WEBVTT 00:00:00.119 --> 00:00:05.373 A nurse walks in and says all right, how much do you think you weigh? 00:00:05.373 --> 00:00:08.887 He says oh, I think about 162. 00:00:08.887 --> 00:00:09.970 Get on the scale. 00:00:09.970 --> 00:00:12.166 He gets on the scale. 00:00:12.166 --> 00:00:18.038 She says not even close, you're 221. 00:00:18.038 --> 00:00:20.185 All right, how tall are you? 00:00:20.185 --> 00:00:22.304 He says, oh, just shy of six feet. 00:00:22.304 --> 00:00:23.530 Get on the scale. 00:00:23.530 --> 00:00:27.269 She says not even close, you're five, six. 00:00:27.269 --> 00:00:30.443 Let's take your blood pressure. 00:00:30.443 --> 00:00:31.888 She puts the cuff on. 00:00:31.888 --> 00:00:39.664 You know your blood pressure's through the roof. 00:00:39.664 --> 00:00:41.968 He says I'm not surprised. 00:00:41.968 --> 00:00:45.375 I came in here tall and muscular and I'm leaving short and fat. 00:00:45.375 --> 00:00:52.112 By the way, she adds, you're getting real thin on top too. 00:00:54.140 --> 00:00:59.832 Well, that nurse may have been entirely accurate, but she was also lacking compassion. 00:00:59.832 --> 00:01:07.793 No doubt she cared about her patient, but at that moment she really didn't show any compassion. 00:01:07.793 --> 00:01:10.887 But are we any different? 00:01:10.887 --> 00:01:14.447 Don't we all struggle with compassion? 00:01:14.447 --> 00:01:17.963 Oh, we love Jesus, no question about that. 00:01:17.963 --> 00:01:23.134 But at times regular times we lack compassion for him and for his cause. 00:01:23.134 --> 00:01:23.882 I do. 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:31.944 How else can you explain my calloused heart toward homeless people? 00:01:31.944 --> 00:01:44.274 Her place is on Wells Street, her bed is cement, her name is Florence, but like so many other homeless people in Chicago, I knew zero about her, didn't care to. 00:01:44.274 --> 00:01:46.760 Now a co-worker of mine at. 00:01:46.760 --> 00:01:52.301 Moody walked the same route I did from the train and she took the initiative to stop and talk with this lady. 00:01:52.301 --> 00:01:59.644 Turns out Florence is a nurse from Uganda who's come to the United States hoping to get a job in the medical field. 00:01:59.644 --> 00:02:06.643 However, there are forms and procedures and red tape, and because you're a nurse in Uganda does not make you a nurse in the United States. 00:02:06.643 --> 00:02:11.449 And Florence is in a holding pattern with no support system here in the US. 00:02:11.449 --> 00:02:18.377 So she lives on the sidewalk next to a swanky restaurant on Wells Street. 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:25.201 That initial conversation. 00:02:25.201 --> 00:02:28.469 I've had several opportunities to speak with Florence, greet her by name, pray with her, give her a $5 bill. 00:02:28.469 --> 00:02:39.133 Sounds nice, but the truth is, before my co-worker set the example, spoke with Florence, I'd pass by this homeless lady a dozen or more times. 00:02:39.133 --> 00:02:44.930 I never stopped, never talked, never waved, never cared. 00:02:44.930 --> 00:02:58.919 Worse, I secretly resented the fact that she was living so close to Moody like this. 00:02:58.919 --> 00:02:59.099 Wow, wow. 00:02:59.099 --> 00:03:04.699 If you were to say I have a compassion problem, you'd be right. 00:03:06.180 --> 00:03:08.084 Compassion is at the heart of a very famous old testament story we need to look at today. 00:03:08.084 --> 00:03:10.067 Would you turn in your bible to jonah, chapter four? 00:03:10.067 --> 00:03:16.024 Boy pastor jim did a phenomenal job with this book, did he not? 00:03:16.024 --> 00:03:16.645 A year ago? 00:03:16.645 --> 00:03:18.408 And remember the puppets? 00:03:18.408 --> 00:03:19.830 Oh my word. 00:03:19.830 --> 00:03:22.102 And how about that great big whale? 00:03:22.102 --> 00:03:25.170 That, randy, I love that thing. 