta

Gave up everything and started the Missionaries of Charity to do just that. It grew to 517 missions in 133 countries with 4,500 nuns managing homes for those dying from HIV/AIDS, leprosy, tuberculosis), also running soup kitchens, dispensaries, mobile clinics, orphanages, and schools

She received the Nobel Peace Prize, and donated not only the prize money but the $192k they set aside for the ceremony to charity

When asked, "What can we do to promote world peace?" She answered, "Go home and love your family."

After her death, Pope John Paul II said of her: "Where did Mother Teresa find the strength and perseverance to place herself completely at the service of others? She found it in prayer and in the silent contemplation of Jesus Christ, his Holy Face, his Sacred Heart.”

Mother Teresa seems like an outlier, setting an unachievable goal of goodness and kindness

Paul of the New Testament

Here’s a guy who wrote most of the new testament

Yet, describes himself in 1 Timothy 1:15 as the “worst of all sinners”

And if he’s the worst of all sinners, we don’t have a chance at being good / kind / faithful people.

WE - Tension

Does anyone share in the struggle to be good and kind in all situations?

Does anyone find themselves frustrated and taking it out on people who have done nothing to us?

Do you, like Paul in Romans 7:15-20, want to do what’s right, but keep finding yourself doing what you’ve committed to not do?

How many of us wish that when people talk about us, we could be described like Dorcus in Acts 9:36

Acts 9:36 NIV

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor.

But is being a good / kind / faithful person even possible in today’s world?

Today, as we continue our series “A Christian is...”, we’re going to answer that question.

Throughout this series “A Christian is...”, we’re circling around Matthew 7:20, where Jesus says

Matthew 7:20 NIV

20 by their fruit you will recognize them.

It is here that Jesus states that we will know true followers of His by their fruit; the fruits of the spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23, which reads.

Galatians 5:22–23 NIV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.

So, over the 5 weeks of this series, we’re going to look at what the Bible says about each of these characteristics; love, joy, peace, patients, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And, we’re going to see how God wants us to live these out, SO THAT these characteristics can become such an integral part of our character that our lives can serve a witness to God we serve.

We’re in week 4 of our 5 week series.

The first week we looked at how, as Christians, God calls us to reflect His unconditional / sacrificial Agape love to everyone, everywhere, at all times.

We then looked at how, as Christians, God calls us to be joyful, able to look past our current circumstances, living the life of a disciple; thinking, loving, and acting as Jesus did.

Last week, we looked at, as Christians, God call us to be at peace, believing in and trusting in what Jesus has already done on our behalf on the cross, knowing that no matter what happens to us here on earth, our eternal future is secure.

And patient, able to wait on God’s perfect timing because of the peace that we have in Jesus.

This week, we’re going to continue our series by exploring what the Bible says about being good, kind, and faithful.

Because...

A Christian is...Good, Kind, and Faithful

If you missed the previous messages, please feel free go to our website, TheLightKC.org, to catch up.

We’ll have the scripture on the screen, but if you have a Bible with you, or Bible app on your phone, I’d encourage you to turn to the passage and follow along. There is nothing that replaces having God’s word in your hand.

AND... if you don’t have a Bible, we have Bibles under the seats. If you don’t have a bible and would like one, please come see me after the service and I’ll get you one you can keep.

Let's dive in.

GOD - Text

Let’s take a deep dive into what the bible says about being good, kind, and faithful.

Being GOOD is possible

Good is defined as “Moral excellence rooted in God’s character”

Remember, we serve a good God

Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Psalm 100:5 “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 145:9 “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”

And we were created in that good God’s image

Genesis 1:26–27 “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

We were created good

Genesis 1:31 “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.”

1 Timothy 4:4 “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,”

And we weren’t just created good, by a good God, in His image...

God calls us to be good

Romans 12:21 “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Galatians 6:9–10 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Luke 6:35 “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”

Proverbs 25:21–22 “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”

And God wouldn’t call us to be something that is impossible.

BEING GOOD is possible.

