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Transcript

Well, good afternoon, brethren. Always good to see all of you. I grew up watching Mr. Rogers, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, and it was a great show, especially as a young man. And I would watch Mr. Rogers, and I think about it, maybe as I grew up and appreciated it more later. He was just a very nice man, a very kind individual, and he was always that way on the show. And over the years, I think they eventually did a movie on him, and people looked into his life, and it turns out he was the same way behind the scenes as well, not just in front of the cameras, which can sometimes happen.

You know, people on the camera are one way behind the scenes, they’re much different, but Mr. Rogers was just as nice behind the scenes as he was in front of the camera, and he was known for a lot of very positive things, but particularly his compassion. There was one instance where there was a little boy, a paraplegic boy, and he invited him onto the show, took him behind the scenes, and really just made the young boy feel very, very special. It was a very compassionate act that he did for this young person.

Another individual, I think, back over the years, is Princess Diana. You probably remember her, tragically died in a car accident, but she was also known for her compassion, royalty, very beautiful, considered a very beautiful woman, but known for her compassion. There were pictures, it may have even been recorded, of her visiting AIDS patients and hugging them, and this was coming at a time where AIDS was a very scary disease. People didn’t even want to be in the same room with people who had the disease, and she went as far as hugging and embracing people who had that illness, a very compassionate move.

Of course, another very famous person, perhaps you’re thinking about being compassionate, maybe one of the most famous people in all of history, is Mother Teresa, and she would visit and take care of the poor in Calcutta. She dedicated her life to helping others and showing compassion. Now, I bring up these three individuals, brethren, because it presents a question, a question that I can present to all of you. We think about the acts of Mr. Rogers, Fred Rogers, Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, those acts of kindness and compassion. The question I have for each of you is, were their actions all in vain?

If you consider it, they weren’t being called at this time, they weren’t in God’s Church, they weren’t doing those things necessarily for, you know, in the Church and being led by God’s spirit in them. Were their acts all in vain? Were their efforts to try to fix a broken and dying world pretty much pointless? Well, I would say ask the little boy who got invited onto the show or those AIDS patients. How did they feel? Did they feel like Princess Diana embracing them and accepting them? Did they feel like her actions were in vain? What about those children in Calcutta and the poor in Calcutta living in the slums? Did they consider those acts to be all in vain?

Brethren, ultimately, of course, God is the judge of their efforts and their actions, but personally, I’m not comfortable saying that what they did was in vain, that those efforts were pointless. I understand that they’re not being worked with by God at this time, but I’m not comfortable saying that what they did was all in vain. This idea of compassion is a big, big subject, of course, and it’s on people’s minds, especially this time of year. We’re near the end of the year, we’re in December, the holiday season, as people often call it, and this is a time of year where charities run big campaigns, food banks collect donations, shelters ask for help, families volunteer.

People are much more generous this time of year with their time, with their finances. Maybe with finances, it’s the end of the year, it’s a tax write-off, sure, there’s some benefit there for the individuals doing the giving and showing generosity, but it does help a lot of people. And I do believe many have a genuine desire to help. The world, in its own way, becomes a lot more tender-hearted this time of year. There’s this much greater willingness to help people, and similar to the things that I said earlier, those individuals that I named earlier and what they did, I don’t know if I would go as far as just saying that what the world is doing to help others is pointless.

I’m not comfortable doing that. Brethren, how should we feel about those acts of kindness shown by the world? How should we feel about those? Maybe a more important question is, how does God feel about those acts of kindness? What’s his position on those things? How does he feel about it? Does God want us as individuals helping those who are outside the Church, showing compassion to individuals who are unconverted, and God’s not working with it at this time? Does God want us individually as individuals or even as an organization, as a Church, His Church, does he want us involved with helping those people?

How far should we go when it comes to helping those that are not members of God’s Church? Or consider this, how far should we go with helping those who are in the Church, individuals who are in the Church? How far should we go to help them, show compassion toward them? Do God and Christ show compassion? Probably thinking, yes, they do, but it’s a question nonetheless, do God and Christ show compassion? If so, why? What does compassion have to do with sin or the kingdom of God? These are all very big questions, brethren, on a very important subject.

So today we’re going to answer these and many questions and cover this subject of compassion. We’re going to look at what it means, how it reflects God’s mind, and how far, just to be practical about it, how far should we go to help individuals in and outside God’s Church? The New Oxford American Dictionary defines compassion as a sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. I’ll repeat that. Compassion is a sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. Now the keyword in that definition is suffering. It’s a very important distinction.

Compassion, you think about how the word is broken out, com-passion means to suffer together. You’ve all heard of the passion of Christ, right? Well, passion is suffering. It’s very suffering. And you think of the start of the word, ‘com’, compassion. Com is together, like community. You think about a community. So compassion means to suffer together. Very interesting when you break it out. So compassion is much deeper than just feeling sorry for a person. It actually is, frankly, much deeper than that. It begins with maybe feeling sorry for a person, but it doesn’t end there.

Turn to Matthew fifteen. Matthew fifteen. The Bible explains it even better when it comes to suffering together. Matthew fifteen. Verse twenty-nine. Matthew fifteen, verse twenty-nine. “And Jesus departed from thence and came near into the Sea of Galilee and went up into a mountain and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet. And he healed them.” So we just read about people who were lame, blind, dumb, meaning they couldn’t hear or speak, maimed, and many others.

