["Pomp and Circumstance"]
Good morning, and welcome to Verity Baptist Church.
Let's take our song books. Turn to song number 65.
Song number 65.
Just over in the glory land.
Song number 65. Sing it out together on the first.
I've a home prepared where the saints abide.
Just over in the glory land.
And I long to be by my Savior's side.
Just over in the glory land.
I'll join the happy angel band.
Just over in the glory land.
There with the mighty host I'll stand.
Just over in the glory land.
Song 65 on the second.
I am on my way to those mansions fair.
Just over in the glory land.
There to sing God's praise and His glory share.
Just over in the glory land.
I'll join the happy angel band.
Just over in the glory land.
There with the mighty host I'll stand.
Just over in the glory land.
What a joyful thought that my Lord I'll see.
Just over in the glory land.
And with kindred saved there forever be.
Just over in the glory land.
I'll join the happy angel band.
Just over in the glory land.
There with the mighty host I'll stand.
Just over in the glory land.
Good, sing it out on the last.
With the blood washed wrong I will shout and sing.
Just over in the glory land.
God will send us to Christ the Lord and King.
Just over in the glory land.
I'll join the happy angel band.
Just over in the glory land.
There with the mighty host I'll stand.
Just over in the glory land.
Amen, and we want to welcome you to Verity Baptist Church this morning.
We are so glad that you are with us today.
Of course this is the day that the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
And we have a wonderful service lined up for you today.
We'd like to begin the service with a word of prayer.
So let's go ahead and bow our heads and pray together.
Heavenly Father, Lord, we do love you.
We thank you for allowing us to gather together this morning.
Lord, we pray that you would bless this service.
We pray that everything that's done today would bring honor and glory to your name.
Help us to be able to sing praises to you.
To of course fellowship with other believers.
And then to learn from your word.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Turn to song 24.
Two, four, and can it be?
Song number 24 on the first.
And can it be?
That I should gain
An interest in
The Savior's blood?
Guide me for me
Who causes pain for me
Who him to death pursued?
Amazing love, how can it be
That thou, my God,
Shouldst have for me?
Amazing love, how can it be
That thou, my God,
Shouldst have for me?
Let's go ahead and sing it out on the second.
He left his Father
Swown above
So free, so infinite
His grace emptied himself
Of all but love
And bled for Adam's helpless race
Tis mercy, all immigrants and free
For, oh, my God,
It found out me
Amazing love, how can it be
That my God shouldst have for me?
Sing it out on the last.
Long my embrace
Fast bound in sin
And nature's light
I might abuse
A kicking break
I wore the dungeon flame
Sing it out.
My chains fell off
My heart was free
I rose when no one can follow me
Amazing love, how can it be
That my God shouldst have for me?
Good singing.
Amen, all right, well, let's take our bulletins this morning, and we'll look at some announcements real quickly.
If you do not have a bulletin, just raise your hand, and one of our ushers can get one for you.
If you did not get a bulletin on your way in, just put your hand up, and we will get one for you.
The verse this week, Philippians 2.4,
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
And that's a good verse there. We like that.
If you open up your bulletin, you'll see our service time, Sunday morning service, 10.30 a.m.
We are glad, of course, that you are with us on Sunday morning on the Lord's Day for church.
We do invite you to be back tonight at 6 p.m. for the evening service.
The evening service is different than the morning service, different songs that are sung, different sermon that's preached,
just one more opportunity to be in God's house with God's people under the preaching of the word of God, of course.
And then we have our Wednesday evening Bible study at 7 p.m.
We'd love for you to join us for the midweek service.
We call it the most encouraging service of the week, and we are studying through the book of Hebrews on Wednesday night,
and we'll continue through Hebrews chapter number 11. So we'd love, of course, for you to join us for that.
If you look at our soul winning times, our main soul winning time is on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m.
That's our main soul winning rally.
And on Saturday mornings we go out, we knock doors, we invite people to church,
and we preach the gospel to anyone who's interested.
We also have our Thursday soul winning time back at 2 p.m.
And we also have a Sunday soul winning time at 2 p.m. this afternoon.
So if you'd like to go soul winning this afternoon, there'll be an opportunity for you to be able to do so.
We have several guests with us this morning, and we are so glad that you are with us.
We have a gift we'd like to give you if it's your first time here at Verity Baptist Church,
or maybe your first time in a long time.
We'd love for you to, of course, grab one of these gift bags on your way out.
As you go out the main foyer, you'll see a little table with these gift bags,
and we want to give this to you as a gift for being our guest this morning.
There are several resources in this bag that we'd like you to have.
The one I'd like to highlight is this documentary that our church made.
It's called Being Baptists. It's very well made, very interesting.
I tell people that this is an entertaining documentary.
It's an educational documentary, and we think you'll like it.
So please make sure you don't leave here this morning without grabbing one of these gift bags on your way out.
And if you are a guest, we'd ask that you'd please take a moment to fill out the communication card,
which is inserted in your bulletin.
If you need a pen, just raise your hand, and one of our ushers can bring you by a Verity Baptist Church pen.
And you're welcome, of course, to keep the pen as a gift from us as well.
We're not going to do anything odd with your info. We would just like to have a record of your attendance.
We actually would like to send you a little gift, but we need your information to do that.
So please take a moment to fill the card out.
When we're done with the announcements, we're going to sing a song.
When we're done singing, we're going to receive the offering.
And as the offering plate goes by, you can drop this card in the offering plate.
And if you look at the announcements there, of course, we are a family integrated church.
What that means is that children and infants are always welcomed in the service.
We do not separate children from their parents for any reason.
We do have mother-baby rooms and daddy rooms available for your convenience.
All of the rooms have comfortable seating.
They have monitors set up so you can watch the service and listen to it.
The two mother-baby rooms in the back of the auditorium actually have windows,
so you can watch the service through the windows and their speakers, of course.
If you're not sure where those rooms are at, you can look at the back of the bulletin,
and you'll see a layout of our church building.
It'll show you where the mother-baby rooms are, where the daddy room is.
It'll show you where the restrooms are.
So please make sure you use those rooms as needed.
And then if you look at the announcements and upcoming events, of course,
the big events coming up have to do with Mother's Day,
and we just want all the ladies to be aware of a couple of things.
First of all, we have our annual ladies' tea coming up on Saturday, May 11th, at 3 p.m.
Now, this is an elegant afternoon tea in honor of Mother's Day,
but you don't have to be a mother to come.
You don't have to bring your daughter or anything like that.
This is open for all ladies.
Any ladies that would like to participate, we want you to be a part of this Mother's Day tea.
But it is in honor of Mother's Day as the day before Mother's Day,
and we want you to sign up and let us know that you're coming.