We’re commanded to be KIND

Kind is defined as “Love in action - compassion with hands and feet”

How we treat each other matters

Being good is not only possible, God commands us to live it out by being kind

Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

1 Peter 3:8–9 “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

We are commanded to BE KIND.

We must remain FAITHFUL

Faithfulness is defined as “loyalty, reliability, and trustworthiness”

That’s not to say that it will be easy. Being a good person is hard. Being kind to everyone is hard.

But God calls us to be faithful, not giving up when things get hard, but never growing weary of doing good.

Revelation 2:10 “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.”

Matthew 25:21 ““His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”

No matter how tough life gets, we must REMAIN FAITHFUL.

YOU - Takeaway

Given everything the bible says, that still leaves us with the question, what do we do?

How do we become the good, kind, faithful people God calls us to be in scripture?

There are a few things we can start intentionally choosing to do, that with the help from the Holy Spirit can grow habits in our life and eventually part of our character.

Good

CHOOSE to do what honors God. Before we do anything, ask yourself if what you are about to do lines up with scripture and the character of God.

LEAD with integrity of character, unconcerned about your image. Do what’s right, even if it is not popular.

Commit to living a life that provokes curiosity about Christ

Does the way you live your life compel others to ask you WHY you live that way?

Kind

CHOOSE to respond with gentleness. When something happens that gets you upset, pause, take a breathe, put yourself in the other person’s shoes, think back if you’ve done something similar to someone else, think about WHY they may have done what they did, and then respond.

LOOK for and respond to the needs of those around you. Often we’re so concerned with getting what we want, we forget there are 7.5 billion other people on the planet. Be intentional, look and see if the people around you are hurting or in need, and do what you can do to help

EXTEND grace freely. Everyone has bad days. Jesus calls us to extend grace and forgive others.

Faithful

KEEP your word; show up. Don’t bail one someone if a better option comes up. If you commit to doing something, be a person of character who follows through.

PERSEVERE when life gets hard. Often life is worst right before something great happens. Don’t give up. I’ll go back to my seminary mantra, “If God calls you to it, He’ll get you through it”

Be CONSISTENT in your spiritual disciplines; consistency over intensity. When life gets busy, don’t sacrifice time with God. All you’re doing is cutting yourself off from the source of wisdom, power, and strength that you will need to get through whatever it is you’re struggling with.

So...Is this possible?

Going back to the question, “Is this even possible to be Good / Kind / Faithful?” we have to point to an industry known to be

Vain

Egotistical

Deceitful

Hypocritical

Arrogant

Full of people who would step on anyone to get ahead...

That’s right, we’re going to look to Hollywood.

In one of the hardest places to be Good and Kind, the highly questionable world of showbiz, there is an example of someone who is truly a Good and Kind person.

One of my favorite actors, KEANU REEVES. The star of tons of movies from

Movies

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Speed

The Matrix

John Wick

Even parts in Toy Story and the Sonic cartoons

Tragic Past

Dad left when he was 3

Went through 3 step dads

Has dyslexia and can’t read well

Sister fought leukemia for years

Daughter was stillborn

Wife died in a car accident 2 years after her daughter’s death

Friend, River Phoenix, died of an overdoes

Yet...

Donates 70% of his Matrix paycheck to cancer research

Is known to treat everyone on every set with kindness and respect - fans to crew

Regularly buys the crew members on his movies gifts, once giving $20k per person as a Christmas bonus

Regularly seen in public giving up seats on subways to people

Regularly shares meals with homeless on the streets

Regularly stops to help people when they’re on the side of the road with a broken down car

Spends lots of time with fans, even showing up to a wedding reception when someone who saw him in a hotel spontaneously invited him

Respects women so much he doesn’t put his hand on them when taking pictures with them (hovers his hand a few inches off their back)

Among other things.

Someone even wrote a “Keanu Reeves Guide to Kindness” book

I think it’s encouraging within a world known for corruption, we have an example of someone who remains Good and Kind.

