Entrusted - With Each Other

Introduction

A group of four-year-olds were presenting a Christmas Pageant. Everything moved along smoothly until the children playing Mary and Joseph arrived at the inn in Bethlehem.

‘Do you have any room for us?’ asked young Joseph.

‘No, the inn is full,’ replied the innkeeper.

‘But it’s so cold outside, and my wife is going to have a baby,’ pleaded Joseph. ‘Don’t you have any place for us?’

To the surprise of the director of the play and the audience, instead of showing the couple to the stable, the four-year-old innkeeper replied compassionately, ‘I’m not supposed to say this, but you come right on in.’

(Source: https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/70365/compassion-by-owen-bourgaize)

Imagine what the world would be like if everyone was like this.

We could use more compassion in the world, couldn’t we? With the focus on unimportant things of this world being at an all time high, and the coming of the Holiday Season with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years I want to remind us of the compassion we should have.

It’s not just “Should” have though. It’s “MUST”.

Disciples of Christ “MUST” have compassion, mercy, and serve others. It’s a responsibility, a requirement.

And when we begin to realize how blessed we are as well, should we not recongize the great responsibility God lays upon us with our riches? With the things we ought to be thankful for both Spiritual and Material.

Today, let’s look at an important, and even frightening scene that Christ puts before us to teach us some important lessons about compassion, mercy, and service.

Matthew 25:31-46

Matthew 25:31–46 NKJV

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you 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 took Me in; 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, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Here we have an intense conclusion to a series of parables. He ends with the end.

The savior is focused more on the reality of accountability when the end comes. One that we all will be gathered to. Every person, every NATION will be there. And we will be parted right and left in judgement. Based on what? Christ focuses here on obedience/disobedience, and specifically on the merciful activity toward others.

He has given us an opportunity, and focuses on, what you could call INDIRECT ACTIVITY. ( Wayne Jackson)

What is that? Well, essentially, it’s when you do something for somone else DIRECTLY, you are indirectly respecting or neglecting the LORD himself!

I was thirsty you gave me drink… When did we see you Lord? (Indirect)

Reference Earlier Parable of the Talents

What was that one about?

(Illustration: Spider Man — With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility - Quote)

And so we have a RESPONSIBILITY to care for others. We have been ENTRUSTED with this task.

Then at the great seperation we will find out — eternal punishment or eternal life?

Who? Most simply, they are…

People in need

1. Hungry

2. Thirsty

3. Strangers. That would mean the person who’s “not from around here”; aliens.

4. Naked – now, that’s a relative term. Let’s say it’s people needing clothing of all kinds.

5. Sick, or feeble. That might include people who are older, or who have mental disease, and physical ailments of all kinds.

6. In prison. People are in prison for different reasons. We’d like to think they’re all just reasons, but that’s not true in 1st Cent. Palestine, and it’s not true in many places today.

(Source: https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-least-of-these-sherm-nichols-sermon-on-compassion-for-poor-196510)

That’s “the least of these” that Jesus gives us to consider for our situation.

Why the “Least”? Because we might say? Well if I knew it was you Lord out there thirsty, I would have come running! If I knew it was you Lord, I would have clothed you, fed you, visited you!

Christ says “It IS me!”

So we have the imperative responsbility, to use the things we have for good, to follow in the footsteps of our Master and Savior Christ Jesus, and respond to the needs of the LEAST OF THESE.

Responding to Needs

Notice Jesus doesn’t just say any needs needed to be responded to. He outlines some specific things.

Food, Water, Clothes, Company (things necessary for survival)

But Jesus didn’t just talk the talk, He was a man who did walk the walk.

Feeding the multitude. Twice. Let’s look at one example though

Feeding the Four Thousand - Matthew 15:32-38

Matthew 15:32–38 NKJV

Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.” So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

Christ did these things not just because he had a job to do, though he did. Sometimes he helped others out of pure compassion.

Matthew 9:35-38

Matthew 9:35–38 NKJV

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Matthew 8:1-4

Matthew 8:1–4 NKJV

When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

“See that you tell no one;” He may have had reasons for not wanting others to know He did it like crowds — but that is all the reason then to just not heal this guy. I mean, he didn’t have to, but he did it anyway!

