41 Sermon Illustrations on Caring

Professor Robert Laurens gives message to teens; one of them comes up to him afterwards but he is too distracted to notice. She writes him a letter saying his talk helped her because she is a loser and had been contemplating suicide.

In a class soon after he announced a pop quiz in the last 5 minutes. They all moaned. He read the letter, and stopped. The bell rung. The students shrugged and left. One stayed behind. With tears in her eyes she asked Laurens for the girl's name and address. He gave it to her and she wrote several letters. The other girl accepted Christ and became a student in Laurens' New Testament class at Judson College in 1988.

Only one girl took the time.

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Sermon version:

Bob Laurens is a professor at Judson College in Illinois and he also speaks at youth rallies. One day a girl followed him after a concert. He did not get a chance to talk but gave her his address. She wrote him a letter saying how good she felt hearing him. But she was still lonely, and had thoughts of suicide.

The next day Bob announced a “pop” quiz in his class. All the students moaned, of course. Then he read the girl's letter. Bob stood there. The students waited, pencils in hand, but he never said anything. The end-of-class bell rang, and the students quietly filed out of the room. All but one.

With tears in her eyes, she asked the professor for the girl's address. She wrote to her and they became good friends. In time, the girl got saved and later attended Bob Laurens' New Testament class at Judson.

Hope House gives non-judgmental care to those with AIDS. Their lifestyle is not condemned or condoned. Spiritual care is offered. "We reverence the value of our clients on the level of their personhood, and are therefore sensitive to, but do not identify ourselves with any one particular lifestyle."

A young boy, on an errand for his mother, had just bought a dozen eggs. Walking out of the store, he tripped and dropped the sack. All the eggs broke, and the sidewalk was a mess. The boy tried not to cry.

A few people gathered to see if he was OK and to tell him how sorry they were. In the midst of the words of pity, one man handed the boy a quarter.

Then he turned to the group and said, "I care 25 cents worth. How much do the rest of you care?"

James 2:16 points out that words don't mean much if we have the ability to do more.

"It was into his sixth day of overtime, as God was creating the model for mothers. An angel appeared and said, "you're sure doing a lot of fiddling around with this one."

The Lord said, "have you read the specs on this order? She has to be completely washable, (but not plastic) have 180 movable parts, (all replaceable) run on black coffee and leftovers; have a lap that disappears when she stands up; have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knuckle, to a broken leg, to a disappointed love affair; and six pairs of hands."

The angel shook his head slowly and said, "six pairs of hands... no way!"

"It's not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord, "it's the three pair of eyes!"

"That's on the standard model?" asked the angel.

The Lord nodded, "one pair that sees through closed doors, when she asks, 'what are you kids doing in there,' when she already knows. A second pair here in the back of the head that sees what she shouldn't have, but of course she has to know. And still a third pair in the front that can look at a child when he/she goofs up, that say without so much as uttering a word, but that convey, 'I understand, and I love you.'"

"Lord," said the angel touching God's sleeve, "come to bed, take it up again tomorrow." "I can't," said the Lord, "I am so close to creating something just like myself."

Already I have one that heals herself when she is sick, can feed a family of six with one pound of hamburger, and get a nine year old to stand under a shower."

The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. "It's too soft," he sighed.

"But tough" said the Lord, excitedly! "You can't imagine what this mother can do, and endure!"

"Can it think?" asked the angel.

"Not only think, but it can reason and compromise!"

Finally the angel, bent over and ran his finger across the model's cheek. "There's a leak," he pronounced. "I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model."

"It's not a leak," said the Lord, "it's a tear."

"What's it for?" asked the angel.

"It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride."

"You are a genius!" exclaimed the angel.

The Lord looked somber... "I didn't put it there."

Several years ago, youth evangelist Ken Owens described an evening in his life. Ken was scheduled to speak to a large group of young people and he was running late when he pulled into a full-service gas station for fuel. A little guy came out from the glass-faced office. He had a ski cap pulled down low, his face was covered with acne, his hair was greasy, and his pants were so large he had to keep pulling them up. The guy spoke poorly and slowly. It seemed to take forever for him to pump the gas.

When Ken gave him his credit card, it took several minutes before he came back to say they didn’t accept that card. Ken gave him another card only to learn after several more minutes that it didn’t work either. Finally in desperation, Ken asked, “Do you still take cash?” The little fellow then took several more minutes to make change and return it.

Ken was so furious when he left that he backed up and spun his back tires on the “ding ding” rope!

A few blocks away, the Holy Spirit began to convict him about his impatience and rudeness to the attendant. He drove back up and the little guy was too scared to come out of the office!

Finally, Ken said to him, “I’m really sorry for the way I treated you.”

The man pushed back his ski cap and said, “That’s okay, mister. Everybody treats me that way.”