On your communication card, you have a place there to be able to sign up
and let us know that you're coming to the ladies' tea.
And if you're bringing somebody with you, you also have a slot there to let us know how many are coming.
There's, of course, absolutely no cost for the ladies' tea.
We don't charge for anything here at Verity Baptist Church,
but we do want to know you're coming so we can prepare for you.
And there will be tea, there will be food, there will be fellowship games,
and there will be preaching from the Word of God.
So we want to encourage you to come out for the annual ladies' tea.
That is on Saturday, May 11th at 3 p.m. here at the church building.
There's going to be a gift basket that will be raffled off as well.
And then the next day, Sunday, May 12th, of course, is Mother's Day,
and we'll have a special Mother's Day service.
I'll be preaching a sermon geared towards the mothers,
and then we're going to have a gift for all of the ladies,
not just the mothers, but all the ladies and girls.
And, of course, we've made a tradition of, on Mother's Day,
giving out the Verity Baptist Church ladies' t-shirts, all right?
So on Mother's Day, we'll have all of the new Verity Baptist Church ladies' t-shirts
that will be given after the service as a gift to all of the ladies and girls.
We won't have any for the men.
The men are going to have to wait until Father's Day.
On Father's Day, we'll have the t-shirts for the men,
but we'll have that gift for all the ladies on Mother's Day,
and we'll have special music from the children's choir.
They'll be singing on Mother's Day in honor of Mother's Day, of course,
so we want to encourage you to make plans to be here for that.
And then if you look at the announcements, of course,
the children's choir is practicing for Mother's Day.
They have practice today at 5.15 p.m. in the playroom,
the big room where the kids have all their games and stuff.
That is today at 5.15.
Also, we want you to be aware for the adults that choir practice begins
in a couple of weeks, Sunday, May 5th, and that is for the Red Hot Preaching Conference.
They're going to be singing for the Red Hot Preaching Conference,
so make sure you make a note of that.
Homeschool group, they've got PE class on Thursday, May 9th.
Ladies' weight loss and accountability group, if you'd like to be a part of that,
my wife leads that, and they meet on Wednesdays at 6.15 p.m. in her office,
and you can speak to her about that.
Upcoming cleaning crew, you can check your name there.
We appreciate your faithfulness to that.
Please don't forget to turn your cell phones off
or place them on silent during the service
so that they're not a distraction to anybody.
If you look at the back of the bulletin, birthdays and anniversaries for the month of April,
this week we have Ms. April Villa's birthday on April 22nd.
Brother Brent and Leilani Thompson have an anniversary on April 22nd as well.
Ms. Lindsey Johnson has a birthday on April 25th,
and Brother Alan Courtney has a birthday on April 26th.
Praise report, money matters,
all of those things are there for you to look at,
and I think that's it for all of the announcements.
So we're going to go ahead and sing the chorus of the week,
which is the insert in your bulletin,
and we're going to sing,
For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.
As we prepare to receive the offering this morning,
let's go ahead and sing it out on the first.
For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.
To know His way and walk His air away,
there is no peace, no joy, no thrill.
Like walking in His will for me to live is Christ, to die is gain.
Good, sing it out on the second.
Once my heart was full of sin and shame,
till someone told me Jesus came to save.
When He said, Come unto me,
He set my poor heart free for me to live is Christ, to die is gain.
There are things that I still do not know,
but of this one thing I'm completely sure,
that He who called me on that day,
washed all my sins away for me to live is Christ, to die is gain.
Amen. Good singing.
We'll have the guys come up and help us with the offering at this time,
and let's go ahead and bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, Lord, we do love You.
We thank You for allowing us to gather together this morning.
Lord, we pray that You'd bless the offering, the gift, and the giver.
We pray that You'd bless the time set aside for the preaching of Your Word.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Amen.
Hebrews chapter 4, if you do not have a Bible, raise your hand and an usher will bring you one.
Hebrews chapter 4, we'll read the entire chapter, as is our custom.
Hebrews chapter 4, just keep your hands up and an usher will bring you a Bible.
Hebrews chapter 4, the Bible reads,
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left of us entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit them,
not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said,
As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest,
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise,
and God did rest the seventh day from all his works,
and in this place again, if they shall enter into my rest.
Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein,
and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief.
Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David,
Today, after so long a time, as it is said,
Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
There remaineth therefore rest to the people of God.
For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works,
as God did from his.
Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight,
but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God,
let us hold fast our profession.
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,
but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto that thorn of grace,
that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Let's pray.
Father God, thank you for this day.
Thank you for this opportunity to come together.
Please bless Pastor in the message.
Please let it bring glory and honor to you.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Amen.
All right.
Well, we're there in Hebrews, chapter number four,
and of course on Wednesday nights we're studying through the book of Hebrews,
and we're not going to spend a lot of time in Hebrews this morning,
but we are continuing this morning
a sermon series we began several weeks ago, if you remember,
on the subject of emotional intelligence,
and I won't spend too much time reviewing,
but I do want to just remind you of several things we've been learning.
We've been learning about this idea of emotional intelligence.
We've been looking at it through the lens of the Bible,
and we've been learning how to biblically raise your EQ,
your emotional intelligence,
and of course we've defined emotional intelligence,
and we've been using this working definition for emotional intelligence
as the ability to recognize and regulate your own emotions
and your ability to recognize and regulate yourself
around the emotions of others,
and just real quickly let me just recap what we've learned
just to catch you up as quickly as I can.
Obviously if you weren't here for any of those sermons,
the two sermons that have been preached before that,
I would encourage you to check them out on our website,
and you can catch up that way,
but if you remember the very first week we were in this series,
I preached a sermon entitled Dumb Emotions,
and what we learned was that emotional intelligence
is your ability to recognize and regulate our emotions
and the emotions of others,
and that our emotions are dumb.
We learned about the fact that our emotions are dumb,
and we were not meant to be led by our emotions.
We were meant to be informed by our emotions
but not to be led by our emotions,
and when we allow ourselves to be led by our emotions,
then we make dumb decisions because emotions are dumb.
They're not logical. They're not reasonable,
and that's why we were the masterminds
behind all the stupidest decisions we've ever made in life.
All the biggest regrets that we have
are due to us allowing ourselves to be led by our emotions,
so we learned about that the first week,
and if you remember last week,
we learned about awareness of self,
and that's where we must begin
when it starts with emotional intelligence.
We have to begin with ourselves, of course,
and I gave you several steps to develop your self-awareness
or awareness of self, and of course,
I feel like I hear a little bit of an echo.
If you could help me with that, I'd appreciate it.
Let me just remind you what we learned about last week.