Ultimately by Christ’s death we see him caring for the needs of others. What need supersedes eternal life?

This brings him in company with us, a relationship if you will.

Building Relationships

Turning the responsibility personal, because it is!

God wants US to go out and to be the ones to do it!

Matthew 9:37-38

Matthew 9:37–38 NKJV

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

He could snap his fingers, couldn’t he? It would be done. But instead we see Christ recognizing the need for workers in the kingdom. Why? Because God has decided this is the best way.

I don’t know God’s reasons for everything, He need not explain himself to me or you. But I imagine it’s for our own good!

Remember: We can’t rely on Mom and Dad (The Oil and Lamp Parable)

Remember: We can’t do it by mooching off of the love, service, and righteousness of others.

They cannot feed the hungry for you. We must be involved somehow.

Sometimes we feel like if we look good enough to others it will ease our conscience and we will satisfy it.

I’m reminded of an old story I heard about that with Babe Ruth.

An umpire named Babe Pinelli once called Babe Ruth out on strikes. When the crowd booed with sharp disapproval at the call, the legendary Ruth turned to the umpire with disdain and said, "There’s 40,000 people here who know that the last pitch was ball, tomato head." Suspecting that the umpire would erupt with anger, the coaches and players braced themselves for Ruth’s ejection. However, the cool headed Pinelli replied, "Maybe so, Babe, but mine is the only opinion that counts."

(Source:https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/the-least-of-these-j-d-tutell-sermon-on-missions-165147)

In the same fashion, we must be personal with it. It isn’t enough to allow our reputation ride on the coattails of others. We must be invested in our own work. God demands it!

When we get personal with it, think of the relationships we build because of it. This is part of God’s plan!

Relationships are personal, and they are good for us.

It helps us to better empathize, love, and increases our joy.

It’s good for the church as well.

Think about all of the open doors to saving souls that can happen as a result of it.

Do You Want Eternal Life?

So I have a question for you: Do you want eternal life?

I hope the answer is an obvious and enthusiastic “yes!”

Many people want to know how we can have it. It is something that Christ gives us freely, but it does not come without any strings attatched.

Just as in any relationship there is give and take. We take the free gift of life because of the love of God.

We recognize the plan of Salvation:

Hear the truth and Good News of God, Believe in that truth and in Christ, Confess Christ, Repent of our Old Life, be baptized in the blood of Christ to be washed of your sins, and live a life that is pleasing to God ever vigilant to be faithful unto death.

Now that last one is a doozy isn’t it? It is the part where we look at what the Bible says and do it. It’s where we see the instructions of Christ and we faithfully execute them.

So when Christ says What the Kingdom of Heaven is like in the past two parables, should we not pay attention?

Does not each parable show the difference between those who are rewarded and punished?

Parable one, we studied two weeks ago: Those who were not ready with their lamps and oil were left outside, those who were were allowed to enter into the feast of their master! If you want eternal life: Be ready.

Parable two, we missed last week was that of the talents. Those who served the Lord with what they were given were rewarded. But the one who did nothing with what he was given was punished. Eternal life vs eternal damnation.

Now we see the two options here. Those who did not care for “The least of these” will go into everlasting punishment. They may have been faithful in many other things. Maybe they attended regularly. Maybe they had done all the proper rituals. And yet they will go into everlasting punishment because they did not do the things necessary to enter eternal life: which is what?

Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, help the stranger, clothe the nacked, care for the sick and lonely.

We should then be careful. Do we want eternal life? “Yes” then don’t live a life that will have Christ saying the same to you. “You did not do it to one of the least of these… therefore you did not do it to me.”

Let’s Be True Disciples

Instead, let us be true disciples of Christ. Living like He did.

Let us keep the commandments of our Lord. Doing our best to live like Him.

Let us be baptized for the remission of our sins so we can be in relationship with Him.

Let us reach out and use the talents, blessings, and so much that we have that God has given us to care for others.

Let us seek to invite other to hear this good news of eternal life!

Bring them clothes if they need it, food, water, company, and bring each of them the hope of the Gospel, and the Love of a Christian family that can be provided by all of us at Riggs.

INVITATION