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[0:00] 2 Samuel, the book of 2 Samuel. And last Sunday we were in chapter number 9, looking at the King David, seated upon his throne, and decided that he needed to show kindness unto the house of Jonathan, the house of Saul, for Jonathan's sake.

[0:21] That was in verse number 1, 2 Samuel chapter 9. And we preached a message about showing kindness, calling it a Christian virtue, and said a few things I'll briefly review, and then piggyback off of that, and let it transition into the next chapter this morning.

[0:40] In 2 Samuel 9, we noticed that David was in a good place. He had rest in his kingdom, and seated upon his throne, he reflected, I'm sure, upon things, for that thought to come to him, to ask the question, is there yet any of the house of Saul?

[0:55] Is there yet any left that I can show kindness to? And I said last week that that question is a question we ought to be asking. Is there yet any that have shown kindness to us?

[1:07] And if that's the case, it's realized, like David here, by reflection. And then beyond that, David sought to find someone. He asked questions. And so I asked you the question, is there yet any that are in need of your kindness?

[1:20] Not is there any that have shown kindness to you that you can requite, but is there any that are in need of your kindness, or in the passage, the kindness of God? And David sought one.

[1:31] He asked four different questions in the first four verses. And so that person is realized by question, by seeking and asking. And then finally, is there yet any that your kindness can alter the course of their life, which is realized then by action, when he went and got Mephibosheth out of Lodabar and brought him to Jerusalem.

[1:52] And it surely changed the course of his life. And not only his life, but his son in verse 12, Micah, it changed another generation's lives because of the kindness shown by the king to Mephibosheth.

[2:06] Now I want to continue that thought this morning. So find 2 Samuel, and let's look at chapter number 10 now. And just read with me the first two verses. And it came to pass after this.

[2:18] Mephibosheth is dwelling in Jerusalem, eating continually at the king's table. It's all been settled and done, and what a good thing it was for David to do that. It came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun, his son, reigned in his stead.

[2:36] Then said David, I will show kindness unto Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father.

[2:46] And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon. Now what turns out of this is kind of a war, a bad situation. It was a good gesture, good intentions, and it ended up being taken wrong, and some wicked servants counseled this new king and said, hey, your dad's dead.

[3:07] Now David's going to come in here, and he might have had a little bit of a relationship with your dad, but he doesn't have it with you. He waited for him to die. He sent spies in here. He's going to take over this city. And it's surmising, evil surmising is the Bible term, that these men did on David, and it ended up being a battle, and it ended up being for their demise.

[3:26] And anyway, we're just going to focus on David here on the throne and him showing kindness. And so what happened in chapter 9 with Mephibosheth worked out well. And I'm sure he feels pretty good about what he did there, and he kind of settled the score, in a sense, with Jonathan and the relationship he had, and he was able to do something that no one else could do for this man that was lame on both his feet.

[3:49] And he did such a thing, and another situation presents itself. Much different, but another situation here in chapter number 10. And I feel like David, there's this compelling within him to show kindness unto this new king, unto the son of the man that showed kindness unto him.

[4:09] Now this is again, like chapter 9, him showing kindness to the son of the one that he had a relationship with. It's kind of interesting that he's not requiting the person themselves, but someone in their family or down the line.

[4:24] And it's significant here, I believe, the time that David reaches out to this man. Number one, because obviously his father just died. And he's lost his father. He's lost his mentor.

[4:35] He lost his king. And so surely, as a son, he's mourning. And as a son, he's also just struggling with taking over the throne and the position and the responsibility.

[4:49] And so that's a great time for the king to reach out to him and show him kindness. On top of that, and this is me speculating, I think, there's potential, as you, there's plenty of history to back this up, that when a new king takes over in place of his father is a very possibility for insurrection or for some instability within the kingdom, that transition time.

[5:12] And having a connection to King David, having King David the greatest ruler of the entire region, to have him reach out to you personally, that's a pretty good timing for this young man or this man that is now taking over a kingdom for himself.

