Real Life Community Church Sermons

Fruit | Part 6 | Kindness

Real Life Community Church

Message Us!

Can kindness truly transform lives in a world where it's becoming increasingly rare? Join us as we unpack this profound question with Pastor Chris May from Real Life Community Church. Discover the inherent power believers possess through the fruit of the Spirit, including kindness, and how yielding to Christ can guide us to walk by the Spirit. We will explore how genuine kindness has the potential to make significant impacts and reflect God's common grace.

Pastor Chris challenges us to understand the essence of true kindness from a Christian perspective, differentiating it from its counterfeit forms such as manipulation or self-glory. With inspiring tales of bravery and compassion, like Sir Nicholas Winton's heroic efforts during World War II, we are called to embody kindness consistently, even towards those who oppose us. Listen in as we celebrate historical figures like Polycarp, who demonstrated the radical nature of kindness by showing love to his captors, and learn how these acts reflect the intrinsic value of glorifying God.

Moving beyond the surface, we emphasize the importance of loving our enemies, echoing Christ's kindness as highlighted in Ephesians 2:7. Pastor Chris shares anecdotes that illustrate the transformative power of kind words and actions, like a teacher's encouragement that changed a student's life. This sermon invites you to reflect on how the legacy of kindness in figures like Polycarp and the everyday actions of communities can lead others toward the kindness of God, and how you, too, can be part of this meaningful journey.

Support the show

Speaker 1:

The following resource is brought to you by Real Life Community Church in Richmond, Kentucky. We hope you're both challenged and encouraged by this message from Pastor Chris May.

Speaker 2:

We are continuing our study on the fruit of the Spirit as Paul lists them in Galatians, chapter 5. On the fruit of the Spirit as Paul lists them in Galatians, chapter 5. When we talk about the fruit of the Spirit, we are talking about the characteristics or the attributes of Christ which, by grace, he imparts to us when we get saved by the power of the Spirit. And so the point of the series is not about trying to get the fruit. We've got it. And so the point of the series is not about trying to get the fruit. We've got it. We don't have to try to get love and peace and kindness and joy and faithfulness and all of the fruit. If you are saved, you have the love of Christ within you in its fullness, you have the peace of Christ, the joy of Christ, so on and so forth. What we have to do is yield ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ to walk as Paul says in Galatians 5, by the Spirit. To walk by the Spirit Very important. Today we're going to talk about the fruit of kindness. So look at your neighbor and smile at them. Oh, I hate when preachers say look at your neighbor, and I just did it. At least I didn't have you say something to your neighbor, right? All right, the fruit of kindness, if you would. It's our tradition to stand in honor of the reading of the word of God, so so please stand. Galatians, chapter five, beginning in verse 23. The word of God says verse 22,. Excuse me, but the fruit of the spirit is, let's say these together love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now flip back with me to Luke, chapter 6, and we're going to begin in verse 27. And the word of the Lord says this. But I say to you who hear love your enemies. How you doing. Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you and from the one who takes away your goods. Do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, so you do to them. If you love Christians, those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even the sinners, love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you. What benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those whom you expect to receive, from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. But Jesus says love your enemies and do good and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. It is the word of the Lord and you may be seated.

Speaker 2:

Kindness is quite rare today, isn't it? As a matter of fact, it's so rare that when it happens in any, any profound level, it becomes like a public spectacle, right? Like every once in a while on the news. It's like you know everything on the news is horrible. And then, like twice a year, you see these random acts of kindness and everybody goes crazy, right?

Speaker 2:

Just to give you an example, a few weeks ago in Virginia, there was a group of high school students that started a GoFundMe page. School students that started a GoFundMe page. I said GoFundMe, it's GoFundMe. And they partnered with a local car dealership so that they could give their school custodian a brand new Jeep, his dream vehicle. How amazing is that? What an act of kindness which begs the question. Some of you have teenagers like what would compel a teenager to go to those lengths to give their school custodian a Jeep? Well, during the interview, one of the students said this quote of the custodian. He said he's just a very kind, genuine person. You know what that tells me.

