1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:08,039 Strong and courageous, do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, 2 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:13,480 for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. 3 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:18,520 So said Joshua to the children of Israel as they were ready to 4 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:23,200 go into the Promised Land. Now y'all he and Caleb were it. 5 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:27,520 The rest of the generations had not trusted the Lord and had 6 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,280 spent 40 years walking in circles till they died off. 7 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:36,160 Joshua of anybody had reasons to lack some courage. 8 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,080 He had some reasons to be worried because his people had 9 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:41,680 already shown them they weren't faithful. 10 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:48,360 But this generation learned from their parents mistakes, and so 11 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:52,960 they sent spies in, and the spies went to Rahab. 12 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,160 Rahab. We call her a prostitute or a 13 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,920 harlot, and may well have been, but the word also means 14 00:00:59,920 --> 00:01:03,240 innkeeper. So before we disparage her too 15 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,160 much, we might just say she was a working woman when other women 16 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:14,520 weren't. And as Rahab takes in the spies, 17 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:19,080 she is acting with kind hospitality, but she is also 18 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:24,960 acting with thoughtfulness for her family, as we will see. 19 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:28,680 And so we'll stay on rehab for just a second more. 20 00:01:28,960 --> 00:01:32,520 She hides those spies. She lies for those spies, and 21 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:37,440 she sends those spies over the side saying, you keep your 22 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,320 promise to me. I have been kind to you. 23 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:46,320 Now you be kind to me. And I want to say that as we sit 24 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:51,200 here together on Mother's Day now, we want to think about what 25 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,880 does it mean to be kind? Because I feel like if you only 26 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:58,520 watch TV, you get rather one-dimensional kind. 27 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,400 Sweet Mamas. But most of us are deeply human. 28 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,960 I was laughing this morning preparing to preach the sermon 29 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:10,520 on kindness, and my child asked me to deal with a spider not 30 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:13,040 once but twice. And I'm running behind. 31 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:17,560 And I stopped being kind because I was like, come on, I got to 32 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:19,960 get things done, not be Jason spiders. 33 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:22,680 And I was like, oh, look at that. 34 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:28,960 So parenting shows us very quickly what is happening in our 35 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:33,360 real hearts. And so the moms of our church 36 00:02:33,640 --> 00:02:37,640 are helping me with this message or some of the moms. 37 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:42,000 And so I want to read to you what mom in our church has said 38 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:46,000 that parenting has taught me that we need to model kindness 39 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:48,600 for others. And sometimes that means we are 40 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:52,000 kind when others are not. And that's hard. 41 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:54,640 It's hard to be kind when someone else is not. 42 00:02:54,640 --> 00:02:59,000 And sometimes in those moments, we have to be kind for our 43 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,960 children because they are watching how we handle 44 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:06,760 difficulties more than how I was just telling them that they need 45 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:13,520 to be kind. Rahab modelled hospitality to 46 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:20,200 those spies so that they would have a model of being hospitable 47 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,320 to her when they came in violence. 48 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:29,000 And as a mom, sometimes you're having to extend a kindness you 49 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,920 do not have. But I'll also say sometimes as a 50 00:03:32,920 --> 00:03:38,840 child you are extending A kindness to your parents that 51 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,800 you don't feel you have. And we want to think about today 52 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:50,280 all the complexities that are a part of human interaction and 53 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:54,200 that that's real. That is much more real and 54 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:59,240 honest than just the feel good moms are great because as a mom, 55 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:01,720 I can say I'm sometimes not great. 56 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:09,080 I've looked at my child and said I'm an equal opportunity 57 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,080 screamer. OK, When you say that, you know, 58 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,400 as a Mama, you've lost it in that moment. 59 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:19,120 And So what I'm going to say is we as moms are also deeply human 60 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:23,040 and deeply need the kindness of God in helping us be better. 61 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:30,040 And we also need to extend that to all the different ways of 62 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:33,640 being human. So Rahab is not our focus, but I 63 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:36,960 want you to have Rahab in your mind as we look now. 64 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:43,600 In Acts Chapter 9, as Peter travelled about to the country, 65 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:47,760 he went to visit the Lord's people who lived in Leda, where 66 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:51,880 he found a man named Aeneas who was paralysed and had been 67 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:57,240 bedridden for eight years. Aeneas, Peter said to him, Jesus 68 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:02,880 Christ heals you get up and roll up your mat immediately. 