Compassion

Introduction

Good morning. You are opening your New Testament with me to Mark chapter 1. Mark chapter 1, we’ll be picking up in verse 40 in just a few moments. Mark chapter 1 and verse 40. If you’re visiting here, we’d like to welcome you and thank you for taking part in the worship of God with the Christians at South Bunby this morning. For those who have been here the last few months now, you’ll know that Ken falsely gave the idea of a truce. Two weeks ago, he said that there were two groups of people here. There were those who are attractive, and that there were those in my group. But then I talked to Deedra, and she pointed out, Ken’s in neither of those groups. And I thought that was mean.

But then she asked what I was going to preach on, and I said, Well, somebody who’s kind of broken down and miserable, and she said, Not Ken. And I said, No, the leper. And Mark chapter 1 and verse 40. I accept your truce now, Ken. Mark chapter 1 and verse 40. And a leper came to him, imploring him and kneeling, said to him, If you will, you can make me clean. Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, I will be clean. And immediately the leprosy left him and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once. And said to him, See that you say nothing to anyone but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded for a proof to them.

But he went out and began to talk freely about it and to spread the news. So that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town but was out in desolate places. And people were coming to him from every quarter. When we think about Jesus, there’s so many stories of healing, so many examples and illustrations of his compassion, of his pity, his love, his powerful healing spiritually and physically. And as we go over these time and again and we see him heal again, we show him, see him show compassion again. I’m afraid sometimes we lose the awe that we should have that here was somebody with leprosy. Perhaps the worst disease somebody in a Jewish society could have, because not only was it incredibly painful, not only was it a basically daily humiliating experience.

It impacted not only their pain threshold, not only their humiliation, but it meant they had to live away apart and separate from their brothers and sisters from the tribe of Israel. When we think about what leprosy did, it made them an outcast. A leper would be someone who couldn’t live normally, even under God’s generous law of Moses. And yet here is Jesus approached by in verse 40 a leper, who seemingly understands who or what Jesus offers. He tells him in verse 40, if you will, you can make me clean. There is certainty, there is faith, there is trust in the leper’s words. But I want to key in this morning, not only on the leper, but also Jesus in verse 41, some translations perhaps better render it, moved with or by compassion.

Jesus, as we know, would heal this leper. I think it’s interesting that Jesus is moved by compassion, and it shows me as a follower of Christ, I have to be moved in that same way. If I’m not filled with compassion, can I say I’m like Christ? It’s not just here, you think about Matthew chapter 9, in any number of passages. Jesus looked at people for, yes, even their physical problems, and had compassion and pity. Was he focused on spiritual teachings first? Yes, always. You look in the text, Jesus was concerned with his message getting across. Even as you look at 44 and 45, what was Jesus worried about? This man could have been a great evangelistic tool, but he said, don’t tell anybody. Now, verse 45, the leper ignored him.

The now cleansed leper went out and told everybody the good news. But Jesus was fixated on his work. And part of his work was done because he had compassion. And I think as we study this this morning, we have to see as his followers, do I have that type of compassion that Jesus was moved by? Am I filled with the compassion for others? Or only an empathy and sympathy when I decide in my prideful vantage point that someone deserves it. Or that somebody close to me who I have compassion on. Jesus met a stranger in a tough situation. And he’s willing to help. And I want to look at how he helped. In addition to being approached with certainty, with faith, with trust. Notice in verse 41 and 42 how Jesus does this.

Jesus is all powerful. He has shown this throughout the gospel to us, now that we have the completed set, we know Jesus could heal from distance. He could speak and somebody could be healed. But notice what he does. In 41, he stretched out his hand and he touched him. Jesus touched the leper to heal him. And that sounds like an insignificant detail to you. Remember, Jesus is all powerful. Could he not have said, hey, you stay over there, I’m going to heal you? He could have. Could he not have healed him from a distance? Yes, of course. But Jesus was willing to be involved in the life of somebody with leprosy. And what’s the other problem about leprosy, by the way? Why did they have to live separate?

