THE MORAL ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS PART 4 OF 9

TEXT- JOHN 12:1-8

INTRODUCTION

TONIGHT I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH MY SERIES OF MESSAGES DEALING WITH THE MORAL ISSUES THAT WE ARE FACING TODAY IN OUR SOCIETY.

OUR TEXT TONIGHT IS FOUND IN JOHN 12:1-8 AND I WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS CONCERNING THE MORAL ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS OR THE POOR.

RECENT SURVEYS AND STATISTICS SHOW THAT THE AVERAGE HOMELESS PERSON NO LONGER LOOKS LIKE THE STEREOTYPICAL BUM BUT MORE LIKE YOUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR.

ESTIMATES FOR THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES RANGE ANYWHERE FROM 350,000 TO 3 MILLION WITH THE NUMBER GROWING EACH YEAR.

NO LONGER ARE THE HOMELESS ELDERLY PEOPLE BUT YOUNGER PEOPLE INCLUDING TEENAGERS.

MANY NON-HOMELESS PEOPLE LIVING IN HOMES AND APARTMENTS ARE ONLY A PAYCHECK AWAY FROM LOOSING EVERYTHING AND BECOMING HOMELESS.

APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF ALL HOMELESS PEOPLE TODAY ARE MENTALLY IMPAIRED WHO WERE ONCE FORMALLY INSTITUTIONALIZED.

NO LONGER ARE THE HOMELESS SIMPLY PEOPLE WHO ARE DRUNKS AND DOPE ADDICTS, BUT ENTIRE FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO HELD FULL OR PART TIME JOBS AS RECENTLY AS ONE YEAR AGO.

TONIGHT AS WE STUDY WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE POOR THERE ARE THREE THINGS I WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER.