“PREACHING TO THE POOR”
By
Jerry Falwell
A. INTRODUCTION
Most of you, who are middle class in America, don’t actually see many poor people in an average day, except on television. Most American church members are white . . . middle-class . . . well dressed . . . well fed . . . and have beautiful homes. But what about the poor? What does Jesus tell us to do for the poor?
Preaching to the poor was important to Jesus. Listen to how important it was to Jesus to preach to the poor. When John the Baptist was put in prison, he became discouraged and believed that Jesus was not the Messiah. He sent a messenger to ask Jesus, “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3). John the Baptist expected a Messiah who was a political Deliverer, one who would drive the Romans into the sea. No wonder John the Baptist doubted, he was imprisoned by the Romans, the very ones he expected Jesus to drive into the sea.
Notice Jesus’ answer . . . “The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them” (Matthew 11:5).
Surely, the miracles of Jesus were signs enough to demonstrate that He was Messiah, but Jesus added the phrase, “The poor had the Gospel preached to them.” Why is preaching the Gospel to the poor important?
There’s a little known fact about John Wesley I want to share with you. Wesley claimed a church was not a New Testament until it carried out the admonition of Jesus, “The poor have the Gospel preached to them.” Jesus said more than once, “Preach the gospel to the poor.” Why? Because we are supposed to preach the Gospel to them.
The great revivals of John Wesley and the beginning of the Methodist church were primarily among the poor. When Wesley began preaching in the field to coal miners, he could see the “streams of mercy” which were the tears flowing from their eyes down coal-blackened faces. When the rich would not respond to Wesley, the poor heard him gladly.
B. SEVEN THINGS THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE POOR
1. Don’t despise the poor.
This command occurs early in Scripture, “Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor” (Leviticus 19:15). The Living Bible says about this verse, “Not noticing whether a person is poor or rich.” This verse continues, “Nor honor the person of the Mighty.” This means three things about the poor:
a. Don’t look down upon the poor, and despise them.
b. Don’t take advantage of them financially or otherwise.
c. Don’t turn your back to helping them.
2. There will always be poor people.
We have done much in America to eliminate poverty. While I didn’t like many other liberal tendencies of President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society program, I did commend his endeavors to get rid of poverty and raise the living standard of the poor. As much as America has done for the poor, there will always be poor people. The Scriptures remind us, “The poor shall never cease from the land” (Deut. 15:11). Even God understood in the best of economies, where the Jews lived by the Word of God; there would always be poor people. Even Jesus knew those facts when He said, “For ye have the poor always with you” (Matthew 26:11).
3. God blesses those who look after the poor.
The Bible teaches, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble” (Psalm 41:1).
One of the conditions to having your prayers answered is that, “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord” (Proverbs. 19:17).
Since the fatherless and widows were usually considered the poor, James said, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).
Since there will always be poor and there will always be great needs, God opens up His heart to the needy people. In Psalm 112:9 it says that God “He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor.” The Living Bible says “they that give generously to those who need. Their good deeds will never be forgotten” (Psalm 112:9 LB).
Elmer Towns writes in his book, The Ten Greatest Revivals Ever that during the early 70s, there was a revival among Independent Baptist churches in America. Dr. Towns describes the revivals in our churches that focused on the bus ministry. Dr. Towns goes on to define revival as, “God pouring His Spirit out on His people.”
I agree with Dr. Towns, in the early 70s the Independent Baptists had the Shekinah-Glory cloud upon them, and God poured his blessing out on Independent Baptists because they carried out the Great Commission through the bus ministry. I believe that’s one of the reasons God put His hand upon Thomas Road Baptist Church. We had over 100 buses and faithful laymen who got up on cold, windy snowy days to crank up old buses and drive all over Central Virginia to pick up children and bring them to this church. Most of these children were poor—very poor—and they came from needy homes where parents were poor. They came from shacks, trailers, or inner city homes. Now there’s no disgrace in being poor, but in many of these homes of busing children, their fathers spent much of their time and money on drinking and their children were neglected.
Many of our bus workers had to go in the homes, dress the children, feed them and bring them to church. Here children were taught the Word of God and led to Jesus Christ to get a new lease on life.
God looked down from Heaven and saw the faithful bus workers, giving up their Saturdays to visit in the homes of these children, getting up early Sunday morning to round up these children, sacrificing their time with their family and their money and their energies to reach poor children.
