What’s the Point? Part 3
Message Summary: You can’t follow Jesus and not meet the practical needs of Jesus. It is the job of the Church to meet the practical needs of those around them. Josiah showed that this isn’t just an optional thing, but it is central to who Jesus is and who He wants us to be. To know Him is to serve others.
Are we just giving “verbal tips” to Jesus?
We raise our hands in worship and lift our prayers to God, but without service of others, are we just doing this in word, but not action? Does God get tired of this verbal worship when we leave the Church and fail to worship Him with the way we serve others? Worship doesn’t feed the hungry. Prayer doesn’t provide shelter for the homeless.
We are equipped by God with everything we need to serve others. He can multiply the things we have for His purposes.
Even if I have a little, I can use it faithfully, and God will multiply it for the things He wants to accomplish. Jesus asked the disciples to feed the crowd, even though they had very little. They gave what they had, and He made it enough.
Two practical ways to meet needs:
- Don’t pass the buck
- Use what you’ve got
- Can you think of a time when someone met your practical needs? What was your response?
- What are some reasons we don’t meet the practical needs of others around us?
- Who are some people in your life who would benefit from you meeting their needs? How could you do that?
- What are some ways our group could go about meeting practical needs? How could we be more intentional about this?
Matthew 25:34-40 – “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘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, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’