Kindness

Church Family, Lord willing, on the 1st Sunday in February we

will resume our normal MO of working through one book of the

Bible at a time. Most recently we have been in

the New Testament with first John, second John and 3rd John

and I. Just to give you a little prep

time, if you'd like to read ahead, we will resume 1st Sunday

in in February, which I think is the first where we left off in

the book of Genesis. Now some of you be like, whoa, I

don't even remember that. That was back in the spring of

2021. We preach Genesis one through 11

and we're going to pick back up in chapter 12 and work our way

to the end. If you'd like to get ahead and

read ahead, that's what we're going to be.

That first book of the Bible contains so many 1st and

foundational fundamental truths for life is how God designed it

to operate for us and His will and His people.

And so we'll be returning there as we're working our way through

the Old Testament book there of Genesis to come for the month of

February, for the month of January.

Rather, we're going to do something just a little bit

different for four weeks. And what I'm doing is many of

you've heard the saying from a man by the name of Henry

Blackaby, There's a lot of truth in this statement.

He says if you want to know the will of God, then look around

you see what God is doing and join him.

Well, you look around our city, our county, our community, and

you see God working in all sorts and all kinds of ways.

One of those ways is a way that I've been privileged to also

join in. And it was actually originated

or instigated, if you will, are launched by our local Bartow

Baptist Association and our own David Franklin member here and

local Director of missions here in our county and community in

our city. And it's an effort that has been

adopted by our Bartow County schools that they've been

implementing really going back about six years and then most

recently this most recent school year calling their Bartow Cares

for You or Bartow Relational Values Campaign.

And what this is, y'all is an adoption of some of the one

another's of Scripture. You know, those love one

another, bear with one another, serve one another, encourage one

another, forgive one another. You've got all these one

another's in Scripture that are commands for us as believers for

how to do life, how to do life in a way that honors God and

bears fruit for the Kingdom of God.

Well, the school system has realized they need some help

helping their student staff and administration do life in a way

that brings flourishing, which the Bible is all about.

And so they can't quote the book, chapter and verse, but

they can adopt the values. In fact, for the 20252026 school

year, they've adopted 4/4 that. They are bringing in leaders

from the faith community. They're bringing in pastors to

Bartow County Schools to train the the the teachers and

administration in these four things one at a time.

I had a chance to be at Woodland Middle School and spend all day

with every member of the teaching faculty teaching and

training on the truth of practicing gratitude.

Now, I couldn't name chapter and verse, but guess what I was

doing? I was conveying biblical truth.

Amazing, right? And back to our kind of verse

for the anchor verse of these four weeks, Isaiah 45, eight.

What would it look like to reign righteousness for God to reign

righteousness in our city, county and community?

Well, one way, it would look as if pastors were invited into

public schools to talk about Bible truth.

Hallelujah, right. So I'm going to go next in a few

weeks and talk about hope in the same school and others are doing

the same all from elementary to high school.

So the four words, the four one another's in this year's

campaign are kindness, gratitude, hope, and

forgiveness. Kindness, gratitude, hope and

forgiveness. What we're going to do for the

next 4 weeks is just take these one at a time out of this idea

that what if righteousness were to reign?

What if God were to open up the heavens?

What if God were to expand and do more of what he's doing and

allow the church to have influence and allow us to

demonstrate and teach and talk about and show righteousness

behind doors. We may normally never have an

opportunity to have it in your workplaces and in the schools

and in businesses, in the streets and communities and you

name it. What if God were to open up the

heavens? Then we kind of need to know

what righteousness should rain, what that rain should be, and

what it should look like. And these are just 4.

There's so many we could name, but we're going to walk through

one at a time. Kindness, gratitude, hope, and

forgiveness right out of what the Bible says about these

things. Now, by the way, if you weren't

in the first service, I had Doctor Clint Terza, the Bartow

County school Superintendent with me that I interviewed.

But obviously we have what we have as a failure to communicate

because he didn't know we had a second service so we had to

leave and could not be interviewed for you guys.

