WAY PAST NICE

Discovering the selfless commitment of God’s Kindness

1 Eros was one word for love. It describes, as we might guess from the word itself, erotic love. It refers to sexual love.

2 Storge was the second word for love. It refers to family love, the kind of love there is between a parent and child, or between family members in general.

3 Philia is the third word for love. It speaks of a brotherly friendship and affection.

Agape is the fourth word for love. It is a love that loves without changing. It is a self-giving love that gives without demanding or expecting repayment. It is love so great that it can be given to the unlovable or unappealing. It is love that loves even when it is rejected. Agape love gives and loves because it wants to; it does not demand or expect repayment from the love given. It gives because it loves; it does not love in order to receive. 

But it can be defined as a sacrificial, giving, absorbing kind of love. The word has little to do with emotion; it has much to do with self-denial for the sake of another.

The LOVE Chapter 

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

AGAPE LOVE 

The number 16 prophetically represents the love of God throughout scripture

Sweet 16 

In 1 Corinthians 13, there are 16 attributes to the love of God. Other examples of 16 throughout scripture include:

There are 16 “baptisms” throughout the word

We are having baptisms this Wednesday night  

There are 16 commands given to the nation of Israel 

In Acts 15:25, the sixteenth time Paul’s name is mentioned, he is called “beloved.”  

There are 16 Jehovah titles in scripture. This is a big one! 

The 2nd of the list of 16 attributes of the love of God 

LOVE IS KIND

The word kind typically means a person has a giving nature and often does good deeds for others. A kind person is charitable, helpful, and eager to assist other people who are in need. Niceness, then, is often expressed through words or gestures, while kindness is often expressed through acts.

There is a big difference between 

being kind and being nice. 

The love of God is kind. The love of God is not nice. 

A few months ago, I heard JENNY DONNELEY say at a conference, “God isn’t always nice, but He is always kind.”

For the record, “I LIKE NICE.”

I’m nice and I appreciate it when other people are nice. I’m polite. I’m generous. I’m respectful

Canada is sooooo nice…..last week I was in Canada.  

The airport of Winnipeg and the airport of DFW is like the difference between Mary Poppins and Mr. Grinch 

Stories of nice Canadians 

BUT NICE ONLY GOES SO FAR.

For example, a person could smile and act polite (which is nice) while tearing up another person’s mail (which is not a kind thing to do). As another example, a person could help someone fix their broken car (which is a kind thing to do) while insulting them and being very rude about it (which is not a nice thing to do).

Jerry and my boys were waking up the long ramp to the hotel and I saw a man struggling with his luggage. 

A nice thing would have been to say, “You’ve got this. You’re almost there.”

Nice says, “Let it slide.” Kindness says, “I’ve got to do something.” 

Nice is reactive. Kindness is proactive.

JENNY ALSO SAID, “NICE REQUIRES YOU TO LIE, BUT KINDNESS TELLS THE TRUTH IN LOVE.”

As one last example, telling someone a hard truth they don’t want to hear, can be the kind thing to do because it will be better for them in the long term. However, it is often not a nice thing to do because it will cause them pain in the short term.

The love of God is KIND

Luke 10:30-37

Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” 37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

The Good Samaritan was kind (HE WAS JESUS)

James 2:14-17

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

NICENESS COMES WITH SOCIAL EXPECTATIONS 

Kindness is different. A lack of kindness often doesn’t have any personal repercussions. 

IF NICENESS IS PRIORITIZED OVER TRUE KINDNESS, THE RESULTS ARE DAMAGING, DESTRUCTIVE AND ALWAYS END WITH COMPLIANCE–EVEN SERVITUDE TO A NEFARIOUS AGENDA AND SINISTER SPIRIT 

THE REASON BULLIES AND BAD PEOPLE DEMAND YOU “PLAY NICE” IS BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE NICE PEOPLE ARE EASY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF. 

A NICE PERSON WHO DOESN’T UNDERSTAND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF KINDNESS WILL BE MANIPULATED AND CONTROLLED FOR THE ADVANTAGE OF THE ENEMY. 

LEARN KINDNESS

Isaiah 1:17 (ESV) Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. 

When I’m being nice I worried about if your happy. 

When I’m. Being kind I’m worried about serving you. 

What does it look like when God is Kind?

His mercy. His willingness to get involved in your life when it is not compatible with His holiness. 

It’s the kindness of God that tracked you down like the HoundDog of heaven

KIND PEOPLE ARE NOT ALWAYS NICE 

Two years ago, a lady was raped on a subway here in America ( Philadelphia) while everyone on the train sat, watched, looked away or recorded the event on their phone. Nobody dialed 911. Nobody intervened. 

“I am appalled by those who did nothing to help this woman,” said Timothy Bernhart superintendent of the police department. “Anybody who was on that train has to look at themselves in the mirror and ask themselves why they didn’t intervene and why they they didn’t do something.”

Why didn’t they do something?  

They were trying to be nice and to get along with any situation no matter how heinous. You don’t have to have any guts to be nice and it doesn’t matter who is getting harmed as long as you just let it go and move along about your business. 

Ask Daniel Penny 

Recently in our nations headlines, Daniel Penny, a veteran United States marine, was charged with manslaughter after the man he put in shock hold died.

Daniel (GOD IS MY JUDGE) 

Social Justice vs. Godly Justice 

Penny (1/100th of a dollar with the picture of Abraham Lincoln on it) 

President Lincoln was our 16th president 

What is the first of the 16th attributes of the Love of God?

LOVE IS KIND 

That’s what kindness looks like and it’s not always nice.