Doing Good in Times of Need

Acts 11:29 ~ "So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea."

The life of the church is marked by a willing determination to do good in times of need for those who are in distress. And this is seen so very clearly in the church at Antioch.

We have seen before how this church, of all the fellowships that had been born through the preaching of the Apostles, was first to be called "Christian" (see Acts 11:26). The behavior of this group of believers in Christ stood as a strong example to the world of what a fellowship of saints ought to do. 

It's a tragedy of sorts when church gatherings give up the very elemental instructions of the LORD to conform themselves to a more cultural conception of the gathering of the saints. The simplicity of faith working itself out in love is lost and complex designs and programs take its place. Paul laid this truth out in Galatians 5:6, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love." But it is this simplicity of faith that found expression through the church at Antioch.

After hearing of a famine that would come upon the people of Judea, the disciples of Antioch--a city approximately 300 miles away--took to heart the presented need and did something to aid the challenged saints in Jerusalem.

From our text today, this is the first thing we must see--they "determined" to do this. That is to say, the made a willful and conscious choice to set aside resources to aid another church facing a time of crisis. Many Christians today will debate, discuss and let things "die in committees" before they determine to actually do something to send relief to those who are hurting. Let us hear the chastisement of James 2:16, "...and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?" We are commanded to not love merely with words, but with action and with truth (see 1 John 3:18). 

The second thing to see, the church members did not give except according to their ability. It is a terrible tragedy to demand from those who are already poor and destitute of resources to give beyond their means. If the LORD persuade them to make such a sacrifice, all is well. But let no such demand fall from the lips of those in the church! Jesus rebuked the scribes for stealing widows' houses. Consider Luke 20:46-47, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation." We are to offer help according to our means. Let not the rich become miserly nor let the poor become barren, for we are expected of God to give according to what one has, not what one does not have (see 2 Corinthians 8:12).

Finally, we see the third lesson from our text: the relief was sent by the church and to the church, for they sent "relief to the brothers." There is no knowing how the church in Jerusalem used the resources given, if they parsed it out to those who came asking for help, or if they gave first to the needs of the fellowship. But the Antioch church knew that the one group they could trust with the resources raised would be their fellow believers in Jerusalem. Galatians 6:10 teaches, "So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." We are to do good to everyone, but our first response is to the needs of our own body--those who are of the household of faith. Many believers render aid through governmental programs and worldly institutions, but I would encourage you to first know that God has commanded us to give relief to those who belong to the church. It is true that some fellowships receive resources to horde it upon themselves. God will judge them for that. But let us not be faithless to the Word of God and defect to the world to give our resources to agencies outside of Christ.

May the LORD Jesus bless us with the means to do good to those who belong to Him.

In His Grace,
​Pastor Michael

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