I think of Mark Grooms, who used to be one of our bus workers. Today Mark pastors the large Thomas Terrace Baptist Church a few miles from here, a church that is now running 500. As a high school student he drove a bus over the Blue Ridge Mountains into Buena Vista, Virginia, every Sunday morning. He left every Sunday morning at 6:00 AM, taking him almost an hour and a half to drive our old bus over the mountains. He spent an hour picking up children, and driving back over the Blue Ridge Mountains and got back here at 10 AM. After the children had Sunday school and church, Mark Grooms rounded up his children into the bus and drove them back over the Blue Ridge Mountains to their homes. By the time he got back to the church, it was 4 or 5:00 on Sunday evening. When a high school boy spends all day Sunday rounding up poor children, it shows his heart is in the right place. That’s why God is blessing Pastor Mark Grooms today. And because of the dedication of Mark Grooms and hundreds of others like him, God sent revival to Thomas Road Baptist Church and many other churches like us. Why? Because God has a heart for the poor. God looked down from Heaven and saw the neglected little children getting saved. God knew we were not doing it for money, respect or to be accepted by the established Church. We did it to obey the Great Commission.
4. We should give to the poor.
Paul mentions in Galatians 2:10, “That we should remember the poor.” Again, Proverbs mentions that “we should have mercy on the poor, he who has mercy on the poor, happy [is] he” (Proverbs 14:21). Again Proverbs says, “Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard” (Proverbs 21:13). Proverbs 22:9 speaks about the man that shall be blessed because “he giveth of his bread to the poor.”
5. People generally look down upon the poor.
The Proverbs note, “The poor is hated even of his own” (Proverbs 14:23). This means even poor people look down on other poor. The Book of Proverbs mentions that often people oppress the poor, hate the poor, “stoppeth up their ears to the cries of the poor,” oppress the poor, steal from the poor, and deceive the poor. All of these are described as a general reaction to the poor.
It’s very easy to get into your beautiful car, your clean clothes and with money in the bank, then drive by the poor and look down your nose at them, or look the other way. Sometimes we think that to be poor is to be lazy. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes the poor don’t have the opportunity like you have to make money, they don’t have family like you have to train them to do right. If it’s true, “it’s not what you know, but whom you know,” the poor don’t know the rich, and even then they don’t have an opportunity to get the education that we have gotten. Usually, no one looks out for the poor but God and His people. Those who obey God, “preach the Gospel to the poor.”
6. Never segregate the poor in church.
James tells us it is a sin to give preference to the rich. He tells us, “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons” (James 2:1). Some preachers have done this. They have reserved the best places for the rich, and they put the poor in the balcony where they used to put the slaves. In colonial America, they put the poor in the balcony when the rich used to buy their pews. But that is wrong!
“For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?” (James 2:2-4).
7. The poor can have great faith.
Oftentimes, poor people who do not put their trust in money and things, put their trust in God. It is possible for a poor person to have deeper faith in the Lord Jesus than a rich person. James noted, “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” (James 2:5). Apparently the poor have great faith.
Remember the widow who quietly put her mite into the offering about the time rich people were making a great show of giving to God? Jesus commended the woman not for giving a small offering, but because she gave everything to God. “And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her poverty hath cast in all the living that she had” (Luke 21:3-4).
What did Jesus mean when He said, “Blessed [are] the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3)? Perhaps Jesus was describing that the attitude of the poor is the attitude we must have if we are going to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And what is that attitude?
a. Humility. God loves humble people and pride is one of the seven deadly sins. The poor are usually humble.
b. Grateful. God loves people who are grateful for what they get in life. That describes the poor. So, God loves those who are grateful for salvation.
c. Submissive. The poor knows they must be submissive to get anything. God loves people who are submissive to Him.
Therefore, the poor know that there are certain attitudes they must have to get ahead in life. Those are the same attitudes a person must perfect when he comes to God.
C. WHO ARE THE POOR?
1. Money poor.
Some people are poor because they don’t have enough money to buy the basic needs of life, i.e., food, clothing, and shelter. Notice what Isaiah said we are to do for them:
“I want you to share your food with the hungry and welcome poor wanderers into your homes. Give clothes to those that need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help” (Isaiah 58:7, LB).
Synonyms for poor is poverty, or pauper.
2. Unable to help themselves.
Some poor people are not educated enough to help themselves, not trained enough to help themselves, and cannot take care of their needs. Hence, they end up being poor.
Also, people who cannot help themselves because they are addicted to drugs, addicted to alcohol or have some other habits so they can’t take control of their life; they can’t be a productive citizen. Hence, they are poor.
Synonym: little, less than adequate, barren or unproductive.
3. Small in worth.
Sometimes we describe certain people as “poor singers” or “poor farmers.” These people are poor at what they do in life. Therefore we say, that their production is inferior in quality or quantity; they are not worth as much in value.