00:03:27.020 --> 00:03:30.510 There's a scene, though, in this chapter we need to revisit Jonah 4. 00:03:30.510 --> 00:03:36.212 If you're comfortable, would you join me in honoring the reading of the word of God by standing? 00:03:36.212 --> 00:03:43.674 The words will be on the screen, but I'll read for us, if it's okay, verses 5 through 11 of Jonah, chapter 4. 00:03:43.674 --> 00:03:47.901 Then Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. 00:03:47.901 --> 00:03:52.170 Now, at this point, we've been all through the Jonah and the whale thing. 00:03:52.170 --> 00:03:56.929 We've been through you know his willingness, his prayer and the fish. 00:03:56.929 --> 00:03:58.231 We've been through all of that. 00:03:58.231 --> 00:04:02.667 He's going to now continue and he's going to do the thing he was told to do in the first place. 00:04:02.667 --> 00:04:04.169 And here we are. 00:04:04.169 --> 00:04:06.894 He's waiting to see what's going to happen to the city of Nineveh. 00:04:07.340 --> 00:04:09.147 All right, jonah left the city, sat down east of it. 00:04:09.147 --> 00:04:15.268 There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city. 00:04:15.268 --> 00:04:27.562 So the Lord, god, designated a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to relieve him of his discomfort, and Jonah to be a shade over his head to relieve him of his discomfort. 00:04:27.562 --> 00:04:28.365 And Jonah was overjoyed about the plant. 00:04:28.365 --> 00:04:34.141 Ah, but God designated a worm when dawn came the next day and it attacked the plant and it withered. 00:04:34.141 --> 00:04:47.685 And when the sun came up, god designated a scorching east wind and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he became faint and he begged with all his soul to die, saying Death is better to me than life. 00:04:47.685 --> 00:04:53.742 But God said to Jonah Do you have a good reason to be angry about the plant? 00:04:53.742 --> 00:04:58.773 And he said I have good reason to be angry, even to the point of death. 00:04:58.773 --> 00:05:08.651 Then the Lord said you had compassion on the plant for which you did not work, which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. 00:05:08.651 --> 00:05:22.766 Should I not also have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 people who do not know the difference between their right hand and their left, as well as many animals? 00:05:22.766 --> 00:05:25.245 Thank you for standing. 00:05:25.245 --> 00:05:26.007 Would you be seated? 00:05:26.007 --> 00:05:31.591 You ever ask yourself what in the world was Jonah's problem? 00:05:31.591 --> 00:05:34.245 I mean, after all, he whined. 00:05:34.285 --> 00:05:37.786 When he got his initial assignment, he sailed the opposite direction. 00:05:37.786 --> 00:05:38.889 God intended him to go. 00:05:38.889 --> 00:05:43.612 And when he finally preached to the people of Nineveh, it was out of reluctance. 00:05:43.612 --> 00:05:54.274 Jonah was angry when God took away that vine that shaded him from the heat, and when God spared the people of Nineveh, he was incensed. 00:05:54.274 --> 00:05:58.625 What was his problem? 00:05:58.625 --> 00:06:11.115 Well, god tells us in verses 10 and 11, which we just read the Lord said you had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. 00:06:11.480 --> 00:06:18.290 Should I not also have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 people? 00:06:18.290 --> 00:06:24.608 And there it is Compassion, or Jonah's lack of it? 00:06:24.608 --> 00:06:28.547 What about our compassion deficiency? 00:06:28.547 --> 00:06:29.831 We talk about that a moment. 00:06:29.831 --> 00:06:32.247 You know what you never read in the book of Jonah, by the way. 00:06:32.247 --> 00:06:36.269 You never read Jonah's prayer for the lost people of Nineveh. 00:06:36.269 --> 00:06:37.872 It ain't there. 