Because it could spread. It was contagious. Jesus wasn’t moved by that, though. You know, we give ourselves a lot of outs on things. We say, well, I would show compassion, but I would be there to help serve, but I just. Jesus not only had compassion, Jesus not only healed him, he did so in a way that connected with him. And this man who approaches him humbly and out of faith, who says, if you are willing, you can make me clean. Jesus not only cleanses, but gets, as you might say, on his level. And he reaches out to him and touches him. We’re going to talk about that a little bit more as we go. But then, of course, there’s the reaction. There’s the fact that he is healed.

Here is somebody who has lived his entire life, perhaps, since contracting this disease, and has been separate, apart, humiliated, in great pain. And because of Jesus’ love, he can go free. He can live a life that he could otherwise only dream of. There are many people here suffering with a number of different ailments. But as we keep in mind, whatever may be bothering you, imagine if the great burden on your life was immediately lifted. How exciting. How enthusiastic would you be to know your greatest challenge in life is not only behind you, it is completely gone. It won’t come back. Because someone you understood had the power to heal a disease that was incurable, that was horrible and excruciating. He touched you, healed you, and made it disappear forever.

That’s powerful. In this life, when we have our ups and downs, we’re like, well, we’re going to get through it. But we know in the back of our minds, it’s coming back. Maybe not the same challenge, but one like it, or maybe one completely different. There’s going to be ups and then there’s going to be downs. And yes, there’s going to be an up, but then there’s going to be another down. But for the leper healed by Jesus, the leprosy was gone. And so it’s not surprising that even though we’re not endorsing, ignoring what Jesus says to do, when Jesus says, you tell no one in verse 45, what is the natural inclination of this man who’s been given new life to go out and to tell everybody about what Jesus did for him.

Do you think that changed the perspective of this leper at any? Maybe a little bit. That he had lived with leprosy and now he was cleansed, now he was free, and after he did what the law of Moses commanded, he could live like a normal Jew. When you’re sick, if you’re like me, there’s one thing you want really bad besides ice cream. It’s to be normal. I just want to feel like I did yesterday. I don’t want to feel great. I just don’t want to feel terrible. I don’t want to feel lousy. I just want to be normal again. And we long for it when we don’t have it. This man was given a new lease on life, and he did something about it. He went and told everybody, in fact, in verse 45, if you notice, what was the impact?

This one man, and much could be preached about this, by the way, and one impact that we could have. If you really feel empowered by Jesus, cleansed by the Son of God. What impact can you have? Verse 45. He talked about it so freely, and it spread so wonderfully that Jesus was blocked from going into towns. And it was out in desolate places. And people were coming for Jesus because of this one leper. Let’s never say we can’t make an impact or a difference. But we have to feel that difference. You see, it’s interesting that Jesus shows compassion. There’s two elements. We need to take the idea of showing compassion like Jesus and also being like the leper who is thankful and has the perspective of humility towards Jesus.

1. Feel Compassion Towards Others

And that will help guide us to the compassion Jesus wants us to show. So as we look at Jesus as an example, I want to look at two lessons from that this morning about Jesus, and then we’ll look at some from the leper. From Jesus, we have to feel compassion towards others. Look at Matthew chapter 9. I mentioned that before, but look at Matthew chapter 9. And if you pick up the reading with me in verse 35, notice again Jesus’ focus where it will be, but where his heart is in keeping with his focus. It is possible to walk and chew gum at the same time, and Jesus did that better than all of us. He keeps the spiritual focus, of course, but then there’s that concern for others of too.

Verse 35, and Jesus went throughout all the synagogues and villages teaching in them and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them. Why? Because they were harassed and helpless. Like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Notice Jesus in verse 36 has compassion for the crowds who are following him. In verse 35, is he healing people? Yes. Because Jesus cared about that, and that showed that he was something greater than man. That he had the power of God, and that was unique and special and different.

But there’s also the compassion in verse 36 that is linked by Matthew to why Jesus felt it, because he saw what problem in the people. They were like a sheep without a shepherd. And the answer to that was verse 37 and 38 to pray to God to send laborers into the harvest. Jesus was concerned about souls of others. And he was concerned about their physical well-being. Sometimes we act like we can only do one or the other. Can I share some news this morning? We can and must show compassion for people’s physical needs and their spiritual needs. Is one more important than the other? Yes. Where is Jesus concerned, at least according to Matthew? Verse 36, 37, and 38, he’s concerned for their souls. But he’s also doing what in verse 35?

