A. One night at 3 o’clock in the morning, a husband and wife were awakened by a loud pounding on their door.
1. The husband got out of bed, opened the door, and found a drunken stranger standing in the pouring rain.
2. The inebriated man asked, “Can you give me a push?”
3. “Not a chance,” said the husband, “It is three o’clock in the morning and you’re drunk.”
4. The husband slammed the door and returned to bed.
5. “Who was that?” asked his wife and he replied, “Just some drunk guy asking for a push.”
6. “Did you help him?” she asked and he answered, “No. I did not help him. It’s three o’clock in the morning, it is pouring rain outside, and he is drunk!”
7. His wife said, “Don’t you remember about three months ago when we broke down and those two guys helped us? I think you should help him, and you should be ashamed of yourself!”
8. The husband decided she was right and got dressed and went outside into the pouring rain and called out, “Dear Man, are you still out here and do you still need a push?”
9. “Yes! Please!” came the reply.
10. The husband called out, “Where are you?” The man replied, “Over here! On the swing!”
B. The Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines compassion as “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.”
1. How much sympathy or sorrow do we really feel for the misfortune of others?
2. And an even more important question: Do we really have a strong desire to alleviate their suffering?
3. What if it is 3 o’clock in the morning and it is pouring down rain?
4. If you are like me, then I sometimes find that my compassion quotient isn’t always what it needs to be.
5. If I’m not careful, then my response can often be rather cold – “Well, they did it to themselves” or “It’s not my problem.”
C. But these kinds of attitudes do not reflect the God who we believe in.
1. The Bible presents us with a God who is full of compassion.
2. Exodus 34:6 says: And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…”
3. Over and over again, we see that God commands call upon us to be compassionate.
4. In Deut. 15:11, God says, “I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.”
5. In the parable of the Sheep and Goats in Matt. 25:40, Jesus taught us: “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
6. In James 1:27, James wrote, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…”
D. Wouldn’t you agree that caring for the tangible needs of human beings is part-and-parcel of genuine Christianity?
1. When action-oriented compassion is absent, then it’s a tell-tale sign that something is spiritually amiss.
2. Uncaring and uncompassionate Christianity does not attract seekers into its fold, but a clear and consistent demonstration of Christ-like love is a powerful magnet that pulls people toward God.
3. As mission minded disciples who want to value people the way God values people and who want to reach the lost as much as God wants to reach the lost, then we have to be committed to expressing God’s love through compassion.
4. The principle involved in this kind of outreach is that “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” (a famous quote often attributed to Teddy Roosevelt)
E. Jesus illustrated the importance of compassion in one of His most well-known stories – the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10).
1. It’s a story about a man who was walking from Jerusalem toward the city of Jericho.
2. As he traveled along, some thugs robbed him and beat him up, leaving him half-dead in a ditch on the side of the road.
3. A short time later a priest came walking along, but when he saw the man, he moved to the other side of the road and passed by without slowing down.
4. A little while later, another religious man, a Levite, came along. He too quickly passed by on the other side.
5. Finally, along came a man from Samaria and this Samaritan felt compassion for the robbery victim and stopped to see how he could help.
6. After assessing the situation, the Samaritan knelt over the man, cleaned and bandaged his wounds, lifted the man onto his donkey and took him to an inn.
7. The Samaritan gave the innkeeper some money to take care of the man and said that if the care of the man ends up costing even more, he would pay the additional expenses when he came back through.
F. Have you ever wondered what the Jewish man must have thought later when he woke up in a comfortable bed, all bandaged up, and his room and board had been paid for by someone he didn’t even know?
1. He must have asked the innkeeper, “Who did this for me? And why would he do such a thing? Why didn’t he turn away like everyone else?”
2. Aren’t those the kind of questions asked by people on the receiving end of compassion?
3. They want to look behind the generous act itself and get a glimpse of the underlying motivation
G. The motivation for us, as Christians, to be compassionate should be threefold, at least.
1. First, we should be compassionate because that what God is and we want to be like Him.
2. Second, we should be compassionate because that’s what God commands.
3. And third, we should be compassionate because acts of mercy open up people’s hearts like nothing else can.
4. To put it another way, there is tremendous power in the expression of even a single act of kindness.
5. God wants to use the power of compassion, and kindness, and love to draw people toward Him and His Son.
6. Jesus explained it this way in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
7. As we express loving compassion to each other, people will recognize it as an earmark of authentic Christianity.
8. Our expressions of compassion will help others better understand what God is like, who His children are, and why they should personally trust Him too.