So anyway, I asked him, hey, what's the origin of these

things in this campaign? How did they choose these 4

words and what are the results they've they're seeing?

And I can't say it as good as he could, but basically they deal a

lot of their students they deal with in the classroom have

trauma they've experienced outside the classroom, right?

And that trauma leads to being a barrier to learning.

But guess what happens when you start exposing people that have

experienced things that don't allow them to flourish, but when

they get exposed to the truth that does allow them to

flourish, like kindness and gratitude, hope and forgiveness.

Guess what it does to those, those, those traumas in their

lives? It starts to bring healing.

The truth will set us free. And next thing you know, he gave

a statistic report about how basically their incident reports

of trauma that they deal with with students to try to overcome

barriers to learning have dropped in half since they've

started this campaign of allowing the biblical truth and

righteousness of scripture to be brought in behind the doors in

public school settings. Amazing, right?

Let's take the first one, kindness together #1 If you

follow along in your notes, What is kindness?

Well, kindness is literally mentioned hundreds of times in

the Bible, both in the Old Testament and in the New

Testament. A definition would be usefulness

or helpfulness. It's not simply though an

attitude, y'all? Kindness is an action.

It is something that you do. It's not something that just

crosses your mind. It's not something that you just

look like. It's actually something you

implement in your life through your hands and your feet and

your words and your doing. It is literally, if you want to

fill in the blank, the act of being beneficial to others.

It is the act of being beneficial to others.

Now #2 kindness is from God because God is kind.

And this is where we're going to start seeing what does the Bible

have to say about this definition of kindness of being

beneficial to others. We're going to see here kindness

is from God because God is kind. What I'm talking about is that

there's one and only one ultimate and sole source of

kindness, and that is God Himself.

If you don't have your Bible open, open it to Psalm 103

because Psalm 103, the 1st 14 verses are about as clear and

comprehensive description of the kindness of God you will find in

all the Bible. I'm not sure it's humanly

possible to truly capture the kindness of God in human

language, but Psalm 103 does about as good a job as you could

ever expect. Listen to the words of God's

kindness in 1/03 of the Psalms. Bless the Lord, O my soul and

all that is within me. Bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His.

Here's a keyword. Say that out loud.

Benefits. Remember, the act of kindness is

the act of being what to others, beneficial to others.

Here's how God is acted beneficially towards you,

towards me, and every single person.

Here it is, Bless the Lord all my soul, and forget not all His

benefits. Who forgives all your iniquity?

Who heals all your diseases? Who redeems your life from the

pit? Who crowns you with steadfast

love and mercy? Who satisfies you with good so

that your youth is renewed? Like the eagles, the Lord works

righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.

He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the people of

Israel. The Lord is merciful and

gracious, slow to anger, and abounding and steadfast love.

He will not always chide, nor will He keep his anger forever.

He does not. This is a big one.

He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay

us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are

above the earth, so great is His steadfast love towards those who

fear Him. And as far as the east is from

the West, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.

As a Father shows compassion to His children, so the Lord shows

compassion to those who fear Him.

For He knows our frame. He remembers we are dust.

God is kind and God's supreme act of kindness, never forget

was in descending of his one and only Son for the forgiveness of

sins for those who would trust in Jesus for salvation and

eternal life. Let me just go ahead and ask

you, have you received the greatest kindness of God who is

kind and the sole source of all kindness?

Because by faith, there's been a moment in your life when you

receive Jesus for the forgiveness of your sin.

Let me listen. Let me let you listen to what

Titus chapter 3 three verse 3 through 6 says.

Titus 3 · chapter mention

For we ourselves for once foolish, disobedient.

Now listen, I got saved when I was a nine year old boy.

But I could tell you so much of this was true of me then.

