Book Reviews / Open Discusstion on Benevolence (1990)

Introduction and Purpose of Book Reviews

0:03 This adult Sunday school class was held on March 11th, 1990, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now, as most of you know, who attend here regularly, Pastor Lamar Martin would normally be leading us in this class, presently taking us through a most profitable exposition of the Epistle of James, and we have all greatly profited from that exposition, and I trust have found not only our minds enlightened, but our hearts better equipped to face the things that God brings into our lives. And as I contemplated what to do with this one hour that was allocated to me,

0:49 my mind was drawn to the fact that it's been some time since I have encouraged certain books, and since this is the forum for the... the education of the congregation, I am not at all reluctant to mention and underscore the value of certain books, and even strongly to urge the purchase and the reading of some of those books.

1:17 For any who may be visiting with us, a word of explanation is in order. We have a book service here in our church under the oversight of the elders and deacons, but it is part of the ministry of the church, and whenever we...

1:32 whenever we call something a ministry, it means that it is not something in which we are receiving for ourselves, but having freely received, we freely give. And we try to operate in a way that is fiscally responsible, so that the book ministry will basically cover its own costs, but even if and when that goal is realized on any consistent basis, there is no returning back into the general...

2:02 needs of the church, a quote, profit from the book ministry. And we want to make that clear with so much merchandising of the word of God in our day, we want to avoid all appearance of evil. Now, as I was thinking of an analogy to use to put what I want to say about some of these books into a context with which you can relate, I was thinking of the difference between good snack food, junk food,

Analogy of Books to Food and Initial Recommendations

2:38 an average person in a good, well-balanced, wholesome meal, and a well-prepared banquet of good food. And in a very real sense, books fit all of those categories by way of analogy. Some books are like junk food. Junk food is food that exercises all of the faculties of mastication and swallowing and absorption into the body, but very...

3:06 has very little nutritional value. In fact, many times, it has really negative influences upon the body. It may just store up a lot of useless calories, impart very few helpful vitamins and minerals, and be turned, very little of it, into useful carbohydrates, etc. Well, some books are junk food.

3:28 The best thing you can do with those things is leave them on the shelf, say, well, they look pretty, but avoid them. Don't clog up your spiritual system with spiritual junk food. But, just as there are some healthy snacks, there are books that could be likened to snack food. You pick up a little bit here and nibble on it, and pick up a little bit there and a little bit there, and it meets a need, but it does not do harm to the body.

3:54 And there are other books that are good, substantial meat and tater books. Nothing fancy about them, but they really sustain one's spiritual life when prayerfully read and assimilated, and then some, are like a banquet. Well, I want to start with the banquet and move downward. I believe one of the best banquets that I have seen, in terms of one book in my generation, is this one recently published by Evangelical Press, authored by our dear friend and esteemed brother in the ministry, Pastor Sam Waldron from our sister church in Grand Rapids, a modern exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith.

Detailed Review of Waldron's 1689 Confession Exposition

4:36 And there are many things to commend this book, but among the many, I would highlight two or three. First of all, the text of the confession itself is found in the book. So if you're working through the book, and some of you keep it by a nightstand, some of you keep it in a briefcase to read at lunch hour, on the train or plane, on to work, you don't need to have a confession of faith along with it. The text is printed in the book itself, and then after the printing of the text, there is a very clear outline of the contents of each one of the chapters in the confession.

5:16 And in the outline, the main headings are in very bold print, and the paragraphs are numbered. It is very easy to follow, not only in terms of the mental following, but even the visual. And the visual greatly helps in the mental. And then in the actual exposition, again, the outline is very clear, and the comments are not in the technical language of the theologian or the academy student, but it is in the language that I would say the average intelligent high school student could read and absorb with great profit, finding very, very little that would be beyond his grasp.

5:59 And that, to me, is one of the great benefits of this book, that it is not written for technical theologians but it is written for the people of God at large. And if you were to ask me if there is one volume which, if I prayerfully read and absorb its contents, will give me a grasp on the basic elements of systematic theology, that is, the doctrines of the Word of God as they relate to all of the major issues addressed in the Word of God, I believe I would now say that if I had to be limited to one book, it would be this exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith.

