Author: Pastor Roscoe L. De Chalus s1

Compassion

Author: Pastor Roscoe L. De Chalus Lord of Hope Ministries Date: November 15, 2002 Revised 6/15/2003

Prelude :

Our Help is in the name of the Lord. “Alvin Slaughter”

Scripture reading:

Good Samaritan Luke 10: 30-37

Lu:10:30: And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Lu:10:31: And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Lu:10:32: And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. Lu:10:33: But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, Lu:10:34: And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. Lu:10:35: And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Lu:10:36: Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? Lu:10:37: And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Congregational:

Create in us a pure heart

Drama or Video:

Purchase compassion video from WCCC

Offering and Announcements:

Message:

This sermon was written to prompt us to be more compassionate towards other people. Before I continue let pray and ask the Lord for help and guidance in carrying out compassion.

Prayer:

Lord, teach us how to become more compassionate to others. Create in us a pure heart fully devoted to helping those in need. May your message of hope be relayed to all we assist in your name we pray Amen.

Question:

Why should you show compassion?

 Our God’s word tells us to be this way in Proverbs 19:17: Be compassionate to the poor.

 The Bible also says be compassionate to the weak in Psalm 41:1 and Galatians 6:2

 The Bible also tells us to love our neighbor as yourself in James 2:8 : If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well and Leviticus 19:18: Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

 We should do what our leader did. In Mark 6:34 Jesus felt compassion for people without a Shepard.

Let us go over a few problems that exist in our world to get us focus further on compassion.

 Illness – There are people who are sick and no on visits them.

 Homeless – This can happen to anyone. Many people walk past them and do not offer a hand to help.  People who were tortured and lived – People who have survived being tortured or abused are out there.

Helen Bamber’s life, beginning with her first experience with victims of torture in 1945, when as a 20-year-old, she worked with survivors of the Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp in Germany. After the war, she returned to London, where she worked with children who had survived the camps.

An example of the Torture experienced: People are often suspended in very uncomfortable positions. The arm is held over the back, and the other arm drawn together so that the two hands meet. The two hands meet, and people will be strung up in that position. Electricity then may be applied to sensitive parts of the body so that the body convulses in that very uncomfortable situation that they're held in. They may be burnt. They may be beaten very severely.

In 1985 that Helen Bamber founded the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture. Since then, she and her colleagues have provided both physical and psychological therapy to more than 17,000 people, victims of torture from more than 80 countries.

Eventually, she joined Amnesty International, working to expose torture in countries like Chile and Argentina. In 1993, Bamber also testified on behalf of a Palestinian prisoner she believed had been tortured by the Israelis. She has said it was a particularly difficult decision because she is Jewish.

She definitely understood and demonstrated clearly act of compassion.

 Criminals in Prison – As hard as it is to do we should show compassion for those who have repented of the crimes they committed. We don’t know what in their life led this person to do the crime. Showing compassion does not mean that you agree their mistakes. A way of showing compassion is by you visiting people in the prison system. Matthew 25:36,39

M't:25:34: Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: M't:25:35: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: M't:25:36: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. M't:25:37: Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? M't:25:38: When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? M't:25:39: Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

I know some of you will be uncomfortable about this one. Okay, choose something else. Just do something. Action Steps:

 Open your heart. If you can’t ask God the give you a heart like Jesus. Do not just pretend to love other (Romans 12:9,10).

 Look for opportunities to be compassionate. Be Aware of the needs around you.

 Carry someone’s pain by being empathetic.

Jesus told us how to empathize when He said: Whatever you do for the least of these you do for me. This is a revolutionary idea. The Son of God is taking the place of the poor, the forgotten, the lonely and the ill-used of all the earth and asking us to love them as we claim to love Him. And in following Him we too are to identify with the poor and afflicted in their distress, not just to hear their cries but to cry with them, not just to see their suffering, but to suffer with them. To do that is not just to follow Christ it is to minister to Christ Himself.

Here’s an article that speaks of empathy and understanding. Article referenced from: www.fp.rdg.ac.uk/.../Julienne%20Hanson/ sld025.htm

 Be an example of heaven on earth.

Question:

What if no one is showing me compassion?

Hold on to the fact that God’s compassion never fails. Lamentations 3:22 It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. Lamentations 3:23: They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Lean on our creator for support. The Lord shall anchor you.

There are a lot of opportunities to show compassion. Friends look around you.

 Compassion International (www.compassion.com)  Nursing home volunteering  Visit hospitals  Visit homeless shelters and those on the streets  Share the pain of others

Conclusion:

This week take action. Listen up everyone! What if we all went out this week and did an act of compassion? What would stop you? You will feel so good afterwards. It is a rewarding experience and memorable. It has been proven that these are the things that you remember as you get older.

Let’s stand for closing prayer.

Father, as we go through our life please show us compassion opportunities to participate in. Please help us to know how we should proceed in doing so. Help us to not harden our hearts against those sincerely in need. Pour so much of your love in us that we can’t stand to keep it all to ourselves.

In Jesus name Amen.