A Good Trip
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Greg Waybright
- Genesis 1:24 & Micah 6:6
- Synced - A Spirit-Synced Way of Life
- 41 mins 21 secs
- Views: 2317
Family Devotional
Synced Family Devotional Oct. 24-25, 2015
Read Luke 13:10-13 together as a family.
In our story today, Jesus is teaching in one of the synagogues when a woman comes along who had been hurting for 18 years. She couldn’t stand up straight, and had to walk around in a bent over position for many, many years. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said—“You are set free from your infirmity!” Then he touched her and immediately she straightened up and praised God!
Activity:
Invite your kids to curl up in a ball as tight as they can for 1 minute. Tell them to get as small as they can, squeezing themselves tight. Then, after a minute, tell them to jump out of their ball and stretch as high as they can! What did it feel like to be in the tight ball? What did it feel like to stretch out? How do you think the woman felt after being healed by Jesus?
Jesus did an amazing miracle! He healed this woman and set her free from a lifetime of pain. Jesus shows us here a picture of what it looks like to show the Fruit of the Spirit called “Goodness.” Goodness can be confusing though, because it’s a word we use so often. Pizza tastes “good”; we enjoy a movie and call it “good” because it was funny; some of us have a lot of athletic ability and are “good” at sports. But I don’t think that’s what the Bible means when it talks about goodness. In our story, Jesus’ goodness meant that he had compassion on this woman; it meant that he loved this woman deeply; it meant that he healed her and gave her a better life. That’s a very different understanding of goodness than “This pizza sure tastes good!”
Read Micah 6:8 together as a family. This passage of Scripture gives us an understanding of goodness from God’s point of view. Goodness is acting with justice, loving with mercy, and walking humbly with God.
Questions:
· How was Jesus “good” to the woman in our story today?
· How has Jesus been “good” to you?
· What does “goodness” mean according to Micah 6:8?
· How can your family extend “goodness” toward someone else this week?
· Memorize Micah 6:8 together.
Daily Devotional
Synced Daily Devotionals Week 6
Goodness - Week 6
Print Goodness Daily Devotionals
Monday
Luke 4.16-24
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”
24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown.
First, full disclosure. I love this passage. It is as visual and compelling as any One Act Play ever.
A new ‘celebrity’ rabbi emerges in the region. Most of the local religious leaders would be present. A hush falls, the new teacher stands, takes a scroll, reads words of Isaiah. Jesus then sits down adding a mind-blowing declaration and commentary to his reading. Jesus has announced and summarized his mission. He will fulfill the Isaiah prophecy; the Messiah who will do these good things; very good things.
But as much as I love this passage personally, it sometimes can become too familiar. Are you like me? Do you sometimes read something so familiar in scripture, that you don’t actual hear the words anymore or maybe lose the strength of their meaning?
I can’t remember who first suggested this simple tool to help me hear “the familiar” again: as you read key verbs and adjectives, take a moment and consider an opposite verb or adjective.
This passage clearly reveals the actions, activities and purposes of the Messiah and therefore what the Fruit of the Spirit that Paul references as “goodness,” broadly looks like. To picture a world without goodness, is one in which we would be withholding this Good News that there is a loving God actively making a way to be reconciled to him and making things right. Without goodness, people imprisoned unjustly in society would be left to languish for lack of outside advocacy. Physical brokenness would be accepted fatalistically instead of seeking ways to care and cure. Those oppressed by broken societal systems would be doomed to carry their imposed yoke and no one would take note. The passage might end with Jesus’ observation, “And today, like every other day you have ever known, things will continue as they are and we will stay the course.”
Do you feel the power in the opposite? Sometimes a word like “goodness” or the idea of this Fruit of the Spirit, “goodness,” can become so vague or watered-down. But consider a world without God’s people demonstrating this fruit and you enter the kind of realm that sci-fi writers love to picture of a post-apocalyptic world…dark, ugly, brutish …in a word, hopeless. The prophecy given to Isaiah and the pronouncement of Jesus in Nazareth rejects that kind of “badness.” He proclaims there is a goodness, manifest through the people of God and when brought to fruition produces the kind of goodness that brings radical change and gentle comfort, open eyes and engages hearts, stretches hands and creates sacrificial lives.
So how is your pursuit of mature Spiritual fruitfulness going in the area of Goodness? How are you cultivating it? How are you helping others cultivate it? Are we actively bringing the opposite of badness, or are we maybe under-reading Christ and the Spirit’s work in the world and unintentionally diminishing the power and potential of goodness.
Today, why not begin an intentional act of seeking one opportunity each day with a co-worker, roommate or family member, to express through word and deed, an intentional act of goodness that will bless others and honor God.
~Scott White
Tuesday
Mark 7.24-30
24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”
30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Almost everyone would admit that helping people who are in need is an important and noble thing to do. However, my guess is that if we were all honest we would admit that we’re only really motivated to help people whom we want to help.
Think about it – doesn’t it seem more appealing to help someone that we like? Wouldn’t we rather help someone who is similar to us?
And what about someone who caused their own problems? Surely they’re quite a bit harder for many of us to help than someone who is need at no fault of their own.
And, perhaps most tellingly, wouldn’t we rather help someone whom we think might pay us back in some regard? I mean, if helping someone might result in some quantifiable benefit to us, then isn’t that more appealing than the opposite?
However, we see in this text a person vastly different than Jesus (ethnically, gender-wise, religiously, etc.), who was in need and had nothing to offer in return. So not many of us, if we were being honest, would have faulted Jesus for saying “no” to her request.
