Kindness is rarely random

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”   Mark Twain

  One of my favorite musicians is John Denver. I grew up on his music. Several decades later I still love to hear: Take me home, Country roads, Sunshine on my shoulders and Annie’s song, to name a few. Besides being a musician, John Denver collected vintage biplanes and experimental aircraft, and was an avid pilot. His love of flying was secondary only to his love for music. Tragically, he was killed at the age of fifty-three, when an experimental aircraft he’d recently purchased, crashed into the Pacific.  

  Yet, I not only loved his music. I liked what I saw in him as a person. While some musicians come off as arrogant or meaner than a junk yard dog, there was a seeming gentleness about him…one that was often reflected in his music.

  Recently, I finished Mitchell Fink’s book, The Last Days of Dead Celebrities. One chapter was about John Denver. His first marriage was to Annie Martell. She was the love of his life. In fact, he wrote his hit song, Annie, about her. Though the break-up of their marriage and ensuing divorce was acrimonious, every year, even long after their divorce, and even after John had remarried, he’d still send Annie flowers on her birthday. She said, “Sometimes we were friendly. Sometimes we were distant. But John always remembered my birthday.” When I read that, I thought, “How incredibly kind!”

  Kindness! There just seems to be a shortage of it these days, even in the Church. Yet, if anyone or group of people should be known for their kindness, shouldn’t it be us, as Christians? We who have been treated so kindly by a just and holy God, isn’t it almost…“How could we dare not show kindness to others, we who have been shown so much kindness?” Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit and one of the indicators that you are a Christian (Galatians 5:22).

  Often we think that being kind is being polite or just being nice. Yet, you can be polite and nice, and still be unkind. Nice is often just being agreeable. Kindness, though, is acting for the good of someone else regardless of what they do. In other words, kindness is goodness in action. It’s the ability to proactively act for the welfare of those who may be taxing your patience, for those who on a human level, you may desire to be unkind too. It’s the opposite of being harsh.

  Yet, kindness is far too rare of a gem, even among the family of God. I’m ashamed to admit that I find that it’s often too rare in my life. And when you meet someone who is kind, they’re like an oasis in a dry, hot desert. Others are drawn to them. They’re so refreshing.

  As I was working through this, it struck me that most of our relational issues and problems would be solved, if we were just kind. For most of us, kindness probably would begin by NOT saying certain things. If it’s not kind, does it really need to be said? Most parents wish their children were kinder to one another. Yet, can we really expect our children to be kind to each other, if we, as parents, are not modeling it? Many times parents get into a habit of speaking harshly, sharply and roughly with their children. Just because they’re children, shouldn’t we still use common polite words with them like please, thank you or even, you’re welcome?

  I find that I cringe sometimes when I hear couples talking to each other in every day conversation. So here’s someone that you stood before witnesses and vowed before God, “To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part.” Does your normal conversation with that person you committed to for life sound very “cherishing?” Isn’t that part of kindness? Are our tones, the volume of our words, even the speed in which we talk communicating that we are “cherishing?”

  Then, we often focus on being kind to the wrong people. Most of us are kind to those we’re attempting to impress or want something from. For example, if a cop pulls you over and you’re attempting to get out of the ticket, you’ll probably speak very respectfully and kindly. If there is someone that we think will help us better ourselves, even if it’s just socially, we’ll go out of our way to be kind to them. But is that really kindness? Or, is it just selfishness? Even narcissism? If we have a hidden agenda or something to gain for ourselves, it’s not true kindness.