00:06:37.872 --> 00:06:44.649 In the belly of the whale he prays, but there's no mention of the hearts God wants to reach. 00:06:44.649 --> 00:06:52.783 Jonah sounds grateful that God has spared him that's great but he makes no mention of sparing Nineveh. 00:06:52.783 --> 00:06:58.026 There is no compassion at all for the city of Nineveh None. 00:06:58.026 --> 00:07:00.771 What about us? 00:07:00.771 --> 00:07:05.137 According to my doctor, I have a vitamin D deficiency. 00:07:05.137 --> 00:07:12.946 I am now taking vitamins supplements to help that whenever I remember, which is not often enough. 00:07:12.946 --> 00:07:31.504 But according to my heavenly physician, I have a compassion deficiency and there is no pill for that deficiency and there is no pill for that. 00:07:31.504 --> 00:07:32.490 But you can address it on your knees. 00:07:32.490 --> 00:07:38.372 See, compassion is action fueled by prayer. 00:07:38.372 --> 00:07:38.875 It's in your notes there. 00:07:38.894 --> 00:07:39.637 Compassion is action fueled by prayer. 00:07:39.637 --> 00:07:40.139 How do I make that claim? 00:07:40.139 --> 00:07:41.322 Well, it's found throughout the Bible. 00:07:41.322 --> 00:07:44.194 Example A Esther. 00:07:44.194 --> 00:07:52.285 When word reached Esther that a plot was hatched to kill every Jew in the Persian empire, she surely felt compassion. 00:07:52.285 --> 00:08:01.079 I mean, there were thousands of Jews living in the 127 provinces ruled by the king, her husband, she had to do something. 00:08:01.079 --> 00:08:01.499 But what? 00:08:01.499 --> 00:08:07.105 Her compassion was fueled first by prayer. 00:08:07.105 --> 00:08:16.581 Listen to how she responded to Mordecai, esther 4.16, go gather all the Jews who are found in Susa and fast for me. 00:08:16.581 --> 00:08:25.418 By the way, if you read any commentary, implicit with the fasting is prayer Fast for me, do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. 00:08:25.418 --> 00:08:33.576 I and my attendants also will fast in the same way, and then I will go unto the king, which is not in accordance with the law, and if I perish, I perish. 00:08:33.576 --> 00:08:35.977 Esther prayed first. 00:08:35.977 --> 00:08:39.258 Compassion is action fueled by prayer. 00:08:40.830 --> 00:08:52.763 Example B Daniel when King Nebuchadnezzar threatened his wise men with death unless they a not only told him what his dream was and, b correctly interpreted it, they were going to croak. 00:08:52.763 --> 00:08:55.777 But daniel and his three friends did what first? 00:08:55.777 --> 00:08:57.581 What was their first response? 00:08:57.581 --> 00:08:58.102 They prayed. 00:08:58.102 --> 00:09:00.995 And what about jesus himself? 00:09:00.995 --> 00:09:08.875 Consider the greatest act of compassion in the history of our planet Jesus Christ dying for our sins. 00:09:08.875 --> 00:09:13.570 But before he ever went to the cross, what was he doing? 00:09:13.570 --> 00:09:17.337 He prayed, there, in the garden of Gethsemane. 00:09:17.337 --> 00:09:20.114 He prayed, and so must we. 00:09:20.114 --> 00:09:24.533 He prayed, and so must we. 00:09:24.554 --> 00:09:25.736 Back to our story of Jonah. 00:09:25.736 --> 00:09:27.861 We look down at our noses, at him. 00:09:27.861 --> 00:09:33.048 He cared more about a plant than people. 00:09:33.048 --> 00:09:35.317 But are we any different? 00:09:35.317 --> 00:09:36.581 Are we any different? 00:09:36.581 --> 00:09:42.504 We hear the word compassion and immediately we jump to ideas of doing good, doing good things. 00:09:42.504 --> 00:09:46.399 We interpret it as acts of kindness, and that can be a result of compassion. 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:54.118 But the act of kindness that God has in mind for Nineveh is their salvation, the ultimate kindness. 00:09:54.118 --> 00:09:56.235 He wants them to be saved. 