69 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:08,240 Aeneas got up and all those who lived in Leda and Sharon saw him 70 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:17,760 and turned to the Lord. When we act in the kindness of 71 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:22,520 God, not just the person, maybe our attention is focused on 72 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:29,960 others are impacted. In Joppa there was a disciple 73 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:32,880 named Tabitha. In Greek her name is Dorcas. 74 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:35,960 She was always doing good and helping the poor. 75 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:40,800 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was 76 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:43,680 washed and placed in an upstairs room. 77 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:49,400 Lita was near Joppa. So when the disciples heard that 78 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:53,920 Peter was in Lita, they sent two men to him and urged him, Please 79 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:59,080 come at once. Peter went with him, and when he 80 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:01,960 arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. 81 00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:06,120 All the widows stood around him crying and showing him the robes 82 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,760 and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still 83 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:13,640 with them. Peter sent them all out of the 84 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:15,480 room. Then he got down on his knees 85 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:17,560 and prayed. Turning towards the dead woman 86 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:23,080 he said, Tabitha, get up. She opened her eyes and seeing 87 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:27,800 Peter, she sat up and he took her by the hand and helped her 88 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,520 to her feet. And then he called for the 89 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:34,960 believers, especially the widows, and presented her to 90 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:39,080 them alive. This became known all over Joppa 91 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:41,680 and many people believed in the Lord. 92 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:46,520 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a Tanner named Simon. 93 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:58,320 Now, Peter, has anybody ever been tired and maybe too tired 94 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,840 to be kind? You cannot be asking me for one. 95 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:08,840 You know, friends and family don't have crises on our cycles 96 00:07:08,840 --> 00:07:12,680 of energy schedules. Crises just happen and somebody 97 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:15,960 just calls. And you're like, I could help 98 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:19,200 you better in a little bit, but right now isn't a good time. 99 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:23,840 That's not how crises work. So with Peter, here is what we 100 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:30,960 have. He healed Aeneas that Peter had 101 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:33,240 been doing, he had been doing in Jerusalem. 102 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:37,320 Peter seems confident. But let's also think about 103 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:38,640 Peter. We've looked at him several 104 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:42,600 times in the last few weeks. Peter had experienced the 105 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:47,560 kindness of Jesus to restore him after the betrayal of 106 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:52,760 friendship. So Peter had walked with Jesus 107 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:56,840 and seen his healing ministry, but he had also experienced the 108 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:01,440 kindness of God. Then he heals Aneus. 109 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:04,680 He gets asked. He was enjoying these people. 110 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:06,760 There was a moment to be enjoyed here. 111 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,480 But people come and they invite him to Joppa. 112 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:15,480 And so he goes and there he is literally life giving to 113 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:19,200 Tabitha, but he is also life giving to that church. 114 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:22,200 If you notice in this church there are two people named, 115 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:27,880 there's Dorcas Tabatha, she had, see, she was intercultural. 116 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:31,760 She had an Aramaic name and she had a Greek name. 117 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:34,760 Do any of you have more than one language names? 118 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,760 My name is Ellen. My sign name is E Over the 119 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:41,520 Heart. And my name in a community that 120 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:43,120 I was a part of as a child was Elena. 121 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:48,080 So I have three names and a few nicknames that aren't worth 122 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:51,200 saying here. So she was just like that. 123 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:54,600 Now I also want to say I don't know what your Sunday school is 124 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:57,600 like, but my Sunday school telling of her had her sweet and 125 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:00,080 easy. But the truth is, is that she 126 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:05,800 was generous and kind and that church history and understanding 127 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:09,800 of this was close to the coast. It's that she's probably a 128 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,720 businesswoman, too. How else could she have been 129 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:16,240 generous with the clothes if she did not have the resources for 130 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:19,000 that end? So she's an intercultural 131 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:23,120 businesswoman. And we have to suspect that she 132 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:25,960 and Simon were leaders in the local church. 