These people were suffering. And what did Christ do? He healed them. Verse thirty-one. “And so much that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak, and the maimed to behold, the lame to walk, and the blind to see. They glorified the God of Israel. Then Jesus called his disciples unto him and said, I have compassion on the multitudes, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I will not send them away fasting lest they faint in the way.” So before we dig deeper into that, the word there you saw, ‘compassion’.

Christ said, I have compassion on these people. It’s a Greek word. This is a tough one. It’s a mouthful to pronounce. I don’t always get into some of the Greek and Hebrew, but in this one, I think it’s important. But the word there for compassion is splagchnizomai. Splagchnizomai. It’s a root word that comes from the word spleen. That’s why I gave the Greek word spleen, or your intestines. You all heard of bowels of mercies, right? Bowels of mercy. Christ, in this case, felt pity for these people within his bowels. Deep within himself, he felt pity for these individuals.

So it wasn’t just a surface sympathy. He felt a deep, deep, inward feeling of sympathy and pity for these people. It’s interesting, the account goes on to talk about hunger. The people were following him for three days. I’m sure they felt some inner pain in their bowels as well. But Christ was compassionate toward these people. They had been with him for three days, and they needed to eat. And if he didn’t intervene, many of them become incapacitated, maybe even die.

Verse thirty-three, “And his disciples said unto him, Where should we have so much bread in the wilderness as to fill the great multitude? Christ, we don’t have enough food to feed these folks. And Jesus said unto them, How many loaves have you? And he said, Seven and a few little fishes. And he commanded the multitudes to sit down on the ground. And he took seven loaves and fishes and gave thanks and broke them and gave them to his disciples and the disciples to the multitude. So he fed the people from these scraps. And they did eat and were filled. And he took up the broken meat that was left, seven baskets full.”

So it’s just, I mean, what a mighty, mighty miracle. “And they that did eat were four thousand men besides women and children. And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coast of Magdala.” Christ did not just feel sorry for the people. I continue to read on because he didn’t just feel this pain with these individuals deep within his bowels, he did something about it. He took action. He fed them. He fed the people. Obviously, I answered one of my questions, which was, “Does Christ feel compassion toward people, and does God feel compassion toward people?” And it’s like, of course, they do.

We saw an example of Christ. What about the Father? Let’s go to Lamentations. Lamentations chapter three. Lamentations chapter three. Does the Father also feel compassion toward His people or toward people in general? Lamentations chapter three, verse twenty-two. Lamentations chapter three, verse twenty-two. “It is of the Lord’s mercies,” take note of that word, mercies, “that we are not consumed because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness.” So, the Father is also filled with compassion. It’s renewed every morning. So, it’s fresh. It doesn’t get stale. It’s continually renewed.

The verse says that his compassions never fail. And you notice there that compassion is different than mercy. They’re related, but they’re different. We, of course, heard about mercy during the feast. Mercy, there is kindness. But compassion there is tied to the womb. When you dig into the Hebrew of that word, it’s tied to the womb. As a mother cherishes her fetus. So, you think about a mother with a fetus in her womb. Once again, deep within her, the Father, deep within Himself, has compassion toward human beings. The Father feels deeply for His children, and He feels it within Himself. He cherishes us as He cares for us. He pities us. Pity is another word for compassion.

Let’s go to Psalm One hundred and Three. Psalm One hundred and Three. Pity is another word for compassion. Psalm One hundred and Three, verse thirteen. Psalm One hundred and Three, thirteen. “Like a father pities his children, so the Lord pities them that fear Him. For He knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass, as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more.” The Father in Christ knows, brethren, they know that we are frail. We are as dust. Eventually, we die. The wind blows, and we’re gone. We’re no more.

What makes compassion different from empathy or just feeling sorry for someone is that compassion always leads to action, or alleviating the suffering. That’s the big difference. When we suffer together, when we have compassion, it leads to alleviating or attempting to alleviate the suffering. Christ didn’t just feel sorry for the leper when he healed him in Mark one. He didn’t just feel sorry for him. He saw him. He was a pitiful sight, I’m sure, but he went on to heal him. He alleviated his suffering. Turn to Luke seven, another example. Christ alleviated the suffering. Let’s talk about the leper, but let’s read here about a resurrection.

Luke seven, verse thirteen. Luke seven, verse thirteen. We’ll start at verse twelve. “Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier, and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto you, Arise. And he that was dead sat up and began to speak, and he delivered him to his mother.”

What an amazing act of compassion. That woman was suffering. Her family was suffering. Christ relieved the suffering by resurrecting the man. So here’s a summary statement. True compassion is not only a deep inward feeling of suffering for someone, it also involves alleviating the suffering or attempting to alleviate that suffering. That’s the biggest difference when it comes to understanding sympathy versus compassion. It’s emotion followed by action. Now the world does a good job, a decent job of showing compassion from time to time. Now I believe it’s sincere.

They sincerely attempt to alleviate the suffering of others, those that are hungry, those who need shelter, those who have needs. The world does a good job from time to time showing compassion, but God gets it right every time. God gets compassion right every time. Of course, He’s God. But God gets compassion right every time. What does this mean for us as God’s people? What does all this mean for us? How do we show the compassion that God wants us to show? Remember, He gets it right every time. How can we show the compassion that God wants us to show? Godly compassion.