We learned that to be self-aware,
you must examine yourself,
and we learned that to examine yourself,
you must not lie to yourself,
and we learned that in order to not lie to yourself,
you must consider that maybe you are wrong,
and of course, when you consider that maybe you are wrong
and you don't lie to yourself
because you consider that maybe you're wrong
and that allows you to truly examine yourself,
then that's when we become truly self-aware of our emotions
and what we're feeling and what we're doing
and things of that nature.
So that's where we've been so far.
This morning, we're going to continue
with this idea of emotional intelligence,
but this morning, we're going to deal with
not the awareness of self, we talked about that last week,
but we're going to talk about awareness of others,
awareness of others,
and there's really just one word
that kind of captures this idea of awareness of others,
and the word is empathy, empathy,
and we're going to learn about empathy this morning
from the Word of God.
We're going to learn about empathy
in regards to the awareness of others,
and of course, I encourage you to take notes.
On the back of your course of the week,
there's a place for you to write down some notes,
and maybe you can jot these things down
as we study this idea of empathy,
and I'd like to begin this morning
by first of all giving you an example of empathy,
an example of empathy,
and to be very honest with you,
I'm not just giving you an example of empathy.
I'm giving you the example of empathy.
The Lord Jesus Christ,
through the life of the Lord Jesus Christ,
and I will submit to you that Jesus
is the greatest example of empathy,
and we see that not only in theory,
but we also see it in practice.
We see it in reality,
in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We're here in Hebrews chapter number four,
and I'd like you to look down at verse number 14,
and I'd like to just show you this idea of empathy
in theory through the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews chapter four and verse 14
means that the Lord Jesus Christ
is the greatest example of empathy
through the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews chapter four and verse 14,
notice what the Bible says,
seeing then that we have a great high priest,
and of course this is referring
to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The theme of the book of Hebrews
is that Jesus is better.
Jesus is better than the priests.
Jesus is better than the prophets.
Jesus is better than Abraham.
He's better than Moses.
He's better than the angels.
Jesus is the Son of God.
Let us hold fast our profession.
And the Bible is teaching us here
that Jesus of course is that high priest.
And I won't take too much time
to develop that.
We've been studying about it in the book of Hebrews,
but of course the high priest
in the Old Testament was that man,
that priest that would intercede
between God and men
and would offer that sacrifice
of redemption in the Old Testament.
And we know that that was symbolic
because he is the great high priest
that has passed into heaven.
He mediates on our behalf.
Notice verse 15, Hebrews 4.
Four.
The word four here means because.
And he says,
For we have not an high priest.
And what he's going to tell us
is why it is that the Lord Jesus Christ
is such a great high priest
and why it is that he has passed into heaven.
Why it is that he can mediate on our behalf.
The Bible says that there is one God
and one creator between God and the man Christ Jesus.
And here's the qualifications.
Obviously Jesus is God in the flesh.
He's the son of God.
We understand those things.
But notice what he says.
He says, For we have not an high priest.
And when it comes to this idea of empathy,
I would say that the next few words,
the next phrase is probably
the greatest definition of empathy
that we find in the Bible.
And it's said about the Lord Jesus Christ.
It says this, For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched
with the feelings of our infirmities.
Which cannot be touched
with the feelings of our infirmities.
And the idea here is that
he can be touched
and he is touched
with the feelings of our infirmities.
But was at all points tempted like as we are
yet without sin.
He's not like us.
He's without sin.
But though he's not like us,
he is still able to be touched
with the feelings of our infirmities.
There's a double negative there.
For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched
with the feelings of our infirmities.
Look at verse 16.
Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace
that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help
in time of need.
I want you to notice that connected
with this idea of empathy
is also mercy and compassion.
He offers us mercy.
He offers us grace.
He offers us compassion
because Jesus really
is the example
of empathy.
Now let me just give you some definitions
and we're just kind of getting started here
but I'd like you to understand that.
Hebrews 4.15 we see
that the Lord Jesus Christ
is the example of empathy.
For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities.
That is empathy.
Now do me a favor.
Keep your place there in Hebrews.
We're going to come back towards that part of the Bible
but go with me if you would
to the book of John.
The Gospel according to John towards the beginning of the New Testament.
Keep your place in Hebrews.
Put a ribbon or a bookmark or something there
and then go to John
towards the beginning of the New Testament.
You have Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
and then when you get to John
because we're going to go back and forth between these two books
Hebrews and John
and while you go there
let me just give you a few definitions
because maybe you're here this morning and you're thinking
I've heard the word empathy. I'm not really sure what that means
and what I found is that
often the word sympathy
is confused with the word
empathy so let me just give you
a couple of definitions to help you
or a few definitions to help you understand that.
Let me begin by defining for you the word sympathy.
What does the word sympathy mean?
Something that maybe we're more familiar with.
Here's how the word sympathy is defined.
The act or state
of feeling sorrow or compassion
for another.
I think that would make sense to us.
Sympathy is the act or state
of feeling sorrow or compassion
for another. Sympathy
is feeling for others.
Feeling for others.
So when they are
something bad is happening to somebody
or something that's not right or not fair
or whatever and we feel bad
for them. We have compassion for them.
We feel for them.
That is the definition of sympathy and I think
that's probably something that most people
are familiar with. Sympathy is the act
or state of feeling sorrow
or compassion for others.
Now what people would often
ask or maybe be confused with
is well then what is the difference between sympathy
and empathy? What is the difference between
sympathy and empathy? Well sympathy
is the act or state of feeling
sorrow or compassion for
another. It is feeling
for others. Feelings
for others. The word empathy
let me give you a definition for that
is the capacity
to understand what
another person is experiencing
from within the other
person's frame of reference.
Let me just say that again because
I want you to get that. The capacity
to understand what
another person is experiencing.
Not from your frame of reference.
Not from your experience.
Not from your understanding.
But from within the other person's
frame of reference the
ability to place oneself
in another's shoe.
And just to be clear let me help you
understand. Sympathy is
feeling for others.
Empathy is feeling
with others.
Sympathy is when you just
have a feeling and usually it's a
negative feeling or some sort of sad feeling.
Compassionate feeling. And you have that
for someone else. You hear about
something that they're going through. You hear about something
that is happening in their lives and you feel
that for that individual.
That is a good feeling. Nothing
wrong with that. And I think we should have sympathy
for others. But empathy
is something a little different and something
miles different in regards
to relationship
and how we make people feel. Because sympathy
is simply feeling something for
another individual. That's good.
Empathy is feeling something
with another individual.
See Jesus did not feel
sympathy for us. He did feel sympathy for us.
But the Bible says that he felt empathy
because he is touched with the
feelings of our infirmities.