But Jesus didn’t’ say “no.” Instead he inconvenienced himself and those who were traveling with him to stop, speak to this woman like a human being, and to heal her daughter.
This is what living a life synced with the Spirit looks like! As we are more and more connected to the goodness of God, that goodness will begin to express itself in our lives.
And God’s goodness isn’t only available to a select few. Instead it’s lavishly poured out on all of humanity, even though none of us – not even one! – deserves it!
And as we are led by the Spirit we too will begin to lavish this much-needed goodness into the lives of the people we come into contact with each day. This type of goodness can change the world!
~Matt Barnes
Wednesday
John 8.2-11
2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
I love discovering new music, and a few years ago someone told me that I should listen to Miles Davis. I bought a cd and tried to like it, but I just didn’t “get” it. I couldn’t keep up with the rhythm, I didn’t know where it was going, and I got bored with the chaos. This is how many of us experience jazz, while others adore it. Jazz lovers release themselves to the rhythm, to the order behind the chaos, and find beauty there. I still don’t understand jazz, and while I can see theoretically that it is “good,” I don’t feel that goodness in my core. (If I just offended all you jazz lovers, I deeply apologize. Please keep reading :).)
Many of us have differing opinions about what is good. I love Thai food; my husband could take it or leave it. Most women love chocolate; I avoid it at all costs. We differ about what we think tastes good, sounds good, looks good. We have differing opinions about what goodness looks like in more serious areas too—in our marriages, in parenting, in social justice…the list goes on and on. And this dynamic is true of our relationship with God as well. Many times what we think is “good” or “right” isn’t actually what God thinks is “good” or “right.” Many times God has a different opinion from us about what “goodness” actually looks like.
That’s what was going on in our story for today. The religious leaders had brought a woman to Jesus who had been caught in the act of adultery, and they wanted to brutally execute her for her sin. This would have been a haunting scene. These powerful men set a woman before Jesus, making her stand before the crowd, literally dragging her body and her reputation through the dirt. I cannot help but picture the fear in her eyes as she hears her impending fate—a humiliating and painful death at the hands of her executioners. The religious leaders and teachers of the law thought this was a good way of applying God’s laws; they interpreted God’s word to say that this would be a “good” act. But Jesus shows them a different way. Through his mysterious act of writing in the dirt and his convicting words, he helped people to see what “goodness” looked like for this woman and this community.
Jesus showed the people that day that humans don’t get to decide what is good and what isn’t good. God decides what is good; He sets the bar, and everything is measured by His standards. He showed us that day that while God’s law is always good, mercy and redemption were also good.
I cannot follow the rhythms of jazz, so I don’t understand its goodness. I can’t keep up with the beat, I can’t figure out where it is going, and I get lost in the chaos. When that happens, I don’t understand the goodness of the music. I think that sometimes this happens in our relationship with God too. Sometimes we can’t follow God’s rhythms, or we have trouble staying on beat with where the Spirit is going. When that happens, it is incredibly difficult for us to know what is good and to act for good. We NEED the Spirit to guide us. We can’t trust ourselves to stay “on beat” or to be able to say what is/isn’t beautiful or good. We need God to tell us what is good, and then we need God to give us courage to enact that goodness.
And just like the men in this story, sometimes we need God to broaden our vision on what “goodness” actually looks like. What feels like chaos to us might be exactly what God wants. What feels uncomfortable to us might be God’s call on our lives.
What “good” thing might God be calling you to, as you listen to the rhythms of the Spirit, that is different from what you had thought before?
~Annie Neufeld
Thursday
Mark 11.15-17
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
In our world today much that’s not good transpires every day. Some of it happens right out in the open and some of it is insidious and secretive. People are taking advantage of one another, harming one another, destroying the world we are tasked with stewarding, and leaving undone so many things that should be done.
Let’s be honest, we humans have turned what God called “very good” into a hot mess!
And when we are being a bit naïve we might think that our places of worship are exempt from all this madness. Surely we wouldn’t mix religion with selfish ambition and financial gain!
But we have. To be sure, we’re not alone in this and this problem is not only indicative of the 21st-century church. No. We see it in the past from Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 to the abuses of the church during the colonial period to the predatory practices of the health and wealth gospel.
And we even see it in our text. In Mark 11 Jesus enters Jerusalem and goes immediately to the temple, presumably to worship and to pray. But when he gets there he sees that it’s turned into a bazaar instead of a place of worship. Merchants and moneychangers are everywhere!
But the problem has less to do with them selling animals that would be used in worship or exchanging currencies in order to facilitate this process. No, those things are fine. The problem is that these transactions aren’t fair. Jesus calls these merchants and moneychangers “robbers” clearly indicating the issue at hand – their practices are little more than stealing.
And the real kicker in this story is who these robbers marked as targets – those who were not rich enough or resourceful enough to bring their own sacrifices. The poor were the targets.
And as we see all through the Law, the Prophets, and in the life of Jesus, the goodness of God demands that his people care for and protect the poor.
So Jesus disrupts the scene; not in order to make a scene, but so that God’s goodness could be seen.
What “robbers” need to be brought to light in our world today? What scenes do we need to disrupt?
Before we all go Rambo out there in the real world, let’s commit to this: Stay connected deeply to the Spirit of God. As we each do so and as we do so together, God, through his Spirit, will teach us how and when to make his goodness known!
~Matt Barnes
Friday
Matthew 25.34-39
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
We have often times heard it quoted from scripture – “I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for me. Then you will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Mathew 25:46)
Today we will focus on God’s “Goodness” which can be described as – glorifying God through our word and deed. The picture of God’s goodness can so often be demonstrated in our “good” acts toward others.