Speaker 2:

Kindness tends to breed kindness. If we go to the end of our text, verse 35, jesus says love your enemies and do good and live expecting nothing in return, your reward will be great. You'll be sons of the most high. For he is what he is kind, that same word, greek word, that we find in Galatians 5. He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Well, how is he kind to the grateful and the evil? It's called common grace. Is he kind to the grateful and the evil? It's called common grace. The fact that the Lord doesn't take sinners out immediately is kindness. Amen. And the Lord, if he's kind to the evil, how kind is he to his people? Amen, god's kindness to us. Remember we said that kindness tends to breed kindness if we are recipients and we are of the kindness of God. That ought to stir something up in us that, in that, ought to overflow into kindness towards other people. And, by the way, I just want to commend you right off you are a very, very kind church Really. I mean that. But there is perhaps nothing in this world that attracts us to a person, to a church, to an organization, quite like genuine kindness, kindness that tends to draw us in.

Speaker 2:

If you've been around real life for any amount of time, you know that I am a fan I've been a fan of Chick-fil-A. Shake your head at me if I'm telling the truth. So you'll be shocked by this story. I'm getting ready to tell you. Several months ago, my wife and I were out and we decided we wanted to get something quick to eat. And so my wife asked me because she doesn't ever decide. She says where would you like to go? And I said why don't we just run by Chick-fil-A? And the car gets really quiet, courtney. And my wife, with kind a trembling boy voice and shaky hands, looks at me and mutters I don't really like their food. And guys, let me tell you, after some counseling, we are still married today. All right, praise the Lord, he can part the red sea, he can work through this, right. But you know this true story. Listen, when she said that, I was shocked.

Speaker 2:

But then here's what I did. I like to think about things and I thought because at first I thought how could she say that, like everybody likes Chick-fil-A? And I started thinking about their food and I thought you know what? I actually don't love it, like it's okay. I actually don't love it Like it's okay, but I'm kind of a health nut and, let's be honest, it's not real healthy. We call it God's chicken, hoping he'll sanctify it as we eat it, right? So? And the other thing is this and this is live, and I know the owner of this Chick-fil-A, the franchisee, and so the chicken is frankly underwhelming. It's a piece of chicken, two pieces of bread and a pickle. Now Chick-fil-A sauce makes it a little better. But here's the point. I started thinking about this. I don't actually love the food. We're going to have to find a new place for men's breakfast, guys.

Speaker 2:

But here's the thing. I started thinking about this what is it that draws me to chick-fil-a? Because if I'm having a meeting there, or or having a meeting, I want to meet there generally, or you know, I just I like to take my family there, I like to go there and study sometimes. What is it that draws me, if not the food? You know what it it is. Chick-fil-a is one of the only places on the planet, particularly restaurants, where I know I can go into and I'm going to be greeted with a smile when I ask for something. They're going to say my pleasure, and I believe it seems that it really is a pleasure for them to serve. I know the food is going to be consistent. I don't worry about somebody spitting in my food in the back, because they're generally nice people. I know here it is. In summary, I know I'm going to be treated with kindness.

Speaker 2:

Kindness tends to draw us in, and if kindness can change a fast food restaurant. But, by the way, let me say this, incidentally, chick-fil-a's values are deeply influenced by their founder, late founder Truett Cathy, who was a devout Christian. And if Christian kindness can change the atmosphere of a restaurant, how could Christian kindness change our homes, our churches, our places of employment, our cities, our states, our countries, our world? Think about it. You know, it is through our kindness that others are pointed to the kindness of Christ. The fruit of kindness. Here's what it does it adds demonstration to the proclamation of the gospel.

