God's Compassion: Meeting Needs Through Faith and Action

 

Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound truth that God sees our needs, even those we might not recognize ourselves. We began by acknowledging the challenges and uncertainties in our world, particularly in the global economy, and how these can impact our lives. Yet, as followers of Jesus, we are reminded that our faith allows us to live under a different economy—one where God is the ultimate provider and sustainer. This faith is not just about believing in God's provision but also about trusting Him to meet our needs in ways we might not expect.

We delved into the story from Matthew 15, where Jesus, amidst His ministry of healing and teaching, noticed the physical hunger of the crowd. This narrative illustrates that God is not only concerned with our spiritual needs but also with our everyday, practical needs. Jesus' compassion for the crowd led to a miraculous feeding, demonstrating that God's compassion often opens the door to miracles. This compassion is not just an emotion but a call to action, urging us to respond to the needs around us.

We also discussed our partnership with Compassion International, emphasizing the importance of seeing and responding to the needs of others, particularly children in need. This partnership is a tangible expression of our faith, allowing us to extend God's love and compassion beyond our immediate community. By sponsoring children, we participate in God's work of transformation and hope, providing them with opportunities to live out their God-given potential.

As we concluded, we were challenged to ask God to reveal the needs He wants us to meet. This involves a willingness to be used by God, trusting that He will provide the resources and strength needed to make a difference. We were reminded that our faith is not just for our benefit but is meant to be shared, impacting the lives of those around us.

Key Takeaways:

1. God Sees Our Needs: God is aware of our needs, even those we might not recognize. His attention to our needs is a reminder of His intimate care and provision. We are encouraged to trust that God is working in our lives, even when we don't see it. [38:22]

2. Compassion Leads to Action: Jesus' compassion for the crowd led to a miraculous feeding. This teaches us that compassion is not just an emotion but a call to action. We are called to respond to the needs around us, trusting that God will use our efforts to bring about His purposes. [44:52]

3. Faith in God's Provision: Our faith allows us to live under a different economy, one where God is the ultimate provider. This faith is not just about believing in God's provision but also about trusting Him to meet our needs in unexpected ways. [54:50]

4. Partnership in Compassion: Our partnership with Compassion International is a tangible expression of our faith, allowing us to extend God's love and compassion beyond our immediate community. By sponsoring children, we participate in God's work of transformation and hope. [01:01:28]

5. Responding to God's Call: We are challenged to ask God to reveal the needs He wants us to meet. This involves a willingness to be used by God, trusting that He will provide the resources and strength needed to make a difference. Our faith is meant to be shared, impacting the lives of those around us. [01:07:39]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:30] - Introduction and Worship
- [02:00] - The Economy of Faith
- [05:00] - God's Attention to Our Needs
- [08:00] - Prayer and Faith
- [12:00] - Reflections on Nebraska
- [15:00] - Building Jesus' Church Globally
- [18:00] - Youth Movement and Easter Plans
- [22:00] - Moved to Compassion
- [25:00] - Jesus' Compassion in Action
- [30:00] - Seeing Needs with Compassion
- [35:00] - Responding to Needs
- [40:00] - Compassion International Partnership
- [45:00] - Practical Steps to Get Involved
- [50:00] - Closing Prayer and Worship

Study Guide

Bible Reading:

1. Matthew 15:32 - "Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 'I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.'"
2. 2 Samuel 22:7 - "In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears."
3. Matthew 14:14 - "When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick."

