Romans 12:13 "Contribute to the needs of the
saints and seek to show hospitality." Contributing to the needs of
the saints is nothing new to the church and there are several clear examples of
what this looked like in the New Testament.
Paul was on his third and final missionary journey when he
wrote Romans in A.D. 56. According to the time line of Acts he spent the
last 3 years of this journey in Ephesus. While
in Ephesus he wrote the letters of
1 & 2 Corinthians. After leaving Ephesus
he traveled into Greece
staying 3 months in Corinth
at which time he wrote the letter to the Romans. On his third missionary
journey Paul took up a collection for the saints at the church in Jerusalem. The
Christians in Jerusalem
were predominately Jewish and they were experiencing a great deal of suffering
at the hands of the unbelieving Jews.
They became social outcasts for their faith in Jesus as the
promised Messiah. Their families disowned them; they lost their jobs, and
even their businesses. Because of this hostile
environment the believers in Jerusalemlived in a communal environment. (Acts 2:44-45,
4:32-37). When
you read these words remember that these early believers gathered together not
simply because they wanted to, that was true, but they also needed to because
they needed one another.
As Paul embarked on his third missionary journey over 20
years after the birth of the church in Jerusalem it was clear from that
they were still struggling (1 Corinthians 16:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:8-15, Romans
15:22-29)
Paul encouraged the believers in all the cities he had
ministered and established churches on his missionary journeys, to give to
other believers, believers they didn't even know in another part of the world.
So while Paul's words in verse 13 apply to all
believers throughout all ages we know from the context that as Paul wrote these
words he was in the midst of a very specific collection for the
saints. What lessons we can learn then from Paul and the example of the
believers in Acts as well as the rest of Scripture concerning our
responsibility in contributing to the saints?
The first thing we see is that our giving must
be gospel centered. We give because we have been given much. Notice
Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 8:8-9 "For you know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so
that you by his poverty might become rich.” Paul is speaking in terms of
the gospel. Jesus Christ, the King and Creator of the universe left His
throne, became a man, a humble servant, and was obedient to point of death on
the cross (Philippians 2:5-11). He became poor so that we might become
rich, not physically rich but spiritually rich. Our salvation is a
wonderful treasure!
It is because He sacrificed so much for us
that we are to sacrifice. If we were to give away all that we have it
would still be nothing when compared to what Christ gave. He is our model
for sacrifice and giving. A gospel centered life will by its very nature
be otherworldly because it refuses to conform to the pattern or schematic of
this world and instead lives in light of eternity. The one who has been
transformed by the mercies of God lives as though he/she were not attached to
this world. We give away what we have because we are not living for this
world but for the next. We don’t cling tightly to this one.
This principle becomes crystal clear the more
you study God’s Word. The believer's priority in the area of money and
resources is not self pleasure or recreation, working toward a life of ease but
it is about giving it away. Notice Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians 4:28
“Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work
with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in
need.” On the surface this verse may not sound all that revolutionary but
it is and it turns our thinking on its head.
Consider what Paul says is the end goal of our
labor. It is not simply “to have” but rather it is to have something to what
“to share” with those in need.
Most of us live out the first part of the
verse quite well. We work hard, which is good and commendable, but we
never finish the verse. The reason we work is so that we might “have
something.” Paul says that God gives us the ability to work and make money
not so we can stock up on “stuff” but rather so we can give it away to those in
need.
In saying this it is important to understand
there anything wrong with spending money on things we like? God clearly
gives us gifts for our enjoyment but the question we must ask ourselves is;
“Are these things the focus?”
What do I do with my disposable income or
extra money that comes my way? After necessities where is the rest of
money going? Do I use it for things I want or, do I think about how I can
give it away? Do I purposely look for a brother or sister in Christ who
may be in need? When I have money left at the end of my paycheck or when
that tax return comes in the mail is my first thought “What can I buy with
this?” or “Who can I help with this?” The way we answer these questions
reveals our focus.
Now maybe you do give. You place
something in the box each week at SCBC. This is good. We should give
to the church in order to fund the ministries that meet both spiritual and
physical needs, support missionaries and staff, as well as pay the bills (rent,
electric, etc.) So it is important that the needs of the church as a whole be
met through the giving of offerings, but this should represent only a portion
of our giving. We don’t simply put something in the box and walk away as
though I have done my duty and now the rest is mine? All of what I have
belongs to God so when I see a brother or sister in need I am responsible to
use what He has entrusted to me to help meet that need.
Paul made it clear in his letter to Timothy
that our first priority is to make sure that our families are cared for, that
they have what they need. We don’t want to place the burden of caring for
our family on the church because we have neglected this duty, but after our own
family’s needs have been met our next priority is to share with those in need
both through the church and also by helping those within the body directly.
This was demonstrated beautifully by those
early believers in Jerusalem in Acts. They understood that once they had Christ they had it
all. The things they considered of great value before Christ were now
nothing more than a means or tool to advance the kingdom of God. Land was sold off to
pay for food, clothing, and other necessities in order that the believers in
the body of Christ in Jerusalem
might be strengthened so that they might be better equipped to proclaim the
glorious gospel to the lost and serve one another.
