The Church's Purpose to Love People Is Expressed Through Benevolence
Participating in God's Work of Meeting People's Needs
What greater motivation do we need to engage in benevolent ministry? We see it modeled for us in the Old Testament, by the Early New Testament church, and by Jesus Himself.
The Priority of Benevolence:
- God's attitude toward the poor and oppressed (Ps. 10:14, 17-18; 35:10; 140:12; 146:5-9; Prov. 22:2, 22-23)
- doing for the poor likened to doing for God (Prov. 17:5; 19:17; Matt. 25:31-46)
- modeled in the Old Testament (Lev. 25:1-55; Deut. 14:28-29; 24:19-21)
- Jesus' example (2 Cor. 8:9; Phil. 2:5-7)
- early church example (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-37; 5:1-11; 6:1-7)
The Program for Benevolence:
- voluntary not compulsory (2 Cor. 8:3-4)
- priority to household of faith (Gal. 6:10; 1 Jn. 3:17)
- justice (equality) not mere charity (Prov. 29:7; 31:8-9; 2 Cor. 8:13-15)
- inter-church assistance as well as inner-church (2 Cor. 8:1-4; 9:12-15)
The Process for Benevolence:
- not merely applying quick fixes but assistance to help people do better (Prov. 3:13-14)
- not merely addressing felt needs but getting beyond to the core issues (Matt. 9:1-5)
- not merely providing resources but fulfilling the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20)
- not merely doing out of duty but loving those being helped (1 Cor. 13:3)
The Product of Benevolence:
- reap what you sow (Gal. 6:7-10; Prov. 11:24-25; 21:13; 22:9; 28:27; Matt. 5:7)
- greater equality (Acts 2:44-45; 4:34-35)
- God is honored (Prov. 14:31)
The Church Purpose Ministry Manual provides some additional input and questions for you to reflect on regarding the priority, program, process, and end result (product) of benevolence in your church.
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