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Observation Questions:

1. In Matthew 15:32, what specific need did Jesus notice among the crowd, and how did He respond to it? [38:22]
2. According to 2 Samuel 22:7, what does King David do in his time of distress, and how does God respond?
3. How does the sermon describe the way Jesus' compassion led to action in the story of feeding the crowd? [44:52]
4. What examples from the sermon illustrate how God sees needs that we might not even recognize ourselves? [38:22]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the story in Matthew 15:32 demonstrate the relationship between compassion and action in Jesus' ministry? [38:22]
2. What does 2 Samuel 22:7 suggest about the nature of God's responsiveness to our cries for help?
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that Jesus' compassion is a model for how we should respond to the needs of others? [44:52]
4. How does the sermon challenge the idea of living under a "different economy" as followers of Jesus, and what does this mean for our daily lives? [54:50]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you felt God met a need you didn't even realize you had. How did that experience impact your faith? [38:22]
2. Jesus' compassion led to action. Identify a need in your community that you feel called to respond to. What practical steps can you take this week to address it? [44:52]
3. The sermon mentions living under a different economy as followers of Jesus. How can you practice trusting God as your provider in a specific area of your life this week? [54:50]
4. Consider the partnership with Compassion International mentioned in the sermon. How might you or your family get involved in supporting a child in need? [01:01:28]
5. The sermon challenges us to ask God to reveal the needs He wants us to meet. Spend time in prayer this week asking God to show you a specific need you can address. What did you sense God saying to you? [01:07:39]
6. Think about a person in your life who might be struggling. How can you show them compassion in a tangible way this week, following Jesus' example? [44:52]
7. Reflect on the idea that our faith is meant to be shared. How can you intentionally share your faith with someone in your life this week? [01:07:39]

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Intimate Awareness of Our Needs
God is deeply aware of our needs, even those we might not recognize ourselves. This awareness is a testament to His intimate care and provision in our lives. In a world filled with uncertainties, especially in the global economy, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the challenges we face. However, as followers of Jesus, we are called to trust that God is working in our lives, even when we don't see it. This trust is not passive but an active faith that believes in God's provision and sustenance. We are encouraged to live under a different economy, one where God is the ultimate provider, meeting our needs in ways we might not expect. [38:22]

Psalm 139:1-4 (ESV): "O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether."

Reflection: What is one need in your life that you have not yet brought to God in prayer? How can you begin to trust Him with this need today?


Day 2: Compassion as a Call to Action
Compassion is more than just an emotion; it is a call to action. In the story from Matthew 15, Jesus noticed the physical hunger of the crowd and responded with compassion, leading to a miraculous feeding. This narrative illustrates that God is concerned with both our spiritual and practical needs. Jesus' compassion for the crowd was not passive but active, demonstrating that God's compassion often opens the door to miracles. We are called to respond to the needs around us, trusting that God will use our efforts to bring about His purposes. Compassion should move us to act, to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a world that desperately needs His love. [44:52]

1 John 3:17-18 (ESV): "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."

Reflection: Who in your community is in need of compassion today? What specific action can you take to show them the love of Christ?


Day 3: Living Under God’s Economy
Our faith allows us to live under a different economy, one where God is the ultimate provider. This faith is not just about believing in God's provision but also about trusting Him to meet our needs in unexpected ways. In a world where economic challenges can cause anxiety and fear, we are reminded that God's economy operates on principles of abundance and generosity. Trusting in God's provision means letting go of our fears and embracing the truth that He is in control. It is an invitation to experience the peace that comes from knowing that God will provide for us, even when circumstances seem dire. [54:50]

Matthew 6:31-33 (ESV): "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to trust God’s provision? How can you begin to surrender this area to Him today?


Day 4: Extending God’s Love Through Partnership
Our partnership with Compassion International is a tangible expression of our faith, allowing us to extend God's love and compassion beyond our immediate community. By sponsoring children, we participate in God's work of transformation and hope, providing them with opportunities to live out their God-given potential. This partnership is a reminder that our faith is not just for our benefit but is meant to be shared, impacting the lives of those around us. It challenges us to look beyond our own needs and to see the needs of others, responding with the love and compassion of Christ. [01:01:28]

James 1:27 (ESV): "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

Reflection: How can you actively participate in extending God’s love to those in need, either through partnerships like Compassion International or in your local community?


