Pure Religion
The sermon emphasizes the importance of caring for the poor and vulnerable, and warns that neglecting them can lead to unanswered prayers and a lack of intimacy with God.
Eli Brayley preaches on the importance of not shutting our ears to the cry of the poor, emphasizing the need for compassion and care for the less privileged. He reflects on the convicting truth that neglecting the poor can hinder our prayers from being answered and render our faith ineffective. The sermon challenges Christians to examine their hearts and actions, urging them to keep themselves unstained from the world and to show love and kindness to those in need, as if they were serving Christ Himself.
Text
"He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered." - Proverbs 21:13
One night in prayer, the Lord pressed upon me this Scripture, which rather shook me at the time. I have never 'shut my ear' to the poor and have often been filled with compassion for them and done this deed here or there on their behalf, but, as the Lord Jesus so often does, He revealed to me my neglect in the caring of those less priviledged, my unmoved heart and my terrible poverty in my religion (James 1:27). I immediately came under conviction of not doing more than I was able.
There is an awful promise to be considered in this passage. Do we wonder why so many of our prayers remain unanswered and our praying rendered so ineffective? Could it be that we neglect the poor and continue to lavish ourselves in North American normality? The latter part of James 1:27 reads: "...to keep oneself unstained from the world." In it's context, this accurately defines our sickly condition.
Be pricked to the heart, Christian! "For as much you do to the least of these brethren, you do to Me." (Matthew 25:40) Am I moved for Christ's sake?
Dear Lord, help me to love others as I love myself.
Let me not live selfishly by filling up on wealth.
May I see You, Jesus, in every soul I see,
May I always remember You hanging on the tree.
Sermon Outline
- The Consequences of Neglecting the Poor
- The Promise of Unanswered Prayers
- A Call to Action
- The Scripture in Proverbs 21:13
- The Lord's Conviction in the Speaker's Life
- The Connection Between Neglecting the Poor and Unanswered Prayers
- The Definition of a Sickly Condition in James 1:27
- A Call to Love Others as Christ Loves Us
- A Call to Remember Christ in Every Soul
Key Quotes
“He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered.” — Eli Brayley
“For as much you do to the least of these brethren, you do to Me.” — Eli Brayley
“May I see You, Jesus, in every soul I see,” — Eli Brayley
Application Points
- Examine your own heart and actions to see if you are neglecting the poor and living a self-centered life.
- Make a commitment to love and serve others as Christ loves and serves you.
- Seek to live a life that is not contaminated by the values and priorities of the world, but rather is guided by a commitment to Christ and His teachings.