[5:27] So as he gets to this throne, to have the most powerful man that he's ever known of reach out to him, that's a pretty good gesture for him, the new king.

[5:39] It's definitely going to strengthen his security. But as I said, he's got princes in verse 3 and goes on to say that David's not trying to honor your father. He's trying to take over. And that was some bad advice and all that bad counsel.

[5:52] He made a bad decision and it just plummeted quickly. Now, I want to get back to David showing kindness. I want to say to you, you don't have to be able to take a man that's lame on both his feet, find him and bring him into your home and sit him up as royalty.

[6:07] You don't have to go that far to that extent necessarily in order for something to qualify as showing kindness. And although that was the message last week, seeking someone out, I want you to find there's more opportunities and more situations that will present themselves to you in your life that you can take advantage of.

[6:26] And the key is for us to be aware and to be prepared. And I want to show you, there's many other opportunities to show kindness. And so let's look at this passage here and let's start with where we began in the beginning.

[6:39] Before we do, let's pray together again. Father, please bless this time now, this time of considering the word of God and the message that I have to bring forth, Lord, please use it.

[6:50] Please instill it in our hearts. Please make something happen that will change us and cause us not to think on ourselves. Help us to think on others. Help us to show brotherly kindness.

[7:01] Help us to honor and prefer one another. Lord, I pray you'd rebuke the selfishness and the pride that's in each one of us and help us to show the kindness of God, the Lord Jesus Christ working in us.

[7:14] I pray in Jesus' name. Amen. All right, now let me show you one opportunity. It's one that David took advantage of. A great opportunity to show kindness is just like this passage, after a death.

[7:28] After a death. It's a wonderful opportunity. Because dealing with death can be a, I think it's a, I think it can cause an acute awareness to certain realities.

[7:45] We would call them Bible truths. But to a lost man, they're not Bible truths at all. But there are still realities, truths nonetheless, that they're subject to as we are, as all humanity is.

[8:00] And sometimes, when there's a death in their life, when they have to be confronted with death, it is a great time to do something, to act.

[8:12] Let me show you why. Look at Ecclesiastes. Please keep your place here. Well, no, you don't have to. Ecclesiastes chapter number seven. Ecclesiastes chapter seven.

[8:26] This is a text I've used several times in preaching certain funerals.

[8:44] Ecclesiastes seven. Just look at verse number two, where the Bible says, It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting. For that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart.

[9:02] So rather than going to a birthday party and celebrating and having cake and ice cream in a great time, it's better for you, better than enjoying life and having the joy of all that fellowship and family and life and celebration.

[9:15] It's better for you to sit at a funeral house because you're going to lay something to your heart. What is it? You're going to lay that that is the end of all men.

[9:28] You know whether you're saved or lost, you go to a funeral, you experience death in your family. It can be a horrible thing, it can be sorrowful, it can be mourning, that's all reality. But there's a good side to it, there's an upside to it.

[9:41] And it's one of these Bible truths, for it is appointed unto men once to die. And after this, the judgment. One thing that you're forced to face is that you're going to die.

[9:56] And where are you going to go when you die? The living will lay it to his heart. The living is forced. Death is a way of kind of cutting through the facade of some worldly pleasures and just the busyness of life and just cutting all the way down to the end and saying, you're going to be laying there one day, buddy.

[10:17] I don't know, if you're saved, we have a hope in Jesus Christ. We can see right over the casket and see right past all of it, the dirt and the six feet under thing and know that that's nothing for us.

[10:30] That's temporary, it's short term because of what we have in Jesus Christ. But a lost man doesn't have that hope, so all he sees is the end of all men in front of him.

[10:41] He sees his end and realizes that day is coming for me too. Look at chapter 5 of Ecclesiastes. There's another truth or reality that can be brought to light at a death.

[10:53] It could be the death of a loved one or it could be the reality of their own death, their own days being numbered. Chapter 5 and verse number 15, Solomon writes this, As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came and shall take nothing of his labor which he may carry away in his hand.

