Matthew 25:31-46 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Judgment
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 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; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not [a]take care of You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
In a Season of Missions: Caring for People in Need
Matthew 25:35-36 New American Standard Bible 1995
35 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; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’
Summer is just around the corner which means schools are off until the fall and the children have three months or so of fun in the sun or freedom of mountains.
It is a time families will spend all year planning for those well earned vacations.
Please do enjoy yourselves in whatever those fun and freedom adventures are.
However, fun stuff is never going to be the only business opportunity in town.
For churches, it is also the time to be about the business of helping and caring for others – whether it be in local missions, driving or flying to another region or state for in country missions or going abroad to another country to help out.
News reports have noted that the world has an overabundance of used clothing.
In many ways, that is a good thing. Even the poorest of the poor can have access to clothing! But does that make Jesus’ statement irrelevant in the 21st century?
No. The clothing that people may have is not always suitable. A warm parka in subzero weather is a necessity! There is also another sense in which people who sleep inside a wet cardboard box in the dead of winter are in need of “clothing.”
We do not have to walk far, extreme poverty still exists. There are countless people in the world with insufficient resources to pay for housing, buy food, and access medical care—not to mention paying for education and other costs to maintain a livelihood. What should our response be in the face of poverty?
The world is blessed with many organizations that strive to meet urgent needs and to uproot the causes of poverty. Issues are complex, and solutions are difficult to find. Though we may feel, and maybe often be, powerless to create completely effective solutions to these issues, a godly love for mercy calls for prayerful compassion, a missional heart when tempted to turn two blind eyes .
We genuinely need to seek God’s help and wisdom in caring for people in need.
Matthew 25:40. The fragrant aroma of your heart
40 The King will answer and say to them, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it for Me.’
This verse is often used in teaching that we are to aid, help the poor and less fortunate people — and we absolutely should at every Kingdom opportunity.
However, there’s a part of this verse that is almost not noticeable.
Jesus says, “inasmuch [to the extent] that as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren…”
So, who exactly are His brethren?
Did He mean the disciples?
His half-brothers that Mary and Joseph had after Him?
His earthly relatives?
Those who sat down on and around the Mount of Beatitudes to hear his words?
Those whom Jesus had compassion for, whom he told his disciples: “you feed them!” those thousands upon thousands who came, showed up to receive the abundance of bread and fish from the meagerness which the disciples brought?
All those whom the Gospel Narrative identified, considered to be, untouchable?
How about all those folks called “Samaritans” who were avoided at all costs?
And if we were to go over to Matthew 12:50, we find that “Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
His brethren are His followers who seek to do God’s will – just about everyone.
We should care for all those “least of these.” We should treat His brethren with humble compassion as we recognize they are His servants carrying out His will.
How we treat them expresses our love for and commitment to Jesus Himself.
But when we treat them harshly, it exposes our lack of devotion to Him.
Jesus holds us accountable in how we live our lives.
If we claim to live for Christ but our actions demonstrate differently, we need to examine the validity of our salvation.
With Christ living in us, we should be a mirrored reflection of His character.
Jesus cared, treated others with love, kindness and grace – and so should we.
When His character shows through our actions, we put Him on display to the world around us.
Jesus commanded too in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Ways our Actions will Speak Louder Than our Words
James 1:19-25Amplified Bible
19 Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]; 20 for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behavior which He requires from us]. 21 So get rid of all uncleanness and [a]all that remains of wickedness, and with a humble spirit receive the word [of God] which is implanted [actually rooted in your heart], which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth]. 23 For if anyone only listens to the word [b]without obeying it, he is like a man who looks very carefully at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he immediately forgets [c]what he looked like. 25 But he who looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a [careless] listener who forgets but [d]an active doer [who obeys], he will be blessed and favored by God in what he does [in his life of obedience].
Most of us are familiar with the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.”
This is a true saying and something that we need to reflect on in our daily lives.
Although this saying is not in the Bible, it is in full agreement with the Bible.
As James tells us, we cannot only read the Bible; we have to also do what it says. (James 1:19-25).
In this way, we can see that our actions speak louder than our words.
Just as James says that we need to do what the Bible says rather than to just read it, we also need to also convey in, and through our actions, what our words say.
