Illus: Dr. Odell Belger tells how that an elderly man attended his church drove HIS CAR for sixty years and never had a driver’s license.
• He said one time he was pulled over and the patrolman asked to see his license and he told him truthfully, HE DID NOT HAVE THEM WITH HIM! And the patrolman told him to go on.
• But after sixty years of driving he finally got caught. He confessed to the patrolman he had been driving for sixty years and never had any license.
• The high way department gave him driver’s license after sixty years of driving with no accidents.
• They said if he has been driving for sixty years with no accidents evidently he is qualified to drive.
The next day they had his picture in the local newspaper holding his driver’s license in his hand and smiling.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!!!
Illus: WASHINGTON (AP) — reported after months of growing military pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump ordered a brazen operation into the South American country to capture its leader and whisk him to the United States where his administration planned to put him on trial.
• The military leaders tell us this capture will go down into history as a flawless undertaking.
• They also tell us before they ever undertook this endeavor for months and months the military have practiced every detail over and over again.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!!!
A lot of folks could do a lot of things if they would take the time to practice certain things!!!
Illus: If some practice so many hours a day they could become a great pianist.
(1) HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF DEAN MARTIN?
Of course you have! He is known for his singing. It is said that many days
He practiced singing six hours a day. No wonder he was a wonderful singer!
(2) HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF CHET ADKINS?
Of course you have! He was a great guitarist! He practiced playing the
Guitar when others were watching television. No wonder he was such a
Wonderful guitarist.
(3) HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF MICHAEL JORDAN?
Of course you have! He was a great basketball player! He had a basketball in his hand and was shooting hoops while the crowd was sitting on the sideline yelling. No wonder he was such a wonderful basketball player.
(4) HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF JOHN WAYNE?
Of course you have! He was a great actor! He would practice a scene over and over again until he got everything the way it was supposed to be. No wonder he was such a wonderful actor.
WE BECOME GOOD AT WHAT WE PRACTICE!
• Probably some of our greatest musicians that were ever born have never been heard of because they never practiced the music skills they were born with.
• Probably some of our greatest physicians have never been discovered because they did not practice using the medical skills they were born with.
Let’s look at some things we Christians should be practicing.
We should -
I. PRACTICE BEING A GOOD LISTENER
A lot of folks are lonely!
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger and his wife often go out for supper and they often see an elderly gentleman whose wife past away several years ago and he is so lonely. Since he no longer has his beloved wife to talk to every time he sees someone he wants to engage in a conversation.
You will be surprise each day we come into contact with people who no longer have anyone to talk to them or listen to them.
Look what happened when this woman that had a problem touched the Lord.
The Lord wanted a conversation with her.
Look at Mark 5:30-34. "And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."
Listen, the Lord is Omniscient which means He knows all things. He knew before He asked who touched Him in faith, but he wanted a conversation with this lady.
After she confessed she was the one that touched Him in faith, perhaps she told him how she went from doctor to doctor but steadily got worse. Now she was out of money! I can assure you that whatever she said to the Lord, THE LORD LISTENED TO HER!
A lot of folks are good TALKERS but they are not good LISTENERS.
Illus: When we talk to people we never know of the sorrow that some folks are facing.
If we become a good listener we will soon find out about the difficulties they are facing.
There are people that we come into contact with each day that need someone to be a good listener and listen to them.
Illus: Erma Bombeck told about a time when she was tired of listening. She had listened to her son tell in detail about a movie he had just watched.
Then she had received several telephone calls filled with mindless chatter that never seemed to end.
So it was with genuine relief that she was able to tell the last caller that she just had to rush off to the airport.
She got into a taxicab, and as the taxicab driver took her to the airport, he told her all about his son who had won a scholarship to college, and how he was making straight A’s. Erma had to sit there and listen to it all.
• She said, "But once I got to the airport and realized that I was 30 minutes early, I breathed a sigh of relief and thought, I have 30 whole minutes when I don’t have to listen to anybody. I can just sit here and read my book and not be bothered at all."
• "But no sooner had I opened my book, when an elderly female voice said to me,
• I bet its cold in Chicago.’"
• "I suppose," Erma Bombeck replied without looking up from her book.
• "I haven’t been in Chicago for 3 years," the woman said. "My son lives there."
• "That’s nice," said Erma. Then the woman continued on,
• "My husband’s body is on this plane. We were married for 53 years. I don’t drive, you see, and the funeral director was so nice. He drove me to the airport today."
• Erma recalls, "Here was a woman who didn’t want money or advice or counsel. All she wanted was someone to listen. And in desperation she had turned to a total stranger with her story."
• Erma Bombeck said, "She continued to talk to me until they announced that we were boarding the plane. We walked onto the plane and I saw her sit down in another section.
• And as I hung up my coat I heard her say to the person next to her, 'I bet its cold in Chicago.’"
There are people that have great needs and they are literally starving for someone to listen to them.
They have some serious problems and they need someone that is willing to be a good listener and focus in on their problems.
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger tells of when his aunt Marie was dying with cancer. After everyone found out she had cancer they would always go outside the room and talk to each other but not talk to her about the death that she was facing.