6:42 And we urge every one of you who is serious about his faith, serious about understanding and being able intelligently to convey and hopefully with great passion to defend our Confession insofar as it reflects the teaching of the Word of God, you could do no better than to wear out a copy of this book by pecking away at it. Now, see, most of us get intimidated when we see a book of some 400 pages. We say, look, never do that. Well, you don't look at it in terms of reading 400 pages.

7:18 You say, I'll peck away four or five pages at a time. And lo and behold, after a few months, you find you've gone a third of the way through. You say, well, that wasn't so bad. And then your confidence that you can work through with profit, the rest of it is increased, and then you will find it a great delight having begun, continued, and completed such a reading project.

7:40 I would furthermore say for those of you who have children entering their teen years, it might be well to use this as a textbook for your family devotions for a year and have your teenage children read the various paragraphs. Ask them, what does the paragraph say? So that you involve them in the actual teaching process at your school. And then you can start to get into your family worship.

8:08 We found over the years, and my wife and I still find now that the nest is empty, that variety and family worship is very crucial in keeping freshness. One dear man of God said, and I'll never forget it, he said, a rut is nothing but a grave with the ends kicked out. When you get in a rut, you're in a grave with the ends kicked out. And it's easy to get into a rut in personal, but at any point in our pilgrimage, I would like to suggest that that may be one way that you could as a family with great profit use this book.

Review of 'The Agony of Deceit' on Televangelists

8:43 A book which to change the imagery is penicillin. If someone is infected with a very strong ailment that needs the help of antibiotics, and then also functions like an inoculation against spiritual diseases, it is a book recently published called The Agony of Deceit. Now you can see, those of you familiar with the wide world of sport, a little couplet, The Joy of Victory, The Agony of Defeat.

9:28 Well, they have taken that and changed it to The Agony of Deceit. And the subtitle, What Some TV Preachers Are Really Teaching. Well, when Arif Khan was home recently, he handed me a copy of this book that had just been released down in Washington, where he was attending the convention at the direction of the mission. And he handed me a copy, and when I looked into, first of all, who commended it and why they commended it, and then I read what the purpose of the book was, I made it a matter of conscience to just take every spare minute through one week and read through the book, and I am thankful to God

10:10 that the Lord has moved the heart of this young Reformed Episcopal minister, Michael Horton, to edit this book. Now, the distinct and the most helpful contribution of this book is that it with great responsibility documents the doctrinal aberrations of some of the most widely listened to and widely supported televangelists. In other words, while the focus of the news media has been upon the moral deviations of Jim Baker, Jimmy Swaggart, and others, Horton's thesis is that the devil has really accomplished the diversionary tactic.

10:54 Because whereas the Bible nowhere says that a man who commits fraud, thievery, or adultery cannot be forgiven, the Bible does say that those who preach another gospel are accursed of God, and that heretics will be damned if they don't repent of their heresies. And to assure you that this is not just a narrow-minded, jealous person who only preaches to a few people, who has conjured up a case against men who are getting exposed to millions, the commendation comes from one of the broadest spectrums of evangelical, respected evangelical leaders of any book that I've seen published in recent days.

11:37 Jerry Bridges, author of the books that many of us have found so helpful on holiness, and godliness, and his book on the sovereignty of God as it applies to human suffering, greatly commends it. Warren Wiersbe, who was for years pastor of the Moody Church. Dr. Packer, whose reputation as a reformed theologian is known widely throughout the world.