That's empathy.
Let me just give you another one real quick just to
give you the full picture.
I'd like to define for you also this word apathy.
Because one
thing I've learned in ministry is that oftentimes
people who struggle with
empathy it's because they
have too much apathy.
Here's the definition for apathy. Lack
of feelings or emotions.
Impassiveness. Not feeling
or showing emotion. Lack of interest
or concern. Indifference.
Lack of feeling for something.
Apathy is when you're indifferent.
You just don't care.
You don't have sympathy and you definitely don't have
empathy. It just doesn't make a difference to you.
And one thing that we need to understand
and the reason that empathy is so important is because
empathy leads to compassion.
Empathy leads to compassion.
The Bible says that he's touched, that Jesus is touched
with the feelings of our infirmities.
And then it says because of that, verse 16.
You're there in John 11.
Just let me read to you from Hebrews 4 16.
Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace. Why can we
come boldly unto the throne of grace
through the Lord Jesus Christ? Because of his empathy.
Because he's touched with the feelings of our
infirmity and it says that we may obtain
mercy and find grace to help in time
of need. There is a connection
between empathy and compassion.
Empathy and mercy.
Empathy and grace.
Empathy and forgiveness.
These things are connected. So we see
the great example of empathy.
The Lord Jesus Christ. And we see it here in Hebrews
chapter 4 in theory.
But then I'd like you to notice it
in John chapter 11 in reality.
In John chapter number 11
we have a story that
really, and we can look at a lot of
stories of the Lord Jesus Christ showing
empathy and having
empathy. I think John 11 is
a good story to highlight
that. Notice John chapter 11
in verse number 1. The Bible says
this, Now a certain man
was sick named Lazarus
of Bethany, the town of Mary,
and her sister Martha.
It was that Mary which anointed
the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet
with her hair, whose brother
Lazarus was sick. So there's this man
named Lazarus. He has a sister
named Mary. We'll
also learn here that he has a
sister named Martha. Look at verse 3.
Therefore his sister sent unto him saying,
Lord, behold, he
whom thou lovest is sick.
Now Jesus had a
relationship, a friendship with these
siblings, with Lazarus and Mary
and Martha. And when Lazarus
had grown sick, the Bible says
there was a certain man that was sick,
a certain man was sick named Lazarus.
Then the sister sent a message
to the Lord Jesus Christ and they
said, He whom thou lovest is sick.
Verse 4, When Jesus heard
that, he said, The sickness
is not unto death, but for the glory
of God, that the Son
of God might be glorified thereby.
Now Jesus already, of course, being
God in the flesh and knowing all things
knows at the end of the sickness,
in the end, at the end of the story,
Lazarus is not going to
die or stay dead.
He says this is happening for the glory of God.
Look at verse 5, Now Jesus
loved Martha and her sister
and Lazarus.
I want you to notice that Jesus loved these individuals.
He was friends with these individuals.
He had a relationship with these individuals.
He loved, the Bible says clearly there,
verse 5, Now Jesus loved Martha
and her sister and Lazarus. The narrator
of the book of John is telling us
that Jesus loved these individuals, but these
individuals were aware of that love
because in verse 3 they send the message
about Lazarus to Jesus saying
He whom thou lovest is sick.
So these sisters knew
that Jesus loved
their brother Lazarus. Look at verse 6
When he had heard therefore that he was sick
he abode two days
still in the same place where he was.
Then after that saith his disciples
Let us go into Judea again
and I won't take the time to develop the whole story.
There's reasons why Jesus waited on
a practical level, but on a spiritual level
He waited because he actually wanted Lazarus
to die. He didn't want
Lazarus to die because he wanted Lazarus to die.
He wanted Lazarus to die because he wanted to
resurrect Lazarus from the dead.
As a show of his
power and that it would be glory
to God. Look at verse 11
John chapter 11 and verse 11
These things said he and after that
he saith unto them, Our friend
Lazarus sleepeth, but I
go that I may awake him out
of sleep. Now at this
point in the story, Lazarus has already passed
He's already dead and Jesus
says to his disciples, Our friend Lazarus
sleepeth. Throughout the Bible often
for believers death is referred
to as sleep. It's often not
referred to as death or being dead
and the reason for that is because a believer
never truly dies.
Their body might die, but
to be absent from the body is to be present
with the Lord and not only that
but the reason that the Bible calls it sleep
when a believer dies is because
in sleep there is this
understanding that the individual
will wake up. Well in the death
of a believer there is this understanding
of the resurrection that one day
that body will arise.
It will wake up. So Jesus here
says about Lazarus
Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go
that I may awake him out of sleep. Verse 12
Then said his disciples, Lord if he sleep
he shall do well. They don't get it.
They don't understand what he's saying.
They're like, well Lord if he's taking a nap
then why wake him up? I mean he's
he's fine. So then
Jesus had to just kind of
you know he had to put it down on the bottom
shelf to make sure they understand. Verse 13
Howbeit Jesus spake of his death
but they thought that he
had spoken of taking rest in sleep.
Then said Jesus unto
them plainly, Lazarus
is dead. Skip down
to verse number 33. Like I said we won't take the
time to develop this whole thing.
Jesus gets word
that his friend Lazarus whom he loveth
is dead. He tells his
disciples let's go wake him out of sleep.
They are on their way
in this journey to go
resurrect Lazarus from the dead.
Now here's what I want you to understand and here's the reason why
I even read as many verses as I did.
Jesus knows
Jesus knows how the story
will end. Jesus knows
that Lazarus will resurrect.
In fact Jesus waited two days to
orchestrate this miracle that it
might be for the glory of God.
That's why the Bible says there
and it
says there in verse you don't have to go back to it
but in verse 4 this sickness Jesus said
is not unto death but for the glory of God
that the son of God might be glorified
thereby. Jesus understand
Jesus is in control. Jesus is
God in the flesh. By the way no matter what you
and I are going through we should always say comfort in the fact
that Jesus knows what he's doing
and Jesus is in control.
He knows how the story is going to
end. He knows how this will be documented in
John chapter number 11 but I want
you to notice in verse number 33
the Bible says this when Jesus
therefore saw her
weeping he shows up and he really shows
up in the middle of what we might
call a funeral service or a time
of grieving and you have Mary and
Martha they hear that Jesus is coming and
we're skipping some of these verses for sake of time
but they come out to meet him and they even
say and kind of accuse Jesus
and said master if thou hadst been
here our brother he wouldn't have died
and they kind of blame Jesus
which is also an emotional
intelligence aspect that we'll come to
at another time.
And the Bible says here
in verse 33
when Jesus therefore saw
her weeping
and the Jews also weeping
which came with her
notice these words
he groaned
in his spirit and was
troubled. Now Jesus knew
how the story was going to end.
