Showing Christ's Kindness
A.W. Tozer's sermon emphasizes the importance of genuine kindness in the Christian community, urging believers to extend compassion to the needy without expectation of return.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of showing Christ's kindness to the needy, criticizing the church for often neglecting those who truly require help while focusing on those who can reciprocate kindness. He warns against the superficiality of hospitality that seeks only to benefit oneself, highlighting that true Christian love involves sacrifice and reaching out to the marginalized. Tozer draws parallels between modern practices and the behavior of the Pharisees, who were condemned by Christ for their lack of compassion towards the poor. He calls for a genuine reflection on our motives and actions in serving others, urging believers to embody the kindness of Christ without expectation of return.
Text
No observant man will attempt to deny that a vast amount of Christian money is being spent on those who do not need it, while the poor and the needy and such as have no helper must often go unnoticed and unhelped, even though they too are Christians and servants of our common Lord. (The modern church would appear to be as blind and partial as the world in this matter.)
Our Lord warned us against the snare of showing kindness only to such as could return such kindness and so cancel out any positive good we may have thought we were doing. By this test, a world of religious activity is being wasted in our churches. To invite in well-fed and well-groomed friends to share our hospitality with the full knowledge that we will be invited to receive the same kindness again on the first convenient evening is in no sense an act of Christian hospitality. It is of the earth earthy; its motive is fleshly; no sacrifice is entailed; its moral content is nil and it will be accounted wood, hay, stubble before the judgment seat of Christ.
The evil here discussed was common among the Pharisees of New Testament times. In chapter twenty three of Matthew, Christ mercilessly exposed the whole thing, and in so doing earned the undying enmity of those who practiced it. The Pharisees were bad not because they entertained their friends but because they would not entertain the poor and the common among the people. One bitter accusation which they hurled against Christ was that He received sinners and ate with them. This they would not stoop to do, and in their high pride, they became seven times worse than the worst among the sinners whom they so coldly rejected.
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Introduction to the issue of kindness in the church - The disparity in aid distribution among Christians - The call for genuine Christian hospitality
- II points: - Christ's warning against selective kindness - The futility of kindness that seeks reciprocation - The true measure of Christian love
- III points: - The example of the Pharisees - Christ's criticism of their lack of compassion - The consequences of pride and exclusion
- IV points: - The importance of helping the needy - Redefining hospitality in a Christian context - Living out Christ's example of kindness
Key Quotes
“The modern church would appear to be as blind and partial as the world in this matter.” — A.W. Tozer
“To invite in well-fed and well-groomed friends... is in no sense an act of Christian hospitality.” — A.W. Tozer
“In their high pride, they became seven times worse than the worst among the sinners whom they so coldly rejected.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Evaluate your own acts of kindness and ensure they are not motivated by the expectation of reciprocation.
- Seek out opportunities to help those who are less fortunate within your community.
- Reflect on Christ's example of hospitality and strive to include those who are often overlooked.