I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      It seems that men expect some type of institution (government, school, church, etc.) to provide their every need today.  What has happened to individual responsibility?

B.      Presently, let us consider what our responsibilities are in benevolence as individual Christians and as a church.  Let us also consider what authority we have to practice our works of benevolence.

II.      WHAT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY?

A.      Every Christian has a responsibility to practice benevolence.

                                                             1.      This responsibility is well summarized in Galatians 6:10 – “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”

a.       Notice the reminder that our opportunity is limited.  Therefore, we must make the most of the opportunities that we have before it is too late.

b.       Also notice the priority given to “those who are of the household of faith.”  Brotherly love constrains us to be especially aware of our fellow Christians’ needs.

                                                             2.      Benevolence is an integral part of each Christian’s religion according to James 1:27 – “This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

a.       For our religion to be true, it must be evident in our care for others.  By showing mercy on orphans and widows, we reflect the compassion of our heavenly Father and His Son.

b.       James clearly states this as the individual’s responsibility just as keeping oneself unstained by the world is the individual’s responsibility.

                                                             3.      Ultimately, whether or not we practice benevolence will be a factor in the way we are judged by the Lord.  See Matthew 25:31-46.

a.       Notice how the Lord is personally affected by our practice of benevolence toward His brethren.  He said, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me” (v. 40).  Our failure to practice benevolence toward other Christians also affects Christ personally (v. 45; 1John 3:14-18).

b.       Therefore, it is evident that the Lord expects Christians to practice benevolence, and He will call on us to account for the way we have used our opportunities.

B.      Likewise, the local church has a responsibility to practice benevolence.

                                                             1.      The book of Acts records examples of the early churches practicing benevolence toward Christians who were in need.

a.       From the very beginning, Christians in Jerusalem were sharing with one another as any had need (Acts 2:44-45).  The Scripture indicates that this benevolence by the church was practiced systematically under the oversight of the apostles (Acts 4:32-5:2; 6:1-6).

b.       Later in the first century, when there was a famine in Jerusalem, churches in other areas made collections to send to the elders of the church at Jerusalem for the relief of Christians living there (Acts 11:28-30).  These collections were often mentioned by Paul in his epistles to the churches (Rom. 15:25-28; 1Cor. 16:1-4; 2Cor. 8:1-9:15).

                                                             2.      Of course, the church is simply the collection of individual Christians, but the church’s responsibilities are not the same as the individual responsibilities.

a.       Each man has the responsibilities of providing for himself (2Thess. 3:6-15) and for his own family (1Tim. 5:8).  These are not the church’s responsibilities, and Christ did not build his church to be a welfare program for those who shirk their duties.

b.       Likewise, each Christian has his own responsibility of practicing benevolence toward others.  Membership in a local church that practices benevolence does not fulfill the individual’s responsibility to do good to others.

c.        The local church’s responsibilities in benevolence are very limited whereas the individual Christian’s responsibilities are very broad.  We will give further consideration to this when we notice the Scriptural pattern for benevolence by the church.

C.      There is no institution that can satisfy either the individual Christian’s responsibility or the local church’s responsibility to practice benevolence.

                                                             1.      If a Christian sees a person who is hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, or in prison (Matt. 25:35-36), he is not absolved of his responsibility to help that person by sending money to some benevolent institution.  His responsibility is to help the needful person directly and immediately in the image of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37).

                                                             2.      Likewise, if a local church knows that there are brethren in need, the church is not absolved of its responsibility to help them by sending money to some benevolent institution.  The church’s responsibility is to help those needful Christians directly and immediately.

III.   WHAT AUTHORITY DO WE HAVE?

A.      All authority is vested in Christ, and His will is communicated to us through the Bible.

                                                             1.      Jesus declared His singular authority in Matthew 28:18.  He is the head over all things to the church (Eph. 1:22).

                                                             2.      Christ’s will has been revealed to us through the Holy Spirit and recorded in the Bible (John 16:7-15; 1Cor. 2:6-16; 2Tim. 3:16-17).  Therefore, any action by Christians individually or by a church collectively must be authorized by Christ through the Bible.

                                                             3.      The proper attitude toward the Bible’s authority is expressed well in this saying: “Speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent.”

a.       Some have interpreted the Bible’s silence as implicit authority.  This means that if a practice is not expressly forbidden, then it is authorized.

b.       However, the Bible instructs us “not to exceed what is written” (1Cor. 4:6).  We should seek positive Scriptural approval of a practice for it to be employed.  See also Ephesians 3:1-4; 2John 9.

B.      Christ has given us a pattern in the Scriptures for practicing benevolence.

                                                             1.      In passages already noted above, the pattern is given for both individuals and the local church.

a.       Individual Christians are to do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith (Gal. 6:9).  They are also to visit orphans and widows in their distress (Jas. 1:27).  Moreover, they are to follow the instructions and examples of benevolence contained in nearly every book of the New Testament.

b.       The local church is to practice benevolence toward Christians independently and directly according to the pattern (Acts 4:32-5:2; 6:1-6; 11:28-30; Rom. 15:25-28; 1Cor. 16:1-4; 2Cor. 8:1-9:15).

i.         This benevolence consists of monetary support collected from the local congregation and given to needful and worthy Christians for their relief.

ii.        Give particular attention to 1Timothy 5:3-16.  Notice the strict limitations for the church in practicing benevolence toward widows.  This same level of discretion has to be applied to all of the church’s benevolent works.

                                                             2.      Notice that many common, modern practices of benevolence are not found in the pattern of the New Testament.

a.       The churches of the New Testament did not provide the physical needs of the general public.  Their benevolence was limited only to Christians.

i.         The expectation of society for churches to provide food, clothing, shelter, money, and other support to the needy of the world is not Scripturally founded.

ii.        Individual Christians do have a responsibility to do these things, but that responsibility has to be prioritized by family, then brethren, and then others.

b.       The churches of the New Testament did not create separate institutions to carry out the work of benevolence.  Orphanages, nursing homes, hospitals, and food banks are all good, but they are not the work of the local church.

c.        The churches of the New Testament did not employ sponsoring church arrangements for the work of benevolence.

i.         These are arrangements where one church oversees a benevolent organization while being supported by many other churches.

ii.        While some claim that the universal church cannot carry out its work without such arrangements, the New Testament pattern only authorizes local churches working autonomously under local leadership.

IV.    CONCLUSION

A.      There is much good to be done by Christians, and we must be certain that we are making the most of every opportunity to practice benevolence toward others in the name of the Lord.

B.      However, we must also be certain that what we attempt to do in the name of the Lord is truly according to His authority so that He will be pleased and glorified (Matt. 5:16; 7:21-23).