Book Reviews + Open Discussion on Benevolence

Introduction to Book Reviews and the Church Book Service

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, 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... For 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 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 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 Categories

2:35 the ordinary fare of 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 the swallowing, and absorption into the body, but has very little nutritional value.

3:08 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. The best thing you can do with those things is leave them on the shelf, say, well, they look pretty, but avoid them.

3:33 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. And there are other books that are good, substantial meat and tater books.

Book Recommendation: Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith

3:58 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'll 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, all ministry, Pastor Sam Waldron from our sister church in Grand Rapids, a modern exposition of the 1689 Baptist Church, and this is the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. 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, or 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.

5:04 It's 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. 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 these 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. 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's one volume which, if I prayed 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,

6:26 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, the exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. And we urge every one of you who is serious about his faith, serious about understanding and being intelligent to convey and to defend our Confession insofar as it reflects the teaching of the Word of God, you could do no better than to wear out 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. You now 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.

7:26 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. I would furthermore say, for those of you who have children entering their teens, it might be well to use this as a textbook for your family devotions for a year, and have your teenage children read. Ask them, what does the paragraph say, so that you involve them in the actual teaching process at your family worship.

8:05 We found over the years, and my wife and I still find, now that the nest is empty, that 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. Well, when you get in a rut, you're in a grave with the ends kicked out. In personal, as well as family devotions, 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.

Book Recommendation: The Agony of Deceit

8:45 Now, another book which, to change the imagery, is penicillin. One is infected with a very, that needs the antibiotic. Penicillin also seems like an inoculation against diseases, is a book recently published called The Agony of Deceit. Now, you can see, those of you familiar with the wide world, have taken that, The Agony of Deceit, and the subtitle, What Some TV Preachers Are Reading. Well, when 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 that the Lord has moved the heart

10:12 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 aberration of some of the widely 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, Mr. Horton's thesis is that the devil has really accomplished the diversionary tactic.

10:53 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 person who only preaches to a few people, who has conjured up a case against men who are getting exposed, 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. Jerry Briggs, author of the books that many of us have found helpful and his book on the sovereignty of God as it applies to suffering, greatly, Caspi, who was for, whose reputation as a reformed theologian, widely throughout, Richard Halverson, chaplain to the Senate for years, pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church, in Washington, D.C. There is a broad spectrum, J. Adams as well,

12:20 other names would not be familiar with, but it shows that the book addressing matters that concern who are committed to the most minimal evangelical religion. And the various demonstrate, particular tape, has said things, they manifest a deviation in fundamental Christian theology concerning the Trinity, doctrines, and the nature of the indwellings and of the Holy Spirit and what that makes us. To their foolish teaching on healing is an excellent book, and while hopeful, there are not many of you who even have to these various men. Some of the names recognized when you perhaps read the book, 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 televisions,

13:43 and you could do 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 to the basic things that are taught of these men. The chapter by Horton, why the book is the opening chapter, and then his chapter number seven, the TV Gospel, is one of the finest statements of the fundamental difference between the evangelical gospel of Scripture and the non-evangelical gospel of televangelism. Dr. Coupe on faith healing and the sovereignty of God is masterful. Well, I don't want to say any more. 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 a technical theological terminology to grasp.

Book Recommendation: Biblical Pastoral Oversight

14:48 It is written for the average, intelligent, about, now then, more devotional. I would like to recommend, if any of you have not yet, Perster Hofstetler's book, Biblical Pastoral Oversight. This is basically a transcription of the lectures that he brought here and elsewhere at his conference a couple of years ago with the whole concept of what is involved in the biblical oversight of the people of God. And for you who are new among us and have not heard the public instruction on it, and you wonder, well, what is the biblical basis of one of my pastors calling me and saying, we're going to set up our appointment, 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? 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 and to the world.

15:56 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

16:00 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

16:04 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

16:08 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

16:14 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

16:18 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

16:22 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

16:26 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

16:30 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

16:34 Thank you. I got so caught up in the writing, I was spending more time doing that than I should be doing.

Book Recommendation: Daubigny on Family Worship

16:43 I used to go by the wayside, because Daubigny wrote not as 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. And so for some of you, again, who are just beginning to feel your way and you'd like some practical help from a proven servant of God, I highly recommend this work by... Daubigny.