In fact Jesus was there to resurrect
Lazarus from the dead.
But Martha doesn't know that and Mary
doesn't know that and the rest of the people there
they don't know that and I want you to just
notice the empathy of the Lord Jesus Christ
he doesn't walk in
just stoic and apathetic
and saying why are you crying I'm going to solve this
problem why are you weeping I'm here to
resurrect him. I want you to notice that
here we get an insight into
the feelings of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the empathy of the Lord Jesus Christ
though he's got in the flesh
though he's there to resurrect Lazarus
though he's there to take control of the situation
the Bible tells us that when he saw
her weeping
and the Jews also weeping
which came with her
notice there verse 33
he groaned in his spirit
and was troubled
and said
where have you laid him
and they said unto him
Lord come and see
and then we have the
shortest verse in the Bible
maybe one of the most popular verses in the Bible
definitely one of the easiest verses in the Bible
to memorize if you've never memorized a verse in the Bible
I recommend John 11 35 for you
we have these two
little words but I would say they are
powerful words
Jesus
wept
Jesus wept
why did Jesus weep?
didn't he know he was going to resurrect Lazarus?
no why he wept is because he saw her weeping
and the Jews also weeping
and we have not in high priest
which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities
and though he knew how the story was
going to end and he knew what he was going to do
he still not only
felt for
please understand this, empathy is not
Jesus feeling sorry
for them, it's Jesus
feeling sorrow
with them
he knew what he was going to do
but because he is the
example of empathy
he felt
with them
he groaned in his spirit
and was troubled verse 35
Jesus wept and notice the connection
between empathy and compassion
then said the Jews
behold how he loved him
I want you to get the example
of empathy
and by the way, your goal as a Christian
and my goal as a Christian
is to follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ
and to try to be and live like the Lord Jesus Christ
Christ living in me
should be the goal of a believer
and if we are going to try to be like Christ
then we must develop empathy like Christ
he did not only feel for them
he felt with them
and I would say this
that Jesus loved Lazarus
and Martha
he whom thou lovest is sick
is what they said
John said now Jesus loved Martha
and her sister Lazarus
and when the Jews saw that Jesus wept
they said behold how he loved them
and I would say to you this morning
that if you do not develop personal empathy
you will never have
and you will never be
a real friend
you'll never have a real friend
without empathy
you will never be a real friend without empathy
so we see this example of empathy
we see it in theory
we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities
and we see it in practice
in reality
we see the Lord Jesus Christ
when he saw them weeping
he wept
he groaned in his spirit
why? because he wasn't just feeling for them
if he was feeling for them
then he could say look I'm going to fix it
Jesus was somebody who had empathy
and because they were weeping
and they were sad and they were sorrowing
he sorrowed with them
that's empathy
that's an example of empathy
now if you would
let me give you an explanation of empathy
I think you probably understand it
but let's look at it from the Bible
you'd be surprised how much the Bible talks about this
the Bible never used the word empathy
that's the word we've used to define this emotion
but the Bible describes and talks a lot about empathy
I saw the great example of the Lord Jesus Christ
the example of empathy
but now let me give you an explanation for empathy
you're there in John
if you would go with me to the book of Romans
Romans chapter number 12
if you're in John you'll go past the book of Acts
into the book of Romans
Romans chapter number 12
Romans chapter number 12 is actually a verse that is written to
a local New Testament church
not just a local New Testament church
but it's written about the local New Testament church
it's not just a verse that's written to the church at Rome
it's a verse that is written to all churches
and this applies to all churches
and this is something that's supposed to describe all churches
and I would say to you this
that church
look we live
in a world today
you want to know what the opposite of empathy is
the opposite of empathy
is selfishness
and unfortunately
you and I live today
in this selfie
society
where everyone is only
concerned with self
and I would say
that we probably live in the most
non-empathetic
society that maybe has ever been
but the culture
of the local New Testament church
should be a culture of empathy
it should be a culture
of individuals that not only
that are definitely not apathetic
and not only
sympathetic, they not only feel
for someone, but that they feel
with someone
notice that there in Romans chapter 12 and verse 15
here's a command
to all churches
local churches, Romans 12 and 15
rejoice, notice
not for them
rejoice with them
rejoice
with them that do
rejoice
and weep
and weep, not for them
not for them
I mean that's fine, but that's not enough
he says weep with them
that weep, that's empathy
empathy is
rejoicing with them that do rejoice
and weeping with them that weep
now what's interesting if you study
and I won't take the time to do it this morning
but you can do it on your own if you'd like
if you look at Romans chapter 12 it's clear
that the passages about local
New Testament church and local
New Testament church ministry
here's what's interesting
if you flip over to 1 Corinthians
chapter 12, you're there in Romans chapter 12
if you just flip over to the next
book, also chapter 12
1 Corinthians chapter 12
you have another passage that is
again focused on the
idea of local church ministry, in fact
Romans chapter 12 and 1 Corinthians
chapter 12 are parallel
passages, they're in different
books of the Bible written to different local churches
but they deal with the same sort of
content and they're very parallel to each
other, both are speaking
towards local New Testament ministry
notice what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12
26, and whether one member
suffer
all the members suffer
not for it, with it
or one member be
honored, all the members rejoice
notice the word, with it
see the local New Testament
church should be a place
that is full of
empathy
where we rejoice with them that do rejoice
and we weep with them that do weep
whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it
or one member be honored
all the members rejoice with it
continue to keep your place there in John if you would
and go back to Hebrews, if you kept your place in Hebrews
look at Hebrews chapter 13
Hebrews chapter 13
see
empathy
is to feel
not for someone but with someone
in fact
while you turn there to Hebrews 13
let me read to you an excerpt
from a very famous book
by a man named Daniel
Goldman who
probably, who made this emotional intelligence
subject popular in our day
the book called
The book is called Emotional Intelligence
page 119
here's what he says
in tests with over 7,000 people
in the United States and 18 other countries
the benefit of
being able to read feelings from
non-verbal cues included being
better adjusted emotionally
more popular
more outgoing
and perhaps not surprisingly
more sensitive
see there's a benefit to
empathy
there's a benefit to
awareness of others
let me just show you another verse just real quickly
Hebrews 13 and verse 3
the Bible says here
remember them that are in bonds
this is referring to people that are in prison
and specifically
here it's referring to people that are in prison for the cause
of Christ
the writer of Hebrews is reminding his audience
remember them that are in bonds
and I want you to notice
what he says here, he says
as bound with them
that's empathy
he said don't just feel bad for
our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ
that are in prison for the cause of
Christ, he said don't just feel bad for them
he said I want you to remember them
as bound with them
he's saying I don't just want you to have sympathy
I want you to have empathy, why?
