Do You Have a Tender Heart? II - Part 3 of 3

Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise, The chorus of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace.

This is LeSaire Bradley Jr. welcoming you to another broadcast of the Baptist Bible Hour. Let us sing of Jesus and his love, Of the Savior who died on Calvary. Tell the world about those things above, And the wonderful grace that makes us free. Sing of his love, glorious love, Glorious love, Glorious love, And the wonderful grace that makes you free. Sing of his love, glorious love, Glorious love, Glorious love, He will love you through all eternity. Sing the praise of him who is our friend, He is pleading our cause before the throne.

He will go with us unto the end, And he never will leave us all alone. Sing of his love, glorious love, Glorious love, And the wonderful grace that makes you free. Sing of his love, glorious love, Glorious love, He will love you through all eternity. How we are to love his friend divine, And be faithful in service every day. Running on with patience all the time, He has promised to bless us all away. Sing of his love, glorious love, Glorious love, Glorious love, And the wonderful grace that makes you free. Sing of his love, glorious love, Glorious love, Glorious love, He will love you through all eternity.

Today we come to the concluding part of this series on the question, do you have a tender heart? I hope the examination of scripture on these principles has been helpful to you, and the Lord will bless us all to search our hearts and see if indeed there is any bitterness, hardness, resentment that keeps us from submitting tenderly to the truths of his word. In the book of Jonah chapter 3 verse 10, it says, And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. And God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them, and he did it not.

Chapter 4 verse 1, But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. There's a preacher that you'd think would be the most delighted man on earth. I preached one sermon and the whole city repented, but he's upset, he's angry. He was exceedingly mad, very angry. And as he talks to the Lord, he says, Lord, that's the reason I didn't want to come here to start with.

I knew that you are a God of mercy. And I just was highly suspicious of the idea that if these people repented, that's what would happen. You would not judge them. And see, Jonah didn't like these people. These were pagans. These were corrupt people. In Jonah's book, they deserved judgment. And as a matter of fact, he didn't give up easily. He felt like if I stay around for a while, maybe God will judge them, and when the fire hits, I want to be here to watch it.

I want to see it when they burn. So he camps on the city limits out there, waiting to see if God will finally execute judgment. What a terrible spirit. He was wanting to dictate to God concerning the execution of judgment.

But God was more merciful than the prophet. Now, search your own heart. Do you have a tender heart? When God spares somebody, you look at them and you say, that person is headed for destruction. They're going to get it.

I know it. And somehow they're spared. Does that upset you? Do you have a little trouble with that?

If God blesses somebody in an abundant way, in spite of their past, does that bother you? Do you remember those people who had a little problem because in the early part of the day there were those that said, we'll work for a penny? A little later in the day there were those that said we'll work for a penny. A little later in the day, some more came and said we'll work for a penny. And at the end of the day, some came and said we'll work for a penny. And when they all got paid, they got their penny. The ones that came first said, hey, wait a minute, that's not fair. That's not fair.

We've been here all day. And the master said, you agreed to work for a penny and you've got what you do. Why are you so upset about what these others got? How many times do you find yourself envious of somebody else? Look what they've got. They didn't work as hard as I have.

They're not as deserving as I am. You're looking down on somebody else. With a tender heart you rejoice in the display of God's mercy. Another evidence of a tender heart is that not only is it tender toward God, not only is it tender toward His word, not only is it tender from the standpoint of being sensitive to His works and the unfolding of His will and purposes, but it is tender toward other people.

It is tender toward those that you encounter in life with a genuine, sincere concern for their spiritual welfare. Let's see the greatest example of all, Jesus Christ Himself in Matthew chapter 9. Matthew chapter 9 verse 36. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd. What was the response of Jesus when He looked at the multitude? He sees them as people without a shepherd, sheep without a shepherd, people without a leader. He's moved with compassion. Verse 37, Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.

Pray ye therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest. How do you respond when you see people wandering, you see people in a state of confusion? You see people that need help. Do you turn from them? Do you sometimes look away in disgust?

Do you say, I've got enough problems of my own, I can't be concerned with their needs? Jesus Christ, the perfect God-man, was moved with compassion. And He instructs His disciples to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers, laborers into His harvest. That ought to be a prayer that's continually upon our heart. Look at the multitudes today who are deceived by false doctrine. Look at those today who in the name of Christianity find that the concepts of humanism have a way of entering much of the literature and much of what is preached from some of the modern pulpits. And they're not able to distinguish the difference. They're being deceived. Does it not move you with compassion to see it?

