“KINDNESS” (ONE MORE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT) (GAL. 5:22)

INTRODUCTION:

1. About a week ago while at a band contest I decided to sit down.

2. My seating choice was a wooden trailer used to haul band props.

3. Other people were sitting on this trailer. It looked like a good place to sit.

4. No one seemed to be having any problems.

5. Immediately after I hopped on to the trailer I felt a jab of pain.

6. There was probably only one splinter sticking straight up on that trailer and I found it.

7. The splinter went deep enough that it punctured my skin.

I. WE ALL KNOW THAT WOOD CAN BE ROUGH. UNLESS IT IS PROPERLY SANDED, WOOD CAN INFLICT PAIN UPON OUR BODIES.

A. In Matt. 11 Jesus spoke of a “yoke”.

B. Since yokes were made of wood they could have been rough, smooth or somewhere in-between these two conditions.

C. Notice the word “easy” in v. 30.

D. The word translated “easy” is also used in Gal. 5.

(1) If you have the KJV, the same word in Gal. 5 is translated “gentleness”.

(2) The ASV uses the word “kindness”.

E. Before looking at Gal. 5, think with me about Matt. 11:30.

(1) A wooden yoke can be “gentle”.

(2) It can be so gentle we are able to call it “kind”.

(3) If a wooden yoke is “kind” (easy/gentle), it is not like a wooden trailer with splinters.

(4) A gentle yoke has been sanded until it is smooth.

(5) Because of kindness, the yoke will not injure a neck; it will not hurt or chafe the one who wears it.

F. The word that Jesus and Paul used covers a lot of territory.

G. For example, various people can be called “kind/gentle”.

H. As we will see, the word we are looking at describes God.

I. Outside the NT this word described rulers and princes.

(1) The rulers described by this word are the ones who were generous.

(2) Some of us are aware of a recent news story.

(3) For years some of us saw a newspaper column entitled “Thanks A Million”.

(4) Percy Ross used to be a multi-millionaire.

(5) One evening in the late 1970’s, Ross was at a holiday party.

(6) He gave away more than a thousand bicycles.

(7) He liked this so much he decided to start a newspaper column.

(8) People could write to him with a sob story/request and Mr. Ross would decide whether or not to send money.

(9) Ross gave away between 20 and 30 million dollars.

J. While he was not a prince or a ruler, he is an example of what the word “kindness” means.

(1) The word used by Jesus and Paul conveys the ideas of goodness; benevolence; generosity;

and concern for others.

(2) We will see that God has these characteristics.

(3) History tells us there have been many rulers and even non-rulers like Percy Ross.

II. IN GIVING AWAY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, MR. ROSS SURELY HELPED SOME SCOUNDRELS. NO DOUBT THERE WERE LIARS AND THIEVES WHO TRICKED HIM INTO GIVING THEM MONEY. THERE MUST HAVE BEEN PEOPLE HE HELPED WHO DIDN’T DESERVE TO BE HELPED. IN SPITE OF SOME WHO DIDN’T DESERVE HELP, MR. ROSS KEPT WRITING CHECKS.

A. Look at Col. 3:12 with me.

B. As Paul begins this chapter he says that Christians have changed.

C. God’s people have abandoned a life of sin.

D. Because Christians are living a different kind of life they now have some responsibilities.

E. Some of our obligations are in verse 12. READ.

F. Paul said, “Put on kindness” – the same word we have in Gal. 5.

G. Throughout the day we “put on” different things:

(1) Most of us “put on” socks and shoes;

(2) People generally “put on” clothes;

(3) Some “put on” makeup, deodorant and jewelry;

(4) Most of what we “put on” comes off.

(5) When Paul said, “put on kindness”, he phrased this in the form of an order.

(6) In other words, this is not optional.

(7) Putting on kindness is not a choice for a Christian.

(8) The second thing indicated by this expression is kindness – it is not something to be removed.

(9) The goal is to put on kindness and to leave it on.

H. There is a major distinction between Christianity and the world.

(1) We have people in the world who are kind.

(2) There are souls who are caring and benevolent.

(3) This kindness is often connected to circumstances.

(4) If people are in the mood to be kind, they will be kind.

(5) If it appears that someone is deserving of kindness, then kindness will be extended.

(6) Still others are kind until they get irritated.

(7) Make a person like this mad and the kindness will stop.

I. Think of the matter in this way:

(1) We have an ox and a couple of yokes in the barn.

(2) One yoke is perfectly smooth; the other is rough.

(3) The rough yoke will poke and jab the animal if it is used.

(4) On Monday we feel pretty good; we get out the smooth yoke.

(5) On Tuesday the ox is especially cooperative so we use the smooth yoke again.

