25-0914a Transcript

Preacher: Tom Freed

(1:22) Our sermon today is a cup of warmth in a cold cup world.

So I can’t take credit for the title (1:30) because I use grok. I had an idea and I kind of was like throwing around (1:35) sermon title ideas. So I’m not that creative.

Yeah, I do. I have been using grok like Scott (1:42) to help me with my sermon. Sometimes it turns into more of a task because I have three or four grok (1:48) things up that I got my own.

And I try to combine it all into one. So I start sounding too much like a (1:59) preacher. Then, you know, you got to blame grok for that.

Gathered here in the warmth of God’s (2:05) presence, let us reflect on the state of the world around us. The world feels cold, (2:13) not just in temperature, but in spirit, where indifference and isolation prevail. (2:19) Like Scott said earlier, I mean, we do live in a cold world.

You disagree with the other side, (2:26) they’ll shoot you nowadays. They won’t think twice about it. You know, a lot of people mourn, (2:32) but there’s also people celebrating it.

So, you know, it’s a cold world. (2:39) We see it in averted eyes, unspoken kind words and missed opportunities for connection. (2:47) Matthew 24, 12 warns because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.

(2:57) Sin chills our culture, scrolling past a friend’s pain, ignoring a neighbor’s wave (3:04) or withholding encouragement. Feels like that’s the type of world we live in. I know (3:09) even at work, I pass people and they won’t even wave or say hi.

That’s coworkers, you know. (3:15) I’m out for a walk. How many people do you see you say hi to and they just ignore you? (3:21) You know, everybody’s kind of distant.

(3:25) 2 Timothy 3, 1 through 5 paints a stark picture. In the last days, perilous times will come (3:33) for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, posters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient, (3:41) unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanders, without self-control, brutal, (3:47) despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, pouty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (3:57) having a form of godliness but denying its power. This describes our world today, (4:06) visible in every hurried self-focused interaction.

So it does describe how a lot of people are today. (4:14) You know, a lot of people hate God. A lot of people, you know, they love pleasure.

(4:21) You know, they lack self-control. They’re brutal. (4:25) Seems like we could be in the last days, the end times.

Yet Jesus offers hope. In Matthew 10, 42, (4:34) he says, if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, (4:42) truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward. In his time, cold water (4:50) refreshed in a desert heat.

Today, our world craves a cup of warmth, a smile, a kind word, (4:58) a moment of care. So how many people crave just those little things? You know, a lot of people (5:05) are distant, uncaring. Like I said, you can’t even get a hello.

Even those small things can (5:10) make a difference. These small acts that in Christ’s name carry eternal weight. Today, (5:20) we’ll explore why this world grows colder, how small acts of warmth matter as much as grand (5:27) gestures and how they ripple into eternity.

May the spirit inspire us to pour out God’s love (5:35) one small cup at a time. Scripture vividly depicts a world cooling under sin’s icy grip. (5:45) James 2, 15 through 16, cuts deep.

Suppose a brother and sister is without clothes and daily (5:53) food. If one of you says, go in peace, keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about their physical (6:01) needs, what good is it? Too often we offer empty words. I’ll pray for you without the call, (6:11) the coffee or the connection.

These are cold, empty gestures lacking heart. (6:19) Praying for somebody is not bad, but how many, how often times have we said, (6:24) you know, we see somebody struggling and we just say, I’ll pray for you. We do nothing else to (6:28) help them.

You know, a lot of times you might even not even pray for them or care that much. (6:35) You know, if you see somebody struggling, you can’t just say to them, go in peace, (6:42) be warm and be well fed. You’ve got to actually do an action and help them.

(6:48) Ecclesiastes 4, 11 asks, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm (6:56) alone? Solomon saw isolation chill. Today, despite endless digital connections, loneliness is an (7:07) epidemic, with studies showing over half of adults feel disconnected.

We all live in a digital age (7:14) where we could reach out to anybody across the world with our phones. With Facebook, you know, (7:21) we could make calls constantly. We’re connecting with somebody online, (7:27) but we’ve never felt more disconnected because, you know, human contact is different than just (7:34) being over the phone.

You know, reaching out, meeting up with somebody, you know, calling (7:42) them, saying a kind word. You know, we lack that nowadays. Sin’s frost creeps in.

Pride (7:52) skips a greeting. Envy withholds praise. Apathy shrugs off care.

We’re freezing each other out, (8:01) leaving souls shivering in a world that’s forgotten compassion. (8:06) But God sees the overlooked and calls us to bring the warmth of his love to this icy age. (8:14) God cherishes the small.

Zechariah 4, 10 asks, who dares despise a day of small things? (8:23) When Israel rebuilt the temple, their humble effort seemed insignificant, yet God rejoiced. (8:35) Likewise, a quick, you’re doing great to a coworker, a wave to a neighbor, (8:42) or a hug from a struggling friend are monumental in God’s eyes. (8:47) Jesus affirms this in Luke 16, 10.