12:07 Richard Halverson, chaplain to the Senate for years, and pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. There is a broad spectrum, Jay Adams as well, other names that you would not be familiar with, but it shows that the book is addressing matters that concern any who are committed to the most minimal evangelical religion. And the various authors demonstrate with clear documentation, they name the particular tape, and title of the tape, where a given televangelist has said things, the books, page number, etc.,

12:50 where they manifest a deviation in fundamental Christian theology all the way from false doctrines concerning the Trinity, doctrines concerning the nature of the indwelling of Christ and of the Holy Spirit and what that makes us, to their foolish teaching on healing, being something we can name and claim, health, wealth, prosperity, etc. It is an excellent book, and while hopefully there are not many of you who even have access to these various men, some of the names you would recognize when you perhaps read the book,

13:31 some of you may have seen some of these people, Kenneth Hagen and men like that. It may be that you have relatives and loved ones who are addicted to these televangelists, and you could do perhaps no better good for those loved ones than to read the book yourself, be familiar with its contents, and then give it to them with the prayer that they would read it and have their eyes opened to the basic heresies that are taught by so many of these men. The chapter by Michael Horton, why this book is the opening chapter, and then his chapter, number seven, the TV gospel,

14:15 is one of the finest statements of the fundamental difference between the evangelical gospel of scripture and the non-evangelical gospel of the televangelists. The chapter by Dr. Koop on faith healing and the sovereignty of God is masterful. Well, I don't want to say any more.

14:35 I hope I've said enough to give you an idea of what is in the book. And again, it's not written in a technical way that one needs to be very astute in technical theological terminology to grasp. It is written for the average intelligent who is concerned about truth.

Devotional and Historical Book Recommendations

14:58 Now then, moving into areas that are more devotional, I would like to recommend, if any of you have not yet purchased and read Pastor Hofstetler's book, Biblical Pastoral Oversight, this is basically a transcription of the lectures that he brought here and has brought elsewhere. He brought them here at our pastor's conference a couple of years ago with the whole concept of what is involved in the exercise of biblical oversight of the people of God. And for you who are new among us and have not heard the public instruction on these things, and you wonder, well, what is the biblical basis of one of my pastor's calling me and saying, we're going to set up our appointment.

15:42 I notice you filled in your name on such and such a week. Well, what lies behind that? Is that just a tradition that we have begun or inherited from others? This will help you to understand the solid biblical basis for that practice and hopefully give you a deeper appreciation for that practice in its ongoing application to our life together.

16:05 And then an excellent little booklet recently reprinted by Merle Daubigny, the great historian who has written so powerfully and movingly on the history of the Reformation, both in Europe and in England. I can remember the first time I read Daubigny's History of the Reformation, I had to discipline myself to limit my reading for just one hour a day when I was working through that double-columned thick book that is the four volumes in one. Because if I didn't, I found I got so caught up in the writing, I was spending more time doing that than I should be doing and causing other duties to go by the wayside.

16:45 Because Daubigny wrote church history not as a historian looking at these facts with no involvement, but with the soul of a passionate Christian who loved the truths of the Reformation and loved the reformers. And if you want fascinating reading, I urge you to read some of his historical works, but The Saintliness. And the heart of the man of God comes through in this lovely little treatise on family worship in which Daubigny sets out the biblical basis for family worship and then some very practical suggestions for the conducting of family worship.

17:25 And so for some of you again who are just beginning to feel your way in this area and you'd like some practical help from a proven servant of God, I highly recommend this work by Daubigny. And then one of the things, the men in the Academy know this, that I've tried to do over the years as a general ingredient of my own devotional life and remember as one laboring in the Word and in doctrine, I have not only further opportunity, but greater responsibility in this area. I don't have to punch a clock at 8 o'clock. I don't have to report to an office somewhere else at 9.

18:04 I'm laboring in the Word and in doctrine and therefore my devotional exercise is ought to reflect something of my appreciation of that privilege in their breadth and in their length as far as time is concerned. But even in those times when I am more pressed and in those times when I have had to put in my 40 hours at some other employment other than laboring in the Word, I often found it helpful to have what I call my pump primer for my devotions. Coming straight from the bed and maybe the kitchen where you've picked up a cup of coffee and go to your place of devotions, you may find it difficult to just come cold turkey to prayer or to the reading of the Word.