Lord knows what would have been true of me had I been saved nine

years after that, or nine years after that, or nine years after

that. Given enough time as a Sinner,

we manifest all these things. For we ourselves were once

foolish, disobedient, LED astray, slaves to various

passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice US and envy,

hated by others and hating one another.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God appeared, our

Savior appeared. He saved us, not because of

works done by us in righteousness, but according to

His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the

Holy Spirit, which He poured out on us richly through Jesus

Christ our Savior. Friends, God is kind, and God is

so kind that He came after us when we were worse than

nobody's. I want you to remember, as a

Sinner, we were enemies of God. We were traitors of God.

We were rebels against God, but I love what 1 preacher said.

He said our sin didn't stop God from charging after us and love

any more than waving a red flag does a charging bull.

God launched himself towards you and me, nothing stopping a God

who was kind and loved, sending His Son to chase down by His

Spirit sinners to draw them back to Himself.

God didn't just prove His kindness by taking on human

flesh for Him. God proved His kindness by

sending His Son to take on your sin.

He who knew no sin became sin for you, that you might become

the righteousness of God. The Bible says, y'all, kindness

is the very heart of the gospel because the gospel is the story

and the news and the reality and the fact of God's kindness to

you. Loving you enough to send his

Son, His Son, living a sinless life for you, dying as a

substitute for you, laid in a borrowed tomb, tasting death

three days later, rising again, never to die again, so we can

offer life eternally to all who would trust Him by faith.

Has there been a time that you know you've received the

kindness of God? If not, today can be that day if

you've not truly received the kindness of God.

God is kind, and kindness comes from God #3 Kindness is a fruit

of the Holy Spirit. Kindness is a fruit of the

Spirit. Galatians 522 says this.

But the fruit of the Spirit is Lovejoy, peace, patience.

There it is. Kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Against such things there is no law, y'all.

It's true that kindness can be found in various places in our

world, can it not? I mean, kindness can be found

among non Christians and kindness can be found among

Christians. That's true, right?

Amen. Y'all wake this morning, Y'all

with me. All right, Just making sure.

There we go. Why is that?

It's because of something we call God's common grace.

God's common grace is the fact that it rains on farmers who are

wicked and it rains on farmers who are righteous and both grow

crops. You know why?

Because of the common grace of the provision of God for the

things of life. God is kind to humankind and so

many broadly, generally speaking, common grace ways.

But what the Bible makes clear as a fruit of the Spirit,

kindness ought to abound in the life of a Christian.

It ought to characterize everything about the life of a

Christian. The fruit of the Spirit, y'all,

is a product of the life of God in a follower of Christ.

And like a Thanksgiving table that overflows with ham and

Turkey and vegetables and desserts, your life should

overflow like a cornucopia of kindness.

And everything you do, everywhere you go, everything

you you say, kindness should characterize you.

I've heard it said that kindness ought to be to the Christian

what salt is to the ocean. You can't touch it, taste it, or

feel it without it being salty. You shouldn't be to go near a

Christian with that kindness characterizing everything about

you and who you are as a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

And here's the deal, because of the Holy Spirit that indwells a

Christian, you see, if you've trusted Christ for salvation,

the Bible says the Holy Spirit of God now indwells you.

And because of the Holy Spirit within you, you now as a

Christian don't miss this, have the capacity to be kind no

matter your situation or circumstances in life.

Now notice what I didn't say. I didn't say you have the

capacity to be kind on your own because you don't and I don't.

This is not natural, not in every situation or facing any

circumstance, but when the Holy Spirit lives in you, guess what

happens? He goes from leading you to live

a life that's not natural but supernatural.

When you say no to yourself and yes to him.

When you say God not my will but your will.

When you say let your will be done in my life as it is in

heaven. Holy Spirit have your way and

you don't try harder but you surrender to what God is

allowing and leading you to do. You have the capacity to be kind

and have the fruit of the Spirit manifested in any situation in

your life. Let me just ask you, do you

believe that? Do you, that you have the

capacity, because of the Holy Spirit, to be kind?

No matter, no matter, no matter the situation?