(6) On Wednesday the ox is not too cooperative. He irritates us and we end the day early.

(7) Thursday is a little worse and no plowing is done.

(8) By the time Friday comes the ox is completely uncooperative.

(9) Do you know what some people would do?

(10) On Saturday they would go to the barn and take out that rough yoke.

(11) They would say to the ox, “I have had enough. You are going to get what you deserve.

Wear this for a day or two if you’re not going to behave.”

J. Col. 3 says this is the wrong choice – kindness is to be “put on”.

K. This is to become part of our character.

L. Kindness needs to be part of who we are – it is not to be something we have now and then.

III. REACHING THIS POINT AS A CHRISTIAN IS NOT EASY FOR ANYONE AND IT CAN BE ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT FOR SOME.

A. Some may even wonder, “Is this possible?”

B. “How can I be kind to every person I meet …

(1) When the drunk driver runs me off the road;

(2) When I do not receive a deserved promotion;

(3) When others take credit for work I have done;

(4) When I am treated unfairly;

(5) When people insult my good name;

(6) When I know others speak behind my back;

(7) When I know someone has deliberately lied to me;

(8) When I have been cheated or defrauded;

(9) When hateful words have been spoken to me;

(10) When people really get on my nerves and irritate me;

(11) How can I possibly be kind?

C. The answer is “love”.

D. When Paul wrote 1 Cor. 13 and spoke of love he made this statement – love is kind.

E. Paul implied that kindness can be extended to all.

F. If we look at God, we find an example of kindness being extended to some terrible people.

G. Let’s turn to Rom. 2:4-5.

(1) Paul used the word translated “kind/gentleness”. READ verses 4-5.

(2) Some of the words used in these verses deserve close attention.

(3) “God” is clearly mentioned in both verses.

(4) The people being described were people who were opposed to God’s kindness.

(5) Notice the word “despised”.

(6) “Despise” is an excellent translation of the word Paul used.

(7) If we want a fuller description, we may say this means “disdain, think little or nothing of someone/some thing.

H. Have we ever had a person “despise us”?

(1) Has someone ever treated us with utter contempt?

(2) Because of how we were treated, we felt like we were worth nothing. Our value was lower than zero.

(3) People treated us as if we had no use or value.

(4) This is how some of the Jews viewed God.

(5) To them, God was useless; worth absolutely nothing.

I. Would we want to be kind to a person who treats us this way? I think not.

J. The people described in Rom. 2 did more than “despise God”.

K. These people had “hard hearts”. (v. 5)

(1) We hear about people having arteries where the walls have hardened.

(2) The medical word that describes this condition comes from the Greek.

(3) As the walls of the arteries can harden, so hearts can harden.

(4) Most of us have dealt with someone who had a hard heart.

(5) We tried to tell someone something; we banged our head against a wall to make our point; but the person would not listen.

(6) Maybe then we were blamed because someone failed to listen.

(7) When people tune us out and refuse to listen, do we want to continue to extend kindness to them? or, do we want them to “go ahead and learn their lesson”?

L. What if we have someone who not only has a hard heart, but the person we are dealing with

“despises” us?

M. The world would say, “I have no sympathy for that person. They are not going to get any help

from me.”

N. Look at Rom. 2:5 once again.

O. Paul used the word “impenitent”.

(1) This is a person who “will not repent”.

(2) This individual will not change his ways.

(3) It is bad enough to despise people.

(4) Adding a “hard heart” is especially bad.

(5) Now we learn that these people would not change.

(6) Time was not going to alter their course.

(7) Seeing their mistakes would not change these people.

(8) These people were on a path and they would continue to follow it.

P. If we are around people like this, the last thing we want to be is kind.

Q. When the temptation to put off kindness comes – and for some of us it will come tonight or tomorrow, think back to Rom. 2:4-5.

R. Let’s read these two verses one more time. READ.

S. Did you notice the word “goodness”?

(1) This is the same word that is used in Gal. 5, Matt. 11, and Col. 3.

(2) God could still be kind to these people.

(3) Kindness does not excuse sin. Wrath was being treasured up.

(4) Kindness was extended by God to vile and wicked people.

(5) Part of this kindness was the gift of life.

CONCLUSION:

1. One of the greatest temptations for Christians is to abandon kindness at times.

2. There are circumstances that tempt us to reach for the rough ox yoke.

3. Given enough time and reflection, most live to regret that choice.

4. Kindness does not mean weakness or excusing sin.

5. It does mean gentleness; benevolence; love; caring concern for all.

6. This is how God treats us and it is how He demands we treat others.

7. Are we Christians? Will we commit ourselves to kindness from this night forward?

8. If you are not a Christian, are you ready to start living as the Bible commands?