The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Kindness

I'm glad that you're here today. I, we want to continue in our series Victory in Jesus were going through the fruit of the spirit and I would take you and we're going to go to read that one verse. 22 will put it up on the screen as well. And I remember we've already talked about love, and joy, and peace, and long-suffering. And today, we're going to talk another character trait. And when you look at these traits that we're talkin about. I want you to put in your mind. What we're doing is we're painting a picture of Jesus. Is he his life character on all of these? So we're in Galatians. Chapter 5. Not bring my laser pointer.

But the fruit of the spirit is love,, Joy Karis the Iranian, you want it together, long-suffering macrosomia, long temper. And today fruit of the spirit is most of you probably have the King James version that you're looking at today. In your Bible does it say kindness? What does your Bible say?

Gentleman. Now, may be back in 1611 gentleness meant what we think up today is kind. I don't know. But when I think of gentleness today, I think of something kind of more passive, more easygoing more about a characteristic or a trait of someone someone this easygoing and quiet and humble their gentle. Well, that's that's not what are word today. You mean the word today. It means it means kindness. Now. We going to I'm going to put a definition up on the board for you. And this is what this word means. So you see the word kindness at the top. Now. I've got it transliterated the Greek word behind it. So three syllable word, you pronounce crazy stuff. Text emphasis is on the middle. So this is what it means. It means someone that useful. Can benevolent and gracious. And I put my definition of it. This is my definition behind that Greek word. Greystoke text, gracious and benevolent and actively meeting the needs of others. When you think of someone that's time, you think of someone that has done something. If I say John is tired as a kind person, I say that because he's done, but he's sick. He gave me a hug. He always has a smile. He has a lock on work. When we think of someone this time. If someone that does something now, next week, we going to look at the net worth which is goodness, not kind and goodness. They overlap a lot. And matter fact you going to see today. I'm going to show you some scriptures that uses the word goodness, but the Bible is really speaking of this word here kindness. So that's why I put down here. Think of think of kindness as goodness with hands and feet. That's how we should think of actively doing something for someone think of Thank goodness as the root kindness as the fruit. Think of it that way, think of goodness as the foundation and then or think of goodness, Estates think of Palace at work. Think of it that way. So it's actively doing something or someone. So here's what I want to do that. I want to show you the kindness of God, how the Bible speaks of his kindness that when we look at it in the Old Testament, notice that the word that uses is good. But it made you can substitute kindness because it means the same thing there. So we're going to look at the comments of God. First of all, then we're going to look at how our world that we live in needs kindness. And then we going to break it down and we even going to drill down further, and we going to look at how your world. Wherever you are now your world, need,. So let's go number 1 in this is the kindness of God. That when the Bible speaks of God as being a good God, Austin, like I said the word that is meant as kindness. God Is Spoken of as being good in his moral quality, cuz we already know he's home. But also in the sense that he is a time. He does things for us and Austin and Old Testament will read that. God is good. We can insert the word, kind there in the verse will remain active in asthma, cause of his goodness, or his kindness that we have hope. It is because of God's kindness that we can. You know, that the Bible said that our Salvation is not only because of his kind of. So that is the kindness of God. Now. What I want to do is I want to show you the kindness of God here in 5 seconds here. So let's look at it. God's kindness is seen in his creation is kindness is expressed in this world in more ways than you can imagine. So I want to go through quite a few scriptures back. So I want you to say it's starting with 585 in verse 12. Now. Look what the Bible says. What is good to see how it's inserting the word good. He'll give what is good. And our land will yield is increase according to the Samus, the very fact that we have seasons that rotate and that the ground is or fruit is evidence of the kindness of God. God makes it that way. He makes it but he is kind in his creation. All the observable laws of nature are simply an indication. Update consist of kindness of God allows the world which he created to do, what it was created to do to bring forth fruit. And that's a part of his,. So we can eat and maintain our help for 28. Look at this. What you give them? They gather in again. Kind of like a farming. You open your hand. They are filled with good. That's the same word we have here for comments. He said they are filled with good God. Kindness to the world is seen in his creation and everywhere you look. You see the kindness of God in his creation. Number one. Number two, it is seen. And is there an here? If you don't mind, it is seen in his care. God cares about the world, he created. Now, I know you heard me mention this before. There's something that's called eat that. Many people are fried. Who, and what that is, is that says that God created the world, and then he kind of folded his hands up and sit by the clock up. And he just waiting waiting for it to wind down and that's going to be the end of the world. In other words. He created it. Okay, you take care of it. Play, That's not how God really is. He continually he is involved. He remains involved in the functioning of this world and not only by him were all things created. But the whole reason we continue is because of God. Our life is in his hands. He involved in the world. Look at what's on 14057 since they shall honor the memory of your great goodness or kindness and shall sing of your righteousness. That's talking about people whose looking back over there lie, and they remember the kindness and goodness of God, can't you do that? God has been in you. You see, that's what we do to be, we remember it. Speaks of looking back, over the way, God has dealt with the world. Not only in nature, but also in history and exam. The evidence of how God has been kind to us. Now in the New Testament. You also noticed that God's kindness is reflected. And how he treats both? The Godly and the ungodly. Did you know that did you know this morning that God loves? All people. No matter if they serve him or recognize him. He loves all people. Mad about the Bible says, he wants all people who repent of the truth. What this is called in the Bible theological term is, is God common Grace. In other words, people who are not in church, this morning people who are atheist people, who are Auntie Christian anti-god, God is kind to them, look at it in Matthew, 5:45. Matthew 5:45 and look how kind God is Not only to those of us who know him, but those of us who don't know him as well. I hear you. Look at this. That you maybe the sons of your father in Heaven before he makes his son if you in. Rise on the evil and on the good and then rain on the just and unjust, God favors those who are evil, and he favors those who served, that's God's common Grace and say, a lot of people don't understand that and don't realize that they're out there on the golf course right now. And they're out there on the lake right now and they're just having fun. And they're not even thinking about God. But yet, God allows them to live and to have a family and to have a job and to have their help. That is his common Grace for all of them is Saint John's on the just and unjust. He brings rain on the just and the unjust or who would recognize God's timing is just off this Earth. The very first people that are those who are not safe. That's the people who would recognize it. Even those who flaunt their independence in the face of God or the recipient of God's kindness. We see it in his creation. We see it in his care and see we see it. And this is a hard one. We see his kindness. In his Corrections. You say will white team, tells us that gods. Judgements. His discipline and his chastisement. Arcana. Now when you go in through a hard time in your life, and maybe you've got a straight away from the Lord and all the sudden and you lose your job or you lie relationship, and you have financial problems. That isn't hard to. Look at that as God being kind to me. We don't look at it as if he being hot, but his correct. Everywhere in the word of God. You will see the Bible come up with one as being kind. I want to show you three verses in Psalm 19:1. 1967-68, not look at this before. I was afflicted before God chastise me before he discipline me. I went right. But now I see your work. You say before that God brought this trouble into my life. I was honest with a stripe and then it says that you are good and do good. That's the word for kindness before I before I fell into trouble before God discipline me. I went astray but now I keep his work. You see, God was kind of God brings us back into the fold when we spray away. It's not pleasant. It's not pleasant to go through difficult times. But when you look at it, you look at it after it's over Yukon to do that.

