August 20, 2006
Program/Sermon #639
I Corinthians series #12
Supporting the Man of God
1 Corinthians 9:1 - 18 (NKJV) 1Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3My defense to those who examine me is this: 4Do we have no right to eat and drink? 5Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? 7Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock? 8Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? 9For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.� Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. 13Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? 14Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. 15But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. 16For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.
Introduction:
Paul gives six reasons why he had the right to be supported by the churches to whom he ministered: (1) he was an apostle; (2) it is customary to pay workers; (3) it is according to God’s law; (4) other leaders exercise the right; (5) it is the universal pattern; (6) and Jesus ordained it.
I. A minister of the Gospel
1 Corinthians 9:1 - 18 (NKJV) 1Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3My defense to those who examine me is this: 4Do we have no right to eat and drink? 5Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working?
A. The full-time ministers (each office has the right to support)
Ephesians 4:11 - 13 (NKJV) 11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
B. Each has the right to have a “believing wife�
5Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
ILL: “Take along� means the wife has to be supported as well so that she can go with her husband.
II. It is customary to pay workers
1 Corinthians 9:7 (NKJV) 7Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?
A. The Christian minister is a soldier
Philippians 2:25 - 26 (NKJV) 25Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; 26since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.
2 Timothy 2:2 - 4 (NKJV) 2And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3You therefore must endureï‚£ hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
Philemon 1:1 - 3 (NKJV) 1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, 2to ï‚£the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
ILL: I have served in the U.S. Air Force, was the aid to an Adjutant General – I knew how they were paid – believe me when I tell you that I am a General in the army of the Lord. In Central America the church calls me the “Pastor General.�
B. The Christian minister is a Farmer – the farmer has a right to the crop!
Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit?
C. The Christian minister is a Shepherd
Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?
ILL: Why should it alarm you if the Shepherd expects the sheep to produce milk and wool? I just don’t understand the church mentality that thinks the pastor should not be well paid for his work – do you think the surgeon or the medical doctor should be poor? Do you recognize that I have as much education as they do and your spiritual well-being is just as important as your physical?
III. It is according to God’s law
ILL: This is the best reason of all!
1 Corinthians 9:8 - 11 (NKJV) 8Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? 9For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.� Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?
1 Timothy 5:17 - 19 (NKJV) 17Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. 18For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,� and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.� 19Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.
ILL: I told a church one time who told me I should pastor their church on faith “ I will be supported by faith and $1.00 more than the chairman of the board of deacons.� They said “but the chairman of the board is a wealthy man!�
What do church members get for their dollar?
ï‚· Souls saved who do not go to hell. What would you pay to the man who kept your loved one from going to hell?
 In this church $110,000 in missions in the first six months of this year – to fulfill the great commission that Jesus gave to you!
ï‚· $130,000 in staff payroll, plus $40,000 in staff health insurance in the first six months of the year
(And none of this includes the pastor)
ï‚· What is it worth for a marriage to be saved because of pastoral counseling?
ï‚· What is it worth for one person to be healed from cancer because of spirit-filled prayer?
ILL: And I don’t even send you a bill for my services!
IV. Other leaders exercise the right
12If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?
ILL: Paul is referring to other spiritual and physical leaders.
 Why shouldn’t the minister get paid if the sheriff does?
 Why shouldn’t the minister get paid if the governor does?
 Why shouldn’t the minister get paid if the president does?
 Are they not all public servants serving for humanity’s good – why then do you resent the minister of the gospel being paid a good income?
V. It’s a universal law
Matthew 10:5 - 10 (NKJV) 5These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, 10nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.
Genesis 14:18 - 20 (NKJV) 18Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. 19And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.� And he gave him a tithe of all.
Numbers 18:8 - 19 (NKJV) 8And the LORD spoke to Aaron: “Here, I Myself have also given you charge of My heave offerings, all the holy gifts of the children of Israel; I have given them as a portion to you and your sons, as an ordinance forever. 9This shall be yours of the most holy things reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, every grain offering and every sin offering and every trespass offering which they render to Me, shall be most holy for you and your sons. 10In a most holy place you shall eat it; every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to you. 11“This also is yours: the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them to you, and your sons and daughters with you, as an ordinance forever. everyone who is clean in your house may eat it. 12“All the best of the oil, all the best of the new wine and the grain, their firstfruits which they offer to the LORD, I have given them to you. 13Whatever first ripe fruit is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it. 14“Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours. 15“Everything that first opens the womb of all flesh, which they bring to the LORD, whether man or beast, shall be yours; nevertheless the firstborn of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. 16And those redeemed of the devoted things you shall redeem when one month old, according to your valuation, for five shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. 17But the firstborn of a cow, the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fat as an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the LORD. 18And their flesh shall be yours, just as the wave breast and the right thigh are yours. 19“All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the LORD, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as an ordinance forever; it is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD with you and your descendants with you.�
VI. Jesus commanded it
1 Cor. 9:13Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? 14Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel
Conclusion:
For the people not to support the minister is to violate God’s Holy Law – for the minister to refuse the offering of the people is likewise a violation of God’s Holy Law!
