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Post by Kerrigan on Aug 20, 2007 13:23:28 GMT -5
I just moved to Fayetteville, NC, so my family is going to a new Church. I stayed within the same denomination, Nazarene, because they are closest to what I believe theologically, etc. However, I am having other problems with what I hear from the pulpit. This past Sunday, the Pastor preached on Matthew 25:21-46. He used this passage to say this: We are called by God to meet the physical needs before the spiritual needs.
What sayeth you brethren?
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Post by joem on Aug 20, 2007 14:00:00 GMT -5
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God.....right? Certainly, Jesus did not neglect the physical needs of the poor, sick and hungry, however He did not come to redeem mankind from poverty, but from sin. The conservatives usually neglect the physical needs of those in their community in order to provide for the spiritual, while the liberals neglect the spiritual needs in order to minister to the physical. Balance is a hard thing to find sometimes. Jesus never indicated the physical well being takes precedence over the spiritual well-being of man, yet passages such as James 2 make it clear that the two are interconnected in many ways. I think he was off base, and would have been disturbed also. Call him out on it, respectfully and privately. I do it to my pastor all the time.
Grace and Peace, Joe
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Post by runner4jesus on Aug 20, 2007 14:00:46 GMT -5
Hi revk: That is a different application of the parable of the talents. It speaks about the faithful and unfaithful servants. Could it be your pastor is thinking about, I Corinthians15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. Would like to encourage you, in that give it time to see where he is coming from.. It is good you're listening and wondering... We are to be faithful servants of what the Lord has put in our hands, whatever it is. And it is good to reach out to someone in the natural needs of that person, but their soul is at stake. Could it be the pastor is thinking people if their needs are met will come to Jesus? Bless you brother wherever you are.
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Post by runner4jesus on Aug 20, 2007 14:03:20 GMT -5
Joem is right in his advice to speak with him. There might be a greater understanding. If his heart is in the right place, he won't mind you asking. Pray first...
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Post by Jesse Morrell on Aug 20, 2007 14:21:36 GMT -5
I have heard that before, that you must take care of someones physical needs before their spiritual needs.
I think that if we really love people, if love is the reason we seek their spiritual well-being, then obviously we will want their physical well-being as well.
However, as K. P. Yohannan says, a bowl of rice will never substitute the gospel. The real issue is their soul, the real problem is their sin, the real remedy is a spiritual birth. That must be our top priority.
Charity evangelism is good and necessary, especially in other countries (as well in parts of our own). But our first concern must be preaching the gospel, our aim must be the salvation of their soul and the restoration of their body must be secondary. (You can also attend to both symoltaniously)
Different circumstances may call for different variations in what you must do and what you do not have to do.
For example, on a campus it's rare to find someone starving to death or destitute of physical necessities. But their soul is starvation from mal-nutrition and they are destitute of all righteousness. Give them the gospel!
But in a third world country, there may be multitudes who are starving to death and are destitute of every physical necessity. Help them physically all that you can and help them spiritually all that you can!
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Post by pentecostalpower on Aug 20, 2007 14:36:20 GMT -5
As the Called of the Lord we must not neglect the physical needs of those around us and nor can we neglect the spiritual needs of those around us.
Rather than having one without the other, the Gospel truly is feeding the poor both spiritually and physically. The Gospel truly is clothing the naked both spiritually and physically. The Gospel truly is visiting the prisoner both spiritually and physically.
In Matthew 24 we do not see Jesus Christ our Master casting into Hell those who held to false doctrine (though this will also be the case!) but we see Him condemning those who did not live out the preaching of the Gospel in practical ways, not simply Preaching with words.
A bowl of rice along with the Preaching of the Gospel is the Calling of the redeemed.
That God would open our eyes to the plight of the poor!To the plight of those who simply need to be shown love in deed rather than in word! That God would cause His Church to mourn over lost souls rather than scorning them as the friends of Job!
Matthew 25:41-46 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
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Post by runner4jesus on Aug 20, 2007 14:47:38 GMT -5
That's a good approach to the spiritual vs. natural. The soul should be our top priority. Tim & I used to be in a homeless feeding program, glory to God, and in all the time of preaching, feeding etc., all heaven rejoices over the one lady & her family who came to Jesus and still is. But in most circumstances sharing the gospel should be priority.
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