Do you turn from it with a hard heart? Maybe gloating over the fact that you have greater insight and knowledge should it not humble you with gratitude and thanksgiving that God has blessed you with the spiritual perception that you have and burden your heart to pray that the Lord may open doors even as the apostle asked the church both when he wrote to the church at Ephesus and the church at Colossae to pray that open doors, effectual doors might be opened. Are we praying to that end? That both in this country and in other parts of the world God and His divine providence would open doors so that the gospel may be effectually proclaimed and that those who are as sheep having no shepherd and are scattered in the cloudy and dark day may be drawn in to the good news of the message of God's sovereign grace. Jesus was compassionate. He came to the home of Mary and Martha where their brother Lazarus had recently died. The shortest verse in the Bible is John eleven thirty-five. Jesus wept. Yes, Jesus was God, but Jesus was man and the God-man was moved with compassion. Verse thirty-six. Then said the Jews, behold how He loved him. When Jesus saw the grief experienced by Mary and Martha in whose home He had visited frequently, He loved them dearly and He saw the grief of the friends that had come there. He wept. See, sometimes people get the mistaken idea that when we're talking about relying upon the promises of God, when we're talking about receiving the comforts of His word, that that means that there's no place for an emotional response.

That's not the case at all. In the book of First Thessalonians chapter four, when He says, sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. He didn't say, you're not going to have any sorrow. He didn't say, you're not going to shed any tears. He didn't say, you're not going to grieve, but you sorrow not as those that have no hope.

Why? Because you do have hope. And therefore, He says in the eighteenth verse of that chapter, wherefore comfort one another with these words. The tears will flow. Your heart sometimes will seem that it's going to break. You sometimes will be emotionally distraught.

But you find comfort in the promises of God. Jesus Himself wept and the Jews observed how He loved Him. With compassion, you have an interest in and a concern about the needs of others. And that concern is more than just to express a word of sympathy, just to shed a tear or even pray one prayer on their behalf. It's translated into a willingness to minister to them.

Romans chapter twelve. Romans twelve, fifteen says, rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep. This means there's more than sympathy. There is empathy.

You understand where they are. You try to understand what their struggles are. You know, even when it comes to trying to minister to somebody that's in error, I find that those who may mean well but have little understanding about how to labor with them, how to approach them.

You've got to try to understand what some of their background is. The apostle Paul did that. He says, I have become all things to all men that I might by all mean save some. When he went to Mars Hill, he understood the kind of audience that he was addressing there and he came from that vantage point.

When he was in the synagogue, he understood the background of these people and he started with the Scriptures and proclaimed that the Old Testament prophets were talking about Jesus Christ. It's important to understand somebody's weeping, you learn to weep with them. Somebody's rejoicing, you learn to rejoice with them. You understand what their situation is by the grace of God, but it's not just to express a word of condolence and time of sorrow. It's not just a matter of being there.

I've heard some people say, well that's the most important thing and that's a part of it. But you know, Job had friends that came. They were there, but they weren't much help. First they just sat and stared at him. That certainly didn't help anything. And then when they opened their mouth, it got worse.

And their perception of the whole thing was absolutely incorrect. There's something for you to say. If you feel compassion for somebody, if you see their need, if you want to help them, it's more than just a promise to pray for them. It's learning biblically how to help and assist them.

Let's look at Galatians, chapter 6, verse 1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, what are you supposed to do? Man's overtaken in a fault, man's going the wrong direction, man's in error, man's confused, man's going down a sinful path.

What are you supposed to do? Ye which are spiritual, restore such in one in the spirit of meekness. That word restore conveys the thought of mending a broken bone.

How are you going to deal with somebody that has a broken bone? Very carefully and tenderly, aren't you? We're talking about a tender heart. So now you have a tender heart toward this one that needs restoration.

Restore such a one, how? In the spirit of meekness. You can't restore somebody if your own heart's not tender. If you've got a hard heart, you become bitter, resentful, critical, you're not going to help the situation.

You're going to make matters worse. You're going to drive the person away. But your intent here is to restore this individual so you've got to do it in the spirit of meekness. And the thing that will help you to maintain that meek spirit is considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

So you can't go with a superior attitude as though just can't believe that anybody could ever have done what you've done or said what you have said or made the mistakes that you've made and I'm here to tell you about it. You go with a deep sense of your own poverty, your own weakness, your own fault and sin. And therefore you're trying to labor with them, to minister to them and therefore he says in verse two, bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. That doesn't mean that you permanently take on somebody else's burden.

