Dear Friends,
What is it about Jesus that earns him the admiration of so many people – Christians and non-Christians alike?
His wisdom is undoubtedly a factor. Most people will acknowledge that He was a wise teacher.
But I’d willing to guess that what people find most attractive about Jesus are the twin virtues of compassion and humility. Jesus put the needs of others ahead of His own. He sacrificed Himself to serve. He came, He said, not to be served, but to serve – and to give His life as a ransom for many.
Now let’s be honest. If you asked most non-Christians to describe the Christians they know, the words humility and compassion would likely not show up in the top five. Maybe not in the top ten.
We know it’s God’s will to conform His children into the image of His Son. So why is it people don’t look at us and say to themselves “you know, those people just remind me so much of Jesus?”
One reason is because the sanctification process is a lifelong project. We look at ourselves and recognize we have a long way to go before we will be like Him. Our sin patterns are stubborn. Our flesh has deep tenacles.
Years ago, people used to wear buttons that looked like this:
When people would ask what it meant, folks would smile and say “It means ‘Please be patient. God is not finished with me yet.’”
Because of the fall, the image of God has been marred in each one of us. The restoration process takes time.
But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be working to cultivate humility and compassion in our lives.
Think about compassion. Here’s what it’s not. It’s not feeling sorry for someone less fortunate than you. Com means “along side” or “along with.” Passion means “to suffer.” Com-passion means suffering along side or along with someone in pain.
I will confess to you that I can easily respond more like a pharisee than like Jesus when I see someone suffering as a consequence of his or her sin. My first response when I see someone flaunting his or her sin is often not compassion. It’s judgment.
John Stott has said “The truth is that there are such things as Christian tears, and too few of us ever weep them.”
There is a time for righteous indignation. But for me (and I imagine for you too) my supposed righteous indignation is often laced with self-righteous judgment and a lack of compassion.
Sadly, instead of seeing fallen human beings who are ensnared in sin, and thinking “I could just as easily be that guy except for the grace of God in my life,” I too often think “I’m so much better than that guy.”
I judge. I see myself as superior, not as a fellow sinner saved by grace.
Can think of people you’ve written off as sinful losers? Welcome to the club of the recovering Pharisees.
Francis Schaeffer said “Biblical orthodoxy without compassion is surely the ugliest thing in the world.”
Ouch.
Humility is compassion’s cousin. Philippians 2 tells us that humility is not merely looking out for our own interests, but also for the interests of others (Phil. 2:4). It is emptying yourself and taking on the form of a servant. If you want to be great in God’s Kingdom, Jesus said, learn to be the servant of all (Matthew 20:26).
So how do we cultivate compassion and humility?
Humility and compassion are supernaturally generated works of the Holy Spirit in your life. What part do you play? You do what we saw last Sunday in Ephesians 1. You grow in your knowledge of who Jesus is. You renew your mind. You keep learning and meditating and reflecting on and considering Jesus and the cross.
It is in that environment that the Holy Spirit does his work.
Listen to what JC Ryle says about cultivating humility.
“Do you want to know the root and spring of humility? The root of humility is right knowledge. The person who really knows himself and his own heart, who knows God and his infinite majesty and holiness, who knows Christ and the price at which he was redeemed, that person will never be a proud person. He will count himself, like Jacob, unworthy of the least of all God’s mercies. He will say of himself, like Job, ‘I am unworthy.’ He will cry, like Paul, ‘I am the worst [of sinners]’ (Genesis 32:10; Job 40:4; 1 Timothy 1:15). He will consider others better than himself (Philippians 2:3).
Ignorance—nothing but sheer ignorance, ignorance of self, of God, and of Christ—is the real secret of pride. From that miserable self-ignorance may we daily pray to be delivered. The wise person knows himself and will find nothing within to make him proud.
A humble heart is the soil in which compassion grows. When you are thinking rightly about yourself and about God, there will concurrently be a growing compassion for others.
And wouldn’t it be nice if those virtues were what we, as followers of Jesus, were known for. Lord, make each of us more and more into the image of your Son.
STEVE SMITH MEMORIAL SERVICEThe Memorial Service for Steve Smith is set for Friday, November 7 at 2:00 pm at the church. The service will be live streamed.
For those of you who would like to make a donation to the Smith Family Care Fund, you can click this link (https://redeemerlr.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=df57aea0670b59c32464d5bab&id=3bd81c5877&e=fbb0a4052b), choose the drop down box next to the dollar amount of your gift and select the Smith Family Care Fund. Or bring a check with you Sunday and put it in the giving box. Just note the Care Fund in the memo line on your check.
CHRISTMAS GIFTS
FOR BRINKLEY HEIGHTS KIDS
Thanks to all of you who selected a Christmas tree ornament from our tree in the church lobby this past Sunday. As we’ve shared with you, the ornaments represent the 100+ students we’re hoping to provide a Christmas gift for this year. Each child will be receiving an age-appropriate book that shares the gospel, along with a practical gift (warm gloves or a stocking cap or ???) and a fun gift of some sort.
Our students, who go to Memphis each summer to minister to these kids, will be traveling to Memphis in mid-December to deliver the gifts, along with a Christmas card for each of the children.
This is where you come in.
We’re asking that you would do the following:
- Select one or more of the remaining ornaments on the tree
- Pray for the child or children whose names you select, both during and after the Christmas season
- When you select an ornament, take one of the Christmas cards we’ll provide for you and write a short note to the child wishing him or her a Merry Christmas and letting them know you are praying for them
- Write a check or scan the QR code and give $40 to help cover the cost of the gifts
Your completed Christmas cards will need to be turned in no later than Sunday, December 7.
This is a great project for you and your kids to do together. I hope you’ll take part in this special outreach during the Christmas season this year.
ROOTS HANGOUT
Roots students – the next hangout at Pastor Cole and Hannah’s home is a week and a half away.
LEADERSHIP IN THE LOCAL CHURCH
Men – the next Leadership In The Local Church class comes up right after Thanksgiving. Make sure you have the date noted.
PREPARING YOUR HEART FOR SUNDAY
Here’s our New City Catechism questions for this Sunday.
Here is the link to this week’s video (https://redeemerlr.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=df57aea0670b59c32464d5bab&id=d3d2740bcb&e=fbb0a4052b) where Kent Hughes talks about this week’s question and answer.
(https://redeemerlr.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=df57aea0670b59c32464d5bab&id=846fe74c3c&e=fbb0a4052b)
And here is this week’s catechism song (https://redeemerlr.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=df57aea0670b59c32464d5bab&id=c319f6b4b1&e=fbb0a4052b).
(https://redeemerlr.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=df57aea0670b59c32464d5bab&id=f1309d09db&e=fbb0a4052b)
And finally, as always, here is the link (https://redeemerlr.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=df57aea0670b59c32464d5bab&id=1b25f87ae6&e=fbb0a4052b) that will take you to the Spotify playlist of the songs we’ll be singing together this Sunday.
SUNDAY'S COMING
If God gives you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus, what exactly will you see? In Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1, he outlines his desire that his readers would come to know hope, to understand their inheritance as children of God, and that they would see the immeasurable greatness of His power. We’ll take a careful look at what specifically Paul is praying for when we resume our study in Ephesians this Sunday.
See you in church.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Bob
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