April 22, 2007
Morning Service
“Fruitful Living in a Barren World: Living a Life of Kindness”
Presented by Pastor Tim Pasma
Galatians 5.22
I ask you to take your Bibles this morning and turn once more to Galatians, chapter 5. Again, as we read the context of this verse – this morning, in particular, as we look at the attribute of the fruit of the Spirit called kindness.
Galatians chapter 5, verse 16:
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and 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.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (v. 16-26)
Our God, now, again as we look into Your Word, and as we try to understand this particular part of the fruit of the Spirit, we pray that You would guide our thinking. We pray, Father, that You would work in us two things. First of all, a desire and a determination to put this on. And also, Father, to develop a thirst for this attribute of kindness that is so great that we will cry to the Spirit to produce this in us. Father, kindness is so lacking today. We find it very rarely. It is not found in marriages. It is not found in work. It is not found in schools. It is not found in society at large. Father, we pray that You would give us a tremendous thirst to be kind. God, help us now, we pray, as we think about this together. Help us to think about this for Your glory and our good. And Lord, we pray that You would remind us always that we are entirely dependent upon the Spirit to produce this in us. Give us a faith that lays hold of Him. Give us a desire that wants this. And God, as You change us, we will give thanks and glorify Him. In the Name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Amen.
All of us were stunned this week as we heard of the 32 people that had been slaughtered at Virginia Tech. And yet, shocked as we were, can we really say that we were surprised? Does it surprise anyone anymore that such cruelty and wickedness can make its appearance? Can anyone really say that such brutality is unexpected?
If we’re honest, we can say, “Well, we were shocked. We were stunned – but really not surprised.” We are not startled at such events any longer because we live in a society distinguished by hatred, malice, envy and cruelty.
But then, that shouldn’t catch us unawares. Because the Scripture says clearly that such cruelty is the natural state of man. That men born into the world are, by nature, cruel. They are, by nature, envious and malicious. They are controlled by the flesh.
The flesh – this incurable addiction to self. This lifestyle of living for self rather than loving God or loving our neighbor inevitably ends up in cruelty and malice.
But then, such cruelty and such malice should only make God’s people that much more distinctive! They should be more distinctive, because instead of cruel, malicious, envious people, God produces people who ought to be famous for their kindness.
That’s what our text in Galatians asserts. It asserts that if we live by the Spirit -- if we are directed by the Spirit – we will be kind people. And it asserts and tells us that the Spirit of God will produce this in those who are the people of God.
Now, if we really want to see this in the way that God says we should, we ought to put it this way. Is this congregation of LaRue Baptist Church – all of whom are professing believers – known for their kindness? That’s the way we ought to ask that question.
God says that His Spirit produces in His people this attribute of kindness. Let’s look at kindness today, shall we?
Kindness. We don’t think much of it, do we? Part of that is because of our culture. Part of that is because we think it’s a weak sister kind of a thing. No man is going to be kind. And a woman who’s kind is going to be trampled. Right? We don’t think much of kindness.
Well, let’s try to understand it this morning. First of all, we need to understand kindness. The basic idea of the word is a generous spirit. A mild spirit – a good spirit. It is used primarily of God in the New Testament – to describe how God is generous and mild toward mankind, and especially to His people.
Turn to Titus, chapter 3, where we see this word used. Titus chapter 3. We’ve heard it once already today, we’ll hear it a few more times, in fact, this morning. Titus chapter 3, beginning in verse 3.
Titus 3.3, for me, has been one of the most helpful verses. It’s been helpful to me as a person who lives in our culture in which we live. It’s been helpful to me as a husband and a father, as I’ve taught my family what life is really like out there. And when they come home surprised and they say, “Dad, you know – people are so mean! They were so mean at school today!”
That should not surprise us. The cruelty and maliciousness of the world around us ought not to surprise us one bit. We ought to think of it as normal in the sense of “it’s natural to men who are not regenerated by the Spirit of God.
