Gracepointe Church (Dover, OH)
Gracepointe Church (Dover, OH)
Random Acts That Change Everything
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I'd like to greet everyone in Jesus' name this morning. It certainly has been a great privilege to be here. Toby, I'm not quite sure whether Ina might be terrified if I slow down any more. I'd probably be moving backwards. I'd probably be moving backwards, but I really appreciated that because I have found in my life that, as important as it is for us to talk to God, it is at least as important that we have time to sometimes just sit and listen. And God does speak to us, so it's been good to be here. God does speak to us, so it's been good to be here.
Speaker 1:The title of my sermon this morning is Living in the Overflow, and I had my sermon all mapped out weeks ago and then, as often happens, God does have a sense of humor. God does have a sense of humor. But yeah, he changed the direction. But I want to talk about random acts of kindness, and I'm sure that all of us have experienced a lot of these random acts of kindness in our life and all of us certainly have the opportunity to show random acts of kindness. And I didn't even realize this when I started digging in, but it's actually a thing.
Speaker 1:There was a writer from Ohio named Annie Herbert in 1982 that scrawled on a restaurant placemat, 1982. That scrawled on a restaurant placemat. He said, do random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty. And that was all very interesting. But the conclusion I came to is that was written down a whole lot of years before and it's found all through the Bible. And I'd like to just kicking off share. I'm actually the way I've constructed the sermon is there will be a lot of Scripture reading and references kind of to start with, and then I hope to shift gears into some of the practical ways that we can get the rubber to the road. But Ephesians 4, verses 30 through 32, where he says and do not grieve. The Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption, Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption, Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice, and be kind to one another tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Speaker 2:Myron, would you come and read Luke, chapter 7, verses 36 through 50. Luke 7, 36 to 50. And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him Luke 7, 36-50. Feet behind him, weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears and did wipe them with the hairs of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now, when the pharisee which bade, bidden had him, saw it, he spake with himself, saying this man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that touches him, for she is a sinner. And jesus, answering, said unto him simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith Master, say on, there was a certain creditor which had two debtors, the one owed 500 pence and the other 50. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most?
Speaker 2:Simon, answering, said I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman and said unto Simon, seest thou this woman? I enter into thine house. Thou gavest me no water for my feet, but she hath washed me, my feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss, but this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet, my head, with oil. Thou didst not anoint, but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Forfore I say unto thee her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much, but whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman Thy faith has saved thee. Go in peace.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for that. You know, talk about living in the overflow. You know, conventional wisdom says that when we lack love it's because we're not trying hard enough and so we try a little harder. But you know, I think the problem is something a lot deeper. But sometimes we're trying to give something that we have not yet received ourselves, and we need to open ourselves and open our lives to this massive outflowing of God's love that wants to flow and work through us so we can do acts of kindness and respect and love to our fellow man. You know the love of God flowing out I've heard it called the Niagara and I think if we would take Niagara Falls and Iguazu Falls and Victoria Falls in Africa and put them all together, that would be a feeble little stream compared to the love of God that's just wanting and aching to burst out through us and to flow out. We all have so many opportunities to touch lives. Are we forgetting to receive that love first?
Speaker 1:The woman in Capernaum didn't forget. Remember how she lavished love on Christ, bathing his feet with tears, drying his feet with her hair. If love were a waterfall, she'd be a Niagara. And Simon and here's Simon he was the learned man of the day. He had probably been through seminary, had all the education, he had all the answers and he was down pat. And yet he says he didn't as much as even provide water for Jesus to wash his feet. He was more like a Sahara than the Niagara, but he had missed the point that this woman had managed to grasp because she was living in the overflow. So where do we find ourselves this morning? Just imagine that scene. If, in this house of God this morning, a woman and the town tramp no less would come in and start washing someone's feet with her tears and wiping them with her hair, I imagine that would get talked about for quite some time. And I'm just trying to imagine. I'm no expert in Jewish culture, but what an uproar that must have made. And yet she was led by the Holy Spirit anointing him for the burial that was soon to come. She was living in the overflow.
