1. We live in a world that full of needy people.

2. There are literally millions of people who are starving and thousands die each day from hunger.

1. There are numerous reasons for this poverty.

• Laziness
• Persecution
• Illness
• Death
• Oppression
• Lawsuits
• Bankruptcy
• Changing world

• Occupation becomes obsolete

• Not able to compete

• Lack of education
• Handicapped
• Famine
• Storms and other catastrophes
• Chemical abuse
• War and violence

2. These are just some of the reasons for poverty, and laziness is just one of them.

1. Some are totally indifferent to it, and pretend it does not exist.

2. Others think all poor people are lazy and deserve their plight.

3. Others twist the statement of Jesus about the poor. (Matt. 26:11).

• The meaning of Jesus was that they would have plenty of opportunities to help the poor.

• He would be with them only a short time, and the opportunities to good to Him were very limited.

4. Others think righteous people always prosper; therefore, the poor must be wicked.

• Matthew 6:33 is a general rule.
• It cannot be pressed to mean if a person is needy or dies of hunger that he is wicked.

5. Some think we should do some to help the poor, and feel comfortable with giving a little here and there.

6. Some are very sacrificial and are committed to helping the poor.

1. We are not to help the lazy. (2 Thess. 3:10).

2. We are to help those who are need.

• We have a special obligation to needy Christians. (Gal. 6:10; Acts 6:1-7; 1 Tim. 5:3-16).
• We have an obligation to help all men. (Matt. 5:7; Gal. 6:10; Jas. 1:27; 2:14-17; Matt. 25:31-46).

1. This is a complex problem.

• It is one thing to feed a hungry person a time or two.
• It is quite another thing to solve the problem of poverty.
• It will never be completely solved, but this does not mean we are to do nothing.

2. Here are some things that could be done.

• Feed and help all we can.
• Use influence to help find and create jobs.
• Try to educate and provide training for needy.
• Demand laws that prevent discrimination on the basis of gender, race, physical fitness.
• Help gather food and clothing
• Help with babysitting
• Elect people who are sensitive to the needs of the poor.
• Realize it cost less to educate people than it does to imprison them.
• Try to be less wasteful
• Try to overcome a holy thou feeling toward the poor.
• Use skills to reduce living expense of poor.
• A simple repair bill can create great hardship on the poor.
• What is you are working for minimum wage and a repair bill comes up.
• Counseling on how to restructure debt.

1. We cannot completely eliminate world poverty.

• The problem is too immense.

• See Matthew 26:11.

2. This should not us from helping many overcome poverty.

3. It is vital that we should our financial resources to help the poor, and to remember that money is not the only way we can help the poor. Even when we have depleted our financial resources, we have not exhausted all the available means of helping the poor.