because empathy is not just
feeling for, but feeling with
someone
and for those of you that are in the
selfie culture and you need
a selfish reason to
care about empathy, which is crazy
to me
let me just say this, if you develop empathy
like we read from our excerpt here
you will be better adjusted emotionally
more popular
more outgoing
people will like you more
because
nobody likes someone
who's apathetic
nobody likes
someone who's selfish
and only cares
about themselves
we talked about an example
of empathy
we saw the Lord Jesus Christ
we've spoken about an explanation
of empathy
I'd like you to notice thirdly this morning
and we're on our third point, but this is where we'll spend
the majority of our time
I'd like to give you an
exhortation for empathy
an exhortation for empathy
how do we do this, and how do we develop it
well I'd like you to
continue to keep your place in Hebrews if you would
and if you kept your place in John
go back towards that part of the Bible
but not John, go to Matthew if you would
if you're there in John, you'll just go backwards
past Luke, Mark, and Matthew
Matthew chapter 7
the thing about popular books in our
society today, especially books that
actually are teaching things that are of value
is that all of it has been ripped off from the Bible
the Word of God has all the answers
and what people do today is they take
principles and wisdom from the Word of God
they give it a different name
and don't give credit to the Lord Jesus Christ
and repackage it and send it as
sell it as some sort of secular wisdom
but if there's any sort of
secular wisdom that's actually wise
just mark it down, it came from the
Word of God
and Jesus was actually the first person
to teach, I would say God
is in the Old Testament, but Jesus in the
New Testament was actually the first person
who teach on the subject of empathy
on the subject of awareness of others
on the subject of
emotional intelligence
and I'd like to give you some thoughts here
regarding the development of empathy
or how Jesus taught us to develop empathy
because I often deal with people
and when we get on the subject
and maybe we do or don't use the word empathy
but when we get on the subject
and people say, well I struggle with this idea
of empathy and I struggle with this
but what I would say to that
and please don't misunderstand me
I'm not trying to hurt your feelings
but I am trying to be a little sharp with you
because maybe you need to be
sharp with
to help you stir up some emotions
and it is this
if you say I struggle with empathy
that's a lie
you have the keys in you
to be empathetic
you have already
in you what you need to have
empathy
you say why?
because you're selfish
and because I'm selfish
and because human beings
are by nature selfish
and if you can understand
selfishness
you can understand empathy
you say what do you mean?
well look at Matthew chapter 7
look at verse 12
one of the most famous teachings
by the Lord Jesus Christ
Matthew chapter 7 and verse 12
we know this as the golden rule
therefore all things
whatsoever
ye would
that men should
do to you
well Pastor Jimenez you don't understand
I'm not an expert at knowing how to treat people
I'm not an expert at knowing how to talk to people
I'm not an expert at knowing how to treat
make other people feel
okay no problem
I get it
you haven't read all the books on emotional intelligence
you haven't studied these things
my wife and I have been in ministry for 13 years
and ministry in 13 years is a
study on empathy
I'll tell you right now
you say well I don't have that
I'm not an expert in that
okay but here's what you are an expert in
you are an expert in knowing what you would
that men should do to you
you're an expert
you're an expert at knowing how you want people
to speak to you
you're an expert at knowing how you want
people to relate to you
you're an expert at knowing
how people make you feel
and Jesus said if
you can know that and we all know that
we all know that
even the smallest
child knows how they feel
when they feel
they know that
they're not happy when someone took that
doll from them or took that toy from them or whatever
it might be
and Jesus said therefore all things
whatsoever you would that men
should do to you
that's selfishness we're all experts on that
he says reverse that
and you have empathy
do ye even so
to them
for this is the law and the prophets
how do I develop empathy
here's how you develop empathy
how do you want to be treated?
speak to people that way
how do you want people to speak to you
speak to people that way
how do you want to be made to feel
make people feel that way but wait a minute
wait a minute
that only takes us halfway there
because
I already know the holier than thou
is out there
well I wouldn't if I was going through that situation
I would and if I had that
and if I thought okay well hold on a second
hold on a second
what if you were raised in the same way they were raised
what if you had the
same experience they've experienced
see empathy is not just
feeling with them it's not just feeling
well how would I want to be treated
it's how would I want to be treated
if I were them
from their perspective
from their experience
because look as a pastor
I have a goodly heritage
I was raised in a Christian home I've been a Baptist
my whole life I've been a Baptist longer than I've been saved
I'm not saying that everything
in my life was perfect or whatever
but there's not much for me to complain about
but empathy
is not me looking at other individuals
and saying well if I was in your shoes
here's what I would do and often times
that is the counsel that we can give
but when we want to experience empathy
what we need to do is put ourselves in the other person's shoes
and say well how would I feel
if that was happening to me and I was
that person I had that experience
I grew up in that home
that's what empathy is
so before you say well I wouldn't
react that way if I wasn't in those shoes
but what if you were raised like they were raised
what if you just got saved like they just got saved
what if you had the same experiences the same traumas
and the same troubles and here's what I'm saying
empathy is not only
feeling for them how would I
feel in that situation that's sympathy
how would I feel if I
were them
that's empathy
now we're going to come back
to this idea and we're going to circle back to it
in a few weeks when we talk about conflict resolution
let me just
help you understand something
looking at something from another person's perspective
does not necessarily mean that that's going to
change your mind
seeing it from another person's perspective
does not mean that they're right and you're wrong
it also doesn't mean that you're right and they're wrong
seeing it from
somebody else's perspective does not mean that
you're going to necessarily agree with them
but seeing it from somebody else's
perspective
even if they're still wrong
will help you show mercy
and grace
and patience and love
and stop having this
attitude that says I don't understand why they can't
well you don't understand why they can't
because you haven't walked in their shoes
and someone
with empathy would say
well if I was experiencing
that here's how I would deal with it
but I'm not that person
and what I'm going to try to do
is try to understand it
not only from their point of view
but from their perspective
because Jesus said
whatsoever ye would that men should do you
do ye even so
to them
if you kept your place in Hebrews
would you go to the book of James
it's right after the book of Hebrews
Hebrews then you have the book of James
while you turn there let me read to you
from Galatians 5.14
Galatians 5.14 says
this for all the law is
fulfilled in one word even in this
thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself
you know
what
Ephesians tells husbands you want to be a good husband
love your wife like you love yourself
and then here
the royal law tells us
the golden rule tells us thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself look you'll have no problem
you'll have no problem loving
other people if you just
love them like you would love yourself
you understand
what I'm saying to you
if you would treat them like you would
treat yourself
if you would care for them
like you care for yourself
James 2.8
I wonder if I read it let's just read it
if you fulfill the royal law