Let me summarize the three things I just said. Some are financially poor, some are inadequate or unproductive, some are poor in what they do. The bottom line—no matter why they are poor, we must help them.
4. God looks after the poor.
Why is God so concerned about the poor? Because in all three illustrations, or definitions, God looks after those who can’t look after themselves. Because the poor cannot look after themselves financially, God looks after them. And if you look after the poor, you are a friend of God’s.
God looks after those who can’t do a good job in life, they are inferior for any number of reasons. Why does God look after these poor? Because people’s good works—no matter how good—can never measure up in God’s sight. Therefore, all of us are poor when it comes to good works. None of us measure up to His standards. And God looks on all of us to save us when we quit trying to impress Him with our good works. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:89).
D. WHAT TO DO WITH THIS SERMON?
1. Give to the church ministry that cares for the poor.
One of the reasons I believe God has blessed Thomas Road Baptist Church, Liberty University and the Old Time Gospel Hour over the years is our commitment to the poor. We have given without thought of a return. Because we have given to the poor of this world, I believe God has blessed us. Let’s quickly review some of the things that He has done.
a. In 1977, we sent $100,000 to the relief of the famine in Haiti. We gave to the poor starving of that impoverished nation.
b. In 1978-79, we sent $100,000 to the refugees in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Our Liberty young people and church leaders preached in every refugee camp in Thailand, distributing meat, blankets, Bibles, and a Christmas toy to children. Why give Christmas toys? It cost us a penny a child to bring some hope and joy to a child. Don’t criticize, I’d buy hope for a child coming out of a war zone for a penny every chance I’d get.
c. We purchased a destroyer from the Australian Navy, paid for a crew, then sailed up and down the South China Sea, our young people caring for the poor boat people from Vietnam in 1978. Dr. Towns was one of those who wrote the story and took the pictures. We took care of those who could not take care of themselves. And we didn’t get a penny in return. All we did was give in the name of Jesus.
d. We have sent out hundreds of Sunday school buses in Central Virginia to pick up poor children and bring them to Sunday school to tell them about Jesus.
e. Elim Home has been in the ministry for 33 years, helping alcoholics find freedom in Jesus Christ. We are helping those who can’t help themselves.
f. We have provided a home, schooling, professional guidance, and hospital facilities for young, pregnant girls to have their babies, and then should they choose; through Family Life Services, we have provided an adoption service to place the baby into loving hands.
g. In 1982-83, Thomas Road Baptist Church provided a hot meal, clothing and canned food for the poor of Central Virginia. It’s a ministry that is carried on today by the Salvation Army.
h. Gifts for our ministry. When I ask for gifts for the poor of this world, this money does not go to Thomas Road Baptist Church, but you simply help us minister to the poor.
2. Open your heart to the poor.
I don’t think Thomas Road Baptist Church is a perfect church, but I think we try hard to be everything Christ would have us to be. We have many poor in this church and I think they are just as comfortable as the rich. When people come to me to talk with me after the morning service, I try to spend as much time talking with the poor as with the millionaire. Thomas Road includes the upper class and the lower class, but there are always, i.e., Anglo-Saxon, Korean, African-American and a number of Asian and other minorities. We are a melting pot of races, and we have “integrated” because it is biblically correct. As we attempt to carry out the Great Commission by carrying the Gospel to every nation, we automatically integrate all ethnic groups, all classes, everyone.
3. Give personally to poor people.
As we think as America as a rich nation, there are poor people in this town, just like every town in America. I haven’t seen beggars in Lynchburg, but I have seen them in other towns. What should you do when a beggar approaches you? Let me suggest you do what one of my staff members does.
a. Immediately prays silently for that person.
b. Gives them some money in the name of Christ. (I know that some beggars spend this money on drugs and alcohol, but not all). My staff member says, “If I give it in the name of Christ, I am no longer responsible for how they spend it. It is between God and them.”
c. He then asks the person, “Will you receive this money in the name of Christ?” If the poor will receive it in the name of Christ, and then spend it on alcohol or drugs, the issue is then between them and God. It is no longer an issue of you giving them money that they will spend foolishly.
4. Take care of poor family and relatives.
A number of us have someone in our family that is needy. We should especially give to needy members of our family, rather than letting them suffer.
5. Share the Gospel with the poor.
Because the poor are open, they are especially responsive when you share the Gospel with them. So, let them know about Jesus Christ who can bless their life.
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God. Contact us and ask for a copy of The How To Book or use The How To Book Online (Falwell.com). It is a booklet that will answer many of the questions you are sure to have about living the Christian life. And when you contact us, tell us about your salvation experience so that we can rejoice with you.