Whoever can be trusted with very little (8:54) can also be trusted with much. A kind word is a sacred trust, a chance to steward God’s grace, (9:03) building his kingdom one small act at a time. (9:08) So all these little acts are building God’s house up.

In Matthew 13, 31 through 32, (9:17) Jesus compared the kingdom to a mustard seed, small yet it grows to a mighty tree. (9:25) Your greeting may plant a seed in a breaking heart. Your encouragement may take root in (9:32) someone’s confidence.

Your hug may offer shade to a weary soul. Consider Sarah, a Christian (9:40) overwhelmed by job loss and grief, feeling invisible. One Sunday, a simple hug from a greeter (9:49) and a whisper, God sees you wrapped her in warmth, rekindling her hope and faith.

(9:57) I felt this too. Days when I’m weary and a kind word or hug from this congregation lifts me up. (10:06) I’m sure many of you have felt this too.

You know, that’s what I like about this congregation. (10:12) We have many people, you know, that’ll uplift you, that’ll come and greet you. You know, (10:17) if we have a visitor, we have a lot of people that’ll go and say hi.

(10:21) Carol, you know, is great about walking around and hugging and saying hello to everybody and (10:26) spreading the love. And so is a lot of other people. I’m not good at that, but many other (10:31) people are.

Small acts turn days around. They’re what makes the west side shine. (10:42) How do we answer this cold world? With cups of warmth poured through the spirit’s power, (10:50) Ephesians 4, 29, 32 instructs, let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, (10:59) but only what is helpful for building others up.

Be kind and compassionate to one another. (11:05) This is our blueprint. Replace criticism with encouragement, silence with greetings, (11:14) distance with embrace.

Galatians 5, 22 through 23, with kindness as a fruit of the spirit, (11:24) love, joy, peace, and more, building up naturally when we walk with Christ. (11:32) A warm good to see to a cashier or a genuine compliment to a doubting teen reflects God’s (11:40) love. It doesn’t take much to build somebody up, sometimes just a kind word spoken or a greeting.

(11:49) Proverbs 3, 3 through 4 urges, let love and faithfulness never leave you. (11:55) Find them around your neck. (11:58) Not all of us are called to preach or lead like Peter or Paul, but every one of us can offer a (12:05) small act of kindness.

Romans 12, 4 through 5 reminds us, for as we have many members in one (12:13) body, but all the members do not have the same function. So we being many are one body in Christ. (12:21) Romans 12, 6 through 8 adds, we have different gifts.

If it is serving, let them serve. If it (12:29) is encouraging, let them encourage. If it is showing mercy, let them do it cheerfully.

(12:35) So we all don’t have to preach or teach or do something that we consider large. If your gift (12:42) is encouraging, encourage others. Use whatever God gave you.

Every hug, smile, (12:51) or encouraging word strengthens Christ’s body, keeping it vibrant and whole. (12:58) Every person here matters in every gift. However small it seems builds up the church.

(13:06) Even the small things build the church up. We need those small things. The preachers need (13:12) encouragement.

The elders need a hug or to ask how they’re doing. So everybody plays their part. (13:23) These small acts aren’t fleeting.

They echo into eternity. Jesus promises in Matthew 25, 40, (13:32) whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. (13:39) Agreeing to someone lonely is agreeing to Jesus.

A hug for the broken is an embrace for the Savior. (13:51) These acts are worship multiplying like wildfire. 1 Thessalonians 5, 11 says, (13:59) encourage one another and build each other up just as you are doing.

(14:04) One kind word sparks another. A hug at church inspires outreach beyond these walls. (14:14) Consider Mark, a man on the brink of despair with bills piling up and hope fading.

(14:22) A stranger’s offer to pray at a coffee shop led to a conversation, a church invite in his salvation. (14:30) One cup of warmth created an eternal ripple. So that might be all it takes to open a door to talk to somebody.

(14:39) You know, you see somebody down, you could ask them how they’re doing, what’s wrong. (14:44) You know, it doesn’t take much. And if you, you know, you do these small things, (14:50) they could plant a seed and that seed could grow into somebody being saved.

(14:56) The world is cold, its heart frozen by sin’s chill. Yet we carry Christ’s warmth, (15:03) the living water of John 4.14, a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (15:12) Our greetings, hugs and encouragements are his water refreshing a thirsty world.

(15:18) This week, commit to action, say all that somebody knew, hug someone hurting, or offer a genuine compliment. (15:27) Don’t underestimate the small things. They’re God’s big things.

(15:34) So if you’re feeling cold yourself, come to Jesus' love. His love is the warmest cup you’ll ever drink. (15:44) So if you’re not a Christian, you know, we also have warm water in the baptism up here.

(15:52) So we’d be happy to baptize you. Or if you need the prayers of the congregation, you can come forward now.