loving and serving the poor loving and serving the poor loving and serving the poor loving and...

Loving and Serving the Poor



Loving and Serving the Poor Loving and Serving the Poor Loving and Serving the Poor










Objectives

1. Help the participants see God’s concern for the poor through the biblical passages of the old and new testament.2. Lead to a desire to love and serve the poor as part of their mission as members of the Church and of CFC 3. Exhort the CFCs to live a life of simplicity, compassion and generosity

WHO ARE THE POOR? 1. Includes those who may have absolutely nothing, or very little – cf. Mk 12:41-442. Also those who have barely enough to offer meager sacrifices - cf. Lev 14:21- one does not have to be completely destitute to be considered ‘poor’

CAUSES OF POVERTY... 1. Sometimes it is due to sinful actions on the part of the individual a. Laziness - Pr 6:6-11 b. Refusing to heed correction - Pr 13:18 c. Pleasure seeking - Pr 21:17 d. Drunkenness, gluttony - Pr 23:21

CAUSES OF POVERTY... 2. Other times it is due to sinful actions of other men a. Usury and extortion - Pr 28:8 b. Greed - Isa 3:14-15 c. Unfair labor practices - Jer 22:13 d. Oppression - Am 4:1 e. Persecution - 2Co 8:1-2; He 10:32-34 3. It can also be due to natural disasters a. Plague, economic depression, war b. Hurricane, earthquake, tsunami 4. It may be due to God's chastisement a. As was the case in Haggai's day - Hag 1:5-11 b. Again in the days of Malachi - Mal 3:8-12

CAUSES OF POVERTY... 5. It can be due to voluntary choice a. As in the case of Jesus - Lk 9:57-58 b. As in the case of His apostles - Mk 10:28; 2Co 6:10

Poverty has many causes, and both Moses and Jesus taught the poor would be with us (Deut 15:11; Mt 26:11). God hears the cries of the poor (Psa 69:33), and it is interesting to note how He made provision for them in both the Old and New Testament...]

Bible on the Poor

The bible contains more than 800 verses on the poor, social justice and God’s deep concern for both.

From the history of God’s people to the Beatitudes of Jesus, the Bible clearly states God’s regard for the poor as His children and affirms to us that they are always in His mind.

The Bible on the Poor

Deuteronomy 26:5-9Then you shall declare before the LORD

your God: "My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous.

6 But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, putting us to hard labor.

7 Then we cried out to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression.

8 So the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey;


Psalm 140:12 I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy

Psalm 10:14 But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand.

The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.


Isaiah 41:17 "The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.”

Luke 6:20-21 20 Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

How the World Sees the Poor

With disdain or fear1. People might see the

poor as dangerous or different

2. Some may blame them for their poverty

3. Others may consider them as simply lazy and inferior


Pitiful• Many people look at the poor with

pity, although sadly this does not often translate to a committed form of concern and help

Restricted “love” is enough1. Helping them once a year is enough2. I will help them when I feel I

can/when I have extra to give3. I will help them if they are morally

good/upright4. I will help only those who are of the

same race as mine or who speak my language


These attitudes are far different from God’s thoughts.

The world sees the poor differently and these attitudes are a world away from God’s concern for the poor as described by the verses mentioned previously.

God loves the poor and He loves everybody. Neediness arouses compassion in God to act.

On our part, it is not so simple to respond yet God’s character presents Himself as a model. If God values the poor, we have to think about what this means for us.

EXERCISE - Different Types of Givers

1. Form 4 groups 2. Each group will be given an assigned “GIVER” with descriptionUsing your creativity, Group prepares a quick skit to demo the type of “GIVER” (10 minutes)3. Group presents (1-3 minutes)

Different Types of Givers

1. The Reluctant Giver Giving but not wholeheartedly, with a frown rather than a smile on your face.God says, be cheerful in our

giving:2 Cor. 9:17 Each man should

give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Different Types of Givers2. The Chooser Chooses whom to give or to

be generous to.• God says, share with anyone

in need.Acts 2:44 And all that believed

were together, and had all things common

Is 58:7 “Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own.”

Different Types of Givers3. The Show-Off Giving for others to see that you

are generous. • God says, let your giving be done in

secret and you will be greatly rewarded in heaven

Matt 6:24 So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with

trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the

streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have

received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do

not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so

that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees

what is done in secret, will reward you.

Different Types of Givers

4. The Compassionate Giver Gives out of a genuine concern and love

forthe poor, without counting the cost; sees what they need and seeks to respond to

thisneed

• Jesus asks us to love as He did, with a self-giving love.

Jn 13:34 “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.”

Loving the Poor: Our Response to God’s

CommandsAs God values the poor, we have

to think about what that means to us and our

community. We may be responding yet what is the state of our heart in doing so? What moves us? What stirs our hearts?

It is a two-fold principle. God’s commands include an overflow of blessings, for He who is gracious lends to the Lord (Prov 19:17).

God tells us that if we help the poor He will bless us.


CommandsFrom the Old Testament to the New Testament, we are called to love and care for the poor.

Deut 15:7 7 If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tight fisted toward your poor brother.

Deut 26:12 When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the

fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.