18:47 And over the years I have sought to take those more devotional treatises, many of them the Puritan works, I've worked through whole sets of the Puritan works, just pecking away three, four pages a morning as pump primers to get my mind and spirit in a praying and devotional frame. Well, I recently did that. With this wonderful treatise, it's really two treatises of Bunyan under one cover with the simple title of prayer. And Bunyan takes the phrase out of Ephesians 6 for his first treatise, praying with all prayer in the spirit.

19:24 What is it to pray in the spirit? And his second treatise is on the throne of grace, Hebrews 4.16. Let us come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.

19:40 And one of the ways I measure the benefit of any book on prayer is this. After reading a few pages, does it drive me to pray? And does it give me helpful directions in my prayers? And by applying that two-fold test to this book, it gets four-star rating.

19:59 Because as I recently completed it just about a week ago, 3190, so that's a couple of weeks, not quite two weeks ago, I found day after day as I would read three or four pages, take several of the headings, and then make them the very framework of my initial prayers and dealings with God, that this book not only taught me about prayer, but drove me to pray and helped me as I prayed. And I would urge upon you, if you do not have this volume and you've not worked through it, to purchase it and then to work through it again, just a couple of headings at a time. For example,

20:41 he takes the definition of prayer from the larger catechism and from the shorter catechism and takes phrase by phrase and just opens it up. And it's the kind of thing, for example, it is a sincere, sensible pouring out of our soul unto God. It is not, as many take it to be, a few babbling, prating, complimentary expressions, a sensible feeling in the heart. Prayer has its sensibleness of diverse things, sometimes sense of sin, sometimes of mercy received, sometimes of the readiness of God to give mercy.

21:25 And then he amplifies those three headings. Well, you can take just the first one one morning. A sense of the want of mercy by reason of the danger of sin. The soul feels and groans and breaks at the heart, for right prayer bubbles out of the heart, when it is overcome with grief and bitterness, as blood is forced out of the flesh by reason of some heavy burden that lies upon it.

21:51 Well, then you can spend time that morning making your prayers, prayers of confession and acknowledgement of need. Then the next heading is a sense of thankfulness for mercies received. So again, you're using the book not to say I read Bunyan on prayer, but to have Bunyan be one of God's gifts to the church to lead you into a richer prayer life. You say, Pastor Martin, at this stage, you've been a Christian almost 40 years, been in the ministry almost as long.

22:22 You need help for your devotions. Uh huh. Yes, I'm unashamed to say it. And I believe I'll go to my grave needing help.

22:31 Probably need them more the closer I get to the grave with the natural powers failing. Who knows what kind of helps may be needed? So none of us is beyond needing these helps. And as Paul said, all things are yours.

22:45 The safest of all of the gifts that Christ has given to his church to enrich it and who have left a legacy of their thought in worthwhile books. They are ours to be used for our spiritual profit. And then finally, a book for those of you who like to study history. And for those of you who don't have any appetite for history.

23:09 So we're taking the full spectrum for those of you who love history. You will pick up this book on the Great Awakening and it will move you because you're going to find names of places that are within a little more than a stone's throw of where we're meeting here today. When God visited in mighty power in that which is called the Great Awakening, this very area of New Jersey, right down into Newark, was visited by some marvelous visitations of the Spirit of God. And if you thought history is just an account of people and places and dates, what you read in this book is an account of the mighty works of God that will gladden your heart and then hopefully

23:52 will whet your appetite to plead with God that while thankful for everything he's done amongst us, there is yet much more that we need to seek from the hand of God. This is a history of the revival of religion in the time of Edwards and Whitfield by Joseph Tracy. It's been a recognized classic. For many years.

Encouragement for Reading and Sharing Books

24:15 Well, I keep saying every time I do this that I hope to do this more frequently and periodically as an aid and yet we're reluctant to cut into the ministry of the word. And so it gets put off and it's not done. But I hope you have not found this tedious but helpful. And again, we are not binding anyone's conscience to purchase any one of these books.