  So what is kindness? It’s listening to an older person tell the same story for the 10^th time and acting like it’s the very first time you’ve ever heard it. Kindness is hearing your spouse tell a story and they missed some small detail, like it was Tuesday instead of Wednesday, and never letting them know. Kindness is something as simple as saying “thank you” to the clerk at the gas station. It’s asking how they’re day is going and then actually waiting for an answer. Kindness is listening to a child talk and not just saying, “Uh-huh” while your mind is a million miles away. Kindness is taking a meal to a sick friend or offering to run errands for them. Kindness is praying for someone when you said you would, and then later checking on them to see how things are going and if they still need you to pray for them. Kindness is noticing that person who’s sitting alone or standing by themselves, and going over to talk to them, and even introducing them to others. Kindness is asking someone who’s sitting by themselves to sit with you in church. Kindness is going out of your way to talk to or help the new person at work or at school or in the neighborhood. It’s trying to help them feel comfortable and accepted. Kindness is not pointing out other’s weaknesses or mistakes. Kindness is sometimes helping them cover it up so they don’t feel stupid. Kindness is looking for opportunities to encourage, affirm, thank and be a blessing. Kindness is being Jesus in an unkind world. Jesus went about “doing good” (Acts 10:38). He was kind. Are we?

MISSING!

“Now comes the mystery.” Henry Ward Beecher

At the time of this writing there is still no news, only more questions, surrounding the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. It’s a seemingly unsolvable mystery how this Boeing 777 with 239 people aboard just completely disappeared on March 8^th while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Evidence continues to grow that the plane could have flown for hours after losing contact with air traffic control, the search area, too, has ballooned. Some 43 ships and 58 aircraft from 25 countries have been involved in the search. Experts from the United States, Britain and China are involved.

  To further frustrate and increase anxiety, some of the family members have been able to successfully place calls to missing passengers' cell phones. There are various explanations for how that could happen, but it gives them a sliver of hope that their loved ones are still alive.

  Have you ever noticed? Mysteries drive us crazy. We human beings want everything to fit into some neat, rational and understandable package. Some day, and I wonder that it might not be long, there’s going to be another major disappearance unlike anything this world has ever experienced. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s called the Rapture.

  Today we’re finishing our sermon series, R U BORN 2X? We’re concluding by talking about the blessings and benefit package for someone who’s been born twice. Someday every born-again person, dead or alive, could be singing that last line from a Shania Twain song, “I’m outta here” as we fly through the air to meet the Lord Jesus.

  I’ve always loved being spontaneous. When our children were younger, periodically, Jane and I would throw a wonderful, totally unexpected  surprise into the schedule. We did “pajama rides,” when after they were ready for bed, we all popped into the car and went through a local drive-through for ice cream. One of my favorites was on a warm Friday afternoon when on the spur of the moment, we decided to find out who had the best single dip ice cream cone in the area. We started out in Elkhorn and then did a loop throughout the area. By the fourth or fifth stop, we were ice creamed out.

  The Rapture is going to be a little like that. It’s going to come suddenly and surprise everyone. If we’re still on this side of eternity, we may be at work, having dinner or even sleeping. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 says, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”

  Do you ever weary of life? Do you find yourself sometimes longing for Home? I know I do. Every believer who loves the Lord has that tension.

  This world is not our Home. Sometimes the sin, suffering, struggles…the hopelessness begins to overwhelm us and we long for Home. Yet, we know that our work isn’t finished here yet. Maybe you’re a parent and you know that your children need you. Maybe you sense that God has given you what is still an unfinished task. For me, I have so many friends and loved ones that don’t yet know Jesus. I don’t want to go Home until I know that I’ve done everything I can to share the Gospel with them. There truly is nothing here other than that which keeps me tied to this world. And I have great peace because Jane and my three children all know the Lord and love Him. We’ll never say, “Good-bye,” just “Good-night, I’ll see you in the morning…that great resurrection morning.” Yet, Heaven becomes more enticing to me each year. I have so many loved ones and friends already waiting for me there. 

  If instead of going Home via death, if we’re still alive when the Rapture takes place and removes us from this planet, can you even begin to imagine the confusion, shock, hurt, frustration and exasperation when millions of believers just disappear, just vanish into thin air? Where would they even begin to search? Cell phones will keep ringing.

