WE SHOULD USE OUR GOD GIVEN GIFTS TO HELP OTHERS

PROCLAMATION

“The end of all things is near.  Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace …”  1 Peter 4:7-10 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Peter, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers who scattered after the crucifixion of Christ. (1 Peter 1:1-2)  Peter began this fourth chapter by telling them that they should live for God.  They should have the same attitude that Christ had.  They should not be surprised when men verbally abuse them for walking away from the pagan lifestyle which they used to live and to now live a life following Christ. (1 Peter 4:1-5)  Then he tells them that the end of time is near and that they should be as Christ-like as possible.  They should use their God given gifts to the best of their abilities to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace. (1 Peter 4:7-11)  He ends this chapter by telling them that God’s judgment will begin with His people, and he quotes Proverbs 11:30-31 to them. (1 Peter 4:17-19)

 

APPLICATION

The Judgment Day is coming, and the end of this world is near.  Believers will be judged, not regarding their salvation, but to determine the rewards which they will receive in heaven. (Matthew 10:42, Colossians 3:24, Hebrews  11:6, Revelation 11:18, and Revelation 22:12)  Non-believers will be judged to show that they had the opportunity to accept Christ, but they chose to deny Him. (Matthew 10:33, 1 Peter 4:6 and Revelation 20:12-13)  Believers need to be careful and prayerful, loving and forgiving.  We need to use the talents, gifts, and abilities which we have been blessed with to help others, (Proverbs 11:25) and to show the world that we are faithful stewards of the grace of God. (Matthew 5:16) 

 

DOING GOOD CAN CAUSE YOU TO BE DISLIKED

Proclamation:

“Then Jesus asked them, ‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?’  But they remained silent.  He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’  He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.  Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.”  Mark 3:4-6 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by John Mark, a nephew of Barnabas but not an apostle.  This is the gospel as he received it from Simon Peter.  He began the third chapter by recounting the events surrounding the healing of a man with a shriveled hand while He was in the synagogue on the Sabbath. (Mark 3:1-5)  For doing this, the Pharisees wanted to kill Him. (Mark 3:6)  Mark then discussed the large crowd that followed Jesus (Mark 3:7-12) and His appointment of His twelve disciples. (Mark 3:13-19)  Then he discussed the relationship that Jesus had with His family (Mark 3:20-21 and 31-35) and how Jesus defended Himself to those who accused Him of being possessed by the devil. (Mark 3:22-30)

Application:

The Sabbath day, or Sunday, is to be a day of rest and worship. (Exodus 20:8-11)  However, Jesus, The Christ, reveals that it is okay to do that which is good on that day.  It is always okay to save a life or to help save a lost soul.  Sometimes in order to do that which is good and right one must break one of man’s rules.  At times even our family members may not understand why we do the things that we do.  However, if what we are doing is for The Lord and we are doing God’s will to give Him glory, then we are part of His family.  A right relationship with The Lord God is more important than our blood relationship with our family.

WE SHOULD USE OUR GOD GIVEN GIFTS TO HELP OTHERS

Proclamation:

“The end of all things is near.  Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace …”  1 Peter 4:7-10 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Peter, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers who scattered after the crucifixion of Christ. (1 Peter 1:1-2)  Peter began this fourth chapter by telling them that they should live for God.  They should have the same attitude that Christ had.  They should not be surprised when men verbally abuse them for walking away from the pagan life style which they used to live and following Christ. (1 Peter 4:1-5)  Then he tells them that the end is near and that they should be as Christ-like as possible.  They should use their God given gifts to the best of their abilities to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace. (1 Peter 4:7-11)  He ends by telling them that judgment will begin with God’s people, and he quotes Proverbs 11:30-31 to them. (1 Peter 4:17-19)

Application:

Judgment Day is coming and the end of this world is near.  Believers will be judged, not regarding their salvation, but to determine the rewards that they will receive in heaven.  Non-believers will be judged to show that they had the opportunity to accept Christ but didn’t.  Believers need to be careful and prayerful, loving and forgiving.  We need to use our talents, gifts, and abilities which we have been blessed with to help others and to show the world that we are faithful stewards of the grace of God. (Matthew 5:16) 

BLESSED IS HE WHO HAS COMPASSION

Proclamation:

"Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; The LORD delivers him in times of trouble.  The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; He will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.  The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness."  Psalms 41:1-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this psalm of David records the blessings and the sufferings of the people of God.  Those believers who are poor, weak, sick, down or depressed, will be blessed by The Lord God.  He will protect them, preserve them, uplift them, sustain them, cure them, and restore them.  David also said that The Lord will bless those who have compassion for others who are suffering and in need.

