Sermon Tone Analysis

Good morning, we are in the middle of a series entitled 9 Flavors 1 Fruit and we have been talking about Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-33.

Today we are going to be talking about the fifth Fruit on the list and that is the Fruit of KINDNESS…

..… Kindness is one of those virtues that we can be easily be overlooked and skip over… But we are going to see that the virtue of Kindness is a Key and vital ingredient of Faith…

and the presence or absence of Kindness in our lives can can have huge consequences and ramifications.

In 1972, Edward Lorenz a meteorologist presented a scientific paper entitled "Predictability: Does the Flap of a Butterfly's Wings in Brazil Set off a Tornado in Texas?"

This became known as—"the butterfly effect."

According to Lorenz's theory, the butterfly's wing-flapping doesn't actually cause a tornado, but it can start a chain reaction leading to giant changes in world-wide weather patterns. .

In others words, even tiny, insignificant movements or actions can produce huge changes that affect millions of people.

Jesus taught a kind of spiritual butterfly effect…In Matt 10:42

Jesus said that even giving someone a cup water in his name…is important… and has rewards… Here is the thing we never know how one act of kindness could change a persons life.....

When we do small things—like making a meal, visiting someone who is sick, befriend the lonely, opening our home to a guest, praying with a friend—

What we might think is "insignificant", these acts of kindness are God's eyes are huge.... Jesus said when you gave to the least of these you gave to me...

Firstly…Is an Attribute of God’s nature.. it is who he is...God is a God of loving kindnesses… Not only is it who he is ---But God expresses his kindness.. towards all people and all of his creation…

If you are living and breathing on this planet… you have experienced this kindness… His grace.

Theologian call God’s kindness towards creation “common grace..”.…

Theologian Stanley Grenz, Describes COMMON GRACE as “.... God’s extension of favor to all people through providential care, regardless of whether or not they acknowledge and love God.”Stanley Grenz

Regardless of you are what you believe…God gives all people common grace.. God give His kindness.

You see...

God does not discriminate!

God does not treat his enemies different from his friends.. God shows kindness to his enemies in order to win their friendship… Paul tells us that in Romans..

That’s why Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit.... God desires us to demonstrate his kindness to others...

Kindness sees real value in People.. from God’s spective and what this means..

Is that human beings are infinitely precious and valuable there is really nothing you can put into them that’s too much.

You put your money, you put your time, and you put your talents on the line…

One of the best illustrations of kindness is actually found in of the Life David…

In book of 1 Samuel David became an overnight sensation… when he defeated the philistine giant Goliath …David went from being a young shepherd boy (a nobody)to an instant hero of Israel… He was instafamous...

David had amazing gifts and abilities and quickly advanced to be one of King Sauls best generals..

As the life of David unfolds — He develops this close friendship with Sauls son Jonathan… they became best of friends.. the bible tells us that Jonathan loved David as his own Soul....

The became they became covenant partners..

As time went on it became evident that King Sauls jealousy over Davids military success was becoming a problem..

David knew that Saul was planning to do him harm…

In the mean time Jonathan even though had the rights to the throne willingly surrendered the throne to David...... knowing that David was anointed to the throne.…

Jonathan did everything possible to protect DAVID from his father… including warning David that the king was intending to kill him.

Jonathan made David covenant and David made a promise that when he was king he would show kindness to the house of Saul… at the end of the book of 1 Samuel.. King Saul and Jonathan both die on the battle field against the Philistines.

Years later when David is established as King over all of Israel..

The first actions that David does is honor his promise to his close friend Jonathan..

He seeks to show kindness to any surviving relative from Sauls house...

And so the search begins and Sauls servant Ziba is found and David learns that the grandson of Saul was still alive his name Mephibosheth — Mephibosheth was a cripple…

He was injured at the age of 5 when fleeing from Saul’s brother Ish-bosheth… who had laid claim to the throne… Because In those days it was custom for the new king to kill all other claimants to the throne even if it was a relative......

A nurse had fled with the young boy and fearing for his life but during the flight she fell and dropped him and both feat were broken…unfortunately he did not receive the proper care, and he was lame for the rest of his life…

Now what makes this story interesting… Saul’s own family… left Mephibosheth to fend for himself.. in fact they had changed his name from Mrib-baal “Hero of the Lord” to Mephibosheth which meant - “From the Mouth of Shame” - in reference either to Saul’s defeat or to his own lameness—physical defect was believed to be punishment for sin..

There is no kindness— no grace or mercy given…by his own family... On the other hand —David whom experienced nothing but hurt and grief from the house of Saul… Spent the majority of his life dodging and hiding from Sauls Jealousy…

How did David demonstrate such kindness?