While Dr. Belger was visiting with her one day he felt led to talk to her about dying and going to heaven.
She lit up like a Christmas tree when she found out she had someone to talk to about her condition and she did not have to face it alone!
Listen, the Lord took time out of His busy schedule to talk to this lady. It was like SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE THERE IN THAT CROWD!
The Lord was a GOOD LISTENER!
When we become a good listener, we then become a good talker and know what to say at the appropriate time.
Illus: I love the story about the 6’10" Texan who walked up to the counter at McDonalds, slammed down his big fist, and said to the girl behind the counter,
• "I want half a Big Mac."
• She said, "What?"
• He said, "I want half a Big Mac and I want it now."
• She said, "I don't understand. Can you repeat that again? "I want half a Big Mac and I want it now."
• After hearing him repeats this request several times, she was not exactly sure how to handle his request. She said, "Excuse me for a minute." She headed back to her manager to find out what to do with this request without realizing that the man was following right behind her.
• She got back to the manager and said, "There’s a big idiot out there who is dumber than lead and he has ordered half a Big Mac." And just about that moment she suddenly realized that he was standing behind her. Quickly she added, "And this gentleman wants the other half."
It takes a lot of PRACTICE to learn how to be a good listener but it is only after we become a good listener that we are qualified to be a good talker.
We should PRACTICE BEING A GOOD LISTENER!!!
Also, as Christians we should…
II. PRACTICE BEING KIND
Look at Mark 5:33-34 we read, "But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."
Notice, the Bible says this lady was, "FEARING AND TREMBLING."
Illus: Being kind is not something that comes naturally to any of us. This is why God gave us parents and they do all they can to teach us to be KIND!
For example, have you ever heard a parent say, “If you bite your brother’s ear one more time, I am going to bite yours?” Some these little rascals are cannibals!
We become kind when we PRACTICE KINDNESS OVER AND OVER AGAIN!
Some people can TALK KINDNESS but they do not PRACTICE KINDNESS!
Jesus not only talked about kindness, but He modeled it for us too.
The Lord Jesus drew large crowds everywhere He went. HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY HE DREW SUCH LARGE CROWDS?
Illus: Some people can count all the friends they have on one hand and still have a few fingers available.
Why?
Because UNKIND people do not have friends.
Do you know how we as a church can ALSO DRAW LARGE CROWDS?
It is only when Christians in this church go out into this lost world and demonstrates kindness that these folks will follow them to church.
The Bible says HE WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD!
Illus: Listen, some Christians have never won a soul to the Lord!!!
Let me tell you how they can win someone to the Lord!!!
Find someone that is lost and be kind to them over and over and when the right time come SHARE WITH THEM THE GOSPEL AND ASK THEM WOULD THEY LIKE TO ACCEPT THE LORD AS THEIR SAVIOR.
In life many times you have to do something for someone before they are willing to do something for you.
Many churches today feel the answer to a growing church is to have good organization. Do not get me wrong, organization is essential but we can be the most organized church in the county and still not be effective.
Illus: A German soldier was wounded. He was ordered to go to the military hospital for treatment.
When he arrived at the large building, He saw two doors:
• One marked, "For the slightly wounded,"
• The other, "For the seriously wounded."
He entered through the first door and found himself going down a long hall. At the end of the hall were two more doors, one marked,
• "For officers"
• And the other, "For non-officers."
He entered through the latter and found himself going down another long hall. At the end of it were two more doors, one marked,
• "For party members"
• And the other, "For non-party members."
He took the second door, and when he opened it he found himself out on the street.
When the soldier returned home, his mother asked him, "Did you get the help you needed at the hospital?"
"Well, Mother," he replied, "To tell the truth, the people there didn’t do anything for me, but you ought to see the tremendous organization they have!"
Kindness always draws people! Kindness gets people's attention!
Illus: I like that commercial on television where a young man was standing beside his locker with a young lady that he was hoping to win her love.
Two boys came down the hall in front of them knock a young man’s books out of his hand and went down the hall laughing.
The young man talking to the young lady left her and went over helped him pick up his books with a smile and a pat on the shoulder.
The young lady he was talking to was impressed with his kindness and smile like WHAT A FELLOW!!!
Kindness is appreciated!!!
Illus: A missionary returning after serving many years in the jungles of New Guinea was asked, "What was it like? Tell us what you found there."
• "I found a mission field that looked more hopeless than if I had been sent into a jungle of tigers."
• "What do you mean?"
• "The people there were so fierce and degraded that they seemed utterly devoid of moral sense."
• "If a mother was carrying her little baby and the child was crying and wouldn’t stop, she would throw it into the ditch and let it die."
• "If a man saw his own father break his leg, he would just leave him to suffer by himself. They had no compassion whatever. They didn’t even know what the word meant."
• “Well, what were you able to do? Did you preach to them?"
• "No, not at first. I thought it better to show them my faith by my works!"
• "When I saw a baby crying, I picked it up and consoled it."
• "When I saw a man with a broken leg, I sought to mend it."
• "When I found people distressed and hungry, I took them in, comforted and fed them."
• Finally they began to ask, “What does this mean? Why are you doing this for us?”