Healing them. Like the leper who approaches them, he feels compassion towards them. One reason we don’t evangelize well, one reason we don’t help those in physical needs well.

Because when we feel strongly about something, what do we do with it? We make a point to get it done. Ken just couldn’t help himself. He had to keep giving one more at me, right? At the beginning. He had a passion for it. And being the mature adult I am, I just gave it back because that’s what he wanted. When we’re excited about something, we make it work. And so when I live through my life and I have a schedule that doesn’t get things done, why don’t those things get done?

Because I don’t have a passion for it. I don’t have a concern, care, or zeal that overrides my other senses or concerns or priorities. And so if I’m not serving others, it’s either that I don’t know how, and that’s an easily remedied problem, or I don’t care enough. And that’s a major heart problem. Jesus did what he did out of compassion. He was moved by coming into this world to serve. In John 13, there’s that beautiful picture of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. And Peter, of course, is beside himself. Lord, don’t you wash my feet. And when Jesus tells him that you absolutely must be washed, he says, get my whole body too, Lord. Because Jesus was showing them an important point. When you come to serve, even the master would get down and wash gross feet.

What would that mean for the servants of the master? You know, those apostles who were always arguing about who is the greatest? They were the absolute picture of a servant. And I have to be too. In Romans chapter 6, he uses language we don’t really love and takes the idea of someone who’s become a Christian in baptism. We are a slave to righteousness. We love for about no longer being slaves to sin, being freed from sin from the bondage that we were stuck in. We love that. We should tell about that to everyone, like the leper who was cleansed. We should talk about the saving power of Jesus, but we are slaves now as God’s children to righteousness. To live as Christians like Christ. And if Jesus had compassion, I have to too.

2. Getting Our Hands Dirty

And part of that means doing things that involve, quote unquote, getting our hands dirty. I have a lot to say on getting our hands dirty. Many of you may have noticed there’s hand sanitizer around the church building. That is one of my favorite things. As my grandfather used to say after church services, he said, I gotta go wash the brethren off. Think about that for a second, it’ll come to you. But as somebody who doesn’t really love my hands being dirty and various germs and such being on them, I constantly use hand sanitizer. And yes, I know, first of all, it’s weird. And second of all, I know that it kills the antibodies or whatever it is. I just don’t want my hands dirty. Jesus touching this leper is pretty amazing.

Jesus could heal from across the street. I wonder how many of us would say, let’s even have a conversation with this leper. Leper approaches us, that’s kind of a taboo. That’s a no-no. And here’s somebody with a contagious, awful disease that will change and ruin my life from a physical perspective. How close would we get it? Jesus not only was talking with him, not only was approached by him and didn’t recoil, Jesus heals him by touching him.

Compassion drives us to meet people where they’re at. Without it, we won’t get it done. How can I think I can serve God in a pleasing way if I won’t follow the example of his son? And so what does getting our hands dirty mean? Go up and touch everybody who’s sick? I hope not. Luckily, in hospitals, they have all kinds of hand sanitizer everywhere. But there’s more to it. In someone’s life, when there’s a need, it is going to be inconvenient. It might be something you don’t want to do, you’re not comfortable doing. It might be having a conversation in a place or with a person that you don’t feel like you connect with. Did that stop Jesus?

Jesus had compassion. I know everyone’s thinking, well, Jesus knew he wasn’t going to get leprosy. But we’re called to serve in love like Jesus. And while I’m not saying go out and find a leper and touch them and just dare him to give you leprosy. Find a place you can serve and stop doing just what’s easy. Do what’s hard. If we keep doing the same things over and over again, other stuff remains undone. If I don’t have compassion and care, if I don’t have eyes to look around and see a need and be willing to meet, go fill the need. How can anything ever get done? They say that 20% of the group often does 80% of the work, and 80% of the group does 20% of the work.