How do we show kindness to those who have hurt us?

David demonstrates Kindness…to the house of Saul based upon his relationship to Jonathan…When Mephibosheth was brought before David…David said..

Why does David exercise kindenss....

For the sake of Jonathan… the second reason was that David wanted to show someone in the house Saul the Lord’s kindness or the grace of God...

The reason why we invest in the lives of others… the reason we demonstrate kindness — For the sake of kindness we have recieved

is because God highly value every person on the planet..

T/s Kindness is Key to Faith… We are going to look at the book of James where James lays out clearly the importance of Kindness.. Why should we demonstrate kindness to the underserved?

1. Kindness is the Proof of Genuine Faith


A number of years ago Leadership magazine had this Cartoon with a picture of conventional church with a billboard in the front of the church that advertised all its ministries… and the

James is writing to the church that has is being persecuted for their faith and the result has been the dispersion.. where the church has been scattered through the Roman world... these are tough days to be a Christian…

James warns the Church of the problem of having lite Faith…

James asks this rhetorical question —

…What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?

Can that faith save him?

The question that James brings up what is the nature of true Faith? .

Is Faith something that we believe or is it something that we do… Is it Faith Belief or is Faith action..

We know that Faith was essential value both in OT and NT.. Saving Faith is essential when it comes to having a relationship with God in Salvation.

Paul tells us that it is by grace through faith… without works.

Being justified by Faith is a core doctrine of the protestant church - It is one of the five Solas (only’s) that came out of the reformation… that it not Christ plus anything but Christ Alone… It is Grace Alone… It is by Faith Alone… it is to the Glory of God Alone...

So at first glance it seems like James is saying that faith alone is not enough…And that there is a contradiction to what Paul taught in the book of Romans…Where Paul says that we saved apart from works....

So Paul taught that unequivocally that Salvation is by faith alone!

and James is saying that Faith requires action...

It seems that there is a huge theological problem..

But on closer examination.

..James is not staging a show down between Faith and works..

James is asking is how is it possible for others to see that you have faith?

Since faith is not tangible in itself, the only real way faith can be verified is by seeing it in action.

Sure, we can claim to have faith, but James rightly questions whether faith that is never seen is really the kind of faith that can save us

James was fighting against a “lite” faith which minimized the necessity of works after coming to Christ.

Paul says works cannot bring us to Christ.

James says after we come to Christ they are imperative.

We are not save by works but rather saved to works.

.Paul’s teaching about faith and works focuses on the time before conversion, and James’ focus is after conversion.-

To illustrate the point James gives this hypothetical situation… or case study that everyone in the room can relate too...

James writes “If someone says he has faith…” James doesn’t say this individual actually does have faith, but simply that this person claims to have faith.

The verb translated here, “to claim,” or, “to say,” is in the present tense, which suggests this person is continually asserting his faith, constantly saying, “I have faith.

I have faith,” but his words are hollow.

No outward evidence supports his claim.

So James is referring to the profession of faith, not to the possession of faith.

What if this person who claims to have faith comes in contact with someone who has a real need… it could be a church member… it could be a neighbor… but it someone he knows who has real basic and essential needs like food and and clothing…

What if instead of offering kindness.. and providing for these needs… the person proclaims faith… through prayers… and blessing...

What if this person who has faith says something like..… Go and peace… and be warmed and filled…

The problem here is not with the blessing that is offered… nothing wrong in offering prayer and blessings for those in need… the issue is praying a blessing as a cover up for the failure to act…

.. The problem is when we bless people without meeting their physical needs.. the needy person’s body is still cold; his stomach is still empty.

To make it personal, there are those in this community needing our help.

James says brother and sister.. Faith that does not have actions of compassion and kindness is problematic…

James tells us that kind of Faith is Dead…

Faith with out deeds is not just outwardly inoperative but inwardly dead… A good example would be a car battery that has lost its charge…You have everything that could be working in your car… it can be brand new of the car lot… but if there is no power stored in that battery… It still going to be just a heap of metal… it is as good as dead… As James would say what good is that kind of car?

Faith without works is just as dead and impractical as a battery without any electrical charge… James concludes that Faith without action only dead outwardly but dead inwardly… lifeless and useless..

James is advocate for both Faith and works… Some of us have been grounded in our faith… because we somehow have missed this ingredient of acting on your faith...

Just like a bird that takes flight…needs both wings so faith and works go together.

when the two are pumping together in concert.. you have the lift off and the real thing kicks in.

T/s The reason Kindness is the Key ingredient of our Faith.

1. Kindness is the Proof of the Genuine Faith
.

2. KindnessPushes back on bad theology.

(wrong beliefs/thinking)


We have all been there.