Application:

We are blessed in so many ways, most of which we take for granted.  The Lord blesses us when He protects us, preserves us, sustains us, and restores us from and through the things which confront us as the storms of life.  Some of the storms that we go through are for our benefit in order to strengthen us. (Romans 5:3, James 1:2-3, and 1 Peter 1:6-7)  However, He also blesses us for having compassion on those who are suffering and are less fortunate. (Proverbs 11:25 and 2 Corinthians 1:4)  When we have pity on the poor and less fortunate, we are lending whatever to The Lord, and He will repay us. (Proverbs 19:17)  Jesus, The Christ, said that as we treat the less fortunate, we are doing the same unto Him. (Matthew 25:40)  When we are a blessing to others, we will ourselves also be blessed.

GOD WILL SUPPLY ALL OF OUR NEEDS

Proclamation:

“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the Apostle Paul in a letter to the believers in Philippi.  After telling them that he had learned to be content whatever the circumstances, (Philippians 4:11) and that he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him, (Philippians 4:13) Paul thanked them for the gift they had sent to him.  The gracious and generous gift that they gave him was probably sacrificial, decreasing their material and monetary supplies.  Paul wanted them to know that they would not suffer because they were such generous givers.  He said that God would supply all of their needs.

Application:

Considering the context in which this verse was written, it implies that if we are doing God’s will, He will take care of us.  God wants us to share.  We will not suffer because of our sacrificial giving to help others.  Giving to help others does not always refer to giving money.  There are many ways that we can help someone who is in need.  We can share our time or our talents and help someone.  As we give to meet the needs of others, God will bless us and meet our needs.  Jesus said "Give, and it will be given to you ... running over, will be poured into your lap …” (Luke 6:38)  Poor people have unmet needs all year long and not just during the holiday season.  We were blessed so that we could be a blessing to others.  Share with someone who is not related to you.  When we give to someone or help others, it should not be with the expectation that we will get something in return.   However, we will be rewarded for our giving but it is just nice to be nice.  The Bible says “He who is kind to the poor lends to The Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done.” (Proverbs 19:17)  As we bless others God will bless us.

Give Thanks To God In All Situations

"And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.  Be joyful always;  pray continually;  give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 (NIV)

Under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, the Apostle Paul wrote these words in his letter to the believers in Thessaloniki.  Paul was providing them with practical instructions for Christian living.  He told them how they ought to walk and talk in order to please God.  He said that they should comfort, encourage, help, and warn one another.  He also said that whatever they were going through, they should be joyful because it was part of God's permissive will for them. 

These words are as relevant for believers today as they were for those believers then.  We need to be reminded that we are children of God (Galatians 3:26), and that we are in this world but not of it. (John 8:23)  We are to behave in a Christ-like manner, and we are to help one another.  We are even to love our enemies and haters (Matthew 5:44), and kill them with kindness. (Romans 12:20)  Whatever our current situation, it is only a test and part of God's permissive will for us. (James 1:12)  So, let us count all things as joyful. (James 1:2)  Let us pray sincerely and frequently (James 5:16), and let us give thanks to God for everything. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

God Will Remember And Reward Our Work

"God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them."  Hebrews 6:10 (NIV)

The unknown author of The Book of Hebrews was writing to the scattered believers after the death of Christ, in order to encourage them to hold on and keep the faith.  He told them that God would not forget what they had done in His name, and that they would be rewarded.