Psalm 119 71. Huge delay. Good for me, but I have been Afflicted. Why in the world would be good?

That I may learn that but I'm learning to work his good. He said, it's a kind thing to do on 1975. Pause in our system here. So but it will come up that your judgment and that in faithfulness and other works going. I do. When you, you're either trying to grow me, spiritually, or you're trying to pull me back in the end. I can look at that and save your judgments are right. It is good. Lord, when you discipline me, you are being kind to me. It's not hard to recognize that both. I will get angry at God when you discipline. We don't look at it as his kindness and sometimes he comes after us hard when we've been away from him and sometime when we reject his plan and live our own way, his trouble and discipline come down on us and we don't feel it's time at the moment, but the Old Testament teach you that he's God our time. When he created for us on Wednesday. Correct sauce, D is kindness is seen in his concern. Now, you can't read the Bible without looking at the life of Jesus and know that he was concerned sometime about specific people. The Bible says that God shows his kindness to those who are afflicted. The Bible says God showed his goodness and kindness to those who are physically and emotionally Afflicted. And also to those who are in trouble, many verses in the Bible that says God cares and shows his kindness to those who are in poverty. All you have to do is read the gospels and see that God has a special place in his heart for those who are poor. For the poor, he has a special place. His kindness is directed to those. The Bible says, who hope in him. The Bible says, he's kind of him and his kind of directly to those. Those people who wait for him. This time is shown to, although it is interesting that the people that God directs his kindness Ford. Kind of opposite of who we drank our kindness to the people who can do things for us.