As a pastor of LAC, I get to hear about or see the actions of many who profess Jesus as their Lord and savior. Through these incredible actions, I get to see how our believing members fulfill Matthew 7:34-39 because:
*You feed the hungry through our Community meal and your generous giving to our benevolence program
*You give a drink to the thirsty – distributing bottles of water or giving out food vouchers
*You invite those in need into fellowship through our Community Outreach Ministry or directly into our adult classes and small groups
*You clothe the unclothed through ACTS Thrift Store
*You visit the sick in the hospital or shut-ins through our Care and Compassion Ministry
*You visit those in prison through our Prison Ministry
The list could go on but I think the point is made. Goodness is being displayed daily by our church members to others.
As followers of Jesus Christ who acknowledge Him as your Lord and Savior, you are made Righteous through the redeeming act of Jesus on the cross. In 1 John 4.19 we are reminded – “We love because he 1st loved us.” It is only because of the fact that God loved us first that we can love others. By demonstrating a loving act to another person we are also demonstrating the “Goodness” of God. “
In addition to the acts we take as a church body to help others, I believe we all can take 3 practical steps to continually display God’s goodness to others:
- Acknowledge that all you have comes from God and He is good!
- Ask the Holy Spirit to prompt you on where you can help another and thus display God’s goodness to that person
- Act when the Holy Spirit prompts you
Come let’s be “Goodness Makers” in a world starving for a loving touch from God. Let’s have our actions speak as loud as our words as we give honor and glory to God, The Good Shepherd. Finally, let us always remember the words from James 1.17, “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift comes down from the Father…”
~Bill Mead
Saturday
Luke 13.10-17
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”
15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
When I was just beginning in the ministry I worked with some youth in Texas. One particular young man in our group was a difficult case to say the least. He was from a broken family who had very little means. As a result, he often acted out at school, at home, and even during gathered worship.
So the pastoral team I worked on decided to begin to invest in this young man. At first we all were pitching in and for a week or two things got better. But life got busy for all of us and our concerted group effort became sporadic at best. The old disruptive behaviors from this young man resurfaced.
So a small circle of us (including me) were asked to give him and his family consistent and specific pastoral support. We all did our part but the young man was difficult, rude, and unappreciative. He would lash out, trying to test us and try our limits. Things got so bad that this young man was put on my docket solely since I was the newest member of the team.
And, I’ll be honest, ministering to this young man was hard. I constantly found myself wondering if doing good by him was worth it. What am I getting out of this? I found myself asking. I began being more worried about my discomfort and frustration than this young man’s discipleship.
I wanted to get something out of offering this young man pastoral support.
Luckily for all of us, someone much more patient and good offers all of us pastoral support – namely, the Holy Spirit!
In the passage for today we see Jesus being led by the Spirit to break to conventions of his day to minister to a hurting woman. Jesus knows that he’s going to get pushback and resistance, but that doesn’t stop him. And Jesus knows the heart of the woman that needed help. He knew that in the end he was going to give all he had for her and she would have no way to repay him.
But Jesus didn’t let any of these things slow him down! Instead he pushed forward, talking to, touching, and healing this woman.
This makes me wonder what might be holding us back from expressing God’s goodness to those around us? What are we allowing to thwart the desires of the Spirit from being expressed through us?
Holy Spirit, move in us despite our failings. Use us anyway. And teach us to put the interests of others first, even before our own. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
~Matt Barnes
Study Notes
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Synced: A Good Trip
Genesis 1:24-27,31; Micah 6:6-8
The fruit of God’s Spirit is goodness (Gal 5:22). That means -- when the Spirit of God produces his fruit in your life, you will be “good”!
But, let’s stop a moment to meditate on this. The Apostle Paul, who wrote about the fruit of the Spirit, was a Jewish Rabbi and all the rabbis were agreed that there is no one and nothing fully good in this world – except God. Jesus had said that too! In his encounter with the rich young ruler in Mk 10, after the man had called Jesus, “Good Master”, Jesus said, “Don’t you know? There is no one good except God.” How then can Paul promise you that one thing the Spirit will do when he comes into your life is make you good?
Let me tell you upfront that this message brings us into the very heart of the “good news” of the entire Bible. So, I want you to listen carefully. If you grasp what God ‘s Word is saying today about goodness, it will encourage you and give you hope. It will also teach you how to live a life that is meaningful each day. We’ll go at the subject very simply by looking at the two great texts that were used when Jesus and Paul spoke of goodness. As we do, we’ll reflect on 1) Being “good” (from Genesis 1), 2) living “good” (from Micah 6:6-8), and 3) becoming “good” – when we consider what I want you to take home from the sermon.
#1: Reflections on Being “Good” - “Everything God had made was very good (Gen. 1:31).”
To understand what Jesus was talking about when he said there is no one good except God, you have to remember what happened in Genesis 1-3. In the creation account in Gen. 1, the word good occurs 7 times -- a number that points to completeness and perfection throughout the Bible. Day 1) The light was good; 2) the skies and seas were good; 3) the stars were good; 4) the vegetation was good; 5) both day and night were good; 6) the fish, birds, and animals were good; 7) the people made in God’s image were good. When God was done, God paused to look at it. Imagine God, doing what I did after the Maple Street building was made ready to open. I went from room to room and enjoyed it. Think of God, standing back with his triune family . . . “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good (1:31).”
But now, centuries later, when you and I see everything that God has made -- from the air to the rivers, from the local news reports of our neighborhood to the developments in the Middle East – do you still have this sense of awe that says, “It’s all perfect and good?” When you look at your own life, do you say your life is perfect and good? I can’t imagine that any of us would say that!