133 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:29,320 Otherwise why are they getting named in the New Testament? 134 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:34,400 They were known by the other people in the church and so 135 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:41,400 Peter is infusing into this community what they needed, 136 00:09:41,560 --> 00:09:45,080 which was life giving. Now I want you to think about 137 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:49,800 actually being Peter. Peter had seen Jesus do this, 138 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:55,160 but up until now, Peter had not been a part of bringing anybody 139 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:58,040 else back to life. This is an act of courage, of 140 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:00,640 faith. Peter had known people who had 141 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:02,840 died. Peter had seen Jesus heal his 142 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:05,440 mother-in-law, heal all the people we read about in the New 143 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:09,320 Testament. And Peter had known that he had 144 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:12,880 called Lazarus out of the grave. He had known Jesus himself was 145 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:16,320 resurrected. But many if you go back and you 146 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,840 read, I believe it's Luke 7 where Jesus heals, brings back 147 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:24,480 to life the daughter of Jarius, the synagogue ruler verses the 148 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:27,720 verbs, everything is parallel. Why? 149 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:33,840 Because G Peter learned from Jesus how to be kind and how to 150 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:38,160 have the courage to call out someone into a life giving 151 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:41,160 stature and return to life. Resuscitate her. 152 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:44,200 This isn't her resurrected body. This is a resuscitation. 153 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:49,560 She would die again. Also in Peter's courage to be 154 00:10:49,560 --> 00:10:53,200 kind, to go from one place where things were looking good for him 155 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:57,960 with Aeneas and Lita to Joppa because the disciples asked for 156 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:01,960 help. Many in both regions were coming 157 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:05,960 to know Jesus. And also, if we kept reading, we 158 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:11,440 would find that Peter's courage had him in the place he needed 159 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:16,760 to be when Cornelius the centurion had a dream, because 160 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:20,680 he's in Simon, Simon the Tanner's house when Cornelius's 161 00:11:20,680 --> 00:11:23,880 men were. Cornelius had a vision sent for 162 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:29,240 Peter, and there he goes in all of Cornelius's house. 163 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:35,680 And so I just want you to see in this story, there is courage to 164 00:11:35,680 --> 00:11:39,840 be life giving for other people. And it may take you places you 165 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:42,800 didn't expect to go and energy you didn't expect to have. 166 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:46,960 And so I also want us to look at what some of our moms said for 167 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:51,800 this. The way we treat our kids shapes 168 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:56,960 their concept of kindness. Oh my gosh, I know that. 169 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:59,800 And yet this morning, I'm impatient about spiders. 170 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:04,000 What's wrong with me? Love and kindness are 171 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:17,080 intertwined. If a Mama is having to work for 172 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:21,160 that to sometimes be true to the children who are most precious, 173 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:25,400 how much more true is that for somebody we think is an adult 174 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:27,720 and should be competent and should be acting better 175 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:35,280 themselves? And so the way we treat other 176 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:40,880 people says more about how we understand God and how His love 177 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:44,640 and kindness is intertwined into our life than it does to the 178 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:47,680 recipient of our kindness or the lack thereof. 179 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:52,520 Peter went and did these things that changed Aeneas and 180 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:56,400 Tabitha's life and the widow's lives and the church and Simon's 181 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:59,840 life and Cornelius's household and the people that accepted him 182 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:04,080 in this whole region because he knew Jesus. 183 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:08,040 And Jesus's love and kindness and the power of that spirit 184 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:15,880 were intertwined in him. And so if there is a roommate 185 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:19,640 you're having trouble being kind to, or a sibling or a cousin or 186 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:24,360 a parent or a neighbor, that's real. 187 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:26,120 I'm not dismissing whatever they've done. 188 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:29,240 I'd probably agree and get righteously indignant with you. 189 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:35,400 But the kindness of God and His love intertwined in our life 190 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:39,480 allows us to be a model of the grace of God. 191 00:13:39,680 --> 00:13:44,120 Not just Mamas to parents, children, but you to those all 192 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:48,240 around you. Now Peter is not the only 193 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:52,840 courageous person in our story in Acts, we also have Dorcas 194 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:57,400 Tabitha. Now, this is from a 4th century 195 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:03,040 funeral box, basically, and I just want you to think she had 196 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:07,040 the courage to be kind. Now, the business woman in her 197 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:10,000 would have business people who would say, well, they need to 198 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:11,720 work hard and make their own money. 