There are a lot of people who might say, “Everybody treats me that way.” In a cold, lonely, impersonal world, those who take time to care for others are the exception, not the rule.

*

[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #6942]

You shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever. -- 1 Samuel 20:15

It's one thing to tell a friend you care. It's quite another to show it.

When David and Jonathan made a pact of friendship (1 Sam. 18:1-4), neither of them knew to what extent Jonathan would have to go to show his care for David. But it didn't matter. Undaunted by danger, Jonathan courageously acted to save David's life (20:1-23).

When we develop close friendships, we may also be called on to demonstrate by our actions that we care. The acrostic C-A-R-E can help us remember four key elements of friendship.

Challenge your friend to grow spiritually. A good friend knows the importance of turning the conversation toward matters of faith.

Affirm your friend's value. A phone call or a note can let your friend know how important he or she is and can keep your friendship strong.

Respect the feelings and wishes of your friend. No one wants a friend with whom ideas, dreams, and concerns fall on deaf ears. A good friend is a great sounding board.

Encourage your friend through compliments and by doing good deeds. Your friend will feel better after having been in your presence.

Do you have a friend you should care for today? -- JDB

THINKING IT OVER

Read Proverbs 27:17. What does it mean for friends to “sharpen” each other as iron sharpens iron? Do any of your friendships sharpen you?

See a friend in need? Be a friend in deed.

The key to church health is that a church must grow larger and smaller at the same time, said Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church.

“Larger through worship and smaller through small groups,” the California pastor said. Warren cited a 750,000-member South Korean church, Yoido Full Gospel Church, in which each member is in a group of only 10. The small groups allow the church body to minister to the needs of everyone in the congregation, Warren said.

In the case of Yoido Full Gospel Church, when one member of a small group is sick, everyone in his small group brings him an apple. This simple custom helps create a spirit of support, in which each person is known intimately and is carried by the group through difficult times. It keeps members from falling through the cracks.

Lance Witt, Saddleback's discipleship pastor, said a critical element to the success of small groups involves the affinity of the members. “Something must cause them [the group members] to say, 'We want to meet with them' [other group members],” Witt said, adding that having things in common naturally draws people toward each other, helping build satisfying relationships.

Churches should stress the many benefits of being in a small group, said Witt, including the feeling of being part if church family, gaining a better understanding of God's Word and maintaining accountability for one's Christian walk.

“Where in church can people be totally real?” Witt asked, noting that it is in the small group setting where members can share their struggles and their hurts in a way not possible across the larger congregation. They're able to feel at ease with their difficulties, he said, because of the care within their small group.

“Small groups offer the greatest pastoral care ever,” Witt said.

Dave Holden, pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, Calif., testified that “40 Days of Purpose,” a campaign that takes an entire church through Warren's latest book, “The Purpose-Driven Life,” ignited an explosion of small groups within his congregation.

“When we announced the start of our '40 Day Small Groups' -- the place went crazy,” Holden said. “I'd never been able to get more than seven groups going all at the same time, but we immediately [grew] to 55 groups, topping off at 72!”

Before long, there was no space left in the existing groups, but then members of the congregation began launching their own small groups. One new member told the church staff, “I was going to join a group, but I think that I can start one on my own. I used to sell encyclopedias door-to-door, and I'm not afraid to go out and get all of my neighbors.” Holden said the man talked to everyone on his block and successfully launched his own group.

“Our attendance climbed each week to a new level: 588 - 615 - 680 - 710 - 762 - 803,” said Holden, noting that the numbers peaked at 850. “People were getting saved every week and the word-of-mouth excitement throughout our small-town community was positively contagious.”

With 72 small groups meeting during “40 Days of Purpose,” more than 100 people accepted Christ, Holden said. “We baptized 30 last December, which was good for us,” the pastor said. “However, during the next three months we baptized another 64! Our attendance has stayed at about 800 a week, and our small groups have leveled out at 58 but still growing!

“The 40 Days of Purpose changed everything for us,” Holden said. “We will never be the same.”

*

This is about two 18-year-old men who both received the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior.

One was a professional drummer, the other a party loving football player.

John, the drummer, was introduced to Christ by a friend who played guitar in his band. Soon afterward, the band was dissolved, and John was left on his own. He attended church for a time. But within two years, John was heavily involved in drugs and immorality. Today, he continues to wander far from God.

Dick, the other young man, found his faith very exciting, but soon missed his drinking buddies and wanted to go out with them.

"Oh, no you won't!" objected the neighbor who had introduced him to Christ. "You will study the Bible, and you will spend your time with your new friends from the church," she insisted. "You aren't strong enough in the Lord to socialize with those guys."

The neighbor faithfully shared Scripture after Scripture with Dick. She encouraged him to pray, and introduced him to other Christians. As a result, when Dick graduated from college, he went on to seminary. Today, he pastors a thriving church.