Words don’t mean as much if our actions fall flat, fail to show them to be true.
If we claim we love someone, yet we are mean to them, put them down, and speak badly of them, then we are not really showing them love. Instead, we are merely claiming we love them while our actions are doing the exact opposite.
As Christians, can we see how this can get dangerous.
We need to always ensure that our actions and our words are in alignment with the commandment of God; to Love God and each other with all of our strength.
In other words, we don’t need to say one thing and do the exact opposite.
This is true for our dealings with loved ones, acquaintances, people we don’t know, and God.
In everything we say and everything we do, we need to make sure our words and actions are in maximum agreement with God and each other.
With this said, there are also times when our actions speak louder than words.
This can be seen as both a good thing and bad thing, depending on the context.
If your actions are speaking louder than your words in a good way, then it is going to be something positive in your life. However, if your actions are speaking louder than your words in a negative way, then it is going to be a negative thing in your life.
As we look at these things, we can see that your actions speaking louder than your words may or may not be a good thing.
Depending on the circumstances and the situation, you should be able to tell if it is a good thing or a bad thing.
As Christians, we need to always strive that our actions speak louder than our words in a good way.
Here are five suggested ways our actions are speaking louder than our words.
1. In Apologies
Phillipians 2:1-4 amplified
Be Like Christ
2 Therefore if there is any encouragement and comfort in Christ [as there certainly is in abundance], if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship [that we share] in the Spirit, if [there is] any [great depth of] affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same [a]love [toward one another], knit together in spirit, intent on one purpose [and living a life that reflects your faith and spreads the gospel—the good news regarding salvation through faith in Christ]. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves. 4 Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Considering the weight and the burdens of the fallout from General Conference 2024, the weight of the negativity of rhetoric, accusations being thrown about and the vast ranges of offence perceived and emotionally delivered, expressed, it is probably not a bad idea that someone break into those impasses that now exist between all sides and simply humble themselves before God and repent.
One way your actions speak louder than your words is in your apologies to God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit for grieving them so badly.
Anybody can cry, say, and repeat ad nauseum “I’m sorry,” but your actions before God and His throne room are what determines if you actually mean it.
Crying, Saying, “I’m sorry” does not prove anything. Many of us are taught to say “I’m sorry” from the time we are children, even if we don’t mean it at all.
This is something we need to exercise greatest initiative to change because we should not be saying we are sorry if we don’t actually repent and truly mean it. (Individual and Corporate Church Psalm 51 measure of genuine repentance!)
If we are truly sorry, we will show it in our actions. As an example, maybe a man was unfaithful to his wife. He couldn’t just come up to her and say he was sorry.
Apologizing is appreciated, but it doesn’t help in his case-it must go far deeper.
Instead, he has to repent before God whom he offended, show in his prayers, his humility and actions exactly how sorry he is. He should still apologize to all aggrieved parties; however, he also has to authentically show it in his actions.
He can do this by being extra caring with his wife, taking any steps she needs to heal, and going to couples therapy if this is something she wants to do. He also has to be willing to step aside and accept her decision to end the marriage.
While this would be painful for both of them, he has to absolutely respect her decision, continue to show in his actions how sorry he is, even after the divorce if that is how they decide their relationship comes to a mutual conclusion.
It could be that if he showed in his actions how much he loves his wife and is sorry for what he had done, perhaps she will be able to forgive him, and he will forgive her, they’ll be able to continue to work on the hardcore healing process.
2. Being There for Others, Bearing others burdens.
Proverbs 27:17-18 Amplified Bible
17
As iron sharpens iron,
So one man sharpens [and influences] another [through discussion].
18
He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit,
And he who faithfully protects and cares for his master will be honored.
A second way your actions speak louder than your words is when you are there for someone.
After we have gone through a difficult time, we often need someone to be there for us while we are just trying to make heads or tails out of all of that adversity.
We can say all day that we would be there for someone, but when the time would actually come, would we really be there?
I had many friends who said they would be there for me no matter what, only to have no visible source of support in my early days of my heart surgery recovery.
