SERMON OUTLINE:
A Different Attitude (14:21)
A Different Awareness (14:31)
A Different Relationship (19:6)
A Different Borrower (19:17)
A Different Response (21:13)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• Les Misérables was written in 1862 by Victor Hugo,
• It is one of the great novels of the 19th century.
• It has been made into a movie (at least 10 times).
• As well as being turned into an international musical sensation,
One of the overarching themes in the book/film/musical is grace.
• Jean Valjean, the main character,
• Has been released from a long jail sentence,
• But as an ex-prisoner he cannot find employment.
• Therefore, he is hungry and tired, and in a desperate state,
• He encounters a priest who lavishes on him kindness and good food.
• But one night when the priest is sleeping,
• Valjean steals silver from the church and flees.
• He is caught by the police.
• And taken back to the priest to press charges against him.
• But surprisingly, the priest says the silver was a gift to the criminal.
• And by doing so he keeps him from going back to prison.
• The priest then challenges Valjean to use this opportunity for good.
• It is an act of grace by the priest.
• Because the convict did not deserve such an opportunity!
• TRANSITION:
• Every Christian is saved by grace through faith.
• We did not deserve it and could never have earnt it!
• Salvation is a gift form a generous God.
• The beautiful thing about grace is it is very, very fragile,
• By that I mean the moment you try adding anything to grace it simply evaporates,
• It is no longer grace!
• Grace is a free gift from a loving God,
• It is undeserved and cannot be earnt.
• If you looked in your mail today and found a free gift waiting for you,
• It wouldn’t really be free.
• Because you know that someone else paid for it at some point.
• The same is true of God’s grace.
• It’s totally and completely free to you—but Jesus Christ paid for it.
• “Not with silver or gold but with his precious blood” (1 Peter chapter 1 verses 18-25)
Another ‘G’ word associated with the God of the Bible is, ‘generosity’.
• The generosity of God is a profound aspect of His nature,
• We see that illustrated in at least three ways.
e.g. #1: Spiritual Blessings (Ephesians chapter 1 verse 3),
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING in Christ.”
e.g. #2: Lavished Grace (Ephesians chapter 1 verses 7-8),
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace THAT HE LAVISHED ON US. With all wisdom and understanding.”
e.g. #3: Creation.
• God’s generosity is evident in creation.
• He made billions of galaxies, stars, and diverse species of plants and animals.
• His creativity and abundance reflect his EXTRAVAGANT nature.
• TRANSITION:
• Part of following the generous God of the Bible,
• Is to show generosity to others with our time, our possessions, and our money!
• This has always been a Christian trait.
• Quote: Christian History magazine (1998 article) Rodney Stark said:
"In a world lacking social services, Christians were their brothers' keepers.
At the end of the second century AD, Tertullian wrote that while pagan temples spend their donations "on feasts and drinking bouts," Christians spent theirs "to support and bury poor people, to supply the wants of boys and girls destitute of means and parents, and of old persons confined to the house."
These claims concerning Christian charity were confirmed by pagans as well.
The pagan Emperor Julian complained,
"The impious Galileans (Christians) support not only their poor, but ours as well."
Question:
• How many people live in slums, well hold on let’s limit the question.
• How many people live in the five biggest slums in the world?
Answer:
• 500,000 people – wrong!
• 1 million people – wrong!
• 2.5 million people – wrong!
• In the world’s five biggest slums,
• Contain 5.7 million people!
• The biggest slum in the world is in Pakistan,
• Orangi Town in Karachi (two million four hundred thousand people live).
• That is twice the size of Birmingham (England’s second largest city).
Now, if you shrink the radius from world to the UK.
• According to the experts,
• 12 million people in the UK live in poverty.
And if you shrink the radius again from the UK to within 10 miles of this Church.
• There are people living in poverty.
• Waypoint Hub food bank.
• Fareham & Gosport have a food bank.
• Southampton City Mission operate a food bank.
• Salvation Army operate a food bank.
• TRANSITION:
• These are just a few of the local charities helping to meet a need.
• So, on a world scale or a local scale we see a need to be generous!
• God has blessed us, and we should bless others (and I know many here do).
• We all they know the idiom of, ‘the carrot and the stick.’
• The motivational tactic that uses a reward and punishment,
• To encourage improved performance or behaviour.
• I am glad that I do not need to beat you with a stick this morning.
• But rather I can continue to dangle the carrot.
• Because many of you individually & as a Church,
• Are involved in helping those in need both in the UK and abroad.
• So, this morning I want to encourage you to keep doing it!
• When it comes to the poor, those in need,
• Christians should have a different attitude.
Proverbs Lesson #1: A Different Attitude - chapter 14 verse 21,
“It is a sin to despise one’s neighbour, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.”
