Some of us old folks over 40 know what it was like to be a hot, thirsty traveler. We can recall the days before cars had air conditioning and before every street corner had a fast food restaurant. I will never forget the summertime trips our family used to take from Kansas Qty to Minnesota. There were six of us packed into our 1939 Chevrolet. I sat in the back with two of my younger brothers, while my youngest brother sat up front with my mother and father. It was crowded and it was hot! Driving through Iowa was always the worst. Mile after mile the flat farmland rolled past the window like an endless scroll of scorched parchment. As the miles crawled by, the hot Iowa air blew in through the open windows. Shimmering heat rose from the narrow ribbon of pavement creating mirages that looked like pools of water on the highway. In the crowded back seat, we would begin squirming, fidgeting, arguing, and poking each other with our elbows. Finally, one of us (or all four of us) would start to whine, "Daddy, I’m thirsty!" After what seemed like forever, we would finally pull in at a small town gas station with rest rooms and a soft drink machine. Boy, did those frosty bottles of Coke ever taste good!

Wall Drug of South Dakota made its name by giving away free ice water, but they wouldn’t get much business anymore if that were all they had to offer. Today, air conditioned cars and McDonald’s have cut down on thirsty travelers in this country. However, there are still a lot of people who are emotionally and spiritually thirsty. In Matt. 10:42 Jesus praises a cup of cold water given in love. These "cups of cold water" are not some major philanthropic production; they are simple acts done in love. While they may be simple, their effect is often far reaching. Let us look at some examples of "cups of cold water" that you can offer to someone in the thirsty crowd that surrounds you.

Write a letter or note of encouragement to someone. Maybe the person doesn’t even have a problem that you know of, but write anyway. How about a brother who held a meeting and brought a message you found especially helpful or timely? Maybe someone has done something nice for you lately or given you joy; tell them. If you have been helped, tell them. If you are willing to help, tell them. If you are sorry, tell them. If you are grateful, tell them. Be kind, supportive, and sensitive. And remember, when you write that letter, to reach_and not just preach.

Writing a letter is great, but personal contact is even better. Do you know a single parent or a young couple that doesn’t get out too often? Offer to baby sit (and mean it). Or, have you ever considered visiting an institutionalized child on a regular basis? There are plenty of handicapped and orphan children living lonely lives.

Maybe you know someone who lives alone. Do you invite that person over for a meal on a regular basis? If there is an older person or couple in your neighborhood, do they need their snow shoveled or lawn mowed? Have you considered becoming friends with a lonely person in a nursing home? The list goes on, and there are plenty of other small ways in which you can reach out. Although they may seem small to you, I can assure you that they are not small in the impact that they will make on the recipients (or on you).

"I Was A Stranger, and Ye Took Me In"

Without shelter, none of us would survive the driving rain, the cold winds of winter, and the burning sun of summer. Earlier we talked about the people living in the streets. Huddled over ventilator grates they strain to catch a little of the warmth wafting up from under ground. Some live in caves, under bridges, or in cardboard boxes. Some live there by choice, and some live there because they have no other choice.

Taking in strangers, though, goes beyond just providing people with a place to sleep. We all need the emotional shelter that being loved and wanted brings. Who can count the number of people who are friendless, unloved, and unwanted? To be a friend takes no money, no education, no special qualifications except love and caring. Is there a person on this earth who is unworthy of your friendship?

A roof over our heads and a friend we can depend on are nice, but spiritual shelter is also vitally important. Are you inviting strangers into your assembly? I mean, not just asking them to come, or letting them come if they want, but making them feel comfortable and welcome at the meetings?

"Naked, and Ye Clothed Me"

Even if we have shelter, we cannot always stay in the house. Sooner or later we have to put on our clothes and go outside_if we have clothes, that is. In order to interact normally with those around us, we all need to be clothed with a certain amount of self-worth and self-respect. One of the biggest mistakes that Christians often make is to confuse a positive self-image with pride. Pride says, "I’m pretty good," and takes all the credit. A positive self-image says, "I’m a worthwhile person," and gives God all the credit. Every person is precious in God’s eyes, and every person has a role to play in God’s scheme of things. Of course, to fulfill God’s will and be the person that God intended, we must be converted. But isn’t that our goal for everyone?

Spiritually, we need to be clothed with the robe of righteousness provided by the Lord Jesus Christ as a result of His death at Calvary. Clothed in His righteousness, we need not hide in shame as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden. We can confidently stand before a righteous God, secure in the knowledge that our blood-bought robe meets His dress code. Unfortunately, not all Christians have the assurance that they are forever without sin or blame in God’s eyes. They need to be shown the practical implications of being sheltered by the blood of Christ. Not told, but shown.

Let us not leave the subject of clothing without discussing the physical need. Most of us have clothing to excess and we tend to forget that there are people in our country and throughout the world who are critically short of clothing. Some are literally naked, and many lack adequate clothing for protection and warmth. Giving clothing to the poor is something that has sort of gone out of style with the coming of the welfare system, but maybe there are still some people out there who would welcome some good used clothing. Have you looked?

