Main Idea || For our faith to be irresistible, Christians must demonstrate active concern for our “least of these” neighbors — an inseparable aspect of a true faith. Why have so many of us turned our back on the hurting, hungry and homeless? 1. Overwhelming need. 2. Messy circumstances. 3. Dismissive attitudes. Jesus describes an essential sign of living faith: love for “the least” of your neighbors. Matthew 7:21–22 (NLT) 21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’. Matthew 25:41–46 (NLT) 41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ 44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ 45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ 46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” James 2:14–17 (NLT) 14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? 17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. James 1:27 (NLT) 27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. 1 John 3:17–18 (NLT) 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? 18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Jesus filled his & with the hurting, hungry & homeless. Luke 4:16–21 (NLT) 16 When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” 20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” Luke 14:21-24 2 Samuel 9:13 How can I demonstrate a more true and active faith? Eagerly choose openhandedness. “Don’t let the world leave its dirty smudge on you. The world is always assessing people, sizing them up, putting them down, establishing a pecking order. And God, who sees and loves all alike, wants the church to reflect [his] generous, universal love in how it behaves.” ~ Bishop N. T. Wright CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION: 1.The early Christians who “shared their homes, their tables, their time, and their material wealth liberally, in such a way that no one claimed his possessions were his own.” a. What do we have to learn from these Christians in Acts? b. What could that look like today? 2. Some factors that might hold us back from unexplainable, eager generosity, including feeling overwhelmed, wanting to avoid the “messiness” of things like homelessness and mental illness, politics, etc. a. How have you seen these factors at play in your own life and in your community? 3. Many people build their lives on a religious behaviors and sound doctrine but lack an essential sign of God’s transformation – loving their neighbors and those Jesus called “the least of these.” Reflect upon this in your own life and the life of your church community. a. Are there any changes you could make?