There’s worldly compassion, which is, I don’t knock it, it’s fine. But it’s not godly compassion. It’s very different. So how do we show the compassion that God wants us to show? Well, much of it starts with what I call root causes. Root causes. As I said, compassion is tied to suffering. That’s a very important component of compassion. So let’s take a step back. Why do people suffer in the first place? Why do people suffer? Why are there disasters, diseases, betrayals, broken families, hunger, war, death, all those things that lead to suffering? Why do people suffer in the first place?

Why is it that no matter how much men try to intervene, try to address these very real issues, these very real problems, pouring millions, if not billions of dollars, and so much time, effort, resources in trying to fix these problems, why is it no matter how hard mankind tries, we can’t get it right? Mankind can’t fix it. Why is the world the way it is? Back to the question, why is there suffering in the first place? Well, brethren, we know the answer to why there’s so much suffering in the world. It’s called sin. Sin is the reason that mankind suffers.

People suffer because of sin. What is sin? Turn to First John chapter three. What is sin? Classic verse, very plain. What is sin? First John chapter three verse four. “Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law.” Very plain. So suffering entered the world because of sin. Genesis chapter three. We’ll pick it up in verse sixteen. Genesis chapter three, verse sixteen. This is after Adam and Eve broke the law, they sinned in the garden. Genesis three. Let’s pick it up in verse sixteen. Genesis three, sixteen. “And unto the woman,” God speaking here, “He said, I will greatly multiply your sorrow, your suffering, and your conception. In sorrow, you shall bring forth children, and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.

And unto Adam, He said, because you’ve hearkened unto the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree which I commanded you saying you should not eat of it, cursed is the ground for your sake, in sorrow shall you eat of it all the days of your life. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to you, and you shall eat the herb of the field.” Verse nineteen. “And the sweat of your face shall you eat bread till you return into the ground, for out of it you were taken, for dust you are, and unto dust shall you return.”

Sin led to suffering for Adam and Eve and eventually for all mankind. Romans six. Why does the world suffer? Where does suffering come from? What is its purpose? Romans chapter six, verse twenty-three, another classic verse, it’s probably marked in your Bible. If not, I would mark it. “For the wages of sin is death.” So brethren, the payment, the compensation, the return for breaking God’s law is death. And as we saw from the account of the young man that was resurrected, death is tied to suffering. Now here’s where compassion in the world differs from godly compassion. From the compassion shown by God in Christ. From the compassion, brethren, that ultimately we should be striving for.

Here’s where the compassion in the world is different. The world tries to relieve pain and suffering. Some cases, they do a decent job. They set up relief funds, there’s nonprofits, they offer food and shelter, they offer medicine. Counselors sit with people, and they offer emotional support. Charities build homes, they dig wells, they rescue animals. These acts of compassion actually do help people. They do, but there’s one thing that those acts of compassion from the world don’t address. They don’t address the sin that leads to them. That’s the big difference.

They don’t address the root causes, remember? I said root causes. The world doesn’t call people to repent. They don’t say to that hungry man that they just gave food. They don’t go on to explain God’s laws and what God expects. They don’t teach obedience or adhering to truth. They treat the symptoms, but they don’t treat the disease. They don’t get to the core of the issue, what led to the suffering in the first place. That is a big, big difference between the compassion, which is wonderful, very nice, in many cases shown by the world, but very, very different than godly compassion.

Let’s go back to Christ healing and feeding the multitudes. Let’s go to Mark one. The big, big difference. Mark one. Mark chapter one, verse fourteen. “Now, after that John was put in prison, Jesus came unto Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent you and believe the gospel.” Repent from what? Repent from sin. And then do what? Believe the good news. Believe the gospel, the kingdom of God. So, of course, Christ would go, and he would heal people. He would bring people back from the dead. He would allow the lame to walk, the blind to see, the dumb to speak, the deaf to hear, but he also taught them the ultimate solution to the suffering and what caused the suffering in the first place.

Godly compassion sees the suffering, just like the world sees the suffering. Godly compassion sees the suffering, but it goes on to address why the suffering exists. It gets to the root cause of the problem. And understanding that, brethren, also helps us to see why godly compassion doesn’t always lead to immediate relief. As I mentioned, compassion is tied to relieving suffering. Godly compassion doesn’t always lead to immediate relief. Revelation chapter three. Verse nineteen.

Revelation chapter three, verse nineteen. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.” Why? “Be zealous, therefore, and repent.” Okay, so we got rebuke and chasten, and that’s tied to compassion? How does that work? Rebuke and chasten? Well, brethren, when we’re rebuked, when we’re chastened, the verse goes on to tell us to do what? Be zealous and repent. Change. I want you to change. Hebrews twelve says something similar. God chastens the son that he loves. Compassion sometimes looks like discipline. You can’t always tell the difference.

This doesn’t seem like compassion. This is discipline. I thought you were relieving my suffering. You’re causing me suffering. Brethren, healing sometimes begins with pain, or the process to ultimate healing involves additional pain. God allows suffering, but He does so in order to get its attention. That’s hard for the world to grasp sometimes, this idea of suffering and how it leads to something positive. But it’s how God works. It’s how God’s mind works. It’s why parents discipline their children. Why would you spank a child? It’s never right to do anything like that. Well, because you want the child to do the right thing, the ultimate right thing.

That momentary suffering leads to a greater good. Romans eight. Suffering kicks in the learning mechanism. Suffering gets our attention. Romans eight, verse eighteen. “For I reckon that the suffering of this present time,” so this is an acknowledgement that suffering will happen. “I reckon that the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” We suffer now, but we have glory later. Suffer now, glory later. That suffering, brethren, has a purpose. There’s so, so much we can learn from that principle, especially when it comes to showing compassion toward others.

