Caring for the Poor

True Charity

Introduction: We have defined the poor now we will discuss how we exercise true charity among the oppressed and the sluggards.

I. True Charity.
The only means of moving up and out of poverty, and fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives, is through diligent labor.

A. True Charity knows who will work and those who won’t.
2 Thessalonians 3:10 ESV For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

B. True Charity to the oppressed involves:

1. Loosening the bonds of wickedness Isaiah 58:6

2. Dividing bread with the hungry. Isaiah 58: 7

3. Transforming poverty into productivity.

C. True Charity to the sluggard, involves:

1. The compassionate and loving response to a sluggard is to warn him. admonition and reproof
2 Thessalonians 3:15 ESV Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
Proverbs 13:18 ESV Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored.

2. They are to, be warned:

a. Of the cost of immorality
Proverbs 5:8-13 ESV Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, 9 lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless, 10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner, 11 and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed, 12 and you say, "How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! 13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.

b. Of laziness
Proverbs 6:9-11 ESV How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
Proverbs 19:15 ESV Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.

c. Of deception and negligence Proverbs 10:3-4 ESV The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. 4 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.

d. Of selfishness
Proverbs 11:24 ESV One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.

e Of boastfulness
Proverbs 14:23 ESV In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.

f. Of drunkenness
Proverbs 21:17 ESV Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.

g. Of gluttony
Proverbs 23:21 ESV for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.

2. Charity to the sluggard is not make his life increasingly easier so he can abuse charity programs.

3. Charity to the sluggard must equip and enable him to, move beyond dependence and entitlement.

Subsidizing sluggards is the same as subsidizing evil. It is subsidizing dependence. It is ultimately subsidizing slavery – moral slavery first, and then physical slavery. On the other hand, refusing to care for the oppressed” is the same as endorsing evil. It is endorsing injustice. It is ultimately endorsing slavery – again, moral and physical.
George Grant page 55 "In The Shadow Of Plenty"

II. Implementing Care
According to Scripture, we are to show charity to both the oppressed and the sluggardly, but the charity we show will be different for each: relief to the oppressed, admonition to the sluggardly.

A. Paul’s teaching

2 Thessalonians 3:6-16 ESV Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

1. Those who were to gather around the Lord, to share of His gifts, to benefit from His compassion and mercy, were required to work if they could. If they refused, then they forfeited access to His charity.

2. It was that simple. It is still that simple.

3. We must not call evil good
and good evil.
Isaiah 5:20 ESV Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

B. The Christian obligation to the oppressed

1. Charity involves removing the bonds that hinder the oppressed, not simply to administer emergency relief.

2. Charity involves leading them on the road to recovery.
This is a "Good Samaritan" task.
Luke 11:33-35

3. Charity involves education, job training, family counseling, youth rehabilitation, and money managements well as soup kitchens, rescue missions, and public shelters.

4. Charity involves legislative advocacy that lifts restrictions in the market place, such as over expensive occupational licensing restrictions, over taxation, and minimum wage laws and “closed shop” union regulations.

5. Charity involves legal advocacy for civil rights and civil liberties.

C. The Christian obligation to the sluggard

1. Charity involves getting them back on their own two feet.
This, again is a "Good Samaritan" task.
Luke 11:33-35

2. Charity involves removing crippling “entitlement programs.”
(What a horrible word: it means that sluggards are legally entitled to the wealth of the thrifty.)

3. Charity involves honest, tough love. Accommodating sin benefits no one.

Conclusion: Let me ask you, whose ideology do we use helping the poor? Is it Biblical to render unceasing aid with no accountability? Have we not seen the rotten fruit of entitlement give away programs that are amoral and focus on materialism and not character?

We must use the Word of God to help us to distinguish our actions in helping those in need. It is not who we will help or not help, but how we will help. Righteousness does not involve doing good actions. Righteousness is about doing the right actions.

So how can we know what are the right actions? Ask our Father. If you believe He is wiser and smarter than us, you must believe that His way is better than our way. Let's follow God's way!