  Don’t you wonder how the media and government will attempt to explain it? What will those who are left behind say to one another? How will they seek to console one another? Or, will there just develop a worldwide, morbid, depression or denial?

  Someday, if you’re a believer, you’ll be part of God’s prophesied mystery, the next event on His prophetic calendar. Hollywood ain’t got nothing on God. Yet, many of you are like me. You don’t want to leave anyone behind. (Now I’m not suggesting we put oGn white robes, become religious wackos and sit on a rooftop J.) Yet, I wonder how many opportunities I miss to share the Gospel? How much more could I pray? How much more could I focus on what really matters and has significance?

  We’re coming into the Easter Season. Many of our lost friends and family members will be talking about their plans and about Easter. Doors may crack that don’t crack at other times of year. Let’s not miss it. We’re possessors of the greatest mystery and the greatest good news of all time – that a holy God loves us and gave His only Son, Jesus, to die in our place, for our sins so that we could be forgiven, so that we didn’t have to face this life alone and so that we could live in His House for all eternity!

  The last recorded words of the co-pilot for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 were, “Good-night.” May we do all that we can to insure that for those we love and care about that it’s only “Good-night,” not “Good-bye.” And I think that we’d do well to be praying for the families and passengers on this missing plane, that this tragic mystery will soon be resolved.

If you can read this, thank your doctor, nurse, X-ray technician, Pharmacist...

“Wherever the art of Medicine is loved, there is also a love of Humanity.”  Hippocrates

Can you imagine what our lives would be like without doctors and nurses, and all of the other blessings of modern medicine? I can’t and I honestly have no desire to. They are so much a part of our lives in Western culture, that we just take them for granted. We forget that they haven’t always been there and that much of the world still does not have access to modern medicine.

  It is truly a privilege today to welcome medical professionals as our honored guests to Grace Church today! We know that in our fast paced world, too often, we simply fail to stop and say, Thank You! We hope that our Biscuit Brunch and worship service this morning communicates in a small way how thankful we are for each one of you and the blessing that you are in our lives! You often see us at our weakest points and we appreciate you!

  While there are exceptions, nearly all of us had a doctor and nurse present when we were born. It’s very probable that we will have a doctor and nurse present when we die. Nearly all of us have made more trips than we want to count to the Emergency Room, particularly if you’re the parent of an highly active child J. Many of us have had to dial 911 at one time or another for some medical emergency. Some of us have had to be taken to a medical facility in an ambulance. Perhaps you’re here today because a doctor, or surgeon or nurse performed some lifesaving procedure that spared your life…perhaps, they saved the life of a loved one.

  When we’re sick, we don’t give it a second thought when we call up a doctor and ask for a prescription or make an appointment, though they usually prefer that you come in so that they can make sure that the prognosis of you or your child’s condition is accurate. If there’s a chronic medical situation that seems to be hidden, there are technicians who do EKGs, EEGs and MRIs to check your body out more thoroughly to learn what the problem is. You don’t have to guess when you have a broken bone or even how serious the break might be. We have X-rays that reveal  exactly what is broken. Just by looking at the images on an X-ray, a doctor is able to locate the problem and determine the best remedy.

  Just consider all of the medicines we have available today that can completely eliminate the symptoms of many maladies and conditions. Physicians routinely prescribe drugs for reducing fever, alleviating an upset stomach or pain so as to increase the patient’s comfort level. Through the elimination of those uncomfortable symptoms, a patient can resume a normal life almost immediately after treatment. Just think of all of the over the counter medicines and other medical supplies you can find even at a gas station: Tylenol, Rolaids, and Band-aids in all shapes and sizes. 

  Just a hundred years ago, many of the diseases that are little more than a cold today were frequently a death sentence. Even today much of the world still lacks access to basic medical care. More than 200 million children worldwide under age 5 do not get basic health care which results in nearly 10 million deaths annually from treatable ailments like diarrhea and pneumonia. Antibiotics that we take for granted, that cost less than $0.30, just aren’t available for so many in the world. Often those needing medical care in developing countries have to walk six hours or more for any type of medical care. Maybe we should think about that the next time that we have to wait in a doctor’s office or Emergency Room and are tempted to complain about having to wait.  