H. Hopefully, all of us at this point in the lesson are convinced of the case for compassion, but we might be asking, how can I raise my compassion quotient?
1. Let me suggest that just as love breeds love, compassion breeds compassion.
2. What I mean by that is that those of us who can recognize and remember the compassion we have received and continue to receive from God, are in a position to pass that compassion along to others.
3. Mother Teresa, one of the most compassionate people of all time said, “The wire is you and me; the current is God. We have the power to let the current pass through us, use us, and produce the light of the world.”
4. See, we are supposed to be the conduits of God’s love, not the reservoirs of it.
5. Unfortunately, sometimes we fail to cooperate with God’s conduit plan.
6. We receive good gifts from God in the form of salvation, mercy, guidance, and answered prayer, but then we just absorb it all without passing it on to others.
I. We are all like the penniless debtor described by Jesus in a story in Matthew 18.
1. This man had piled up enormous indebtedness, and then payback day came.
2. His creditor said, “Sorry, but a deal is a deal. If you can’t pay your debts, I’ll sell you and your pretty wife and all your children into slavery where you can spend the rest of your lives working off your debt.”
3. The debtor panicked knowing that he couldn’t repay the debt even if he worked an entire lifetime.
4. So, he swallowed his pride and fell on his face, pleading, “Master, have mercy on me. If there’s one ounce of kindness in you, be gracious to me. Please, I beg you.”
5. And, lo and behold, the powerful creditor was moved with compassion and forgave the entire debt telling the man, “All right, you’re free. Your debt is forgiven.”
6. Talk about compassion. Can you imagine how overwhelmed that man must have felt?
a. The debt was canceled - what a weight off his shoulders!
7. But did that man allow the compassion he had received to produce compassion in his life?
a. Did he turn around and spread kindness to everyone in his path? No, he did not.
8. The Bible says that he immediately went out and found someone who owed him a few bucks.
a. “Pay up, buddy,” he snarled, “or I’ll press charges to the fullest extent of the law!”
b. To this his debtor replied, “I’ll need a little bit of time. I need some grace. Would you please be compassionate toward me?”
c. But the man said, “No way. A deal is a deal.” - He had him arrested and thrown into jail.
9. You remember what happened next, don’t you?
a. The original creditor found out about this travesty and called the scoundrel in.
b. He said to him: “You pleaded for mercy from me and I gave it to you. I lavished you with compassion. But now you won’t extend compassion to a poor chump who owes you a few bucks? Bad move, pal. Bad move. Now you’re going to pay.”
c. And he had the man thrown in jail - probably for the rest of his life.
J. Jesus used that story to reinforce the fact that mercy ought to produce mercy - grace should produce grace – compassion should produce compassion.
1. Each of us, by definition, are recipients of God’s AMAZING GRACE!
2. Like the penniless debtor in this story, we piled up an enormous debt of sin that none of us could pay off.
3. Our only hope was compassion and grace and forgiveness from God.
4. And wonder of wonders, God extended His compassion toward us and allowed His only Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our sins.
5. And the moment when each of us accepted that gift, professed our faith and were buried with Christ in baptism, our debt that stood against us was erased - our sins were washed away.
6. My memory of when I received God’s gift is as clear to me today as the day it happened.
a. The weight of my burden was removed and I felt like my feet weren’t touching the ground.
b. I felt clean and whole, and I knew that being right with God was something I would value for the rest of my life.
7. And I also remember how intensely I wanted to help others find what I had found in Christ.
K. But if we are not careful, and don’t remind ourselves again and again how much grace we have received, we will become desensitized to God’s grace and take it for granted.
1. It’s so easy to take God’s kindness for granted.
2. It’s so easy to get to a place where we don’t notice it, nor appreciate it.
3. We just expect it, absorb it, and then fail to pass it on to others.
4. Then we find ourselves ignoring needy people, or judging them, or demanding the five-dollar debts be repaid, rather than extending grace and compassion.
5. We need to continually remind ourselves of the great compassion and kindness God has shown to us, as well as His plan to love and attract others through us.