Kindness and goodness, if we think about it in terms of the

Trinity, is defined by the character of the Father.

It's displayed in the person and work of the Son, and it's

produced in the life of the believer by the indwelling of

the Holy Spirit. Kindness is a fruit of the Holy

Spirit #4 kindness is a command for all Christians.

Y'all, as God is kind, so we are called to be kind.

Let me put it more clearly. Kindness isn't optional in the

Christian life, right? We don't like when things are

put like that, but that's the essence of what the Bible says.

Let me just read the word of God to you.

Ephesians 432. Be kind to one another, tender

hearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.

Colossians 312. This is not just once randomly

in the Bible, it's everywhere. Colossians 312.

Put on them as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,

compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience

bearing with one another. Micah 68 He has shown you, O

man, what is good. Y'all know this, and that's what

that you are to do. Oh, come on, now that you are to

do justice, don't look at the screen.

I'm not sure it's there, but yeah, it is there.

Come on. That you are to do.

But I'm probably saying it my way instead of that way.

Yeah. So he's told you, O man, what is

good? And what does the Lord require

of you but to do justice? To love what?

Kindness. And to walk humbly with your

God. What does kindness look like to

men? We're walking on a narrow, high

mountain trail. On one side was a sheer drop

off. On the other side was a sheer

Rockwall Cliff. When the two men came to meet

head on, try as they may, they couldn't squeeze past one

another without realizing somebody was going off the edge.

They tried, they tried, they talked about it, they tried some

more. Couldn't do it.

The trail was too narrow until one of the men, without saying a

word, decided to lay down in the path and let the other man cross

by walking over him. That's kindness.

That's kindness when you sacrificially act for the good

of another. See, a lot of people think

kindness is weakness, but actually kindness requires far

more. I'm going to let you say it

strength. Kindness is not weakness.

It is being strong enough to allow the sacrifice to be paid

by you, just as God's done for you.

And by the way, how much is Christ paid for us?

He's paid it all. Kindness is not weakness.

Jesus didn't die on the cross in weakness.

He voluntarily put Himself there.

He was in total control. He chose.

When he took his last breath, He could have caught a myriad

legion of angels to come to his rescue at any moment in time.

But in sacrifice and in love and in kindness, He laid himself

down, becoming sin for us, that we could walk free by faith in

Him and experience eternal life. This is what kindness looks

like. Kindness can be a word like

thank you or I believe in you, or God is using you, or I'm glad

you are in my life, or I thank God for you.

Good job today, great work. Kindness can be an act and act

as simple as noticing and act as simple as stopping and act as

simply making eye contact and really listening.

It can mean responding graciously.

It can mean empathizing. It can mean helping practically,

giving generously, praying sincerely, and to take it to the

next level. Second Timothy chapter 2, Paul

2 Timothy 2 · chapter mention

writes the Lord's servant. He's talking to pastors, but

this is applicable to all Christians.

He says the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind to

everyone, able to teach patiently, enduring evil,

correcting his opponents with gentleness, kind to everyone.

Is that really what the Bible says?

Was Christ not kind in providing salvation for everyone who'd

receive it by fate? Kind in the face of enduring

evil? Kind to the opponents of Christ,

his Church and Kingdom of God? You know, there are times, the

times we are most tempted to be unkind is when someone is what

to us, unkind us. This is the moment when we're

tempted to be everything but kind.

And yet this is the moment when Christian kindness, sourced only

in God, now, given an opportunity to flow through,

you, can shine the brightest because it's what no one

expects. And in this way, kindness

conquers. In fact, I want you to think

about kindness is actually a weapon of righteousness that God

has called us as Christians to wield even in the face of

unkindness. Let me listen.

Let me let you listen to a quote by a famous pastor that you may

or may not have heard of by the name of Polycarp.

He says this 86 years I have served him.

That's Jesus and he has done me no wrong.

How then can I blasphemy my King and my Savior?