00:09:56.235 --> 00:10:00.341 And nothing, ladies and gentlemen, has ever changed. 00:10:00.341 --> 00:10:03.356 Nothing has changed along those lines. 00:10:03.809 --> 00:10:04.793 2 Peter 3.9,. 00:10:04.793 --> 00:10:05.758 We're in the New Testament. 00:10:05.758 --> 00:10:12.058 He, god, is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 00:10:12.058 --> 00:10:19.480 As Matthew Henry puts it, all dangers are trifling compared with the danger of losing our souls. 00:10:19.480 --> 00:10:24.562 God asks should I not have compassion on Nineveh? 00:10:24.562 --> 00:10:28.298 Let me ask you do you have compassion? 00:10:29.529 --> 00:10:32.158 What about compassion for the great city of Elmhurst? 00:10:32.158 --> 00:10:36.419 Population 45,538. 00:10:36.419 --> 00:10:38.395 It's updated from that sign there. 00:10:38.395 --> 00:10:40.395 Median age of 41.6. 00:10:40.395 --> 00:10:46.160 Median property value in Elmhurst 532,800 bucks. 00:10:46.160 --> 00:10:49.879 Homeownership rate of 79%. 00:10:49.879 --> 00:10:57.620 97% of residents in Elmhurst are US citizens and people in Elmhurst have an average commute time of 28 minutes. 00:10:57.620 --> 00:11:06.605 Boy, I envy you who do Interesting stuff, but do you have compassion for the city of Elmhurst? 00:11:06.605 --> 00:11:08.010 How would anyone know? 00:11:08.010 --> 00:11:10.634 Some of us live in Lombard. 00:11:10.634 --> 00:11:13.940 Population 44,490. 00:11:13.940 --> 00:11:23.562 You have compassion for the great city of Lombard or Addison 35,728 souls. 00:11:23.562 --> 00:11:38.293 Do you have compassion for the great city of Villa Park, 22,020 souls, or Bensonville, 18,629. 00:11:38.333 --> 00:11:40.799 How do you know if you have compassion? 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:44.677 What's the measuring stick? 00:11:44.677 --> 00:11:45.990 I'll tell you what it is it's your prayer life. 00:11:45.990 --> 00:11:48.294 It's your prayer life. 00:11:48.294 --> 00:11:49.758 I mean, isn't it true? 00:11:49.758 --> 00:11:53.169 We pray for the things that are most important to us. 00:11:53.169 --> 00:12:01.215 We do, and if the salvation of Elmhurst or your town is important to you, then you pray for the people, for the leaders. 00:12:01.215 --> 00:12:03.623 If it's not important, then you rarely pray that way. 00:12:03.623 --> 00:12:04.404 We pray for the people, for the leaders. 00:12:04.404 --> 00:12:05.889 If it's not important, then you rarely pray that way. 00:12:05.889 --> 00:12:08.474 We pray for the things most important to us. 00:12:08.474 --> 00:12:15.975 Our prayers don't lie and compassion is action fueled by prayer. 00:12:17.378 --> 00:12:21.653 A couple of weeks ago, diane and I had lunch with my dad and we were getting done with dinner. 00:12:21.653 --> 00:12:23.578 He says I feel like having some dessert. 00:12:23.578 --> 00:12:24.881 He's 92. 00:12:24.881 --> 00:12:25.611 He's entitled. 00:12:25.611 --> 00:12:27.821 He says how about some pie? 00:12:27.821 --> 00:12:28.784 I said that sounds good. 00:12:28.784 --> 00:12:40.774 We've got a couple of slices of pumpkin pie and when they came I don't want to be ungrateful, but the pieces were so small it was like something from a play school toy thing. 00:12:40.774 --> 00:12:47.936 You know, I mean, I swear to you the pie could have been baked in an easy bake oven or a cereal bowl. 00:12:47.936 --> 00:12:49.357 It was comical. 00:12:49.357 --> 00:12:58.023 Dad takes a look and he says hmm, I guess we have a pie shrinkflation plan going on here. 00:13:00.791 --> 00:13:07.703 Well, in contrast to a pie shrinkflation plan, may I ask, do we have a prayer shrinkflation plan going on? 00:13:07.703 --> 00:13:09.211 What do you mean? 00:13:09.211 --> 00:13:10.293 I pray every day. 00:13:10.293 --> 00:13:12.217 I don't doubt it. 00:13:12.217 --> 00:13:14.263 I'm sure you do. 00:13:14.263 --> 00:13:16.636 But let's stay with that pie analogy of mine. 00:13:16.636 --> 00:13:17.780 Could we hang in there for a moment? 