Our Lord Jesus tells us about what happens when the seed of the gospel is sown: "Now here is the explanation of the story I told about the farmer sowing grain: The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the Good News about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the seed away from their hearts. The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But like young plants in such soil, their roots don't go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word. The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life and the lure of wealth, so no crop is produced. The good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God's message and produce a huge harvest -- thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted" (Matthew 13:18-23, NLT).

We have found that discipleship helps nurture the soil where the Good News is sown. The difference between the above two young lives was a matter of discipleship, and a caring neighbor who was willing to devote her time to her friend.

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. — Job 29:13.

It is said that Dr. Blair once wrote out a plain prescription for a wealthy lady who had many imaginary ills that ran thus : “Do something for somebody.” The doctor heard nothing from his patient until Christmas morning when he was hastily summoned to the cottage of her Irish washer woman.

“It’s not meself, sir, it’s me wrist that’s ailin’. You see, I was goin’ out into the black darkness for a few bits of wood, when me foot struck this basket. It stood here like a big mercy, as it was full of soft flannel from Mrs. Walker. She told me that your medicine cured her, doctor; so if you’ll plaze to put a little of that same on me wrist, I’ll be none the worse for me nice present.”

“It’s a powerful remedy,” said the doctor gravely. And more than once in after years he wrote the prescription, “Do something for somebody.”

Seldom can a heart be lonely,

If it seeks a lonelier still:

Self-forgetting, seeking only

Emptier cups with love to fill.

A certain priest … and likewise a Levite … looked on him, and passed by on the other side. — Luke 10:31, 32.

When John Huss of Bohemia was going to his death for his faith in Christ, an old friend stood out from the crowd and gave the martyr a powerful grip of the hand. It was a brave act as it was dangerous to show sympathy for Huss. “Only God and he himself,” said Huss, “knew what that handshake meant to him in that time of supreme test.” — J. E. Harris.

Did you give him a lift? He’s a brother of man,

And bearing about all the burden he can.

Did you give him a smile? He was downcast and blue

And the smile would have helped him to battle it through.

Did you give him a hand? He was slipping down hill,

And the world, so I fancied, was using him ill.

Did you give him a word? Did you show him the road?

Or did you just let him go on with his load? — A. S. Chapman.

1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1

The Beauty of Ruth

Naomi Cares for Ruth

Ruth 2:17-3:6

- - - - - slide above, notes below - - - - -

A. Today we continue our looking at the story of Ruth, a story of God’s grace and a picture of the message of good news, the gospel, that is revealed in Jesus Christ. "Care" means "looking after the interest of."

2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2

A Quick Review of the story

A. Elimelech and his family during a famine in the time of the judges, left Bethlehem in Judah to live in Moab. More than 10 years later, his wife Naomi returned a widow, along with Ruth, the widow of one of her sons. At their coming, the town was stirred in surprise that this woman could be Naomi. Having found a place to live, Ruth volunteered to go out to glean the remnants of the harvest to help them live. She “chanced” into the field of Boaz who noticed her and made sure that she was able to do well in her gathering of barley.

- - - - - slide above, notes below - - - - -

A. We have suggested that Elimelech was a man of means. Two week’s ago we found that one of his near relations was Boaz, of the same “clan”. This meant that they had the same father, grandfather or great-grandfather. We learn a little more about this ancestor that they shared in Numbers 1:4 (Nahshon the son of Amminadab was the head of the tribe of Judah after they came out of the land of Egypt), 7:12-17 (the offerings of Nahshon as prince of tribe of Judah) and 10:13-14 (Nahshon was head of armies leading way during the travels in the wilderness, over-commander of armies of Issachar and Zebulun) …this Nahshon begat Salmon who begat Boaz (Ruth 4:20-21) … so Elimelech’s grandfather or great-grandfather was this Nahshon.

3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3

Ruth displays the produce, 2:17-19a

A. Ruth shows and shares with Naomi the day’s results, and begins to tell what has happened.

B. How many loaves did we guess the ephah of barley would produce?

- - - - - slide above, notes below - - - - -

A. So, last week our title was “Boaz Cares for Ruth” because of the way he look after her to ensure that she was safe and got a good amount of grain. Today, our title is “Naomi Cares for Ruth” as Naomi seeks Ruth’s best interests as a result of what has taken place. This seems so very appropriate, given the way Ruth has expressed her care for Naomi in both word and deed. Today we commence with the same verse we concluded with last week, Ruth 2:17 … 17 So she gleaned in the field until the evening and beat out that which she had gleaned; and there was about an ephah of barley. 18 and she picked it up and entered the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned; and she brought out and gave to her what she had kept over from her meal-time abundance. 19 So her mother-in-law asked her, ‘Where have you gleaned today and whither have you laboured? May the one who recognized you be blessed!’ And she told of him with whom she had worked, …

B. It was about 30 pounds (or maybe double that), enough for 30 to 35 loaves (basic food for a month).

4 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4

2:17-19a, continued

A. Does Ruth justify the evaluation that we have made of her character thus far?

B. What lesson does Ruth provide here as a type of the church or the Christian?

C. What does Naomi realize when Ruth produces the day’s results before her? What is the character of the last part of her statement to Ruth, verse 19?

