Truly "Helping" the Poor

How do we love people in need?

This morning I want to talk about a very practical matter. How do we love people in need? Jesus spoke some compelling words about this. John 13:35 (NIV) says, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

In Matthew 25:35-36 (NIV) the righteous are welcomed into glory, to eternal life. Why? Jesus says, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

But the unrighteous were cursed and were thrown into the eternal fire that was prepared for his devil and angels. Why? Matthew 35:45 (NIV) concludes, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."

When asked what he should do to inherit eternal life, Jesus tells a rich young man in Luke 18:22 (NIV), "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Jesus' disciples struggled with their response to needs of the poor.

Jesus' disciples wrestled with their response to the poor. In Matthew 26:8-11 (NIV) the disciples react when a woman anoints Jesus with expensive perfume, " 'Why this waste?' they asked. 'This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.' Aware of this, Jesus said to them, 'Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.' "

I don't know about you, but the red lettered portions of my Bible are terrifying. Jesus' words are at once compelling and sobering. It's disingenuous for any of us to pretend they don't apply to us.

What was the early Church's response to the poor?

Then there's the early Church's response in Acts 2:44-45 (NIV), "All believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need."

Acts 4:32-35 (NIV) says, "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."

What we consider generous and sacrificial today is laughable compared to what the Church in Acts was doing. Here is the bottom line. The early believers understood that they were blessed to be a blessing. We view our wealth selfishly. "It's mine. It's God blessing me." The early believers viewed wealth missionly. "It's God wanting to bless the world through me. God's giving me the opportunity to love others, to bring glory to his name, and to let my light shine."

Remember Matthew 5:16 (NIV)? "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." We are generous because it makes us feel good. God wants us to be generous because it brings glory to his name. He'd just as soon our giving be done in secret. It's not about us. It's about his glory and about people seeing Jesus, not about us.

In 2 Corinthians 9:11 (NIV) the Bible describes how generosity, "...will result in thanksgiving to God." Our culture doesn't have a worship problem. The Church has a generosity crisis. Our culture will worship Jesus to the degree that our generosity points to Jesus! The early Church was radically generous.

Without generosity, there is no movement of Jesus.

It's really pure and simple. Without generosity there is no movement of Jesus. Generosity moves people. This is why 1 Timothy 6:18 (NIV) says, "Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share."

Taking an offering is one of the most powerful evangelistic activities our church does. It shows that we're serious about making a name for God in our world. Some people in the Church get offended when we take an offering. I say let them be offended. There is far too much at stake to worry about such people. For each person offended, there are dozens who'd see Jesus, and come to faith.

Let's turn our attention to the practical matters of generosity, and what it should look like in the Church. In 1 Timothy 5 Paul gives us a window into how the Church administrated its funds. What we discover is that love requires wisdom and intelligence. Not only is it foolish to simply throw money at a problem, it can be destructive. Love demands that we do what is best for others, not what makes us feel good or look good. You may feel loving when indiscriminately throwing money to a homeless person. It may assuage your guilt for a day. But you've only loved if you've done what's beneficial to the other person.

Be respectful and pure.

So let's begin with a general principle. 1 Timothy 5:1-2 (NIV) says, "Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity."

As we think about generosity, we need to be careful not to show contempt for people in need. They don't need our abuse or our judgment. They need our respect. They need godly wisdom and direction. A crisis is a teachable moment. At Lakeside, we have coaches who meet with people one on one. We offer classes, like Financial Peace University. We need your help with these ministries. Tell us if you're interested.

In 1 Timothy 5:2 Paul is specifically concerned that young women not be taken advantage of in their vulnerability. As Lakeside, our mens' ministry helps widows and single mothers. But our policy is to never send a man to a woman's house alone. They always go in pairs, or in teams of four. We don't want to give the devil an opportunity for slander. We don't want to put a man or woman in a place of compromise. Men, we need your help in our mens' ministry. Tell us if you're interested.

Help the whole family.

