INTRODUCTION
• MAC VIDEO0- NO PIZZA
• SLIDE #1
• Today we delve into another area in our WHAT DO I BELIEVE ABOUT… series; today we dive into the subject of compassion.
• Compassion is defined in the dictionary as, sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.
• Wikipedia, which is not a source I usually rely upon for information says compassion is, “Compassion is the response to the suffering of others that motivates a desire to help. Compassion motivates people to go out of their way to help physical, spiritual, or emotional hurts or pains of another.”
• Compassion is not simply a feeling, but it is a feeling that leads one to act.
• The bible uses the word in the New Testament in the context of “being moved from one’s inner parts.”
• In the Gospels, the word is always used to describe the attitude of Jesus and it characterizes the divine nature of His acts
• In a world that can be so harsh, there has always been a need for compassion.
• There is a great deal of cruelty in the world, the church needs to be a place that cares for not only people’s spiritual condition but also their physical condition.
• If I BELIEVE God is God - and He is personal.
• One can have a personal relationship with this eternal & personal God is through Salvation in offered through the blood of Jesus.
• I BELIEVE that the Bible is the Word of God as it declares it is & the historical evidence testifies that it is, THEN I can know that my identity does not have to be based on my sinful humanity but through salvation, I’m identified as a child of God, and now a member of HIS family called the Church.
• Since this is true, then the attitude of my heart should reflect the attitude of MY Fathers heart and His heart is filled with COMPASSION! The question before us today is - IS MINE?
• Can you imagine how you could change the world around you with a little compassion?
• Let’s look at how compassion has been displayed through the ages.
• Let’s begin with examining the fact that…
• SLIDE #2
SERMON
I. God has displayed compassion toward humanity.
• When we look at how God with humanity since creation, we can see that God is driven my compassion.
• When Adam and Eve sinned, God did punish them; however, He did not dispose of them.
• When Cain killed his brother Abel, God showed compassion for Abel by not allowing him to be killed by other people.
• Throughout the history of the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, the nation struggled with staying faithful to God.
• There were periods of faithfulness followed by times sin and rebellion.
• However, through it all, God’s love for Israel was always evident.
• God’s compassion toward the people was always present as He offered them relief from the misery they heaped upon themselves because of their rebellion.
• The book of Judges exemplified the vicious cycle the nation exhibited, one of SIN, SERVITUDE, SUPPLICATION, AND SALVATION. When the nation reached the point of repentance, God would send one of the Judges to free the people
• In the book of Nehemiah, we see how the nation of Israel understood God’s compassion toward them.
• In the book of Nehemiah, the nation was getting ready for a national day of repentance, the the third wave of the Israelites had returned from Babylonian captivity.
• The Levites' prayer is one of the longest in the Bible. It begins with a confession of God's greatness—his glorious name, his creative works, his covenant with Abraham, and his gift of the Promised Land to Israel.
• The prayer shows the influence of the Scripture reading of the recent weeks. It rehearsed how God brought Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, dividing the sea, leading them by fiery cloud.
• At Sinai he gave Israel his law including the holy Sabbath. Through the wilderness period God provided manna from heaven and water from a rock. Such is the record of God’s faithfulness to his people.
• Throughout the ninth chapter of the book, the Priests talk about God’s compassion toward the people.
• In verse 19, 27, 28, and 31 the word compassion is used.
• SLIDE #3
• Nehemiah 9:19 (HCSB) — 19 You did not abandon them in the wilderness because of Your great compassion. During the day the pillar of cloud never turned away from them, guiding them on their journey. And during the night the pillar of fire illuminated the way they should go.
• If there would have been a time to flame the Israelites, it would have been after God delivered them from Egypt! Whine, cry, rebellion, whine, cry rebellion, argh, that is enough for me to NOT show them compassion!
• Nonetheless, God has always displayed compassion, culminating in sending Jesus to do what we cannot do for ourselves!
• God’s love for us moved Him to action!