When we see suffering, our first impulse, of course, should be to care. It gets our attention. We see someone suffering and going through something. Okay, we should care. That’s a good thing to do. But our second response after we care is to really ask ourselves, “Why is that happening? Why is this person suffering?” And then go on to say, “What would truly help this person that I see suffering? What would truly help them? Not just now, but eternally or in the long run. What would truly help this person?” Brethren, we have to see suffering differently than the world does.

We have to see suffering the way God sees it. We don’t just see hungry mouths wanting physical food, we have to see that there’s a spiritual famine as well. Not just physical hunger, but spiritual hunger as well. We have to see both. We don’t just see chaos and crime. We have to see that there are spiritual laws being broken in a world that’s cut off from God. That’s how we have to view suffering and ultimately view compassion. Our mission, individually and as a Church, is not to just give to charity. That’s not our mission. Our mission is to do the work of God.

John five. Our purpose, our mission, is to do the work of God. John chapter five, verse seventeen. “But Jesus answered them, My Father works hitherto, and I work.” The Father works, and I work. John nine. Stay here in John. Brethren, God is busy. God is busy. John nine, verse four. Christ speaking, “I must work the works of Him that sent me.” So we just saw that the Father works, and Christ said that he works. Jesus is saying here, “I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day. The night comes when no man can work.” I read that verse, brethren, because this work, God is busy.

This work has an urgency tied to it. There’s an urgency behind this work, the work that the Father and Christ are doing. Brethren, we must have urgency. We don’t have much time. There is a lot to do, and we don’t have much time. When we focus on doing the work instead of opening soup kitchens, when we focus on doing the things that God would have us to do, versus going out and building homes and shelters for people, we don’t do that because we don’t care. It’s not that we don’t care that people need food. It’s not that we don’t care that people need housing. Just the opposite. We do care. We do care.

Let’s be real about it. There are plenty of soup kitchens out there. There are. You can argue there could be more, but there’s soup kitchens out there. There’s people building homes for the homeless and people who have need. That’s going on out there, but brethren, that’s not our role. That’s not our ultimate purpose. The world focuses on relieving pain now. God focuses on relieving pain for good in the long term, in the long run. God doesn’t want us to be emotionless. That’s not what I’m saying, emotionless, and just to not care. That’s not what I’m saying at all.

God wants us to recognize and understand that people have problems. He wants us to see that. He sees it. He wants us to feel, and He wants us to act. Remember, compassion is about acting as well on those feelings, but we must act in ways that reflect his mind, that reflect God’s mind, not our own. That’s godly compassion. How far, brethren, should we go in showing compassion and helping people? How far should we go? Should we show compassion, back to an earlier question, to how should we show... I asked earlier, how do we show compassion to those in the Church?

Should our compassion toward those in the Church be different from the compassion shown to those in the world, assuming that we are even to show compassion to those in the world? Should that compassion to those in the Church look different? Let’s dig into this. Galatians chapter six. Galatians chapter six, verse ten. Galatians six, ten, “As we have therefore opportunity,” that’s an interesting way to start that verse, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

That is a powerful, powerful verse, particularly with what we’re discussing today, this compassion and showing it to those in the world or in the Church, very, very powerful verse. First of all, did you notice how it started? As we therefore have opportunity, that’s huge. Brethren, we have to be in a position or have opportunity, or the means to be able to show compassion and help others. We have to be in a position to do that. As we therefore have opportunity, as the opportunity presents itself, that’s a big qualifier. It begins to show us that our compassion and our help to others must be in balance.

We must be in a position to be able to do it as the opportunity presents itself. If I give someone money to pay their rent, and because I gave them money to pay their rent, I now cannot pay my rent, that’s not good. What did I accomplish? I guess they’re going to give it back to me so I can pay my rent and we’re just going to keep giving each, we’re going to give the money back and forth. It doesn’t work that way. Now the verse goes on to say, help all men. As the opportunity presents itself, help all men. This means, brethren, we must be willing to help anybody.

As the opportunity presents itself, of course, we must be willing to help anyone. But the verse goes on to eventually say, “...especially those of the household of faith.” It’s showing us the priority. Showing compassion and helping brethren must be our first priority. So I’m answering the question, do we help those, do we show compassion toward those in the Church? And I’m sure you’re not stunned to hear that the answer is yes, but we’re just, we’re discussing it. We’re trying to understand it. Helping fellow brethren must be our first priority.

It shows that our first focus should be toward those in the body of Christ. Why? Why prioritize those in the body of Christ? Well, brethren, it’s because it’s the body of Christ. We’re more than just acquaintances. We’re brethren. We’re spiritual brothers and sisters, spiritual siblings, all serving a father and an elder brother in Christ. We are God’s family. Turn to Romans twelve. Romans twelve. Who wouldn’t help family? Romans twelve. Romans chapter twelve, verse ten. “Be kindly affection one to another with brotherly love,” remember, we’re spiritual siblings, “in honor, preferring one another.”

You know what it means to prefer. It means to prioritize. And it says they’re brotherly love. Philadelphia, we’re brothers and sisters in Christ. We share the same beliefs. We have the same values. We share the same struggles. Showing godly compassion toward those in the Church builds unity. It helps us come together in a deeper way. Luke twelve calls us a little flock. Brethren, we’re small. We’re scattered. When we step in and we help each other, when we’re suffering, and we relieve that suffering, all the different ways that God’s people can suffer, when we step in and attempt to alleviate that suffering, that brings us closer together.