But it does mean that this person who is down for the moment seems to be unable to recover and you lift that burden for a moment as you instruct them and guide them that they may be restored and then able to bear their own burden. For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. See, he's talking about the spirit that you must have. If a man thinks himself to be something, you're going to talk to somebody and try to straighten them out because you think you're something and in reality you're nothing. You've deceived yourself and you're not going to be able to accomplish what is desired. But let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another for every man shall bear his own burden.

You see how the two now fit together? Verse two says, bear you one another's burdens. Verse five says, every man shall bear his own burden. When you're ministering to somebody who's down and needs help, you take their burden for a moment, you lift it that they might recover and then they are to be instructed as to how they bear their own burden.

But a tender heart causes you to be deeply concerned about others. As Jesus was moved with compassion when he saw the multitudes and you see one going astray, rather than to ignore it, rather than to turn aside with no interest at all, you are concerned. And you understand, according to Romans chapter 15, that by the grace of God you're full of goodness, that is the knowledge of his truth, so that you are able also to minister to, to exhort or to counsel those that have need, all on the basis of the scriptures which are referred to in the first part of that chapter as being our resource, containing the information that we so desperately need. As I concluded the message this morning, I made reference to the experience of Lydia. Paul had received that call.

He'd been forbidden of the Holy Spirit to preach in Asia. But in Acts 16, 9, it said, a vision appeared to Paul in the night. There stood a man of Macedonia and prayed, saying, come over into Macedonia and help us. And immediately he had seen the vision. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

As soon as Paul receives this vision, this call, he doesn't wait, he doesn't try to look for some better opportune time, he immediately goes. And as he goes there, the first convert is a woman named Lydia. It says that, verse 13, on the Sabbath day we went out of the city by riverside where prayer was want to be made. And we sat down and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

Must have been a lovely place to be on the Sabbath day, coming to visit at a place where prayer was want to be made. Here were women resorting there, living up to such light as they had, but standing in need of much more. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira, which worshiped God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized in her household, she was sort of saying, if you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there.

And she constrained us. This woman responded to the gospel. It was good news to her. She didn't object to it. She didn't argue against it. She didn't postpone the matter. She received it. The Lord had opened her heart and she believed the message and then she displayed her commitment to the Savior by a willingness to be baptized and further said, I want you to come stay at my house. She was one who extended hospitality. Serving the Lord wasn't just lip service to her.

It went into action immediately. There was clear evidence that this woman had a tender heart because the Lord had opened her heart and she was willing to be baptized and then to minister to his servants. Now following this, you see that Paul cast the demon out of the young woman who was possessed of an evil spirit and as a result, he was put in prison.

But even there, God had a place for him to minister because it was there that the Philippian jader was converted and his household was baptized. God is at work sometimes when we're not able to understand all that he's doing. Lydia's heart was a tender heart because the Lord had opened it. Do you have a tender heart? If you see some evidence of it, you take courage to say, surely in spite of the fact that I know nature, to be calloused, hard-hearted, indifferent to the things of God. I can truly say that I see some sign that God has dealt with me because I do grieve when I see my own sin.

I do grieve. I am sensitive to his word. When his word is preached, I want to give attention to it.

I want it to make a difference in my life. If you see that evidence of a tender heart, it should further humble you to thank God that he has not left you with the stony heart of nature, but blessed you with the heart of flesh, a tender heart, giving you by his grace. Father, help us, fail and comfort we. Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me. Live through its closes, out by its little name. First joys grow dim, these glories pass away.

Change and decay in all around I see. Oh, thou who changest not, abide with me. All I need thy presence, every passing hour. Walk what thy praise can, form a tender spout. Who, like thyself, I guide and stay with thee. Through cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me. Oh, thou I most be for my closing eyes. Shine through the blue, and point me to the skies.

Hence, morning breaks, and earth's main shadows bleed. In life, in death, oh Lord, abide with me. If you would like information about how to obtain this series, Do You Have a Tender Heart? on CD, get that information when you request it by writing us at Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio, and request the information, and if you can, help us with the support of the program. Till we greet you next time, this is LaSara Bradley, Jr., bidding you goodbye, and may God bless you. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine, Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine, Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my side, Angels descending, ring from above, There comes a mercy, whispers of love, This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long, This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long. Perfect submission, all is at rest, I am my Savior, I'm happy and blessed, watching and waiting, Looking above, filled with His goodness, Lost in His love, this is my story, This is my song, praising my Savior all the day long, This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior, praising my Savior, Praising my Savior all the day long.