24:38 What I'm attempting to do is to persuade you that there is much good in each of these books and to urge you to consider whether or not you ought to purchase one or more of them and profit from them. Then let me make one final suggestion. When you've profited from a book, become an unpaid non-commissioned salesperson to see if you can persuade at least one other fellow believer to purchase that book with this promise that after he's purchased it, he then tells you when he's read it and that he will discuss with you whether or not your sales pitch went beyond the value of the book.

25:19 Can you imagine what would happen if every member of Trinity took that as a personal challenge? That in the next year I'm going to read at least one book that I truly profit from that with good conscience I can then seek to sell to another person. Not to get a profit, but that they might profit. And then to discuss the book together.

25:45 Hopefully this could be even an added means of making sure that when we meet together, our speech is that which is good to the use of edifying. All right, so much then for the books. Now then, I thought we would give you opportunity in the remaining 25 minutes to raise questions which you may have growing out of the expositions of the book of James. I'm sure there's some questions you might raise that I would not be prepared to answer since I've not done the careful exegetical study that Pastor Lamar has.

Transition to Open Discussion and Prayer

26:19 And if so, I would just tell you, you'll have to ask him when he gets back. But there may be some that I would be able to answer. There may be questions growing out of the other ministries of the word, Sunday morning, Sunday evening, or questions concerning the word of God or the Christian life and experience in general. Maybe some questions arising from some of the comments I made about some of these books.

26:44 Our only restriction is that those who are members raise the question and that you raise your hand and be recognized, ask your question, and then we'll seek to address it as we are able. Well, let's pray that God will bless them the remaining time together in this way.

27:06 Father, we give you thanks that we are privileged to live in this country, that you have sovereignly decreed that we should have by those who are English readers, the richest and the broadest deposit of biblical commentary, Christian biography on doctrine, the Christian life. And our Father, when we think of the tremendous legacy that is at our fingertips, we confess, O Lord, that we have been poor stewards of that legacy. And we pray that you would stir us up as a congregation, not only to

27:46 be avid readers of your word, but readers of those books which will help us better to understand your word and better to live out the precepts and principles of your word. And now, our Father, conscious that we are before you and in your presence, we pray that you would direct us if there are questions that ought to be entertained and discussed that are on the minds and hearts of your people. So direct our thought and discussion that it may result in your glory and in our edification. Bless us then, our Father, we plead in Jesus' name. Amen.

Question on Benevolence to Non-Christians

28:29 Now, I should say, lest anyone feel they want to bail me out if there were no hands raised, I always have a backup plan if there are no questions, and I do have a backup plan. I won't stand here and just look pleasant at you till the class is over. But I think I saw a hand already. Yes, Mrs. Mikowski.

28:47 How does the injunction of seeing our brother in need and turning away from him, how does that relate to our non-Christian friends and our non-Christian relationships? And I believe you asked that question growing out of the illustration that James uses of how love that doesn't express itself in benevolence is a dead love, so faith that does not express itself in works is a dead faith.

29:32 Well, there are several principles in the Word of God that relate to this question. Does someone want to set forth what some of those or one of those principles is? Here's the believer in the church with her brethren and with her sisters, and her question is not what should she do if she sees one of her brothers or sisters in the family of God in need, but out here there's another segment of people, those to whom she is bound by bloodlines or by blood and marriage lines, what we would call the extended family.

30:15 And we see them in temporal, physical, financial need. What is our responsibility, if any? How should we gauge the fulfillment of that responsibility? And then, of course, we could add to the question, what about people out here to whom we are bound by nothing other than a common humanity?

30:37 They're just fellow human beings in need. The homeless sleeping on the benches in Penn Station, etc. All right. Now, then, can anyone think of any biblical principles, any text of Scripture that guide us in these concerns?

Biblical Principles for Benevolence: Opportunity and Priority

30:54 All right, Bill.

31:26 Galatians 6 in verse 10. Could you all hear Bill over here? Oh, then, as we have opportunity or while we have opportunity, let us work that which is good towards all men. That would include our blood and marriage ties and those who are simply common humanity.

