THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT
PROGRAM AIR DATE: 9-16-18
LESSON TITLE: "THE KINGDOM IN PATTERN: BENEVOLENCE"
WELCOME
TODAY WE ARE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, THE BIBLE. THIS BOOK IS GOD'S LIVING WORD. IN ITS PAGES, WE ARE TOLD "FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD." IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF BOOKS THAT WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MAN'S QUESTIONS AND NEEDS. THIS MORNING YOUR AREA CHURCHES OF CHRIST WELCOME YOU TO A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THAT PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY AS WE PRESENT THE LIVING WORD. NOW HERE IS YOUR HOST, RAY SULLINS.
WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE YOU WITH US TODAY FOR THE LIVING WORD PROGRAM. WHAT A GLORIOUS LORD'S DAY MORNING IT IS. AS ALWAYS IT IS AN HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO HAVE YOU WITH US. WE ARE THANKFUL YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO JOIN US AS WE COMMIT THIS TIME TO THE THINGS OF GOD. IT IS OUR HOPE AND PRAYER THIS MORNING THAT WE MAY EACH PARTICIPATE AND DO OUR PART TO MAKE THIS TIME ACCEPTABLE BEFORE HIM AND ACCORDING TO HIS WORD. NOW LET'S BEGIN BY TALKING TO GOD THROUGH PRAYER!
PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS DAY AND THE MANY GREAT BLESSINGS OF LIFE. THE PRIVILEGE THAT WE HAVE TO BE CALLED YOUR CHILDREN. AND FATHER, WE ARE THANKFUL BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT ALL GOOD THINGS COME FROM YOU AND FROM YOU ALONE. AND FATHER, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE ONLY ABLE TO STAND JUSTIFIED IN YOUR SIGHT BECAUSE OF THE GREAT SACRIFICE OF JESUS, HIS BLOODSHED AS WELL AS HIS RESURRECTION. AND FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THAT GREAT GIFT AND WE KNOW THAT TODAY WE ARE ABLE TO BE THOSE WHO LOVE YOU AND TO SHOW YOU THAT LOVE BECAUSE OF THAT GREAT GIFT AND LOVE YOU'VE SHOWN US. FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR OUR AVENUE OF PRAYER THAT WE CAN COME BEFORE YOUR THRONE AND SPEAK TO YOU. AND IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.
ISN'T IT GREAT TO KNOW THAT GOD IS ALWAYS THERE FOR US. IN FACT, AS CHRISTIANS WE MUST ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND JUST HOW MUCH WE DO NEED OUR CREATOR. THIS MORNING WE WANT TO BEGIN WITH A SONG THAT REMINDS US OF HOW WONDROUS OUT GOD IS. SO, WON'T YOU JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AND DO YOUR PART AS WE SING TOGETHER, "BLESSED REDEEMER."
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
IT IS INTERESTING TO ME TO SEE HOW HISTORY CONTINUALLY REPEATS ITSELF. YOU AND I REMEMBER THE MANY EXAMPLES IN THE BIBLE OF THOSE THAT WERE FAITHFUL BELIEVERS AND FOLLOWERS OF GOD THE FATHER. HOWEVER, WHEN JESUS, GOD'S SON CAME, MANY REJECTED HIM AS A MERE MAN.
IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT THERE ARE ACTUAL PEOPLE TODAY WHO SAY THEY BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER AND THAT THEY ARE OBEDIENT TO HIS WILL, YET THEY REJECT JESUS CHRIST AS BEING HIS SON. IN MATTHEW 3:16-17, WE READ THE WORDS OF GOD. THERE IT SAYS, "WHEN HE HAD BEEN BAPTIZED, JESUS CAME UP IMMEDIATELY FROM THE WATER; AND BEHOLD, THE HEAVENS WERE OPENED TO HIM, AND HE SAW THE SPIRIT OF GOD DESCENDING LIKE A DOVE AND ALIGHTING UPON HIM. AND SUDDENLY A VOICE CAME FROM HEAVEN, SAYING, "'THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.'" WASN'T IT JOHN WHO PINNED THE FAMILIAR VERSE, "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE," JOHN 3:16. YOU SEE JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD AND WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE GOD, INSPIRED HIS OWN WRITERS OF THE BIBLE TO TELL US SO.