These were the words of this pastor by the name of Polycarp

on February 23rd in AD 155, less than 200 years after the life,

death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

This was on the day spoken by him, on the day the Romans

killed him for preaching the gospel.

Polycarp was pastoring in an ancient city by the name of

Smyrna. If you want to read about it,

that city, you can read about the church there in the Book of

Revelation in the first 3 chapters, one of seven churches

and cities mentioned there that Christ addresses.

The Romans came to Polycarp and sought to force him to burn

incense to the emperor. You see, this was how the Romans

sought to get Christians to recant of worshiping Jesus and

choose to worship the emperor. This is what they did.

They believe the emperor was divine and to burn incense to

the emperor was to worship him. So they came to Polycarp

requiring him to burn incense. Polycarp refused.

He knew they were going to come and arrest him, and he wanted to

stay there in the city of Smyrna and just wait for the Roman

authorities to come. But his church members persuaded

him to flee to a villa in the country, and there he waited.

Soldiers eventually tracked him down and they found him because

they found a farm hand that had seen Polycarp come out to the

country and they tortured this farmhand until he told them

where Polycarp was. Polycarp was tipped off that the

soldiers were on their way. He could have slipped out a

window and fled for his life. He chose to remain when they

were gathered downstairs soon to arrest him.

I want you to listen to what Polycarp did and I quote.

As soon as he heard them arrive, he went down and chatted with

them, and everyone there was struck by his age and his

calmness, and surprised at the arrest of such a old and godly

man could be so urgent. In spite of the lateness of the

hour. He at once ordered them all of

the Roman soldiers that came to arrest him and lead him to his

martyrdom, be given all the food and drink they wanted, and then

he asked if he might be allowed an hour to pray undisturbed

before being escorted by them to his death on the last night of

his life. Kali Carte did not simply

manifest courage, he supremely manifested a fruit of the

Spirit, a command of God, no matter the circumstances called,

starts with AK kindness. Kindness, ladies and gentlemen,

is a weapon of righteousness. The Bible says do not return

evil with, but overcome evil with.

If it's going to rain righteousness in Carter's will,

guess what? People who've received the

gospel are going to have to let flow through their lives, no

matter the circumstance or situation.

Guess what it's going to have to be?

Kindness will have to be there for righteousness to reign, for

evil to be overcome with good. And by the way, that weapon of

righteousness of kindness cannot, will not be conquered

because people simply don't know what to do with it.

It is too strong. Let me just ask you, is your

life characterized by kindness? Would those closest to you

describe you as kind? Let's just be real honest.

It's pretty easy to put your nice clothes on and your makeup

on and be polite in public for most people, right?

At least for 8 hours. At least while the boss is

looking, at least while the teacher's there, at least while

the coach is on duty. But where it's far harder is

when you come home after a long day of pretending to be on the

outside, which you're not really on the inside.

Your spouse says something to you that hits you a little

wrong. The kid says something to you

that aggravates you a little bit.

And guess what comes out? Who you really are, right to

those closest to you, they describe you.

It's got is righteousness raining around and on those

you're around because of you, regardless of the situation and

circumstance. 5th And finally, let me talk to you about how

kindness reigns righteousness. Listen to Matthew 5 verse 14

Matthew 5:14–16

through 16. You are the light of the world.

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do people light a

lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives

light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light,

let your righteousness, let your good works, let your fruit of

the Spirit, let your kindness shine before others so they may

see your good works, your fruit of the Spirit, your kindness,

and give glory to the Father who is in heaven.

You see, kindness reigns righteousness because it reveals

the righteousness of God, and kindness will reign

righteousness in your marriage. Did you know that marriages

could be healed with just a little kindness?

That marriages, that homes, that parental child relationships

could be healed potentially with just a little kindness.

That Co worker relationships, church member relationships,

teammate relationships, neighborhood relationships,

family relationships could be rained on with righteousness

with the expression of not something that's rocket science,

a little something that's simple called called kindness.