31:51 As we have opportunity, let us do good toward all men and especially toward those who are of the household of faith. And Bill has highlighted two words that are crucial. Number one, opportunity, and number two, priority. Opportunity.

32:11 That has to do with what we have that can be shared with others without in any way negating our clearly defined, God given responsibilities to those nearer at hand. Now, you remember what the Lord said to the Pharisees with the money that should have been given to indigent and needy parents? They said, sorry, mom and pop, I'm giving it to God at the temple. What did the Lord call them?

32:42 He called them hypocrites who were making void of the word of God. And you remember what we are told in First Timothy, chapter five, with respect to the care of one's widows in the extended family.

33:00 First Timothy, chapter five. But if any provides not for his own and in the context, the own are the widows to whom he is bound by ties of blood and marriage. Those that providentially are part of his extended family, if any man provides not for his own, especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. So this both demonstrates that our concern should go beyond the immediate family

33:38 of God to our extended family ties, but it also limits. It not only is inclusive, but it is exclusive and it does not bind our consciences to feel that we must be a Rockefeller who can throw a fistful of dimes at every widow anywhere under all circumstances. So let's add to this the Matthew 15 and the Luke seven. I mean, Mark seven is the parallel passage.

34:09 Let's put the scriptures down. Matthew, chapter 15, beginning with verse. Why do you transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God said, honor your father and your mother.

34:28 And he that speaks evil of father or mother, let him die the death. But you say whosoever shall say to his father or mother, that wherewith you might have been profited by me is given to God. He shall not honor his father. You've made void the word of God because of your tradition.

34:44 You hypocrites. So here our Lord flatly condemns people who are saying, well, I'm going to give to the church at the expense of taking care of the monetary implications of the fifth commandment. He calls that hypocrisy to obey is better than to sacrifice. OK, someone think of another passage that helps us answer this question.

Biblical Principles for Benevolence: Love for Enemies and Discretion

35:10 Yes, Diane, what was the text?

35:32 Yes, I thought you were in Luke. Yes, Luke, chapter six and verse thirty five and verse thirty five. Let's back up in the context. The Lord is urging us in verse twenty seven to love our enemies and to do good to those who hate us, to bless those that curse us and to pray for them to despitefully use us.

35:59 So now we may have some relatives that are very nasty to us because of our Christian testimony or for other reasons or even people in the world. And what does the Lord tell us to do? Well, verse twenty nine is a concrete example of we must maintain a spirit of non retaliation. You see, Jesus seldom states a principle in the abstract, he fleshes it in a concrete application to him that smites you on the one cheek or for the other, also he that would take away your cloak.

36:29 Withhold not your coat. In other words, don't have the spirit of tit for tat retaliation. The opposite of that give to everyone who asks of you. Now, that is not a blanket thing that every bum and indigent person that comes up and asks for a handout you're to give without consideration of anything else.

36:49 Any one scripture must be compared with the whole witness of scripture. But again, it's an underscoring in a concrete way, the opposite of the person who's always thinking in terms of how much he can grasp. If you could draw his soul on a blackboard, you draw a clenched fist. Jesus said, have a soul which is drawn on a blackboard would be an open hand ready to distribute, give to him that would ask of you and from him that would borrow you.

37:19 And turn not away. I'm quoting from memory now where I'm. Yes, I'm sorry. And of him that takes away your goods, ask them not again.

37:27 It's another text that says him that would borrow a few. And as you would that men should do to you, do you also to them likewise? And if you love those who love you, what thank if you even sinners love those that love them and if you do good to them who do good to you, what thank if you for even sinners do the same and if you lend to them of whom you hope. To receive what thank have you even sinners lend to sinners and receive again as much but love your enemies, do them good and lend never despairing and your reward shall be great and you should be sons of the most high for his kind toward

38:07 the unthankful and the evil does God shower his gifts upon those extended family members saved or unsaved and those who are simply part of the common humanity. Yes. Be like me, be like me in showing benevolence to all men, even to those who show a hostile attitude to you as those expressions of benevolence are appropriate. All right.