199 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:13,840 Why are you helping them? All right. 200 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:18,720 And then have you had friends who've been widowed? 201 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:22,040 Probably not yet. Many of you. 202 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:26,600 When people are in deep grief or loss, they're not always 203 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:32,960 pleasant to be around. And when people have fear of 204 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:36,480 their future, they're a little bit clingy. 205 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:38,440 You're asking? It's not always fun. 206 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:45,480 Widows in this society were often struggling because there 207 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,120 were limits on what they could and could not do. 208 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:53,360 And so Dorcas and or Tabitha, I go back and forth with her name. 209 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:58,440 It's the same human. She had to have the courage to 210 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:01,840 be kind. You know, it sounds like it is 211 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:05,360 beautiful and easy. Michaela Yoon. 212 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:08,720 Our Michaela Yoon is probably one of the most consistently 213 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:10,800 kind humans I've known in my entire life. 214 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:16,800 Michaela Yoon, do you know that she sits in court cases? 215 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:22,040 And here's the worst of humanity as she translates for people who 216 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:27,880 have committed crimes. She is kind not just because 217 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:32,600 God's wired her, but because the Spirit of Jesus allows her to 218 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:38,840 sit for work in the worst things humans do and then pray for them 219 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:40,880 and just want them to have justice. 220 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:47,920 In my mind, I have Torque as Tabitha's character, kind of 221 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:53,760 like Michaela, where it there's so much kindness that you forget 222 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:57,920 the courage and the strength and the depth that is behind that. 223 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:04,120 And I would wish for each of you to know Jesus's love and have it 224 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:10,720 so intertwined in your being that you would be known for 225 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:16,360 doing good and being generous. Now do you see my little blue 226 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:20,280 circle? This was in the 3rd century, so 227 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:23,160 it was about 300 years after this story. 228 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:31,680 But the story is aware of the diversity of Joppa and so I 229 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,320 wouldn't know this if some other specialist hadn't told me. 230 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:38,920 But do you see the little cap? Dorcas is the one in the bed 231 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:44,760 with the hand on the head. Do you see how the shorter widow 232 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:49,640 with the has like a hat on? This is a Phrygian cap. 233 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:52,600 Why does that even matter? Well, let me say why it matters 234 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:55,760 because it was a different people group it they weren't 235 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:58,800 hers. And yet she is extending 236 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:03,720 kindness beyond just her community and the kindness of 237 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:07,520 God our Lord came for all the nations. 238 00:17:08,319 --> 00:17:11,560 And here is an example of the early Christians deeply 239 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:16,119 understanding that our expressions of the love and 240 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:21,040 kindness of God extends beyond who we think of as our people. 241 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:30,880 So when Acts 936 says in Joppa there was a disciple named 242 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:33,800 Tabitha in Greek her name is Dorcas. 243 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:38,360 She was always doing good and helping the poor. 244 00:17:39,360 --> 00:17:44,280 There was a extension, there was a reputation that could be 245 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:50,800 summed up in this. Now let's talk about the other 246 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:58,080 couraging pieces that are there. The disciples who went and asked 247 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:01,000 Peter to come had to have some courage. 248 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:04,280 And what they do is that they go. 249 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:09,120 They were sent, admittedly, but they go and said please come at 250 00:18:09,120 --> 00:18:13,600 once. There is faith in that, yeah, 251 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:18,080 she's already dead. Why is he saying please come at 252 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:24,080 once? There is courage to ask for help 253 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,840 now. But people in the ancient world 254 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:30,920 were much closer to death than people in our modern world. 255 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:35,200 They knew the dead people didn't usually rise again. 256 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:40,440 They knew that sickness could be immediate and deadly. 