Building the Kingdom: Who Is God?

Series: Building the Kingdom
Message: Who Is God? – Compassion
Key Scriptures: Matthew 9:36, John 10:1–21, Matthew 14:13–21, Mark 6:30–36

This Week's Message

This week we continued our Building the Kingdom series by looking at another defining characteristic of God: His compassion.

We began with a simple but challenging question:

What do you feel when you see people?

When Jesus looked at the crowds, He didn't see interruptions or inconveniences. He saw people in desperate need.

Matthew 9:36 tells us that Jesus was "moved with compassion" because the people were "like sheep without a shepherd." The Greek word used for compassion, splagchnizomai (σπλαγχνίζομαι), describes being moved from the deepest part of one's being—a gut-level response of love and mercy. Jesus wasn't merely aware of people's suffering; their condition stirred His heart.

Like sheep without a shepherd, people are vulnerable, directionless, and exposed to danger. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who came to seek, protect, and lead those who are lost, as we see throughout John 10.

We also saw that Jesus' compassion was greater than His convenience.

After hearing of John the Baptist's death, Jesus withdrew to a solitary place to grieve. Yet when the crowds followed Him, He didn't turn them away. Instead, He welcomed them, taught them, healed them, and fed them. Even in His own sorrow and exhaustion, Jesus chose compassion over comfort.

Finally, we discovered that compassion always moves toward action.

Jesus didn't simply feel sorry for people—He responded. He taught those who were spiritually lost, healed those who were physically broken, and fed those who were hungry. His love wasn't passive; it met people where they were.

The same question remains for us today:

When we see people who are hurting, lost, lonely, or struggling, what happens in our hearts? Are we content to notice their needs, or are we moved to respond as Jesus did?

Take It Home

This week, reflect on these questions:

• When I encounter people in need, what is my first response?

• Do I see others through the eyes of compassion or convenience?

• How can I intentionally become the hands and feet of Jesus this week?

Compassion isn't simply an emotion—it's love that takes action. As followers of Christ, we are called to reflect the heart of our Shepherd by caring for those who are spiritually lost, physically hurting, and emotionally burdened.

Looking Ahead

Next week we'll continue discovering who God is by exploring another characteristic of His nature and how it transforms the way we live and love.

We invite you to join us as we continue Building the Kingdom together—learning who Jesus is and becoming more like Him each day.