[11:19] Something else you're forced to consider is when that, say for instance at a funeral and that casket is there, opened or closed, whatever the case, you realize that that person, all that they worked for, all that they have achieved, all their energy and efforts, what does it amount to today?

[11:38] They left it behind, didn't they? They didn't take it with them. Some people get buried with certain precious valuables, rings or watches, and you've heard in history of the grave diggers and people that go after that treasure.

[11:51] They get buried with it as if they can take it with them, and yet they can't. And in certain cultures, burying items and planning for their afterlife as if they're going to take it with them.

[12:04] And yet the truth is, you can't. And there's certainly a reality that comes to light at a death. So that being the case, I believe that showing kindness at such a time can catch somebody, can catch them maybe just the slightest bit but open nonetheless, whereas they would be closed.

[12:26] They would not have the time to listen to you. They don't care enough to hear what the message that you have to tell them about the Lord Jesus Christ. But at a death, at that moment, they are a little bit more aware, concerned.

[12:41] Normally they're closed. Normally they're busy. Normally they're hardened. But there's something about using that time where they might be more open to searching for answers or entertaining thoughts of eternity and of their life.

[12:55] So take advantage of the opportunity to show kindness for the gospel's sake. Opportunity to display light, to display life, to display hope that you have by your kindness.

[13:09] I think after a death or when you know somebody going through that, it's a great time to write them a letter. It's a great time to send them a tract. It's a great time to try to entaste to get a gospel witness into their ear.

[13:24] You can try to comfort them and offer them hope. Funerals are great opportunities to preach the gospel. Great opportunities. Oh, for a preacher? Oh, maybe.

[13:35] Or maybe just for a family member to get up and give a testimony. Have you ever been put in that spot where someone asks you to speak at a funeral or where you say, this is a great chance. I'm going to offer.

[13:46] If you need me to speak, could I tell a story? Get up and make sure you give them something that they need. Funerals are a great opportunity to preach the gospel. I think, in my experience, the two most fruitful places to preach the gospel are funerals and the jail.

[14:04] Those two places, in my experience, maybe there's others, but those are the two where the audience is more attentive and more concerned about the truth of the word of God. Nobody likes to really think about death, but there in a funeral, the fields are white unto harvest.

[14:21] Nobody likes to face death, but I believe God works when people's hearts are vulnerable. And so my advice this morning is take that as an opportunity to show kindness at a death.

[14:33] Paul said this, I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some, and this I do for the gospel's sake. By all means.

[14:43] I mean, I'm made all things to all men. I was talking just briefly to my neighbor yesterday. She was turning my wife into a blonde, or a little bit, and she was at the house dyeing her hair, and she said she works at a funeral house, and she's trying to get her, she's pursuing a career, and part of that internship, or whatever it was, was to work at a funeral parlor.

[15:08] And I said to her, I said, so tell me, I've been in quite a few of them myself. I said, do you find that you have to really, like, hold back your personality, and just, she's the assistant, the funeral director's assistant.

[15:20] And I said, do you find that you have to just, like, be gentle, and just try to be very understanding, and very calm, and kind of, you can't really be cutting jokes.

[15:32] You can't really be loud, and boisterous, and just having a great time. You can't be mocking. You have to be just a certain spirit about you. And she did. She acknowledged, yeah, and she talked about how some people are rude, and how she has to be thoughtful, and caring.

[15:47] And it's just the place you have to be all things to all men. And I can see that at a death of somebody, you might have to act a certain way, but you might want to consider, if I'm prepared, and I'm aware, I can use this as an opportunity for the gospel's sake.

[16:06] Realize that God chose the death of his son to reconcile the world unto himself, and that Christ was lifted up in death to draw all men unto himself. Death is a great opportunity to point others to Christ, and maybe let that be your motivating factor or opportunity to show kindness, to take advantage of it.