257 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:45,480 They sent for Peter's help and then Peter asked the Lord for 258 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:48,480 help in the healing because we come down where he sent 259 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:50,440 everybody out of the room. He didn't want to show or a 260 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:53,320 three ring circus. He's also modeling what Jesus 261 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:56,080 had done. He's following his teacher's 262 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:58,440 example. And then he got down on his 263 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,880 knees and he prayed and he looked and he said get up. 264 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,360 She opened her eyes and seeing Peter, she sat up and he took 265 00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:08,240 her by the hand and helped her to her feet. 266 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:10,440 And then he called the believers. 267 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:15,040 So there is the asking of a Christian brother, and then 268 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:18,000 there is the asking of the Lord. And the Lord granted that. 269 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:24,600 Now we can go the next one. What does this mean? 270 00:19:27,360 --> 00:19:32,200 I want us to come back to Rahab and I want us to read This is 271 00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:36,800 verses from Joshua 2. Now then, please swear to me by 272 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:41,800 the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I 273 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:45,080 have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you 274 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:48,160 will spare the lives of my father and mother, brothers and 275 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:52,120 sisters and all who belong to them, and that you will save us 276 00:19:52,120 --> 00:19:54,680 from death, our lives for your lives. 277 00:19:55,000 --> 00:20:00,480 The men assured her if you don't tell what we are doing, we will 278 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:05,320 treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land. 279 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:17,400 This story with Rahab is happening about 1400 years 280 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:20,960 before the story of Tabitha. Tabitha's story is about 2000 281 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:25,480 years before us. But what I want to say is that 282 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:30,320 Rahab. Extended a kindness, Rahab 283 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:34,160 received a kindness. And actually, if we can follow 284 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,760 rabbinical tradition and trust it, Rahab ended up marrying one 285 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:40,200 of these spies. So they weren't just kind to 286 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:42,800 her. There was some actual pragmatics 287 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:48,280 in her family life that shifted. But what I want to say is that 288 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:54,160 we have examples. Rahab, at the time of the 289 00:20:54,160 --> 00:21:00,600 telling, was not a mom biologically, but functionally. 290 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,560 She was looking to be life giving to others. 291 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:07,680 You know, that is what Eve's name means, giver of life. 292 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:13,000 And do you realize that whether or not you're a parent, we all 293 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:18,360 can choose to be life giving. But to be life giving to others 294 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:25,280 takes courage. It takes energy and it takes 295 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:29,880 walking with the One who is love and kindness himself and will 296 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:34,920 show us how now. Rahab was looking to preserve 297 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:40,760 their lives, but she changed the trajectory of her family's 298 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:44,040 knowing God, not just staying alive. 299 00:21:46,120 --> 00:21:50,360 Tabitha and Dorcas, same person, just don't know which name. 300 00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:52,080 You're like, I'm just going to stick with Tabitha from now on. 301 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:56,800 She was living out and being kind because that was an 302 00:21:56,800 --> 00:22:00,840 expression of her faith. The doing good Ephesians, we 303 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:04,800 have the same word for the believers are equipped for every 304 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:08,120 good work. You are already ready for these. 305 00:22:08,360 --> 00:22:10,600 You are already doing these in many ways. 306 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:16,720 It's just sometimes we think, well, if I do too much, they 307 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:21,480 won't learn to help themselves. Well, I'm just so depleted. 308 00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:25,880 Oh, I don't want to be around people that give off those bad 309 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:28,320 vibes. I need to be around positive 310 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:31,200 people. And we have a litany of reasons 311 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:35,680 that we distance ourselves. Now I am not saying don't have 312 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:43,240 good boundaries, but I believe that the Spirit of Jesus often 313 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:49,760 calls us to be kind, to do good well beyond what would seem 314 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:57,040 logical to our society and you. I'm realizing I missed one 315 00:22:57,120 --> 00:22:58,880 parenting slide that I didn't mean to. 316 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:02,600 I had a couple in there. But in all of this, there was a 317 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:07,920 theme is that parenting helps the moms in our church realize 318 00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:14,680 it is a choice, it is a modeling, and it is not easy. 319 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:18,880 So if it is not easy for your kids that actually you love, how 320 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:22,960 much harder is it for peers? And yet that is what we have 321 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:27,080 been called to. All right, Christine, And so I 322 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:29,960 want you to think about the cycle of kindness. 