Sermon Tone Analysis

Maui Rescue Mission’s Goal

As we begin this portion of our training, I want us to be reminded of our overarching mission:

“Reaching Maui’s homeless and needy, one soul at a time.”

Different organizations have various aims and scopes of ministry.

As you look at our goal, we are seeking to reach individuals, who truly desire to move from homelessness towards a stable living situation.

The MRM website lays out a framework of how we aim to serve the homeless.

Reach, rescue, relationship, recovery, and restoration are different aspects of how we plan to execute our goal.

rescue, relationship, recovery, and restoration are different aspects of how we plan to execute our goal.

These are are parameters for ministry because our heart’s desire is for our help to actually help.

Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert wrote this phenomenal book titled, When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself.

Much of what they write has affirmed the methodology of MRM.

The fact that this ministry has come to fruition is such an evidence of God’s grace.

Corbett and Fikkert write, “We believe that the coexistence of agonizing poverty and unprecedented wealth—even just within the household of faith—is an affront to the gospel.”

So praise God for the growing concern and action being taken amongst Christians to care for those in need.

I am going to spend some time now giving a biblical framework in breaking down our mission.

Reach

The manner of our reach:

The first thing we must keep in mind as we minister to those who are in need is to recognize that we ourselves are people in need, spiritually impoverished apart from the goodness of Christ entering our lives.

We are all made in the image of God.

Because of that, there is not a one size fits all mold in reaching those who are homeless.

In addition, we are here to offer compassionate care to those who we come across.

We are one beggar telling another beggar where we have found food.

Apart from Christ, we are each spiritually poor with no hope, dead in our trespasses and sins.

God in his mercy makes us alive with Christ and blesses us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

When we reach out with this kind of heart, we will be upholding the image of God in each person we come across.

Every man, woman, and child has dignity and worth because the are made in the image of God.

So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

We must willing to take time to listen and ask questions to understand each individual’s story.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,

but only in expressing his opinion.

If one gives an answer before he hears,

it is his folly and shame.

34 Then othe King will say to pthose on his right, ‘Come, you qwho are blessed by my Father, rinherit sthe kingdom tprepared for you ufrom the foundation of the world.

35 For vI was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you wgave me drink, xI was a stranger and you welcomed me,

36 vI was naked and you clothed me, yI was sick and you zvisited me, aI was in prison and you came to me.’

37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 And bthe King will answer them, c‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these dmy brothers,6 you did it to me.’

Rescue

Again, we are all in need of rescue and the one who brings ultimate rescue is Jesus Christ.

We are his ambassadors.

Our greatest need is not for material wealth and stability.

Our greatest need is a spiritual one—the forgiveness of our sin.

As we meet physical needs, we must be eager to point our clients to Jesus Christ who came to seek and to save the lost.

And yet we are not pitting the physical against the spiritual.

God cares about both our physical and spiritual needs.

We want to help bring the poor hope.

Many times for those who are homeless, on top of feeling in physical need, they are struggling to have hope.

(Possibly refer to the 3 wishes questions from Invisible People and how many had a hard time thinking about a hopeful future).

They desire to be treated with dignity and respect.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.

We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

As Christ’s ambassadors, we will seek to care for the physical needs of others.

We have a biblical mandate in the following passages to care for the poor.

34 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.

35 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,

36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

But fif anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet gcloses his heart against him, hhow does God’s love abide in him?

18 Little children, let us not ilove in word or talk but in deed and jin truth.

Relationship

34 Then othe King will say to pthose on his right, ‘Come, you qwho are blessed by my Father, rinherit sthe kingdom tprepared for you ufrom the foundation of the world.

35 For vI was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you wgave me drink, xI was a stranger and you welcomed me,

36 vI was naked and you clothed me, yI was sick and you zvisited me, aI was in prison and you came to me.’

37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 And bthe King will answer them, c‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these dmy brothers,6 you did it to me.’

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

This takes time and intentional care.

This is why we have chosen to have a mobile shower and washer dryer unit.

This will provide the opportunity for us to build meaningful relationships.

As we listen and understand, we will have the opportunity to point them in the right direction.

“No single sector can alleviate poverty on its own.

Like all human beings, poor people have a range of physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs.”

-Corbett and Fikkert

Refer to other agencies here.

You are not to impose your agenda, but to truly come alongside.

Those who are homeless and needy are not inferior.

They have God-given gifts and abilities.

Recovery

We are here to encourage our clients in human flourishing.

We do not want to do for them what God has called them to be responsible for.

We are not trying to do everything for them, but to help them in areas where there is a gap in other services.

If there is a need for them to go to an in-patient, live in facility, we will be able to help them go to the mainland to receive that kind of care.

Restoration

When this is accomplished in a person’s life, they are rightly thinking and living through an accurate lense of who God is, of self, others, and their circumstances.

Corbett and Fikkert say it like this, “Poverty alleviation is the ministry of reconciliation: moving people closer to glorifying God by living in right relationship with God, with self, with others, and with the rest of creation.”

The ideal situation is for us to be able to walk alongside someone full circle where they worship and behold God as their Creator and Lord, trusting in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.

In that, they will be driven to live a life to serve and love others and not to exploit or take advantage of others.

As they view themselves, they will realize God’s great love for them in Christ—being a sinner saved by grace.