But God seems like it's pointing to the down and out. To the trouble to The Afflicted, you say, because God and his love, he exhibits his kindness because he never seeks anything in her turn. It's a pure Act of his love and kindness. He has concern for people creation of Corrections concern. When one more We see God's kindness. In his compassion, compassion, for who, for those who are lost. He gave his long-suffering to those who are lost this waiting for them to repent and come back to them. Let's look at another verse Romans tool. Romans, 2:4. This is what the Bible say.

Or do you despise The Riches of his goodness? Kindness forbearance long-suffering. That's what we looked at last week that the goodness kindness leads you to watch. It is God's kindness and good. That leads us to repentance probably won't want to talk about it. That's true with what leads a person, who repented is not the ride. That is common Grace, everyone. What's the greatest act of kindness? The world has ever known. When God, the Father sent his son to the greatest act of kindness. You will ever see it. Look at the bajans to seven what it says. Ephesians 2:7 speaking of God's kindness to this work. That in the ages to come, he might show the exceeding Riches of his grace in His Highness, for duskin, who Christ Jesus. That's how he showed his kind of. He gave us Jesus Christ as an act of hunt. He made it possible to bring many people. Many children does glory of redemption, see how it what it looks like, when he talks about salvation and God's. Kindness, look at Titus 3:4 and 5 - 4 and 5, going to take this work, kinda kindness of the love of God. Our savior toward men appeared and then burst 5. How about his Carlos here? When it appeared for man? Look what it look when it talks about. When he says, the kindness of the love. For man, appear is talkin about our salvation. Sorry.

And look what it said. Not by works of righteousness. His salvation is not just about the sacrificial. Love of God. It's not the kindness of God. He was kind of by sending the Old Testament, scribe God's character, the New Testament Illustrated through the person of Jesus Christ.

What Jesus say, if you want to know, God who God is. And look at me because you see, when we study the fruit of the spirit, what we're doing it. We're painting a picture of Jesus joy, peace, long-suffering faithfulness, goodness, gentleness. All of it is a picture of Jesus Christ. As we see his life on Earth in the gospels. Every single quality. We're going to study is expressed in the life of Jesus. How was he kind? It need not be 5,000 fish and low fee to Bret wood. Not would not showing kindness to the people that he cure a woman on the Sabbath day in the Pharisees come home. You can do that. But Christ put Power needs above any type of law of the Sabbath in her. Well be her anyway, and it got in the pool. First would be here with this man was crippled and he couldn't get into the pool and every time he tried somebody would be into the pool and he was never healed. Jesus came by and just acted from the dead. The cripple that he helped. He was always going about doing for what is actively graciously benevolently meeting of other people. Jesus was the epitome of kindness. So when I want to know, what God expects of me in the matter of thymus, I just read what the Old Testament says about God, and I studied the New Testament and the pictures and gives me about Jesus Christ. Laugh is the kindest. So here we got number to the world needs time. The quality of kindness that we're talking about today is one that I need these. Let me say something here. We can become influence by.

The very hard callus culture that we live. And let me say. Probably no one trouble with this more than I do. People on the side of the road begging for money.

You give them money?

How to ride by. Don't think much about it.

About the people who called you on the phone. And asking for money. Naples call me before when you don't have a kind of talk real fast. I won't make you get a word in. You know what I usually do.

I know I'll hang up on me. So I hang up.

Then you have people who Tom and they want. What type of gas? We don't have a secretary in Birchwood. At this church was open 8 hours a day. We would get calls at this church from people. Could you help me pay my power bill? Could you buy me? Go to Food Lion and get me. Some grocery churches are constantly asked about that.