according to the scriptures
thou shalt love thy neighbor
and here's the key
as thyself
and if you love thy neighbor as thyself
he says ye do well
for all the law is
fulfilled in one word even in this
thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself
and here's what I'm saying
to you
if you want to succeed in your relationships
if you want to be a good spouse
be a good parent
be a good child to your parents
have a good relationship with your fellow
church members have a good relationship with the people you work with
have a good relationship with the people you interact with
I'm just telling you
the key is empathy
it's not feeling for but it's feeling with
I mean
have you ever experienced this
I would say the most frustrating thing
the most frustrating thing
in the world
is when you're feeling a lot of emotions
about something
you're really frustrated about something
that's happening or you're really
excited about something that's happening
you're really heartbroken about
something that's happening
you're really angry maybe about something that's happening
and the person you're communicating with
just stoic
I mean you're like I'm so
frustrated with this and that
that's the most annoying
thing in the world
and often times
when I was younger in ministry my wife and I
were younger in ministry we would struggle
a lot because we often
find ourselves having to
wage into and
wade into situations that are very
difficult meeting with people in hospitals
and meeting with people in areas
at the most difficult
times of their lives and
earlier in ministry we would struggle
a lot and I would struggle a lot with
well what am I going to say and what do I say to this person
and how
what's the right thing to say and not the right
thing to say and what verse can be comforting
and all those things are good I'm not minimizing any of that
and I think as pastors especially we should
communicate well and we should have verses
available to try to help people but you know what I've
learned that it really matters not
as much
what you say
because what people
really want
is for you to feel with them
is for you
to have the share
the emotions they're sharing with
they're sharing they're experiencing at that
time again I think it's good
to prepare and have words to say
and things of that nature
but often people say well what do I say
what do I say in this situation what do I say
to that situation and what do I say here
and what do I say there let me tell you something
don't say anything
just be frustrated with what I'm frustrated
with just be
excited about what I'm excited
with just be heartbroken
about what I'm heartbroken with
just be touched with the feelings of my
infirmities
that's all people really want
is for you to care
is to
feel what they feel
not feel for them
but feel
with them
someone said this people will rarely
remember what you said
but they will remember how you made them
feel
and I'm just here to tell you
all of us need
empathy in our lives
in your
relationships ask yourself
and
often times you know you deal with
situations and people say well they're
mistreating my kid or they're mistreating
my spouse or within
spouse you know my
my mother-in-law my father-in-law and I
I tell people this well how would you want your
mom to be treated how would you want your
dad to be treated well then let's treat your spouse's
mom that way
it's not that hard it's not that complicated
just you're good at the selfish
thing just really dig into that selfish thing
but just turn it around
you'll have empathy
so we see
the
exhortation for empathy
in theory and look I believe
that you can work at it
I believe that you can just focus it on this idea
whatsoever you would that men should do
to you do ye even so
to them treat people the way you'd like to be
treated be less focused
on this idea of am I saying all the right
things and just feel with them
feel with them
but let me just give you
how to develop empathy and reality
because
the reality is this if you would
go to 2 Corinthians chapter 13 if you kept
your place in John you have John, Acts, Romans
1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians we're going to look at
2 Corinthians we're going to look at another passage
after that and we'll be done alright 2 Corinthians
another passage after that and we'll be done
in theory
we should all be able to develop
empathy by simply asking ourselves
well how do I feel
and how do I
want to be treated how do I want to be made
to feel and then I'm going to do that for other people
and I'm going to feel what they feel
and again if you just
you say how do I act in this situation
don't feel for them, feel with them
feel with them
they won't remember
what you said
they'll remember how you made them feel
but
let's just talk about in reality
in reality
what my wife and I
have found over 13 years of ministry
is this
the people that have developed
the best empathy
is because they have gone through
something
unfortunately that's just the reality
2 Corinthians
chapter 1 and verse 3 the Bible says this
blessed be God
even the father of our Lord
Jesus Christ
the father of mercy
2 Corinthians 1.3 I want you to see it
the father of mercy
2 Corinthians
and look at the last part of verse 3
the God of all comfort
often times the question is asked
why does God allow trouble
into our lives
and I would say to you that one of the reasons
that God allows trouble into our lives
I'm not saying this is the only reason
or that this is exclusively the reason
but one reason that God allows trouble
in our lives is that we would have an opportunity
to be comforted by God
the father of mercy
look at verse 4
who comforteth us in all our tribulations
that we may be able to comfort
them which are in any trouble
by the comfort
wherewith we ourselves are comforted
of God why does God allow trouble
in our lives one reason is so that we
can experience comfort of God
but I would say it to you and I would submit
to you that another reason that God
allows trouble in our lives
is not just that we might be comforted
by God but is that we
would then have the capacity
to comfort others
look at verse 4
look at it again
who comforteth us in all our tribulations
look at it
that we may be
able to comfort them
which are in any
trouble
you say pastor if you knew my story
and you knew the trauma I've gone through
you knew the tragedy I've gone through
tribulation I've gone through
and I'm not here to minimize any of your
stories
but I would say this
and please don't misunderstand what I'm about to say to you
but don't waste that tragedy
don't let it be
for naught
maybe God meant
it to be a time for you to get
close to him that he could comfort you
but maybe God also meant it
that you could turn around
and comfort them which are in any trouble
that we may be able
to comfort them which are in any trouble
often times the people
with the highest levels of empathy are the ones
that have gone through something
they've experienced trouble
they've gone through some things
it is often the people
who have gone through something
that have the most
empathy now again you don't have to go through some
trauma to develop empathy you can
develop it on your own you can develop it just by
following the word of God and putting yourself
in the right reference of mine and
all those things asking yourself how
would I like to be treated if I were that
person if I walked in their shoes if I
had their experiences if I lived their life
how would I you can develop that but what
I'm saying is that often times we don't
put ourselves through that grinding
of developing empathy
we have to go through something
and look I would say and don't
take this the wrong way and I don't mean this in any sort of prideful
way but I would say that my wife and I
are probably very
in tune with our emotions and
are high on this idea of empathy but
I'm not saying that that's because we're smart
or whatever that's we've experienced
trauma too it's called the ministry
and you
know I have like PTSD from you
people
I'm like you know sometimes
the ministry is like you're in an abusive relationship
and you know
the congregation
I'm just saying
when you walk
through dark valleys with people
when you go
through the lowest
times in lives
of individuals
it will expand your capacity
for empathy
but you don't have to wait for that
you definitely don't have to hope
