Love is Kind
Summer of Love • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
I am Mike Walter and I am your Campus Pastor for Bent Tree on Campus.
I have been pastoring in Greeley for the last 4 1/2 years and have I am in my 10th year of ministry in Colorado.
Last week Church on Campus had its very first outreach event!
We had a mission team from First Baptist Church Charleston Arkansas help us with a Kid’s Adventure Camp at two parks in Greeley.
I want to tell you about a couple of families we met.
FBC Charleston youth group passed out nearly 100 fliers to homes and on Monday we met a young lady named Mayra.
Mayra
Mayra recieved a flier and brought her two kids on Monday, then on Tuesday she brought her brother’s kids, then on Wednesday and Thursday she brought some neighbor kids. Mayra is looking for a church and we were able to meet her family, nieces and nephews, and even her neighbors kids. Mayra is a great young lady that I will hope will come to Church on Campus.
Adriana
Adriana is a mother of two, she got one of our fliers for our adventure camp in Greeley. She brought her sister and her mother. This family of three is from Old Mexico. They attend a church in Greeley, but they told me that it is hard to attend because they don’t feel welcomed. They said they have experienced racism at their church and they are looking for a new church home will they will be welcomed.
Amani
I met Amani a few months ago, he is from Congo. He is a trucker that travels over the road. What I didn’t know about Amani is that not only is he a Swahili speaker from Congo, he married a hispanic woman. Amani’s kids speak Swahili, English, and Spanish. Amani is the perfect man for our church as we reach Swahili speakers and Spanish speakers. Pray that Amani and his family will feel welcomed at Bent Tree Church on Campus.
Theresa
Theresa also received one of our door hanger fliers. When she came on Wednesday she was pretty unhappy with the church. She had been hurt by a church before, her boys did not want anything to do with church. We talked with her and invited her to come back on Thursday. She brought her daughter Ann Marie. One of the adults on the mission trip was sharing the Gospel story with the kids, and asked, “would anyone like to learn more about Jesus?” Theresa’s daughter Ann Marie raised her hand to accept Jesus!
Please pray for these four families as we continue to reach out to them over the next couple weeks. Please consider giving to the Push Against the Gate option on the Bent Tree App. Please pray for our next team coming from Texas and reaching these families and more over the next couple of weeks.
Summer of Love
Summer of Love
We are in the Summer of Love - today we are going to look at the next definition of love - Love is Kind.
When I think about love being kind - there is a story that you are probably familiar with and it goes something like this.
There was a Community Group leader that once asked Jesus - “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus responded, “What is written in the Bible, how do you read it?”
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.”
The community group leader 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.”
Jesus said, “You’ve answered correctly, do this and you will live.”
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
But the community leader wanted to be sure he was doing it right and asked Jesus, “who is my neighbor?’
But the community leader wanted to be sure he was doing it right and asked Jesus, “who is my neighbor?’
The story goes something like this, this is my own personal paraphrased version:
A guy was driving between Greeley and Loveland, when he had some car trouble and broke down on highway 34.
A car full of gang bangers saw this guy on the side of the highway and decided that they were going to act like they were going to help him and instead robbed him. They jumped him, punched him in the throat as some of our youth say, took his wallet, took his laptop, and left him for dead on the side of the highway.
Now a pastor was driving along the highway in his lifted jeep (we all know that good reformed pastors drive Jeeps), 33” tires, top down, and David Crowder blaring, and saw the guy on the side of the highway. He dropped it into 4th gear, moved to the left lane and just kept on cruising down the highway.
The youth pastor was following the pastor in his Jeep liberty. Not quite a wrangler, but getting close. Not lifted, but windows down, and 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman on repeat. He saw the man as well and moved to the left lane and cruised right on down the highway.
But behind them was one of those people you just can’t stand to be on the road. You know the guy, bumper stickers on the car. Bumper stickers that drive you crazy.
Maybe it’s an NRA sticker.
Maybe it’s Confederate Flag.
Maybe it’s a rainbow, or equal sign.
Maybe it’s a Darwin Fish.
Maybe it’s a cross.
You know - that person that you just can’t stand to see. That person that posts things on Facebook and Twitter that just makes your blood boil. That person that really just gets under your skin.
That person, pulled over, bandaged the guys wounds, took him to urgent care and gave them $120. Two days worth of payment at his minimum wage under that table job. He told the nurse, “whatever it costs, I will give you the rest when I come back from work.”
So which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?
The Pastor, the Youth Pastor, or the guy that you can’t stand?
The community group leader said, “the one who showed mercy to him.” Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”
Love is Kind
- Love is Kind
Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant,
1 Corinthians 13:
Let’s Pray
So Let’s look at these verses in scripture - turn in your Bibles to
Luke 10:25-37
Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?”
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.”
“You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.”
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
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. A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. 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. 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.’
“Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”
“The one who showed mercy to him,” he said.
Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”
If love is kind - how can we be kind to our neighbor? And who is your neighbor?
Let’s talk about the word KIND.
KIND
K - Kind
K stands for: K - Kind
Love is kind
KIND
K - Kind
Being kind is a choice.
When it comes to being kind Charles Spurgeon said this,
Spurgeon Quote
“No man can do me a truer kindness in this world than to pray for me.” - Charles Spurgeon
Who do you need to pray for this week?
Pray for our Father’s - they have a tough job, raising the next generation. Pray for your Father’s marriage, for his spiritual life, for his relationship with Jesus.