ANOTHER FACT THAT PEOPLE OFTEN LIKE TO DENY ABOUT THIS JESUS IS THAT HE IS ALSO GOD! IN THE BOOK OF JOHN, WE SEE THAT THE VERY FIRST CHAPTER STARTS OUT BY ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE. IN VERSE ONE, WE READ, "IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, AND THE WORD WAS GOD." HERE IS A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE WORD. IT SAYS THAT IT WAS WITH GOD AND WAS GOD, SO WHAT IS THIS WORD? LET'S LOOK DOWN IN VERSE 14, THERE IT SAYS, "AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US, AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY, THE GLORY AS OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH." OBVIOUSLY THE WORD REFERRED TO IN THIS TEXT IS GOD'S SON, JESUS.
YOU MAY STILL WONDER HOW THIS CAN BE SO, THAT JESUS CAN BE GOD AND ALSO BE WITH GOD, AT THE SAME TIME? WELL, MY FATHER AND I HAVE THE SAME LAST NAME, SULLINS. WE ARE ONE AS A FAMILY, BUT STILL INDIVIDUALS, ABLE TO FULFILL OUR OWN FUNCTIONS. WE SHARE A LOT IN COMMON, BUT WE ARE STILL SEPARATE AND UNIQUE PERSONS. ANOTHER VERSE WHICH REALLY HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND THE DEITY OF CHRIST IS FOUND IN JOHN 8:58. THERE JESUS SAID, "MOST ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS, I AM." IN THE TEXT WE SEE THAT THE JEWS WERE ANGRY WITH HIM BECAUSE HE REFERRED TO ABRAHAM AS ONE HE KNEW. SO IN VERSE 57, THEY TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS NOT EVEN 50 YEARS OLD, SO HOW COULD HE KNOW ABRAHAM. THUS HE GAVE THE ABOVE ANSWER THAT HE WAS BEFORE ABRAHAM AND WAS THE I AM! ALSO NOTICE IN VERSE 59, THE RESPONSE THIS BROUGHT FROM THE PEOPLE: THEY TRIED TO STONE HIM.
IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION, CHAPTER 22, VERSE 13, JESUS FURTHER SAID, "I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE END, THE FIRST AND THE LAST." SO I ASK YOU, "DO YOU BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD AND THAT HE IS GOD?" WHO WILL YOU PUT YOUR TRUST IN, GOD, HIS SON AND HIS WORD OR THE FOOLISHNESS OF MAN? AS FOR ME, I BELIEVE GOD THE FATHER, THAT JESUS IS HIS SON AND IS GOD!
THIS LORD'S DAY, WE WILL CONTINUE OUR SERIES ON, "GOD'S KINGDOM!" THE TOPIC THIS MORNING IS ENTITLED, "THE KINGDOM IN PATTERN: BENEVOLENCE." SO, PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG WE WILL RETURN WITH THIS STUDY FROM GOD'S WORD. AS FAR AS OUR GUEST SPEAKER TODAY, WE ARE HAPPY TO AGAIN HAVE BROTHER BRENT GREEN WITH US. BROTHER BRENT WORKS WITH THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF MISSOURI. WE THANK HIM FOR JOINING US THIS DAY TO LEAD US IN THE STUDY OF GOD'S WORD. NOW LET'S JOIN IN OUR SECOND SONG OF THE DAY. THE NAME OF THE HYMN IS, "DO ALL IN THE NAME OF THE LORD."
LESSON
BRENT SULLINS
WHAT A GREAT JOY AND PRIVIGE IT IS AS ALWAYS TO BE ABLE TO OPEN GOD'S WORD AND STUDY FROM IT. IN THESE SERIES OF LESSONS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE KINGDOM, GOD'S KINGDOM, HIS CHURCH, AND ALL THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT PERTAIN TO IT. SPECIFICALLY OVER THE LAST FEW LESSONS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT PATTERN THAT GOD HAS GIVEN FOR HIS KINGDOM IN THESE DIFFERENT AREAS OF HIS CHURCH. AND SO GOD HAS GIVEN A PATTERN FOR WORSHIP, ORGANIZATION, EVANGELISM, AND EVEN FOR THE EDIFICATION, THE BUILDING UP OF HIS KINGDOM, HIS CHURCH. BUT GOD HAS ALSO GIVEN A PATTERN FOR BENEVOLENCE. THAT IS PROBABLY NOT A WORD THAT WE OFTEN USE BUT I THINK WE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS. WE HAVE OTHER WORDS LIKE BENEFITS OR BENEFACTOR THINGS THAT TALK ABOUT GOOD OR DOING GOOD OR RECEIVING GOOD IN SOMEWAY. WELL, BENEVOLENCE IS JUST THAT. IT'S ABOUT DOING GOOD. BUT DOING GOOD UNTO OTHERS. DOING GOOD TO THOSE WHO HAVE SOME KIND OF NEED IN THIS LIFE. THAT MIGHT BE A PHYSICAL NEED, A FINANCIAL NEED, SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE STRUGGLING WITH THAT THOSE WHO SEE THAT NEED ARE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF IN SOME WAY OR ARE ABLE TO HELP THEM OUT.
