A Taste of Heaven
Text: Ephesians 4:32
Theme: We enjoy love most when we share it.
God says to every person deformed by sin, “I wish you were my son” or “I wish you were my daughter.” Once you hear those words and let them change your life, you now have a message to share with someone else that can change their life too.
Receive the love of the Father, soak it in and pass it on.
Here’s a thought: Janet Curtis O’Leary concluded, “Pity weeps and runs away; compassion comes to help and stay.”
A mother took her eight-year-old son to a concert by Paderewski, the great Polish pianist. She thought the child had some musical talent and might benefit from hearing a genius play. They sat close to the stage, where the curtain was up, revealing the grand piano. Paderewski was offstage because it wasn’t quite time to start.
The mother turned to speak to an acquaintance behind her. In the meantime, the little boy wriggled out of his seat and ran up the steps to the stage. He sat down and began to play “Chopsticks” with all his might. The mother was appalled. The audience gasped as Paderewski himself walked onto the stage. But instead of being angry, the maestro smiled, sat down on the piano bench with the little boy, whispered to him to continue and then, putting both arms around the boy, began to improvise a soft but brilliant accompaniment to the childish music. He continued until the audience, charmed and fascinated, burst into applause.
I see myself as that little boy, sitting at the Lord’s grand piano, pounding out chopsticks while He comes to put His arms around me and play a beautiful tune that accompanies my childish effort. I play with Him a piece of heavenly music for all of us to enjoy. That is much like love - the Lord embracing me and enabling me to bring a little bit of heaven to others.
The Apostle Paul describes a taste of heaven in Ephesians 4:32:
Be kind and compassionate to one another; forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you. NIV
You partake in heaven when you are:
Kind
Jesus describes the heart of God in Luke 6:35:
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. NIV
Kindness and selfishness cannot co-exist. Kindness conquers selfishness by meeting the needs of others in active and practical ways. It is love with shape and form, living side‑by‑side with friendship, hospitality, and helpfulness, expressing love, understanding and patience. It is love that proves you have faith. Kindness proves we have love.
A man visiting a strange town walked into a small cafe. When the waitress came to take his order, the man said, “Chicken casserole and a kind word.”
The waitress returned a few minutes later and set his meal before him. The man replied, “Where’s the kind word?”
The waitress sighed and whispered, “Don’t eat the chicken casserole.”
One day while driving down a country road, a woman saw a sign “QUILTS FOR SALE” by a small, wooden house. When she knocked on the door, a little old woman in a faded cotton dress greeted her. “Hello, my name is Ruth. I’m here to see your quilts.”
The woman smiled and responded, “You and I have Bible names. My name is Martha.”
Martha led Ruth to a large cupboard where she saw the most beautiful quilts of every colour and pattern. And pinned on each one was a blue ribbon. Ruth reported that she too made quilts, but she had never been able to win a blue ribbon. Martha replied, “My child, maybe your quilts don’t have a heart. Do you only want the blue ribbon? I made each one with someone special in mind.”
When you do or say something kind, who do you have in mind? Jesus explained (in Matthew 25:40), “Whatever you do unto the least of these, you do unto me.” Be kind to Jesus as you serve others this week.
You partake in heaven when you are:
Kind
and
Compassionate
Jesus’ compassion stirred Him to action in Mark 6:34:
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. NIV
A German soldier plunged into an out-of-the-way shell hole during World War I. There he found a wounded enemy. Blood soaked the fallen soldier, who was only minutes from death. Touched by the man’s plight, the German soldier offered him water. This small kindness developed a bond. The dying man pointed to his shirt pocket, where the German soldier found a wallet and removed some family pictures. He held them so the wounded man could gaze at his loved ones one last time.
With bullets raging over them and war all around them, these two enemies were friends for a few moments. The two men briefly tasted heaven in compassion.
Genuine compassion is more than pity or concern. Compassion means to suffer with another out of love. It is more than identifying with someone or praying about the problem. Jesus demonstrated compassion through His words and actions. He had no problem being compassionate even to sinners.
As Janet Curtis O’Leary concluded, “Pity weeps and runs away; compassion comes to help and stay.”