That can’t be how God’s children operate. God calls all hands on deck. He expects us to not only look out with love, but to do things that are difficult. To do things that are unnatural, to do things that are hard. Why? Because God has already done the hard part. We are like the leper. God has cleansed us from our sins as his children. I can then go out and serve because whatever I’m doing, whatever dirt I’m getting on my hands without hand sanitizer available is worth it because Jesus died for me. And here’s the other part. Maybe if I thought like the leper would the rest of his life, I’d realize there’s a time I needed help too. And if I don’t need help now, I might soon.

We’re going to help each other. We’re a team. But if I’m not there for you, and we’re supposed to be holding each other up, someone’s going to fall down. In Galatians chapter 6, that’s one of the very things we’re to avoid. In Galatians chapter 6, it’s not just about physical things. It’s not just about car rides and meals, although that’s critical. It’s not about writing cards or having visits, although that’s important. In Galatians chapter 6, part of our brotherhood is to be together in Galatians chapter 6 and to care about those things which are of the utmost importance. In Galatians chapter 6 and verse 1, brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself lest you too be tempted.

Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Verse 2, bear one another’s burdens. I have to be looking. I have to be out there ready to help. Who likes tracking down somebody to help? Who has a need and enjoys calling a bunch of people to try to get that need filled? None of us. And so if we have a need, what would we like someone to do? Ideally? Find me and say, hey, you hide it really well, but I happen to know that you have a need. I’d like to help you. You know the only way to know someone well enough to know when they have a problem, if they’re not going to tell you, is to have a relationship with them.

And so as we think about our theme for the year and we think about what Jesus did, he met with people. He was on their level. He didn’t say, I’m the Son of God, I’m not going to be near you. He didn’t say, I’m the Son of God, I can heal you, but I’m going to do it from over here. Jesus involved himself in the lives of those who needed him most. He was constantly ridiculed, mocked, and cast down by the Pharisees for eating with sinners. But Jesus said, Who is the physician for? The sick. Those who are in need. If I don’t have relationships to bear one another’s burdens, I have to make them, or I’m not fulfilling the law of Christ. Do you see that in Galatians 6 verse 2?

We must do this. It’s not an option. And it’s easy to sit back and say, well, there’s other people to do that. If other people are better at it, then they only got that way because they worked at it. Are you training? Are you working at it? Jesus felt compassion. And so he was willing to do whatever it took to help those who were in need. Maybe the reason I don’t grow as fast as I think I should, or I don’t get better at doing things that I’ve never been good at in the past, is because I don’t have the concern and zeal within me to get better. I think things are fine the way they are. I’m happy with my life. I think the church seems fine with it, and I’ll leave it be.

3. Start With Humility and Trust Before God

And that would be fine if the scriptures didn’t teach us to do the opposite. And so the question is: how do I become moved with compassion? How do I grow that? If I’m not good at it? If I don’t have that naturally, how then do I develop the sense of compassion? How does it change me and move me? The first one we can learn from the leper himself. Start with humility and trust before God. The leper approaches Jesus and he finds him back in Mark chapter 1 and verse 40. And note again what he calls out. He says, if you will, you can make me clean. But there’s something we skipped over in the middle there. As he approaches Jesus, as he says the right words of faith and trust, we might say, what position is he in?

He’s kneeling. He didn’t forget who he was. He didn’t forget what he had. How could he? Leprosy was a defining disease. But he approached Jesus because Jesus had the answers. Isn’t it amazing that we serve a God and we follow in the image of his son? Who is approached by a leper and chooses to look at him with compassion? Isn’t it amazing? Jesus could have done anything. He could have said, get away from me. He could have said, You deal with it. It’s not my problem. But he didn’t. Jesus saw a problem. And he did something about it. This leper, though, approaches him, knowing he has that power. And so he approaches him humbly. I think part of our compassion problem is we think it depends on me to decide who deserves compassion.

