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White Dove Church

Nice or Kind?

Nice or Kind?

Pastor Timothy Miller

Locations & Times

White Dove Church

1400 W University Ave, Lafayette, LA 70506, USA

Sunday 8:00 AM

Sunday 10:30 AM

NICE OR KIND?

11“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, and some teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
Ephesians 4:11-12

13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
Ephesians 4:13

14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ.”
Ephesians 4:14-15

17 “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height; 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:17-19

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20-21

• The Character of Christ is IMPORTANT because it is the INWARD (SPIRIT) MOTIVATION to do and say what is TRUE as JESUS CHRIST would in every situation.

• “JESUS WITH SKIN ON!”

• True Godly Character consists of the stable and distinctive qualities transmuted into the heart that in turn determine Christ-like responses, regardless of the circumstances.

• Character is the Spirit-controlled inward response in difficult situations that no one observes.

• STAND on “A WORD FROM HEAVEN”… not a Word from YOUR Soul!!!

• The Greek word for “character’ in scripture is translated as the “EXPRESS IMAGE” of Jesus Christ.

• Our witness should be an “EXACT REPRESENTATION” of our “MODEL”, Jesus.

“Who being the brightness of His glory and the EXPRESS IMAGE of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His authority.”
Hebrews 1:3

• Jesus Christ is referred to as the “EXPRESS IMAGE‘ of God in the flesh.

• What IMAGE are We Mirroring Daily?

“Imitate Me, just as I also imitate Christ.”
1 Corinthians 11:1

• Paul uses the word “IMITATE” him, as he “IMITATES” the Lord Jesus on earth.

• Whose Disciple Are You?

“Likewise you also, RECKON yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ our Lord.”
Romans 6:11

• We Have a MODEL (Jesus) TO IMITATE in: Belief, Passion, and Syntax.

• So The Question is: WHY IS CHARACTER IMPORTANT?

• Character REVEALS the Lord Jesus Christ (or The Lack of Him), since He is the FULL PERSONIFICATION of all GODLY QUALITIES.

• When Your Spirit is In Charge of Your Soul, HEART CHARACTER QUALITIES will give emotionalized energy in praising and worshipping as a Lifestyle.

• Discerning CHARACTER helps to recognize the “WHY” in all things are working together for the good as conforming us to CHRIST.

• In other words… it Happened to Make You More Like Him!

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but TEST EVERY SPIRIT, whether they are of God or not; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
1 John 4:1

11 “Therefore encourage each other and edify one another, just as you are doing. 12 And we urge you to RECOGNIZE those who labor among you, and are over in the Lord and warn you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11-12

• It’s IMPORTANT to Know Who Your Enemies are, but it’s MORE IMPORTANT to Know Who you Friends are!

• Birds of a Feather Will FLOP Together!

NICE OR KIND?

1 Corinthians 13: “Love is patient, and love is KIND…”

• You’ve heard the phrase, “He (or she) is a really NICE person”, and probably thought only positive about it.

• The Principle that Most Christians miss is: There is a DIFFERENCE between “NICE” and “KIND” as in “SOUL” and “SPIRIT”.

• There are DISTINCTIONS in “being purposely NICE” and “being genuinely KIND”.

• KINDNESS flows from SPIRITUAL CONFIDENCE in the Lord; therefore COMPASSIONATE toward others while COMFORTABLE with yourself. (Spirit)

• The roots of “NICENESS” are inadequacy, need for approval, and validation from others.(Soul)

• This is not about CO-DEPENDENT INTERACTION; this is about SOUL versus SPIRIT in motivation of believers.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by the Spirit we were all baptized INTO ONE BODY; for in fact the body is not one member, but many.”

• KINDNESS- a strong internal reference in TRUSTING of CHRIST’S approval. (Spirit)

• NICENESS- a strong external reference in SEEKING for OTHERS’ approval. (Soul)

• OVERLY NICE PEOPLE try to PLEASE OTHERS to feel good about themselves. (Soul)

• GENUINELY KIND PEOPLE try to BLESS OTHERS to show God’s goodness. (Spirit)

• BEING NICE becomes, “IF I’M GOOD TO YOU, maybe you’ll VALIDATE me as a GOOD PERSON in return.” (Soul)

• GENUINELY KIND PEOPLE display GIVING GOD’S NATURE to others. (Spirit)

• Kind people take PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for believing GOD to give identity, value, purpose, and fellowship. (Spirit)

• Nice people create a VICIOUS CYCLE by “OVERLY-INVESTING” in activities to please and care for others TRYING TO SATISFY their personal needs. (Soul)

• PEOPLE-PLEASERS need OTHER PEOPLE to compensate for an EMPTINESS that only the HOLY SPIRIT can fill. (Soul)

• NICE PEOPLE create a struggle for EVENTS to make their emptiness BEARABLE. (Soul)

Psalm 16:11 “You show me the path of full life; in YOUR PRESENCE is the FULLNESS of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forever.”

• KIND PEOPLE add to their “ALREADY FULFILLMENT” through giving and serving OTHERS.

• NICE PEOPLE can’t realize self-worth & Their Life Quality will NEVER BE IMPROVED by being a people pleaser.

• Paradoxically, becoming a people pleaser to get ATTENTION, VALIDATION and APPROVAL tends to BACKFIRE with being seen as “NEEDY and MANIPULATIVE”. (Soul)

Isaiah 30:15 “In still quietness with confidence shall be your strength.”

How can we become “KIND, CARING PERSONS” without becoming “PEOPLE PLEASERS”?

• The answer is in a DECISIVE SHIFT of intention: from looking outside yourself for emotional needs (Soul) to looking inside to Jesus Christ. (Spirit)”

Hebrews 12:2-3 “LOOKING unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our FAITH; lest you become weary and discouraged in your soul.”

• As The CHURCH, WHO ARE WE CALLED to Be LIFTING UP?

John 12:32 “And if I am lifted up from the earth, I will DRAW all people to MYSELF.”

• He Didn’t say DRAW PEOPLE TO YOU or TO ME!!!

• We MUST Make CHRIST’S APPROVAL the ENABLEMENT of Our SPIRIT to be kind for CHRIST’S SAKE!

Ephesians 4:32 “And BE KIND to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

Colossians 3:23 “In whatever you do; do it wholeheartedly, as UNTO THE LORD and NOT UNTO PEOPLE.”

Ephesians 6:5 “…in sincerity of heart, AS TO CHRIST; not with “eye service”, as PEOPLE PLEASERS, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the HEART, with goodwill doing service, AS TO THE LORD, and NOT TO or FOR PEOPLE.”

• The IMPOSSIBLITY of TRUE CHARACTER is it’s Only by GRACE and GROWTH can we gain the power of GENUINE LOVE.

• It begins with becoming SPIRIT-CONTROLLED with times of TESTINGS, it is a PROCESS of walking in the Spirit.

• Every CHARACTER QUALITY is an expression of GENUINE LOVE, which exposes our self-focus.

“He must become greater and greater and I must become less and less.”
John 3:30



Last Word:

• We must be willing to give and serve for Christ’s sake and not personal gain.

• His SPIRIT Must INCREASE & Our SOULISH MOTIVES Decrease!

NEED PRAYER?

lafayette@whitedove.org / (337) 504-5101