Articles
Being On The Winning Team
Being On The Winning Team
Matthew 25:32-40 – All nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the (the people) from one another as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats; and He will cause the sheep to stand at His right hand, but the goats at His left. Then the King will say to those at His right hand, “Come, you blessed of My Father (you favored of God and appointed to eternal salvation), inherit (receive as your own) 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 something to drink, I was a stranger and you brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and lodged Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me.” Then the just and upright will answer Him, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcome and entertained You, or naked and clothed You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You?” And the King will reply to them, “Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least (in the estimation of men) of these My brethren, you did it for Me.”
In the passage of scripture above, Jesus considers an individual to be just and upright when they…1) Give food to the hungry, 2) Give drink to the thirsty, 3) Welcome, entertain, and lodge strangers, 4) Visit and administer care to the sick, 5) Give clothing to the naked, and 6) Visit those who are in prison. Since my arrival here to work and worship with the saints at Wildercroft, many of the Christians here have provided food and drink for my family and I, welcomed us, entertained us, lodged us, sent cards to my wife, called to check on my daughter as a result of her recent ailment, and have been kind to us beyond measure. For this I am thankful.
I am convinced if Jesus were to literally walk into the building today; we would jump up, jump to, jump over, and jump at the opportunity to do the same for the Savior. If Jesus was thirsty, we would not hesitate to give Him a drink. If Jesus was hungry, we would gladly feed Him. If the Lord needed a place to stay, we would make room for Christ and He would want for nothing. If our Savior was sick, we would visit Him at home or at the hospital and ask Him if he needed anything. If Jesus needed a suit, slacks, shirt, and/or tie, we would give Him the one we are wearing, so Immanuel would not go without. If the King of Glory were to find Himself in prison for whatever reason, we would visit Him, encourage Him, probably sit in the courtroom with Him, or protest outside for His release.
I know this to be true because I have seen with my own eyes what we will do for others. I have witnessed how calling each other has increased the attendance of Sunday morning. I have seen members feed people they did not even know. I have seen members greet visitors beyond a handshake. I have watched as a sister gave money to a visitor because she was in need. I have observed members provide transportation to Christians in need of a ride to and from worship. I am aware of members who use the bulletin as a tool to increase their faith by actually reading these articles and studying them, giving them to a visitor and/or friend as an evangelistic tool, or simply looking through the names on the prayer list in order to visit, call, and/or offer prayers on their behalf. I have been at the building working to discover I was not the only one here working; but an elder and his wife, up bright and early, straightening the building, cutting grass, and picking up trash outside, so the rest of us can have a place to assemble, worship God, and not be ashamed of its appearance.
Why all the “shout outs?” Why am I mentioning all of these things? Why quote Matthew 25:32-40? It sounds like we are already obeying this passage of scripture, so why bring it up? I bring this to our attention for a couple of reasons.
- We do not determine the standard for righteousness, God does. God was kind enough to outline specifically a few things in Matthew 25:32-40 of what we can do to serve Christ, put a smile on God’s face, brighten the day of some troubled soul, and help our cause in the process.
- Jesus’ words were not an admonition to elders, deacons, preachers, and their wives only. These are things we all can do, must do, and will do, IF we want to hear those words, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
- If we were to perform each of these acts just once a year, then each member is looking at performing a good deed once every two months. If we go by last week’s attendance (76), then Patsy Amos, Joe & Ann Harrison, & Jack Friend will receive a minimum of 76 visits in one calendar year. Do we know how up lifting this would be for them? However and unfortunately, this is not the case.
What about feeding the hungry? Sometimes, physical food is the gateway to one receiving spiritual food (John Chapter 6). What about showing kindness to a stranger (Hebrews 13:2)? What about visiting those in prison? Does not God also forgive the criminal? I have had the privilege to preach every week for a span of two years to the inmates of the Greenville Correctional Center in Jarrett, Virginia. Many of the men who were baptized as a result of this effort will never see the light of day, but now they walk the prison yard with joy in their hearts knowing God has forgiven them and heaven will be their home. Your one visit, your one phone call, your one act of kindness may be the very thing keeping someone from committing suicide, falling away, giving up on God, or making the worst mistake of their lives. I am well aware we are not saved by works (Ephesians 2:8-9), yet the good we do can and will be credited to us as righteous (Romans 4:19-25). Remember James 4:17 – So any person who knows what is right to do, but does not do it, to him it is sin.
Clearly, we cannot do everything by ourselves, but we can do something. The problem is many are not doing anything at all. I challenge every reader of this article to decide today whether they are going to be a part of the solution or a part of the problem. Jesus Himself equates doing good to others to being good to Him. Be a sheep lead by the good Shepherd today. The goats will never lose to the sheep. Therefore, get on the winning team, give God your best, and serve God to the best of your ability, for Together Everyone Achieves More!!!