[16:26] People are hurting. Let me get the gospel to them. I know a man that graduated Bible school, and he went to work at a church where he was an assistant. And what he said, what he decided to do is, like, I don't have any experience in doing certain things like funerals and weddings.

[16:42] And he said, I'm going to try to get some experience with this. And he made a phone call to a funeral place that the pastor told him about, a place that will do funerals.

[16:54] They kind of made an agreement. They're a Christian organization that we will do a funeral for anybody, even if they don't have the money. We will try to do something for them, do it as nice as we can.

[17:05] And it was kind of a ministry, and so there may not be any money coming out or pay to the preacher. But what this man said, his assistant called him and said, hey, any time you need a preacher for a funeral, the family can't afford it, the family doesn't have any pastor or any church, give me a call.

[17:24] I'll come and preach it. And he started doing that, and I'm not kidding. He has preached over 100 funerals. He probably only has three messages or two. I don't know, he just keeps, he's got them down.

[17:36] But he sees that as an opportunity to help somebody in need. But what's the real goal behind it all? He wants to preach the gospel to people that don't have a preacher, that don't have a church they're affiliated to.

[17:49] He wants to get that crowd because he knows that they're going to be open to the word of God. And he's had a fruitful ministry in preaching at funerals.

[18:00] I think death is a great opportunity to show kindness for the sake of the gospel. Now turn with me to Acts chapter 28. I'd like to show you another opportunity that may present itself for you to show kindness.

[18:16] And this time it won't necessarily be in the light of salvation and delivering a soul from hell, but it could be doing something else. The very beginning of the chapter, Acts 28.

[18:37] Let's read the first two verses. And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

[18:48] And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness, for they kindled a fire and received us, every one, because of the present rain and because of the cold. The barbarous people showed us no little kindness, meaning they showed us a lot of kindness when we landed, shipwrecked on an island.

[19:10] Now, you'd have to review the entire chapter of 27 if you haven't ever seen it. Paul is sailing as a prisoner on board a ship, and they have a destination that they never make it to because a great storm overtakes them and gets them off course.

[19:28] They make an attempt to get the boat under control. They get rid of all the wares on the boat, all the cargo, try to lighten the ship. They even at times throw out anchors.

[19:39] Before the boat ever set sail, look at verse 10 of chapter 27. Before they ever took off, Paul preached to them. He admonished them in verse 10 and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only to the lading and ship, but also of our lives.

[20:03] And so Paul warned them and set out that warning. I know this is going to be bad news. You're going to lose everything. So this violent storm they get caught up in, It says it was so bad they hadn't seen the sun nor stars in many days.

[20:20] In verse 20, No small tempest lay on us. All hope that we should be saved was then taken away. They're in a bad, bad spot. And this trip ends up being a complete disaster by the time we get to chapter 28.

[20:35] There are no wares. There's not even a ship anymore. That thing is run aground, and the violence of the waves breaks the hinder part, and the soldiers say, We've got to kill these prisoners so they don't escape, because that will be our heads.

[20:48] And then they say, No, the centurion didn't want to let Paul be killed as a prisoner. So they all, in verse 44, the very end says, They cast themselves in the sea to the land. The rest, some on boards, some on broken pieces of the ship.

[21:01] They came to pass. They all escaped safe to land. Now, it's still cold. They're soaking wet. It's still raining in chapter 28, verse 2, because of the present rain and because of the cold.

[21:17] They're marooned upon an island in the Mediterranean Sea among a people that are called a barbarous people. That means they didn't speak their language. And if you're not sure about that term, they say barbarians are savages and completely rude and crude.

[21:34] That's not the Bible use of that word at all. It just means someone you can't understand their speech. And you can cross-reference that to 1 Corinthians 14 if you need to check that out when you have a chance.

[21:45] So these barbarous people show them a great deal of kindness because they're in a bad spot. Now, Paul warned them this wasn't going to be good.

[21:56] You're going to lose everything. But these sailors ignored the warning. They set sail stubbornly against the warning, against God's man, the preacher.

