Be Like Jesus- Kindness

Pastor Ryan Binkley 

7 Minute Read

I really feel most of the culture today is fighting a selfish battle because of their concern about the future. The world is going through great difficulty where we are seeing droughts, war, inflation, stock markets struggling, and it starts to make you ask the questions:

Where do we go from here?

Do we turn to the Church? We need to BE LIKE JESUS.

There should be something about a Christian’s life that causes you to shine. We are supposed to emanate a Christ-like image, so I want you to take a moment and ask yourself the question:

Does my life really emit the light and example of Jesus on earth?

I want to talk about a characteristic that I think we overlook about Jesus, and consequently we don’t emphasize it in our daily walk with God:

KINDNESS

It’s a virtue that too often is reduced to being “nice.” Kindness is the BRAVE act of being selfless, compassionate, and merciful to others. It doesn’t mean that you under-value yourself– you just value your others ahead of yourself for the demonstration of Christ to them.

Can you imagine…what if we all did this?

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility, value others ahead of yourself.”

This is our challenge– we are now living in a season where our nation is the most polarized it’s ever been in history other than during the civil war. So how do you balance standing your ground against evil, and at the same time function with the fruit of kindness?

 

Jesus went about restoring, loving, healing, elevating and helping them see through the lens of love in a way that brings conviction to the heart of the people and not condemnation. He demonstrated this with the way he restored the woman at the well, the woman that was caught in the act of adultery, he did that with the tax collector, Zacchaeus and by washing the feet of the disciples. KINDNESS WAS HIS SUPERPOWER!

HOW TO SHOW THE KINDNESS OF JESUS:

 

 1. SHOW KINDNESS THROUGH SERVING OTHERS.

I remember starting off in ministry. I had 2 models of what a great leader looks like: my pastor and my best friend. They were fiery preachers, both doing great things for God. So when they asked Ellie and I to come on staff to lead a ministry called the Master’s Commission, I jumped at the chance! We bought a large Ryder moving truck and had it equipped as a stage for evangelism. But during the first year, it seemed like the only thing I built was a moving company. Needless to say, we all learned how to serve. Going back to the words of Jesus: The first step of kindness is to serve others.

2. SHOW KINDNESS BY LOVING YOUR ENEMIES

 

So, let’s make this mission clear: Show kindness to anyone who doesn’t show kindness in return. By some measures, these people could be considered your enemies. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Try and see things from their perspective. Forgive the situation like it never happened.

What would happen if you stopped looking at people not just through the lens of race, gender, or how they mistreated you but started looking at people through the lens of love that Jesus sees them through?

3. SHOW KINDNESS TO PEOPLE WHEN THEY LEAST EXPECTED IT

Think about this – the Samaritan woman, the tax collector, the leper, and the thief on the cross: what do they all have in common? Jesus was trying to show people who would normally be rejected that he valued them! This was one of the paradoxical things about Jesus. He taught people good versus evil, but at the same time He was still kind to people who at the time disagreed with Him.

 

 

Kindness is very intentional.

Kindness is God’s superpower in relationships.

Kindness removes peoples blindness to God.

I’m passionate about you learning how to show kindness like Jesus did.

 

 

If you didn’t get a chance to watch the message, you can find it HERE. I look forward to seeing you all next week!

Be Like Jesus- Holiness

Pastor Ryan Binkley

7-minute read

 

Out of everything I share, this is one of the most important messages that we could ever explore, because of the state our world is in. And I think we’d all agree that what our world needs most is for us to be like Jesus.

What would it look like if we could get the church to really look like Jesus?

What if I could focus my life around who Jesus is and set my life goal to be like him? We wouldn’t be long on that journey before we discover this one, important truth:

The more we look like Jesus, the less we look like the world.

That’s because there’s a single word that I want to talk about with you right now, and today’s culture wants nothing to do with it. That word is… Holiness. Holiness is not a word you hear a lot about anymore in the world or in the church! Many see holiness as antiquated or unachievable. Very few people that call themselves Christians have set a goal in life to live holy before God and others.

So let me start off by clarifying what holiness is not:

  1. Holiness is not self-righteousness.
  2. Holiness is not just following a list of rules.

The word holiness means to be separate.

For you to be holy, you must be separate: unique, distinct, set apart, or unusual. So what does pursuing holiness look like?

