1

God who repays those who alms

2

Bible scripture : Proverbs 19:17 (NIV)

He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.

3

Do you know what it means to alms? The word alms means helping those in need. Relief refers to helping the poor or the weak.

4

Suppose there are two people. One of them likes to help the poor and needy with what he has. Another person is stingy to the point of helping or relieving others.

5

Which of these two do you think will lead a happier and richer life?
The 11th chapter of Proverbs in the Bible tells us the answer.
[One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.(Proverbs 11:24-25)]

6

When we think about it, we think that people who live stingy to protect their own things will be richer. But the words of Proverbs teach us the exact opposite. Rather, it says that those who give to and help those in difficult circumstances become richer and many good things happen.

7

It tells the answer to the mystery in Proverbs 19:17.
[He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.(Proverbs 19:17)]
The secret is that giving relief to and giving to the poor and needy is not just for people. This is because the act of giving relief to others is the same as lending to God.

8

When we give relief, the poor are unable to repay us for what they have received. But God repays them for their good deeds. Because God is the one who has everything, he repays those who have done good deeds with great and amazing things incomparable to the help that person helped the poor.

9

Today, the Bible records events that help us better understand the words of Proverbs. In a place called Caesarea, there was a centurion named Cornelius who commanded 100 Roman soldiers.
This man was a Roman soldier, but he was a man who reverenced and feared God.

10

Cornelius was always a person who prayed to God.
He gave a lot of alms, especially he generously gave what he had to the poor.
God was watching all the good deeds this Cornelius was doing.

11

God sent an angel to Cornelius in a vision. The angel gave Cornelius the word of God. He said, "God heard your prayers. He saw that you helped the poor, and he remembered you. God saw Cornelius giving alms to the poor and said that He remembers that fact.

12

The angel continued to speak to Cornelius. “Now send someone to Joppa to bring Simon, who is called Peter. He is staying at the house of a man named Simon, who makes leather goods, and his house is by the sea." He told him where the apostle Peter was and told him to bring Peter to Cornelius' house.

13

Cornelius sent three men to Joppa to bring Peter as God had said. According to Jewish law at the time, Peter could not go to the house of Cornelius, a Gentile. Because the Jews thought that the Gentiles were unclean, if he went to Cornelius' house, he would be committing an unclean thing.

14

But the Holy Spirit himself appeared to Peter and commanded him to follow him. "Simon, three men are looking for you. Get up and go down.

Do not hesitate to follow them, for I have sent them."
God sent Peter to Cornelius to show that God does not discriminate against people for any reason.

15

The next day, Peter obeyed God and went with them to Cornelius' house. Peter testified to them who Jesus was. As Peter testified the Word to them, he saw the presence of the Holy Spirit on those gathered at Cornelius' house.
All the Jews who came with Peter saw that God gave the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles as well.

16

Peter baptized them in the name of Jesus Christ. Cornelius and those who were with him in the house were the first Gentiles to be baptized and received amazing grace. God gave Cornelius, who feared God and worked hard to help the poor, a great gift to receive salvation as a Gentile for the first time.

17

God clearly said that God remembered the alms that Cornelius had done while loving God. God repaid him with the grace of amazing salvation that was incomparable to the relief that Cornelius had given.
God showed us through Cornelius how happy we are to give alms to the poor.
[He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.(Proverbs 19:17)]
When God gives you wealth, I want you to think of the poor first. I hope that you will remember the word that giving alms is a loan to God and become people of faith who enjoy giving alms as much as you can.

(This is the sample conclusion provided by CTM. Please feel free to change the conclusion to best suit the listeners of your sermon.)