Speaker 2:

The hymn writer Frederick William Faber said this Kindness has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence and learning. Think about it. The main point I want you to get today is simply this that as Christ's image bearers, you and I are meant to reflect God's kindness into the world. We are all, as human beings, created in the image of God and that image has been tainted, but through Christ that image in us is being restored as we are part of this new humanity in our key job as believers as to be like we're to be mirrors that God sends his love and patience and kindness to us, and then we reflect his attributes into the world and then reflect the praises of the people back up to him, the praises of the people back up to him. We're to show people, not just tell them about the kindness of God.

Speaker 2:

So what does the Bible mean when it talks about kindness? It's more than just being nice. Here's how I'll define it for us this morning. The fruit of kindness is consistently doing good for others because of all that the Lord has done for us. So it is consistently doing good. I'll talk more about this in a moment.

Speaker 2:

But kindness is active and then motive is really important to God. Amen. We see that throughout scripture. So kindness is consistently doing good. It's active because here's the motive, because of all that the Lord has done for us. That motive is really important because there is a counterfeit to kindness.

Speaker 2:

Jesus tells us here that even sinners give to those who bless them. Even sinners love those who love him. And here's the counterfeit fruit of kindness. It is we could call it manipulation. It is to serve someone because they can return a favor to you. Scratch my back, I'll scratch yours, you owe me one, but they never serve Somebody with the counterfeit kindness will not serve people who will be of no benefit to them. There's another kind of counterfeit here, and that is somebody serves for self-glory. This is what the pharisees did. Jesus points this out in matthew, chapter 6, remember. He says to his disciples do not let your giving, your chair, your charity, be done like the pharisees who sound the trumpet when they give. He says no, no. When you give, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing. In other words, don't be worried about the applause of man. If you are after that, you've received your reward in full. There is no benefit for you. But Jesus says when you give, give in secrecy as much as possible.

Speaker 2:

In the late 1930s, as the clouds of World War II began to develop across Europe, a man by the name of Sir Nicholas Winton he became known as the British Schindler. He was a stockbroker and he became aware of the grave danger that children were in in Czechoslovakia. The Nazis were moving in and had planned to take these children to concentration camps, and so Witten decided to do something about it. He took it upon himself, Created a plan to move them out of Prague and into foster homes in England. He set all this up, and he did it in secrecy. He actually rescued he kept a journal 669 children out from under the Nazi regime, and he never wanted any credit. His story was largely unknown until 1988. Decades later he was invited to a television program where the world would finally learn of his extraordinary acts of kindness.

Speaker 2:

That is the motive of Christian kindness. Kindness, it's about seeing the intrinsic value of other people and wanting to do good for them and wanting to give god glory. It's not about self-glory. If you're about self-glory, then it's not kindness, it's pride, it's narcissism. Call it what you want, but it is not kindness. So what does the fruit of kindness look like in practice? Because I said it's remember and we'll talk again more about this, but it's active.

Speaker 2:

But what I want you to see first is that kindness is a disposition. In Galatians 5, the word kindness it is in the noun form, so kindness is something that we possess. Kindness is something that is part of us in Christ, by the Spirit. So it is a disposition, which means this. You know, we hear about random acts of kindness. Yeah, we should not be doing random acts of kindness. Our kindness should be very intentional and it ought to be day in and day out, because kindness is a disposition. So you know, sometimes people wake up and they've been grumpy all week and they wake up on the right side of the bed how many are thankful when your spouse does that Right? And they're in a good mood and they think today I'm going to be a blessing to somebody. Well, rain or shine, friends, good weeks and bad weeks, you and I are called to be a blessing to others every single day. It's a disposition. The fruit of kindness is also very radical. I mean, think about this, verse 27,.

Speaker 2:

Jesus says love your enemies enemies and, by the way, it's assumed you're to love church people too. Right, love your family. But even jesus is saying even love your enemies. Do good to those who what hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray, for this is the crazy one who abuse you. What in the world? Verse 32,. If you love those who love you, what benefit is it to you? Even sinners, love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is it to you? Listen, what's the difference? Can worldly people be kind? Yeah, I think so. But Christian kindness is unique in that, generally in the world, you're kind to the people in your tribe, you're kind to the people in your family or you know, or it's your job or whatever it is. But the thought of being kind and serving somebody outside of your tribe, especially let me say it like this especially when that person is your enemy or has hurt you, what does the world say? When they've hurt you, cut them off, retaliate, get, even Get ahead, for that matter. This is radical, what Jesus calls us to do, but it's profound. It's profound.