L. So, how is your compassion quotient?
1. Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Col. 3:12)
2. Imagine what would happen in your home, your family, your workplace, or your school if you were clothed with compassion - How many lives would be touched and transformed?
3. Imagine how many people would say, “There really might be a God, because look at how much love, compassion and kindness is flowing from that person. Who else could create that sort of kindness and compassion inside a human being!”
M. I want to challenge us as individuals, and us as a church, to focus on showering the compassion and kindness of God to people all around us.
1. Let’s be looking for opportunities to administer random acts of kindness everywhere we go.
2. And let’s figure out a way to really make a difference in our community and in this city by helping the poor and needy and outcast.
3. As a church, we are off to a good start with our bread ministry and food pantry and community outreach ministry, but as individuals, we really need to be more proactive in this.
4. How can we begin to make a difference in our neighborhood, workplace or school by showing compassion and kindness?
5. When we see someone who needs assistance – like the man in the story of the Good Samaritan saw the beaten on the side of the road – let’s follow God’s lead and let’s show God’s love by doing what we can.
6. We are most like God when we demonstrate his love through acts of compassion and mercy.
N. It can be as simple as lending a listening ear.
1. I recently made a hospital visit and as I came to where the elevators are located I saw a woman crying who was sitting all by herself.
2. I hesitated to intrude but then followed God’s lead and spoke to the woman.
3. I said, “I couldn’t help noticing how upset you are and wondered if there is anything I can do for you. I would be happy to pray for you if you would like me to.”
4. The woman explained that she was from out of town and was here to help her aged relative who was very ill and proceeded to talk about how she had wandered away from her faith.
5. I prayed with her for her loved one and for God to give her the strength she needed and that she might draw closer to God.
6. I will likely never see her again here on earth, but I believe I was God’s agent in that moment to bring God’s love and assistance in her moment of crisis and darkness.
7. God wants us to have eyes to see the needs around us and hearts that care and that desire to do what we can to help others.
8. When we have eyes and hearts like that, then God can accomplish what God wants to accomplish through us for the good of others and in order to draw them to Himself.
O. Let me end with this story:
1. Many years ago in Northern Virginia, an old man stood by the bank of a river waiting to get across.
2. Since it was bitterly cold and there was no bridge, he would have to “catch a ride” to the other side on a wagon or on horseback.
3. After a lengthy wait, he saw a group of horsemen approaching.
4. He let the first person pass, then the second, third, fourth, and fifth.
5. Finally, there was only one rider left and as he came near, the old man looked him in the eye and said, “Sir, would you give me a ride across the river?”
6. Without a moment’s hesitation, the rider said, “Why certainly,” and he helped the man get up on the horse with him.
7. Once across the river, the old man slid to the ground.
8. But before leaving the rider asked, “Sir, I could not help but notice that you permitted all the other riders to pass without asking for a ride. Then, when I drew near you immediately asked me for a ride. I’m curious as to why you didn’t ask them and why you did ask me?”
9. The old man replied, “I looked into their eyes and could see no love and knew in my own heart it would be useless to ask for a ride. But, when I looked into your eyes, I saw compassion, love, and the willingness to help. I knew you would be glad to give me a ride across the river.”
10. The man who had given him a ride humbly said, “You know, I'm very grateful for what you said. I appreciate it very much.”
11. Having said that, Thomas Jefferson turned and rode off to the White House.
P. I want to be that kind of person, don’t you?
1. I want to be the kind of person whose eyes show compassion, love and a willingness to help.
2. I want for people to be able to see the love of God in my eyes and hands and feet.
3. The most effective evangelists that I have known in my life have been two couples - Glenn and Kathryn Olbricht and Bill and Joyce Perkins.
4. Those couples have loved people into God’s kingdom through their love, compassion and service.
5. Through their hearts of compassion and kindness they have served people and through their service have drawn people to the Lord.
6. We’ve got many good examples in our church family right now who have that same heart of love and compassion and are being effective in drawing people to the Lord.
a. I praise God for that!
7. Let’s be like them and let’s be like the good Samaritan and let’s be clothed with compassion and kindness and humility.
8. To God be the glory!!
9. And may many souls be served and saved!
Resources:
• Becoming a Contagious Christian, Bill Hybels
• The Externally Focused Church, Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson
