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What Should Be A Christian Response To Refugees?

Matthew 25:31-46

Galatians 6:1-10

What Should Be A Christian Response To Refugees?

A crisis… what to do with refugees?
“Let everyone who wants to come to our country.”
“stop people coming at all costs.”

The size of the problem.
In 2014
– 59.5 million forcibly displaced people worldwide
– 38.2 million were IDP’s
– 19.5 million were refugees
– 1.8 million were asylum seekers.
In 2016
– 65.6 million people are forcibly displaced.
– 22.5 million are refugees (50% of them are under 18 years old)
– 40.3 million are Internally displaced persons.
– 2.8 million are seeking asylum.
Different roles

For us as individuals and a church
Truth #1 – God is Sovereign
“God is in control on every page of scripture and on every page of history, including the refugee crisis that surrounds us”.

Truth #2 – God controls the movement of people

Truth #3 – God command us to care for (his) people.
Gal 6:10, ‘do good for all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.’
Deut 24:17-22 – God is speaking to his OT people and he says, “17 Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. 18 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this.
19 When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. 21 When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. 22 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.
Lev 19:33-34 – God’s word says, ““‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
Matthew 25
Verse 35-36 – “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 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

What can we do?
1) Pray
2) Be gospel focussed
3) Speak lovingly.
4) Act justly (not fearfully)
5) Be economically generous.
6) Remember our living hope
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish spoil or fade kept in heaven for us.” (1 Peter 1:3-4)
Rev 21 … no more death or mourning or crying or pain.
Rev 7 … every nation tribe and tongue are gathered around the throne of God.
Hebrews … approach the judgement throne of God with confidence
1 Peter … exiles passing through

Thinking politically
1) Seek to understand the situation
2) What is actually being done.
“Report of the expert panel on asylum seekers.
3) Reflect the values God has given us.
Qu: If our government decided to resettle 1000 refugee families in TTG, as a church and as individuals who are seeking to be shaped by God’s word, What should we think, What should we do? How should we speak? What should we say to others?
Other bible passages to reflect on …
– Acts 10:34-35, Luke 10:25-37, Ezekiel 22:29,31, Eph 2:14, Eph 2:19