The Apostle Paul calls us Jars of Clay (2 Corinthians 4:7). As followers of Jesus we must allow the Word of God to fill us with it's message of Truth and Grace. In this way, we become a "vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:21).

Monday, November 26, 2018

God’s Promise of Kindness - November 25, 2018 sermon


By Pastor Greg...

     There once was an older man who went out jogging.  He was running around a track that circled the high school football field while the team was conducting their practice.  When the football players began running their sprints up and down the field, the man said to himself, "I'll just keep running until they quit."  So, they ran.  And he ran.  And they kept on running.  So, he kept on running.  Finally, in total exhaustion the man had to stop.  When he stopped, an equally exhausted football player walked over to him and said, "Boy, I'm glad you finally stopped, Mister.  Our coach told us that we had to keep running wind sprints as long as the old guy was jogging!"
I had a coach like that in college.  He pushed us and pushed us as we ran.  It wasn’t fun, but I did become a better runner… back then, of course.  I can’t run like I did back then, but who knows what I would be like if that coach was still influencing my life.
Did you ever have a coach like that; a teacher like that?  Did you think they were kind?
We often associate “kindness” with being friendly, generous, and considerate toward another person.  Passing out food to those in need is considered an act of kindness.  And we tend to view God’s kindness in the same way.  We say God is kind when we receive His love, mercy, and grace.  Take Psalm 116 for example.  Here is a person who had been rescued from a terrifying situation, and because of this, they write of God’s kindness.  (Psalm 116:1-8)  I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!  Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me.  I saw only trouble and sorrow.  Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Please, Lord, save me!” How kind the Lord is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours!  The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me.  Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me.  He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.” [1]
Which one of us would deny God’s kindness when He “bends down to listen to and answer our prayer” (verse 2).  However, what judgment would we make against God when our prayers go unanswered?  What do we say about God when He doesn’t spare someone’s life… even though an entire church has been praying for healing?  Where is God’s kindness when good people suffer?
I’ll admit, it’s mighty hard to see the kindness of God when tragedy strikes our home.  In light of our trials, it seems the psalmist’s judgment of God is skewed.  Of course he said God is kind; the Lord rescued him from his situation.  Would his words have been different if God had not healed or had not rescued?
People question the kindness of God when sadness and sorrow strike.  Based on their circumstances, they conclude God must not care; He certainly is not kind.  They protest saying, “If God really cared, He would not have permitted this great tragedy.” However, God deserves a fair trial.  Before we make any rash judgments about God, maybe we should consider all the facts.  And there is no better way to understand the heart of God than to look at the actions of Jesus.  Remember what Paul says in Colossians 2:9 – “For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ.[2]
According to Jesus, God considers everyone to be precious.  The death of a saint is not something the Lord considers as cheap; He does not let His people die for no reason.” [3]  According to Jesus, not even a sparrow falls from the sky without the Father noticing (Matthew 10:29).  The Lord is saddened when people die.  Consider His reaction to the death of Lazarus (John 11:35); although Jesus knew full well what He was about to do, He still wept.
Also, consider the affect the Holy Spirit has on a person.  Someone who had been indifferent and uncaring toward others becomes kind and considerate once they are reborn by the Spirit.  Why did that person change?  They changed because they were given God’s Spirit – God’s “heart.”  When a person can, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior,” and “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven [them],” [4] (Ephesians 4:31-32) then it is clear that God is kind; they became kind because God’s heart is kind.
So, is God kind even though our prayers go unanswered?  Is God still kind even though we are inflicted with sadness and sorrow… when tragedies destroy our life?  I know it’s difficult to imagine that He is being kind, but perhaps we make our judgment for no other reason than His choices and His decisions have made us unhappy.  But, see, that’s probably why we fail; we have forgotten that God is not striving to make us happy; He is working in our life to make us holy.  And sometime holiness comes through trials and hardships.  Sometimes God must tell us “no” because what we want is not always what is best.  Consider the image God gives through the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah; God depicts Himself as a potter working with a piece of clay, and our lives are like the clay on the wheel.  As it spins, the potter molds and shapes the clay into something that is useful (compare Jeremiah 18:1-6).  In the same way, God is trying to shape and form us into more than we were, and His hands press in on us molding us according to His will.
Is this not what a parent does for a child?  When a teacher pushes us to learn more or work harder, are they unkind, or is it because they see great potential in us?  Because they care, teachers stretch us to move beyond “Sam I am.”  From athletic coaches to music directors, these people push us to work harder and practice longer, and it makes life somewhat difficult.  Yes, it’s hard and it doesn’t always make us happy; it does, however, make us better than we were.
It is those who are uncaring or indifferent that let us remain a shapeless lump of clay.
Remember this lesson about the potter and the lump of clay.  God could have left you lying on the ground; you could have remained useless – something the world trampled beneath its feet.  But instead, God chose to pick you up, place you before Himself, and begin molding and shaping you into someone more than you are; some one better.  And in my mind, that is incredibly kind.




[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ps 116:1–8). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Col 2:9). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 877). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Eph 4:31–32). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

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