Charity Begins at Home: Living God’s Justice in a Hurting World (Serm 8)
Dr. Randall Keaton- - 5/2/2025
Ministry: Men's Ministry
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What does it really mean when we say, "Charity
begins at home"?
It's not just a quote—it’s a divine blueprint. A heavenly assignment for the Church in the middle of a hurting
world.
Scripture says in Luke 10:33 that the Good Samaritan saw the man—beaten, left for dead—and he had
compassion on him. He didn’t walk past. He didn’t wait for the perfect time. He stopped. He gave. He cared.
That’s the heart of mercy. That’s the pulse of justice.
But where does that kind of compassion come from?
It comes from the grace of God that we ourselves have experienced. Because once you’ve tasted the mercy
of Christ—once you’ve seen what He rescued you from—your heart can’t help but overflow.
The Gospel doesn’t just change your future—it transforms your response to the people around you.
Justice. Mercy. Compassion. Generosity. These are not optional Christian accessories. They are the natural
outflow of a heart that has truly been changed by grace.
In the Old Testament, God commanded His covenant people to be different. To live as a sign of His
Kingdom. That meant taking care of the widow. Standing up for the poor. Welcoming the stranger. Showing
love where the world showed none.
Today, the Church of Jesus Christ carries that same mantle.
We are God’s kingdom community in this generation. Our calling? To reflect His justice. To echo His mercy.
To live in such a way that the world sees His heart through our hands.
That starts inside the house of God.
Before we build schools, start food drives, or speak out on social media, we must first live out mercy within
our ranks.
Charity must begin at home—among our brothers and sisters in the Church. Because the credibility of our
witness to the world depends on the love we show each other.
And this isn’t just a moral obligation—it’s a Spirit-led mission.
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The Holy Spirit, living inside the believer and among His Church, is the one who stirs our hearts to love. He’s
the one who births compassion. Who fuels justice. Who calls the Church to action.
He raises up preachers of hope. He nudges believers to serve. He empowers ministries of mercy with
supernatural endurance.
We don’t serve in our strength—we serve in His.
And we do it not for applause, but for obedience. Because Jesus, the King of the Kingdom, has already given
us the command:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor… as yourself.
But Jesus didn’t stop there. He gave us something even deeper: “A new commandment I give you, that you
love one another, just as I have loved you.”
That’s not casual love. That’s sacrificial love. Kingdom love.
And that love doesn’t stay locked within the walls of the Church. It begins there—but it flows out into the
world.
The urban church—your church—isn’t just a location. It’s a lighthouse. A signpost of God’s Kingdom in the
city.
So here’s the call:
If we claim to follow Jesus, we must reflect His mercy. If we’ve received grace, we must extend it. And if
we’ve been planted in a local church, we must begin the work right there.
Because in this city, in this moment, in this broken world…
Charity must begin at home.
And from there, it changes everything.