Not only the individuals directly involved, the person suffering, the person showing the compassion and relieving the suffering, but those who witness it as well, who see it as well. It brings us all together. Colossians three. It becomes a great reminder that, despite being scattered, whether you’re in some cases the only person in your neighborhood, in the Church, or in your state, or even in your country, you only see brethren during the Feast. When we show acts of compassion, as you go to Colossians three, when we show these acts of compassion, it brings us closer together.

Colossians chapter three. Verse twelve. “Put on, therefore, as the elect of God,” so we know the audience, “the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, also do you. And above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” That list that we just read, which includes bowels of mercy, showing compassion, but showing and implementing that list, or showing that list toward the elect of God, creates a bond of perfectness between all of us.

All those words involve action, forgiving, forbearing, showing humbleness of mind, acts of kindness, acts of mercy. Those are all action-based. So brethren, we just can’t say these things, we have to actually do these things. Go to James chapter two. James chapter two. Actions speak much, much louder than words. James chapter two. Verse fifteen. James two, fifteen. “If a brother or sister be naked...” okay, a brother or sister. We just talked about being spiritual siblings, all serving God, our Father, our elder brother, Jesus Christ. “If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled.”

So they come to you, they have a need, and you say, “Ah, depart in peace, be warm and filled.” Well, no, I came to you because I have a need. “...notwithstanding, you give them not those things which are needful to the body, what does it profit? Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead being alone.” God does not want us to simply feel sorry for each other when we suffer. He wants us to do something about it. Feeling sorry is not compassion. Remember, compassion is helping to alleviate or attempting to alleviate the suffering. Now that doesn’t mean rushing into a situation where we see a need without thought.

It simply means being ready and having a willingness to help when it’s needed and then taking steps to do so. So it’s not enough just to feel sorry for someone that’s suffering in the Church. We have to do something about it. Brethren, compassion in the Church can take on many forms. It could be a card or a message to someone who’s grieving. Maybe they lost a loved one, or they’re a text or a phone call to someone who’s sick, and they haven’t been able to fellowship with each other. Those are acts of compassion. That’s helping to alleviate their suffering, letting people know that you care.

Visits to encourage people going through a trial. You can visit them in person, you can give them a call, video call. Quietly providing a meal or groceries to someone who has a need. Quietly providing. You’re not tooting a trumpet or anything like that. Helping a single mother get her car repaired. Maybe you know how to work on cars, and she’s having trouble getting her car fixed or even diagnosing what the problem could be. Babysitting for a couple who’s stretched. They just need relief. They’re suffering. Their relationship is suffering. They don’t get out as much. They don’t date like they used to.

Noticing someone that’s withdrawing and they’re more quiet than usual. Reaching out to them, making sure they’re okay. None of that is dramatic. None of that’s dramatic. That’s all compassion. That’s all, seeing a need and helping to alleviate the suffering. An act like that seemed very small, but it could make someone’s day. It may even be like the best thing that could ever happen to them at that moment. Wow, someone noticed that I was struggling. Someone noticed that I had a problem, that I had an issue.

Galatians six, verse two. Galatians six, verse two, “Bear you one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Bearing burdens for each other is considered fulfilling the law of Christ. That sounds very important. “Bear you one another’s burdens,” reading it again, “and so fulfill the law of Christ.” When you help bear someone’s burden, it shows that you value and appreciate that relationship. You appreciate them. That’s very important. Reminds me back of, I was talking about Mr. Rogers and that person, that young boy. He made him feel special.

Brethren, when we bear each other’s burden, we feel special. We feel special. Now, is there ever a time not to step in and help a brother or sister in Christ? Is there a time not to step in and help them? Well, I would never say not to help a person. I would not do that. I wouldn’t say not to help a person, but what I would say is, you need to help them the right way. You need to step in and help them the right way. God’s compassion, godly compassion, which we’re striving for, it must be expressed wisely and within God’s will. Godly compassion must be expressed wisely and in God’s will.

That means that, yes, we are called to help and show compassion, but we must recognize when an issue or a problem that someone is going through is too large or too complex for one person or one family to try to take on. We have to recognize when the problem is just too big for us to try to handle on our own. That’s where the ministry and God’s government, we’re talking about helping those in the Church, that’s where the ministry and God’s government comes in. If a member has a major financial issue, a major family crisis, a long-term burden, the right approach in many cases is to simply bring it to the ministry.

Encourage the person to go to their minister. If they’re not in a position or unable to do that, perhaps, depending on the problem, you go to the minister on behalf of the person. That is a form of helping them. That is a form of compassion, helping to alleviate the suffering. That is not you or I attempting to handle it on our own. The ministry has the experiences, the resources, the broader view to ensure that the help to the person is given in an appropriate way. Sometimes, unchecked emotional involvement and just giving and jumping in can actually hurt the person that you’re trying to help.

You may not mean it that way, but sometimes it can actually hurt the person. It can enable wrong thinking. You’ve heard of being an enabler. You don’t want to do that. It can enable wrong thinking. It could delay correction that’s needed. When we jump in, it could delay correction and put a Band-Aid on an issue that really needs much, much more than that. It could create dependency instead of producing growth in that person. One of the dangers of compassion, especially among sincere, caring people like us, we’re sincere, caring people. One of the dangers is the temptation to overextend ourselves.

