For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’
SUMMARY:
This sermon draws upon Matthew 25:31-40, concerning the separation of the sheep and the goats, who are judged based on their actions toward “the least of these” (such as feeding the hungry, sheltering the stranger, or visiting the imprisoned), to address the role of good works and volunteerism. Pastor Joy states that while large numbers of Americans volunteer (75.7 million people, or 28.3% of the US population over 16, between September 2022 and September 2023), the core message is that good works alone are insufficient for salvation. Scripture, specifically Ephesians 2:8-10, establishes that salvation comes by grace through faith and is a gift of God, “not by works so that no one can boast”, and even “righteous acts are like filthy rags” according to Isaiah 64:6. However, doing good is expected of believers, and a faith that is not accompanied by action is considered “dead”. The true demonstration of devotion involves actively addressing injustice, loosening “the chains of injustice,” setting the oppressed free, and caring for physical needs, as described in Isaiah 58, a passage which sounds similar to Matthew 25. Good deeds are defined by biblical scholar Michael Wilkins as the “substantiation of the kind of kingdom life that has been produced through the transformation of the heart”. Pastor Joy further emphasizes this requirement for action by quoting Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” noting that the church should operate as a “thermostat that transformed the moors of society,” rather than a “thermometer” merely recording popular opinion. Ultimately, the primary calling is to preach the gospel, and this promotion of faith must be backed up by a life that demonstrates God’s love through serving others.