[22:07] And this unforgiving storm just wrecked their plans and destroyed everything they had. Now they're washed up on shore with nothing. They're shivering. They've barely escaped with their lives.

[22:19] This reminds me, this scene, as I'll apply it, reminds me of a preacher warning somebody, before you go, you need to know this isn't going to work out good.

[22:33] Before you go out into the world, before you take off and set sail into that sea, you need to know this isn't going to work out good for you. You need to stay put.

[22:44] This is bad. This is a bad decision. It reminds me of a preacher warning somebody about the choices in their life, yet they stubbornly say, I've got this.

[22:55] I'll do what I want. I won't listen to you. It reminds me of that. And here we see the end of those people. They're washed up on shore.

[23:06] It reminds me that these people, yes, fools. Yes, reaping what they sowed. Yes, the storm chewed them up and spit them out.

[23:18] It's these people that although you and I, by God's grace, are on the island with shelter and stable ground where we stand, these people, oh, how badly they're in need of kindness, of someone to extend a Christian hand to help them out.

[23:38] And it says in verse number two that they received us every one. What does that mean? It means that, it doesn't mean they shook their hands. I always get a picture of them building a fire on the sand, but that's not what happened at all.

[23:51] They were received into their homes. Look at, because it's raining outside. Verse number seven says, in the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and lodged us three days courteously.

[24:08] I mean, very hospitable, very helpful because of their need. Because of their need. Now what I'm saying here about this passage and using this barbarous people in this situation as an illustration of an opportunity for you and I to show kindness.

[24:26] Because there are those that have rejected the good counsel of the word of God and they end up down the road getting washed ashore, broken, defeated, cold, shivering, wet.

[24:42] And they're in need of a Christian hand. One that's ready to receive them. One that's prepared to help them. And to minister to their needs. They don't need a sermon.

[24:53] They need to be showed kindness. They don't need somebody to stand up and say, I told you so. But rather, they don't need that anymore. You know why? Because they know.

[25:04] Because they've lost everything already. And they're soaking wet. They don't have anything. And it's still raining on them. They need a warm and a safe place to recover from the devastation that they brought on themselves.

[25:20] Now, I understand what I'm saying here and I want to throw this out. There's a line that is to be drawn between enabling someone's bad behavior and showing kindness to them and allowing the love of Christ and the kindness of Christ to work through you.

[25:37] And maybe it's your child. Or maybe it's someone else's child that they've been begging God to get a hold of. It could be an opportunity for you and I to show no little kindness and help them out.

[25:52] I told you last week about the time in my life when I was a wreck. I was this guy. I was in this mess. And my pastor back then brought me into his home and got me on my feet.

[26:03] And what a blessing. And I wasn't perfect. And I had a long way to go. But I look back on that. I'll never, ever forget that. And it taught me something. It taught me how to show kindness.

[26:15] It taught me how to look for others when they need that help and to be willing to help them and available to them. And what a difference it makes. One more place I'd like you to turn or one more passage to look at at least is Genesis 40.

[26:30] I want to say one more opportunity. There is a load of these references in the Bible of either God or others showing kindness. But I've chose these three.

[26:44] And the third one's in Genesis 40 where Joseph is imprisoned. And in this passage is where the baker and the butler have dreams. And Joseph interprets the dreams to them.

[26:57] And when he interprets the butler's dream, he gives him a request. So let's begin reading in chapter 40, verse number 12. And Joseph said unto him, this is the interpretation of it.

[27:12] The three branches are three days, yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head and restore thee unto thy place. And thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand. And after the former manner, when thou wast his butler, here's his request.

[27:26] Verse 14, but think on me when it shall be well with thee and show kindness. I pray thee unto me and make mention of me unto Pharaoh and bring me out of this house.

[27:36] For indeed, I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews. And here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon. Joseph's an innocent man.

[27:48] He's done nothing but right. But it's not apparent at all. What actually is kind of behind the scenes is God is working and getting into such a way to put him into the second imposition of all of the land behind Pharaoh only.