Speaker 1:In Luke 6, verse 35, he says but love your enemies and do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward will be great and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful, and throughout today I'm going to be sharing a lot of just practical experiences and things that have happened to me, because that's what stands out the most to me. But in this standard of lending and expecting nothing in return, I'm always reminded of my former neighbor, malva Shetler. I don't know if any of you knew him or not, but he was just this happy old gentleman and when we got married he took me aside a couple months before and he said hey, do you have enough money to get married? Well, you'd want to talk about a hardscrabble existence. I had just come of age a couple months before, and I said well, no. And he said well, how much do you need? And I said I gave a figure and he said no. He said that's not enough. He wrote out a check for what he thought we needed. So we got started, and then I would later come up to him and say hey, malva. I said I want to, you know, pay you for this. I said you've got other places to put that money, don't worry about it. And then, as time would happen, sometimes we'd go back again and say, hey, malvin, could you help me out with X amount? And I faithfully wrote down everything. Every time I would try to pay it back, he'd say don't worry about it, you've got debts, you've got interest to pay, just pay it. You've got debts, you've got interest to pay, just pay it.
Speaker 1:Well, time went on and he became old and the family couldn't hardly take care of him and Fanny, his wife, and so they moved him out to Kansas in a nursing home. And so one of the family wrote a letter to me and said that since mom and dad are in this nursing home, that they certainly don't want to cause any undue financial burden on us, but if there's any way that we could pay off, it that according to their records I owed him $4,000. And I looked at Ayn and we both burst out laughing because we had actually owed him $12,000. And I looked at Ayn and we both burst out laughing because we had actually owed him $12,000. He had no idea, and it just so happened that we had the means. I wrote out a check and a letter and later they you know they really thanked us for being honest.
Speaker 1:But I've had to ask myself a lot.
Speaker 1:Could I be that selfless to where you just simply, you know, lend and not care whether it came back.
Speaker 1:That's a gold standard that I'm trying to live by, just these random acts of kindness that make such a difference in people's lives.
Speaker 1:That makes such a difference in people's lives In Colossians 3, verses 12 through 17,. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, the Father, through Him. It's just a beautiful way to live. And when we're speaking of love and of kindness, I don't think that I could go through a message like this without turning to 1 Corinthians 13.
Speaker 3:Brother Franklin, If you would read along with me, and any time the word love comes up, would you say that this is 1 Corinthians 13. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not. I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, but have not, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not, it profits me nothing.
Speaker 3:Suffers long in his kind, does not envy, does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not speak its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail. Whether there are tongues, they will cease. Whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. Come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But when I became a man I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I am known. And now, abide, faith, hope, these three, but the greatest of these is love.
Speaker 1:Thank you, franklin. I guess I should make a little disclaimer. I think I might be turning into a Church of Christ pastor, because that's one thing that they love to do at the Church of Christ is to have interactive reading, or they love to read the Scriptures and it's blessed me. I've enjoyed that. And then in 1 John, in chapter 3 and verse 18, it says my little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. Could you put the picture up, isaac? I don't know if it'll get a little clearer if we kill the lights.
Speaker 1:Okay, meet little Yasa. When he's talking about little children, that's the one thing that I've found in Africa is so many of these children have no father and they're just craving the presence of a father figure in Africa is so many of these children have no father and they're just craving the presence of a father figure in their lives. And little Yasa latched on to me and she would come running up to me the first time I was in Liberia and she would grab me by my arm and she called me father. Hey, father, can I go to church with you, father? And of course Yasa could go to church with me. And it's strange. You're away from home, in a very, very alien culture, and you're feeling that you're very far from home. And that little girl, calling me father and claiming me, touched my heart in a way that's hard to just put into words, just so full of life, just so happy when she could spend time with her father. And this is one of the things where I feel like I'm not coming to you as someone who has achieved perfection, because in my heart I always feel like I've failed this little girl, because, coming back and getting busy with life, I lost contact. And this was back before. They had just come through years and years of a brutal and evil civil war, and these people were so poor so they had no phones. There was no way of communicating other than maybe through friends. And I did make some effort and here I found out that when she was 15, she died. It breaks my heart to this day that I was never able to help her in whatever her extremity her need might have been.