SO WHAT IS GOD'S PATTERN FOR BENEVOLENCE IN HIS KINGDOM? WELL, LET US BEGIN WITH A VERSE OR A FEW VERSES OUT OF GALATIANS CHAPTER 6. GALATIANS CHAPTER SIX WE WILL BEGIN READING THERE IN VERSE SIX. AND HERE'S PAUL AS HE WRITES TO THE BRETHERN IN GALATIANS, SEVERAL CHURCHES HERE, HE SAYS LET HIM WHO IS TAUGHT THE WORD SHARE AND ALL GOOD THINGS WITH HIM WHO TEACHES. WE BEGIN TO SEE THAT THERE IS THIS BACK-AND-FORTH. ONE HAS HELPED TO TEACH THE WORD AND THE OTHER IS GOING TO HELP TAKE CARE OF A PHYSICAL NEED BY SHARING. VERSE SEVEN SAYS, "DO NOT BE DECEIVED. GOD IS NOT MOCKED; FOR WHATEVER MAN SOWS, THAT HE WILL ALSO REAP. FOR HE WHO SOWS TO HIS FLESH WILL OF THE FLESH REAP CORRUPTION, BUT HE WHO SOWS TO THE SPIRIT WILL OF THE SPIRIT REAP EVERLASTING LIFE. AND LET US NOT GROW WEARY WHILE DOING GOOD, FOR IN DUE SEASON WE SHALL REAP IF WE DO NOT LOSE HEART. THEREFORE, AS WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY, LET US DO GOOD TO ALL, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH." THERE MIGHT BE OCCASIONS IN OUR LIVES WHERE WE THINK, 'WELL, I'VE TRIED TO DO GOOD BEFORE AND IT JUST DIDN'T WORK' OR 'I DID GOOD AND I GOT TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF' OR 'I TRY TO DO GOOD AND IT NEVER SEEMS TO BRING ABOUT ANY SORT OF POSITIVE RESPONSE. WE MIGHT BE DISCOURAGED AT TIMES. PAUL SAYS HERE, DON'T BE DISCOURAGED. DON'T LOSE HEART. DON'T QUIT DOING GOOD. AND THERE IN VERSE 10 AS WE READ AS WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY LET US DO GOOD TO ALL. THAT'S BENEVOLENCE. LOOKING TO THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE AS THEY SURROUND US, HOW CAN I DO GOOD? HOW CAN I HELP OUT THOSE WHO HAVE A NEED? THOSE WHO ARE HUNGRY OR THIRSTY? THOSE WHO MAY NEED SHELTER OR A PLACE TO STAY? THOSE WHO MAY NEED SOME SORT OF FINANCIAL HELP FOR GAS OR FOR FOOD OR WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE. LET US DO GOOD TO ALL. THAT'S GOD'S PATTERN. BUT NOTICE HE DOES SAY THERE SPECIFICALLY THOSE WHO ARE OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH. WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY FIRST TO THOSE IN THE CHURCH WHO HAVE NEEDS. THAT WOULD NOT MAKE ANY SENSE FOR US TO SAY, 'WELL, WE'VE GOT A BROTHER OR A SISTER HERE IN CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH FAMILY HAS A GREAT NEED AND WE CAN DO GOOD FOR THEM BUT WE'RE GOING TO OVERLOOK THAT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE HERE'S A STRANGER THAT WE COULD HELP OUT.' WELL, FIRST WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT OUR OWN. THOSE OF OUR FAMILIES, THAT IS OUR CHURCH FAMILIES THERE WHERE WE WORSHIP LOCALLY AT THE LOCAL CONGREGATION. THAT LEVEL THERE, WHAT NEEDS DO WE HAVE THERE FIRST WE COULD TAKE CARE OF? AND WHEN WE TAKE CARE OF THOSE THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE STILL SHOULDN'T DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO ARE OUTSIDE BUT WE NEED TO CONSIDER OUR OWN AS GOD SAYS HERE THROUGH PAUL, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE IN THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH. AS WE BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND GOD'S PATTERN, THE PATTERN IS WE NEED TO BE BENEVOLENT. GOD HAS SAID SUCH. GOD HAS COMMANDED SUCH. WE HAVE THIS HERE AS AN EXHORTATION UNDER US THAT WE MIGHT DO GOOD OR BE BENEVOLENT TO ALL MEN.
