Wisdom on Lifestyle Compassion

Proverbs 21:13; 14:31; 19:17

October 21 , 2007

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Study Guide

Our Series: Lifestyle Compassion: Extending your heart of Jesus even to the least of these. 

Week #1 – A Righteous Heart Revealed: Heaven is the inheritance for the one with a heart made righteous, through faith in Jesus, as revealed through a loving, compassionate lifestyle extended even to the ‘least of these.’

Week#2 – The Jesus Model: We saw Jesus, refusing to ignore the helpless and the powerless, embracing the outcasts of the culture, extending compassion without conditions and without regard for whether their worldview or belief system aligned with his.

Today – The Proverbs on Lifestyle Compassion

Proverbs 21:13, “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.”

THOSE WHO IGNORE THE NEEDS OF OTHERS WILL BE IGNORED IN THEIR TIME OF NEED.

“Shuts” points to “one who characteristically or habitually tunes out the needs of the weak and vulnerable around them.” 

Proverbs 14:31 - “31 He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”

WHEN YOU ARE KIND TO THE POOR YOU HONOR GOD.

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”  Then later, “Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”  -Jesus, Matthew 25

Job 31:13-23 –

Proverbs 19:17, “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.”

MERCY TO THE NEEDY IS A LOAN TO GOD.

The one who is who is “known for” being gracious and kind to the ‘least of these’ is in effect, lending, however much they give, to the Lord.

Closing:

• Let’s invite God to unstop our ears and soften our hearts...and make us like him.
• A time of fasting sometime over the next two weeks
• A blessing for the Hope Clinic in three weeks