Listen to Titus 3, beginning in verse 3:
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” (v. 3-5a)
Now, notice what the text says. The text says that when Jesus appeared to save His people, this was an expression of the kindness of God. God’s generous attitude toward us – His mild response to us – can be seen in Christ. We are hateful, spiteful, malicious, enslaved people living for ourselves.
God could have said to you, “Enough of your malicious envy! Enough of living for yourself and for what you want at the moment! I’m tired of your cruelty to your parents and your siblings and your co-workers! I hate the fact that you see no further than what you want without regard to what I demand or what is best or even what your neighbor needs. I’ve had it! And now you will experience the severity of My judgment for your sin!”
God could have done that. He could have done that – He could say that today!
But instead, He kindly says to you – to people who are malicious, envious, enslaved to your passions and pleasures – to people who are cruel and malicious and envious – He says to you in the kindest tones: “Here is My Son. And I’m going to give Him to you as a sacrifice for your sins. And I’m going to send My Son to you – who are enslaved to your passions and pleasures, who are malicious and envious and known by your hate. I’m going to send My Son to die for you. To change you.”
That is the kindness of God. Instead of exacting from you His due – which is punishment – He generously gives you relief through Jesus.
Turn over to Luke 6. Lest we think that somehow God responds to us, because “How could He help but reach down to us!” Please. Let’s look at Luke chapter 6. And the context here is Jesus telling us how we ought to respond to our enemies. And at the very end, beginning in verse 35, He says:
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and tend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (v. 35, 36)
God’s kindness – His generous Spirit, His mildness – does not depend on others responding to Him graciously. He is kind every day.
Look outside – well, you can’t. And I’m kind of thankful for that. But if you were to look outside and you drove in today, you would have seen a wonderful – wonderful warm day. The birds were singing – I was able to get outside yesterday and do some… I was able to work outside yesterday. It was wonderful.
And you listen to the birds singing, right? And you look around you, and you see just how lovely it is. That’s God being kind to people who hate Him.
Just think about that. If you were in charge of the weather, what would you do? “Oh, those people over there, they don’t like me. It’s going to be nothing but thunderstorms, tornadoes and hurricanes!” Right?
But God is kind – every single day – to people who are ungrateful to Him. He gives them lovely weather. He gives them food. Every day, He pours out His kindness to them.
That’s the way God is. That’s what it means to be kind.
What is kindness in you? Well, let’s sort of think about it.
Go back with me some years, when you were in grade school and recall Sally Jane for a moment. Sally Jane comes from a poor family, and – frankly – you don’t want to sit next to her because she was filthy and you could smell her. Her hair was kind of tangled and was almost always matted. Her clothes were raggedy and dirty and she wasn’t very pretty, either. The other girls would skip around the playground around her and would do things like this: [sing-song] “Stinky, stinky, ugly…” And you’d often hear those same girls sitting behind her whispering to one another and giggling behind her back. Sometimes they’d talk, whisper loud enough so that Sally Jane could hear them.
Now, you never did anything like that. But, then, you never really talked to Sally Jane either. You kind of avoided her.
But you remember your teacher, too, don’t you? She was pretty and well-dressed, and you thought she was really something. But what you remember most is the way she treated Sally Jane. No matter how bad Sally Jane looked or how smelly she was that day, your teacher was always nice to her. She smiled at Sally and always spoke softly and gently to her – and she never said anything bad about or to Sally.
You noticed how she would kneel down next to her desk when Sally Jane was having trouble, and would even stroke her matted hair. At the end of the day, you’d watch as she’d help her put her books in her bag and helped her on with her coat.
Now, those other girls were cruel. You – you were afraid. You didn’t want to be unpopular. But that teacher was kind.
See, that’s what kindness is. That’s what kindness is.
Spirit-produced kindness is that generous and mild spirit expressed no matter what the circumstances and no matter what the person. It is that goodness of heart which is the opposite of malice and badness.
You know what? A kind person, when he overhears some gossip, isn’t going to run to the phone and pass it on. A kind person, when someone else’s faults are pointed out to him, will -- as honestly as he can – offset the criticism by pointing out that individual’s good qualities.