What went wrong? Genesis 3 is what went wrong. People walked away from God and disobeyed him. That broke their relationship to a holy God. It also led to hostility in their relationship with one another. It led to a break with the created world that human beings were supposed to care for and rule over. By the end of Gen. 3, there was no one fully good – except God alone. That’s what Jesus was getting at in Mk 10.
Now, consider this: The things we do and make reveal a great deal about us. I’m quite sure you know a lot about me simply by the way I organize and deliver sermons. All that God has made should be a reflection of who he is. What God has made should show us his perfect goodness. As the Psalm 19:1 puts it, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament proclaims the work of God’s hands.”
But, right now, what we see in this world does not seem to proclaim God’s perfect goodness. In fact, our world is filled with brokenness, suffering, and evil. But, God declares in his Word, “I am in a renovation project. My work of art is not yet complete. Someday all that I have made will reveal all that I am.” My world and those in whom my Spirit dwells will be ‘good’ again.” The fruit of God’s Spirit is goodness. Our world will have no more effects of global warming, no more pollution, no more disease, no more trafficking, no more poverty, no more imprisonment, no war, and no death. You and I will be free from sin.
The fruit of the Spirit is goodness.
#2: Reflections on Living “Good” – “God has shown you, O Mankind, what is good (Mic 6:8).”
The “being” must flow into doing. We cannot live good lives as God means for us to live unless we allow God to change us from the inside to the out. Jesus told us that bad trees cannot bear good fruit. But, the goodness that the Spirit produces in us must flow out into our lives being changed. What does that look like?
One of the best discussions of good living is found in Micah 6:1-8. Written over 700 years before Jesus was born, I’m quite sure this text helped shape both Jesus’ and Paul’s words about goodness. In that great text, God tells the people of Judah that all God’s dealings with his people throughout history have demonstrated his goodness. And, when the people ask how this should look in our lives, the prophet simply declared, “God has shown you what is good: to do justice, and to love showing mercy and to walk humbly in relationship to God.” Do you see it? God calls us not only to be good but also to live good lives. What God does in forgiving us and changing us on the inside must flow out into a way of life that is very much like the way that God treats us.
So, what does a life of goodness look like? That’s what the people of Israel asked of God in Micah 6:6-7. “What does God expect of us in response to what He says He has done?” In Micah, the nation’s leaders asked: “Does God expect us to pay him back by showing up every week at boring worship services? Or, by bringing bigger and bigger offerings? Or, maybe, the only thing that would satisfy God would be for us to bring my firstborn to him?” I read vv.6-7 and think, “What arrogance!”
But, God answers, “I have shown you what is good by the way I have dealt with you.” V.8 tells you what is at the heart of good living. This is the goodness the fruit of the Spirit will produce in you.
What does God say that goodness looks like?
It is good to act justly. …what is good: to do justice (6:8a -- ESV)
This word justice has to do with things being right – when something is “just”, it is synced with God’s character and God’s ways. So, justice is very personal. It has to do with our own personal conduct turning from sin and being made right. Our actions will be just and right only when we grow in obedience to God instead of disobeying as Adam and Eve did.
And justice also is a call to action -- – God’s people are to act on behalf of what is right and just in the world in which God has put us. To act for justice means to use whatever influence we have to bring right the wrongs that sin has brought into the world.
As followers of Jesus, we are not just to talk or preach about justice. Not just to complain about people or systems that are unjust. So, in practice, what does this life look like? To act justly means that we will not cast a blind eye at the devastation that sin has brought into the created world. You and I were meant to rule over and maintain the goodness of what God created in Genesis 1 but we see how centuries of failing to do so has led to the ecological messes our world is filled with. I’m troubled that care for creation has become a political issue in our society. It’s clear to me that this is a biblical issue. We who know the Creator should be those who care the most about what out Father has made.
To act justly means that we are to seek to right the wrongs of homelessness or illness or depression or anything that is not “good” in this world. When we see evil, we call what it is and then we are to go into action, caring as our Father cares and doing what God enables us to do to bring God’s deliverance.
Acting justly is doing whatever God enables us to do to bringing about God’s good in this fallen world. That’s our calling. That’s what the Spirit syncs into our lives. God says, “By the way I’ve dealt with you, I’ve shown you what is good. What is good is to act for justice.”
It is good to love reconciled and lasting relationships. …what is good: to love “hesed” (6:8b)
The second part of good living brings us to a beautiful Hebrew word. “Hesed” is usually translated as “mercy”, “love” or “kindness” in our English Bibles.
The word is the word used most often in the OT to describe God’s loving relationship with his people. Because of that, it speaks of us having long-term, love-motivated relationships like God had with Israel -- and now has with you and me. To have that kind of relationship with imperfect people requires a willingness to forgive, to show mercy over and over, and to offer unmerited grace simply out of love.
And notice this: What is good is that “love” doing whatever we can to forgive, to show mercy and to offer reconciliation. “Ahab” is the strongest word in the Hebrew language for having a deep passion for something. God is saying that it is good to long passionately for healthy, lasting, loving relationships with all those He brings across our paths. When the Spirit of God produces goodness in you, you will know it when you love to forgive others and when you love to offer someone who has failed a new chance for friendship – just as God loves to do with you. This part of goodness is what will bring about true “community” – between black and white, rich and poor, male and female.
What makes that kind of goodness possible?
- It demands seeing others as God sees people. Each one is valuable. Each one…
- It demands crossing “comfort zones” to enter into relationships with people usually separated from us by the world’s ways and standards.
