Faith in Action: Serving the Poor and Needy in Our Communities (06/20/'24) -Passage

Faith in Action: Serving the Poor and Needy in Our Communities James 2:14-17 (NIV): "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." Matthew 25:35-40 (NIV): "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.’" Isaiah 58:6-7 (NIV): "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" Proverbs 19:17 (NIV): "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done." 1 John 3:17-18 (NIV): "If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." Luke 4:18-19 (NIV): "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." These verses collectively emphasize the importance of faith being accompanied by action, especially actions that serve and uplift the poor and needy in our communities. This is a fundamental aspect of the gospel, urging believers to live out their faith through compassionate and selfless service. Pastor Steven G. Lee (June 20, 2024)