ANOTHER PASSAGE I THINK THAT WOULD SHOW US SOMETHING ABOUT BENEVOLENCE HERE IN GOD'S WORD IS ONE WE FIND THE BOOK OF JAMES. JAMES CHAPTER 1 IN VERSE 27. THIS MIGHT IN A GREATER SENSE SPECIFY A COUPLE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WOULD ARISE TO DO GOOD. JAMES CHAPTER 1 VERSE 27 SAYS, "PURE AND UNDEFILED RELIGION BEFORE GOD AND THE FATHER IS THIs: TO VISIT ORPHANS AND WIDOWS IN THEIR TROUBLE, AND TO KEEP ONESELF UNSPOTTED FROM THE WORLD." WHAT ABOUT IN THE CHURCH WHEN A WOMAN LOSES HER HUSBAND? DOES SHE HAVE NEEDS? NEEDS AS WE AS A CHURCH MIGHT BE ABLE TO SUPPLY? MAYBE SHE NEEDS HELP WITH THE YARDWORK. MAYBE SHE NEEDS HELP FINANCIALLY. MAYBE SHE NEEDS HELP IN VARIOUS WAYS. WELL, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO GOOD TO THOSE WIDOWS WHO LOST THEIR HUSBANDS. MIGHT THERE BE WIDOWS OUTSIDE THE CHURCH WHO ALSO COULD USE OUR HELP IN DOING GOOD UNTO THEM? WELL SURE. THIS WOULD BE THE CASE FOR ORPHANS. SOMETIMES WE FIRST THINK ABOUT THOSE ORPHANS OF THE WORLD WHICH WE CAN DO GOOD TO. WHAT ABOUT FIRST THOSE AMONG US? YOU SAY, 'IT'S KINDA RARE FOR A CHILD OR SEVERAL CHILDREN TO LOSE BOTH PARENTS AT THE SAME TIME. MIGHT NOT BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN. WHAT DO WE HAVE AS A RESPONSIBILITY THEN AS A CHURCH? HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY AS WE READ IN GALATIANS 6 TO DO GOOD TO ALL MEN BUT ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH. HERE ARE TWO EXAMPLES TO THE WIDOWS AND TO THE ORPHANS. LET US THINK ABOUT THOSE AS OPPORTUNITIES TO DO GOOD. HERE'S GOD'S PATTERN. HERE ARE TWO SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITIES THAT HE HAS MENTIONED THAT WE CAN DO GOOD UNTO THOSE AROUND US. LET US TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SUPPLY THOSE NEEDS WHEN THEY ARISE.
