Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

The early Church & “the least of these”.

After Pentecost

b.

They created community, where everyone shared all things.

No one was in need.

c.

The early church practiced care in a way that we today could not fathom.

d.

This trend continued in Acts.

e.

This is very counter cultural today.

Yet throughout scripture we see this theme of caring for the poor.

The Discipline of Being with the “Least of These”

1. Being with “the least of these” was a discipline practiced in the church for centuries!

a.

This discipline was fundamental to shaping the early church for mission.

b.

The church was known for this.

They would walk the streets tending to and being with the poor.

c.

The church was known for their care for the poor, they were known for taking the poor in and helping them with food shelter, clothing.

d.

In the early churches history the church believed they were encountering the presence of the living Christ in the poor.

It drove their existence.

e.

They even organized systems on how to deal with making sure everyone’s needs were met.

f.

This passion for the “least of these’ have become important again in the church with some.

However, I am not sure we get what scripture is actually showing us.

Lets look at an important passage in scripture that gives us a view of the importance of this discipline.

Jesus is speaking with his disciples teaching them about the last days and the judgment of the nations.

So How Do We Care for the Poor?

There are two options: The first is how we do it already and the second is how scripture says we should do it.

A Project

Lets Get Organized and Mobilize People

Our world loves to organize systems, it’s how we employ power efficiently, how we get things done.

In our world if we want to care for the poor we think we need to create a project and manage it.

Early years at the homeless shelter.

We had systems, how to feed, how to check clients in, how to do bed checks, rules to follow.

Essentially most homeless programs are run like prison.

The people we were caring for became a project.

How we care for the poor separates society.

We tend to separate society into classes, and we like to keep it that way.

This takes a lot of effort and resources, and ends up making us all feel better for about a week.

Then we look for the next project.

I would argue that this approach continues to separate society, and actually disempowers people, doing very little in terms of real justice.

Have you ever noticed things stay the same, and even worse I fear that the power structures at fault for the problems become stronger than they were before.

Making People into Projects is the Most Common Way to Serve the Poor Today.

And it Doesn’t Change a Thing!

The Second Option, which is the option scripture gives.

People Not Projects

Changes at the shelter.

We ate with our clients.

We implemented ways to help that involved the person being empowered to make decisions and take responsibility.

We got rid of the big tables and got smaller round tables to created a community feeling.

Staff could go out for coffee with clients, and spend time pouring into their lives.

The “Be With” Factor

Irish Tony and the “Be With’ Factor.

We Need to Remove the Table, the Barrier and just “Be With” People!

Being with the least of these is not a project, or a program.

It’s a way of life.

If the church would return back to it’s roots of having everything in common the presence of Jesus would be present in our relationships.

What Jesus Was Actually Saying in Matthew 25

Notice in the story, the people who were being rewarded for feeding Jesus when he was hungry, for supplying him with water when he was thirsty, for being welcoming, for clothing him, and caring for him when he was sick, for visiting him when he was in prison.

Notice there answer.

When did we do these things?

They didn’t even notice they were doing it!!

Also Notice the Ones Who Didn’t Help.

They didn’t notice either!

Big Idea: Being with the “least of these” is a core discipline of the church.

We accomplish this discipline by being “with people”.

Seeing them as equal to ourselves, and inviting them into our world.