323 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:37,560 Jesus came as the presence of God on earth Incarnate to show 324 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:40,840 the kindness of God. And he, very pragmatically, as 325 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:43,040 I've already mentioned, show this to Peter. 326 00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:47,920 And as he showed it, he restored Peter into intimate relationship 327 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:51,720 as Craig preached around do you love me, Feed my sheep. 328 00:23:52,360 --> 00:23:55,280 And now we're getting to see Peter do some of this feeding 329 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:58,840 the sheep and we see Dorcas coming back to life. 330 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:03,360 But also realize this cycle I, let's be honest, Canva didn't 331 00:24:03,360 --> 00:24:07,520 have a picture for the all over the place kindness that the 332 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:11,400 Gospel and Acts show. Jesus was kind. 333 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:16,000 Jesus's spirit had given kindness to Tabatha and now 334 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:18,520 she's giving it to the widows. The widows are giving it back to 335 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:21,440 her by having the people go get Peter. 336 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:25,080 Peter is showing kindness to the widows and Dorcas. 337 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:29,480 There are cycles of kindness and you don't always know who 338 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:33,160 benefits from the fact that you are kind to someone today and 339 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:36,840 they learn from how you are kind and then it goes to someone 340 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:38,680 else. Y'all this week I got to the 341 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:40,880 doctor's office 5 minutes late with the parkade. 342 00:24:42,360 --> 00:24:44,800 Then my phone credit card wouldn't be read read. 343 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:47,240 And then I realized I didn't have my wallet and then I was 344 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:49,400 like I'm going to get not get my appointment. 345 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:50,640 I really needed this appointment. 346 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:54,600 And I go to the security guard and I'm like, where can I pay 347 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:55,520 that? I'm not underground. 348 00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:57,600 And I'm like by this point, not crying but almost crying. 349 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:01,960 And y'all, he was about your age and I just thought he's going to 350 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:04,360 be like, that is your problem. But you know what he did? 351 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:06,920 He tried a few things and they didn't work. 352 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:12,120 And he went in his break room and he said just wait for me. 353 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:16,320 And he brought his credit card. Y'all, he didn't know me from 354 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:18,440 Eve. I did. 355 00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:21,200 I did E transfer him, but he didn't know I was going to do 356 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:23,520 that. He he works right across the 357 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:26,280 street from where you work and I need to introduce you Aiden 358 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:29,600 because I need him to come to know Jesus too. 359 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:39,000 His kindness made me patient when I got to the reception. 360 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,080 And she was not kind because I was now 20 minutes late instead 361 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:45,600 of 5 minutes late. And I would have usually been a 362 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:47,840 little bit short too, because she was being short. 363 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:53,040 But I had just experienced extraordinary kindness and it 364 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:57,400 changed how I behaved. And it put me in a cycle of 365 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,640 kindness and in spirit of prayer for this young man. 366 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:06,640 And you can be just like this security guard who was this 367 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:13,200 week. And So what I want to say, if 368 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:17,080 you think a Mama has superpowers of kindness, you are wrong. 369 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:25,000 Mamas just have more practice at getting their kindness tested 370 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:31,000 because sometimes Children Act the fool and you don't feel 371 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:37,200 patient and kind. And so you asked Jesus to help 372 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:41,480 you live into cycles of kindness. 373 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:45,680 And then it does not matter the biology of whether you are a 374 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:51,920 parent or not, you become a life giver because you are treating 375 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:56,680 people the way their Heavenly Father would have them treated. 376 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:04,640 All right, Our book that we are reading has an excellent 377 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:09,640 reminder that kindness is not these grand big things, but that 378 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:13,360 the best portion of a good person's life is the little 379 00:27:13,360 --> 00:27:17,320 nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. 380 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:21,440 It's the seat you give to somebody on the bus that isn't 381 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:26,080 ancient. It is the sharing a cough drop 382 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:27,800 when somebody's coughing in class. 