That’s a kind person. That’s the kindness that only the Spirit of God can produce in you.
Look at Ephesians 4.32. There, we find a verse that we parents would often quote to our children who had been cruel to one another. It’s what the children learned early on in Sunday School:
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
A kind person. What is a kind person? It is one who has a generous spirit that is willing to forgive at a moment’s notice – no matter what. Isn’t that the kindness of God? Those who have experienced the kindness of God must also be kind.
And it involves a forgiving spirit. It involves a compassionate spirit. That’s what kindness is. A person possessing Spirit-produced kindness treats even those who hate him with kindness.
Again, back in Luke chapter 6, what did we hear?
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” (v. 35)
You will be kind to those who hate you, if it’s Spirit-produced kindness. Those who throw things in your face. Those that you work with who hate you – you will still have that generousness about you. You will still be nice to them. You will be kind to them, because that is the thing – that is what makes the kindness stand out. That is what makes people say, “That is different.” You see, it’s a supernaturally produced kindness.
This is the sort of kindness, isn’t it, that ought to be characteristic of our marriages. You know husbands who say unkind things about their wives in front of them, and wives who do the same. You know what? We need to cry out to God the Spirit to make us kind people.
Right now, Becca and I have this project. Know what it is? It’s to make marriage look good to the single people who are living in our household. Five of them. [laughter]
One day, I said to Matt – I said, “Matt, every day what you need to do is tell us, ‘Okay, how did marriage look today? Did we get an ‘A’? A ‘B’? A ‘C’?’ So, Matt, come up with a report card for us.”
No, that’s too much pressure on Matt. But there’s something to be said there, isn’t there?
“But I’m not kind!” Oh, then cry out to God! And He will answer! He will answer.
Now, to understand something about kindness, we need to understand the counterfeits to kindness.
Now, of course, you see the opposites in Galatians chapter 5, verse 19. When people aren’t kind, then what is true? Well, what is true is, frankly, all those things!
“…sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery…”
Those are always unkind. Those are always using people for your own ends. That’s living for yourself and so forth.
But, of course, kindness is the opposite of:
“…hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy…”
People who are kind aren’t going to be that way.
So we know the opposites. But you have to be careful of the counterfeits of kindness.
Here’s one: Favors. Favors – you do something nice to me, and I’ll return the favor. Right?
When we were kids, we did this all the time. You know, we’d say, “I’ll do you a favor.”
And your brother would go, “Okay – what is it?”
And you’d say, “Well, I’ll clean the garage like Dad asked you to.”
He says, “Oh, man, that’s great!”
But guess what? It’s payback, right? Favors aren’t free. That’s not kindness. It may look like kindness at the moment – but it isn’t. That doesn’t sound like what Jesus said. What did Jesus say?
“Do without expecting to get paid back.”
Right? Isn’t that what Jesus said? That’s kindness. That’s how God is kind.
Here’s another one – Fairness. Fairness is not kindness. Again, Jesus said:
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.”
Fairness is lending money at a reasonable rate of interest. Are you kind for not gouging? No, that’s good business. But that’s not kindness.
Kindness forgets even the principle – not just the interest. That’s kindness.
Now, I already know – some of you are sitting there thinking, “Yeah, but if I do this, then they will this and do this – surely this exception – this Bible verse pops into mind—“
I’m not even going to address all of those. You just need to get it in your heads: “Give without expecting to get back.” That’s kindness. That’s kindness.
Here’s another counterfeit – philanthropy. Listen to Jesus in Matthew chapter 6, verses 2 and 3:
“’So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogue and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing…’”
Many corporations today – and wealthy people – practice kindness with a whole lot of publicity. That’s not kindness. That may be philanthropy – it may even be hypocrisy – but it’s not kindness.
You know what kindness is? Giving in such a secret way that your left hand doesn’t know what your right hand is doing. That’s how secret it’s supposed to be. Isn’t that a great metaphor? I don’t even know what I’m doing! My left hand doesn’t know what my right hand is doing! You know? It’s so secret that I don’t even know about it!
