October 13, 2024
Passionate Compassion
- Matt Nickoson
Sermon Notes
Romans 14:1 NIV
Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.
In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things love.
What I see in Jesus is that He is both Passionate and Compassionate.
John 8:7-8 NIV
When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
John 8:10-11 NIV
Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said.
John 8:10-11 NIV
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Jesus is passionate about her sin AND Jesus is compassionate about her life.
It’s critical we try and work this out, because we are trying to win people to Jesus.
John 4:6-7 NIV
Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”
Jesus shows compassion by meeting her on her terms.
John 4:10 NIV
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
Notice how Jesus shows her compassion by inviting her to seek Him.
John 4:11-12 NIV
“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
John 4:13-14 NIV
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Notice how Jesus is drawing her in toward Himself with cleverness and kindness.
John 4:15 NIV
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
John 4:16 NIV
He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
Notice how Jesus shows He is still passionate about the truth as He confronts her about her lifestyle.
John 4:17-18 NIV
“I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
What about abortion?
Since every human was created by God in His image, all human life is sacred. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, children, women, men and the aged, regardless of physical and mental challenges, race, and social status from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. We are His creation. – Kingsway Statement of Faith
A person can be both passionate about life and compassionate toward someone who has an abortion.
Jeremiah 22:3 NIV
This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female, and that these two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. We believe that God created marriage to be exclusively the union of one biological man and one biological woman, and that sexual activity is to occur exclusively within that marriage covenant. – Kingsway Statement of Faith
A person can be both passionate about moral issues, and compassionate toward people who struggle with these issues.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NIV
Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
This principle applies even to non-essential topics. A person can be both passionate about closed borders and compassionate toward every foreigner living among us.
Leviticus 19:33-34 NIV
“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
Leviticus 19:18 NIV
“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
James 1:5 NIV
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.