D. What lesson does Naomi, as one of God’s people, provide to us here?

- - - - - slide above, notes below - - - - -

A. Industry: at the end of gathering, she then finished the job of separating the grain (temptation would be? … to take it home and have Naomi do this tedious work). Kind, considerate, generous: she saved and gave to Naomi what she had left over from the lunch she had received (temptation to eat it herself after a days work).

B. Sharing the good things that we receive from God (both material and spiritual)

C. This was a bountiful result, beyond expectations for a days work, that can only be explained by someone’s having intervened on Ruth’s behalf – “the recognizer”. For whoever it is she offers a prayer of thanksgiving, that God may reward this person.

D. Thankfulness to God and to those He uses to bring blessing to us, both material and spiritual

5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5

Naomi learns of Boaz, 2:19b-20

A. Here Ruth tells about Boaz and Naomi responds.

B. To whose mercy does Naomi refer? …how can it be shown to the dead?

C. What further item do we learn here concerning Boaz?

D. In what way is this illustrative of our Go‘el, Jesus Christ?

- - - - - slide above, notes below - - - - -

A. 19 … And she told of him with whom she had worked, and she said, ‘The name of the man with whom I have worked today is Boaz.’ 20 Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ‘Blessed be he by Yahweh, whose mercy has not left the living nor the dead;’ for Naomi said to her, ‘This man is a near relation, though he is not our redeemer-kinsman.’

B. It can be interpreted two ways and the Hebrew does not preclude either, God’s mercy or Boaz’ mercy. The mercy can be shown to the dead (Elimelech, Mahlon, Chilion) either while they were alive (which Naomi now recognizes) or through their family who have survived them.

C. That Boaz is not in point of fact, the Go‘el, Kinsman-Redeemer, to Ruth, for there is another more closely related by birth. But, we will find out later that Boaz takes upon himself that role, he becomes the Go‘el, when the near relative is unwilling to do so, when there is no other who can carry out this responsibility.

D. The Christ, in point of fact, is the eternal Son of God, God by nature, and became eligible to be our Kinsman-Redeemer, by the incarnation, by the taking on of the nature of man; read Philippians 2:5-8 and Galatians 4:4—5.

6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6

Naomi instructs Ruth, 2:21-23

A. Ruth elaborates on what happened and Naomi gives instruction to heed Boaz’ invitation.

B. Here we are told for the first time the extent of Boaz' invitation; for how long was it good?

C. How long did this apply for Ruth? (Compare Exodus 9:31-32, 34:22)

D. Compare Ruth’s words with Naomi’s and with those of Boaz in 2:8; what picture do you see?

- - - - - slide above, notes below - - - - -

A. 21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, ‘Surely for he has also said unto me, “you shall stay with the menservants belonging to me until they are finished all the harvesting of that which belongs to me.”’ 22 So Naomi said unto Ruth, her daughter-in-law, ‘It is better, my daughter, that you should go out with his maidens and not have others molest you in the field of another.’ 23 So she stayed with the maidens of Boaz in order to glean until the completion of barley harvest and the wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

B. The ‘abide here’ (‘do not pass on from here’) of 2:8 was intended to apply as long as the harvest was going on. One note is that we may conclude that Naomi was unable to bear the rigours of working alongside Ruth, perhaps due to age or health.

C. We have already noted that the barley harvest began with the feast of first fruits right after Passover; the wheat harvest first fruits took place at the feast of weeks (Pentecost) some 7 weeks later. So this continued for a couple of months, sufficient to lay in store enough food for a year.

D. Naomi understood the harvesting process; as they all harvested, the men provided support and protection around the women.

7 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7

Naomi seeks rest for Ruth, 3:1-4

A. Naomi now gives unusual (at least to us) instructions to Ruth with respect to what she is to do that night.

B. How much time has passed since their return from Moab? …what opportunity has this provided?

- - - - - slide above, notes below - - - - -

A. 1 And Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, ‘My daughter, shall I not seek a place of rest for you, which shall be well for you? 2 And now, is not Boaz, with whose maidens you have been, our friend? Behold, he winnows the threshing floor of the barley tonight. 3 Therefore, wash and anoint yourself and put your garments upon you. Go down to the threshing floor; do not let yourself be observed by the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 See that when he lies down, that you shall observe the place where he lies down; then you shall uncover the place at his feet, and you shall lie down. Then he will tell you what you shall do.’