[28:06] And God's using these circumstances to ultimately preserve his own father's house, Jacob, to bring them down to make a safe place, a nation out of them.

[28:17] But it took two years. If you read the rest of this chapter, it took two years into the next year actually, verse 1. Chapter 41, verse 1, it came to pass after, at the end of two full years, as Pharaoh dreamed, and then the butler shows kindness, as Joseph asked.

[28:35] Now, consider the situation here that Joseph is imprisoned. He's innocent. Things around him are just looking terrible, although it's where God wants him to be. He just doesn't understand all the trials, but this is of God.

[28:50] And he asked this man to think on him and to show kindness and to make mention of me unto Pharaoh. I just want to get out of this place. I don't deserve this. I'm innocent. And I'm just...

[29:01] And just like Joseph, there are godly people that have God's hand on them, that are working His will through them, that have been led away from their homes, led away into a foreign land among foreign people, and in some cases, like Joseph, in situations, it's not good.

[29:26] It's not easy to deal with. And those situations can vary from work, the work of the ministry, to health, to financial needs, to their family adapting, to being homesick, to being fearful, and they're in this prison.

[29:41] I mentioned the Russell family to you. I mentioned Sarah Russell and her health, and how great a concern that is to them as missionaries in Mexico, but as a family.

[29:53] Do you know what they asked? Do you know what they asked of us? The same thing Joseph asked in verse 14, But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray you unto me, and make mention of me.

[30:12] That's all they've asked. They didn't ask for your money. They didn't ask for you to go down and do anything. They begged us, think on me.

[30:26] Show kindness and make mention of me. Make mention of me to the one that can fix this thing. That woman's bound in a prison of a disease that she can't escape, and yet they've called out and made a request.

[30:45] Will you think on her? Will you make mention of her? Will you take that as an opportunity to show kindness to someone else?

[30:56] Like Joseph says, When it shall be well with thee, is it well with you? Are you paralyzed? Are you struggling to breathe right now?

[31:09] Well, you don't have any idea what that feeling is, that fear. Not at this minute. There's more than just Sarah Russell. God's called his children to serve him all over the world, and as they follow and they obey the voice of God, they leave asking churches, Think on me.

[31:30] Make mention of me to God. They say it like this, We covet your prayers. We appreciate your help and your support, but we need your prayers. They're begging, Think on us.

[31:44] Make mention of us. That's showing kindness in Genesis chapter 40. That's an opportunity to show kindness. Now, one more place to continue with this thought.

[31:57] One more passage to read. 2 Corinthians 1. Please turn there. One more time. One more time. One more time. An opportunity for you to show kindness is to pray for the needs of those servants of God, those people of God that are committed and surrendered and doing the work of God.

[32:20] 2 Corinthians. And here's what you're doing. You're helping. You're helping when you do this. Look at chapter 1.

[32:31] We'll read 8 through 11. Paul says this, Verse 11.

[32:59] That's what you're doing. In showing kindness and thinking on them and making requests for them, you're helping.

[33:16] You're helping together because they're in a spot where they're despaired, where they're in trouble. And you don't want to be ignorant of the trouble they have, so they tell us.

[33:27] They pass it on. Asking, begging for you to pray for them. Your fervent and consistent prayer is helping and it's an opportunity to show kindness.

[33:39] Last time our family went to Pennsylvania, we went back to visit some family and friends back, it would have been December of last year. And when we were there, we went to church on Sunday morning and there were several individuals that came up to me and several of them just said, you know, how's it going?

[33:58] How's things going out there? And they made these comments like, how's it going in California? All the weirdos out there. And, you know, I just, I just shake my head at them. I'm like, there's weirdos everywhere, you weirdo.

[34:12] And it didn't offend me, but it annoys me that all they do is watch the news. Oh man, those liberals. Oh man, all that governor of yours. I'm like, I didn't come here to hear you tell me about the governor of California.

[34:22] I don't care a bit about him. This much, just for everybody in here to know, this much. I care about the kingdom of God and the word of God. And who's running this down here?