  With all of the heated political debate, finger pointing and partisan saber rattling in recent years in America, our medical professionals are often “collateral damage.” Some have even been hurt by “friendly fire.” Because of the frustration with the system, our human tendency is to vent our frustration and even anger at the caregiver who is on the frontlines, trying to take care of us. Add to that, they’re often stretched very thin, as is nearly every other industry in America, with attempting to serve the same amount of patients with less staff and resources. And tragically, what has been lost in all of the debate and rhetoric is a deep, heartfelt gratitude for those countless committed medical professionals who are so committed to making our lives safer, easier and healthier.

  Because of them, illnesses like the flu are usually little more than a hassle.  They have often spent years and thousands of dollars to study medicine and then are continually educating themselves on the latest procedures and medicines, treatments and maladies so that they can care for us in the best way possible. I know that I’m personally so thankful for the many doctors, nurses, and support staff who go far beyond the call, for whom it’s not just a job, they truly care and want to make a difference in people’s lives.

  Today at Grace Church, we want to stop and say, “Thank You!” for your commitment to others! We know you don’t hear it enough. We know that you are often seeing individuals at the lowest points of their lives and they often forget that you are not just doing a job or earning a pay check. So thank you, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts!

  May today echo in your heart during the coming days, weeks, and even months. May it encourage you to know that your commitment is being noticed, that you are truly making a difference, and we greatly appreciate you and all that you do! Thank you!!

“Always winter, but never Christmas."

  In his wonderful book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C. S. Lewis describes Narnia as a place where it’s “always winter, but never Christmas.” Wow! And you think you’re tired of winter? Winter doesn’t bother most of us until after Christmas. In fact, when I was a child growing up in Atlanta, we’d pray for a White Christmas. We’d been brainwashed by Bing Crosby J. We never had one. Then, when I was a freshman in college, I spent Christmas with my brother and his family in the New York City area, and again, there was no snow. I was so disappointed. I’d never seen a white Christmas and thought that by being up North, I’d finally see one. Instead, it was just brown and dingy. It was a very dismal Christmas.

  Yet, when we have a white Christmas, before you can hardly say, “Happy New Years,” most of us are ready to zap away that monolithic coating of white covering the world. We can pretty much handle it through January and will even suffer with it through February, as long as we get a periodic reprieve of warmth and a little melting.

  One of the reasons that this winter has been so tedious is that we’ve not really had a reprieve. Not only have we had snow storm after snow storm, the weather has been brutally cold. It’s been always winter. Yet, though we joke, groan and grimace, we know winter will eventually come to an end. Spring will finally break through. It’s scheduled to arrive on March 20^th. I’m counting the days and hoping it comes a little early.

  Then, the snow and ice will begin to melt. The air will warm up. The grass will begin to turn green. Leaves will return to the trees. Flowers will bloom. The birds will sing. A world of dull white will give way to a myriad of bright color. Even the sun will stay in the sky longer each day. But what if it didn’t? What if it was always winter? What if there was no hope of spring?

  This past week I didn’t know it was going to snow. My heart dropped a bit as I opened the garage door to leave and found my car encased in a fresh layer of white. Jane and I still talk about the winter storm of May 10, 1990. Shortly after we moved to Wisconsin, we had a blizzard in May. I thought I was going to cry when I saw our greening world blanketed once again with white. It wasn’t a few flakes. We got a good three inches, with some areas receiving six inches. I thought that winter would never end. And that was Narnia.

  But Lewis’ tale is not just a literary fantasy. He painted for us a picture of life without Christ, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Winter in Narnia was caused by a spell cast by the White Witch. And winter only ended when Aslan, the true king, the royal lion, returned to rescue the Narnia kingdom from the curse of the White Witch. Without Aslan, Narnia was a land without hope.

