Sunday, May 17, 2015

“What Good Is That?”


World Hunger
The numbers regarding the number of hungry in our world are so overpowering that the victims become statistics.  We try not to think about hunger because the problem seems overwhelming.  But Jesus did not tell us to turn away.  He commanded us to help those in need. 
By one hunger relief organization’s recent estimate, 24,000 people die each day of hunger-related diseases. That’s 1,000 an hour or 17 each minute.
God’s does not just want us only to bear His heart of compassion but to also be His hands of mercy.
The connection between poverty and hunger is a given.  Those who cannot generate enough resource to provide the basic necessities for their families are all around us but not near us.
Faith in God has been replaced by faith in Gov.
Entitlements will never provide the path to success but only survival. 
God didn’t command us to feed the “qualified” but “feed the “hungry.”
We are to do what God has commanded and then let Him do what He promised.
Feed America’s last estimate was that around 18,000 adults and around 20,000 children in Parker County deal with food insecurity on a weekly basis.

The Biblical Summons - Luke 3:11, Psalm 41:1, Proverbs 14:31,
Proverbs 21:13, Proverbs 28:27, Isaiah 58:10, Luke 18:22

The Common Response to the Problem  Luke 16:19-31

Jesus' story is a warning against two things in us:
1.   Apathy -The rich man had resources to help, but didn't care.
This guy is what is called a "practical atheist."
There is a big step between concern and compassion.
2.   Acceptance. Lazarus had become part of the scenery.
Storing Grain and Starving People  Luke 12:13-21
God has spread His resource throughout all His people so everyone can have a part.
Jesus calls the man a fool because the man thinks it is all his and not God’s.

The Gospel and the Poor and Hungry – Matthew 25:31-46

According to Jesus, those who don’t care for the poor have missed the gospel.
·    The faces of hunger are the faces of children.
·    The faces of hunger are the faces of mothers.
·    The faces of hunger are old.

Quit worrying so much about who is getting in your pocketbook as who is influencing your heart.

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