Quote:
“if you take a Bible text out of its context you are left with a con!”
• That is a general principle you should apply when studying the Bible.
• Otherwise, you can make the Bible say anything.
• e.g. The Bible says, “There is no God.” (Psalm 14 verse 1).
• But the context, the full verse says,
• “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.””
• The book of Proverbs can be the exception to that rule,
• Many of the individual statements in the book of Proverbs,
• Are often meant to stand alone.
• But that does not mean context never applies.
• And with this verse context brings clarity and insight to the verse.
• With this verse, I think the neighbour being mentioned,
• Is the same neighbour mentioned in the previous verse (# 20).
“The poor are shunned even by their neighbours,
but the rich have many friends.
It is a sin to despise one’s neighbour,
but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.”
Put those two verses together and we get a clearer understanding.
• Verse 20: is an observation,
• While verse 21 is the lesson, we should draw from it.
• The lesson is simple, the one being instructed is told not to favour the rich,
• While mistreating those who are poor.
Ill:
• Almost five decades since the comedy classic hit our TV screens,
• A new stage show of Fawlty Towers is now premiering in the West End
• DVD Illustration: Fawlty Towers: Basil Fawlty Meeting Lord Melbury.
• Context Basil moaning about ‘riff raff’ guests and how he wants a better cliental.
• Download Video Link (length 2mins): https://youtu.be/iLZ8VeoX95E
• TRANSITION: Basil has a change of attitude when he realises who his guest is.
• Spoilers alter, the toff ids a fake anyway and rips him off.
• The lesson is simple, the one being instructed is told not to favour the rich,
• While mistreating those who are poor.
• Both pride and stinginess are part of the sin depicted here,
• Pride because the person feels superior to the poor person.
• Stinginess because the person has shunned, ignored, overlooked the person in need.
• Don’t miss the flip side of the verse,
• The Lord pronounces a blessing on those who show generosity to the poor.
Proverbs Lesson #2: A Different Awareness - chapter 14 verse 31,
“Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honours God.”
Ill:
• 224 has been a record year for the planet’s billionaires.
• There are now more billionaires than ever: 2,781 in all,
• That’s 141 more than last year and 26 more than the record set in 2021.
• Mark Zuckerberg – Facebook is only 4th richest man.
• Jeff Bezos – Amazon – is only 3rd richest man.
• Elon Musk – Telsa/X/other companies – is only 2nd richest man.
• Bernard Arnault - LVMH empire of 75 fashion and cosmetics brands- #1.
• TRANSITION: Solomon in his day would have topped the lot!
• He was extremely rich.
• Quote: 1 Kings chapter 10 verse 23 tells us,
• “King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.”
• Yet once again Solomon champions the cause of the poor.
• And brings them to our attention.
NIV:
“Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honours God.”
GNB:
“If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship.”
Note:
• In the Hebrew text, the words used for the poor and needy,
• Refer to people who are inextricably stricken with poverty.
• In other words, they cannot be blamed for the situation they find themselves in.
• It is not their fault.
• Various reasons and circumstances outside their control has made them poor & needy.
• So, says Solomon, do not to distresses the poor by adding to their misery.
• To do so is to sin.
• And this behaviour and attitude is an "insult" to God.
• Because as Christians we believe all people are made in the image of God.
• Therefore, to oppress and despise the poor is to despise their Maker,
• The one in whose image they are made.
By way of contrast, as we show kindness to the poor & needy.
• We are honouring, we are worshipping God.
• That is, we align our will to God’s will.”
• God is merciful and gracious and so should his people be merciful too.
Ill:
• Jesus taught this in his sermons.
• e.g. Matthew chapter 10 verse 42
“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward."
• I like the wording here, “Cold water,”
• Water would meet the need, but cold water took more effort,
• For you had to draw from the bottom of the well not the surface.
• I also like the fact that anyone, rich or even the poorest person,
• Could help someone out with a cup of water,
• Water was free, it just took the desire to meet someone’s needs.
Proverbs Lesson #3: A Different Relationship - chapter 19 verse 6,
“Many curry favour with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.”
Ill:
• We all love to name drop.
• We all love to meet someone famous.
• I recently sat behind Paul Whitehouse in a theatre,
• (from Mortimer & Whitehouse/Fast Show fame).
• And yes, he spoke to me, He said, “Get out of the way!”
• Of course not! But I did meet him.
• But Facebook and Social Media is full of selfies with celebrities,
• We like to be linked to the rich and famous, even if it is just for a photo.
Ill:
In fact, here a few of my celeb pics (joke photoshop pics)
This proverb tells us to enjoy a different type of relationship.
• There are advantages in having the favour of influential people.
