The paralyzing fear that has driven down the American economy is the result of out-of-control greed — and Christians need to be sure their attention is focused on assisting the poor, not enriching self, Frank Page told a Nashville audience Oct. 10.
Page, pastor of Taylors First Baptist Church in South Carolina and immediate past president of the Southern Baptist Convention, spoke at Brentwood Baptist Church as part of a two-day World Hunger Summit sponsored by that congregation and Baptist Global Response.
Speaking from Matthew 25:31–46, Page told his audience helping people in need comes naturally to people who truly love Jesus. But greedy people are filled with fear when they face consequences of selfishness.
“This passage talks about an unparalleled fear based in an unmitigated greed we too often share. … [T]here will come a day when the authenticity of your faith will be proven by how He sees you minister to ‘the least of these,’” Page said.
While Jesus tells His followers to help people with the simple needs in life, the world tells us to isolate ourselves and let government or social welfare agencies handle the poor.
“Most of us are guilty of building up walls where we never see those type people anymore — and we don’t want to see those type people anymore,” Page said. “We have succumbed to our modern-day society’s notion that winners ought to be the ones who receive the good and losers deserve what they get.”
“Once in a while, we attempt to assuage our guilt by handing out some money … by helping out in a soup kitchen,” he said. “Maybe we throw out some clothes we don’t like any more. But Jesus says we are to help others in the simple things of life.”
The early church’s willingness to sell their belongings to help others in need (Acts 2:45) is a great example of what people naturally do when they love Jesus, Page said.
“If you study the ministry of Christ, you will see He had a special affinity for the poor,” Page said. “If we want to be people who follow Christ, we will have a special affinity for the poor because of our love for Christ.”
Page suggested Southern Baptists start a “Ministry to Jesus” by reaching out to others.
“We ought to be ashamed that, in the richest country in the world, we are giving chump change in the area of world hunger,” he said.
In 2007, Southern Baptists gave $5.5 million to their World Hunger Fund, down from $8.6 million just four years earlier. The 2007 offering total represents less than 35 cents for each of the more than 16 million people on Southern Baptist church membership rosters.
Instead of the fear greedy people will feel when they stand before God, selfless people will be filled with joy, Page promised.
“We will be able to stand before the Father some day and say ‘I helped your Son,’” he said. “Let us see our ministry as a ministry to Christ, even if it means sacrifice.” (BGR)
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