As you can see, their words and actions did not match. Through their actions, I was hearing the message that I didn’t always matter to them the way they did to me. Maybe you have also been through the same thing, and it really hurts you.
Know that your feelings are valid even if other people have invalidated them in the past. It was wrong of your friends not to be there as, when you needed them and as you can see, in that moment their actions spoke louder than their words.
This is why we need to ensure our actions are speaking louder than our words in a good way. Being there for others can be difficult, but as much as we truly love them, we should make every possible effort not see them as an inconvenience.
At times I saw myself an inconvenience because of how my friends treated me.
Pray! We need to ensure that we never make anyone feel bad about themselves through our actions. This is what happens when our actions hurt others. People observe us, assess us, pay attention to what we all do — not to just what we say.
3. In our steady march towards the Faith of Abraham
Hebrews 11:17-19 Amplified Bible
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested [that is, as the testing of his faith was still in progress], [a]offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises [of God] was ready to sacrifice his only son [of promise]; 18 to whom it was said, “Through Isaac your descendants shall be called.” 19 For he considered [it reasonable to believe] that God was able to raise Isaac even from among the dead. [Indeed, in the sense that he was prepared to sacrifice Isaac in obedience to God] Abraham did receive him back [from the dead] figuratively speaking.
A third way our actions speak louder than your words is in our faith journey.
The Apostle John tells us, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18).
1 John 3:18-20 Amplified Bible
18 Little children (believers, dear ones), let us not love [merely in theory] with word or with tongue [giving lip service to compassion], but in action and in truth [in practice and in sincerity, because practical acts of love are more than words]. 19 By this we will know [without any doubt] that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart and quiet our conscience before Him 20 whenever our heart convicts us [in guilt]; for God is greater than our heart and He knows all things [nothing is hidden from Him because we are in His hands].
As the Apostle John teaches us, we do not need to love only with words but in action and in truth. This applies to all areas of our lives, including in our faith. We can’t claim to be a follower of God if we are denying Him in our actions.
We have to listen to what the Bible says and obey it.
It is of no benefit if we do not follow what the Bible says.
If our actions are speaking louder than our words, then we should be showing in our lives our love for Christ rather than occasionally saying we are Christians.
Individuals should know we are Christians based on our actions.
As the Gospels teach us, following Jesus means loving others, respecting them, and extending forgiveness to them as God extended His forgiveness unto us.
Matthew 9:10-13 Amplified Bible
10 Then as Jesus was reclining at the table in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and [a]sinners [including non-observant Jews] came and ate with Him and His disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Master eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but [only] those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this [Scripture] means: ‘I desire compassion [for those in distress], and not [animal] sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call [to repentance] the [self-proclaimed] righteous [who see no need to change], but sinners [those who recognize their sin and actively seek forgiveness].”
Through all these things, we will be able to ensure our actions speak louder than our simple words. We would not be known as followers of Christ just by “proclaiming” ourselves to be true Christians in the New Testament times.
Rather, the Lord tells us by their fruit we will recognize them (Matthew 7:16).
Matthew 7:15-20Amplified Bible
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of the false prophets, [teachers] who come to you dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent], but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them [that is, by their contrived doctrine and self-focus]. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the unhealthy tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore, by their fruit you will recognize them [as false prophets].
If we take our faith in Jesus seriously, it will decisively show in our daily lives.
However, if we choose to not take our faith seriously, we will be giving a bad name to our Savior and Lord.
4. Listening to Others
James 1:19-22Amplified Bible
19 Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]; 20 for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behavior which He requires from us]. 21 So get rid of all uncleanness and [a]all that remains of wickedness, and with a humble spirit receive the word [of God] which is implanted [actually rooted in your heart], which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth].
A fourth way your actions speak louder than your words is in your listening skills. If you are truly listening to others, you will respect what they say.
On the other hand, if you only say you are listening to others, but deny it in your actions, your negative actions will be conveyed in your dealings with others.
People are quick to notice if you are not truly listening to them. If a loved one kindly asks you to be respectful of their space and you claim to say you will, yet then later invade their personal space, you are not really listening to them.
In the same way, if a wife tells her husband she feels she is not being heard, he needs to start paying attention to what she is saying.