B. They did not have combines! They would gather all of the harvest into sheaves, bring those into the storage. Except for immediate needs, winnowing was left until the harvest was complete. So we are now some 2 to 3 months after their return. Boaz has had time to evaluate Ruth’s character and Naomi, that of Boaz.

8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8

3:1-4, continued

A. What is Naomi’s intent (for the word "rest" check Ruth 1:9)?

B. In those circumstances what would this necessarily involve?

C. Did Naomi intend that Boaz personally provide this? …what indications are there that this is the case?

D. What did Naomi intend that Boaz should do?

- - - - - slide above, notes below - - - - -

A. She is seeking a place of rest for Ruth; a permanent home that will provide her with security and a respite from her cares and sorrows.

B. Only by Ruth’s gaining a husband could she know such rest.

C. She did not plan specifically that Boaz should marry Ruth. Naomi has already pointed out that their was a nearer kinsman who had that duty. Here, the word she uses (AV, NAS, NIV: kinsman or kindred) is a different term than Go‘el, and is literally, “one that is known,” a close acquaintance

D. That he would see to it that she should have a home.

9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 9

3:1-4, continued

A. What do you think of Naomi’s instructions to Ruth?

B. How did Naomi expect Boaz to respond?

C. How was Ruth to prepare herself for this? …what did she not do?

D. How could Naomi be confident in giving such advice?

- - - - - slide above, notes below - - - - -

A. In today’s environment it would have been asking for trouble! There is no information elsewhere in the Bible on this, nor in other ancient literature, but it appears to be a custom in that culture. Before commenting further on this, let’s ask the question …

B. She expected him to give instructions to Ruth. This appears to have been a cultural action permitted with near relations. The attitude Ruth was taking would convey the messages:

1. I am dependent upon you (under the wings of your garment)

2. I am submissive to you, as a servant (under your feet)

3. I am under your protection

C. She prepared herself by

1. Being cleansed and covered

2. Not bejewelled or painted

D. She had seen

1. The consistent life and character of Ruth for some years

2. The consistent kindness and character of Boaz for the past 2 to 3 months

10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 10

Ruth obeys, 3:5-6

A. Ruth hearkens to Naomi’s commands

B. What reservations did Ruth show?

C. What consistency does Ruth show that was not evidenced in the two sons in Jesus’ parable found in Matthew 21:28-31?

- - - - - slide above, notes below - - - - -

A. 5 And she replied to her, ‘All that your are saying unto me, I will do.’ 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in- law had commanded her.

B. None: “I will do”

C. What she said is what she did: not just going through the motions but “all you say … did according to all”

11 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 11

3:5-6, continued

A. What lesson does Ruth provide to the church and the Christian? (Cf. 1 John 3:18)

B. What does the believer show when he lies at the feet of Jesus?

- - - - - slide above, notes below - - - - -

A. To obey Christ not just in our words but in our actual deeds

B. Submission and dependence; trust and reliance on His protection

12 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 12

Ciccily was married to a Gospel Outreach volunteer who died three years ago. She has two children, a daughter, 21, and a son, 16. When her husband died, she told me, “I just couldn’t let his ministry die with him. So I kept visiting and prepared a few people for baptism.” I turned to the mission leader and asked him what happened.

He said, “this little woman came to my office one day and asked me to send someone to do a baptism. We didn’t have any idea that anyone was ready from her area. Well, upon arrival we discovered over 100 people who had accepted Jesus as Savior and were longing for His soon return. They understood the Ten Commandments and desired to join a Bible-believing church family called the Seventh-day Adventist church.”

Last year, a request was made for Gospel Outreach to add five more church planters to the team. Ciccily was chosen to be one of them. Now she leads seven churches with more than 700 members. In 2006, she prepared 500 people for baptism.

I asked her how she does it? She replied, “I visit the neighborhood with my daughter or church members. I try to discover their needs of people from neighbors prior to my visit, eg., job, sickness, devil possession. Then I simply pray and God does miracles such as healing a young boy with lung cancer - who was supposed to have surgery. After checking into the hospital to prepare for surgery, the Doctor found no cancer - and there is still none after three years.”

Ciccily’s need-based ministry may be the reason that as we walked through the village with a hired drummer and clarinetist announcing our arrival, scores of ladies along the side of the road waved and smiled at her, while several rushed to touch her feet - a sign of tremendous respect in India.

We went to dedicate a newly constructed house of prayer for her church family in the evening. At the request of the Hindu villagers, the church was built right next to the Hindu temple - so that the healing power could “spill over.”