Yeah, you know what’s really kind? When you just give to people and not one other person knows about it. That’s kindness.
But don’t confuse philanthropy with kindness. Philanthropy has its own dividends, doesn’t it? You know, I think about this when – I can’t remember which store it is, whether it’s Wal-Mart or Meijer’s or something, you know? – where you go in and they have this big board about where they’ve given this ton of money to this particular classroom or this class or they’re saying, “If you give this much, we’ll set aside so much for scholarships” and all that.
Well, that’s nice. That’s philanthropy. But that’s not kindness. There’s a reason why they’re doing that, right? No.
Kindness. Giving without any payback.
Well, then. We come to the point in the sermon where we always come, for the last five weeks. How does the Spirit produce kindness in us?
How does the Spirit – we need to understand how the Spirit produces kindness. Well, here’s the first thing to remember. You must be determined to put on kindness. All right? Colossians – two books over from Galatians. Colossians chapter 3. Now, we looked at this last week in regards to patience, but our word kindness is here, too. In fact, so is gentleness – which we’ll come to in another week or so. Colossians 3.12:
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
Here, we are commanded to clothe ourselves with kindness. It’s a command. “Do it.”
You say, “How can that be, then, a fruit of the Spirit?” We talked about this many weeks ago, but recall what we said. What the Spirit commands objectively, the Spirit produces subjectively.
It’s all of the Spirit. The Spirit commands it – the Spirit empowers it. Outside – objectively – there’s the command. Inward – subjectively – there’s the power. As we step out in obedience, the Spirit produces that in us.
Remember that the Spirit engages your mind. He engages your will. He engages your emotions. He engages the person in producing the fruit.
So don’t think that you can say – fall down at your bed at night and say, “Oh, God, make me a kind person!” And the next day, you wake up and your wife is grumpy, and you say, “Oh, that’s okay. I’m kind now! I will treat her with the utmost kindness!” Because sometime in the night, the Holy Spirit has produced kindness in you!
It doesn’t work that way. He engages you. He engages you, but it’s the Spirit’s fruit, nonetheless.
Now, we have to keep in mind, then – it is not just a matter of willpower. So what else is involved in this?
Number two – look to the cross as the ultimate expression of kindness. Look to the cross as the ultimate expression of kindness. Remember what we read and what we heard today. Twice already!
“We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” (Titus 3.3b-5a)
There is the kindness of God – it’s at the cross. And when you are tempted to be cruel, think of the kindness that God showed you in your cruelty. Look to the cross.
Spurgeon wrote – and this will sound familiar to the Men of Faith. Spurgeon wrote:
“Abide hard by the cross, and search the mystery of His wounds.”
Abide hard by the cross. Always go to the cross. Always go there, and there you will see kindness. And as you gaze at the cross – and as you see the kindness of God expressed to people who don’t deserve it. People who are malicious, envious, and hateful, spiteful, enslaved to their passions – and you see Him sending His Son to die for people like that – people like you.
Kindness will grow in your heart as you gaze upon the cross of Jesus Christ, the ultimate expression of the kindness of God to us. So the Spirit produces kindness as you do that very thing.
There’s another thing, and I think it’s very important. Listen carefully.
Put the same value on kindness that God does. Put the same value on kindness that God does. Sometimes we think harsh attitudes and hard words are necessary to get things accomplished.
Someone might say to me, “Pastor Tim, kindness will not get my employees to do what they must do.”
Okay, maybe it won’t. But guess what? By that statement, you’ve just said something to me. It says that you value efficiency – it says that you value beating the competition – it says that you value making money more than kindness. That’s what it says.
And I tell you one thing – you can search the Bible from cover to cover and you won’t find God saying, “Get out there and beat the competition for My glory.” No, you won’t find that.
And you won’t find God saying, “You know, maximize your profits.” You won’t find Him saying that. Okay?