- It demands a heart’s desire to reconcile broken relationships – because you are so amazed that God does this. People fail. We know that. If you cannot show mercy, you will never be able to have lasting relationships with anyone – for all of us fall short. How do we do it? As God has forgiven us. How often? Hmm. Jesus said, “70 X 7.”
When the Spirit syncs our lives, we will live “good” lives. That means: We will act justly – not sweeping evil under the rug and ignoring it. But, at the same time, we will find ourselves passionately loving to find ways to forgive and to restore relationships. The fruit of the Spirit is this kind of goodness.
It is good to live humbly conscious of God’s presence …what is good: to walk humbly with God (6:8c)
This third phrase about being good is as beautiful as the other two. It speaks of the privilege Adam and Eve had of walking with God in the Garden of Eden. That was lost when they sinned. But, Jesus restores the privilege of walking day-by-day in the presence of God. For those not yet Christians or new to the faith, this is one of the most life-changing truths of the New Testament. When you receive Jesus as your Savior, he gives the Spirit of God to you. You will have the privilege of living, as a brother in Christ put it centuries ago, “Practicing the Presence of God.”
Here’s the point: When you know God is present only because he shown you mercy, you simply can no longer be proud or treat others in a self-righteous way. You won’t compare yourself to others and think, “Well, I’m not so bad. Look at these other people around me.” No, the measuring stick for your life will not be other fallen people – but God Himself. When you walk with God – and see yourself next to God -- you will indeed be humble.
And don’t is this: You are to “walk” humbly with God. It’s a daily way of life synced by the Spirit of God. When you walk with God, you will begin to see others as people for whom Christ gave His life. You will begin to see the world as God sees the world – for you are walking with him. All this is to say, that when the Spirit syncs your life with God’s goodness, you begin to participate with God in the kingdom work of calling everything back to good.
Goodness means we see the potential for goodness in every relationship. Goodness enables us to whisper into the lives of friend, stranger, or enemy alike: “You are fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). It means we have the privilege of telling every human being, In Christ, there is hope for you.”
I took time this past week to remember times when I sensed God changing my heart toward someone – and took me from being critical about a person to a deep desire to bring some of God’s goodness into their lives. I remembered an incident that happened one January when a family of five drove up to a church I was serving. I was in the church parking lot when they arrived. They had an old truck that looked a lot like the truck the Clampetts drove in the old Beverly Hillbillies TV show. The family’s father saw me and came over to speak. When he opened is mouth, I immediately recognized the accent. He was from my home area.
When he began to tell me the family’s story, I knew it was all a lie. He was from Bland, VA, 20 miles from my home. He said he was a church leader and that all his money was stolen, etc., etc. He asked for money promising to pay it back when he got back to VA. After he had spun a tale that I knew he had told often, I said, “I know pastors back in Bland. Let me give them a call to verify what you’ve said.
The man knew I had caught him in a lie. But, as I looked at him and at his family, I said, “Tell me the truth. What’s going on?” So he told me a story that I believe was true. And, at the end, he said, “I just want to get my family out of the cold tonight.” I wanted them out of the cold too. I called one of our deacons who came and joined me. Actually, with some extraordinary help from some church people, this family was able to begin rebuilding their lives. It doesn’t always work out in that same way. I know that. But, I sensed deeply that the God who has been so forgiving and merciful with me had moved in my inner being to turn me from pride and cynicism to humility and a longing to act for what was good for this family.
I think we probably all have opportunities to do good –to a greater or lesser extent – every day. And, I have been asking myself how this fruit of goodness might grow in me and in us all.
#3: Reflections on Becoming “Good”
As I have said each week in this series of messages, the fruit of God’s Spirit is something that God produces in us when our lives are surrendered by faith to Jesus. At the same time, the Bible gives us some good counsel about how to have our lives open to the Spirit’s work. I believe this part of my message could be a sermon in itself – so, instead, I will simply give you a few pieces of biblical counsel right now.
How might we cultivate Spirit-produced goodness in our lives:
#1: Focus -- Be attentive to recognizing God’s goodness as revealed n God’s Word
This has to start right here when I open God’s Word in my calling as pastor to us all. Here’s how I think about this: Since you and I are not yet perfectly good, we can only learn abut what is truly good by hearing again and again from God’s Word. It will be like a mirror to us – showing us what God’s image in us should look like and helping us to see what still needs to change in our lives. What this means practically is that the preacher’s job each week is to teach God’s Word. I believe that each part of it has a role in re-shaping our lives until everything is good again in us. If you don’t hear God’s Word – and read it regularly on your own – you won’t know what to change and how to live.
Your role each week is to be very attentive. Listen carefully for what God says to you each time this Word is opened. Put away your phone. Focus on what God wants to say to you.
#2: Admit --Take time regularly to come clean about the badness inside and to turn back to God.
I think this also must happen each week when we gather together. As we did earlier in this service, each week we need to be here and then to have a time of confession. As Philip Kennesen wrote, “Confession has been an important practice of the church for centuries but it is becoming less popular in the age of self-help and feel good religion.” But, it’s not just out there in the world that things are not good. You and I do not yet have everything in sync with God. We need to confess our sin and hear again, “I will forgive you for I am good and I love to show mercy.”
Then, the times of confession we have each week in worship should be replicated in your daily devotional time. Admit your sin – and then bask in God’s mercy. What a way to begin each day!
#3: Watch – Observe and be shaped by those in whom you see goodness.