383 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:33,720 Whatever the spirit prompts you to do, you do not have to 384 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:39,280 understand why we were at a prayer breakfast this week and 385 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:41,800 somebody robbed Nash. You can go watch him online if 386 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:44,600 you haven't, because he's got a big, exciting, amazing story of 387 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:48,280 how God's restored his joy. But in it, he was working with a 388 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:52,720 teenager who was despairing of life and had already attempted 389 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:54,880 on his own. And he said, part of it is you 390 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:57,960 just have big emotions. Look around, Do you notice 391 00:27:57,960 --> 00:27:58,880 anybody? And he goes, well, yeah, I'm 392 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:00,560 kind of wondering about that Lady over there. 393 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:03,960 And he goes, well, let's go see. And he goes, ma'am, is there any 394 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:06,680 way we could help you rank stranger, trying to make a point 395 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:10,320 to this teenager that that his empathy or intuition that was 396 00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:12,800 overwhelming him had a good and beautiful purpose. 397 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:17,240 And the woman started crying. And she was an older woman who 398 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:20,440 couldn't bend. And she had been waiting for 30 399 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:24,680 minutes for somebody to tie her shoe because she was also scared 400 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:26,400 of falling and breaking her other hip. 401 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:29,920 And this teenager who didn't know what to do with his big 402 00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:34,920 emotions was actually gifted by God to be aware and sensitive. 403 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:41,320 And so when you sense a little prompting this week, act because 404 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:45,880 we don't want to show contempt for the riches of God's kindness 405 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:48,400 to us. God has shown us His kindness, 406 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:52,360 His forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's 407 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:55,840 kindness is intended to lead you to repentance. 408 00:28:56,680 --> 00:29:00,840 And you know what? I think we get to see in the 409 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:06,800 story of Tabitha Peter's repentance in living color. 410 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:17,160 We get to see how the Spirit of God restored Peter, how Jesus 411 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:20,120 gave him a task and he actually was doing it. 412 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:24,000 So when we think of repentance, do any of you have some movie 413 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,280 version of self flagellating and beating? 414 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:29,360 Please get rid of that. And what we want to think of 415 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:33,280 about repentance is I might need to change my mind on some 416 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:38,120 things. I've had to change my mind where 417 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:40,200 I've told someone asking for money. 418 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:41,840 Yeah, not today. I can't. 419 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:44,320 I was, my kids were all around. It was crazy. 420 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:47,200 We and I said, yeah, I, I can't right now. 421 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:51,120 It was just 'cause I was busy and I wasn't sure Michaela was a 422 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:56,280 child and she looked at me and she went Mama and I was rightly 423 00:29:56,280 --> 00:29:58,040 rebuked. And guess what? 424 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:01,760 I went digging in my bag and I found some change for the man 425 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:04,200 because I needed to have a change of heart. 426 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:08,600 I was overwhelmed by what I was doing in the moment and could 427 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:13,760 not have a generosity of spirit. So repentance doesn't just mean 428 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:15,240 what you do at the end of the day. 429 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:20,160 Praying it might mean I start to walk away and then I come back 430 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,080 and say, you know, I am sorry I said that in that tone. 431 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:28,160 That's a repentance act because it's a change of what this Lord. 432 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:31,800 And so the Lord has been so very, very, very kind to us. 433 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:41,520 And let's let His kindness lead us into a change of mind, to a 434 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:48,280 softening of our hearts. And I don't know who makes it 435 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:54,320 hard for you to be kind, but I think we all have people where 436 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:57,840 it's harder. And that is where the Lord wants 437 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:03,800 us to repent and to extend His kindness in the healthiest of 438 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:08,840 ways. So I would ask that you would 439 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:11,880 join me in praying. Those of you that use the Lectio 440 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:14,800 app will find that this is how you start your morning. 441 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:21,080 I also want to acknowledge Aiden made this graphic for us and 442 00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:27,320 moms, we have one of these printed for each of you so that 443 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:30,000 you can be blessed by Aiden today. 444 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:37,720 So join me as we pray. Father, help me to live this day 445 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:41,720 to the full, being true to you in every way. 446 00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:47,800 Jesus, help me to give myself away to others, being kind to 447 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:52,120 everyone I meet. Spirit, help me to love the 448 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:58,200 lost, proclaiming Christ in all I do and say Amen. 449 00:31:59,120 --> 00:31:59,640 Thank you.