CommandsIs 58:10 “If you bestow your

bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted;

Thenlight shall rise for you in the

darkness, and the gloom shall become for you

likemidday;”

Luke 3:11 John answered, "The man with

two tunics should share with him who

has none, and the one who has food should

do the same."


Commands1. Loving and serving the poor is an

essential part of being a Christian and of being part of the Church.

• We know that Jesus gave preference to the poor. He Himself was born poor, He ate and drank with the poor, many of His disciples were poor.

As Christians, we must take after our Master, giving of ourselves to the poor. We must look upon everyone as our brother or sister.


Commands2. It is our community’s mission.• As CFCs, we are called to Build the

Church of the Home and Build the Church of the Poor. We need to do both for not one is greater than the other. Both are essential to our mission in CFC and to fulfilling our CFC vision.

• Our community focuses on Christ, family, and poor. Not to include the poor in our priorities would be to fall short in following what God calls us to do.

• Loving the poor should also be part of our personal mission. We must be able to see them as brothers and sisters for whom we are accountable.

Loving the Poor: Our Response to God’s Commands

3. We will be judged by how much we have

loved and served others as Jesus did, especially our poor brethren.Mt 25:34-36 “Then the king will say to

those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the

foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.”

God promises blessings to those who serve the poor

1. Serving the poor may be the right thing to do but the Bible associates it with material and spiritual reward.•Prov 22:9 A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

•Deut 15:10 Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.


Luke 14:12-14 Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.


2. Although we do not serve to receive the reward, we serve with gratefulness and trust knowing that God takes care of our needs.

We know we are blessed that we may bless others.

Embracing Our Mission to Love the Poor

• What can we do as CFCs to help build the Church of the poor? Not all of us may be called to give ourselves totally in service of the poor, as Mother Teresa did.

• But we are all called to aim for the kind of love she had for the poor, a love that will get us out of our comfort zones to actively do something to lessen their suffering and alleviate their hardship.

• Our call, “Every man and woman all over the world experiencing Christ” includes the poor in a special way as we are called to bring Christ to them and experience Christ in them.

Simple Ways to Become a More Generous Person

1. Consider the benefits of generosity. Generous people report being happier, healthier, and more satisfied with life than those who don’t give. 2. Embrace gratitude. Be thankful. As you experience God’s generosity to you, you can be inspired to become more generous to others. 3. Start really small. If you’ve never given away money, start by giving away $1. The point is to get started. 4. Give first. When you receive your next paycheck, make your first expense an act of giving. Trust God to enable you to help other people regardless of your current situation. 5. Divert one specific expense to a charity/cause. For a set period of time (try 29 days), you may bring lunch to work, ride your bike to work , or skip Starbucks. Calculate the money you’ll save for the charity/cause.

Simple Ways to Become a More Generous Person

6. Fund a cause based on your passions. Decide to serve a cause that’s greater than your own life. Ask God to give you the desire to reach out to other people rather than resenting the time, energy, money, and inconveniences that can be involved. 7. Find a person you believe in. If you find that you are more easily motivated and shaped by the people in your life rather than organizations/causes, use that tendency as motivation instead. 8. Look beyond just those you love. Don’t limit your generosity only to the people you know and love. Be willing to reach out to strangers, people who make you uncomfortable, and those who can’t reciprocate. 9. Spend time with people in need and with a generous person. Do rub shoulders with the poor.10. Live a more minimalist life. Intentionally decide to own less.


• Simple Steps we can take: A.C.T. L.O.V.E.

1. Be Advocates of loving and serving the poor. Be part of the marketing team/think tanks of the various programs to present them creatively to various sectors for possible partnerships/sponsorships.

2. Commit to give a portion of your allowance/salary to the various programs esp. the Ancop Child Sponsorship Program, Shelter, Health, etc.

3. Give Time for tutoring or values/spiritual enrichment in the different ANCOP areas.


4. Live Simply. i. Give away things you don’t need. ii. Minimize expensive purchases/pleasures that are not really necessary. iii. What you might normally spend on luxuries (Starbucks coffee, branded clothing, etc.), save for the poor.

5. Organize events or activities at ANCOP areas like parties and anniversaries and let your family, loved ones, friends and co-workers enjoy the spirit of sharing and giving.


6. Visit the prison, the aged, the sick, and the abandoned. Find opportunities to bring love and joy to those who need to be reminded that they are loved.

7. Elevate the lives of the needy by giving them opportunities for work and thus bless his family as well.Ephesians 4:28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Our Child Sponsorship Program allows us to give the gift of a good education to children who cannot afford such. With this we also give them hope and a bright future, one child, one community at a time.

Shelter Program

Health

Calamity Assistance

ANCOP PROGRAMS

CFC ANCOP Global Programs

Relief Rehab

Health

CSPEducation

CDPShelter

Livelihood

Country Specific ProgramCalamity Response

ConclusionMt 25:34 “Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ’Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ’Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?’ And the king will answer them, ’Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me.’”

ConclusionCan we not see why the early Christians were so diligent to help the poor...?• They were not only obeying the

commandments of Jesus and His apostles; they were also displaying compassion that has always characterized the people of God

2. There are certainly good reasons to "remember the poor"... Those who do are blessed by the Lord - Ps 41:1-3God has chosen the poor to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom - Jm 2:5 "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." - Gal 6:10

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