The Lord Jesus Christ is amazing. This morning I woke up feeling excited because I was going meet my family—you. You are strangers to me. I am a stranger to you. Yet I could love you as my family, and I trust, you would love me as your family too. The Lord Jesus is amazing. We could love one another as family even though we are total strangers, come from different countries, and speak different languages.

Many of these people are poor. I wish I could do something more. The fact is, however, I could give to some people, but I could not give to every poor Christian although they are my family. The needs don’t end here. Many also have emotional needs and spiritual needs, which are no less acute than the financial needs. Thus, I am their family member who could do very little, if any, to help. Does it mean that they are destined to go hungry physically, emotionally, and spiritually? Of course not. This is where we see most clearly the cleverness of our God—the church, more precisely, the local church. The local church refers to a group of Christians who regularly worships together at a particular location. For instance, Tree of Life Christian Church is a local church that worships at Woodlands. If a person is a Christian who regularly and faithfully attends a local church, the local church is powerful and can surely help him or her. God promises in the Bible that “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matt 16:18). Not only is the church protected against the power of death, but the church is also well equipped to meet the needs of God’s people,

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

A sample of the many gifts include the following: “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully” (Rom. 12:6-8).

These gifts are given to a local church—the church in which you worship regularly. The important point is: through the local church, God supplies what a Christian needs to live out their days on earth. In other words, what God expects of you is not to help Christians in the whole world (speaking rhetorically). You can and should, if special needs arise. That, however, is not your main responsibility. Your main responsibility is to minister to Christians you meet regularly on Sundays. If every Christian in each local church does their part, the needs of Christians will be met. Such a way of helping Christians can be achieved (and is sustainable). To depend on one or two wealthy, spiritual, and capable Christian to meet the needs of the whole world (speak rhetorically) is simply impossible[!]. Neither is it God’s will or method. No, God is cleverer than that—he descentralises the care system.

The important question is this: are you doing your part in meeting the needs of Christians in the church in which you worship regularly, that is, your local church? If not, it is time to do something today for Christians in your church and who are in need. Pray, serve, give, care, and love the Christian you meet in your church.