I’m not going to help this person because they made that mess themselves. I don’t need to help this person because there’s three other people who should be willing to help them. I’m not going to do that because I can’t and don’t want to. You notice all the eyes involved in reasons we can’t do things. I don’t think I need to. I don’t want to. I don’t think they deserve it. The leper, other than his faithful statement and prostrate position, doesn’t show anything deserving of his leprosy being healed. And by the way, kneeling even before Jesus, telling Jesus, you can heal me, doesn’t mean he deserved Jesus to heal him. He didn’t compel Jesus to. Jesus could have said no. He could have given him any number of other good blessings.

He could have worked any other number of miracles, but he didn’t. Because Jesus is a compassionate Lord. And as that Lord’s servants, we should be equally compassionate. Remembering that I too need help. If no help from others, I need it from God. Because I, like the leper, have a disease that would take my life. Sin makes you miserable. It may not now. Although I think if we’re honest, it does. But it will forever. Like the rich man trapped in torment. We will realize when this life is over where our emphasis should have been, where I should have been living for, what I should have been looking to. And so as we think about my position, when I think about who I am before Jesus, I am a humble slave who needs his grace every day.

How many prayers of forgiveness have you offered? How many times have you had to get on your knees and pray to Jesus to forgive you of a sin, even knowing better? Because we know without Jesus, like the leper, we have no shot. But because of the blood of Jesus, we can be forgiven. But if I am forgiven and if I am dependent upon my grace from God, shouldn’t I be willing to show grace to others? If I have an incurable disease and someone helped me, shouldn’t I look out and help them too? Anyone. Everyone. If there’s a need, I need to be the one to fill it. That is my whole existence. I was bought with a price, the blood of Jesus. If knowing that Jesus was crucified on the cross and died for my sins doesn’t compel me to give up my life and live for him, nothing will.

And so we need to remember every day the humility and need we should have in our standing before God, and that will help guide ourselves towards others. Because if I am humbled, if I am trusting in God’s ways, that will extend to others. In Philippians chapter 2, perhaps the problem when I lack compassion is a problem lacking humility. In Philippians chapter 2, there’s something we should do about that. Philippians chapter 2 and verse 1, so if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility. Count others more significant than yourselves.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. What is Paul calling the Christians to? He says, We’re supposed to be unified. We’re supposed to be on the same team. By the way, verse 5 through 11, who is the poster child for humble service towards others? Jesus. The very Jesus in verse 9, who God has highly exalted and bestowed upon him the name above every name. Jesus, to whom every knee should bow in verse 10. In verse 11, Jesus, to every tongue shall confess him as Lord. Jesus is the one who in humility counted himself as a servant and came to serve. If Jesus can do that, then I can too. But verse 3, what’s holding me back?

What’s holding back my compassion, my service towards others? Verse 3, if I’m lacking in humility. Or as he says at the beginning of verse 3, I’m full of selfish ambition or conceit. There’s no good message. There’s no good news. There’s no fun way to say your life isn’t yours. You live to serve. I have to live every moment serving God. But what is great, what is wonderful, what is life-changing is the reason I am a slave of God is because Jesus purchased me with his blood. That is amazing. I was cleansed. That should change me. And so if I’m failing in showing compassion, if I’m not taking the initiative to serve others, can I really say I’m understanding the principle of humility? Of my need for God every single day.

Verse 4, what are we to look for? Maybe we don’t have the emotion that we tend to attach with compassion down. Verse 4 gives a pretty good rule. Maybe you don’t have the emotion down, but no matter what, have the verb. Look out to the interest of others first. What do we do with our time? How do we make sure that needs are filled? Make the time. I don’t know anybody. I don’t know how to have a relationship to bear spiritual burdens. Make the relationships. I don’t know how to help somebody. Pray. And pray again. Jesus was moved with compassion in Matthew chapter 9 by those who were being harassed like sheep without a shepherd, and what did he say to do about it? He said to his disciples, you pray that God will send laborers into the harvest.