We jump in to help the person, there’s a temptation there to overextend ourselves. You might see someone struggling and say, “You know what? I need to fix this. I need to jump in and fix this. I see a problem. We’re supposed to be compassionate, right? I’m going to jump in and try to fix this.” But brethren, sometimes you’re not the one God who has put in the position to step in. That’s not your role. That’s not something that you’re supposed to be doing. Sometimes the best act of compassion is to pray earnestly, ask God for guidance, offer encouragement to the person, you don’t ignore them.

But then bring the situation to the minister, to the ministry. Encourage the person to go to the ministry. Support doesn’t always mean solve. Supporting a person doesn’t always mean solving their problem. That’s not always the case. Sometimes we have to step, stand with a person, but not try to step into their situation. We have to be wise and know when to do that. Stand with them, not step in and insert ourselves into the situation. It’s a big difference. It takes wisdom and discernment to be able to do that. It takes messages like this, where I’m explaining it and helping us understand how to involve ourselves when people need help.

What if we’re the one who needs compassion? We’re talking about showing compassion. What about being on the receiving end? Sometimes we focus so much on others that we forget that sometimes we need help too. Well, brethren, if you’re suffering, don’t suffer in silence. Don’t suffer in silence. Let the ministry know. First of all, of course, pray and talk to God about it. Of course. Let the ministry know. Ask for help. Don’t be too proud. We all go through things. We all suffer in different ways. Be willing to receive compassion, not just give compassion.

Remember, Galatians six, two said to bear one another’s burdens. It’s a two-way street. Compassion is a two-way street. It’s mutual care. It’s not one-directional charity. It’s a two-way street. That’s showing compassion toward those in the Church. Much more can be said, of course, but what about showing compassion to those God is not working with at this time? What about showing compassion, helping to alleviate the suffering of those outside the Church? That question does tend to give members pause. “Okay. Should I be helping people outside the Church? They’re not living God’s way.”

They don’t know. They’re getting what they deserve. I don’t know if anyone openly says that, but sometimes you could wonder. Is it okay to feel and show compassion to those in the world who God is not working with? Though at this point in time, God has not called them at this point. Is it okay to help them? Well, the simple answer, brethren, is yes. It is okay. In fact, I’ll go further and say, of course, you should help. Be willing to help people and show compassion to those in the world. But like all things for a Christian, all things for a Christian, we must show compassion in this case. We must do it guided by God’s truth and guided by God’s spirit, and guided by God’s mind.

But of course, we should show compassion toward those in the world. Of course, we should. Many years ago, Mr. Pack gave a message. Many of you might remember it. It’s titled, ‘Do Christians Give to Relief Organizations What Jesus Really Taught?’ How many remember that message? Do Christians Give to Relief Organizations What Jesus Really Taught? Great message. Was a great message. Very helpful. And he gave that message at a time when many of the splinter groups, they were donating money to charities and they were donating money to charities specifically for charities for relief from natural disasters.

I think it was around the time of Katrina. There were many storms that were going on and destroying many homes and people’s lives, and all of that. And the splinter groups were giving money to those charities. And as I said, it was a very helpful message, very powerful message. I recommend you listen to it. But it explains how the Church and how members should approach compassion and helping those in the world. Many ways that Mr. Pack’s message inspired this message. But the message addressed how to proceed and how to help and show compassion and help those in the world.

Now God’s Church, of course, it’s a Bible Church, it’s the Church that Christ built. But we are a five hundred and one C three. We are a nonprofit and a five hundred and one C three according to the IRS or the Internal Revenue Service. So five hundred and one C three, that’s our designation. But while we may be a nonprofit organization and a charity, as some would even call us, the Church is defined by Scripture. It’s not defined by the governments of men. The Church is defined by Scripture. The Church is not a charitable trust or a public charity in that way. The Church is defined by Scripture. Go to Matthew twenty-eight, Matthew twenty-eight. The Church is a spiritual organism. Christ is the head of the Church. And Christ gave us specific instructions.

Matthew twenty-eight. Matthew twenty-eight, verse nineteen, it’s the end. Here, Christ was crucified, resurrected. He’s giving these final instructions. Verse nineteen, Matthew twenty-eight, “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the world.”

So we’re seeing that this is present. This is something that’s still going on. Those words were uttered two thousand years ago, but Christ said He is with us, helping us, guiding us as the head of this Church, guiding us to do these very things, and He’s going to be with us to the end of the world. Brethren, that is the First commission. First Peter chapter five, verse four-- Excuse me, the beginning of the chapter, verse one. First Peter five, one, “The elders which are among you, I exhort.” This is the ministry. “Who am also an elder...” Who’s speaking.” This is Peter. He’s an apostle, of course, and he’s the leader of the Church.

“Who am also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of God, which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. Neither being as lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away.”

Once again, we’re seeing that this is something that is still going on. That is the Second commission. Teach all nations all the things that Christ taught, including the gospel, of course, and feed the flock. The First and the Second commissions. Those make up the core mission of the Church. Those are our instructions. That’s what God, through Christ, has instructed us to do. The tithes and offerings of God’s storehouse are designated solely for fulfilling these two commissions, either directly or indirectly. That is what the tithes and offerings of God’s storehouse are for. Those funds are not meant to be spent on human solutions to mankind’s problems.

Again, that was a great sermon. I encourage you to go back and listen to Mr. Pack’s sermon on that subject. Very, very helpful. His point was, we’re not like the splinters, they were going awry, they were going astray. They were forgetting the purpose, the First and Second commissions, what God has instructed His Church to do. Yes, we’re a five hundred and one C three, yes, that’s IRS, and we have to do things decently in order, of course. We have to do things legally, of course.. But the Church is a spiritual organism. We have a spiritual purpose, and that purpose is the First and Second commissions.