________

Story from John McGhee

When I was in seventh grade, I was a candy striper at a local hospital in my town. I volunteered about thirty to forty hours a week during the summer. Most of the time I spent there was with Mr. Gillespie. He never had any visitors, and nobody seemed to care about his condition. I spent many days there holding his hand and talking to him, helping with anything that needed to be done. He became a close friend of mine, even though he responded with only an occasional squeeze of my hand. Mr. Gillespie was in a coma.

I left for a week to vacation with my parents, and when I came back, Mr. Gillespie was gone. I didn’t have the nerve to ask any of the nurses where he was, for fear they might tell me he had died. So with many questions unanswered, I continued to volunteer there through my eighth-grade year.

Several years later, when I was a junior in high school, I was at the gas station when I noticed a familiar face. When I realized who it was, my eyes filled with tears. He was alive! I got up the nerve to ask him if his name was Mr. Gillespie, and if he had been in a coma about five years ago. With an uncertain look on his face, he replied yes. I explained how I knew him, and that I had spent many hours talking with him in the hospital. His eyes welled up with tears, and he gave me the warmest hug I had ever received.

He began to tell me how, as he lay there comatose, he could hear me talking to him and could feel me holding his hand the whole time. He thought it was an angel, not a person, who was there with him. Mr. Gillespie firmly believed that it was my voice and touch that had kept him alive.

Then he told me about his life and what happened to him to put him in the coma. We both cried for a while and exchanged a hug, said our good-byes and went our separate ways.

Although I haven’t seen him since, he fills my heart with joy every day. I know that I made a difference between his life and his death. More important, he has made a tremendous difference in my life. I will never forget him and what he did for me: he made me an angel.

It’s right there in James 1:27a: “Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after ... widows in their distress....”

Need some fresh ideas for demonstrating pure religion by ministering to widows in your church?

SHARE A TISSUE: Small acts of Christian kindness can make a difference during grief.

• Take 12. For a new widow, make a notation on your personal calendar to remember the one-month anniversary of the death for 12 months. Personally contact her monthly with a simple phone call, a stop to visit, an encouragement note, an invitation to dinner, or an invitation for a cup of coffee.

• Notice her. Seek her out at church. Talk with her. Show love. Sit by her during worship. If she’s not there, call to check on her.

• Listen. Don’t avoid conversation about her late husband. Whether she is a recent widow or has been alone for decades, let her share memories of her husband.

• Churches can provide a grief recovery class or grief support group. Assign a deacon or a family to a new widow in your church to help her through the grief process.

• Pray. Every time God brings her to mind, pray. Take the time to voice a prayer when you visit.

OFFER FRIENDSHIP: Demonstrate God’s love through friendship (Proverbs 17:17).

• Be a friend. Laugh together. Cry together. Shop together. Carpool. Telephone. Text. Begin a new tradition with her by inviting her for a holiday, calling her each Sunday afternoon, planting flower bulbs each fall or taking her to lunch on her birthday.

• Include her. Help her meet Christians with similar interests or life circumstances. Include widows on your guest list when you entertain. Ask her along for a family adventure, such as watching fireworks, a day trip or dinner. Invite her to join your Bunco club, book club, Bible study group, computer class or community club.

• Think of the kids. When your ministry involves younger widows, be aware of her need for childcare to be provided. Consider adopting a young family that first Christmas after the death of the father and husband, helping out with the purchase of presents.

• Share ministry. Discover her interests and talents, and carefully watch for ways she might enjoy serving at your church. For example, if you teach a Sunday School or Vacation Bible School, invite her to help with records, greeting or substitute teaching.

• A church might form a group for widows. They could plan fellowships, prayer teams or Bible studies. The group could go on outings together, do ministry projects, take short trips for vacation or missions or share holiday gatherings. Find ways to include widowers in many of your gatherings. One younger widow advises avoiding the appearance of a dating service.

SHOW HONOR: 1 Timothy 5:3-10 instructs us to honor widows who are widows indeed.

• Personally deliver a holiday fruit basket, a birthday balloon or a single Gerber daisy.

• Deacons sponsored an annual banquet for widows in our church. They provided transportation, served the meal, prayed for each widow at the table, and made her feel like a queen for the evening. Or allow deacons to escort widows to be first in line at the annual church potluck dinner.

• A Christmas open house for widows could be planned at a church member’s home.

• The church youth group could sponsor a “cupcakes and coffee fellowship” for widows, serving homemade goodies. Assign teens to visit with and serve a widow, and use nametags to help them know one another.

• Some churches honor widows annually during a worship service. Mail widows a printed invitation, make them special nametags, and give them a corsage as they arrive. Create a pre-service slideshow to spotlight them. Ask them to stand, and invite church members to surround them and offer a prayer of thanksgiving and blessing.

• Assign a church group or class to Christmas carol at each widow’s door. Take a group photo with her in the middle and mail or deliver it to her with a Christmas card signed by the entire group.