WE / JESUS - Redemptive Close - Call to Action

So, is being a good, kind, faithful person possible???

Yes, It is possible!!!

Being good, kind, and faithful is possible in today’s world!!!

In Jesus Sermon on the Mount, He directly calls us to:

Be Good / Kind people:

Matthew 5:38–48 NIV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 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. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

And… Jesus calls us to be faithful:

Matthew 5:33–37 NIV

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

But to be a Good / Kind / Faithful person, it’s only possible through faith in Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit within us.

Dallas Willard writes

“Only avid discipleship to Christ through the spirit brings the inward transformation of thought, feeling and character that "cleans the inside of the cup" (Matt. 23:25) and "makes the tree good" (Matt. 12:33). As we study with Jesus we increasingly become on the inside--with "the Father who is in secret" (Matt 6:6)--exactly what we are on the outside, where actions and moods and attitudes visibly play over our body alive in its social context. An amazing simplicity will take over our lives--a simplicity that is really just transparency.”

If we want to be the Good, Kind, Faithful people God created us to be, the only way for us to do that is to seek after Jesus, to commit to living the life of a disciple, listening to the Holy Spirit, obeying every conviction and call God puts on our lives.

It is not a switch we can flick, it is a process that may take an entire lifetime. But doing Good, being Kind, and remaining Faithful is not only possible, but three of the key identifying marks of a Christian.

Because...

A Christian is...GOOD, having the character of God, doing only what honors God.

A Christian is...KIND, living a life of love, responding to the needs of others with gentleness.

A Christian is...FAITHFUL, trustworthy, keeping their word, and persevering when life gets hard.

PRAYER 

Will you join me in prayer...

SONG 

As we enter into our final song, I want to open the steps up front as an altar to anyone who needs God this week. The steps are open for you to pray to the God who is with you, who loves you, you wants to give you His peace.

‌

You may feel a hand on your shoulder as I or one of the elders join you in prayer.

BENEDICTION 

Matthew 23:23 NIV

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

This week...

Let’s not believe the lies of the world. We don’t need to do evil things to accomplish good ends.

Let’s not be discouraged by the perceived difficulty of being good, kind, faithful people.

Let’s focus on the choices we can make to be the best disciples of Jesus that we can be.

Let’s choose to DO GOOD by doing only what honors God.

Let’s choose to BE KIND by looking for a responding to the needs of people always responding with gentleness.

Let’s choose to REMAIN FAITHFUL, keeping our promises and persevering when life gets hard.

It is possible, through the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Quick reminder...

“So Long Summer” party at my house Wednesday at 6 PM - everyone welcome. Hot dogs and chips provided. Bring something to share if you wish.

Make sure to update your app and re-sign up for any groups you previously couldn’t get into. If you need help, there will be someone at the info desk to assist.

New series starting after Labor Day on September 7th. We’ll go through our mission / vision / values, who we are as a church, how our church fits into the larger global church, and how we’ve called to serve the community God has placed us in. This is a great opportunity to invite anyone you know who doesn’t have a church home.

If you’re new, please stop by our info desk, or see me. We’d love to say “hi” and get you know you a bit better.

I hope you have a great week.

Go in peace.

You are dismissed.

DISCIPLESHIP QUESTIONS (download into APP)

How does knowing that we were created in God's good image influence your daily decisions and interactions with others?

What practical steps can you take to cultivate kindness in an environment that often lacks it?

In what ways can faithfulness to God manifest in your relationships with family and friends?

Consider the examples of Jesus and Mother Teresa; how can their lives inspire you to be more good, kind, and faithful?

How will you hold yourself accountable to showing goodness, kindness, and faithfulness in your life this week?

What does it mean to you to treat others the way you want to be treated as stated in Matthew 7:12?

Can you think of a time when you chose to be kind in a tough situation? How did it affect the outcome?

What are some easy ways to show kindness at school or in your community?

How can being faithful in small things lead to being trustworthy in bigger responsibilities?

In what situations do you find it hardest to be good, kind, and faithful, and how can you overcome those challenges?