One of the things Mr. Pack never said in that message, as powerful as it was, He never said that to help people in the world. He never said that. I even had to realize that, Oh, wow, okay, wait a minute.” The point of the message was in the title, Does the Church Give to Relief Organizations? It was to help God’s people understand how we are to get involved when it comes to that particular subject. But He never said not to help people. Now, He cautioned in how we should help those, in this case, those who are outside the Church.

But remember the verse said to help all men, especially those of the household of faith. But it said to help all men, as you have opportunity, don’t forget. So He said it was fine to help those outside the Church. Love your neighbor as yourself. But like anything, all things, they must be done with caution and wisdom. We must understand all emotional giving, giving based on emotion is not godly giving. Not every need is ours to try and meet. Every situation doesn’t call for our direct involvement in it.

The problems of this world are too big. It doesn’t mean we become cold and uncaring and we just become callous. That’s not what it means. But it means that our compassion should always operate within boundaries. We help people best, we show compassion best when we understand that there is a limit to our role and there is a danger to enabling the sin and choices of others. We can enable people. If a panhandler, he’s holding the classic bottle of whiskey in the paper bag, he approaches me and I give him money, there’s a good chance I may be enabling his sin.

I don’t know what would give it away, whether it’s the bottle of whiskey, or it’s the alcohol on his breath, or the fact that he’s staggering and begging for money. Well, I have to show compassion, I have to help alleviate his suffering by buying him more liquor? But, brethren, it’s not always that easy to tell. Okay, I would never give a panhandler, a drunk, just give him money. I’d never do that. But, brethren, it’s not always easy to tell. Sometimes it’s a lot harder to tell.

What about that woman on the side of the road holding a sign saying that she needs money to feed her kids? That could be a little harder to discern. And believe me, scammers know that. Scammers recognize, “Well, wait a minute. Instead of standing here with a bottle of liquor and asking for money, why not use and influence and pervert this person to stand out and beg for money for their kids?” We’ve all heard about these scams, we’ve seen them. We know they exist. We know that people get taken advantage of.

Giving to the poor, even when their needs are sincere, we have to come to grips, brethren. We could be pouring money down a black hole. Yes, it feels good at the moment. Yes, we’re giving. And I’m not saying don’t do that, but recognize you’re pouring money down a black hole in many cases. I mean, if that’s what you choose to do with your money, that’s up to you. But at least recognize the futility when it comes to actually solving the person’s problem, helping the person solve their problem.

And it’s not just panhandlers that ask for help. This is bigger. Let’s make this bigger. Let’s take this bigger. Let’s make this real. Remember, we’re talking about helping all men. It’s not just panhandlers. Sometimes it’s family members. Sometimes it’s friends and acquaintances, those who are not in the Church, could be a co-worker. Brethren, we have to be very wise and careful because sometimes people take advantage of our kindness, not always in an evil and wicked way, but manipulation happens. People need help. They’re going to come and try to find that help, and why wouldn’t you go to someone who’s very kind and giving?

We must be keenly aware and think through whether our compassion will help or hurt the person in the long run. We have to think that through. Brethren, I’ll tell you, if you want to pour your finances into something that is not futile, support the work of God. Support God’s work. Our efforts are not futile. That is not money being poured down a black hole. There is no greater compassion than helping the world to hear the truth. Go to Matthew nine. No greater compassion, alleviating suffering, than helping the world hear the truth.

Matthew chapter nine, verse thirty-seven. Remember I said that the Father and Christ work? What are they doing? Amongst other things, Matthew nine, thirty-seven. “Then He said unto His disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray you therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest.” Brethren, there is plenty of work to do. There are tremendous needs in this world.

The most compassionate thing you can do for the world is to support the work. That’s the most compassionate thing you can do. I’m not saying that’s the only way that you help people, but that is the most compassionate thing you can do. You can financially support the work through tithes and offerings. You can pray for God’s work. Ask God to guide His leaders. That’s a form of compassion and helping to alleviate suffering. You can show compassion practically by living God’s example, living God’s way, staying faithful, doing your part. People in the world see that.

We can show compassion to those outside the Church by showing them our example, by being a light, showing that following God’s way leads to prosperity. This is how we can ultimately show people how they can be free from suffering, living God’s way. That’s how we show those in the world compassion. We live God’s way. We go through the same things they go through in many cases, yet we still choose to live God’s way. We don’t focus on temporary relief. We focus on the long game, the long run.

Too much involvement... Brethren, when we involve ourselves too much in the world’s suffering, it creates emotional fatigue, misdirected energy. We become so focused on trying to fix the things in the world, spiritual confusion. Keep this in mind. God is allowing the world to suffer. He sees their pain. He sees their suffering. God is allowing the world to suffer. He does so in many cases to teach lessons and to prepare hearts for change, to break up the solid ground and prepare hearts for change.

We don’t want to interfere in that process in a negative way. We want to show the fruits of living God’s way. We want to help, brethren, those in the world and each other to prepare for God’s kingdom. Our resources are limited, all of our resources, whether it’s money, it’s time. Our resources are limited. We have to be very careful in how we invest our money and how we invest our time. Compassion without boundaries can become a distraction. People play off of that. They don’t always have our best interests in mind. We have to keep that in mind. We don’t want to be naive.

