Cultivate Kindness

Col. 3:12-15

Welcome to Mountain View Baptist Church! We are extremely excited to have you joining us today as we worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. If this is your first time here, we would love the opportunity to connect with you. Please be sure to stop by our welcome center to meet our greeters.

We are in a series where love holds the family together. Today’s message Cultivate Kindness.

In a quaint village in Italy, a baker was famous for giving away free bread to anyone in need. One day, a traveler, grateful for the baker's kindness, suggested charging a small fee. The baker smiled and replied, 'Kindness doesn't come with a price.'

Have you ever been treated with an unexpected kindness? You know how special it was when someone did something for you unexpectedly. While kindness may not be limited to only Christians, kindness should be a Christian quality.

Last week we learned that to cultivate love in I Cor. 13, we are to have kindness as a part of our love. Love is woven throughout Scripture and so is kindness.

Children often shows kindness to their parents in so many ways. One day, a mom told her children, keep your hands out of the cookie jar. A few hours later, she came back in the room to find her son’s hand in the cookie jar. “Why are your hands in the cookie jar?” He said, “I am getting you a cookie.” How kind can that be? (LOL)

When you are sick or hurting, children may just sit near you or bring you your favorite drink to show kindness. Or simply talk to you while you are resting.

You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

Here in this passage, Paul is uses the terminology of putting on virtues like you might put on an article of clothing. This means that Christ wants us to be kind to each other. You have to choose to put on kindness.

It is described in this passage and supported in other passages with this truth. These verses describe the action of kindness. Kindness is something that must be done intentionally. There are times we are not kind naturally; however, as a Christian, a child of God, I must choose to be kind even when I don’t want to be.

The Bible gives us the reasons we are to be kind.

Reason 1. . .

It is commanded

God commands us to be kind and to not be, is simply disobedience. Notice this command is to the people of God. We are holy and beloved because of the Lord Jesus Christ. Price paid the ultimate price by dying for us. When you accept Jesus Christ, you are brought into the family of God. Being a part of the family of God means we are to show honor to our Father and we are to do those things He asks of us.

Have you accepted Him today are your Savior? I am not asking if you joined a church or been baptized or chose to live a good live. The only way we can be sure of a home in heaven and be right with God is to turn from our sin and accept Jesus as our payment for sin.

This involves a decisive act of choosing to live as a family member of God.

All families have certain characteristics which reflect their name. Lynsi Snyder has been the current CEO of In and Out Burger for 15 years. She is the granddaughter of Harry and Esther Snyder and sole heir to the California based chain. Last year, she made a decision to move her headquarters to Franklin, TN. Her reason is the high cost of doing business in CA and personal lifestyle. In and Out has historically put a Bible verse on their containers, cups, and wrappers. She and her company have been under attack recently because of the Bible verses. However, as the only living surviving family member and heir, she has determined the company will continue printing those verses.

Kindness is a grace that all can understand.

J. C. Ryle

God is saying kindness should be a part of the family of God. Just as we choose to be kind, so we need to put on kindness in our homes. When you wake on Monday, show kindness to each other because you put on kindness. Cultivate means we intentionally choose to refine mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering. Each of these virtues including kindness is a work of the Holy Spirit in our life.

Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” This means when God the Holy Spirit speaks to us, we surrender or yield to His work in our lives. The Holy Spirit is God working in your heart of convicting you and leading you.

A home that is filled with the Holy Spirit is a home where everyone is yielding to the Holy Spirit is kind. As we yield to Him each day, the outward evidence of yielding will be the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit take over your life and you will naturally be kind. However, you let the flesh take over and you will not be kind to anyone especially to your family members. The Holy Spirit will manifest kindness in our lives as we yield to Him.

This yielding begins when we hear the gospel of Christ and surrender our lives to accept Christ. When you hear the gospel, either at church, or in a home where a parent is telling you the gospel, the Holy Spirit will begin to convict us. He will show us that we are not good enough to get to heaven, but need a Savior. Jesus came to die for us and when we accept Christ, the Holy Spirit comes inside us to guide us so we can live for Him.

In this passage, kindness is to obey and please God. Kindness is not to please others, although others will be pleased.

Reason 2. . .

Jesus exemplifies it

Here are two verses which describe His kindness.

Ephesians 2:7 “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

Titus 3:4 “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,”

The kindness of Jesus is seen in His compassion for those in need. There is an amazing passage in John 5 where we are introduced to a man who had been sick for 38 years. Someone had carried him to the pool of Bethesda where when an angel would stir the water, the first person would be healed. He was hoping someone would be compassionate enough to put him in the water. Jesus came on the scene and the man explained what he needed. Out of all the people that was gathered around the water, Jesus saw this man. He had compassion on him to heal him and offer salvation to him.

Matthew 9:36 “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”

Matthew 14:14 “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.”

Jesus was kind towards people even when they were not. The ultimate test of the Holy Spirit working in our lives is, are we kind towards those who are not kind towards us.

Seek to cultivate a buoyant, joyous sense of the crowded kindnesses of God in your daily life.

Alexander Maclaren (Preacher and Expositor)

Do not confuse God’s no’s with unkindness. He is still kind in the midst of trying times and uncertainties.

It was said of Jesus when He was on earth,

Acts 10:38 “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” His heart was to do good. His life was filled with kindness.

He is still kind to us even when we don’t look for His kindness.

God retains his kindness for his people even when he afflicts them.

Matthew Henry (Nonconformist Biblical Exegete)

In a home where Jesus is manifested, it is a home filled with the kindness of God. The Old Testament uses the term lovingkindness in connection with kindness. The word hesed means kindness based on a relationship. It is word of obligation. Since I have been married to my wife, I have an obligation to love her and cherish her. Within a home, there is an obligation to each other. This lovingkindness means it is kindness to love and respect those who are our family.

It is impossible to experience the kindness of God and show not kindness.

Reason 3. . .

It is the pathway to peace v. 15

This peace is about relationship with other people. God is saying when you treat other people with kindness, there is the peace in our heart that we are doing right towards others.

We are to let the peace of Christ rule because we are called to peace of members of one body. The closer we are to Christ and His likeness, the closer we are to each other. Interpersonal relationships when treated with kindness brings peace. This is a God-given peace when we choose to put on kindness.

When you know you have treated others with kindness, God will give you His peace. This inner peace brings contentment and satisfaction. The idea of rule means the peace of God is the operational virtue reigning over our lives.

Are you absent of peace today? Peace always begins with accepting Jesus Christ. He came to forgive our sins and give us a home in heaven. When we know that we have a right relationship with Him, God will give us peace. When we treat others with kindness, God will also give us peace. This peace of God will reign in our hearts.

Conquer evil men by your gentle kindness.

Isaac of Nineveh

Is God speaking to you about putting on kindness today? You may have put on your spiritual righteousness today, you have put on a smile on your face, you may have put on your good looks, but what about your kindness? Husbands may need to decide today to be kind to your wife. Wives you may need to decide to be kind to your husbands. Parents may need to decide to be kind to your children.

What about God? You may need to decide to be kind to God. To listen to Him, to obey Him, to serve Him.

Before you can teach children, you must get the silver key of kindness to unlock their hearts, and so secure their attention. Come Ye Children, Page 84

Charles Spurgeon

Will you decide this week to start with random acts of kindness in your home? Will you decide to do something extra kind this week? It is the little things that matter the most.