Jesus’ disciples were some of the best teachers there were. But he said, your answer is to pray. Who can take care of our problems? Who can help us take care of others? God can. The answer to everything, from compassion to service to humility is God. God showed us what compassion is. God showed us what being great is and how we should be humble in his sight. God showed us what it means to put others first when Jesus came and died. Jesus, the King was the footwasher. Jesus, the Savior was crucified on the cross. I can serve somebody’s physical needs and do it with a smile. Being thankful that God has blessed me with an opportunity to serve others. Bless me with health, life, and most importantly, eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

4. Compassion Begins a Chain of Love

If we remember that blessing every day, it’s so much easier to serve others. And so when I moved with compassion, that will be something that begins. A chain of love. In Acts chapter 4, turn with me there in Acts chapter 4. One final passage this morning. As we think about Acts chapter 4, and we think about the idea of starting a chain of love, notice Peter’s reaction as they are being berated for teaching about Jesus. Unlike the leper, Peter and John were to go out and just spread the good news of Jesus. They were to spread that salvation is possible because of the Lord. And in Acts chapter 4 and verse 17, they’re being told to stop it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.

They said, Peter and John, you’ve got to stop. In verse 18, so they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge. For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. When they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them. Because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. Because the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than 40 years old. The reaction of the healing in verse 21 caused people to praise God. They saw something miraculous.

They saw something different, and they knew that was from God, and so the people gave God the glory he deserves. Peter and John were being approached to stop teaching about Jesus, and what did they say? We can’t. We are compelled to tell what we have seen. We must speak about what we’ve heard. Why? Because it’s important, because it’s worth it, and we have a passion, zeal, and drive to do it. And so when we think about starting with me, compassion beginning with me, even though it’s not a strength. We need to remember that what we’re doing isn’t about me at all. It’s serving God. It’s counting others as more important, their interests as higher on the priority scale than my own. And realizing that God can be glorified when we do that.

In Matthew 5 16, when Jesus said we are to shine as lights, it’s so that others may see our good works and glorify God who is in heaven. There’s a country music song called Chain of Love that came out way too many years ago. And it was a story of an older woman who was driving along and she got stranded on the side of the highway. And she had a flat tire and couldn’t do anything about it. Luckily, a man came along after work. He had been doing a 12-hour shift, but he pulled off anyway. And he helped the man with the man, the woman with her tire. And he said, Ma’am, you can go ahead and go. I fixed it up for you. And she said, Well, what do I owe you?

And he said, You don’t owe me a thing. I’ve been there too. Someone once helped me out the way I’m helping you. But if you do really want to pay me back, here’s what you do. Don’t let the chain of love stop with you. And so the woman, being moved by that, by her experience, went on to a restaurant. And there was a woman about eight months pregnant, serving her. And as the meal was done, she thought, I’m going to do something nice. I’m going to continue this chain of love. And as she left the tip, she left a $200 tip for this woman who was eight months pregnant on the table. When the woman came out, the older woman was watching from outside as tears filled the soon-to-be mother’s eyes.

As she read the note that said, You don’t owe me a thing. I’ve been there too. Someone once helped me out the way I’m helping you. The young woman went home. And as she laid in bed, her husband had just gotten into bed with her. He was exhausted from a long day. She rolled over and told him about the woman and the tip that she had been left. She told her the note of what the note had said. And the man turned over and smiled, realizing he was the one who had changed the older woman’s tires. We never know what type of impact we can have on people. But they do. Someone’s reached out to you and without even knowing it, changed your life. Made you smile on a day everything was wrong.

Conclusion

Made you believe at a time your faith was being shaken. Held your hand when you felt alone. Jesus has done all of that for us first. To the extreme of what truly matters, he died on the cross for our sins. I have to have compassion for others that says their life is worth my service. If I see a need, I will fill a need. And so as a team, we will work together, we will grow together, and we will please God because that’s his pattern. Maybe you’re here this morning and you’ve never become a Christian. Recognize the beautiful thing about God is the work is done. We can praise him because Jesus has died. If you believe in him, if you’re willing to confess him as Lord in your life, repent of your sins, recognizing we can’t do it alone, but we need God’s grace and help, and we’ve got to abide by his ways.

And you’re baptized, you can have your sins forgiven. Maybe you’re a Christian and you struggle with compassion, with service. God will forgive you, and God will help us as we work together to be with him forever. If we can help you in any way, come forward as we stand and sing the invitation song.