38:35 Now, I know you can think of a hundred questions. Yeah, but what about and let's try to get these many of the basic text that can guide us as we think of this question. Someone else have a passage. Yes, Eric pivotal text in this area of concern.

39:05 Proverbs 3 verses 27 and 28 withhold not good from them to whom it is due. Now, there's a key concept do not withhold good for them to whom it is due. Now that means we've got to make a judgment is something due to this relative factors that helped me to determine that are many will try to get into a few of them in the time before we finish but it must be due to them. That indicates that we have to exercise discretion.

39:42 Hold not good from them to whom it is due. The indication is not have an obligation give to everyone in anyone regardless of the circumstances a judgment must be made is it do them secondly when adverb of time when it is in the power of your hand to do it. You remember what God says to the Apostle Paul if a willingness is there is that it is accounted that a man has not that he has not and you may see someone to whom you feel benevolence is due but you don't have the power.

40:22 So all you can say is brother if I had the wherewithal right now plunk out $7,000 go down to Connor Chevrolet and get you a nice two and a half year old car with low mileage so you wouldn't have to drive around that bucket of bolts with the bottom dropping out in the right. God knows I don't have that money but I want you to know if I did I counted a privilege to do it for you but it's not in my power to do so. So when it is in the power of your hand to do it now then comes the exhortation do not say to your neighbor go and come again and tomorrow I'll give it you.

41:06 In other words don't put off the act of benevolence because in so doing what you're really saying is I hope the circumstances will change that. You don't have to respond to that need when you see the need and person has that thing do to him in terms of other factors then you're to respond to it say not to your neighbor go and come again and tomorrow I will give now notice the word again when you have it by you you're not saying go and come again tomorrow and I'll draw it out of the bank. You've got the cash in hand. You've got the second coat in your.

41:46 You've got the third car in your garage. You have the thing this person needs. You have it readily available and the only thing that would keep you from responding to that need at that point immediately is a narrow spirit writer. The Proverbs says don't do that.

Biblical Principles for Benevolence: Examples and Conscience

42:06 All right. So let's add Proverbs 7 and 8. All right and the other pivotal text. Yes.

42:17 All right Dean example of David's kindness to Mephibosheth. In second Samuel 9 you remember from Mephibosheth was Saul's lame son. And when David is brought back into a place of blessing and safety and stability he says are there any relatives of Saul to whom I can show kindness and they said yes he's got a lame son and he secured a place at his own table from the Mephibosheth for the rest of his life. I'm glad I could say it twice without getting hung up on it.

42:52 That's a hard one. Mephibosheth. Really test. Whether your lips are awake in the morning.

42:57 So there's what we might call not a precept but we could put that in the realm of Biblical examples of benevolence and generosity. And here that grew out of course of David's loyalty and covenant with Jonathan the other son of Saul whose love and friendship was deeper and stronger than even David said the love of any woman. All right. Any other examples of precepts.

43:24 Yes Randy. What's the point with the parable of the Good Samaritan. What had the Jews done with regard to the mandate of God in the Old Testament. Love thy neighbor as thyself.

43:43 What had they done with that verse Randy. My neighbor is only someone else in Israel owes that fallacy gives this parable of the Good Samaritan in order to teach that any human being who is part of common humanity is my neighbor and I'm to love my neighbor as myself

44:28 and where possible to respond to that need given the other factors of my other Biblical responsibilities which must always be taken into consideration. All right. Several other passages. Yes.

44:40 All right Beth 317 ever you do do all in the name of our Jesus and Beth's observation is that if in a given situation where there is an appeal.

45:21 If we cannot with conscience to God respond to that need and therefore in the name of Christ that is give conscious of his authority conscious of the guidelines of his word then we should not be bullied into feeling. We must give to that thing. Now that's one of the reasons why I have a standing commitment. I will never respond to appeals that come to me by the telephone.

