There’s always a lot going on in the life of a healthy church and of a healthy believer- I mean, reaching a community & discipling believers is a big (and important) job & we’re the only ones called to do it. But among all of the ministries & activities to be a part of, there is one that appears especially important to God, which is ministry to the poor & those in need.
In the community our church is planted in (Pittsburgh’s South Side), there is a signficant & diverse homeless population; anyone that visit’s the communities main street after 8pm is sure to find homeless that range from 16-60 years old, from mentally stable to mentally ill, from those strongly bound by a variety of substances to just “out of luck.” Twice a month on Friday nights you will also find a crew of young people from our church spending time in conversation with the homeless, providing them with supplies to meet their basic needs, and speaking the truth of God’s love & power to redeem their lives and break their addictions. Since beginnig LSC’s homeless ministry over a year ago, we’ve seen individuals get off the streets and find housing, employment, and genuingly make Jesus the Lord of their lives.
Despite how exciting seeing life-change is, many believers find homeless ministry downright scarey while others just find it unappealing and it keeps them far away. I’ll cut to the chase, neither of these attitudes would Jesus tolerate as an excuse from anyone who calls themself His follower. And despite all of the excitement of seeing life-change take place, there are many other reasons that ministering to the homeless and poor should be a regular priority in the life of all believers; in fact, here’s 4!
Reason #1) Because we Love God:
“He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker; but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” - Proverbs 14:31
“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need and has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” 1 John 3:17
Plain and simple: Because we care about God, we should care about what He cares about- and He cares about the needy; He values them. How do we know He values them? Because He gave His son for them; as Christians we understand the precious value of Jesus’ blood and the fact that His blood was poured out for these people should automatically help us understand the value He places on them. Regardless of whether we feel a specific burden for the homeless or not, they should be a visible priority to us because they are a priority to Him.
Reason #2) Because it’s Uncomfortable:
Regardless of how much money we make, we live in a culture of affluence and despite our best efforts, we are too easily entangled in a life of comfort & too often sport our rose colored glasses- ignoring what is happening in our own communities. In studying the life of NT believers, nothing about their lives looked like they stayed in their comfort zone and were content to huddle together in their meeting places just being happy that they were saved. No! They were constantly being stretched, challenged, uncomfortable- pushed to live lives of faith. Affluence is has been quite the blessing to the Church but also quite the curse. American believers often do not live lives of GREAT FAITH because we don’t HAVE to- we have so many other places to run to besides God; many believe this is why such great miracles & moves of God are being seen in other countries across the world and not so in America (although I believe that is beginning to change!). Taking part in homeless ministry provides a PRIME opportunity to develop those spiritual faith muscles that are needed not just to minister to others but in our own relationships with Christ as well. It is so unbelieveably healthy for us to take time out to forget about ourselves, our problems, our wants, our stresses and to just focus on someone else. We need to be uncomfortable because that’s the enviornment where growth occurs.
Reason #3: The Spiritual Realm is in Your Face:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places.” -Ephesians 6:12
As believers we know that there is more at work in the world and in the lives of people than just what we see taking place with our physical eyes. The enemy of our souls (the devil) is very real and many are heavily influced and bound by him, and the homeless are certainly no exception. There is probably no other time that I can see what is taking place in the spiritual realm then during a homeless outreach- it’s just in your face. This may scare some, but it’s actually incredibly exciting to be able to pray for someone who is so bound by something and believe that they will be free in Jesus name! Does a prayer/life like this not sound like the same Christianity you follow? Check out what Jesus himself says was His (and is our) purpose here on Earth:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and has anointed me to preach the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor!” – Luke 4:18-20
If we’re going to be honest, this is the kind of life any believer wants to live, right? It’s just that it seems easier to live as if this amazing life of breaking bondages and bringing freedom doesn’t exist so that we don’t have to step out into the scary world of faith but nobody really wants to live like that- right? Saying that we believe that all of this is possible but never seeing it for ourselves? If you’re ready for this to become a part of your life, homeless ministry is for you.
Reason #4) Because it’s YOUR Purpose:
The term Christian means “little Christs”- meaning people should be able to look at our lives and say- “Wow! Based on how the live, love, what’s imporatnt to them, and the power coming from their lives, they are like little Christs!” The verse listed above is all the reason any of us should need; it shows that preaching the gospel and ministering to those in need isn’t a calling for some, it’s a commission for all. If making disciples and preaching the good news is our purpose than our lives should be FILLED with examples of how we’re doing just that.
Friends, belive me, I know it is a fight to keep things such as these a priority in our lives when so many other things, even good things, are fighting for our attention, but we’ve got to be committed to following Jesus’ example and keep “the main thing, the main thing.” Even if you can’t be at every outreach your church does towards the poor or homeless, commit to going 3 or 4 times a year- it’s about knowing that this responsibility and privilege belongs to all believers- not just some. Personally, I’m looking forward to the day when I see our Savior face to face and our interaction mirroring something like this…
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” – Matthew 25:37-40
*For information on upcoming LifeStone Church Homeless Outreaches, check out LifeStone Church’s facebook page or visit www.lifestonechurch.com