Speaker 2:

February 23rd of the year 155 AD, there was a man by the name of Polycarp. Have you heard of Polycarp Church father? He was the Bishop of Smyrna and in AD 155, he was put to death, burned at the stake. By the way, because he would not recant his faith, polycarp refused to burn incense to Caesar. Polycarp refused to burn incense to Caesar, which was a part of imperial worship. He was faithful to Christ and would bow to Christ alone, only Christ. And so Roman soldiers tracked him down one Friday evening and when the soldiers were closing in, polycarp didn't resist. But he did something absurd. He went down and talked to them very calmly. They were blown away by this. And you know what he did. He saw that they were hungry and he called to the workers of the house and he had a meal prepared for them and he said give them all the food and all the drink they want. And he just asked them. He said can I just have an hour to pray? And so they were fed. He prayed, and then his enemies led him to be burned at the stake.

Speaker 2:

Love your enemies. How could God ask us to be kind to our enemies? Well, it's because our kindness is to be birthed out of the kindness of Christ for us. So let's think about Christ's kindness for us for a moment. Alright, I'm going to read you listen very intently here Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 7. You so point at yourself. You were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked, followed the course of this world, following the prince of power of the air, that is, the devil, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of our body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath. That means we were enemies of God, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he hath loved us even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together in Christ Him, in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace In kindness towards us. In Christ Jesus. Why would God ask us to love our enemies? Because again, we're to display his kindness Towards others. And while we were enemies of Christ, rebels against God, guess what? Jesus was kind to us, so kind that he laid down his life for his people, hallelujah. While we were yet sinners, christ died for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ.

Speaker 2:

Kindness is radical. Kindness is also operational. Again, it's active. See, a genuine disposition of kindness will overflow into expressions of kindness. So you can't claim to be kind this morning if you are not showing kindness. So would people around you say, like, don't look at your neighbor. Would they say, oh, you know, hunter's a kind person. Why are y'all shaking your head like this?

Speaker 2:

There are two expressions of kindness that I see in our text. Number one the fruit of kindness is expressed in our speech Bless those verse 28, who bless those who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you. Now, in the Greek, the word bless here typically refers to a proclamation of speech Wishing the other person well, and so it's pronouncing a blessing upon them. And God says we're to do that even to those who curse us. It's profound Now.

Speaker 2:

Kind speech does not mean that we're always buttering people up. Kind speech includes telling the truth. So this is not a holding back from preaching the truth, but it is to do so in kindness. We're to pray for people who abuse us. I would just challenge you today If you have somebody that's hurt, you write their name down in your prayer journal and begin to pray for them and watch what happens to your own heart. It's amazing, it's unbelievable. You know, many people's days are littered with negativity At work, at home. I mean some of you. Today, you might be just dying for one word of encouragement from your spouse. Instead of nagging or negativity, you might be dying for encouragement at your job or from your parents or what have you. The world is starving for words of encouragement.

Speaker 2:

Chase McCoy, who this past May graduated from a school in Indiana. He was interviewed by a news organization and Chase shared that he was never interested in school, he had no passion for anything. He had no passion for anything, he had no aim in life, he didn't care about anything and he was just coasting his way through his burden to his teachers. That all changed. That all changed his junior year. His culinary arts teacher, renee Sigmund, regularly encouraged him something he had never received. Renee believed in him and expressed that belief and said Come on, I'm going to hold you accountable. You've got gifts, you've got purpose and we're going to help you find what that is. And day by day, she began to cheer him on and he graduated, and he began to have passion for something in his life.