Speaker 1:So I'm telling you, when God opens doors, walk through them, be kind, you'll never regret it. So I'm telling you, when God opens doors, walk through them, be kind, you'll never regret it. And then in Galatians, chapter 6, in verse 10, it says Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially those who are of the household of faith. And then in 1 Peter 3, verses 8 and 9. Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another, love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous, not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but, to the contrary, blessing knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. Wow, there's just nothing that stirs up my dander the way if someone mistreats me, or what I perceive as being mistreated, that's not exactly what your flesh thinks about. To bless where others curse, but that is something. It's not really optional. It says that it's what we are called to do. And then I came across this quote it says kindness is free to give but priceless to receive. So I want to make that the motto of my life. But, moving into, there's about 20 things that I have listed here that I'd like to challenge myself first of all, and all of you, to do one of these things this coming week. And if every one of you does one of these things this coming week, someone is going to have, or there's a lot of people that are going to have some really good days and really, and we find out that it is much more blessed to give than to receive.
Speaker 1:But number one is take time to listen. So Goodness knows I could tell on me, but there's times I come home and I'm thinking of work and I'm thinking of this and I'm thinking of that and sometimes I fail to listen. I might hear her and grunt but do I really listen? But just take the time wherever and just listen to this one person. It might bore you to tears, but listen. But just take the time wherever and just listen to this one person. Might bore you to tears, but listen, just take time to listen. That validates. The second one is go out of your way to be polite and grateful. So if you have a waitress that's given you really good service, say thank you, I appreciate it, you did a great job. Make someone's day.
Speaker 1:Number three and this is so, so important but offer to pray with someone. So important. But offer to pray with someone. Look for those opportunities. You know I've had the privilege of praying with people in some mighty odd places and I know there's a time in my life where I'd have probably looked for a closet or somewhere to get to, so for sure no one could see it. But there is something very powerful in a heartfelt prayer, when needed, where needed and just kind of a little aside. I travel a lot, of course.
Speaker 1:The other morning I was sitting in the motel and looking with great disfavor at the scrambled eggs on my plate and there's this couple and they audibly and obviously prayed the blessing on their food and I couldn't help myself. I walked up and I said you know? He said you've made my day. Oh, why is that? Well, I said you prayed before you ate. You've made my day. Oh, why is that? Well, I said you prayed before you ate. And that's something we don't see very often. Boy, what a wonderful conversation. But pray with someone. You'll find someone, put your arms around them or not, but just pray. Prayer is the most powerful thing that we can do on this earth.
Speaker 1:Number four is help someone who needs help. You know, help an old lady cross the street. You know what? It doesn't matter if you're getting lightheaded because of her old mommy perfume. Help her anyway. Open the door, carry their groceries, but do something nice for someone. It's very strange, but I've had the opportunity in different walks of life, but especially now here recently in work, to kind of mentor and counsel some younger people, and it just are they living right? No, but do they appreciate being prayed for? Yes, they do.
Speaker 1:Number five is do you love someone? I think all of us in here love someone. Well, leave a note, send flowers. You know, I've never quite exactly figured it out how this works, because Ina is probably the most practical person that I know on the face of this earth, but she does dearly love flowers. So do something nice. And another really nice thing that I would like to suggest is that stop in where I work in Baltic and buy some caramel turtles for someone and hand those out. That'll make someone's day.