Believers know that God sees all that we do (Proverbs 5:21), hears all that we say (John 9:31 and 1 John 5:14), and knows all of our thoughts (Psalms 94:11) and intentions (Psalms 19:14).  He does not forget anything, He just chooses not to remember our sins which have been forgiven. (Jeremiah 31:34, Hebrews 8:12, and Hebrews 10:17)  Our Heavenly Father will remember all of the work that we do in His name, and all of the help that we give to the poor.  Our efforts will be rewarded and we will inherit the promises of God. (Hebrews 6:12)

Who We Really Are Determines What We Do

"In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him...Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man...he said "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."  Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)

Luke, the physician, recorded this parable regarding the good Samaritan which Jesus spoke in response to a lawyer who was questioning Him.  The lawyer asked Jesus who was the neighbor that he should love as he loved himself.  After Jesus told him the parable about a man who was robbed, beaten, and left for dead on the side of the road.  He told him that a priest walked past him and did nothing.  A Levite, a religious person who worked in the temple, also walked past him and did nothing.  A Samaritan, a non-religious person of a different culture, saw the man as he was walking by, had compassion for him, cleaned and bandaged his wounds, took him to an inn, and took care of him.  Then Jesus asked him which man of the three was a neighbor to the beaten man.  When the lawyer answered "The one who had compassion for him", Jesus told him to go and do likewise. 

The point is that our title, or position, or religious affiliations do not determine our behavior.  Our behavior is determined by the convictions within our heart.  "Who we really are inside determines what we see, and what we see determines what we do." (Unknown)  If we have the Christ-like compassion for others within us, then we will do what we can to help those who are in need.  If we don't have it within us, then we won't help others.  The lawyer asked Christ "who is my neighbor?"  The much more important question for us today is, "who are we?"   Who we are will determine what we will do.  If we love our neighbor as ourselves, then we will help those that we can.  Those who help the poor are lending to The Lord God, and He will repay the debt. (Proverbs 19:17)  He who blesses others shall himself be blessed. (Proverbs 11:25)  If we give, then it shall be given back unto us, and we will receive more than we gave. (Luke 6:38)  Let us share with those who are less fortunate and in need.  Remember the words of The Lord Jesus, it is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)

Comfort Encourage And Edify One Another

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."  1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)  The King James Version of The Bible reads: " Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."

The Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in The Church at Thessaloniki and told them that they should comfort and encourage each other.  He also said that they should edify one another and build each other up.  Then he added the phrase "even as ye also do" so as not to offend them or to sound as if he was chastising them.

The Bible says that we are to love one another. (John 13:34, 13:35, 15:12, and 15:17)  We are also to help one another. (Ecclesiastes 4:10)  However, we are also to encourage and comfort one another, and to edify, teach, and build up one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)  We are truly to be our brother's keeper and helper.  We are to promote the welfare of others.  We are to pray for one another. (James 5:16)  We are to treat others as we ourselves would like to be treated. (Matthew 7:12)  Jesus said that as we treat His brothers, which are also our brothers, we are doing it to Him. (Matthew 25:40 and 25:45)  So, we need to be very careful with respect to the way we treat each other.  We need to treat one another with loving kindness, and help them, comfort them, encourage them, build them up, and teach them as best we can.

Be Generous And Prosper Bless And Be Blessed

"One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.  A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."  Proverbs 11:24-25 (NIV)

King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, (1 Kings 4:29-30), said that he who gives, will gain, and he that hordes, will lose what he has.  Those who are generous with others will prosper.  He also said that he who blesses others, shall himself be blessed.

The Bible says, give, and it shall be given unto you. (Luke 6:38)  When we give to help the poor, we are actually lending to The Lord God, and it is He shall repay us for giving. (Proverbs 19:17)  Remember the Bible story about the rich man and the poor beggar man named Lazarus who sat outside his gates.  When they both died, their roles were reversed. (Luke 16:19-31)  We are blessed so that we can be a blessing to others. Christ said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)  If we bless others, then we will also be blessed.  Let us make it a point to be a blessing to at least one person each day.  Let's practice random acts of kindness.

Good Things Come To The Generous and Just

"Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice."  Psalms 112:5 (NIV)

The unknown author of this psalm states that he who is generous and fair with others will have good things come to him.  Those who do the right thing will receive good things.

This Bible verse is a reminder that blessings are meant to be shared. (Luke 16:25)  Stated differently, we will be blessed for being a blessing to others. (Proverbs 11:25)  Care, share, and be fair.

Ask God For The Right Things And Be Blessed

"At Gibeon The LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, 'Ask for whatever you want me to give you.'  Solomon answered ... I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties ... So give Your servant a discerning heart to govern Your people and to distinguish between right and wrong ... So God said to him, 'Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked.  I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.  Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for, both riches and honor, so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.  And if you walk in My ways and obey My statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.' "  1 Kings 3:5-14 (NIV)

After he had firmly established himself as the king, because his older brother Adonijah had declared himself to be the king (1 Kings 1:5-7) after David, King Solomon asked God for a discerning heart to govern and to distinguish right from wrong.  God blessed him with that and wisdom, riches, honor, and  a long life.  God made him the wisest man ever.