for that you can develop
empathy just all on your own
just decide
I don't want to feel for people I want to feel with
people
I'm really mad at this individual okay but
try to feel with them
see how that makes you feel
I'm really disappointed
by this individual maybe you're right
in your disappointment maybe they failed you
in whatever area but
why don't you try feeling not just for them
or towards them but feel with
them
it may not change anything as far as who's
right and who's wrong and what needs to be done
but it will change
your perspective towards them
it will bring mercy
and grace and patience
and love and compassion
go to Ezekiel chapter 3
in the Old Testament if you would
this is the last passage we'll look at
this morning there are these major
prophets towards the end
of the Old Testament Isaiah, Jeremiah
Lamentations Ezekiel
Ezekiel chapter number 3 while you go there let me just
read to you from 1 Thessalonians 5
the Bible says wherefore comfort yourselves
together and edify one another
even as
also ye do
wherefore comfort yourselves
together
I'll just say this
in ministry we have to do a lot
of
let's see it from their perspective
doesn't mean they're right
but let's feel what they're feeling
let's feel with them
let's
experience what they're experiencing
and I would submit to you
that this will make you a much
better
a more mature
a more spiritual
individual
and even when we're not talking about
trauma and things like that
it's interesting to me
as a pastor I have to make
decisions for the church and I make decisions
I have to as the pastor I have to
make decisions for the church based on the
overall what is the best
thing for the church as a whole
and often times when
people argue with me in ministry
and decisions I make or whatever
it's because they're only seeing things through their
little slice
their slice of the ministry
or their slice of the situation
or their slice of this
and I often think to myself
I wish you could see things from
my perspective
because I'm not concerned with just this one
little slice of the church ministry
I have to concern myself with the whole
and if
you could just learn to see
things
not just from the other person's
perspective but with the other person's
perspective it might not change
your mind
but you might find that you accept it a little better
you understand
it a little better
you might still say well I don't know that I would make that decision
and I don't know that I would do that
but you might
find that you extend a little more grace
a little more patience
a little more love
Ezekiel chapter 3 and verse 11
I'd like you to see these words we'll finish up here
Ezekiel chapter 3 and verse 11
the Bible says this
and go
I'm not preaching on the subject of soul winning
but I do want to say this
I can't see that word go without thinking of soul winning
you know the Bible says the main verses
on soul winning use this word go
go ye therefore
into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature
go
our job is to go
let me just say this if you say I have
no burden to see
anyone safe
that is a very big red flag
that you lack empathy
and
it's going to make your life rough
why not get heartbroken
with them
why not get heartbroken
with them
I'm thinking if I was lost
and on my way to hell
and there was a church down the street
from me filled with people
who knew how to get me saved
I wish someone would come
Ezekiel 3 and 11
and go
get thee to them
of the captivity
unto the children of thy people
Ezekiel is being told you need to go
and brought into captivity
and he says you need to go get thee to them
Ezekiel actually had not experienced some of this
and he's being told go get thee to them
of the captivity unto the children of thy people
and speak unto them and tell them thus say the Lord God
whether they will hear
or whether they will forbear
I won't read all these verses look at verse 14
so the spirit lifted me up and took me away
and I went in bitterness
in the heat of my spirit
by the hand of the Lord
but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me
look at verse 15
then I came to them
of the captivity of Tel Aviv
that dwelt by the river
of Kibar
look at these words I love these words
and I sat where they sat
and remain their astonished
among them seven days
you know what empathy is?
it is the capacity to understand
what another person is experiencing
from within the other person's
frame of reference
it is the ability to place
oneself in another's shoes
when it is said of Jesus
it is said this way
that we have not an high priest which cannot be touched
with the feelings of our infirmities
and when it's said of the prophet
Ezekiel here
it's said simply this way
and I sat where they sat
why don't you sit
where somebody else is sitting for a while
feel with them
from their perspective
from their point of view
from their experience
because empathy
is not feeling for others
that's just sympathy
and empathy is not feeling at all
that's actually apathy
but empathy
is feeling with others
and I sat
where they sat
let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer
Lord we do love you
Lord I
do not think
that
it can be over emphasized
the importance of empathy
it's needed
it's needed in ministry
it's needed in decision making
it's needed in every area
of life
Lord I pray you'd help us
help us to develop it
help us to
help us to think through it
help us not to be
so selfish
that we can't feel
with others
and Lord
for those that have gone through
tragedy, gone through trauma
gone through difficult things
in their lives
we feel with
them
we feel for them
but help them not to waste
those opportunities
to comfort others who are also
going through those difficulties
I pray Lord you'd help us to become
people that are emotionally intelligent
in the matchless
name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray
Amen
Alright we're going to go ahead and sing
a final song before we're dismissed this morning
I just want to remind you of a couple of things
first of all I want to remind you to come back tonight
6pm for the evening service
and it's a different sermon, different songs that are sung
just another opportunity to be in God's house
with God's people
and then of course I want to encourage you to be back
next week, next week
as we continue to learn about emotional intelligence
last week we learned about
self awareness, this week we learned about
awareness of others, next week
we're going to learn about awareness of
context, awareness of
context, you ever been around someone that said
something inappropriate, they just said
the wrong thing in that
wrong situation
and we're going to learn about how to
be aware of our context
sometimes it's appropriate to say things
sometimes it's appropriate to not say something
and we're going to learn about that from the word of
God and I want to encourage you to be with us
as we continue to learn about the subject
of emotional intelligence, of course if there's ever
anything that we can do for you please
let us know and we'll have brother Matt
come up and lead us in a final song
Turn to song number 100
1-0-0
Day by day, song number 100
on the first
Day by day
and with each passing moment
strength I find
to meet my
trials here
trusting in
my father's wise
bestowments
I'm no
cause for
evil for fear
he whose
heart is kind
beyond all measure
gives unto
each day what he
deems best
loving me
is part of pain
and pleasure
mingling toil
with peace and
rest
every day
the Lord himself
is near me
with a special
mercy for each
hour
all my cares
he faint would bear and
cheer me
through your name is
counselor and power
the
protection of
his child and treasure
builds a
charge that on
himself he laid
as thy
days thy strength shall
be in measure
this I
pledge to thee
good on the last
help me then
in every
tribulation
so to trust
thy promises
O Lord
that I
lose not faith
consolation
offered me
within thy holy
word
help me Lord
when toil and trouble
be deep
dare to take
as from a father's hand
want my
Lord
their days
and moments
fleeting
till I reach the
promised land
amen
good singing before we leave here if anybody has
questions about salvation
church membership or baptism
pastor will be at the door
love to talk to you or direct you to someone
who's trained to talk to you about that
brother RJ would you close the prayer for us
amen