[34:33] I know who's going to run them. So, enough of that. So they come up to me, oh, what do you think about that? Oh, that's crap. Man, I think of that, man, I wouldn't want to be you. Like, what do you know?

[34:45] What do you know about it anyway? I'm not stressed. I'm not scared. I mean, we're living. We're not dead. We're not persecuted.

[34:56] Quit watching the stupid news. It's making you crazy. Changing what you think. And so, so others though, let me get off of that. Others would come up to me and say, Toby, I want you to know I've been praying for you and your family every day since you left.

[35:14] And those, man, I'm like, I could just hug them. I could just say, thank you, God. And I say, thank you. I don't know what else to do. I can't write a check for a thousand dollars. Keep them coming. I wish I could.

[35:28] But it's those people that came up to me that said that 3,000 miles away, virtually no contact, yet they still think on me and make mention of me to God.

[35:39] You know what they're doing? They're showing kindness. They're not selfish. And I want us to take advantage of these opportunities. And to do that, you're going to have to, number one, stop thinking about yourself and about what's happening to you today to be able to think on those that have the need, God's children especially, and then make mention of them to our Father.

[36:04] Now, at the beginning, I said this may not be pulling a lame man out of a gutter and lifting him up to royalty the way David did with Mephibosheth, but there are ways that you and I can show kindness, the kindness of God, and extend that Christian hand to those that are in need of the grace of God in their life.

[36:25] They may be in need of salvation, and that death thing was just one opportunity, but they may be in need of you showing kindness to them in that time for the gospel's sake.

[36:36] There may be others in need of forgiveness and in need of restoration, and it's not going to be your hard hand of toughness toward them that's going to show that kindness. It's going to be your forgiveness yourself.

[36:48] It's going to be the kindness of your heart, reaching a hand out, helping them in their time of need, as well as that brother or sister that needs help and support and strength to continue in the good fight of faith.

[37:01] The key is to be aware and to be prepared. I wonder this morning, are you taking opportunities to show kindness? Here's three of them.

[37:12] I bet you there's a bunch more, but this is something that we're called to. Jesus Christ is in us, not just so that we can know we're saved. We've got to show them what He's done for us, the kindness of God.

[37:28] I'm not going to give an invitation this morning. I want this to sink in. I want you to know this and this be part of you and who you are and how you live your life. We're too selfish.

[37:41] We are. Even the humblest in here is selfish. It's in us, pride. God's calling us to let go of that and present ourselves to Him and let Him then use us.

[37:55] If you're not saved this morning, you don't need to show kindness to anybody. You need to receive the kindness that God has shown you at Calvary when His Son died on a cross in your place to pay for your sins.

[38:10] You need to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. Christians, are you showing kindness? Are you aware? Are you too wrapped up in this and in you?

[38:22] God help us to be active and engaged in the Christian life and two messages back to back now. I hope somebody's getting some of this. I hope it's helping. Let's have a word of prayer and then we'll be dismissed this morning.

[38:37] Father, I love you. I thank you for the kindness that you've shown to me and to these, my brethren and sisters in Christ. We are eternally grateful and thankful for taking our place on the cross of Calvary, for making a way for us to know you and to stand in your presence one day.

[38:57] And Lord, I pray that you'll change our hearts, that you'll pick us up out of the sin of this world and out of our own selfishness and flesh and foolish pride.

[39:08] And God, that you'll create a new heart and a new mind in us, that you'll renew our minds to act and to think according to your will. Help us to be looking for opportunities to show kindness and to be considerate that there's many that are lost, that I'll be burning in hell for eternity while we enjoy your pleasure.

[39:32] Lord, may we take advantage of these moments. Burden us and convict us and speak to us, God. We'll forget this as soon as we leave. Speak to our hearts, I pray, in Jesus' name.

[39:47]  Well, I wasn't going to give an invitation, so I won't. I won't. I'll stick true to my word here. But let's be dismissed. Please, my response.