Day 5: Responding to God’s Call
We are challenged to ask God to reveal the needs He wants us to meet. This involves a willingness to be used by God, trusting that He will provide the resources and strength needed to make a difference. Our faith is meant to be shared, impacting the lives of those around us. Responding to God's call requires an openness to His leading and a readiness to act when He prompts us. It is an invitation to be part of His work in the world, bringing hope and transformation to those in need. [01:07:39]

Isaiah 6:8 (ESV): "And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here I am! Send me.'"

Reflection: What is one way you feel God is calling you to serve others? How can you take a step of faith to respond to this call today?

Quotes



"There's something in your life right now that is misaligned or needs God's help in God's hand. And you might not even have your eyes on it. But God sees it. And God's attention is on that thing that you might not even be looking at. God sees needs. And I love this for two reasons. It's of course that God sees you and we can begin to then put our faith and trust for God to meet those needs." [00:40:33] (24 seconds) Edit Clip


"And I love how Jesus responds when he sees the need remember what we read in verse 32 he said i have compassion of all the demonstrated emotions of jesus in the gospel compassion is the number one expressed emotion of jesus it's not that compassion is the only emotion of jesus some people want jesus to only have compassion and then we miss out on the fact that he gets angry at injustice that he rebukes the disciples for their lack of faith so compassion is not the only emotion of jesus but go with me it is the most expressed one in scripture we see it all throughout the bible matthew chapter 9 jesus has moved to compassion for crowds who are tired and helpless in mark 1 jesus has compassion on a man who's got leprosy he touches him and heals him in luke 7 jesus sees a woman mourning her son and he heals him he raises him from the dead he has compassion reflected over and over again and there's many other examples so number one if god sees number two is this god has eyes of compassion when god sees needs in your life in people's lives the most common reflection in the eyes and the face of jesus is compassion now we need to hear this church because we live in a success driven culture a success driven culture looks at needs in people's lives and think well they missed it it evaluates people on the basis of what they have what they've done what they've accomplished and what they've achieved and it's really easy for that to slip into the church and for us to think if you have a need you probably made a mistake as a means of justifying our lack of having the eyes of jesus because jesus sees need and predominantly has compassion in fact i would i would say it this way jesus sees needs with compassion he sees a lack of faith with a rebuke but he sees need with compassion compassion you you go throughout scripture what angers and frustrates the heart" [00:47:49] (128 seconds)

"See, a lot of us tend to look at need in our own lives through the success -driven lens of the world, and you think when you have a need that God looks at you and says, well, I wish you'd done better. Instead of understanding, God looks at your needs and sees through the lens of compassion. Now, he might look at that need and say, now let me rebuke you for your lack of faith because you're not believing for me to show up in the midst of it, but he looks at your need with compassion." [00:50:12] (24 seconds) Edit Clip


"Compassion opens the door to a miracle. See, compassion for Jesus didn't just lead to, oh, I feel bad about that. Compassion did lead to a response. Jesus, when he saw the needs of the 5 ,000 men and then beyond that, the women and children who were there that day on that hillside in Matthew 14, it led to a response. It actually led to him turning to his disciples and said, y 'all should do something about this." [00:55:50] (28 seconds) Edit Clip


"Here's the recipe for a miracle. God's eyes of compassion plus you're not enough equals a recipe for a miracle. God's eyes of compassion plus you're not quite enough is a recipe for somebody's miracle. Jesus took what they had, multiplied it, and fed the crowd. So three years ago, God opened a door for us to partner with an organization called Compassion International. We love Compassion International." [00:56:51] (27 seconds) Edit Clip


"Now, if you've got a need in your life right now where you're needing God to show up, I want to pray with you. Would you just actually have the boldness? No one's looking around anyways, but would you just slip up a hand and say, yeah, I'm bringing a need before God today. God sees you. God sees you. He sees the need. Lord, we lift up the needs represented in this place. In the name of Jesus, thank you that you are a God who sees." [01:08:02] (24 seconds) Edit Clip


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Transcript
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