Listen up...The Word of Christ Demands Compelling Giving

I wonder how many people within our churches or just outside the door of our churches are living almost homeless or go days without much to eat right under the arms of "Believers" who have enough to feed an army? Hundreds you don't even know about have to decide on a weekly basis whether to buy food to eat or pay their electric bill. Most take old clothes from friends, but most in the church would never know. Many of these folks are strong Christians with deep faiths, but are unemployed, unemployable, or have had catastrophic events happen that has destroyed their financial well being. Others are non-believers who are begging to be noticed by those calling themselves Christians however are never noticed.



In Luke 16:19-31 we find the compelling parable from Christ on how we are to react to the poor. You know Lazarus was brought daily and laid right outside the door of the Rich Man in order to just receive a little crumb possibly, but the rich man didn't take care of Lazarus at all. To make matters even worse for the poor man wild dogs that roamed the streets came and licked his sores, these same dogs that have eaten the disease ridden flesh of other dead animals possibly. Since he was laid at the door indicates he couldn't walk, so he couldn't care for himself most likely. We know based on this parable by Jesus the rich man had no real saving faith in his life since he was found without compassion for Lazarus...the rich man went to hell.




Evidence of Christ in our lives is taking care of the poor around us whether they are in rags or not. Rather than judging the livelihood of the people around you and thinking you are so much better, why not reach out and try to help them. It doesn't hurt to pay a bill for them, buy them "NEW" clothes, or pay their rent from time to time. It doesn't hurt to take them food from time to time or on a weekly basis until things turn around for them. God provides for some with more in order to take care of those with less. WARNING: Don't get all puffed up thinking because you have plenty God loves you more than those with less or that He is punishing the impoverished. You are missing His point altogether if this is how you react to your abundance. Chances are very good He intends to do far greater things in the lives of those with less than those with so much. He is a sovereign providential God who always cares for His creation. Our abundance was not given to us in order to indulge our self on things we don't need, but was actually given to us in order to take care of someone else here or around the world or a ministry who takes the gospel into all the world. So many think God is blessing them with riches so they can indulge themselves on some non-essential for life....wrong! Many think God has blessed them with abundance because they have done so many good things for Him...wrong again! We cannot ever earn the favor of Almighty God! By His provision for those He loves His grace abounds at times in the form of financial wealth or good health for some in order to supply the needs of others...for whatever reason or purposes He has this is His plan not ours.




I challenge everyone who dares to call themselves a Christian to be on the lookout around them and provide for the poor, those struggling, those who are sick, & share the gospel with those who don't know Christ. We may have to get out from behind our four walls of our mansions and ask someone how we can help them, because they are proud and possibly will not come up and ask us for anything. Most of those struggling I know hate to take a dime from someone else or food or clothing, but for the sake of their family they take a deep breath and say "thank you". I am challenged with this same message...although I don't make enough to pay the bills each month at times, I am sure I have more than enough at times that I could share with someone in more need than me...this is where my faith is challenged the most. Do I trust God with the extra I might have this month in order to help someone else with it and trust that He will supply all my needs next month?



I leave you with a few points to think about:



Based on the parable of the Rich Man & Lazarus if we continue to indulge ourselves while those struggling around are forgotten yet we look their way and say "God bless you" without another thought you can bet this life you currently live on earth will be your heaven and your eternity is in hell with the other folks who claimed Christ with their mouth but didn't have Christ in their life. God has always reacted to the poor with compassion by raising up compassionate people. However, in contrast, God is not favorable to those who neglect the poor within their sight and He responds with condemnation towards them. The truth of who is lord over our lives is in the evidence of how we live daily.



Looking at Christ Words and hearing them what is your reaction to them? Will you repent of the sin of neglecting the poor by hearing the Word of God humbly and go in obedience to His Word and act quickly? Whether God calls you to help those around the world or those in your own community, do it in obedience to the gospel.



Listen to me carefully for a quick moment. Most of this message is to those calling themselves Believers. As a true Believer in Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior, guilt over the poor is not our motivation. If you are motivated to care for the poor out of guilt because you have much you have missed the point. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ which should be our motivation to tend to the poor, the struggling, the sick. The gospel is our motivation in life period. I know this kind of thinking stinks for most people, but for those few who might be listening, for those who's hearts are open to the Word of God today, go and spread the gospel to all who will listen and if they are hungry...feed them...if they need clothes...put clothes on them...if they need medical attention...get them a doctor...if they desire to work...give them a job (even the church can do this in order to help their fellow members). By all means take care of both the immediate need they have as well as their eternal needs. When in hell it is too late to ask for God's mercy as the rich man pleaded for...if you want people to know you are a true Christian then live like it according the Word of God not according to the American Dream!



(Salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone! Salvation is not by works of any kind, but the evidence of our salvation can be seen through our works which are Christ driven not man driven)

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Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats? Repost of C.H. Spurgeon

Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats?
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
(1834-1892)

An evil is in the professed camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most shortsighted can hardly fail to notice it during the past few years. It has developed at an abnormal rate, even for evil. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments. The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them.

From speaking out as the Puritans did, the church has gradually toned down her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses.

My first contention is that providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the church. If it is a Christian work, why did not Christ speak of it? "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). That is clear enough. So it would have been if He had added, "and provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel." No such words, however, are to be found. It did not seem to occur to him.

Then again, "He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers .., for the work of the ministry" (Eph. 4:11-12). Where do entertainers come in? The Holy Spirit is silent concerning them. Were the prophets persecuted because they amused the people or because they refused? The concert has no martyr roll.

Again, providing amusement is in direct antagonism to the teaching and life of Christ and all his apostles. What was the attitude of the church to the world? Ye are the salt" (Matt. 5:13), not the sugar candy---something the world will spit out not swallow. Short and sharp was the utterance, "Let the dead bury their dead" (Matt. 8:22) He was in awful earnestness.

Had Christ introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements into his mission, he would have been more popular when they went back, because of the searching nature of His teaching. I do not hear him say, "Run after these people Peter and tell them we will have a different style of service tomorrow, something short and attractive with little preaching. We will have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they will be sure to enjoy it. Be quick Peter, we must get the people somehow." Jesus pitied sinners, sighed and wept over them, but never sought to amuse them.

In vain will the Epistles be searched to find any trace of this gospel of amusement! Their message is, "Come out, keep out, keep clean out!" Anything approaching fooling is conspicuous by its absence. They had boundless confidence in the gospel and employed no other weapon.

After Peter and John were locked up for preaching, the church had a prayer meeting but they did not pray, "Lord grant unto thy servants that by a wise and discriminating use of innocent recreation we may show these people how happy we are." If they ceased not from preaching Christ, they had not time for arranging entertainments. Scattered by persecution, they went everywhere preaching the gospel. They turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). That is the only difference! Lord, clear the church of all the rot and rubbish the devil has imposed on her, and bring us back to apostolic methods.

Lastly, the mission of amusement fails to effect the end desired. It works havoc among young converts. Let the careless and scoffers, who thank God because the church met them halfway, speak and testify. Let the heavy laden who found peace through the concert not keep silent! Let the drunkard to whom the dramatic entertainment has been God's link in the chain of the conversion, stand up! There are none to answer. The mission of amusement produces no converts. The need of the hour for today's ministry is believing scholarship joined with earnest spirituality, the one springing from the other as fruit from the root. The need is biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that it sets men on fire.

-Charles H. Spurgeon

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