That, by the way, comes straight from the gospel because the

gospel is God's kindness to us. Let me let me show you three

ways as we finish that you might not expect kindness to reign

righteousness, but in these three ways it should.

Are you ready #1 Kindness reigns righteousness by evangelizing.

Aaron was a young man who grew up in the Pacific Northwest.

Aaron did not grow up in a Christian family.

In fact, he didn't really even know a Christian.

He thought the Bible was made-up of myths, and all that he knew

of Christianity was what he saw on the TV and in movies.

He thought every preacher was the equivalent of Jimmy Swaggart

and that it may be too young to know who that is and every

Christian was brainwashed. But Aaron knew that Brenda was

the prettiest, smartest girl in school.

And so when his teacher assigned their class the responsibility

of having to go see a play to complete the class assignment,

guess who Aaron asked to go to a play with him?

Brenda. That night, at the play to air

in shock, he discovers Brenda is a Christian he didn't know.

He starts barraging her with all sorts of questions.

You really believe there's a God.

You really believe he sent his Son Jesus Christ.

You really believe he loves you and me.

You really believe he died for the forgiveness of our sin.

You really believe he offers eternal life?

You really believe all this? And then he asked her.

He said the question of all questions.

He said it was just like it came from his gut.

He's like, I just couldn't help but asking.

I knew it'd be awkward potentially, but I couldn't help

but ask it. He said, Brenda, do you believe

I'm going to hell? She said, Aaron, if you reject

Jesus and his offer of salvation, yes, I believe you're

going to hell. Aaron said it was like she

dropped a spiritual bomb in his lap.

He said that she could have dodged the question.

She could have said, well, Aaron, who am I to say?

Who am I to judge? Who am I to be the final

authority to tell you whether or not?

But Aaron said she was kind enough to tell me the truth.

And the truth sets us. Aaron is a senior pastor in

Sandy Springs, GA. Because Brenda allowed kindness

to reign righteousness by simply telling the truth when God gave

her an opportunity. How could we let tension or what

people think of us or the possibility of rejection keep us

from being kind in the moments and opportunities God gives us

to give people the greatest news of the greatest kindness in the

world? Kindness, range, righteousness

by evangelizing. Let me give you a second one

that we're going to spend a whole Sunday on.

Kindness, range, righteousness by forgiveness, by offering

forgiveness. The word of God says this.

Colossians 312 through 13. Put on them as God's chosen

ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness,

humility, meekness and patience, bearing with one another.

And if one is a complaint against another, forgiving each

other. As the Lord has forgiven you, so

that you also must forgive. Let me ask you this, are you

withholding kindness from someone because you're refusing

to forgive when God has given you the very kindness you're

choosing to withhold from someone else?

Do you realize that kindness, the greatest kindness you could

give to someone, is choosing to forgive because it was the

greatest kindness God gave you? We'll talk more about that in a

Sunday ahead #3 Kindness reigns righteousness by serving.

Listen to Matthew 35 beginning in verse 34.

Kindness reigns righteousness by serving.

Then the king will say to those on his right, Come, you are

blessed by my father, and here at the Kingdom prepared for you

from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me food.

I was thirsty and you gave me drink.

I was a stranger and you welcomed me.

I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me.

I was in prison and you came to me.

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, Lord, when did we

see you hungry and feed you? When did we see you thirsty and

give you drink? And when did we see you stranger

and welcome you are naked and clothe you?

And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?

And the king will answer them. Truly.

I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, my

brothers, you did it to me. The idea here and three things I

just kind of want to give you practically of how kindness,

range, righteousness my serving is #1 if you'll just very simply

take notice of the people right around you, your spouse, your

kids, your family, your neighbors, your coworkers, your

classmates. If you'll just say what are the

needs of people around me that God has put in my life that I

could have opportunity to meet needs by serving them in some

way, The smallest of ways, big ways, ordinary ways, daily ways,

mundane ways. What are the ways that you can

meet needs by serving those that are closest to you?

Start there. Let me give you another one.

Create some margin in your life for kindness.