• Assign a children’s or youth class a widow. They can send cards, deliver candies, help with small home projects, and get to know her.

• The young married women’s class could sponsor an annual “Hats Required Tea” just for widows in the church. Draw names to pair young women with a widow to provide transportation, serve her, and maybe even borrow one of her hats to wear. Ask ladies to be prepared to share a favorite Bible verse.

• Don’t overlook her value in ministry. A widow is a part of the church body, and her ministry is valuable. She may have more time than at other stages of life, so include her as a prayer warrior, volunteer, committee member, etc.

GET PRACTICAL: Deuteronomy 24:19 encourages practical assistance to widows.

• Some churches assign widows to a deacon and his wife or a church member for regular contact and help with physical, spiritual and social needs. Some churches have a list of widows, and encourage church groups to adopt and give special attention to one.

• Light brigade. Our church’s women’s ministry developed a team of women who lovingly accomplished small tasks for widows, such as changing light bulbs, planting a flower bed, or cleaning a freezer.

• Ramplifiers. A team of men in our church perfected the art of building a wheelchair ramp and were called many times to help widows with that task. Some churches form a maintenance team of handymen who assist widows with repairs and emergencies.

• A special fund. A church might have a special offering to assist with church widows in need for utilities, medical bills, etc. Our church collected a special benevolence offering during our quarterly Lord’s Supper service. One church youth group plans an annual garage sale for the church’s widow’s assistance fund.

• Reading material. Share current magazines or books. Take her with you to the library or offer to pick up books, audio books or videos for her. Help her set up a DVD player and share your favorites with her. Program her television to record favorite programs.

• Yard youth. A youth group might volunteer to help with her lawn or flowers. A young adult class might volunteer to trim trees or paint. A group of deacons and their wives might help with an entire room makeover for a widow in need.

• Transportation. If she’s unable to drive, consider taking her with you for a weekly or monthly grocery shopping trip or offer to take her for doctor appointments.

• Targeted assistance. Some churches may offer classes or individual assistance with legal, financial or personal needs.

• While I’m there ... When scheduling a visit to her home, mention that you’d love to spend a few minutes and replace smoke alarm batteries, sew on a button, or something she can’t easily do for herself.

• Things he did. Think of routine responsibilities that husbands often handle such as car maintenance, and offer to take her car to get the oil changed or tires rotated. Even the things she might have routinely done are often forgotten in the months following a death.

The care and treatment of widows must be important to God. It’s addressed in more than 20 Scriptures. How will you demonstrate your pure religion today?

________

Diana Davis, author of “Deacon Wives,” is married to Stephen Davis, executive director of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana. This article first appeared in the Southern Baptist TEXAN, online at texanonline.net.

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I walked to the door and knocked. “Just a minute”, answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90’s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940’s movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

“Would you carry my bag out to the car?” she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing”, I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”

“Oh, you’re such a good boy,” she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”

“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.

“Oh, I don’t mind,” she said. “I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice.”

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. “I don’t have any family left,” she continued in a soft voice. “The doctor says I don’t have very long.” I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

“What route would you like me to take?” I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she’d ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

“How much do I owe you?” she asked, reaching into her purse.

“Nothing,” I said.

“You have to make a living,” she answered.

“There are other passengers,” I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

“You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,” she said. “Thank you.”

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don’t think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We’re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware - beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

________

The above story is true and happened to Kent Nerburn in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the early 1980’s. At the time he was working as a driver for the Yellow Cab company and worked what he called ‘the dog shift” overnight.

The story was originally published in a book by Nerburn titled MAKE ME AN INSTRUMENT OF YOUR PEACE and published by Harper, San Francisco.

Children's television host Mr. Fred Rogers often told this story about when he was a boy and would see scary things on the news: “My mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.”

People who love Appalachia are familiar with the Foxfire book series. It is a compilation of crafts and traditions and stories from a dying breed, the mountain people of America. See if you identify with these observations made by a man who spent his lifetime in the mountains of western North Carolina. Now this isn't a highly educated gentleman - just an ordinary guy - but what he has to say is significant. I'll try to read it like it's written. Lawton Brooks begins:

I've seen lots of changes in my life. I'uz just wonderin' if I could live as long again as I have, what kind of a world we'd be in. But I just know the world is different from what it used t'be. Back then, when people had more time, they thought lots more of each other than they do now. Yeah, they did, they thought more of people than they do now. They's lots more people than they used to be. Now that's got lots to do with it....

They goin' s'fast, that they ain't got time to take up with you. They ain't got time to take up with me. They goin' so fast. An' that's what makes th'difference. Used to be all ever'body had was time. They had plenty of time....

I'll tell y'what - people enjoyed life better then than they do now. Because ever'body thought s'much more of each other....