Speaker 2:

And he was so moved, his life so changed by Renee's words that before graduation he got a note that she had written of encouragement, a little post-it note. She wrote him some kind words and he got them tattooed on his body before graduation. And I'm not promoting tattoos, but what I'm saying is this Not against them either? By the way, if you have tattoos, you're fine. I just watched some parents looking at me like this. I was like better. He was so moved to kindness that he never wanted to forget those words. Beloved. We are called to build one another up with our words. We're called to be kind. The fruit of the Spirit is displayed, fruit of kindness, in our speech, but it's also expressed in our sacrifice, verse 29,. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also.

Speaker 2:

By the way, I don't want to spend a lot of time here, but how many of you, when you grew up, you were told by your parents or you told your kids this that never throw the first punch, but if somebody punches you, that's what we told our kids. That's what my mom told me one time, and I was when one fight in my life? Uh, it was yesterday, no, it wasn't. Uh, it was? Uh, it was when I was in junior high and I was a little scrawny thing and in the bathroom people gathered around me and they were right. They were started chanting fight, fight, fight. And I was like fight, fight, fight. And then I realized I was in the middle of the circle, I was in the fight, didn't know it, and so this guy came up you remember the shoulder thing? Come on, man, he was doing this and I remember my mom said he touched me first and I held back my little toothpick arm. You know, hey, yeah, you know kind of thing, knocked him into the urinal, didn't know what to do. So I just took off, hit and run, baby. But that's how we trained our kids Don't throw the first punch. So you read this and you're like is that wrong? This has nothing to do with a physical fight.

Speaker 2:

Jesus in Matthew. He talks about if you're slapped on the left cheek, turn the other one. Most people are right-handed. If you slap someone on the left cheek, what is it? It's a slap with the back of your hand and Jesus says turn the other cheek, which is the right cheek. Yeah, you're learning stuff this morning and that's significant because in the ancient world.

Speaker 2:

In the historical context, it was a horrible thing to slap somebody on the right cheek. It wasn't about breaking their teeth, it was dishonorable, it was about challenging their honor. It was a huge insult. Jesus is just saying this Don't return insult for insult. You don't need to defend yourself If God before you, who can be against you? And then he goes on to say listen if somebody, if somebody takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.

Speaker 2:

The poorest people in the Roman empire had only an inner and outer garment. The tunic was the inner garment. It's kind of like long Johns. It's about long John. Weather again, right. We hope in a legal case you could regain a garment that was taken from you. Like this was a big deal. And Jesus is speaking to a crowd of very poor people and he says if anyone takes your tunic, give them your cloak as well. The cloak was used as covers at night for the poor people.

Speaker 2:

This is a willingness. This is what Jesus is talking. It's a willingness to lose everything for the sake of Christ and the good of other people. You know what the gospel does when we have all we need in Christ. It frees us from being bound by riches, stuff, money, we can give it away. Paul said in Philippians 4 that I know what it's like to have nothing, and I know what it's like to abound in all things. I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. In other words, christ is enough.

Speaker 2:

It doesn't mean that you have to give to every panhandler, but let me tell you this Look at me. I would rather err on the side of grace and generosity than selfishness and stinginess. What if I give something to him and he goes off? He's really rich, okay, it's on him. But what if you don't give to somebody and they need to eat? Let's err on the side of generosity.

Speaker 2:

The Bible tells us to bear one another's burdens. That's what it is to be kind. It is to do things for people. We have three resources every one of us Time, talent, treasure and we are called to use those within the house of God and out there to serve other people. And I hear people say things like this I'll step on toes for just a minute. Well, inflation's really high and so you know, when prices go down or when I get a raise, then I'll start giving.

Speaker 2:

That's not what the Bible calls us to do. He doesn't say wait until you have excess and then give. Jesus calls us. He commended the Macedonian church to give, that they gave beyond their means. We're supposed to bear one another's burdens. So if I don't feel the weight, if I only give to someone to help them what I can not miss, I'm not bearing the burden.

