Transcript: Learning True Kindness with Randy Bell | 7 STEPS Episode 15

Thank you. And then it says, give yourselves to humble task. Isn't that what a servant is? Now, let's give an example when we're talking about Mother's Day. Let's use a lady here as a great example of what we're saying. There's a lady named Tabitha from the Book of Acts. Tabitha was famous not because she became a fashion model. She wasn't famous because she had a lot of money and was the biggest diamond holder there ever was, or her hair was the greatest hair that ever was in the culture. Things that made her important were very clearly stated here. It says this woman was full of good works, the very thing that God tells you to do. She was full of good works and charitable deeds, which she did. She impacted her neighborhood. She impacted her town, her city. And it says clearly, it happened in those days that she became sick and died. It shook people up. At the funeral, concerns as they gather, they're all shook up and thinking about what? What a person's life was like. That's what always happens. What came to everybody's mind, what made them cry, even though they weren't family, the people were gathered in tears because she did so importantly to the people around her. She did good works and charitable deeds to the point where they felt her absence as a direct attack upon their heart, broke their hearts. That's how important she was. It says that when Peter got there, in fact, it says when they had washed her, they laid her in the upper room. They didn't have funeral homes. That's what they did. They laid them. That's what the funeral was about. And it says, when Peter rose and went with them, when he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows, notice, not all the children, not all her family or relatives, all the widows of the city stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments, which Dorcas, which was her translated name, had made while she was with them. In other words, they didn't bring in stuff that said, here's what she did for her daughter. They were wearing the clothes that she gave them. The widows were saying, this is what Tabitha gave me. This is what Tabitha gave me. She spent her time clothing all the widows of town. What an incredible ministry she had. She was the very thing we're talking about. She was great and considered great because she was servant of all, showing brotherly kindness. She didn't wait for the pastor to tell her what to do. She got busy loving people because God gave her that ministry. Remember, you don't have to wait for other people to do it for you. You need to open up your heart to minister. That's amazing. That fits exactly what we thinking of when we talk about Mother Day Mother Day we always think of Proverbs 31 don we And we think of Proverbs 31 Now remember Proverbs 31 is not some kind of hopeful poem that no one ever ascends to, but it's just, in other words, it's not an empty ideal. This is literally describing a godly woman who actually exists all over the world. This is really what they're like. Notice what it talks about. First of all, it's in the reference point of a husband and a wife, and then it goes to a mother and all the different areas. Remember what it says? A good woman is hard to find and worth her far more than diamonds. A woman of this character we're talking about. One who has changed the focus of her life away from herself and into this area of true servanthood. Look at verse 11. Her husband trusts her without reserve, never has reason to regret it. Now, isn't that an amazing thing to be able to say? Because if people are focused on themselves and spend all their time trying to attract people to look at them, or dress, then he's worried about all other men hitting on his wife. But it says a servant woman of such caliber, of greatest servant at all, he doesn't even worry about that. He trusts her with everything. And look at the attitude she has. never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long. When they get old, they don't get crabby. Hear that? All her days, even when they're older, she treats him generously. She shops around for the best yarns and cottons and enjoys knitting and sewing. Is that for herself? She spends all her time shopping to get the newest handbag for herself, the newest shoes for herself. Notice she's not spending her focus of getting new fashions for herself all the time. I can't help but think about QVC because I work there. The women are driven. I mean, not all of them, obviously, but a lot of women I talk to, they're driven for the fact they want more jewelry, new jewelry, new clothes, all to track and new hair and new skin, always worried about getting attention to themselves. And they'll even tell me that. oh, I love this new ring I bought. I get compliments from everybody. Their purpose is so they get people to notice them. They literally tell me that. And then they want this other thing because they get so many compliments from people that look at them. They're literally spending their life chasing an empty dream of fame and interest from people. And notice the difference here. God is actually telling you the very opposite. Notice what he says instead. He's looking for a woman he calls her great. if she spends her time shopping, but not for herself. She spends time shopping to help her family. She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises for herself. Well, no, it wouldn't be a surprise. She's bringing surprises back for her family. Notice that. She's up before dawn preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day. She's sacrificing for other people. This is why it's such a powerful character that he's talking about. She looks over a field, buys it, so she can make money for herself? No. With money she puts aside, plants a garden. First thing in the morning she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work is it in no hurry to call it quits for the day She skilled in the crafts of home and earth diligent in homemaking She always sacrificing for others This makes her so powerful to God's eyes because the greatest among us is those who is