Use discretion when people ask you for help. Know when to say yes and know when to say no. In some cases, saying no is the most loving thing you can do for that person in that situation. Helping them could actually undermine what God is doing and woe to anyone who’s going against what God is doing. We wouldn’t want to do that. And I’ve talked a lot about finances, but it’s more than just finances. It’s our time. Giving our time. It can include exercising our skills and our talents to help alleviate suffering for others. All sorts of things.

So should we show compassion toward the unconverted? Of course, we should. Of course, we should show compassion. It can actually be doing something like sharing a meal with a single mother in the neighborhood. You have some extra food and you want to share. You know that it’s come to your attention that she’s having some financial struggles. It’s going on right now. Very much so. You hear a lot of it in the news. People are suffering, don’t have much money. You can share a meal with someone in your neighborhood.

Encourage a co-worker dealing with a health trial. That’s okay to do. Donate your old lawnmower to an elderly couple who their lawnmower is broken, and you got a new one, and you want to give them your old one. Donating things to goodwill and extra clothing, and things that you have. Maybe you ask someone if someone needs them in the Church first, again, especially those of the household of faith. There’s nothing wrong with giving those things away.

Those are actions that can be very impactful. And sometimes, brethren, it’s just to do nothing, to not insert yourself, not get involved. Whatever you do, do it prayerfully and in balance. If the need is too complex, if the situation is not clear to you, whether helping someone in or out of the Church, step back, pray for God’s will, ask God to help you know how to proceed in that situation. And recognize that the greater focus for your time, for your finances, the greater focus the greater act of compassion is doing the work, doing the work of God.

I came up with something that you can take away and help you assess whether your motives or actions, what your motives or actions should be when it comes to showing compassion to those in and out of the Church. I came up with a checklist, and it’s a simple checklist. It has four questions on it. I’ll go through it here, and it’ll help you know how to apply your compassion wisely. When we’re faced with a situation to display compassion, this tool can help us know how to proceed.

Again, it can apply to someone in or out of the Church, but we understand, of course, those of the household of faith are the priority. The First question on the checklist, is my decision to help rooted in truth, in God’s truth? Is my decision to help this person rooted in truth tied to this first point? Do my actions reflect God’s word, His law, and His way of thinking? Or is it based purely on emotion? Compassion without truth can be misguided.

The first point, is my decision to help rooted in truth? The second point on this checklist, is this spiritually helpful now or in the long term? I’ll repeat it. Is this spiritually helpful now or in the long term? Related to number two is, will this encourage repentance, growth, or unity? Will involving myself encourage repentance, growth, and unity? Or could it unintentionally enable sin, confusion, or dependence? God’s compassion is not always immediate comfort. Sometimes it involves correction.

So again, number two, is this spiritually helpful now or in the long term? Number three, is this my role, or should I involve the ministry? Is this my role, or should I involve the ministry? Related to number three, asking it in a different way, “Am I the right person to step in and help in this situation? Or would this be better handled by someone with authority, wisdom, and resources that I don’t have?”

We think about third tithe assistance. That is the Church’s purpose, to handle those matters. Brethren will step in often and give their finances, and that’s a wonderful, kind, generous thing to do, but it’s not always the best way to proceed. So I guess I’ll repeat number three. “Is this my role, or should I involve the ministry?” And number four, “Am I neglecting the greater compassion, which is supporting the work?” By showing compassion to others, am I neglecting the greater compassion, which is supporting the work? Am I, in other words, pouring resources into temporary fixes while neglecting the eternal solution? Is my time, effort, and money truly going to changing lives forever?

Brethren, only truth can end suffering for good. The greatest compassion is helping people know the truth. So brethren, keep this checklist in mind. First, is my decision to help rooted in truth? Number two, is this spiritually helpful, now or in the long term? Number three, is this my role, or should I involve the ministry? And number four, am I neglecting the greater compassion, which is supporting God’s work? Use that checklist when you’re moved or motivated to jump in and help someone. It’ll keep your compassion on point. It’ll help it to be targeted, help it to be more effective.

As we conclude, we look back. From the beginning, the world, of course, has been filled with suffering. We see suffering everywhere. God has... if we see it, brethren, of course God sees it. God has never stopped seeing the suffering and therefore, and as a result, feeling compassion for His creation. He sees everything that’s going on. God is not indifferent or ignoring the suffering of the world. He cares about it very deeply. We saw He cares about it within His bowels, like a fetus in the womb. God cares very deeply. He doesn’t just feel, He acts upon that caring as well. He has compassion.

And of course, brethren, He wants us to do the same thing. God’s actions are pointed toward one thing, a future without suffering. Let’s go to one more verse, Revelation twenty-one. Revelation twenty-one. God wants a world without suffering. Revelation twenty-one, verse four. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away.”

Brethren, that is our future. That is the future for all of mankind. God has compassion. He wants to end suffering. That’s the future. And our job is to reflect God’s compassion, this godly compassion now. Not just by our talk. Yes, we have to feel, but we must also do things. Compassion points to how we treat brethren, how we respond to others suffering around us, how we support the work, how we live our lives.

God wants to end suffering permanently, not just for a few, but for everyone who is willing to obey Him. Yes, we are in the season where compassion is on people’s minds. Of course, it’s on our minds as well, even beyond this season. Let’s be reminded of the godly compassion and what godly compassion looks like. Compassion that reflects God’s mind. Compassion that changes lives for good.