They's a lot of changes. They's as much difference in people now as they is in day an' night. People don't care for people no more like they used to. Use t'be if anybody got sick in th'community, why people'd go see about 'em, not just pass'em by. If you lived in our community, even if you was seven or eight mile away, when we hear you'uz sick, we'd go see about you....

Nowadays you can get sick an' people ain't gonna go see about you t'ask how y'are, let alone do anything for you. You'd freeze t'death 'cause they ain't gonna get you no wood.

People loved people better in them days. I know so. People cared for each other more. Nowadays they're livin' too fast. They ain't got time t'take time with you. That's true. That's as true as it can be.... Believe me, we was happier then than we are now.(1)

Lawton Brooks's observations about the changes he's seen in our culture are pretty accurate and profound. People don't care for people like they used to. "Nowadays they're livin' too fast ... livin' too high." What matters is relationships, what matters is other people.

______________________________

(1) Eliot Wigginton, ed. Foxfire 3 (Garden City, NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1975), pp. 241-44.

*

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I walked to the door and knocked. “Just a minute”, answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90’s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940’s movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

“Would you carry my bag out to the car?” she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing”, I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”

“Oh, you’re such a good boy,” she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”

“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.

“Oh, I don’t mind,” she said. “I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice.”

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. “I don’t have any family left,” she continued in a soft voice. “The doctor says I don’t have very long.” I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

“What route would you like me to take?” I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she’d ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

“How much do I owe you?” she asked, reaching into her purse.

“Nothing,” I said.

“You have to make a living,” she answered.

“There are other passengers,” I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

“You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,” she said. “Thank you.”

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don’t think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We’re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware - beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

________

The above story is true and happened to Kent Nerburn in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the early 1980’s. At the time he was working as a driver for the Yellow Cab company and worked what he called ‘the dog shift” overnight.

The story was originally published in a book by Nerburn titled MAKE ME AN INSTRUMENT OF YOUR PEACE and published by Harper, San Francisco.

Psalm 41:1–3 — Sow Bountifully « Leader information shown in this fashion »

1 Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. 2 The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, And he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. 3 The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed. (NKJV)

A. There is a law operative in the world in which we live

1. concerning the realm of nature it is found first in Genesis 1:11–12, 21, 24–25 and it may be summarized briefly as « “like begets like –- things reproduce themselves” »

2. this has spiritual corollaries:

a. most familiar is Galatians 6:7–8: « you reap what you sow — either the rot or the Rock »

b. Proverbs 22:8: « sow evil and vanity and sorrow follow; see also Proverbs 1:31 »

c. Hosea 8:7: « play at evil and devastation will result »

d. 2 Corinthians 9:6: « the level of generosity shown will be the level of generosity received »

3. confirmed by Jesus’ words in Luke 6:38

B. what is the instruction to be observed in these verses in Psalm 41? … what does that include? « — instruction is to consider the poor; this is not merely an intellectual exercise, but must have a practical result: reaching out in help to the weak, needy, helpless »

C. what is the promised result? « — God’s reaching out to us when we are weak, needy, helpless … in time of trouble. The rest of the Psalm is David describing how that is now his situation and prayer that God may now reach out in help. This ends the first book of the Psalms … see verse 13 »

Sermon in series "We Are Gifted," #5. Romans 12:8; Acts 4:34-37

THE GIFTS OF CARING

===================

I. The gift of a big heart.

A. She stooped so low.

B. Christians have long been known for their caring.

C. The Bible reveals a gift of caring.

II. The gift of encouragement.

A. The meaning of "parakaleo."

B. Helping someone where they cannot help themselves.

C. Those who have the gift of encouragement "come alongside."

III. A guy named Joe. [Barnabas] Acts 4:32, 9:27, 15:36

IV. Encouraging people in God's Word.

A. Parakaleo also has the meaning of exhortation.

B. The most encouraging thing you can do is direct people to God.

V. Like encouragement, the gift of mercy involves caring.

A. Mercy here probably isn't forgiveness.

B. Some believe the gift of mercy was more of a ministry.

C. Do it with a positive attitude.

Hebrews 10:22-25

FACEBOOK OR FELLOWSHIP?

I. Facebook may not be the answer.

II. What good fellowship can be like.

A. Cure for depression.

B. Deeper sharing.

C. Deeper caring.

III. Jesus needs to be at the center.

A. Churches must be more than warm places with nice people.

B. Our human fellowship must be founded on spiritual fellowship.

IV. Failures in fellowship.

A. Coffee time may not cut it.

B. We can become stagnant and self-affirming.

C. Activities are not enough.

V. Finessing fellowship.

A. Get involved in more than worship.

B. Watch your actions and attitudes toward others.

C. Share yourself with new people.

VI. Jesus is the one we want to know.