• "Then I had my chance. I told them about Jesus, and many of them came to know and love Jesus also."
While we recognize the need for organization, we also recognize that
Organization alone does not get the job done. WHAT DOES GET THE JOB
DONE? KINDNESS!
• When someone is facing surgery and a Christian will practice kindness and call or visit that person it means a great deal to them.
• When someone has been told they have a terminal disease and a Christian practices kindness it means a great deal to them.
• When someone has a death in the family and a Christian practices kindness and shows up at the home and the funeral home it means a great deal to them.
• When a person has just moved into the neighborhood and a Christian practices kindness and shows up at their front door welcoming them into the neighborhood it means a great deal to them.
• When a person is at Lowe’s or Home Depot and some fellow is trying to load something that is much too heavy for him and a Christian practices kindness and walks over and helps him it means a great deal to him.
There are all kinds of ways for us to PRACTICE KINDNESS.
We can't lose when we PRACTICE BEING A GOOD LISTENER AND BEING KIND TO PEOPLE. It pays off for us over and over again!
Illus: I heard a story about a woman that was standing at a bus stop. She had just cashed her tax refund check, so she was carrying more money than usual and was a little bit nervous about that. She glanced around and noticed a shabbily dressed man standing nearby. And as she watched, she saw a man walk up to him, hand him some money, and whisper something in his ear. She was so touched by that act of kindness that she decided to do the same. In a burst of generosity, she reached into her purse, took out $10, handed it to the man, and whispered to him, "Never despair, never despair." The next day when she came to the bus stop, there he was again.
But this time he walked up to her and handed her $110. Dumbfounded, she asked, "What’s this?" He said, "You won, lady. At the horse race yesterday, 'Never Despair' paid 10 to 1."
Now I can't promise that every act of kindness will pay 10 to 1. But I can promise you that GOD SEES EVERY KIND ACT AND HE HAS PROMISED TO REWARD YOU FOR EVERY KIND ACT YOU DO.
The Lord Jesus took time to stop in the midst of a crowd of people and HE LISTENED and TALKED to a woman that most folks would not have taken time to bother with and certainly would not had been kind in trying to assist her.
He talked to her like she was the only person on this earth. A large crowd gathered around the Lord Jesus but He gave her personal attention.
We should PRACTICE BEING A GOOD LISTENER, PRACTICE BEING KIND and -
III. PRACTICE BEING COMPASSIONATE
This lady the Lord was dealing with had a "blood issue" and was a NOBODY as far as society was concerned. When she came before the Lord she became a SOMEBODY!
BE COMPASSIONATE TO ONE ANOTHER.
The word "compassion" simply means that your feelings become a part of my life, and I begin to share and understand what you feel, and what is going on inside of you.
For example, in John 11, when the Lord arrived at the home of Mary and Martha after their brother had died, the Bible tells us JESUS WEPT.
The question we need to ask ourselves is, "WHY DID HE WEEP?"
Some thought it was because LAZARUS HAD DIED. In fact, they said, “...Behold how he loved him!"
If you examine this passage of scripture carefully you will see He did not weep for the dead, but for the living!
HE WEPT BECAUSE THEY WERE WEEPING!
Notice, the Bible says, "When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her…Jesus wept."
Christians get our name because we are Christ-like. He was COMPASSIONATE!
• In Eph. 4:32, we read, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
• In Matt. 25:40 we read, “…Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
We need to PRACTICE COMPASSION:
• In a family torn by dissension and argument - Be kind and compassionate to one another
• In a business where the general rule seems to be “dog eat dog” - Be kind and compassionate to one another
• In a community and nation where one race is pitted against another, and tolerance is derided - Be kind and compassionate to one another
In a world that is torn asunder we have plenty of opportunities to PRACTICE COMPASSION
Conclusion:
Illus: Some construction workers were building a high rise across the street from a hospital. As they were working on the 3rd floor, they noticed a little girl standing in the 3rd floor window of the hospital watching them work. One day they looked across and saw the little girl hold up a poster that said, "My name is Lisa. What are your names?"
So, the next day the construction workers came back with some poster board & magic markers, & they all wrote down their names. "My name is Bob. My name is Bill. My name is Harry. How old are you?"
The next day the little girl held up a sign that said, "I am 7 years old. How old are you?" Well, this went on for several days.
But one day they noticed that Lisa wasn’t at her usual place in the window. So, at break time one of the workers called the hospital & asked for a third-floor nurse. He asked if she could tell him anything at all about Lisa.
The nurse said that Lisa had taken a turn for the worse and was now in Intensive Care. So, the workers pooled their money and bought some flowers and a card and wrote a note on it and sent it to Lisa in Intensive Care.
Several days passed by, and then another sign appeared at the window, "Lisa passed away. Thank you for caring!"
Love is kind. We need to learn to be kind to one another even as God has been kind to us through Jesus Christ, and as He has offered Him as a sacrifice for all our sins.
The things WE PRACTICE we become GOOD AT!
We should -
I. PRACTICE BEING A GOOD LISTENER
II. PRACTICE BEING KIND
III. PRACTICE BEING COMPASSIONATE