Speaker 1:But do something nice for someone. Don't have to spend a lot of money or even take a lot of time. And number six by the way, this list isn't original with me, because I would never have been imaginative enough to come up with half of these. But the number six is take food, clothing or hygiene items to a homeless person, and I have had very interesting interactions with some homeless people and I've kind of lost patience with them because so many of them really are probably in better shape than I am financially, but that's not my call to make, really, that's just something to consider. And number seven is fix a problem for someone, and I'll just throw this out. I usually need church by the time I'm done, but I can replace brakes or change oil. If someone needs an oil change or brakes replaced, let me know. I'd be glad to do it. But do something nice for someone. Do you know a widow? Or you know single moms, whatever, whatever it is, babysit for date night. Do something nice for someone. It'll make you feel a whole lot better.
Speaker 1:Number eight is send a card to someone. And, in the interest of full disclosure, I can absolutely assure you and promise you that I'm not going to be the one doing that. I'm not good in that way. So anyway, and don't feel overloaded, I'm not expecting any of you to do all of these, although you're certainly welcome. But send a card. Do you know someone in the hospital? I just know I don't know how many of you know Devon and Lamonica, who's just had a heart transplant. I know she would love a card, or flowers probably turtles, and this is just a thought. You know, even though that we've, I am absolutely persuaded in my non-resistance. I do not believe in the keeping or the taking up arms to defend myself, but I do appreciate the military. I don't have any contact, but send a card to a serviceman or woman, thank them. They're sacrificing for something that's very near to all of us, for our freedom. Number nine is have you had a good experience with a customer service representative? It's getting to the point where, if you have, go buy a lottery ticket, this is your lucky day. But thank them, call their supervisor. And I actually I was kind of surprised.
Speaker 1:I've got to admit that we have a love-hate relationship with our trash company, which is Kimball, and honestly it's more hate than love most of the time, because their service is horrendous. If they don't feel like getting it, they won't. And our trash container thing was broken. We might have overloaded it a tad, to be honest, but it was cracked. And the driver he's a crusty old man. I think Ina needs to bake him some rolls. Driver, he's a crusty old man, I think Ina needs to bake him some rolls, but he's just, it doesn't take much to upset his apple cart, to say the least.
Speaker 1:So we have had some conversations and one day, one morning, as I was heading off to work, I see that the trash truck is like parked right in the middle of 212. And I'm like what's up with this? Well, here's some vandals or someone I'm sure it wasn't a raccoon had taken the trash of the neighbor and just completely destroyed the banks and spread the trash all over the road. Well, here this trash driver stopped and he took the time and he gathered up every piece and threw it away. And of course, the first thing in my mind was I got to get to work. But I followed Toby's advice. I took a deep breath and I calmed down and I called his supervisor later that day and I said I just want to give him a shout out because he really did go above and beyond. And that was really surprising to me because I'm sure she doesn't hear very much of that. But she thanked me over and over and she said that is so sweet and I will be sure, and you could tell she just couldn't wait to pass this on. These are just simple little things that make the world a better place to live in, the world a better place to live in.
Speaker 1:And number 10, I love this one Crash a gossip party. Stick up for the person who's being discussed. After all, it could be you. I like that one. And number 11. Treat a loved one to a nice evening out. Just tell them you love and appreciate and respect them, sometimes even when you're not feeling any of those three. It's so important and sometimes we read these lists and we forget that that actually equally applies to our loved ones, or more so than Mr Joe in the street.
Speaker 1:Number 12, bake cookies for your teacher. In all likelihood they deserve a medal, but give them cookies, or that could be some of the thoughts, were you know, for your local sheriff's department. Take something in for them for your first responders, the EMS. God love him. For those of you who may not have heard, kim said his dad puts out cookies for the trash guy. I like it.
Speaker 1:Number 13, and this is for me, but visit your parents. I no longer have a plural of parents, but I still have my dad and we still have Ina's dad, and you know what it's. Just, we have a really good relationship that I treasure and I value. Really good relationship that I treasure and I value, and to see his face light up when I show up at the door, and just, you know the wonderful times that we can have just visiting and reminiscing and take the time or visit someone in the nursing home. Number 14 is go through your closets. Donate something to a local thrift or a shelter, whatever. I'm pretty sure that we could go through our closets and come up with quite a few that are still usable.
