Our Great Commission
God’s Spirit
Part 8: The Fruit of Kindness
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith – www.PS127.org www.TruthDigest.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS
6:00PM Evening Service at the church –
“Seminary Students will be preaching”
Tuesday Women’s at Lori’s 5:00PM
Men’s on Friday at the church 8:00PM
WHERE WE ARE AT
† Maturing in Christ
† Understanding in Christ
† Love of God
This Series: God’s Spiritual Fruit
Previously:
God’s Spirit with us / in us
The Fruit of the Spirit
The Fruit of Love
The Fruit of Joy Part I
The Fruit of Peace
The Fruit of Long Suffering (patience)
TODAY’S SERMON: Our Great Commission
God’s Spirit
Part 7: The Fruit of Kindness
OPEN IN PRAYER
SCRIPTURE READING
Galatians 5:16-25
16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Both our Flesh and God's Spirit produce fruit.
Good fruit and bad fruit.
Luke 6:43
“No Good tree bears bad fruit, and no bad tree bears good fruit”
We are told in scripture that our righteousness is as filthy rags.
All we do is in our flesh, which is sinful.
Jesus tells us that the only way for us to bear good fruit, which can only come from the Holy Spirit, is through Him.
He is the vine and we are the branch…
The vine sustains and keeps the branch filled with water (Holy Spirit), and in turn the water which flows into the branch, produces fruit.
John 15:1-2
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
John 15:4-6
4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
A branch can be part of the vine, and produce no fruit.
These are “cut off” from the vine by the Father in heaven.
Remember the fig tree Jesus saw?
From a distance it appeared it may have fruit because of the leaves.
But upon close examination, it had no fruit…and it was cursed by Jesus.
If we are followers of Christ, we claim to be the branches of the vine Himself.
We HAVE to produce fruit.
I. What is Kindness
a. As defined kindness is nicely; thoughtfully; graciously; considerately; sympathetically
- The act of being nice
- Being thoughtful, having or showing concern for the well-being of others. Anticipating their needs or wishes and meeting them. Being sensitive to others feelings.
II. Where do we see it demonstrated in the scriptures?
Romans 14:15
The Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
There are many instances in the scriptures where we can see kindness.
We are called to be kind to the poor, to those in prison, to foreigners...
If we own a business,
Luke 15:17, 19
17"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.'
Ruth 2:4
4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, "The LORD be with you!" "The LORD bless you!" they called back.
Leviticus 25:35-38
35 " 'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. 36 Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may continue to live among you. 37 You must not lend him money at interest or sell him food at a profit. 38 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.
Even to strangers, we must do what we can to be kind in the name of the Lord.
Proverbs 3:27
27Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
"whom it is due" does not mean one who deserves, but rather one who is in need.
The literal translation says, "Withhold not good from its owners, When thy hand is toward God to do it."
Which means, doing good in the name of God, not to make yourself look good.
III. How can we grow this fruit in our lives?
Proverbs 3:2-4
If you do this, you will live many years,and your life will be satisfying.
Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!Tie them around your neck as a reminder.
Write them deep within your heart.Then you will find favor with both God and people,and you will earn a good reputation.
We hear people claim they have favor among God and men, but they forget the first part of this promise in the scriptures.
First we need to recognize what will kill this fruit in our lives.
a. Being cold or unsympathetic toward others
b. Unforgiving of others
c. Not being charitable
d. Not being motivated into action by others needs
EXAMPLES OF KINDNESS
We have many opportunities on a daily basis to do good for and to others.
We need to be mindful of others and their needs, and not turn them away when the opportunity arises for us to do good in the name of God.
Here are some examples in my life, and although these are good examples, I can promise for every opportunity I have fulfilled, there are probably 100 that I have missed in my life.
a. The wedding I performed yesterday was for a couple I have never met, who do not go to church but believe in God and Jesus. Their mother who is a Catholic asked me if I would do the service.
I said yes, and this is why.
Who am I to say God doesn't want that couple married?
Once they are married, God can start doing a great work in their life where His hands were once tied.
Because this Catholic woman asked, and I DID in the name of God, I've shown that God does care about her and her children.
And I am fulfilling, not just my calling by God into the ministry by performing one of my functions as a pastor, but being a DOER of God's Word which states, "if it is within your power to do good, do so"
This act of kindness done in the name of God has shown God to every person who attended that wedding yesterday.
And in the service, I got to speak about Christ, His sacrifice for us, and what marriage represents to His children, the hope and promise of eternity with our Lord.
Who knows what impact that one act of kindness had on that room full of people last night.
We need to be aware of our surroundings and the people around us.
Do they have needs? and if so, how can we show kindness?
And when we show kindness, are we doing it in the name of God, or to make ourselves look better?
The Good Samaritan didn't go around telling everyone who he was, and that he had helped a man on the side of the road.
In Jesus' parable, he simply DID what he needed.
The scriptures tell us, if someone asks for your coat, give them your shirt as well.
If they ask you to go a mile, go 2.
What ever they ask for, do MORE than what they ask in the name of God, in this, you will be showing that God loves them, and that everything God does, is ALWAYS far more than we deserve.
When you show kindness in the name of god, it's not about whether they "deserve" it, because none of us deserve what Christ has done for us, but it is about showing that our God "does" for us as an act of kindness.
The scriptures say, love is an action.
Show that love to our brothers (saved), to our neighbors (sinners), and even to our enemies...
Romans 12:19-21
9Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Heaping burning coals on his head, refers to the fact that your ACT of kindness in the name of God will confound him, and cause him to think intently on what you have done.
This may be just what he needed to see that God is a loving and kind God.
This may be the one act your enemy needed to understand that he needs Jesus in his life.
This week, do the following...
Be aware of others around you, and mindful to look for opportunities to be kind in the name of God.
Be sure that in your kindness, you "go the extra mile" in the name of God.
When they ask, tell them, it's because your Lord calls you to be kind to others.
Shown them the love of God.
BE the light of the World!