servant. That's why God just praises us up and down. If you truly want to be a person that God is excited about, become the greatest servant of all. become in this church the most wild crazy servant that you can be so that you wear out everybody with your service to them you always help them and care for them and sacrifice for them that makes you a radical believer because god says yeah you're getting finally what i've been trying to tell you you're entering into maturity you're becoming like god because that's what god's like do you understand that god doesn't spend all his time becoming rich he don't care he gives it all away He spends his time sharing his life with his people. Isn't that what it says? That's the whole point. If you're going to be godlike, you become servant of all. Now, we can go through the rest of this, but I do want to skip down a couple things. These are great examples. You should read this, even if you're a man, because this teaches you the character of servanthood that God wants every person to be. But if you get to the end, it says in verse 27, and she keeps an eye on everyone in her household. Notice that. Her eye is not on herself. It's on everyone in her household. What is she keeping an eye on them for? Keeps them busy and productive. Her children respect and bless her. Now that's an honor. Mothers want on Mother's Day for their children to honor and respect them. Well, you don't get it automatically unless you do these things. because like Dorcas or Tabitha, you get honored when you make such an impact upon other people. You're not going to get honored if you don't make the impact. If you spend all your time wanting people to serve you, you get no honor. You change your focus, you get honor. It says her husband joins in with words of praise. If you want your husband to praise you, don't spend all his money on foolish things. He won't praise you. I can't tell you how many guys I get calls now at QVC saying, can you do something to stop my wife? She's breaking me. Literally, they're going bankrupt. I had a guy in tears saying, we're losing our home because she won't quit buying. I said, well, I can't do anything, but obviously if that's an issue, I mean, write our company and tell them the issues. They'll help you. I mean, I'm sure they will. We're not interested in destroying you because of, I mean, we want to sell things to people who would like to buy them, but we're not going to, you know. But I literally get almost every week now, I get men calling every week with these things. This is how bad it's getting in our culture. The obsession over buying stuff to make yourself happy doesn't work. Happiness doesn't come in honor, doesn't come from keep buying yourself things. It comes from giving yourself away. That's why Jesus said, give, it shall be given to you. The blessing comes from what he's explaining here. Give yourself away. This is where your husband will rise up and give you praise. Many women have done wonderful things, he says, but you've outclassed them all. I like the way this translation says it. You outclassed them all. I hope American women hear that, the classy thing. You know he talking about classy What do they always think about What they dress like Again they think of classing as styling It not it The man sees that differently A man sees it as you outclass them when you act. A whole different story. A whole different way. When you act this way, you are outclassing them. You're a classy woman. Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades, it says in verse 30. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the fear of God. And how that is amplified is in verse 31. Give her of the fruit of her hands and let her own works praise her. Your own works will praise you. And it says in the gates of the city, which means the whole city will realize your power. Our church will become a powerful place when we practice this. When we get to that place, when we're really there. We've got ways to go, but that's what will happen. Now let me give you a couple other points before I finish here. Let me give you the example. Now what it said here, let me apply it from 1 Timothy 2.9. He is talking to different levels of people. It happens to be this portion dealing with the younger ladies. It says, In like manner also that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing. Notice he even spells it out. The world keeps trying to class himself up with their clothing, their jewelry, and their hairstyles to the place where they live it all for themselves. They're focused on the wrong thing. And there's nothing wrong with wearing clean clothes, but remember, the word modesty is very important here. It just means you don't have to wear a $10,000 dress. You can buy one that looks just the same way for whatever at this store, and it'll be the exact look and you won't know the difference, you know. And you don't have to get carried away. You don't have to drive a $65,000 car. You can drive a $10,000 or $20,000 car and it works just the same. It just doesn't have all the fancy stuff and you won't be as famous, you know, because you didn't drive a Maserati or something, but who cares? You know, the point is you'll get where you need to go. And that's what he's saying. Get it in a focus here. God's concern is you get a focus on life. Stop focusing on the wrong thing. Here's what I want you to focus on. It says, which is proper for women professing godliness with good works you dress yourself with. Clothe yourself with good works. The very thing that Tabitha did. She clothed herself with good works. And in that, she became a powerful person. Verse 15, nevertheless, talking about women will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with self-control. The very things we talked about is establishing character, doing the good works. And that's the last point on there. So when we think about mothers, we want to give a tribute. But we want to make sure it's godly mothers. I don't want to give tribute just to mothers. Anybody can have a baby almost, you know. But to be a true mother in God's sense, it's a whole different thing. Thank you. Thank you.