Speaker 1:Number 15 is be patient, because we never know what that person might be dealing with or going through. Maybe they're having a really bad day, or maybe they're having a really bad week or month. Just recently we had a person show up at work to pick up an order and we got to talking and he was not depressed or angry or rude, but his wife had stage 4 cancer, his mother-in-law had an inoperable brain tumor and his mom had just passed away. I'd almost never heard of such a litany of misfortunes and we just stood around and we prayed. But it was just a good lesson to me. We see these people walking and we have no idea what they're feeling or how they're hurting. So be patient. That's not something that I'm very good at.
Speaker 1:Number 16 is do you know anybody that's starting up a business? Tell everyone about it. Tell them to support the business. Number 17,. Get off the phone, be emotionally present with your loved ones at least a portion of the day. Back to this thing of listening.
Speaker 1:Number 18 is be a friend to an underdog. I've always stuck up for underdogs and I'll share this because I really didn't have anything to do with it. But when our daughter Lori was in school, she would come home and she would tell us how some of the classmates were making fun of this girl and just not to put too fine a point on it, this little girl had always been overweight and has now increased to behemoth proportions. But she's a wonderful person. But they were being really nasty to her. So I said Lori, I said that is so wrong for them to make fun of her. I don't ever want to hear that you're helping make fun of her. I said I want you to be her friend Because inside her is a beautiful person. And it's funny all these years later they are the best of friends and it's literally the truth. She was an awesome person and so you know, see the value in someone that most of the world can't see, because everyone has value, and I just remembered this.
Speaker 1:But some of the best memories of my life were hunting in Wyoming with my son. And now I know this is going to be really hard for you to believe that such a ripped physical specimen as me would get tired from backpacking. But I did and I was. And just to put plainly, the part of my body where I usually sit was somewhere between my knees and the ground. And this local comes the other way. He's heading back in and he sees Brian first and he says, hey, it looks like your old man's struggling a little bit. Do you think he'd let me take his backpack into the truck? And he was going to drop his gun and his backpack and take my backpack and carry it two miles to our pickup. That's what I call kindness. Of course, by that point my pride kicked in and I was too embarrassed to let him do it. And I made it, partly because Brian was busy roasting me every step of the way, partly because Brian was busy roasting me every step of the way. But just these, I mean, I've been blessed with people that have showed me so much love and kindness that I haven't deserved or expected.
Speaker 1:Number 19 is just simply smile. I'll tell you, there is nothing attractive about a face that looks like someone who just downed a glass of vinegar, mother Teresa said. It said we shall never know the good a smile can do. And number 20 is just hold the door open. And again, as a former delivery driver, I can't tell you how much drivers appreciate it when they're wheeling up to the door and they've got the cart stacked to max capacity. Someone just opens the door. Simple little things that can make someone's day. And in closing I'd like to close with two things, and of course the first one is Galatians 5, 22 and 23.
Speaker 1:But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Speaker 1:Against such there is no law and those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. So that's what I want to live my life that people can see the fruits of the Spirit. I will never have a million dollars to my name in the bank and I couldn't care less. But my idea of success in this life, if I lay in my casket and my family and my church family and my friends can walk by and say I believe that he loved the Lord, then my life will have been a success, and there's so many examples I could give of people in this room that have showed us kindness.
Speaker 1:It is appreciated and the last thoughthips are like bank accounts, and if we withdraw more than we deposit, we are going to have problems in a hurry. Let's pray, heavenly Father, thank you for loving us and thank you for being kind and tenderhearted, and that you forgive us. We give you the honor and glory and I just pray that you would bless each one here. I pray that you would bless Randy and Christy and their new baby. Just be with them and we give you the honor and glory for everything that you bless us with. Help us be good stewards and to give you the honor and the glory, and let's all pray together now. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, amen.