Sunday, January 17, 2016 am
OTHERS 2016 (3)
Attitudes that Affect Others – Good
a.
Love & caring –
i.
I put these together
because Christian love is about caring.
We regularly emphasize our need to love others.
Whether we are addressing our love for our brethren – (John
13:34-35, 1 Peter 1:22); or for others – (Matthew 22:39, James 2:8 –
love one another, etc.).
ii.
This love is more than a
feeling one has. It is an
ATTITUDE that acts on behalf of others (hence the definition of agape
love - caring enough to sacrifice for what is best).
iii.
This love is best
demonstrated by Jesus who gave Himself for us on the cross – John 15:13,
1 John 3:16, Ephesians 5:2.
It is seen in the
concern of Paul for brethren everywhere.
iv.
Having a genuine love
and concern for others can open doors of opportunity to teach and
influence. It can cause you
to look for opportunities to share the gospel and act like a Christian.
It can cause you to sacrifice because you do care.
It can keep you FROM doing or saying things that might cause
irreparable damage.
v.
People don’t care how
much you know until they know how much you care.
b.
Compassion, mercy
–
i.
Compassion – sympathetic
pity and concern for others who are suffering or facing misfortunes.
As Christians, we need to have a compassionate attitude.
ii.
There is no better
example of compassion than Jesus Himself.
Matt. 9:36, 14:14 – He was moved with compassion.
He demonstrated it on so many occasions – whether it was healing
the needy (Luke 7:13), tending to physical needs of others or even in
His teaching (Luke 10:33 – the good Samaritan, Luke 15:20 – the father
of the prodigal), including His pity for sinners (Matt. 9:36-38 – he
called for His disciples to pray the Lord of harvest send forth
laborers, etc.) He was accused of
associating with sinners often (Luke 15:1-2, 19:7, Matt. 9:10-11, 11:19)
probably because He didn’t avoid the “undesirables” of society, but was
compassionate.
iii.
As Christians we need to
be compassionate – 1 Pet. 3:8 – be of one mind, having compassion for
one another…
How do feel about the needy around us – the homeless, those with broken
lives and hearts, etc? And
not just brethren, but those of the world!
James 1:27 states that pure and undefiled religion is to help the needy.
James 2:14-17 tells us this is one way we demonstrate our faith.
Jude 22 calls for us to have compassion in trying to teach others.
Romans 12:8, speaking of whatever abilities we have, calls for us to
show mercy with cheerfulness.
iv.
When we care about
others we will become compassionate to their needs.
Spiritually, when we see the plight of the lost, it ought to
bother us. When we see
brethren or others suffering or struggling, we ought to desire to help
them in whatever way we can.
When we see those without dealing with things we the ability to help
with, we can do much good.
c.
Kindness –
i.
Speaks of one who has a
gentle, warm-hearted and considerate disposition toward others.
He treats others in a respectful and pleasant way.
He is NOT hateful or cruel.
ii.
One of the ways God is
described is toward us is through kindness – Titus 2:4
On Malta, after a shipwreck, the natives showed “unusual kindness” to
Paul and the others (Acts 28:2)
iii.
We need to be kind –
Proverbs 19:22, “What is desired
in a man is kindness, And a poor man is better than a liar. “
1 Corinthians 13:4 tells us that love suffers long and is kind.
It is a fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23
Ephesians 4:32 calls for us to be kind to one another – it solves many
problems.
iv.
Kindness is a universal
language. When we treat
others with kindness it can open doors.
It can also make or change someone’s day for the better.
It makes you desirable to be around.
d.
Joyful
–
i.
Joyful is a word
associated with happiness or gladness.
It does not always mean that everything is without trouble, but
you have an upbeat attitude and find good and hope in the situation.
ii.
It is a quality of the
kingdom of heaven - Romans 14:17 (with righteousness and peace)
iii.
After conversions there
was great joy – Acts 8:8 (Samaria), 13:52 – Antioch,
15:3 as Paul and Barnabas spoke of how Gentiles had been
converted there was great joy, etc.
Even after troubling
times we read of joyful attitudes – Acts 16:25 – Paul and Silas in
prison in Philippi singing and praying to God.