ANOTHER PASSAGE I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO CONSIDER FROM GOD'S WORD THAT HELPS TO SHOW US THE PATTERN FOR BENEVOLENCE IS ONE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF SECOND CORINTHIANS. SECOND CORINTHIANS, BOTH CHAPTERS 8 AND 9 THERE IN THAT APISTLE DEAL A LOT WITH GIVING. THERE ARE A LOT OF PRINCIPLES THERE THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND IN GENERAL ABOUT HOW WE GIVE TO GOD, HOW WE GIVE AS HIS CHURCH WHEN THE TIME COMES TO BE ABLE TO ADD SOMETHING THAT IS A WEEKLY CONTRIBUTION AS IT IS COLLECTED. IN CHAPTER 9, SPECIFICALLY PAUL HAS WRITTEN HERE TO THESE CHURCHES AND HE REMINDS THEM THAT HE USED THEM AS AN EXAMPLE. HE SAID AS I'VE GONE AROUND AND TALKED TO OTHERS ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO TO HELP OUT THE NEED OF THESE POOR BRETHERN THAT WE HAVE UNDER CONSIDERATION, I'VE MENTIONED YOU IN ACHAIA. I'VE MENTIONED YOU IN CORINTH AS THOSE WHO ARE EXCITED, THOSE WHO ARE READY AND WILLING TO GIVE GENEROUSLY UNTO THE CAUSE OF GOD TO DO GOOD FOR THOSE WHO HAVE A NEED. IT SAYS I DON'T WANT MY BOASTING OF YOU TO BE IN VAIN. WHEN I COME I WANT YOU TO BE READY. I DON'T WANT TO COME FOR THE COLLECTING OF THAT GIFT THAT YOU SAID YOU'D HAVE READY AND YOU HAVE TO GIVE THAT GRUDGINGLY. WELL, WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE THIS NOW AT THIS TIME AND SO WE'RE GOING TO GIVE IT GRUDGINGLY. I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE LIKE THAT, PAUL SAYS. I WANT YOU TO BE READY. FOR WHEN I COME I WANT YOU TO HAVE LAID BY AND STORED GENEROUSLY. I WANT YOU HAVE ALREADY COLLECTED THOSE THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO AGAIN SO BOUNTIFULLY SO ONE DAY YOU COULD REAP BOUNTIFULLY. LOOK AT THE WORDS HERE IN SECOND CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 9 AS WE READ THEM IN VERSE 12. THERE PAUL SAYS, "FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THIS SERVICE, NOT ONLY SUPPLIES THE NEEDS OF THE SAINTS, BUT ALSO IS ABOUNDING THROUGH MANY THANKSGIVINGS TO GOD, WHILE, THROUGH THE PROOF OF THIS MINISTRY, THEY GLORIFY GOD FOR THE OBEDIENCE OF YOUR CONFESSION TO THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, AND FOR YOUR LIBERAL SHARING WITH THEM AND ALL MEN." CONSIDER THE GIFTS THAT THESE BRETHREN IN CORINTH WERE STORING UP. WHAT THEY HAD COLLECTED, WHAT THEY HAD PREPARED TO GIVE TO PAUL THAT HE MIGHT THEN TAKE THAT FOR THOSE CHRISTIANS WHO ARE NEEDY IN ANOTHER LOCATION AND WHAT IT SAYS THAT THAT ACCOMPLISHED. THERE, AS WE READ IN VERSE 12, IT WAS FOR THIS SPECIFIC SERVICE FOR THE NEEDS OF THESE SAINTS FOR THEIR HELPING OUT THEIR FELLOW CHRISTIANS, WHAT A GREAT THING THAT IS. BUT ALSO IT BROUGHT ABOUT OTHER THINGS, THE ABOUNDING THERE OF THANKSGIVING. PEOPLE WERE GIVING THANKS TO GOD BECAUSE THESE BRETHREN HERE WERE SHOWING BENEVOLENCE IN THIS GIFT TOWARDS THEIR FELLOW BRETHEREN. WHAT A GREAT THING THAT IS! ALSO THERE IN VERSE 13. THEY ARE GLORIFYING GOD BECAUSE THESE CHRISTIANS WERE ACTING LIKE CHRISTIANS. BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING BENEVOLENT. ALSO THERE IN VERSE 13, THAT THEY COULD ALSO THANK GOD FOR THE LIBERAL SHARING THAT THESE BRETHREN WERE DEMONSTRATING WITH THEM AND WITH ALL MEN. YOU SEE AGAIN THE NEED TO BE BENEVOLENT IS NOT JUST TO THE CHURCH, ALTHOUGH THAT'S OUR FIRST PRIORITY. IT'S ALSO AGAIN TO ALL MEN. THESE BRETHREN HERE UNDERSTOOD THAT AND PAUL CHALLENGED THEM TO REMEMBER THAT. WHAT THEY WERE LAYING BY AND STORED. HE CHALLENGED THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE GOING TO LIVE UP TO THEIR STATED OBLIGATION AS THEY UNDERSTOOD IT, THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE BENEVOLENT AND THEY WERE GOING TO BE PEOPLE OF THEIR WORD. WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT SUCH TODAY. WHEN WE GIVE TO DO GOOD UNTO OUR FELLOW SAINTS IT GLORIFIES THE NAME OF GOD. WHEN WE DO GOOD PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT, 'HEY, THESE CHRISTIANS ARE ACTING LIKE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO. THEY ARE ACTING LIKE CHRISTIANS." WHEN WE DO GOOD, WHEN WE SHOW THIS BENEVOLENCE TO THE SAINTS AND THOSE WHO HAVE NEEDS EVEN IN THE WORLD, DOESN'T GOD RECEIVE THAT ULTIMATE PRAISE AND GLORY? WHAT A GREAT THING IT IS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT GOD CAN RECEIVE THE GLORY FOR OUR ACTS OF BENEVOLENCE.
