C. A. R. E.
1 CORINTHIANS 12:25-27 (MKJV) That there not be division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is glorified, all the members rejoice with it. And you are the body of Christ, and members in part.
INTRODUCTION: A preacher was running late when he pulled into a full-service gas station for fuel. A little guy came out from office. He had a toboggan pulled down low, his face was covered with acne, his hair was greasy, and his pants were so large he had to keep pulling them up. The guy spoke poorly and slowly. It seemed to take forever for him to pump the gas. When the preacher gave him his credit card, it took several minutes before he came back to say they didn’t accept that card. The preacher then gave him another card only to learn after several more minutes that it didn’t work. Finally in desperation, he asked, "Do you still take cash?" The little fellow then took several more minutes to make change and return it. The preacher was so furious when he left that he backed up and spun his tires as he left the station! A few blocks away, the Holy Spirit began to convict him about his impatience and rudeness to the attendant. He drove back up and the little guy was too scared to come out of the office! Finally, the preacher said to him, "I’m really sorry for the way I treated you." The man pushed back his toboggan and said, "That’s okay mister. Everybody treats me that way." (Copied from Grace Baptist Temple’s website at www.brandonweb.com/gbt/sermonpages/luke43.htm) We live in a cold and impersonal world in which many can echo that statement, “Everybody treats me that way.” What is sad is that that sentiment is all too often echoed in the church, which ought to be a haven from the coldness of society. We as a church are called to be different as a result of our relationship with Jesus Christ. If we are to fulfill the command of Christ we must care. We must care about both fellow believers in the church as well as those who have never come to a saving knowledge of Christ. What do we have to do to be known as a caring church? What is involved?
I. (C). A. R. E.
A. We must demonstrate genuine CONCERN
1. concern - to feel a marked interest about
2. 1 Corinthians 12:25 That there should be no schism (or divisions) in the body; but that the members should have the same care (concern) one for another.
3. Mamie made frequent trips to the branch post office. One day she confronted a long line of people who were waiting for service from the postal clerks. Mamie only needed stamps, so a helpful observer asked, "Why don’t you use the stamp machine? You can get all the stamps you need and you won’t have to stand in line." Mamie said, "I know, but the machine can’t ask me about my arthritis." People still need human contact. Source unknown
B. We must exhibit COMPASSION
1. Compassion is defined as a sympathetic consciousness of others distress together with a desire to alleviate it.
2. A Greek verb used in the Bible to refer to God’s compassion is splanchnizomai. The nominal form of this word originally referred to the inner parts of a man, the heart, liver, and so on. It became common to use this word in reference to the lower parts of the abdomen, the intestines, and especially the womb. The word brings to mind the physical feeling associated with compassion. Literally it is identifying with another’s distress that one feels it in his guts.
3. Jude 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
4. 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
C. We must possess the CONVICTION that we are dealing with eternal issues
1. Jude 1:22-23 "And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh."
2. We are dealing with the souls of men, women, boys, and girls. Eternal destinies are at stake.
3. Caring compassion seeks to meet physical and emotional needs, but no genuine Christ-like compassion can be claimed until that compassion also notes and seeks solutions for the spiritual needs of lost souls. The greatest need of the majority of people in our world is salvation.
II. C. (A). R. E
A. We must be ATTENTIVE
1. People want to know that they are somebody and that someone will pay time and attention to them.
2. In their book The Big Book of Jewish Humor (HarperCollins, 1981), William Novak and Moshe Waldoks tell of a woman from Brooklyn, New York, who, on her 80th birthday, decided to prepare her last will and testament. She went to her rabbi to make two final requests. First, she insisted on cremation. "What is your second request?" the rabbi asked. "I want my ashes scattered over the Bloomingdale’s store." "Why Bloomingdale’s?" "Then I’ll be sure that my daughters visit me twice a week," came the reply
3. Matthew 15:22-23 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying; Send her away for she cries after us.
4. The Disciples wanted to get away from her. They felt that both Christ and they had more important and more pressing things to do. They didn’t have time to listen to her. But Jesus took time to talk with her.
5. Luke 18:15-16 (MKJV) And they also brought infants to Him, that He might touch them. But when the disciples saw, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them and said, Allow the little children to come to Me, and forbid them not. For of such is the kingdom of God.
B. We must show genuine ACCEPTANCE
1. God created in us the need to be accepted, to have the feeling of self worth, of value and approval.
2. People need love, especially when they don’t deserve it. - Unknown
3. John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
4. Do you accept others like Christ accepts you? Regardless of who they are? How they look? What they’ve done?
5. James 2:2-4 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; [3] And ye have respect to him that wears the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: [4] Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
6. Every member of this church should go all-out to make every other church member feel accepted, loved, appreciated, approved and that they are valuable. Visitors coming to this church should feel welcome, appreciated, loved and accepted. They should leave here saying, "They made me feel like I was somebody and they really want me to come back."
C. We must not be passive but ACTIVE
1. True caring is always an action carried out by one person in regard to another person.
2. James 2:15-17 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
3. A young boy, on an errand for his mother, had just bought a dozen eggs. Walking out of the store, he tripped and dropped the sack. All the eggs broke, and the sidewalk was a mess. The boy tried not to cry. A few people gathered to see if he was OK and to tell him how sorry they were. In the midst of the words of pity, one man handed the boy a quarter. Then he turned to the group and said, "I care 25 cents worth. How much do the rest of you care?" James 2:16 points out that words don’t mean much if we have the ability to do more. - Stanley C. Brown in Vital Sermons of the Day. Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 1.
4. "People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care."
III. C. A. (R). E
A. We must REMEMBER others first
1. Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
2. Every community has a variety of persons who are among the "forgotten" – forgotten by all or most congregations.
3. Hebrews 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
B. We must RESPECT our differences
1. 1 Corinthians 12:20-25 (NKJV) But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.
2. An issue of National Geographic included a photograph of the fossil remains of two saber-tooth cats locked in combat. To quote the article: "One had bitten deep into the leg bone of the other, a thrust that trapped both in a common fate. The cause of the death of the two cats is as clear as the causes of the extinction of their species are obvious. When Christians fight each other, everybody loses. As Paul put it, "if you keep biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other" (Galatians 5:15)
C. We must be READY to demonstrate we care
1. Even if it means being inconvenienced
2. Titus 3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
3. The smallest good deed is better than the grandest intention.
4. 57 Rules for caring. First, deliver the goods. Second, the other fifty-six do not matter.
IV. C. A. R. (E).
A. We must ENDURE rejection.
1. Not all will respond favorably to your reaching out to them. Most of us did not respond to Christ the first time He reached out to us.
2. 1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
3. Galatians 6:9 (Paraphrased) Let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.
4. Disappointment should always be taken as a stimulant, and never viewed as a discouragement.
B. We need to provide ENCOURAGEMENT
1. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
2. A pat on the back is only a few vertebrae removed from a kick in the pants, but is miles ahead in results. – Ella Wheeler Wilcox. Leadership, Vol. 15, no. 3.
C. We must keep EGO out of the picture.
1. John 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
2. Christ made of himself no reputation (literally, "emptied himself") by becoming a human and specifically by becoming a human slave who served God, his Master, by serving humanity. We need to take off the garments of ego and pride and put on the towel of servanthood.
The question today is do you care?