Often we ask God for things that we should not ask for, and we don't ask for some things that we should ask Him for.  King Solomon is the perfect example of asking God for the right things, for the right reasons, and being blessed with that and much, much more.  His request was not selfish, it was for the benefit of others.  Maybe we could learn a lesson from Solomon which might help us with our prayer life.  Sincerely praying for the benefit of others, may result in us receiving blessings for ourselves. 

Be Careful How You Treat The Less Fortunate

"Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  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.  Then the righteous will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink?  When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You?  When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?  The King will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me."  Matthew 25:34-40 (NIV)

In His parable about separating the sheep and the goats, separating the believers from the non-believers, Jesus said to His disciples that as they treat the poor and the needy, they are doing it to Him.  Then He went on to say that they would be judged based upon how they treated the less fortunate.  The sheep, who are the believers, will help the less fortunate while the goats, the non-believers, will not.

We should be very careful how we treat people, especially those who are less fortunate than we are because The Lord takes personally our treatment of the poor and needy.  When we give to the poor, we are lending to The Lord and He will repay us. (Proverbs 19:17)  Doing nothing is not acceptable, our sins of omission will be judged along with the sins we commit.  We are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. (Matthew 22:39)  People will know that we are believers by the way that we show love to one another.  (John 13:35)  We are His sheep, and we are His emisaries to the world.

Blessed With More Than We Asked For

"God said to Solomon, 'Since this is your heart's desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern My people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have."
2 Chronicles 1:11-12 (NIV)

When David's son Solomon became king, he prayed to God for wisdom and knowledge in order to properly govern God's people. Because his request pleased God, He gave him what he asked for and blessed him with much more than he asked for, including wealth, riches, and honor.

Sometimes when our prayers are for the best interest of others, God blesses us with more than we ask for. God knows the desires of our hearts, and when our desires are in line with His will, He blesses us in more ways than we requested. Frequently, we are blessed in order to be a blessing to others.

We Will Be Rewarded For Helping God's People

"God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them." Hebrews 6:10 (NIV)

This unknown author of the book of Hebrews told the believers that God sees the love and good deeds shown to His people and it will not go unnoticed or be forgotten.

God sees all of the good things that we do to help His people. The love that we show our brothers and sisters in Christ will be recorded in a heavenly ledger. Being a blessing to others will result in us being blessed. The good work that we do for others will be rewarded.

We Are Comforted To Know How To Comfort Others

Praise be to The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Father of compassion and The God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows ... And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort ... Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers." 2 Corinthians 1:1-11 (NIV)

In a letter to the Christians in Corinth, the Apostle Paul offers comfort for their suffering from the oppression of their enemies. He has been comforted in his hour of need and he now is offering comfort to others in theirs.

Comfort, like blessings, comes from God. He can use us to comfort one another in times of trouble and despair. We are comforted in order to know how to be a comfort to others. We are basically passing on the comfort that we received to others who are in need. We should share in each others joys and sorrows. We should be thankful for His delivering us through past troubles and despairs, and we hope and pray that He will continue to deliver us and others in the future.

Help Your Brother In His Hour Of Need

"You should not look down on your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble.  You should not march through the gates of my people in the day of their disaster, nor look down on them in their calamity in the day of their disaster, nor seize their wealth in the day of their disaster ... 'The day of The Lord is near for all nations.  As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head.' "  Obadiah 1:10-15 (NIV)

The prophet Obadiah had a vision from The Lord about Edom and Esau, Jacob's brother.  Because Esau stood by and watched, and did nothing, when his brother was being defeated and Jerusalem was being destroyed, he was going to suffer in the future.

We should all be aware of the fact that doing nothing does not make us innocent.  If our brother is being wronged and we stand by, watching, and do nothing to help him, then we are just as guilty as those who wronged him.  Also we are not to rejoice at the suffering of others.  Their misfortune should not be a cause for joy.  We should not take advantage of them because they are defenseless.  As we do to others, so it will be done unto us.  Be very careful how you treat people and who you choose not to help.  Judgement day is coming and we will have to give an account for all that we did and did not do.