As I prepared this sermon, I was struck again by how often the New Testament tells us that we learn to walk with God by observing others who are walking with God in such ways that we see the fruit of God’s Spirit in them. Learning to live a life of goodness does not just come from learning the right principles but from watching a life of a person who is growing in his/her walk with God. Learning to live in sync with the Spirit is not like learning how to fix a care. It’s developed more like learning to play tennis – you read or hear how to do it. But, much more, you watch others who do it well and imitate them.
So, look for someone who seems to be showing you the goodness of God by the way he or she lives – and do likewise. We have lots of people here at LAC who have walked with Jesus a long, long time. There must be someone you can watch and observe the “goodness” of the Spirit in his or her lives. Of the many verses that tell us to do this, I’ll show you just one. Heb. 13:7: “Remember your spiritual leaders, especially those who have taught God’s Word to you. Think about the results of their way of life. Then, copy their walk.”
#4: Act -- Each morning, pray that God will show you ways to further his goodness in the world.
I hope that, if you remember little else, you will remember little else from this sermon, you will remember Micah 6:8. What is good? God has shown you. It is to act justly, to love restoring and maintaining relationships, and to walk side-by-side, humbly with the Lord.
This is what is good. And the fruit of God’s Spirit is goodness.
{tab-ex=Chinese Translation}
創世記1:24-27,31; 彌迦書6:6-8
聖靈的果子是良善（加拉太書5：22），這意味著－當神的聖靈在你的生命中結出果子的時候，你一定會是”良善”的。看一張好壞果子的圖片。
我們先來默想這點。使徒保羅在寫聖靈的果子的時候，他是猶太人的拉比，所有猶太拉比都一致同意在這個世界上除了神以外，沒有一個人是良善的。耶穌也這麼說過。在馬可10章中，耶穌遇到一個年輕的富人，年輕人稱他為"良善的夫子"後，耶穌說，"你為甚麼稱我是良善的，除了神一位以外，再沒有良善的。" 那麼保羅怎麼能夠保證，當聖靈進入你的生命的時候，要做成一件事就是使你變為良善？
我可以開門見山地告訴你，這個信息帶領你來到整本聖經"福音"的的中心。所以我希望你仔細聽明白。如果你今天把握神的話說的良善，一定會鼓勵你，給你盼望。就這一主題，我們只要來看兩節偉大的經文，是當耶穌和保羅講到良善的時候說的。同時，思考1）做一個"良善"的人（創世紀1），2）過一個"良善"的生活（彌迦書6：6－8），3）不斷成長的“良善”－這三點是我希望你今天可以從講道中獲得的。
＃1：思想成為一個"良善"的人－"神所造的一切盡都美好（創世記1：31)"
要明白耶穌說的除了神一位以外，再沒有良善的，你要記得創世記1－3。在創世記第一章的記載， "好的"這個字用了七次－七這個數字在整本聖經中指向完美。頭一天光是好的；第二天空和海洋是好的；第三星星是好的；第四菜蔬是好的；第五白天黑夜是好的；第六魚，鳥，動物是好的；第七按著神的形象被造的人是好的。當神完成了創造的工作，祂停下來看看所造的一切。"神看著一切所造的都甚好（1：31）。"
可是現在，世紀過後，你我看看神造的－從天空到河流，從當地周邊新聞報道到中東的事態發展－你還有這種敬畏感？並且說，"盡都完美"？你看看自己的生活，你可以說你的生活盡都完美？我無法想象我們中有人可以這麼說！