His wife is saying she is not feeling heard because her husband is not displaying in his actions what she has spoken to him about.
As we can see, yet again, it is important that our actions speak louder than our words because they can easily go in the opposite direction.
Listening to others is a good way to show that you are truly taking time out of your day to be present with your loved ones.
Don’t only listen to them — fully engage yourself in what they are saying and allow your actions to reflect what you listened to.
If your loved one asked you to give them a drive home from work, do this.
In the same way, if your loved one asked you to pick up some groceries from the supermarket or medicine from the pharmacy, you will show in your actions you were listening when you returned home with the bags of groceries, medicine.
All of these things cause our actions to be louder than our words.
We just have to make sure they are louder than our words in a good way.
Never allow your actions to speak louder than your words in a negative way because it can really hurt people in your life.
Invest in spending time with your loved ones and truly listen to them.
By listening to them, it will shape your actions in a way that you can fully show them you love them.
5. Serving God together in Mission and Ministry
Acts 2:43-47 Amplified Bible
43 A sense of awe was felt by [a]everyone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed [in Jesus as Savior] [b]were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole]. 45 And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need. 46 Day after day they met in the temple [area] continuing with one mind, and breaking bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts, 47 praising God continually, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were being saved.
A fifth way your actions speak louder than your words is in the way you serve God. If we claim to be serving God, we must likewise prove it in our actions.
Anybody could say they are a follower of God, but their actions for the Kingdom of God are what will truly tell us if they are or are not serious about serving God.
Living for God is not a one-time thing.
Rather, it is an everyday life decision.
If we are truly focused on serving God, we will show it in our actions.
If you want your actions to be louder than your words in your service to God, you have to obey God’s teachings in the Bible.
They should become part of your life and it will not be a burden if you are genuine in the way you want to serve God.
The Lord tells us to not lie, cheat, steal, or endorse sin.
We cannot say we are truly living in a way for our actions to speak louder than our words if we are doing these very things.
Living for God by serving our neighbors in their neighborhood , will be shown in our actions if you are genuinely wanting to serve Him. Don’t only claim to serve God — make sure you are actually serving Him with your entire heart.
You will have a much better life , a more abundantly blessed life if we choose to serve God with our life rather than just “claiming” to know Him in your words.
Your actions will speak louder than your words if you are faithfully living in accordance with God’s Word.
God will take definitely notice of this and He will be pleased with your actions.
Matthew 25:14-28 Amplified Bible
Parable of the Talents
14 “For it is just like a man who was about to take a journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his possessions. 15 To one he gave five [a]talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and then he went on his journey. 16 The one who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he [made a profit and] gained five more. 17 Likewise the one who had two [made a profit and] gained two more. 18 But the one who had received the one went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 And the one who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted to me five talents. See, I have [made a profit and] gained five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’
22 “Also the one who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have [made a profit and] gained two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’
24 “The one who had received one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a harsh and demanding man, reaping [the harvest] where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter seed. 25 So I was afraid [to lose the talent], and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is your own.’
26 “But his master answered him, ‘You wicked, lazy servant, you knew that I reap [the harvest] where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter seed. 27 Then you ought to have put my money with the bankers, and at my return I would have received my money back with interest. 28 So take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’
Obey His teachings, such as the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).
Considering the weight of current circumstances of the church, this can be a challenging daunting subject for many, yet it is something Jesus calls us to do.
Concerning ministry and missions, we can only serve Him by either going ourselves, sending/being with others, or donating to mission organizations.
God wants us to be involved with missions because it involves helping the lost come to know Him. You can demonstrate in your actions that you are truly serving God by obeying all aspects of His teachings, including the hard ones.
Your actions always speak louder than your words, and this is why we need to ensure that our actions are speaking louder than our words in a positive way.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 133 Amplified Bible
The Excellency of Brotherly Unity.
A Song of [a]Ascents. Of David.
133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity!
2
It is like the precious oil [of consecration] poured on the head,
Coming down on the beard,
Even the beard of Aaron,
Coming down upon the edge of his [priestly] robes [consecrating the whole body].
3
It is like the dew of [Mount] Hermon
Coming down on the hills of Zion;
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing: life forevermore.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 