ONE OTHER THING TO CONSIDER HERE FOR THIS PATTERN GOD HAS GIVEN HIS KINGDOM FOR BENEVOLENCE IS THE GREATER GOOD THAT IT CAN DO. YES, IT DOES INDEED SUPPLY PHYSICAL NEEDS BOTH OF THE SAINTS AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE NEEDY IN THE WORLD BUT THINK ABOUT THE DOORS THAT BENEVOLENCE CAN OPEN. THINK ABOUT IT ALSO IN THIS WAY. THE PREPARATION THAT BENEVOLENCE OFTEN DOES THAT ENABLES OTHERS TO BE WILLING TO RECEIVE HIS WORD. THERE IN LUKE CHAPTER 8 VERSE 11 JESUS SAID IN THAT PARABLE SOWER OF THE SEED IS THE WORD OF GOD. GENERALLY THERE SEED WAS CAST FORTH AND IT WAS SEWN IN THAT WAY AND WHEREVER THAT SEED FELL, THAT'S THE GROUND THAT IT WOULD GROW IN. OF COURSE WITH THAT PARABLE SOME SEED GREW AND SOME SEED DID NOT GROW. BUT LET'S THINK ABOUT PLANTING THAT SEED OF GOD'S WORD AND IN THE PREPARATION THAT OFTEN TAKES PLACE OF THE SOIL TODAY. FARMERS OFTEN WILL TILL THE SOIL AND ADD AMENDMENTS TO THE SOIL MAYBE EVEN TILL IN A PREVIOUS COVER CROP THAT THAT SOIL MIGHT BE PREPARED FOR THE NEXT SOWING OF SEED, CORN OR SOYBEANS OR WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE. WE EVEN DO THE SAME IN OUR GARDENS. WE DON'T JUST GO OUT THERE AND THROW THE SEED IN THE GARDEN. NO, WE PREPARE THAT SOIL FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE SEED. CAN YOU UNDERSTAND NOW HOW BENEVOLENCE OFTEN IS THAT PREPARATION ACT? THAT AS WE SHOW GOOD UNTO OTHERS, EVEN UNDER THOSE WHO ARE NOT YET CHRISTIANS, THAT OFTEN THAT PREPARES THE SOIL FOR THEM TO RECEIVE THE WORD OF GOD. LET US CONSIDER THE OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TO DO GOOD, NOT JUST TO FULFILL THAT COMMAND OF GOD, NOT JUST TO FULFILL THAT RESPONSIBILITY IN DOING THAT GOOD OR THOSE ACTS OF BENEVOLENCE BUT WHAT IT CAN DO IN THE GREATER GOOD OF PREPARING THAT SOIL FOR THE RECEPTION OF GOD'S WORD THAT THEY MIGHT BE WILLING TO RECEIVE THAT WORD OF GOD AND THEN OBEY IT UNTO THEIR OWN SALVATION. WOULD NOT THAT BE THE GREATEST THING OF ALL? NOT JUST TO GIVE SOMEBODY FOOD BUT TO SEE THEM SAVED SPIRITUALLY. LET US UNDERSTAND GOD'S PATTERN FOR BENEVOLENCE AND LET US STRIVE FOR IT THAT WE MIGHT DO GOOD UNTO ALL.
CLOSING COMMENTS
AGAIN, LET ME THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US THIS MORNING. I HOPE WE ALL HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED THROUGH OUR TIME SPENT TOGETHER. PLEASE REMEMBER, YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN US EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AT 730, AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THIS SERVICE OF GOD.
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ISN'T IT WONDERFUL TO KNOW THAT GOD LOVES ALL MEN AND PROVES IT BY THE CARE HE GIVES TO ALL OF HIS CREATION. FURTHERMORE, NOTICE HOW BLESSED WE ARE TO PLAY A PART AS WE DO GOOD TO OTHERS BY THE COMMANDED OF GOD. THE QUESTION IS, "ARE YOU OBEYING GOD'S WILL AND DOING ALL YOU NEED TO IN WORD AND DEED?