Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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   Our first night at the orphanage in Nicaragua our teams were asked to give a brief 15 min. sermon after we had introduced ourselves. When one of the team leaders asked who wanted to give it everyone was silent. Then there it was, word vomit. I just had volunteered to give it and had about an hour and a half to prepare. As soon as the words left my mouth my mind went blank. I went to the kitchen and started to think. Still nothing. What could I teach that would be relatable to people of all walks of life and circumstances? Then I remembered the last sermon I heard before I left at First Congregational and I found my starting point. I knew I wanted to give it a twist and teach something no one has heard before. I prayed that my sermon would touch everyone’s heart and would be thought provoking. 
                                                              

I decided to teach on Luke 16:19-31

There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, “Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.” But Abraham replied, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, not can anyone cross over from there to us.”          

He answered, “Then I beg you, Father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.” Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.” “No, father Abraham,” he said, “but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”

   Many times when people read this passage, they think of earthly riches such as a big house, fancy car, designer clothes and expensive jewelry. All of the things we don’t take to heaven when we die.

   However, this passage can be applied to everyone’s life whether you have a penny to your name or not. For those who know the Lord are rich, and the treasures they acquire fallow them to heaven.

   So we are the ones sitting at the wealthy table. The ones who don’t have the Lord in their hearts are the ones who have nothing, even though they show up with an abundance of earthly riches and a smile on their face. But we know that they have NOTHING and we remember that a smile can cover up a million things others choose to hide. So what are we doing for these people? Do we freely give what we have received? This is God’s love and grace.

   Are we giving these things to the people we don’t like and can’t stand? Are we giving them to the people who have everything of this world and seem like they live a perfect fairy-tale life?

   So ask yourself, who are the Lazaruses in your life and what are you giving them? Just because someone is content and doesn’t worry where their next meal is coming from doesn’t mean they aren’t poor. Also, if someone doesn’t realize that they have nothing, they aren’t going to know to ask for anything.