Be Wise when helping the poor || Offerings when you are in Debts - Zac Poonen

the Bible says we got to help the poor I'll tell you how to help but as you read in the Acts of the Apostles how we should help the poor please turn to Acts chapter 4 in Acts chapter 4 is the time they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they really loved one another and they wanted to help because many of them in that church were poor so what did they do it says in verse 34 acts 430 for that was not a needy person among them but all who were owners of lands or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the Apostles feet and it was distributed to each as any had neat acts for was 34 and 35 there were a lot of poor people in those in those among those Christians and some of the rich people what they did was well I find it I don't agree with this but I'll just tell you what they did they sold all their lands this is in Jerusalem they sold all their lands and all their houses in a great zeal and gave all the money away you know the end result of that was many years later fifteen years later they became rock bottom poor they couldn't survive these Christians and Paul had to tell the Christians in Corinth please send some money for those poor people in Jerusalem and to the Philippians he says please some money to send some money to the poor people in Jerusalem okay and they got other Christians provided for them that's okay so what I learned from that is I don't have to sell all my lands and houses and end up rock bottom poor and then I have to wait for the Christians and Corinth or Phillipi to send me money no it's much better to if you have something to invest it wisely so that you don't become a burden on others that's what I decided that I will not be a burden on others if I receive something from my parents I'm gonna invest it so that I don't become a burden to anybody at any time some people are foolish like that they say I'm gonna trust God and they got give everything away and afterwards they become helplessly dependent on waiting they are always waiting for a handout from somebody else No so I'm not saying you should do that but I see one thing there that it there was a goodness you know sometimes in our zeal we can do something with a good heart but it's pretty foolish it's like these people who say I'm going to trust God I'm sick but I won't take medicines I don't trust in doctors I don't trust medicine and they die that's foolishness God is also given as common sense common sense didn't come from the devil by the way in case you didn't know this God was given us common sense and by the way all these men what things would you call medicines they are all minerals and from plants which God created do you know that the devil never created any minerals or plants everything that you find inside a tablet inside an antibiotic everything inside that was found some some plant or metal that God created on the earth its food so if you can eat oranges and vegetables and chicken you can certainly eat that tablet that was also created by God the only thing man is done is put it all together because they know it's good for your body so that crazy people say no no no we won't take medicine then you then you shouldn't be eating food either that's what I mean by sometimes people are very zealous but foolish and are calling in the church is to put some instruction in their mind and Steve sim common sense is also a gift of God yes you read in the Bible that Philip was once lifted up by an angel and transported 50 miles away if you start praying Lord I want to travel today and I'm gonna hurry to go please do what we did for Paul I'll tell you it won't happen you know what you did for Philip it won't happen you know once when Paul was caught in Damascus and he had become a Christian and the Jews were waiting at the gate to kill him and he was hiding in a house fortunately the house was on the compound wall of the city that was one person who could have prayed Lord please take me up like you lifted Paul no Phillip please take me out out of this place but he didn't do that you know how he escaped from there they put a rope outside the window and here's Paul climbing down apostle remember climbing down to escape from the Jews common sense that's how he lived so I'm just saying there are a lot of situations where you got to use our common sense and don't say I'm trusting God and do something stupid I'm gonna jump off the roof of the temple and I think the angels will protect me no they won't you'll be committing suicide so what I say is be wise in what you do so what did they do with this money that's what I want to point out when you want when they wanted to give to the poor what did they do they said we don't know who the really poor people are listen to this one person who's poor who is a bit of a crook maeín cook man convinced me in a very subtle way in a spiritual way that he's needy but he's convinced 25 others also that he's needy and he gets money because he's a very smart guy he's got money from 25 people and the simple guy who doesn't come and advertise this need gets nothing and he may be more needy than that guy that guy's got 25 times more than he needs because 25 stupid people gave him money oh he's poor let me give him he you don't realize that 24 other people have also given him it's like some of these orphanages in India this is the absolute truth the Catholic orphanages are the best by the way Protestant orphanages most of them are crooked except one or two and those orphanages what many of them do is they send the photograph of an orphan and they send it to Netherlands would you support this orphan another one goes to Britain another goes to Australia same picture of same person to Australia different parts of America and so one orphan is getting from 25 people but he and each of those 25 people think I am supporting an orphan in India they don't realize that the other 24 people are supporting him that goes into the man's pocket who was running the orphanage it's a racket I know because I live here a lot of people living abroad don't know it they think I'm supporting an orphan they're being cheated so the same thing happens can happen in CFC where somebody gets from here and from this and that person that person you don't know that twenty others are giving that guy some need who isn't he and that some they're really needy person gets nothing for that the only solution is you the rich man the rich philanthropist the rich benefactor who wants to help people and get a name that you are a helper of people let me give you a little advice please humble yourself and say I may be rich but I'm stupid lord please help me to humble myself and let me give it in a godly way and you know the godly way they laid it was 35 at the Apostles feet they gave it to the elders they were humble enough to say we are rich but we are foolish we give it to you elders you decide who are the really needy people so that some crooked fellow does not collect from 25 people and some needy person stars we don't want that what wisdom these these believers are not as smart as some of us but they have more common sense and the Apostles the elders distributed to each according as each person had a need so that is the best thing to do but put that money in an envelope market for the poor and let the elders distribute it don't put somebody's name on it and put it in the offering box it will not be given to that person because we don't do that we are not a distributing agency know that we are not courier service that you got to go to the Career Service we're not courier service is distributing envelopes if you put an envelope with a name on it it'll just be opened and add it to the poor fund and the elders will give according to there's need we do it the godly way because we are not a courier service so the right way to do it is you put that money in an envelope and put in the offering box and the elders will see who is need and if you know sometimes the elders don't know if somebody is in need you know somebody who's in need please tell the elders they will investigate it they'll make sure there's an rightful tribution according to the need do you know that we give not just lakhs millions of rupees every year well over a period of years to the poor churches in Tamil Nadu to build their halls to educate their children in schools and colleges it's been doing we've been doing it for years we don't advertise it but I'm just mentioning it at this point to say that we believe in caring for the poor but it is not by any Tom Dick and Harry going and giving here and there we investigate who is the needy one what their fees are what is the expense they have and according to the needs so that there's a wise utilization of God's money this is just being righteous we're still in school righteousness with money so I want to encourage you to do that in future so that we are a church that cares and that we care for all equally otherwise if you're a father and you find that once a your children are all left home and they are all needy no say one or two are needy and some are doing well don't you have a concern that the one who's needy should be helped more this guy's earning a fantastic salary let me help that one was more needy that is right that is how God is God is a loving father so that's exactly how the elders our elders are like spiritual parents who want to help those who are needy in the church so brothers and sisters I want to encourage you to please be faithful in this area but

Channel: A True Christian

Views: 5,859

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Keywords: Be Wise when helping the poor, Acts 4:34, Offering money by selling everything, Offerings to the Church when you are in debt, Corruption Christian Orphanages

Id: lozlIrAyAPk

Length: 10min 27sec (627 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 26 2018