You won’t find God saying, “You know what I think will really glorify Me and will really look good at the Judgment Seat of Christ is whether you’ve been really efficient in your work or not with your business.” No.
You won’t find that anywhere in the Bible – but you will find that God says that kindness is important to Him. Is it important to you?
Many parents think they can’t be kind to their children. Because if they’re kind to their children, what’s going to happen? Their children won’t toe the line! Well, what’s more important? For them to jump when you snap, or for them to see the kindness of Jesus in you?
Put the same value on kindness that God does, and you will start seeing kindness produced in your life.
Here’s another one – see people the way God does. See people the way that God does.
You see that panhandler, that drunk on the street? Listen – you look worse to God. You – you looked worse to God than that drunken panhandler laying in the gutter who’s asking you for some money. And He was kind to you.
You got to start seeing people the way that God does. You know what it is? Objects upon which He spent His kindness. Is that how you see people? Objects upon which you must spend your kindness?
When you start seeing people the way God does, watch what the Spirit does in your life.
One more. Now we could – you know, there’s so many things. Whenever I come to this part of my study where I have to say, “How does the Spirit produce these things?” I want to go on! I want to give you ten things! I try to keep it down to five, so here’s the fifth one. 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 4.
“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature” or have communion with the divine nature “and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
You know, we talk a lot around here about godliness that comes through discipline – and it does. And godliness that comes as we go through the disciplines of prayer and Bible reading and so forth. But what we need to see is that godliness also comes through faith.
What a magnificent verse this is! It’s the promises of God that deliver you from these corrupt desires! These corrupt desires that would cause a man to kill 32 other people! What’s going to keep you from being cruel? Believe the promises of God.
You know how you’ll be kind? As you know and believe the promises of God.
Now, you know, we could stay here until tonight and go on till seven o’clock or further if we wanted to and look at all the promises of God. But just run a few through your mind.
You know why you can be kind to people who aren’t kind to you? Because God is using those people for your good. If, for one thing, to teach kindness! To produce it in your life.
You can believe the promise of God when He says, “I’m working all things for your good. Even ungrateful, wicked people.”
You can believe the promises of God that you know what? There’s an eternity. And again, we were sitting around the campfire last night kind of talking about this.
A million years from now – now, you will be alive a million years from now. You will! If you believe in the Lord Jesus – and even if you don’t. But if you believe in the Lord Jesus, you will be living in eternal bliss a million years from now. A million years from now, that ungrateful wicked person who has given you grief – who you have been tempted to be cruel back to – what is that going to look like a million years from now? I’ll be surprised if it registers.
Believe in the promises of God. Faith will produce kindness in you.
Now, tomorrow – on the evening news or on the radio or on the internet – you will hear or see or read again of more malice and cruelty. As sure as I’m standing here, you will read – maybe not to the extent of what we saw this week – but as sure as I’m standing here, tomorrow on the news you will see more malice and cruelty. Count on it.
Wouldn’t it be interesting if the news organizations of the world would report that there’s a group of people where such hatred is unknown. Where cruelty does not exist.
Now, I’m not a fool. I know that the people of this world will never pick up on what God is doing in this world. All right? But is it beyond imagination to conceive of God’s people being characterized by Spirit-empowered kindness? It shouldn’t be.
It shouldn’t be. Because the Spirit of God is at work in your heart, if you are one of God’s children. And He will produce kindness in you.
It shouldn’t be hard to believe. It should be evident.
Let’s pray.
Father, we know that because the Spirit is at work, He will produce His fruit. But Lord God, we want to be led by the Spirit. We want to cooperate with the Spirit. We want to give ourselves even more to Him in the production of fruit -- a part of that fruit called kindness. And so, Father, I ask today -- we ask – that You would help us. Work in us. Cause us to cry out for this. Cause us, Father, to see that in the world in which we live, kindness will stand bright against the malice and cruelty of a world under the curse of sin. God, help us to value kindness like You do. And so, Father, as we end today, we look to You in complete dependence, asking Your Spirit to work in us for Your glory and our good. In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.