Book Recommendation: Bunyan's Treatises on Prayer

17:38 And then one of the things, the men in the Academy know this, that I've tried to do over the years, 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 report to an office at 9, I'm laboring in the Word and in doctrine, and therefore my devotional exercise is something of my appreciation of that privilege in their...

18:14 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 to put in my 40 hours, 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...

18:46 reading of the Word. And over the years, I ought to take those more devotional treatises, and many of them, the Puritan works, I've worked through whole sets of the Puritan works, pecking away three, four pages a morning, as 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...

19:16 And Bunyan takes the... Praise out of Ephesians 6 for his first treatise, Praying with all...

19:24 What is it to pray?

19:27 And his second treatise is on the throne of grace, based on... Hebrews 4.16 Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, so we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need. 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,

20:13 just take several of the headings, and then make them the very framework of my initial... This book not only taught me about prayer, helped me as I prayed.

20:29 And I would urge you, if you do not have this volume, and you've not read it, to purchase it, and then to work through it again, just a couple of headings at a time. For example, he takes the definition of prayer from the...

20:44 ...catechism, from the shorter catechism, and takes phrase by...

20:50 ...opens it up, and it's the kind of thing, for example, it is a sincere, sensible...

20:59 ...unto God.

21:01 As many take it to be, a few babbling, prating, complimentary expressions, but a sensible feeling, in the heart.

21:12 Sensibleness, sometimes sense of... ...sometimes of mercy received.

21:20 Sometimes of the readiness of God, mercy. And then he amplifies those headings. Well, you can take this one one morning. A sense of the want of mercy by reason of the danger 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... ...and acknowledgement of need.

22:00 Then the next heading is a sense of thankfulness for mercies received. So again, you're using the...

22:07 ...not to say, I read Bunyan on prayer.

22:10 ...Bunyan be one of God's...

22:13 ...to lead you...

22:15 ...a richer prayer...

22:16 You say, Pastor Martin, at this stage, you've been a Christian almost 40 years, been in the ministry almost as long, you need... ...for your devotions?

22:25 Uh-huh. Yes. I'm unashamed to say that. ...to say that.

22:28 And I believe I'll go to my grave needing helps. Probably need them more the closer I get to the grave. With the natural powers...

22:36 ...what kind of helps may be needed.

22:39 So, none of us is beyond needing these helps. And as Paul said, all things are yours.

Book Recommendation: Tracy's History of the Great Awakening

22:48 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 as a spiritual prophet. And then finally, a book for those of you who like to...

23:04 ...to study history, and for those of you who don't have any appetite for history.

23:08 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...

23:18 ...you're going to find...

23:21 ...better with...

23:24 ...we're meeting here today.

23:26 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... ...and if you thought history...

23:40 ...is an account...

23:45 ...what you read in this book is an account of the mighty works of God that will gladden your heart, and then, hopefully, will whet your appetite to plead with God that while thankful for everything He's done, there is yet much more that we need to see from the hand.

24:04 This is a history of the revival of religion in the time of... ...by Joseph Tracy.

24:10 It's been a recognized classic for many years. Well, I keep saying every time I do this, that I hope to do this more frequently and periodic as an aid, and yet we're reluctant to cut in to the ministry of the Word, and it gets put off and is not done, but I hope you have not found this tedious, but helpful, and again, we are not buying one's conscience to purchase any one of these books. 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 these books. and profit from them.

Challenge to Share Profitable Books

24:51 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 the value of the book. 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. 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.

Transition to Open Discussion on Benevolence

25:55 So much then for the book. Now then, I thought we would give you opportunity in the remaining 25 minutes to raise questions which you may have growing out the expositions of the book of James. I'm sure there's questions you might raise that I would not be prepared to answer. A careful exegetical study that Pastor Lamar has.

26:20 I would just tell you your skin 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.

26:31 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. 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.

27:05 Our Father, we give you thanks that we are privileged to live in this country, that you have sovereignly decreed that we should have to our English readers the richest and the broadest deposit of biblical commentary, Christian by 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, but we are stewards of that legacy. And we pray that you would stir us up as a congregation, not only to be avid readers of your word, but readers of those which will help us better to understand and better to learn the precepts and principles of your word. And now, our Father, conscious 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 discussion that it may result in your glory and in our edification. Bless us, then, our Father, we plead in Jesus' name.

28:29 Amen.

