Ministering: Pastor Shola Awobajo.
Text: Luke 18:18-25.
“ 18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. 20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. 21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. 22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. 24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
God charges us never to take advantage of the poor. Deut. 24:15. God hates anyone who oppresses the needy. Amos 2:6 – Thus saith The Lord; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes. No matter the little in your hands, there is still an opportunity to minister to the poor.
From our above Text, The Lord accentuated on caring for the poor as one of the prerequisites for receiving Eternal Life. Many in our world do not consider it important to minister to the poor, just like the rich young ruler in our above Text. We must continually submit ourselves and entire being to God. Our money, resources, time, talents, etc – all should be yielded to God.
Benefits of Giving to The Poor
1. The Lord will deliver you in the day of trouble. Ps. 41:1
2. It is a way of honoring God – Prov. 14:31
3. It is a Treasure stacked in Heaven waiting for you – Matt. 19:21
4. It makes submitting to God easy to us – Matt. 6:21
5. It makes believers to act like/imitate Their Father – John 3:16
6. The more you give the more you receive – Luke 6:38
7. Giving brings Joy to both the recipient and the giver. Prov. 4:21
8. It is a golden way of lending to The Lord (God always repays in multiple-fold) – Prov. 19:17
In closing, Gal. 6 says – “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. …….. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
God Bless You!
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