Sunday Recap: May 4, 2008

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.