Many people think that if you believe in a literal second coming of Christ, then you won’t care about improving this world at all. Yet, the Bible teaches the exact opposite. It is because Christians believe in a coming age without sin and injustice that they eagerly work in this world to bring about glimpses of the world to come. This belief influences everything a Christian does—including their work. Christians must not segregate their faith from their work, but must wrestle with the challenge of glorifying God in their vocations.

There are some churches that care about evangelism but not about serving the poor. Other churches will eagerly serve the poor but they don’t care about proclaiming the Gospel. But churches aren’t meant to do one or the other; they must do both. In fact, the two are linked. When non-Christians see Christians sacrificially serving the needy, it displays the beauty of God to them and becomes an aid to evangelism. Separately, serving the poor doesn’t just help others, but helps ourselves.

Becoming a Christian is not a change of degree but a change in kind. It is leaving your native home and entering the Kingdom of God. But entering the Kingdom of God means being willing to sacrifice everything that goes against your new King. In other words, the Kingdom of God will cost you everything you have. But is it expensive? Not at all. It’s a bargain.

Additional scriptural references made in this sermon are: Colossians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 4:20; Romans 1:16; Hebrews 2:8; Romans 8:18; Joshua 7.

Few themes reoccur throughout the Bible as frequently as God’s concern for justice. Unlike other ancient religions, the Biblical God does not favor the ruling classes, but is especially concerned with society’s treatment of the poor and the marginalized.

Additional scriptural references made in this sermon are: Micah 6:8; Leviticus 24:22; Proverbs 31:9; Job 29: 12-17; Job 31: 17-22; Proverbs 14:31; Deuteronomy 10:17-19; 2 Kings 5; Numbers 22-24; Matthew 5: 21-22; 2 Timothy 4: 16-17; Isaiah 61: 1-2; Luke 4: 14-19; James 2: 14-17