• Every person is a friend to the one who gives gifts.
• But that can lead to friendship based on selfish motives.
• We end up taking and taking and never giving,
Ill:
Jesus taught a better way in Luke chapter 14 verses :12-14.
“Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbours; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”!
The guest who invited Jesus only invited him to show off to his friends.
• Jesus was the new celebrity on the block,
• This man wanted to impress his friends and towns people,
• By having Jesus as a guest in his home.
• There was no desire for real friendship in the encounter,
• Jesus knew why he had been invited and used that to teach a lesson.
Jesus told him to not do, like-for-like but something far better.
• Ask people along to the meal who could never repay the host.
• In a similar manner.
• There is something wonderful in giving a gift that can never be repaid.
• Jesus spoke of that when He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
• (Acts chapter 20 verse 35).
• Jesus went on to say,
• You shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just:
• This kind of living will cost us something.
• But one day God will reward us.
• Jesus shows how important it is to live with an eternal perspective.
Proverbs Lesson #4: A Different Borrower - chapter 19 verse 17,
“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.”
Ill:
• I wonder who over the years you have lent money to.
• I would guess family members, maybe a good friend, maybe a business investment.
• Because money is a valuable commodity and not easy to acquire,
• We are very discerning when it comes to lending our hard earnt pennies.
• TRANSITION: Imagine being able to lend money to God!
• That is the idea in this proverb.
• And a person who helps the needy does God's will as well as God's work.
Ill:
Jesus said (Matthew chapter 5 verse 16).
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds.
and glorify your Father in heaven.”
• When we are kind to the poor,
• They are blessed and God is glorified!
I love the idea of lending to the God who has everything and needs nothing!
• We are not actually lending to God, think of it as an investment.
• The implication of the term "lend”.
• Simply suggests that God will repay those who are generous.
• That may not be with earthly wealth, like for like,
• But rather spiritual blessing.
Again, we are reminded of Jesus’ words (Matthew chapter 25 verse 40).
• When speaking about the final judgment, and those who provided for the poor,
• He says,
NIV:
"Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."
GNB:
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!’”
Proverbs Lesson #5: A Different Response - chapter 21 verse 13
“Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered.”
Ill:
• A wife told her husband to get his hearing checked out,
• And so he went along to a specialist,
• The audiologist pulled out a gold watch and asked.
• "Can you hear this ticking?"
• "Of course," came the reply.
• The audiologist then walked to the door and asked the question again.
• "Can you hear this ticking?"
• " Yes, I can hear it clearly.", he answered.
• The audiologist then walked into the next room and repeated the question a third time.
• A third time the husband said he could hear the ticking.
• The audiologist concluded,
• "There is nothing wrong with your hearing. You just don't listen."
• TRANSTION:
• Many of us have a similar problem when it comes to the poor.
We know that some poverty is caused by bad conduct,
• e.g. addicted to gambling, or addicted to drugs and alcohol etc.
• Behind everyone we see in a shop doorway,
• Often there is a very sad story that goes alongside them.
Other people are caught up in a poverty trap.
• A poverty trap is created,
• When an economic system requires a significant amount of capital to escape poverty.
• When individuals lack this capital, they may also find it difficult to acquire it,
• Creating a self-reinforcing cycle of poverty.
Sadly, this is particularly true in third world countries.
• When a person isn’t able to feed themselves or house their family,
• If they can’t access clean water or a decent job,
• Or when kids have no choice but to drop out of school or get married at an early age.
• All because they’re living in poverty,
• And it is a trap that holds them fast!
God cares about the poor and He commands us to have compassion towards them.
• To ignore the cry of the poor,
• Means you too may cry out to God and not be heard.
• We might say, “We will reap what we have sown.”
• This proverb says,
• It will be measured to us as we have measured to others.
• If we are silent to those in need,
• God may arrange it so we will not be heard in our time of need.
• The words are quite plain; there is no difficulty here.
And finally:
• The book of Proverbs does not condemn people for being wealthy,
• At times it even says this is a sign of God’s blessing.
• But the book of Proverbs challenges all of us who have money, possessions etc,
• To use them for the blessing of others and for the glory of God.
Ill:
A man once prayed this prayer…
“Dear Lord,
I have been re-reading the record of the Rich Young Ruler and his obviously wrong choice. But it has set me thinking.
No matter how much wealth he had, he could not—
ride in a car, have any surgery, turn on a light, buy penicillin, hear a pipe organ, watch TV, wash dishes in running water, type a letter, mow a lawn, fly in an airplane, sleep on an innerspring mattress, or talk on the phone,
If he was rich, then what am I?
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=xtzFKI1lbzRtjWCXNmtJCpzVBTv5uLyE
SERMON VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/bWmSGm8590A