• Next we see…
• SLIDE #4
II. God desired Israel to be compassionate.
• God wanted the nation of Israel to be a nation of Priests to the world. A priest is called to build bridges between man and God.
• Compassion was an important aspect of the testimony of the nation of Israel to the world.
• When God set up the foundation of the laws for the nation, He revealed through Moses specific guidelines for helping those in need.
• In the book of Deuteronomy, God more or less set up a welfare system for folks who were in need.
• From Deuteronomy 24:10-22 God lays out a plan to help those in need.
• He talks about not taking advantage of poor and needy.
• Later in verses 19-22, God speaks of the harvest.
• SLIDE #5
• Deuteronomy 24:19–22 (HCSB) — 19 “When you reap the harvest in your field, and you forget a sheaf in the field, do not go back to get it. It is to be left for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you knock down the fruit from your olive tree, you must not go over the branches again. What remains will be for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. 21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you must not glean what is left. What remains will be for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. 22 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. Therefore I am commanding you to do this.
• NOTICE THAT God wanted Israel to provide for those in need.
• Also notice that this system was not one where the needy simply sat at home and did nothing, the food was left for the needy to go get.
• In the case of Ruth and Naomi, Ruth collected the food for them both.
• God wanted to make sure the people of Israel were compassionate and were willing to help others in times of need.
• Next we see….
• SLIDE #6
III. Jesus is the model of compassion.
• We know that compassion is important to God because Jesus displayed and modeled the highest levels of compassion towards people.
• In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus zeroed in on one the key teaching of the Law, to love your neighbor as yourself!
• SLIDE #7
• Luke 10:25–37 (HCSB) — 25 Just then an expert in the law stood up to test Him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the law?” He asked him. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. 28 “You’ve answered correctly,” He told him. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus took up the question and said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. 34 He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”
• Jesus explained that the Samaritan was moved by compassion and took care of the man in need.
• We also see instances where Jesus was moved by compassion.
• Jesus was traveling to all the towns and villages, He was teaching and preaching, He was healing every disease and sickness.
• What He saw moved Him!
• SLIDE #8
• Matthew 9:36 (HCSB) — 36 When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd.
• Jesus had compassion for the lost! Verse 38 of the passage tells us He prayed for more workers to harvest the lost.
• Matthew 14:14 tells us that Jesus stepped ashore and felt compassion for people and then proceeded to heal them.
• He healed a blind man in Matthew 20:34 because He was moved by compassion.
• Jesus did not heal everyone on the planet, but He healed those He was with.
• You can change the world one person at a time!
• That leads to our final thought found in Colossians 3:12
• SLIDE #9
• Colossians 3:12 (HCSB) Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
• SLIDE #10
IV. Christians are called to model compassion.
• We are called to show compassion to those around us, it is so easy to simply judge other people, to write them off because they are not like us, or they have not been great citizens, so in fear we write them off.
• WE need to see people as Jesus sees them, we need to look deep into their pain and see why they are in pain.
• We need to have enough compassion for people that we are willing to find out why they are the way they are.
• Instead of looking at the bully as the bully, compassion will lead us try to get to know the person to see why they are a bully.
• Labels are killing us, we have to quit writing people off because of fear, let’s show compassion and then maybe we can make a difference in their lives!
• We are called to put on heartfelt compassion!
• We can change the lives of people and one person at a time we can change the world for the good!
• But you have to be willing to feel the pain of others, you have to be willing to put yourself on the line.
• There are times we will be taken advantage of. I saw a story of a beggar who at the end of the day would drive off in there Mercedes. That happens, but that should not callous our hearts to those who are in need!
CONCLUSION
• Where is your heart today? Is it only focused on you, or are you moved to help others because you feel their pain to the point of being moved?
• Are you so calloused to the plight of others that you do not see the pain in the world around you?
• Open your eyes and open your heart.
• Sarah McLachlan SPCA Commercial’s for animal rights, they show some sad stories of abused animals, it can move you to tears to the point of giving up all your money.
• Well, as sad as that is, there is a world full of hurting people who need you!
• Will you open your heart to them?