Speaker 2:

That's not what the early church did. They literally sold everything they had so that nobody went without. They brought everything they had to the elders apostles. It's amazing People say to me well, pastor, I know there's a lot of work to had to the elders Apostles. It's amazing People say to me well, pastor, I know there's a lot of work to do in the church, but I'm really busy at work. I got kids. I got kids and I don't.

Speaker 2:

Carol doesn't. Carol serves in 15 ministries because 70% of the people are doing nothing. She is over 66 nurses or something like that at Baptist drives to Lexington every day, runs our women's department, helps my wife downstairs because we can't get enough. Children's workers greets. What else does she do, deacon? Everything Goes and visits, cooks, meals, game night, runs that Well, you think she's not busy. See, what we want to do is we want to give of our time, talent and treasure only when we can't feel it, of our time, talent and treasure, only when we can't feel it. People say to me if I won the lottery then I'd give most of it away. If you're not giving it away now, no, you wouldn't. Statistically it's much easier to give $1 out of 10 than 10 out of 100. And you may have all the money in the world, but you're going to feel it and you're going to be hesitant to give $100,000, $1 million away, whatever it is.

Speaker 2:

We're called to bear one another's burdens and let me just say goodness, I'm blown away by this church. I love it so much. You guys are so kind. Just today I won't list names, but I saw somebody post from our church their husband had been very sick and in the hospital and said hey, one of our elders brought banana bread over and prayed for us. It's huge. We had several of you go to missy's dad's funeral and visitation. It was over an hour away. Wow, after all day you went and just supported her. I had one of our neighbors here at church just ecstatic because somebody here took it upon themselves to mow her yard. Older lady, jan. Right now one of our members is in Kenya ministering to orphans. She's in a very poor part of Kenya for a full month. This is what kindness is. It's a disposition that flows into demonstration.

Speaker 2:

So let me close by just going back to Polycarp. I want to challenge you first just to do something. Let's talk about speech. I want to challenge you this week to intentionally, every day this week, say something very kind and encouraging to somebody your spouse, somebody at work, somebody just random in the supermarket. It changes people's lives. They're dying for it.

Speaker 2:

I want to challenge you if you're on social media, gulp. I want to challenge you this week not to post just seven days you can do this. Don't post anything controversial, political or otherwise, and just go on every day, one person a day and just write something kind, encourage somebody in the Lord. And let's go even further Do that to somebody on the other political, across the political divide. Some of you are going to need a Holy Ghost for this right. I know it. I see what you're doing.

Speaker 2:

And then this week, as far as service, I want to challenge you to give, give in the offering. If you've not been given, I don't beg for money, but we gave $11,000 to mission and we're believing God for $30,000 this month to make up that money because our retention fund is depleted and all that. I know it's tough, but it's not just about offerings Out there. When you see somebody hungry, don't just pray for them, give them a sandwich. Even if it's your sandwich, give it to them.

Speaker 2:

So, going back to Polycarp, I'll close with this short story. This Christian martyr. Do you know what his name means? Polycarp? Anybody know. Do you know what his name means? Polycarp? Anybody know. It means much fruit In that fitting. No one remembers. Interestingly, nobody remembers Polycarp for his sermons. He was a second century preacher. It's crazy. As a matter of fact, one author said that the few writings we have of Polycarp's are simple and plain, nothing to write home about. We remember Polycarp not for his sermons but for the fruit of the Spirit evident in his life, not the least of which was kindness. I hope people remember this sermon and others that I preach. I hope people learn much about the Word of God here through the preaching and the small groups and all of that. But what I think they're going to remember, because you guys are so wonderful, I think they're going to be able to say for sure, real life is a kind church and I'll never forget them. May we always be marked by kindness, that we might point others to the kindness of God.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening. If you'd like to know more about how you can have a relationship with Jesus Christ, or if you have questions about our church, you can email us at info at myrealchurchorg. Real Life Community Church is located at 335 Glendon Avenue in Richmond, Kentucky. We invite you to join us for worship Sunday at 1045 am or Wednesday at 7 pm. Visit us online at myrealchurchorg.