I dare you to put yourself in the shoes of someone less fortunate than yourself. Then go and do something to help them with their struggle. Who might come to mind right now?
You partake in heaven when you are:
Kind
Compassionate
and
Forgiven
To forgive is to cancel a debt. Step into the shoes of the servant in Matthew 18:21-27:
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go. NIV
A man called all of his creditors together to inform them that he was going bankrupt. “I owe you over two hundred thousand dollars, and my assets aren’t enough to pay ten cents on the dollar. So I guess it will be impossible for you to get anything ‑ unless you want to cut me up and divide me among you.”
One of the creditors spoke up, “I make a motion we do it. I’d like to have his gall.”
In contrast, a widow owed a grocery store almost $30. She sent $10 in partial payment. The grocer returned the envelope with a ten-dollar bill, all of the grocery charge slips and a note declaring, “Paid in full.” God wants to do the same for us.
Forgiveness is a life‑long adventure. Even mature, committed Christians sometimes have difficulty experiencing God’s forgiveness in their lives. Some kick themselves for past sins, even after confession, while others cannot forgive themselves for not doing what they feel they should. If you are having problems forgiving yourself, try this:
· Saturate yourself with the Bible, paying attention to the passages about God’s mercy, love and forgiveness.
· Build relationships with warm, mature Christians who give unconditional love and acceptance. Within the church, it is often helpful to find one person to be a confidant, counsellor and mentor.
Can you declare that God has cancelled your debt in complete honesty and transparency? Have you received the payment that Jesus Christ made on your behalf? Is there a sin you have not asked God to forgive and cleanse?
You partake in heaven when you are:
Kind
Compassionate
Forgiven
and
Forgiving
Love is forgiving others in the way God forgives us. Jesus wants us to know that forgiving comes with being forgiven. Listen to Him in Matthew 18:28-35:
28 But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” NIV
For you to refuse to forgive yourself or anyone else who has offended you is to imply that you have a higher standard of forgiveness than God because whatever it is that has so hurt you that you can’t forgive it, God already has.
Forgiveness is critical to your freedom because unforgiveness is the means Satan uses to gain ground in your life. Since God commands you to do it, you should know that it is possible.
What are the steps to true forgiveness?
· Acknowledge the hurt. People often try to deny or cover up their pain, but you need to allow God to bring it to the surface so He can heal it. Ask God to remind you of each person you need to forgive. Make a list, if necessary.
· Remember the cross of Christ. Realizing that God has forgiven those who offended you, choose not to bring up the offence again. If you wait until you feel like forgiving, it will never happen. Emotions will follow choices.
· Say it. Say to God about each person on your list: “Lord, I forgive him/her for ________.”
Does a face flash before your mind’s eye that makes you so mad you could spit? Jesus calls you to cancel the debt this person owes you.
Mary Ann Bird grew up knowing she was different, and she hated it. She was born with a cleft palate, and when she started school, her classmates made it clear to her how she looked to others; a little girl with a deformed lip, crooked nose, lopsided teeth, and garbled speech. When schoolmates asked, “What happened to your lip?” she’d tell them she’d fallen and cut it on a piece of glass. Somehow it seemed more acceptable to have suffered an accident than to have been born different. Mary Ann was sure no one outside her family could love her. There was, however, a teacher in the second grade whom the children all adored ‑ Mrs. Leonard. She was short, round and happy, a sparkling lady.
Each year they had a hearing test. Mrs. Leonard gave the test to everyone in the class, and finally, it was Mary Ann’s turn. She knew from past years that as they stood against the door and covered one ear, the teacher sitting at her desk would whisper something, and the children would have to repeat back ‑ things like “The sky is blue” or “Do you have new shoes?” Mary Ann waited there for those words that God must have put into her mouth, those seven words that changed her life. Mrs. Leonard said, in her whisper, “I wish you were my little girl.”
God says to every person deformed by sin, “I wish you were my son” or “I wish you were my daughter.” Once you hear those words and let them change your life, you now have a message to share with someone else that can change their life too.
Receive the love of the Father, soak it in and pass it on.
You partake in heaven when you are:
Kind
Compassionate
Forgiven
and
Forgiving
We enjoy love most when we share it.