The Benefactor – Part 4

Review

Today we’re concluding a series we started last month called “The Benefactor”

• Which is about helping to secure blessings for other people
• Benefactor: someone or something that provides help or an advantage: one that confers a benefit
• A benefactor is a minister.

A minister is someone who serves.

• Ministry is not about titles or stage talent, but about meeting people at their points of greatest need by the grace of God.
• If you are believer, you are a minister:

The whole point of a pastor and other comparable church leaders is to equip you to do ministry:

• Ephesians 4:11–12 (ESV): ¹¹ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

The Cost of Doing Ministry

But then we talked about the costs of ministry, sacrifices that Jesus Himself modeled for us:

• Philippians 2:5-6 (ESV): ⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
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• Philippians 2:7 (ESV): ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
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• Philippians 2:8 (ESV): ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
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Why Would Anyone Pay Such Steep Costs to Do Ministry?

1. God exalts you:
   • Philippians 2: 9 (ESV): ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
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   • James 4:10 (ESV): ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
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   • 1 Peter 5:6 (ESV): ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
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2. There is a joy in pleasing God that far exceeds the joy of pleasing yourself:
   • Hebrews 12:2 (ESV): ² looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
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   • Philippians 3:1 (ESV): ¹ Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
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   • Philippians 4:4 (ESV): ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
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3. You receive credit to your heavenly account:
   • Philippians 4:16–17 (ESV): ¹⁶ Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. ¹⁷ Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.

4. The Lord finances your generosity and pays your living expenses while you work for Him:
   • Philippians 4:18-19 (ESV): ¹⁸ I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied. . . ¹⁹ And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

When the Benefits of Service Seem Far Away

• Galatians 6:6 (ESV): ⁶ Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.
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• Galatians 6:7 (ESV): ⁷ Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
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• In serving, you are sowing.
• Galatians 6:8 (ESV): ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
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• Galatians 6:9 (ESV): ⁹ And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
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  • Weariness is a state of the mind, not a state of the body:
    • Weary: ἐγκακέω (egkakeō): become discouraged, give up, lose heart [James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).]
• Galatians 6:10 (ESV): ¹⁰ So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
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• Psalm 122:1 (ESV): ¹ I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
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Guarding Against Overextending Ourselves in Ministry

• Philippians 2:19 (ESV): ¹⁹ I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.
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• Philippians 2:20 (ESV): ²⁰ For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. ²¹ For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
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• Philippians 2:20 (ESV): ²² But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.
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• Philippians 2:25 (ESV): ²⁵ I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need,
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• Philippians 2:26 (ESV): ²⁶ for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.
  • Some people do this because they have internalized how needed they are
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1.) They develop a self-righteous attitude

2.) They become bitter

3.) They double-down on their work

• Philippians 2:27 (ESV): ²⁷ Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
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• Philippians 2:29 (ESV): ²⁹ So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, ³⁰ for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.
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  • When it was really Ministry is a 4-part responsibility:

1. God

2. Leadership

3. The people overextending themselves

4. The people who are not serving at all

• Romans 12:18 (ESV): ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

© Joshua D. Smith, Ph.D., 2025