45:51 I always tell the people look please send me literature concerning that need and I will seek responsibly to consider that need and that's not just a polite put off when they send me the literature. I read it. I support certain non-Christian causes because I believe they fit Galatians 6 10 and I'm in a position at this stage in my life where I can do that when I had other pressing responsibilities. Christian school bills in the number of other things in the lower income et cetera.

46:26 I couldn't support such and such a hospital such and such a cause that is not Christian at all. But is like the hospice in in Montclair. I have firsthand experience of the kind treatment that they give to terminal cancer patients. It's a worthy cause with good conscience.

46:45 I can give my annual contribution but when I get an appeal such and such a thing by doing this. You can help little children who are having dialysis treatment. I say look please send me your literature. I have a policy.

46:59 I do not respond to appeals over the phone. Then I can prayerfully without somebody finding that hook of tenderness in me and taking advantage of me cause me to do something that I would not do upon more rational reflective thought. All right. So that we must be able to do what we do in the name of the Lord.

47:22 Jesus Christ confident that it is pleasing to him. It is honoring to him. We can do it with a good conscience. Someone else had his hand raised here.

Biblical Principles for Benevolence: Work Ethic and Conclusion

47:30 Yes. Cliff. Well yes. We should give to his family.

47:36 Second that's a good thing. Now when we start coming to ask the question what factors should guide us whether or not we should respond in any given situation. Mr. Kitchen is suggested.

47:57 Here's one factor. Here comes a guy and says you know I'm hungry. And you know can you give me a meal. So you start asking some questions.

48:07 And if the reason he's hungry is that he's chronically lazy refuses to work all says treat him with tough love. Give him a bite to eat. Let him get so hungry that his stomach begins to play a tune on his backbone. And then it'll start driving his feet to a place of gainful employment.

48:27 Now imagine telling Christians to be so hard hearted that a man appearing at your door with a growling. Stomach and you won't even give him a crust of bread. But that's exactly what the passage says. If any man will not work let him not eat.

48:44 You people of God withdraw yourself from a disorderly brother who has become a panhandler in the church a lazy panhandler. So there's a limitation if a man will not work let him not if a man wills to work and is not able to work. We have the ability to help him eat and don't then Matthew 25 frightens me. I was sick.

49:14 I was hungry. You fed me not think that the Lord say that to us. So you see withhold not good from them to whom it is due. We may have to ask some questions get some information before we decide to draw in and not respond or to open up and to respond.

49:35 All right some other principles that should guide us. Another hand here earlier. I thought I saw four all at once. All right someone else you got a passage or a biblical perspective that should help guide us.

49:49 Yes Ron other injunction that fits in with the Luke passage. I didn't put up here the Luke 6 passage. We are to show kindness and benevolence to our enemies. Well folks it's 1031.

50:32 I just looked at my watch so we're going to have to stop right here and maybe for another discussion time. You ought to be looking now. For what principles guide us in terms of amount how frequently Etc. But certainly one of the pivotal text is that first one that that Bill enunciated that sets the basic framework that opportunity and then the priority of commitment to the Church of God and to the people of God.

51:01 But that is not to be an exclusive response even the responsibilities to the extended family first Timothy chapter 5 and even to. Our enemies. So if we're going to obey the word of God we need wisdom don't we and we need to cry to God to help us that we may wisely live up the precepts of his holy word. Let's pray do thank you that once again we have been privileged to come to the scriptures believing that on every question pertaining to life and godliness.

51:39 They are the sufficient as well as the only rule of faith and the practice. We thank you even for these portions that have been brought to our attention and we ask that as a people we will be like you are heavenly father that we will manifest your large hearted benevolent spirit that we will never wrongly reflect you Lord you are not a tight-fisted God. May we not misrepresent you with a tight-fisted spirit. Oh God make us generous.

52:16 Having freely received may we freely and joyfully give enable us regardless of our station in life regardless of how tight our budgets may be or how much you have granted us in excess of a mere subsistence existence that each one of us may feel his stewardship in this matter of responding to the needs of men guide us we pray and bless these. To our hearts in Jesus name. Amen.