Compassion for Today’s
World
Text: Matthew 9:35-38
Introduction:
When Jesus used this
illustration: Matthew 9:16-17
16
No man
putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to
fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. 17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the
bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put
new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
He was trying to tell his friends that he brought a totally
new rules and values to the game. It
was the same game but with new rules. The law would be replaced by grace,
condemnation would be replaced by the cross.
The world Jesus entered was not much different than
our world in many ways.
Sin had a hold on much of world as it does today.
Jesus also brought a new means of reaching those that
were not followers of God. He ushered
evangelism. He underlined a simple truth that could be seen through the ages –
God coming to man. He disciples were
set out to share the gospel – God had come to man.
And he introduced something totally different – He
reached people through compassion.
God’s Compassion was clearly revealed in the OT but the Jews had
forgotten to practice that which God practiced.
Jesus reached the
unreachable because he reached out in compassion.
If we are to have an
influence on our world, if we are to be affective in our evangelism, if we are
to be lighthouse in a dark world, then I believe we must have a large dose of
compassion.
Today we are going to see in
the Bible how compassion plays a key role in:
Law and Grace
Compassion and Compromise
Light and Darkness
1 Timothy 1:8
But we know that the law is good, if a
man use it lawfully;
This
tells me that law is good – But it also tells me that it can be misused.
Allow
us to illustrate
One
of the Ten Commandments is to keep the Sabbath holy. Pharisees were diligent in
keeping the Sabbath.
Illustrate
Matthew 12:10-14
And, behold, there was a
man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it
lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. 11And
he said unto them, What man shall there be among you,
that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will
he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is
lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 13Then saith he to the
man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it
forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
14Then the Pharisees went
out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
What
was missing? Compassion!
The
Law was tempered with Grace.
Allow
us to share another:
Under
the law a leper was unclean and therefore you were forbidden to touch him. If
you did, then you were considered unclean and need to make a sacrifice for your
cleanliness.
Look at Mark 1:40-41
40
And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and
saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou
canst make me clean. 41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his
hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be
thou clean.
The
difference? Compassion. The law tempered the law of grace.
This
is presented to you because it is possible to be right and still be wrong.
Evangelism
is living the law – living right and taking grace to lepers of the world.
The
law never healed a leper – grace did.
We
cannot go one step farther with out throwing up a warning flag. There is a thin
line between Compassion and Compromise.
Many a sincere Bible believing church has crossed the line.
Compassion
is not compromise and compromise is not compassion.
How
do you know the difference or where do you draw the line.
1. Motive and Attitude
John 12:3-6
3
Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the
feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with
the odour of the ointment. 4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot,
Simon’s son, which should betray him, 5 Why was not this ointment sold
for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? (Compassion??)
6
This he said, not that
he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare
what was put therein.
Judas’
motives were wrong.
2. Rationalization and Reality
3. Holy Spirit
John
16:3 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he
will guide you into all truth:
The
gospel without compassion is like a flashlight without a battery.
A
witness with out compassion is a Pharisee in sheep clothing.
Church
without compassion is foghorn sounding on dry land.
1. Compassion makes the difference in “Change.”
2. Compassion makes the difference in “Communion.”
3. Compassion makes the difference in “Church.”
4. Compassion makes the difference in the “Christian.”
Conclusion
Christ is the Christ of
Compassion