00:13:18.951 --> 00:13:21.350 Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. 00:13:21.350 --> 00:13:23.697 His last words for his followers. 00:13:23.697 --> 00:13:24.238 You and me are. 00:13:24.238 --> 00:13:25.650 Go and make disciples. 00:13:25.650 --> 00:13:30.363 And making disciples doesn't begin with found people, it begins with lost people. 00:13:30.363 --> 00:13:37.863 So can I ask how big a piece of your prayer pie is devoted to people who need Jesus? 00:13:37.863 --> 00:13:41.499 Is it a big slice? 00:13:41.499 --> 00:13:45.475 Do you think it's where Jesus would have it? 00:13:46.885 --> 00:13:53.096 Charles Spurgeon asked pointedly how many dear friends were you the means of bringing to Jesus? 00:13:53.096 --> 00:13:58.636 You believe that they must perish everlastingly unless they have faith in Christ. 00:13:58.636 --> 00:14:02.375 How many have you personally prayed for? 00:14:02.375 --> 00:14:05.734 How many did you ever break your heart about? 00:14:05.734 --> 00:14:09.695 You believe that they must love Christ or be damned. 00:14:09.695 --> 00:14:15.298 How many have you ever talked to concerning him, who is the only savior? 00:14:15.298 --> 00:14:20.833 See, here's why praying for people who don't know Christ is such a big deal. 00:14:20.833 --> 00:14:22.317 It's in your notes here. 00:14:22.765 --> 00:14:25.014 We notice them more when we pray for them. 00:14:25.014 --> 00:14:27.653 We notice them more, we think about them more. 00:14:27.653 --> 00:14:28.136 Number two we care about them more when we pray for them. 00:14:28.136 --> 00:14:28.408 We notice them more, we think about them more. 00:14:28.408 --> 00:14:34.269 Number two we care about them more, learning what their hurts are. 00:14:34.269 --> 00:14:36.850 Their hopes are Maybe, where we can fit it in, help. 00:14:36.850 --> 00:14:45.610 Three we engage the forces of heaven for the work Jesus loves best Seeking and saving the lost. 00:14:45.610 --> 00:14:46.910 But it all starts with prayer. 00:14:46.910 --> 00:14:51.106 Compassion is action fueled by prayer. 00:14:53.110 --> 00:14:59.320 David was a foul-mouthed, arrogant, godless young husband and father. 00:14:59.320 --> 00:15:02.006 He really needed Jesus. 00:15:02.006 --> 00:15:06.416 Leo was a Christ follower who had compassion for David. 00:15:06.416 --> 00:15:08.178 The two were neighbors. 00:15:08.178 --> 00:15:16.052 Leo lived around the corner, in walking distance of David's home, so he began praying for David's salvation. 00:15:16.052 --> 00:15:20.410 Leo was a pilot, david was a pilot. 00:15:21.405 --> 00:15:22.892 Leo was into ham radio. 00:15:22.892 --> 00:15:29.918 David was into ham radio, so he thought let's just use that as a springboard to a friendship. 00:15:29.918 --> 00:15:31.807 They began hanging out. 00:15:31.807 --> 00:15:36.999 Once a week Leo would come over to see Dave and back at home Leo prayed. 00:15:36.999 --> 00:15:43.312 The two of them would sometimes fly together Back home Leo prayed. 00:15:43.312 --> 00:15:49.099 Sometimes they'd work on radios together Back home Leo prayed. 00:15:49.099 --> 00:16:00.149 For 18 months Leo prayed and visited and prayed and prayed and finally David sensed his need for a Savior and he did accept Christ. 00:16:00.149 --> 00:16:04.458 Compassion is action fueled by prayer. 00:16:04.458 --> 00:16:09.956 God asked Jonah should I not also have compassion on Nineveh? 00:16:09.956 --> 00:16:23.554 Should you and I not also have compassion on Elmhurst, on Bensonville, villa Park, addison Lombard, shouldn't we have compassion? 00:16:23.554 --> 00:16:28.392 Compassion is action fueled by prayer. 00:16:28.392 --> 00:16:33.711 Pastor Jim is here now to help us take that to a very practical level. 00:16:33.711 --> 00:16:35.475 He's got some instructions for us.