This is critical. Poverty isn't personal problem. It's s a family problem. Paul tells Timothy three times to get the family involved. Does this person have children or grandchildren? Do they have immediate family, or close relatives? Our generosity should never cause others, especially believers, to abdicate their responsibilities.

1 Timothy 5:3-4 (NIV) says, "Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God."

1 Timothy 5:7-8 (NIV) says, "Give the people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame. If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."

1 Timothy 5:16 (NIV) says, "If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need."

For their own pleasure, many young men are perfectly willing to take advantage of a woman. But then along comes a child, or another woman, and suddenly the deal's off. How can we help men to fulfill their marital and family duties? If a woman is widowed, how can we help her family fulfill their responsibilities?

Poverty is rarely an economic problem. It's a family problem. Strong families are the cure for poverty, not higher taxes, not larger government programs, not education, not contraceptives, and not free abortions. Strong families are the cure! Responsible Christian men and women. Responsible Christian husbands and wives. Responsible Christian children and grandchildren. When we help people in need, our goal at Lakeside is to get to know the whole family. Where's the man of the house? Where's mom or dad? Maybe you'd like to help?

The goal of generosity is to cultivate faith in God.

The goal of generosity isn't to pay bills. The goal is to cultivate faith in God. Poverty isn't an economic problem. It's a family problem. But even more, it's often a spiritual problem. The person is living desperately, impulsively, recklessly, even illegally, instead of trusting God with his needs. He hasn't worshipped, he hasn't tithed, and he hasn't prayed. Instead, he's lived faithlessly.

1 Timothy 5:5-6 (NIV) says, "The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives."

If we've paid a person's bills but have done nothing to encourage her faith in God, we've failed her. We make it our goal to share Jesus with every person seeking assistance at Lakeside. Otherwise, we haven't truly loved them. Maybe you'd like to help?

Cultivate holiness.

1 Timothy 5:9-15 (NIV) says, "No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan."

There must be discernment when giving financially.

Let's talk about what generosity is not. Generosity is not liquidating all the assets of the righteous to subsidize the immoral lifestyle of the godless. Not only is generosity about strengthening families, and encouraging faith in God, it's also about helping people make better choices, godly choices, holy choices, and life-giving choices.

Sexual immorality leads to financial ruin. When we help a person, we ask him about his marriage, his living situation, and his girlfriend. We want him to understand that God blesses the pure and upright in heart. What the person sees as economic misfortune could very well be God's corrective love, chastening him. Our job is to have these tough conversations. It's unloving to say, "Peace, peace," where there is no peace. 

We try to discern if the people asking for help are engaging in illegal behavior. We attempt to learn if they are violent or evil. We learn if they are sober. What love is there in financing a person's self-ruin? There are some things we will always do for a person. We will always provide food. We will always provide water. We will always provide some form of temporary shelter-- with some conditions of course. We will almost always help them get down the road. When there is a natural disaster, a fire, tornado, flood, or tsunami, there are no strings attached. We try to partner with a Christian agency or church that will minister to their spiritual as well as physical needs.

But sometimes it's necessary for a person to come to ruin in order to begin trusting God. If we're not careful, our generosity can short-circuit God's work. We don't go to hell for saying no. Our responsibility is to love. And to love is to do what is best for them, both now and for eternity.

Something else generosity is not is soft and sentimental. Generosity is tough love. It's messy, it's costly, it's frustrating, it's angering, and it's inconvenient. You may think you are a kind, loving, patient person, but unless you help with benevolence, I won't believe you. You will never be stretched more in your faith than when you are in the trenches, administering generosity. It takes tremendous prayer. It takes tremendous faith. It requires the fruit of the Holy Spirit--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. You can't fake the fruit of the Spirit. You can't fake love. Love is of God, and his love is made perfect in us as we practice his love.

I said earlier that without generosity there is no movement of Jesus. I hope you have heard Christ's call to love sacrificially and to love intelligently. Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."