到底出了甚麼錯？錯誤出現在創世記第三章。人類從神身邊走開，不順服神。這使得人類與聖潔的神之間關係被破壞。這也導致人與人之間關係的敵對。導致人類本來是看守治理被造世界角色的破壞。到第三章的結尾，再沒有一個是良善的－除了神以外。這就是耶穌在馬可10章中指出的。
你想想：我們做的事很大程度上體現我們這個人的內在。你們看我怎樣組織講章傳講信息就可以瞭解我這個人。神所造的一切也都反映祂是誰。神所造的顯明給我們看祂完美的良善。如同詩篇19：1這樣說，"諸天述說神的榮耀，穹蒼傳揚他的手段。"
可是現在，我們在這個世界上所見看起來並不傳揚神完美的良善。事實上，我們的世界充滿了破碎，苦難和邪惡。但是神的話宣告說，" 我正在修建一個工程。我的作品尚未完成。有一天我的創作會顯明我到底是誰。我的世界和那些在我的聖靈里居住的人將會重獲"良善"。聖靈的果子是良善。我們的世界再不會全球暖化，再沒有污染，疾病，販賣人口，貧窮，監禁，戰爭，再也沒有死亡。你我將要從罪中出來得自由。
＃2：思想過一個"良善"的生活－"耶和華已指示你何為善（彌迦書6：8)"
為人必須透過行為表露。除非我們讓神從里到外改變我們，就無法過一個神要我們過的良善生活。耶穌告訴我們爛樹不會結好果子。但是聖靈在我們裡面結出的良善必須從我們改變的生命中出來。這是甚麼樣子？
彌迦書6：1－8節是能夠找到的有關良善生活最好的一個討論。寫於耶穌誕生700年前，我想這段經文對耶穌和保羅有關良善的話起了承前啓後的作用。在這段偉大的經文中，神告訴猶大人，神在歷史中對待祂的子民體現了祂的良善。並且，當人問善在我們的生活中應該是甚麼樣的時候，先知只是宣稱，"耶和華已指示你何為善。只要你行公義，好憐憫，與你的神同行。"你明白嗎？神呼召我們，不僅要我們成為良善，還要我們活出良善的生活。神做的乃是赦免我們，改變我們內心，從里到外的生活方式，和神對待我們的方式相似。
因此良善的生活看來是甚麼樣的？這就是以色列人在彌迦書6：6－7節中向神尋問的。"神說祂要成就的，祂期待我們如何回應呢？" 在彌迦書中，國中領袖問："神要我們回報祂甚麼嗎？每個星期勉強出現一下乏味的敬拜嗎？還是要再多奉獻一些？或者，要獻上頭生的來滿足神？"我讀6－7節，心想，"這是何等的傲慢！"
但是，神的回答是：" 我已經指示你何為善，那就是我如何對待你。" 8節告訴你良善生活的核心。這就是聖靈要在你的裡面結出良善的果子。
神說良善看起來是甚麼樣子的？
行公義是美好的。。。何為善：行公義（6：8a)
公義這個字和行出正直的事有關－"公平"這個字和神的品格和作為相稱。因此公義是很個人性的。這和從罪中掉頭的個人行為，被稱為義有關。只有當我們在順服神上面成長，而不是像亞當夏娃那樣不順服的時候，我們的行為才能成為正直。
並且公義也是對行動的呼籲 -- 當聖靈在我們裡面結出良善果子的時候，神把我們放在世界任何的地方生活，我們都可以為了正直而行動。公義的行為意味著使用我們所有的影響力來糾正因罪帶給世界錯誤的東西。
因此，作為跟隨耶穌的人，我們不是只在口頭上或者講道上談公義，也不是抱怨人和制度的不公。行公義的意義在於我們不是閉目無視罪給這個被造的世界所帶來的破壞。你我本來應該看守管理保持神在創世記1章中被造的美好。但是我們看到，世紀以來我們沒有能夠這麼做，導致世界充滿生態混亂。我憂心人們現在對被造的看守已經變成我們社會的政治議題。對我來說，很清楚這乃是神學的議題。認識創造主的我們應該最在乎的是天父的創造。恢復世界的良善美好乃是行公義的一個部分。
行公義也意味這我們要尋求糾正因罪帶來的錯誤－流浪，病痛，憂鬱症，任何世界上“不好”的東西。我們看到邪惡，就當明辨進入行動，看護我們的天父所看顧的，行神給予我們的能力，帶來神的拯救。
歸根結底：正直的行為乃是行出神加給我們的力量，給這個墮落的世界帶來神的美好。這是我們的呼召。是聖靈與我們的生活的流通。神說，“按著我待你的，我已經指示你何為善。善乃是行公義。”
和好長久的關係是美好的。。。何為善：好“hesed” (6:8b)
第二個良善的生活帶給我們一個非常美麗的希伯來字，“Hesed” 通常在我們的英文聖經中翻譯為 “憐憫”, “仁愛” 或 “恩慈” 。
憐憫這個字在舊約聖經中常常用來形容神和祂子民愛的關係。所以，說到我們長久，以愛為動機的關係就好像神與以色列民一樣－現在的以色列民就指你和我。神與我們這樣不完全的人建立關係就需要有赦免的意願，一次再一次地憐憫，全然出於愛施與人不配的恩典。
注意這點：只要能行，不論甚麼我們能夠去赦免，表達憐憫，為和好的關係鋪路的，這真是很美好。“Ahab” 在希伯來語言中是對某件事情帶著極大熱情的一個字。神是在說，在人生旅途中，祂帶領我們與人相逢相遇，我們渴望與所有的人有一個健康，長久愛的關係是美好的。當神的聖靈在我們裡面結出良善的果子的時候，如果你喜愛赦免人，當人錯過一個建立友誼的機會，你還是慷慨給予－就如同神待你一樣，你一定會知道的。這種良善就是在黑人白人之間，在貧窮富裕之間，在男人女人之間帶出一個真正的“社區”。
甚麼才能夠使良善成為可能？（當然唯有聖靈的能力，但是同時也是）
•靠看別人如同神看人。每個人都有價值。每一個人。。。
•靠越過“舒適的界限”進入和人的關係，通常世界的方式和標準把人分隔開來。
•也靠一個願意與破碎的關係建立和好的心願－因為你驚嘆神是如此行，人一再地失敗。我們都知道。如果你不能好憐憫，你永遠也不能和任何人建立長久的關係－我們所有的人都虧欠。我們要怎麼做？神赦免我們，多少次？嗯。耶穌說， “70 X 7.”