God did not entrust us with money and possessions so that we could horde
them or spend them on ourselves, in order that we might have easier more
pleasurable lives. Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not lay up for
yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves
break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Jesus says
that everything we have is to be used for the advancement of the kingdom of God. All of
it! Anything not used for the advancement of God's kingdom is moth
food. That means anything I have that is not being used for the
advancement of God’s kingdom is loss.
How do we store up treasures in heaven? Jesus elaborates in Luke
12:32-44 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to
give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide
purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will
not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” According to Jesus
we store up treasure in heaven by giving away what we have to those in
need. In other words we live like we’re not attached to this
world. The fruit of our labor, our money and our possessions, are not to
be invested here. We are to be busy converting our earthly wealth into
heavenly treasure!
Now you might say to yourself “I don’t know anyone in
need.” As wealthy Americans we have all had this response to God’s
command, but does God accept this? According to His Word, giving to those
in need is not optional. James makes it clear that giving to those in
need is not the exception within the Christian experience but the
norm. James 1:26-27 “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle
his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is
worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is
this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself
unstained from the world.”
Caring for those in need is not to be the
exception but rather it is the expectation. It is a dominant
characteristic of true faith, true religion. True faith seeks to help
those in need, the afflicted.
Consider the words of Pastor Francis Chan in
his upcoming book “Crazy Love.” “A while back I had a free evening, so I
decided to go to the store and buy some items to give away to those who needed
them more than I do. It was a good idea, something I want my life to be
characterized by more and more. But it was embarrassing. I realized
that everyone I knew had enough, that I didn't know many people who were truly
in need, and that I need to change that. I needed to go and intentionally
meet people who don't live like I do or think like I do, people who could never
repay me. For their sake but for my own as well.”
For those who can find no believers in need
next door should look beyond their own neighborhoods, towns, states, and even
countries. We have countless millions of brothers and sisters around the
world who are loving and serving the Lord yet have little food, water, and
shelter. They have no one to care for the medical needs of them and their
families when they become ill.
The majority of Christians in this world live
in conditions we would find unimaginable. Leisure and pleasure are not
even on their radar screen, only survival. Some of these brothers and
sisters are in need because they live in poor nations others because they are
under severe persecution, but still the need is great. As a church we
support missions and the church throughout the world but there are also things
you can do personally. Relief ministries like Samaritan’s Purse, and
Covenant Mercies seek to help indigenous churches around the world care for the
poor. These ministries work with local churches around the world to
meeting the needs of the believers in these churches who then in turn go out
and meet the needs of their communities as they share the gospel. Another
great ministry is The Voice of the Martyrs which seeks to help believers around
the world who are in need as a result of persecution. You can support the
family of an imprisoned pastor or evangelist, you can give toward medical care,
you can even provide a blanket and a Bible for believer living in extreme
poverty.
After meeting the needs within your own body,
these ministries are a great place to start impacting believers in need around
the world. They also provide great opportunities for teaching your children
the importance of “contributing to the needs of the saints.” Other ideas
might be spending your vacation serving believers in need somewhere in this
country or around the world, helping the families of believers in prison,
giving all or a portion of upcoming your tax rebate check to a missionary
serving on a difficult foreign fields, etc. The possibilities are endless.
Finally notice the second half of verse
13. Paul says we are to "…seek to show hospitality." The
word seek is also the word pursue. Don’t wait for someone to come to you
but rather pursue them.
The word hospitality is another interesting
word. In our culture it evokes images of flowers, tea, apple pie, as well
as laughter and good times. This was not the case in the early years of
the church. Hospitality meant real sacrifice. It was a dangerous
thing. It meant welcoming a fellow believer you didn’t know into your home.
Needless to say in times of persecution this
is a tremendous risk. In Matthew chapter 10 Jesus told his disciples that
when they went into a town, search out fellow believers to stay with. This
was common practice among believers of the day. They recognized that
everything they had belonged to God. Not just their money but even
something as private as their own home. In many ways hospitality would
have been more difficult than simply giving money because you could give
someone money and send them on their way. Not so with
hospitality. You literally welcomed them in as family.
God has blessed us with yet another
stewardship that being our homes and we can choose to live like the world
around us and keep everyone out, fiercely guarding our privacy or we can seek
to reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ, and I am not just talking
about the one’s we know but also those we don’t.
Our homes should not be fortresses where we go
into hiding after work. They should be places of joy and love, and that
joy and love should overflow and extend to those in the body of Christ, both
friend and stranger. Maybe a single mom needs a place to stay. Maybe
you know of a child that is neglected and you can take them in. Maybe a
missionary or evangelist comes to town and needs a place to stay.
We concluded the message Sunday reading
Matthew 25:31-46 where we see giving and hospitality from Jesus’ perspective.
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before
him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate
people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from
the goats. And
he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the
King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed
by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I
was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was
naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and
you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we
see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see
you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see
you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I
say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my
brothers, you did it to me. "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart
from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you
gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you
did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also
will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger
or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will
answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the
least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal
punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
