**Reminders: Vision Sunday next weekend is GOING TO BE AMAZING. Dont miss it bring a friend.

Romans 11:17–24 (ESV)

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

“The Kind God”

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PRAY / For the Word to reveal the parts of our lives that NEED YOU Lord.

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I WONDER HOW YOU SEE GOD?

MANY IN THE WORLD THINKS GOD IS MEAN…. The Big Bad Mean God. He’s the big bad wolf behind the veil of this life and the world ready to pounce and impose himself on pople and make things very bad. God is mean. He’s not nice. He’s BIG BAD God. And He’s to be avoided, He’s to be not talked to or aboIt. Some see God like that

SOME THINK GOD IS SOFT …. The SOFT CUDDLY GOD….. not a mean God at all… he’s the perpetual soft cuddly bear thats gonna let you know that everything’s gonna be ALRIGHT. God is nice. He’s like us he has emotions and he’s gotta understand right? He’s gotta be this emotionally healthy person who I can just go and visit like a warm and loving therapist and I can sit on the cough and recline and tell him my problems and they will miraculously just disappear and I will be able to go on with my life and everything will just be FINE.

BUT WHAT DOES THE WORD SAY?

WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL IN THIS LIFE NOT TO MAKE GOD WHO WE THINK HE IS

THATS MAKING GOD IN OUR IMAGE OF WHAT WE THINK HE SHOULD LOOK LIKE: THATS WRONG

With the WORD and the HOLY SPIRIT we can continually be REFINING our Revelation of WHO GOD ACTUALLY IS

The Bible TALKS ALOT ABOUT THE KINDNESS OF GOD (His mercy, His LOVING KINDNESS

Paul in ROMANS says it this way:

Romans 11:22“Note then the kindness and the severity of God:

Here is a few more examples of gods kindness in scripture

Ephesians 2:7 “so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

Titus 3:4-6 “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,”

Nehemiah 9:17 (NKJV)

They refused to obey,

And they were not mindful of Your wonders

That You did among them.

But they hardened their necks,

And in their rebellion

They appointed a leader

To return to their bondage.

But You are God,

Ready to pardon,

Gracious and merciful,

Slow to anger,

Abundant in kindness,

And did not forsake them.

IN THE BIBLE KINDNESS CAN BE INTERCHANGED WITH THE LONG WORD (two WORDS TOGETHER) LOVINGKINDNESS

Psalm 69:16 “Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love (kindness) is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.”

Psalm 117:2 “For great is his steadfast love (kindness) toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!”

WE ARE SPENDING SOME TIME FOR A MOMENT THIS PAST WEEK AND TODAY WITH A STUDY ON SOME OF THE ATRIBUTES AND NATURE OF GOD.

1.GOD IS KIND.

GOD IS KIND - We know this because we SEE Gods kindness EXPRESSED to His chosen people DESPITE the things they do against him.

Romans 2:4 “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

IF WE SAY WERE CHOSEN BY GOD - HES ALREADY BEEN KIND TO US

But We have to GET THE REVELATION IN LIFE that MY GOD IS KIND.

Write this down: GOD HAS BEEN KIND TO ME.

He hasn’t been MEAN To me. That most likely relates to PEOPLE.

NEVER JUDGE THE KINDNESS OF GOD BASED OFF YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH PEOPLE.

Human nature can TEND To be UNKIND.

God’s NATURE is THAT HE IS KIND.

He has a KIND, COmpassionate NATURE towards HIS PEOPLE.

Jeremiah 31:2-4 “Thus says the Lord: “The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.”

GOD HAS A KIND AND LOVING NATURE… NOT A MEAN AND HURTFUL NATURE.

BUT HERE IS THE DISTINCTION I WANT TO MAKE: Its part of His nature but its not ALL of his Nature

This is really important to get: God is Gracious.. but God is also JUST (people want fair. But our God is better than fair He’s JUST).

This is WHY ITS GOOD TO STUDY GODS CHARACTER Go UNDERSTAND ALL OF WHO HE IS: God is KIND:…. God is merciful… but God hates SIN in this world and will deal with it and has dealt with it

This is why when Paul writes in ROMANS he uses to contrasting things about God:

His kindnesss & His Severity

Romans 11:22 “Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.”

Paul is saying to the Church about the GENTILES: This is HOW KIND GOD IS, HE HAS GIVEN YOU SALVATION. But He WILL NOT COMPRIMISE ON SIN IN TEH WORLD. RECOGNICE HIS KIDNESS

HOW TO LIVE IN HIS KINDNESS:

But how?

Here is a little LIST of How can we Live in and be immersed and experience in our OWN lives daily the Kindness of God and see his nature working in our lives:

*Repent. repent often before the Lord. In your life giving, prayer time do you say to him “im sorry lord”. For the things ive done for the ways I’ve Lived that didn’t honor you, for th mistakes ive made. Father, im sorry

difference between religion and relationship:

RELIGION SAYS: OH NO, I BETTER NOT GO SEE MY DAD, ILL GET IN TROUBLE. DAD IS A MEAN MAN AND HE IS JUST MEAN!

RELATIONSHIP SAYS: OH MAN< I NEED TO CALL MY DAD. HE’s GONNA HELP ME: He’s kind. He loves me, He’ll always WANT the best for me!

repentance is the pathway towards the heart of God.

*Surrender - Life following Jesus is just a continual surrender to God. One of the reasons we worship

*Forgive - We can forgive because we are FORGIVEN. But we are CALLED TO FORGIVE!

…. Then Be kind yourself!

How kindness works in our lives: We are CHARGED by God to Go FORTH and BE KIND TO THE WORLD TO DISPLAY the VERY ATTRIBUTES of the ONE WE FOLLOW

Colossians 3:12 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,”

Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

2.GOD WILL ALWAYS BE KIND. (Because of Jesus Christ)

God has made up his mind, have you?

Hes made up his mind about sin.

1 Kings 3:6 NKJV

And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

ANOTHER WAY WE CAN KNOW ITS A PART OF HIS NATURE: Its a FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”

Through JESUS Christ the LONVING KINDNESS AND THE MERCY OF GOD IS CONTINUOS. Its every lasting Kindness extended from Heaven to us. The only problem is WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT WE WILL DO WITH IT

God extends kindness,

We have to respond to it.

That is LIFE IN ITS TRUEST SENSE!

Closing Illustration: “Sinners in the Hand of An Angry God “- Jonathan Edwards.

1700’s revivivalist and preachers that preached the famous message “sinners in the hand of an angry God:

many people God saved through that because it was kind of seen as a book written to WARN people away from HELL. Which in essence is still a good thing. Listen to our eternity series, Hell is a real place and Eternity is but a BREATH away. But this book wasn’t about HELL. it was about GRACE

it was about HOW GOD… has allowed LIFE to be an OPPORTUNITY to experience and EMBRACE His Loving Kindness.

CLOSING PRAYER: THE KINDNESS OF GOD IS INESCAPABLE!

He is never going to turn his back on you, you know why?

Because He turned his back on JESUS for you.

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

Numbers 6:24–26 ESV

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.