Acts 5:41 – after the apostles had been arrested, beaten and
threatened by the Council, they departed, “rejoicing
that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.”
2 Corinthians 6:5 Paul notes that while at times he was sorrowful, yet
he was always rejoicing.
iv.
Many passages call for
us to be joyful - Galatians 5:22 – a fruit of the Spirit
Phil. 1:4 – with joy Paul prayed for the brethren
Phil. 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always…
Romans 12:15, concerning our brethren we rejoice with them
v.
One who is joyful is not
going to be complaining about everything.
He is always happy and pleasant to be around.
Others can be positively influenced as they see you deal with
problems while maintaining a joyful attitude.
They might even be encouraged to have that same attitude (cf.
Philippians 1:12-14 – Paul’s demeanor being imprisoned caused others to
be confident and bold). A
dour attitude would be of no help to others.
e.
Meekness, humility –
i.
One who shows a mild and
gentle nature. He is not
seeking confrontation. He is
not easily provoked or irritated.
He is one not seeking to always assert his will and interests
ahead of others. In the
Bible, it is related to one who is humble.
It is quality present in one who is loving, caring,
compassionate, kind and joyful.
NOTE: while the word is somewhat misunderstood in our English language,
it does not imply weakness or cowardice.
Instead, it is as one defined it, “strength under control”.
ii.
Moses was known for his
meekness – Numbers 12:3 tells us he was very humble.
Jesus described Himself as meek (gentle) and lowly of heart – Matthew
11:29, 2 Cor. 10:1
iii.
Titus 3:1-2 – gentle,
showing all humility to all men.
Galatians 5:23- it too is a fruit of the Spirit.
1 Peter 3:15 – in defending our hope, we do so with meekness and fear
Matthew 5:5, Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit
the earth.” A statement that
means those of mild disposition can win over the world (or your
neighbor) – as opposed to one who is quick-tempered and easily provoked.
With meekness (gentleness ) we go to a brother overtaken in trespass
(Gal. 6:1)
Even addressing those in error we are to show gentleness and humility –
2 Timothy 2:24-26
iv.
Just as pride and
arrogance can turn people off, a gentle and humble attitude can put
others at ease and even cause them to want to be around you.
In fact, many of the verses just mentioned demonstrate how
meekness is related to our interaction with others.
In a world where aggressiveness and egotism seems to be the flavor of
the day, one with a meek disposition can be refreshing.
f.
Patience and longsuffering –
i.
Patience means to remain
calm and controlled while you are waiting.
Longsuffering is patience even in the face of troubles.
It means to bear long with others.
ii.
Longsuffering is an
attribute of God – 2 Peter 3:9, 15 – honestly, it is the reason we are
still here in spite of the ungodliness around us.
It is the reason we have hope.
Paul demonstrated long-suffering in his life.
He endured many things, yet he never gave up (i.e. 2 Corinthians
11:23-30, 2 Timothy 3:10)
iii.
Another fruit of the
Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23, and a “Christian grace” – 2 Peter 1:5-7.
1 Corinthians 13:4 – love suffers long
Colossians 1:11, 3:12 both describe this attitude.
2 Timothy 4:2 – as preachers preach, we must display longsuffering.
iv.
Another longed for
quality. This is an attitude
that definitely affects others as we remain in control in our dealings
with them and with life. It
can keep us from reaching rash conclusions (without all the facts).
It can keep us from losing our temper.
It can keep churches intact and brethren at peace.
Think of the example we set when we maintain patience in doing something
or when others treat us badly.
Think of the problems with others we prevent because we don’t
respond in haste. (James 1:19)
In
Matthew 5:16 we are told to let our lights so shine that through our
works God will be glorified.
That begins with our attitudes.
Virtually every attitude we have affects others in one way or
another. In this lesson we
have noticed a few attitudes that will positively affect others.
(Next week we want to examine a few more.)
Our
goal in this is to call for an examination of how we are maturing in
Him. A good indicator of
genuine spiritual growth is when we develop these godly attitudes and
when we overcome the ungodly ones.
Where do you stand in God’s eyes?