Pray for those that lost their Father’s this year, pray for the pain and grief that they are experiencing. When we lose a loved one we go through the five stages of grief, Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. Pray for those in this church that are grieving over the loss of their father’s.
Pray for the childless, Father’s Day is tough for those of us that struggle with childlessness. Every Mother’s Day and Father’s Day it’s difficult for people like me and my wife that experience childlessness. Pray for those who are deeply wounded and grieve on Father’s Day.
Drummond Quote
“The greatest thing a man can do for his Heavenly Father is to be kind to some of His other children.” - Henry Drummond
How can we be kind - if we love one anther.
In order to be kind we must be intentional.
KIND
I - Intentional
I stands for: I - Intentional
I - Intentional
I saw a t-shirt this week that said, “Being kind is cool”
In order to be kind you have to be intentional.
Luke 10:31
A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
The priest intentionally passed on the other side.
Luke 10:32
In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
The Levite intentionally passed on the other side.
Luke 10:33-34
But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. 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.
He went over to him - bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine.
The Samaritan intentionally helped the man.
Being kind means being intentional.
Looking for opportunities to share the love of Jesus.
Living life with intention.
We have opportunities all around us to be kind to people.
People all around us are hurting, loss of job, divorce, death of a family member - we have opportunities to be kind to one another.
Others are fighting anxiety and depression, and they need someone to be a listening ear.
Sometimes, its small acts of kindness, like helping fix a flat, working on a vehicle, maybe even making a meal for someone.
Being kind means being intentional.
Love is Kind, Love is Intentional.
KIND
K - Kind
I - Intentional
N - Neighbor
N stands for: N - Neighbor
K
Luke 10:29
Luke 10:
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Who is your neighbor?
When Jesus shared this story he gave three options for the neighbor.
The Priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan
To the Jews listening the Samaritan would have been the most unlikely person to be the neighbor.
If Jesus was here today and shared this story with us, who would be the Samaritan to you?
Who would be that person that would absolutely shock you if they showed you kindness?
Would you be shocked if a person from Boulder showed you compassion?
Would you be surprised if a homosexual bandaged your wounds?
Would you be angered if a lifetime member of the NRA helped fix your flat tire?
Would you be annoyed if the owner of a pot shop drove you to the hospital?
Would your pride be hurt if a Muslim girl was your nurse at the hospital?
Who is your Samaritan?
Who is your neighbor?
KIND
K - Kind
I - Intentional
N - Neighbor
D - Discernment
Kindness requires discernment.
By a show of hands, how many of you have been burnt by someone you have been kind to.
Maybe you have given a friend money, and they never paid you back.
My old boss gave one of my co-workers $1,000 to help him out of a jam. Even though that guy started making money and getting commission checks, he hasn’t paid my old boss back. Discernment. My old boss showed this guy kindness, even though he was never paid back, Jesus doesn’t tell us that the man that was injured ever paid back the Samaritan. But we know that the Samaritan was open to the hurting.
I am a hunter, and enjoy hunting deer and elk. The guys I go with are always open to taking new people to where we hunt. My friend often gives the new hunters the best opportunity to harvest an animal and shows them where to sit, and when to sit there. But recently we have two guys that have decided they don’t want to hunt with us, and instead want to race us to the best hunting spots that we just showed them the previous year. Our kindness has been returned with competition and frustration. But last year, when this guy knocked down a huge bull elk, he told us he had to go to work in Denver, and left us the hard work of harvesting the animal and bringing it eight hours down the mountain, we did it out of kindness.
None of us want to be taken advantage of.
Some of you know Amanda Gail, while jeeping with Pastor Paul and the Stumps a bolt fell out of her brakes on her Jeep on the trail. The jeepers got out of their Jeeps and walked the trail. Wouldn’t you know, they found the bolt and fixed her Jeep on the trail. Kindness, Discernment.
A few years ago a young mom we knew decided to get drunk. She was messing around and pulled a bookshelf down on herself. She was not able to get out from under it. She had her son call 911 and when the police arrived, they charged her with child neglect because she was unable to care for herself or her children. Her parents called me and said, “Pastor Mike, if you will pay the Bail Bondsman $700 we will pay you back. But we are unwilling to sign the paperwork.” Some of you know what that means, if I signed for her and she had a failure to appear, or skipped court, then I would be on the hook for $7,000. Angelica and I prayed about and decided to go ahead and show her kindness and pay for her to get out of jail. But we were certainly nervous for the months to come, but it all worked out in the end. She didn’t miss a court date and her parents paid us back the $700. Discernment.
Luke 10:25
Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Luke 10:
Luke 10:26-27
“What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?”
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.”
Love
Love God with all your heart.
Love God with all your soul.
Love God with all your strength.
Love God with all your mind.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Look what Jesus says -
Luke 10:28
“You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.”
Eternal life - revolves around love.
Love is kind.
God showed us love, He showed us kindness in that while we were sinners He sent Jesus to die for us.
Who can you love this week?
Who can you show kindness to?
Who can you be intentional with?
Who is your neighbor?
Pray for discernment on who to love this week. Who can you be kind to this week?
Let’s Pray.
Father’s be kind to your children.
Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Do not stir up anger in your children.
Love your children.
Father’s Day is tough for those of us that struggle with childlessness.
Father’s Day can be tough when you have lost your father.
Some of us had really lousy Father’s and Father’s Day can bring up really bad memories.
Jim Misloski has often said, “We have a great Father in Heaven, and He is a really good dad.”
Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they won’t become discouraged.
Colossians