What's the answer? What. What do you do? You do you just by and pay someone's power bill? Guess who ever calls? You just pay it or do you just kind of hang up on you? See what I'm saying? This is hard right here. It is so hard. It is easy for us just to bypass people and just and just have no concern about it because the world that we live in is just full of rip-off artist. Get in your pocket book. They want something from you is what they want and everybody does knocking in your, on your door, won't something. And that's one of the things that causes us to become powerless. And then all of a sudden as Christians, we don't show any kind as whatsoever. Because the culture can hardly even the heart of a Christian. Don't, you know that we live in just a horrible evil, wowwiki culture, of course, you know, that and everybody it seems is out to get you and every time somebody called and wants money. I don't like it. And every time somebody and I'm thinking myself away that you have this, this and that. No, I'm not doing that for you. You can do it for yourself. You see how easy it is to become callous toward people? And then when you look at our own world, you watch TV and all the media is doing is pitting One race against the other is what they're doing and they want us to hate each other and there, but we hate each other. Of course, you're not going to be kind to anyone and so it's hard. To be kind in our, we walked in a culture that has hard enough against other people in our world. Today. The unemployment rate is high. We have men and women and children who are hungry. We have children who are homeless and churches are called all the time about this help me pay this and help me do that. And what do you do? If I'm not work what to do, but I know that God expects us to be kind. He expects us to be kind and somehow we got to deal with the world. We live in and not lose the quality of kindness. That is part of which we have just got to do that somehow our world needs and that's what the world is looking for. And we live in a very hurtful and violent, uncaring world, but God expects us to be kind and bring joy and peace and love into the lives of the people that we touch. And I don't think that we can use the excuse that we live in a world. That is so cold and indifferent.

Any person that world and he expects us to be,. So the world needs.

Your work at your own work with Meredith scope down to the people that you deal with. Your workplace needs time. Are people that you work with are unkind and unfair. It would be very easy for you to be unkind and tear. And I'll tell you something else that the only your workplace, but you were home. You see if for some reason?

When people are living in close proximity, it's very easy to lose. And you seen people who are kind to everyone.

Except the people I live with. Enroll house, yelling and screaming and fussing and fighting, then to get the car and go to church. And they just friendly speak to everybody. It is so easy to lose. At home, but I want to show you a verse in the New Testament. Ephesians 4:32 this piece of kindness not only in the workplace but in the home and this is what it says. Graystillplays. Because for one, another tender, giving one another, even as God in Christ, forgave me, this was written after. Paul had talked about husband and wife workplace and bosses and employees and parents and children. The last thing he says is be kind to one another tenderhearted. Forgiving one another. You say we need to be tender-hearted, forgiving. The Fruit of the Spirit. Is tested in the laboratory that we call the fat, the laboratory of Hulk and friends. If you can make time this work at home, you can make it work. Any place on the face of this Earth, You Can, you can do both the Fruit of the Spirit? Is cray still taste. The fruit of the spirit is gracious and benevolent and actively meeting the needs of other people. The Fruit of the Spirit. Father, we do. Thank you and Grace, you and love you today. Lord, as Christian men and women in the culture that we live in. Lord, it is so hard to because we have been alienated from people races. lord, it's almost as if the media and our nation wants us to be at war with each other and McCall's distance from ear and take and everything that Lose the fruit of the spirit of timeless. Lord help us to be kind of help it. Help us to start at home and in our workplaces the people that we are around the most Help us to be kind because you are a kind God. That Jesus is a kind safe. Or we think what we've studied Lord, I pray that it would sink deep down in her heart and that it would change it and that we wouldn't be so hard and out the Lord that we were listening. We would love people and give us Lord, the wisdom that we need to do in the lives of other people do it again. This morning for your word, with a surprise. Thank you for salvation. You say this morning, we love you because you first loved us price name, I do pray. Amen. All right. Thank you for being here today. Next week. We'll look at the fruit of the spirit goodness. Which overlap here.

But we'll look at that Wednesday night. We will continue that. I hope to see you again here.