  Are you tired of snow? Is the winter getting to you? Do you find yourself feeling dismal, even a bit hopeless that it will never end? Yet, you know that it will, but what if it didn’t? Always winter, never Chritsmas is the condition of someone who doesn’t know Christ. It’s a life without hope. Jesus Christ, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, has not given them new life and with it, hope.

  Can you imagine living in the perpetual winter of unforgiven sin? How hopeless! You’ve fought some dark habit. You’ve had victory over it for months, even years…and then you trip, stumbling back into the tar pit of that sin. Someone who doesn’t know Jesus can only remorse or worse, wallow in their guilt. They don’t know that no matter how horrible their sin is, Christ’s sacrifice is more than enough and then more. He longs to forgive us and heal our souls.

  Can you imagine living in the perpetual winter of depression? Some years ago I went through a serious bout of depression. It seemed my dark valley would never end. Yet, even in the midst of the darkness, I still had hope. Those words so familiar to me as a child echoed back to my soul, even in the midst of the shadows, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Though I hurt, though I wanted to give up in despair, I knew that there was still hope. I was not alone and even the pain was temporary.

  Can you imagine living in the perpetual winter of broken relationships? You feel so alone, so unloved, perhaps betrayed. After my Mom was killed in a car accident when I was ten, I felt so alone. My father and I never did have a relationship. I remember how wounded I felt when one of his wives felt that she needed to tell me that he had informed her that I was an “accident.” But I had another Father, who loved me and wanted me. I was no “accident,” I was part of His eternal plan. Psalms 27:10 was my anchor and is still a precious promise to me, “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.” I can’t imagine facing a divorce, the death of a spouse, a broken family, a lost friendship without “a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24)…and I know His Name. C. S. Lewis called Him Aslan but He’s the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and His Name is Jesus.

    Can you imagine living in the perpetual winter of economic stress? You can never make ends meet. There’s never enough food, heat or money. A better job, some times any job is an impossibility. There are many suffering in America from poverty. Can you imagine what it’s like though in places like Sudan or North Korea? No hope. Ultimately, facing a death of impoverishment and starvation. So how do believers there survive? How do they cling to hope when it’s so hopeless? They hold on to the same promises that brought the Apostle Paul through his suffering and loss, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

  Do you ever wonder why we continually urge you to share the Gospel? Why we are so passionate about reaching our community, those around us with the Gospel? Of all the things that Jesus could have shared before He left this world, why did He give us marching orders to reach our world? Because if you don’t know Jesus, it’s always winter, but never Christmas. It’s a world without hope and when we have the message of eternal hope, spring and summer for the soul, how can we not share it?

The Gospel is everything

“Without the gospel everything is useless and vain.”

John Calvin

  Recently, Jane and I attended one of the classiest and sharpest churches I think we’ve ever attended. It was a mega-church in Atlanta. There are several of them in that area. The pastor is well-known internationally and is the author of several best selling books. The church averages some 25,000 people in attendance every weekend. There were parking attendants guiding us on where to park. The facility was beautiful. They even had a bookstore (always a big plus with me). When they discovered it was our first time there, a volunteer actually took us to our seats and gave us a packet of information on the church. We were seated in some of the best seats in the church, about five rows or so back…not too close but not too far away. The worship band could go on tour and probably does. The media presentation was first class. The assistant pastor who made the announcements was warm, welcoming and funny. The pastor is probably one of the best communicators in America. His message was both powerful and practical. He was very engaging. No one seemed to be checking their watch or to be bored in any way.

  There was just one major problem – there was no Gospel. In fact, the pastor even said something to the effect, “If you don’t like talk about Jesus, you’re going to be comfortable today because we’re going to be in the Old Testament and we’re not going to talk about Jesus at all,” and he didn’t.

  You must always be careful evaluating a church based on one service, but there was no Gospel that morning. No Gospel for 25,000 people…no cross, no plan of salvation. The message was timely and practical about getting advice from the right kind of people but no Gospel.