1. BE HOLY IN YOUR BODY

When you’re born again, your spirit comes alive and now the battle of transforming your mind and body begins. This was the most difficult part for me when I started following Christ! God’s word in First Corinthians 6:18-20 says,

“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Holiness in your body is a daily sacrifice!  Romans 12:1-2 is pivotal to help us understand this because not only does it explain holiness in your body, but also brings us to the second point…

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, HOLY AND PLEASING TO GOD – this is your true and proper WORSHIP. Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

2. BE HOLY IN YOUR MIND

The PRIMARY battle ground where the enemy wages war against you is your mind. Everything that happens in your body starts in your mind. Second Corinthians 10:3-6 states,

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”

Every day I have a choice to make: What do I allow in my mind? Therefore, The enemy is working hard to get to the minds of children and youth to shape the way they think and act for the rest of their lives! And the Lord wants our precious children to be holy; to be separate, unique, and distinct from the world.

I want you to use these two questions to test any attitude or action to know what God’s standard for Holiness in your mind and body is:

  1. Will this increase the influence of Christ in my life?
  2. Will this decrease the influence of Christ in my life?

This is what happens when you respond to God’s holiness: You begin to think and act like Christ! This manifests in the way you handle relationships (both strangers and friends), your finances, your marriage, and your children. Everything about you begins to come in line with God’s plan for your life instead of the enemy’s plan to bring you pain and confusion.

So, remember, holiness is to live set apart, separate, and unique. I look forward to seeing you soon!

 

The Test of a Lifetime

Pastor Ryan Binkly

5-minute read

 

We all believe a story about ourselves.

 

Some of us believe the story that we’re a failure. Maybe we believe we’re a success. Maybe you believe you’re a great mom. Or father. Or entrepreneur. Maybe you believe a lie – that you’re defined by your greatest mistakes.

So how do you know if the story you believe is wrong?

This past Sunday I spoke on The Test of a Lifetime – specifically on how God’s purpose for tests is to know us, refine us, and bless us. King David, who was merely an adolescent when anointed as ruler, embodied dreams, ambition, and passion for life. He’s a memorable example to us today because the Bible uses his life as a mirror to reflect God’s truth into our own stories.

And God’s truth was most clear when David went through a test.

It’s like a roadmap. If David went through it, there’s a fair chance you’ll have to go through it too. Let me explain:

Have you ever felt the pain of rejection? It’s impossible to avoid. Attention from others is a basic human need.  So when David’s father fails to present him as one of his own sons to the prophet Samuel, or when his own son, Absalom, rejected him as King, the sting of rejection becomes part of his personal story.

 

David had to experience the Test of Rejection.

 

Have you ever had to endure emotional turmoil, because of someone’s offense against you? Often there’s a valid reason for feeling offended and those feelings don’t go away quickly. There was even a time that King Saul threw a spear at him out of anger without reason. Another time, he was viciously mocked in his most desperate hour by a man named Nabal.

 

David had to experience the Test of Offense.

 

Have you ever realized that God places people in places of honor, despite us feeling contrary? At times, it is hard to ignore how people in authority often abuse their power. David experienced this with King Saul, during the time Saul was hunting David to kill him. David had a choice to make while Saul was defenselessly sleeping in a cave. Even over the opinion of David’s men, David recognized and respected the imperfect King. He understood that Saul was anointed King of Israel by God.

 

David had to experience the Test of Honor.

 

Have you ever been harshly embarrassed? Social media has made public shaming almost a daily activity. Sometimes it’s a simple misunderstanding, or, as David experienced first-hand, humiliation from his wife over his worship to the Lord.

 

David had to experience the Test of Humility.

 

Have your mistakes made others pay a high price? As a leader, your sins never affect just you. And even though the Bible names David a man after God’s own heart, it never shies away from the fact that David excused injustice, committed murder by proxy, had an affair, and neglected his sons. Yet in all these things, he made himself right with God.

 

David had to experience the Test of Repentance.

 

Do you want to discover your God-given purpose in life? Then I want you to believe something about your story: that you and King David are not so different. In fact, if we truly want to see the roadmap to our story, we can re-read these points, and replace David’s name with our own. By the end of it, we will better understand the importance of the tests in our lives and how we fit into the story of God. If you missed Sunday, or want to feel better equipped, you can watch this weekend’s message:

 

The Tests of a Lifetime HERE.

 

I pray you’re reminded of what David himself said,

“Know the God of your father and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you.”