This is so anti our American 21st century way of life to

create some margin in our lives for kindness.

You know why a lot of times we're not kind?

Because we ain't got. And if the devil won't make you

bad, I truly believe this is true.

He'll make you just too busy to stop, too busy to care, too busy

to do anything, too busy to love.

So caught up in me, myself and mine and my life that I'm

running in my lane and I don't even know your lane or what's

going on in your lane exist. You won't be kind unless you got

time to be interrupted. Creates A margin. 1/3 practical

thing to reign righteousness through serving is to make your

church your headquarters for kindness.

Make your church the headquarters of your kindness.

Where do I get that from? Galatians 610 So then, as we

have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to

those who are of the household of faith.

What that means is a Christian ought to be kind to everyone,

but a Christian's greatest kindness ought to be shown right

at home in their own church family right here.

Make your church family the headquarters of your kindness.

Doesn't mean that it's limited here, but it begins and shines

the brightest here. Whatever, whenever you practice

kindness, you are making it rain.

In fact, let me just tell you like this, you're making it rain

whether you realize it or not. It's just a matter of what

you're raining, but you're making it rain.

The question is, is it raining righteousness?

Are people getting wet around you with the things of God

because of you that allows them to flourish?

Or is it something else? I want to close with the words

of a preacher that can say things better than I can.

Man by the name of Charles Spurgeon.

Here's what he says. This is so true.

If there be a virtue which most commends Christians, it is that

of kindness. It is to love the people of God,

to love the church, to love poor sinners, to love all.

But how many have we in our churches of Crabtree Christians?

I didn't come up with that. He did.

You probably can translate what a Crabtree Christian is, He goes

on to explain who have mixed such a vast amount of vinegar

and such a tremendous quality of gall in their constitutions.

They can specially speak one good word to you.

If anything is awry, whether it be in the house, the church, or

anywhere else, they conceive it to be their duty to set their

faces like Flint, to defy everybody.

They're like isolated icebergs, no one cares to go near them.

Imitate Christ in your living. Speak kindly, act kindly and

think kindly that men may say of you, he or she has been with

Jesus. John and praise team, they're

going to come out. My first question for you is,

have you received the kindness of God?

Has the kindness of God changed your life?

Have you realized Jesus and Jesus alone offers forgiveness

of sin, eternal life? You've confessed him as Lord.

You believed in your heart. God raised him from the dead.

There's been a moment. Everything changed for you.

If not, I'm going to invite you to step out from where you are.

I know you got to be bold to do that.

But listen, everybody came here today to seek God's will done in

their lives. They want it done in yours.

They, they, they would celebrate.

If this is what you need to do, it's why I wait for you right

here. Maybe you need to receive the

kindness of God today and be saved the second you may be a

Christian, you've received the kindness of God and salvation.

But for one reason or another, there's areas or ways in your

life that the kindness of God is not raining.

Something else is raining and you got a decision to make.

You're either going to keep letting unrighteousness reign.

Are you going to say, you know God, I'm ready for a 180 today

And that if, if you are and guess what he is and by your

help, I naturally can't, but supernaturally I can.

God, would you give me the help? And I don't know if that's in

your marriage. I don't know if that's in your

parenting, if that's in a relationship with a church

member, a Co worker or somebody in a family that you know, a

friend, whatever it may be. Is righteousness reigning?

Maybe you just need to come to the altar and say God, It's time

for that to reign in my life. It's it's time for me to choose

kindness no matter what. I've never really made that

commitment. The gospel drives us to that

kind of living. Jesus drives us to that kind of

living and we can by the Spirit that he's given us to endure all

us. Do you need to make that

decision? Father, I pray that whatever

decision we need to make today individually, that you would

lead us to do it unashamedly, boldly, clearly and completely

in Jesus name, I pray, Amen. Would you stand with me?

We're going to sing. I'm going to wait for you.

You come and pray. Stand, Neil, come and talk to

me. Let's worship as you respond

this morning.