  And it broke my heart. If you have no Gospel, what do you really have? Jesus said, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37). Here were 25,000 people in church, in a “worship” service but on that particular day, they didn’t hear a thing that ultimately mattered. If they were all believers it might not have mattered, but in a crowd that size, statistically, I have difficulty believing that was the case.

  Tragically, in the American church we’ve often bought into a lie of what’s vital and has ultimate significance. We teach about marriage, and we should. Yet, you can have a great marriage but if you don’t know Jesus, so what? You can have a great family, wonderful relationships with your children. They may stay off of drugs and booze. They may be very successful but if they don’t know the Lord, if they’ve never accepted the Gospel…does it matter? You could be smarter than Warren Buffet with your money. Your 401K big enough to make Donald Trump turn green with envy, but if you’ve never come to the Cross, admitted you’re a sinner and need a Savior…you’re spiritually broke. If you are in great health, if your blood pressure is ideal, you’re not overweight, you have a the body of a teenager and you’re a senior citizen, but if you’re not a Christian, it’s a dead end. So you’re educated, even brilliant. You have an IQ over 150. You may have a Ph.D. Perhaps you’re the next Steven Hawking or Paul Allen, but if you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you’re a fool.

  The Gospel is not just something, it’s everything. And at Grace, we’re unapologetically committed to communicating the Gospel. It’s our primary message, and without it, we have no message. The Gospel is the answer to our world’s greatest need, my greatest and your greatest need. That’s why we’re committed to “Gospel preaching.” So what is Gospel preaching?

  Gospel preaching is Bible preaching. The Bible is the one and only textbook and the preacher is a teacher or messenger delivering the Word of truth. He must be focused first of all on the only truth that ultimately matters. Every idea he uses must have a solid foundation in the Bible, no exceptions. Without Scripture, someone can perhaps give a good talk, but can't preach a Biblical sermon. Sermons are based only on the word of God." The late H. Leo Boles often told young pastors, “Boys, there is a great difference in preaching the gospel and making a talk on a Bible subject.” Let the media take care of social and economic problems, the preacher must be about the business of preaching the Gospel.

  Gospel preaching is Christ centered. The very heart and core of the gospel is good news about the Savior. The coming of Jesus into the world to save a defiled and ruined human race through the offering of Himself upon the Cross is the central theme of the Bible. That’s what Gospel preaching is all about, and to fail to point people to the Lamb of God is to fail to preach the Gospel. They must be made to understand that Jesus “gave Himself for our sins.”

  Gospel preaching is distinctive. The story of the cross and the plan of salvation God devised to save us from our sins is a very distinctive message. Gospel preaching identifies these truths and thus draws a sharp line of distinction between the Gospel and any other talk of ways to gain God’s favor, forgiveness and entry into heaven. There is only one Gospel. Our goal is not necessarily to make listeners feel good but to see themselves accurately spiritually, that apart from Jesus Christ, they are eternally doomed for their sin and guilt. We must help the lost to see that they are lost, or we have failed the Lord and our mission. We must help them see that there is hope, forgiveness and new life in Christ.

  Gospel preaching is loving and compassionate. God is a God of love and doesn’t want anyone to go to Hell. Because He loves us so much, God the Father gave His only Son to pay our sin debt by sacrificing Him on the Cross. God loves the world. If we’re going to please God, we must love the world too. When Jesus walked this earth, He wept over the blindness and sinfulness of those around Him. It broke His heart and it must break our hearts too.

  One of the most successful companies in the fast food industry is Domino's Pizza. Domino’s has a clearly defined mission statement, “To be the best pizza delivery company in the world.” Everything they do at Domino's is centered on that goal. What about us? What about Grace Church? Is everything centered on the great commission that Jesus gave us in Matthew 28:19-20? Are we centered on the Gospel? Without the Gospel, we have no mission and we have no message.