Biblical Principles for Benevolence: Priority and Opportunity

28:31 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 until the class is over. But I think I saw a good plan.

28:45 I saw a hand raised. Yes, Mrs. Mikowski. Does that relate to our worldly relationships?

29:00 All right. The question is, how does the injunction of seeing our brother in need and turning away from him, how does that relate to Christians and our 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, Kowski, 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,

30:09 or by blood and marriage, we would call,

30:17 in temporal, physical, financial need. What is the responsibility, if any, 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 by nothing other than a common humanity? They're just fellow human beings in need.

30:39 The homeless sleeping on the benches in Penthouse, station, etc. All right? Now then, can anyone think of any biblical principles, any text of Scripture, that...

30:54 All right, Bill? Very good. Galatians 6, in verse 10. Could you all hear Bill over here?

31:32 So then, as we have opportunity, or while we have opportunity, let us work that which is good towards... That would include our blood, and have opportunity, let us do good toward...

31:56 especially toward... Number one, opportunity.

32:06 And number two, priority.

32:10 Opportunity. That has...

32:13 What we have...

32:16 ...cared with others.

32:22 God-given responsibilities to those...

Biblical Principles for Benevolence: Family Responsibility

32:28 Now, you remember what the Lord said to the Pharisees?

32:32 The money that had been given to indigent and needy parents, they said, Sorry, Mom, and... But at the temple, what did the Lord call them?

32:42 He called them hypocrites, who were making void the word... Timothy, chapter 5.

32:51 ...to the care of widows in the extended family.

32:59 1 Timothy, chapter... verse 8.

33:06 But if any provides not for his own... In the context, the widows are part of his extended family.

33:21 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 of God to our extended family tithes. But it also...

33:47 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 the theme and the Luke 7...

34:07 I mean, Mark 7 is the parallel passage. Let's put the scriptures down. Matthew, chapter 15, beginning...

34:15 beginning with verse 3. Why do you transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God said, Honor your father and your mother, 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, shall not honor his father.

34:41 You've made void the word of God because of your tradition, 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.

Biblical Principles for Benevolence: Love for Enemies and Discretion

35:03 Okay? Someone think of another passage that helps us answer this question.

35:10 Yes? Diane? All right, and what was the text?

35:31 Yes, I thought you were in Luke. Yes, Luke chapter 6 and verse 35.

35:39 Luke 6. And verse 35.

35:43 Let's back up in the context. The Lord is urging us in verse 27 to love our enemies and to do good, to bless those and to pray for them to despitefully use us. So now we lose because of our Christian testimony or for other reasons or even people in the world. And what does the Lord tell us to do?

36:09 Well, verse 29 is a concrete example of creation.

36:17 Seldom states a principle in the abstract. He fleshes it in a concrete application. To him that smites you on the one cheek, offer the other also. He that would take away your cloak, withhold not your coat.

36:30 In other words, don't 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 a blackboard, you'd have a soul which if drawn on a...

37:11 would be an open... ready to distribute.

37:15 Give to him that would ask of you. And from him that would borrow of you, turn not away...

37:21 I'm quoting from memory now where I'm... Yes.

37:23 I'm sorry. And of him that takes away your goods, ask them not again. It's another text that says him that would borrow of you. And as you would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

37:35 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.

37:46 And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what thank if 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 shall be sons of the Most High, full thankful in the evil. Does God shower his gifts upon those extended family members, saved or unsaved, and those who are simply part of...

38:17 Yes. God says be like me. Be like me in showing benevolence to all men, even to those who show a hostile attitude to you as expressions of benevolence are appropriate. All right?

38:35 Now, I know you can think of a hundred questions. Yeah, but what about...

38:38 But let's try to get as many of the basic texts that can guide us as we think of this question. Someone else have a passage. Yes, Eric? Verse 27.

38:55 All right. One of the pivotal texts in this area of concern. Proverbs 3, verses 25, 27, and 28. Withhold not good from them to whom it is due.

39:14 Now, there's a key. Do not withhold good from them to whom it is due. Now, that means we've got to make a judgment. Is something due to this relative?

39:28 Now, the factors that help me to determine that are many. We'll 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 withhold not them to whom it is due.

39:46 The indication is I do give everyone and anyone regardless of the circumstances. A judgment must be made. Is it due them? Secondly, when, adverb of time,

40:06 you remember what said the Apostle Paul?

