Do

My message this morning was about doing love, mercy, and compassion.

Do. (dôô) verb - To perform or execute

Love is best thought of as a verb. Compassion and mercy are things that we do. If we only feel or think about love, compassion, and mercy – what good is that?

Listen here.

If you want to dig a little deeper, I suggest reading chapter 11 of "When the Game is Over it All Goes Back in the Box" by John Ortberg.

Here are my notes:

Many of us are square fillers. Most of us have a sense that our squares are too chaotic, stuffed with too much activity, but that we’ll get around to what matters most one day when things settle down. –John Ortberg

Many of us say that we will get to the parts of life that we have been When things settle down. Do you suppose things will ever settle down?

I was reading the results from a survey. The gist of the survey was what is the one thing that prevents you from knowing God better and loving God more. Think about your answer. The most common answer was: I’m too busy. You know in the past the people who have gotten us this far were not stopped by: 1) Prosecution, 2) Poverty, and 3) Prison. But we have let busyness slow us down because we are confident that one day things will settle down.

We all have things in our lives that keep us busy: work, school, kids, household management, sleep, personal care, etc…

Holy

The first priority is a relationship with God.

Are these statements true of you?

• I don’t want to get to the end of my life and not know God
• I don’t want every prayer to be help
• I want God’s heartbeat to be my heartbeat
• I want to discover His dreams for me
• I want to relentlessly chase and pursue those dreams
• I have a legacy I want to pass on
• I have patterns I don’t want to pass on

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. –Psalm 1:1-3

When we put God first:

• We yield fruit
• We don't wither
• We prosper

Jesus knew this:

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. –Mark 1:35

Others

Another priority is our relationship with others.

Jesus was always present with the people he was with. We never heard him say: “Huh, I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

Jesus knew that people take time. Relationships cannot be microwaved. Intimacy is never convenient.

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” –Luke 10:38-42

Martha – Distracted
Mary – Present

Mission

Part of our time should be spent serving others.

We all have an innate desire to add value to the world and make the world a little better place.

And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. -2 Thessalonians 3:4

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. -Micah 6:8

Enjoyment

Our true home is life is the love of God, the love of people, and serving the world. And God wants us to enjoy our lives.

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! –Philippians 4:4

It’s kind of like this: If Satan won’t make you bad, he will make you busy.