"I Was Sick, and Ye Visited Me"

No miracle cures or great words of wisdom are mentioned; just a visit. We all know that sickness pervades all three realms of our being_physical, emotional, and spiritual. To physical sickness, none of us is a stranger. As for emotional sickness, if anyone says they have never experienced an emotional "downer," then they likely have a very short memory. Spiritual sickness is, of course, familiar to all of us because we each once suffered from the deadly disease called sin. Okay, so sickness is common, but what do we do about it?

The verses in Matthew make the way to help the sick seem very clear_visit them. How long has it been since you visited a sick person_someone who was physically, emotionally, or spiritually ill? Have you prayed for them? Fine, but have you visited them as well? How else will they be comforted, cheered, and encouraged?

"I Was in Prison, and Ye Came unto Me"

Ah, prisoners_the scum of the earth! Now there is a group to stay away from! Surely, Jesus didn’t mean we should visit real convicts_people who have committed crimes? Certainly He must have been referring to innocent people who have been put into prison_like the apostle Paul.

But there it is in black and white with no qualification, and it is in Jesus’ own words:"I was in prison, and ye came unto Me." You cannot escape the literal meaning. Yes, I know there is a figurative application as well. There is certainly a spiritual prison of unconfessed sin, and yes, there is an emotional prison of depression and mental illness. But there really are Christians in real jail cells who have committed real crimes. I know that doesn’t surprise you, but some of us act as if it does. We who broke God’s law to smithereens stay as far as we can from people who broke man’s laws (and were caught). Have you ever gone to a prison? Have you ever even written a letter to someone in prison? When are you going to start?

Be Prepared

Warning:Reaching out can be hazardous! You must be aware of this fact, and willing to accept the risk.

You may lose your possessions, your job, and the people you thought were your friends. You will be yelled at and laughed at, and you may be beaten or killed. You and your help will sometimes be rejected, and help that is accepted will often be taken without gratitude. You will be taken for granted and taken advantage of. You will be frustrated and depressed by situations you are powerless to change.

I guarantee that some or all of these things will happen to you. Can you take it? As an ordinary person, perhaps not; but as a child of God you will have His strength to see you through. Just remember that whatever problems you encounter, you will be in the best of company. Sit down and read through any or all of the Gospels, looking especially at how our Lord was treated. Do you expect_or want_better treatment for yourself?

Be prepared to give your money, to give your possessions, to give your time, to give yourself. We have all settled down in this world as if it were our eternal home. You have probably bought a nice house, furniture, clothes, a car (or cars), and maybe a vacation cottage and a boat. You have your career, your friends, your entertainment, and your hobbies. Now that you have succumbed to the seduction of "the good life," it will not be easy to follow Christ’s command:"Take up [your] cross and follow Me" (Matt. 16:24). I am not suggesting that you quit your job and sell everything you own, but you should ask yourself why you have so much when Jesus had so little. Could it be that you have laid His cross down in the vacant lot behind your house? Is it lying out there lost in the weeds? If it is, and if you choose to take it up again, be prepared to lose all on account of Christ.

Be prepared for disappointment. Your motives will be suspected, and you may be deeply hurt when your attempts to help are spurned. Your best efforts will often appear to be in vain. The more you do, the more you will find that needs to be done. Lost souls whom you try to bring to Christ will continue their resolute march down the road toward hell. Fellow Christians will continue to be seduced by the vanities of the world. Physical, emotional, and spiritual problems will rage almost unabated. Remember, though, the tears you shed will be the same tears that Jesus shed when He was here on earth.

Be prepared by having your own life under control. First, get your mind off yourself and onto Christ. If you are building a monument to MYSELF/MINE/ME/I, you are going to have trouble focusing on the needs of others. Second, make Jesus your friend and constant companion. A solid, personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is the best insurance you can get against the hazards of reaching out to others. Maintain and build this relationship by daily reading of God’s Word and daily talks with your Lord. Third, be ready to say along with the apostle Paul, "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:for whom I have suffered the loss of all things" (Phil. 3:8).

To conclude this series on "Reaching or Preaching?" let us summarize some of the ways to be prepared for reaching out:

1. Be prepared to spend your most precious possession_ time_on someone who may not appreciate what you are doing.

2. Be prepared to suffer the loss of everything.

3. Be prepared to change your cherished plans when an opportunity to help someone comes along.

4. Be prepared to seek such opportunities, not just wait for them to hit you in the face.
5. Be prepared to stay involved once you have gotten involved. If you don’t stay with a person once you have become involved, you may do more harm than good.

6. Be prepared to look and listen for ways to reach out that others have missed.

7. Be prepared to give people Christian love, not pity.

8. Be prepared by spending part of every day reading God’s Word, and talking with your Lord and Saviour.

Now go. Do what you can to meet people’s needs. Christ died that you might live. Living to help the people He loved enough to die for is the least you can do for Him.