40:11 It is accounted that a man has, not that he has not. And you may see someone to whom it is due, but you don't have the power.

40:25 All you can say is, brother, if I write now, 7,000, go down to Conner's Chevrolet and get you a nice two and a half to drive around that bucket of boats with the bottom dropping out and the right. But God knows, I don't have that money. But I want you to know, if I did, I'd count it. But it's not in my power to do so.

40:55 So when it is in the power of your hand to do it, now then, do not.

41:04 And tomorrow, in other words, don't act with benevolence because in some, what you're really, the circumstances will change. That I won't have to respond to that need. When you see the need and that person has thing due to him in terms of other factors, then you're to respond to it. Say not to your neighbor, go and come again.

41:31 And tomorrow I give, now notice the word again, when you have it,

41:39 come again tomorrow and I'll draw it out. You've got to catch the second coat in your closet. You've got the third car in your garage. Have the thing this, have it readily available.

41:55 And the only, the only thing that would keep you from responding to that need at that point immediately is a narrow spirit. Writer of the Proverbs says don't do that. All right, so let's add Proverbs 7.

Biblical Principles for Benevolence: Examples and Work Ethic

42:16 Yes. All right, Dean.

42:24 Example of David's kindness to Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9. You remember 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, I can show kindness? And they said, yes, he's got a lame son and he's secured a place at his own table from Mephibosheth for the rest of his life.

42:49 I'm glad I could say it twice without getting hung up on it. That's a hard one. Mephibosheth. It really tests 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? Yes, Randy?

43:25 And 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 Testament, love thy neighbor as thyself? What had they done with that verse, Randy? Well, they were terribly restricted to Gentiles because of the ceremonial uncleanness and they would basically disregard their fellow Jewish brethren as their neighbor.

44:01 All right, so they had limited the concept my neighbor is only someone else and so the Lord that he gives this parable in order to eat who is to eat is my neighbor and I'm to love my neighbor as myself and where possible to respond to that need given the other factors of my other biblical responsibilities which must be done. Which must always be taken into consideration. All right, several other passages. Yes.

44:40 All right, Beth?

45:00 Yes.

45:03 Yes. All right, 17. Whatever you do, do all and that's salvation is that in a given situation where the void of the bonds of that need and therefore give that is give conscious of his authority conscious of the guidelines of his word 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 that come to me by the telephone 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 and a number of other things and a lower income etc. I couldn't support such and such a hospital such and such a cause that is not Christian at all

46:32 hospice in Montclair I have first hand experience of the kind treatment that they give to terminal cancer patients it's a worthy cause with good conscience 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 this treatment I say look please send me your literature I have a policy 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 alright so that we must be able to do what we do in the name of the Lord 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 yes Cliff Paul gives us who we should give to it's found in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 10 he says if any will either let me coming to ask what factors should guide us whether or not we should respond in any given situation Mr. Kitchen has suggested here's one factor here comes a guy and says you know

48:01 I'm hungry and you know can you give me a meal so you start asking some questions and if the reason he's hungry is that he's chronically lazy refuses to work treat him with tough love don't give him a bite to eat let him get so hungry that his stomach begins to play a tune on his backbone and then he starts driving his feet to a place of gainful employment now imagine telling Christians to be so hard hearted that a man appearing at your door with a ground 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 a panhandler is a limitation if a man will not work let him not eat if a man is to work and is not able to work and we need and don't then Matthew 25 frightens me I was sick I was hungry you fed me not what a horrible thing to have the Lord say that to us so you see withhold not good from them to whom it is due we may have to ask

49:26 some questions get some information before we decide to draw in and not respond to open up and to respond alright some other principles that should guide us there was another hand here earlier I thought I saw four all at once alright someone else you got a passage or a biblical perspective that should help guide us yes Ron yes yes so here we're back then to another injunction that fits in with the Luke passage I didn't put up here the Luke 6 passage that we are to it's 1031 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

50:43 how frequently etc but certainly one of the pivotal texts is that first one that Bill enunciated that sets the basic framework that opportunity and that the priority of commitment to the church of God and to the people of God but that is not to be an exclusive response even the responsibilities to the extended family 1st 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 our father we 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 they are the sufficient as well as the only rule of faith and of practice and 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 our 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

52:12 but oh god make us generous 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 truths to our hearts in jesus name amen amen