當聖靈與我們生活流通的時候，我們就會過一個“良善”的生活。也就是說：我們會行公義－不是躲在幕後去掃除邪惡，目視無睹。而是我們發現自己喜愛積極地去找機會來赦免和恢復關係。聖靈的果子結出的是這種良善。
謙卑地意識神的同在是美好的 …何為善：與神同行 (6:8c)
這一良善的部分和其他兩樣一樣的美好。說到亞當和夏娃在伊甸園中與神同行的特權。他們犯罪的時候失落了。但是耶穌恢復了我們在神每天的同在中與祂同行的特權。對於還沒有信主的人，或者在信心上還是新人的，這是新約中最為改變人的真理。當你接受耶穌作為你的救主，祂將神的靈給你，跟隨耶穌的人擁有生活的特權，如同世紀前一位基督的兄弟如此描繪，“操練神的同在。”
這是重點：如果你知道神與你同在，唯一原因乃是神施憐憫與你，你就不會再驕傲，自義待人。你就不會跟人去比較，心想，“ 嗯，我沒那麼壞。看看我周圍的其他人。”不，衡量你自己生活的尺碼不是別人，乃是神自己。當你與神同行的時候，看你自己身邊的神－你就會真正謙卑。
不要錯過這點：你要存“謙卑”的心與神同行。這是每日與聖靈同步的生活方式。你和神同行的時候，你開始看別人是一個基督為他捨命的人。你就會看這個世界如同神看世界一般－因為你與祂同行。所有這些都是說，當神的聖靈將神的良善與你流通的時候，你開始與神同工，參與祂國度的工作，叫萬物重歸良善。
在我們裡面結出良善的果子的使我們看見每個人裡面的潛力。良善叫我們可以對著朋友，陌生人，敵人這樣細語：“你受造奇妙可畏”（詩篇139:14）意思就是說你有特權告訴每一個人，在基督里，你有盼望。
#3: 思想“良善”的成長
聖靈的果子是當我們的生命在信心中降服與耶穌的時候，神在我們裡面結出的果子。同時，聖經也就我們如何向聖靈敞開我們的生命有些美好的勸告。這個部分的信息可以是另一篇的講道－但容我現在代之簡單給大家幾點聖經的規勸。
我們如何才能培養聖靈在我們生活中結出良善的果子：
#1: 專注— 注意發現神在祂的話中啓示祂的良善
這必須從我開始，神呼召我成為你們的牧師，向你們打開神的話語。我是這樣想的：因為你我在良善上都不完全，我們只能在神的話語上一次又一次地來學習甚麼是真正的良善。就像一面鏡子－顯出神在我們裡面的形象應該是甚麼樣子的，幫助我們看到生活中還需要改變的部分。很實際的就是說，牧師每個星期的工作是教導神的話語。我相信每個人都有自己的角色來重新塑造我們的生命，直到我們重獲良善。如果你不聽神的話－不按時自己讀神的話語－你就不知道如何改變，如何生活。
每個星期你的角色就是要很專注。每次神的話打開的時候，你要專心聽神對你說的話。
#2: 承認－日常要花時間來潔淨裡面不好的東西，回轉向神。
我想每個星期我們聚集的時候也要如此潔淨。每個星期在這裡聚會要有點禱告懺悔的時間。如Philip Kennesen 寫的, “多少世紀以來，懺悔在教會中是很重要的一個操練，在如今時代，人們的自助和宗教感覺良好，懺悔變得不是那麼的普遍。” 但是，不是世界外面的事物不好，而是你我還沒有完全和神同步。我們應該向神承認我們的罪，重新來聽，“我赦免你，因我本為善，我的慈愛長存。”
然後，每個星期敬拜時候的悔改當應用在每周的生活中。在讀經默想中承認自己的罪－請求神的憐憫。何等一天的開始！
#3: 觀看 – 觀察那些你看見他們裡面良善的人，生活也被他們所塑造。
我準備這篇講道信息的時候，再一次感到震撼，新約多次告訴我們要學習與神同行中，觀察那些與神同行的人，看神的聖靈在他們裡面結出的果子。學習過一個良善的生活不只是來自學習對的原則，乃是觀察一個人與他或她的神同行中成長的生命。學習與聖靈同步的生活，不是學習怎樣修理的套路，而是更像是打網球－你讀了，聽了要怎麼做，但是更多的乃是要用心觀看那些人的行動並且效法他們。
所有，注意尋找一個看起來可以顯給你看他或她生活的方式中神的良善的人－你也同樣去行。在湖邊教會有許多與神同行多年的人。你一定可以找到一個人來觀察他們生活中聖靈的“良善”。許多聖經經文告訴我們這樣行，我給大家看一節的經文。希伯來書13:7:“ 從前引導你們，傳神之道給你們的人，你們要想念他們，效法他們的信心，留心看他們為人的結局。”
#4: 行動 —每天清晨，禱告求神顯明給你向世界拓展祂的良善的方式
我希望，如果你有點滴的得著，那麼從這篇講道的點滴中，記住彌迦書6:8。何為善？神已經指示你。就是行公義，喜愛恢復和保持關係，同時肩並肩，謙卑與神同行。
這就是良善。聖靈的果子是良善。
榮耀歸給神，
Greg Waybright 博士
主任牧師
祂的荣耀，
格雷格Waybright博士
主任牧師
Greg Waybright • Copyright 2015, Lake Avenue Church
Small Group Resources
Fruit of the Spirit – Goodness
Video Questions
- How did goodness show up in the story from the video?
- How was this goodness the result of being connected to the Spirit?
Goodness is demonstrated in our lives when we do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.
Scripture
Read Matthew 25.34-40:
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
- What do you learn about goodness in this passage?
- Who were the “least of these” in Jesus day? What about today? Why does Jesus focus his attention on them and not others (i.e., the “best of these”)?
General Questions
- Only God is truly and completely good. How has he demonstrated his goodness in your life recently?
- What are some ways we can remember how God has been good to us? Why might remembering his goodness be an important spiritual practice?
- Within Christian community, how can we demonstrate goodness among one another?
- What are some practical ways we can spur one another on to showing goodness in our lives?
- As a group, define what good news is. Now think for a while about how the “least of these” in our day may define good news in their lives. Is there a difference?
- How can we share and embody goodness among those in our lives most in need of it? Think practically!
Challenge
Visit an immediate neighbor. Invite them over for a meal, for coffee, or to watch a sporting event. Take this opportunity to get to know them. Listen for ways you can demonstrate goodness in their lives…and then do it! Be good news in their lives! Be a tangible blessing!
Prayer
Father, you alone are good. And any goodness we may possess or demonstrate is only thanks to you and the power of your Spirit. Help us always remain humble as we seek to be good. Remind us that we are no better than anyone else. We’re all messed up and in need of you. This week, and every week, point us to whomever you would bring across our paths. Show us how to be good news in their lives. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.