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Good morning, it is good to be 
together again in the House of 

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worship. 
Our sermon title this morning is

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Entitlements, Rights and Self 
Denial. 

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Someone once made a comment. 
Gratitude and entitlement cannot

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live at the same time in the 
same brain. 

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When a person starts viewing 
life through the lens of I 

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deserve, it's my right that 
turns very bad very fast. 

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Chasing after our rights is self
focused and it leads to a victim

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mentality. 
Seeking how to live in self 

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denial is the essence of what it
means to love others. 

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Jesus modelled it, he lived it 
and he died for it. 

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In the Apostle Paul the same and
many others and we're called to 

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do the same thing. 
The opposite of entitlements and

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rights is one word, self denial.
Self denial points to life of 

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generosity, charity and self 
sacrifice. 

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But these character qualities do
not happen by themselves. 

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They're traits that have to be 
developed and to go against our 

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basic natural human instinct. 
We're naturally bent toward 

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pushing for what we want and 
holding on to what we have. 

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It's amazing how easily we can 
accept a good deal and a good 

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bargain and a gift and so on. 
But then the opposite. 

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If we're supposed to give it, 
then it's a different story. 

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Many years ago, I was part of a 
worship service, not this 

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church. 
And in that worship service that

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day, the preacher talked about 
this whole concept of putting 

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others first, denying self and, 
and be generous and all that 

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stuff. 
And just, you know how Paul 

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writes in Philippians count 
others higher than yourselves 

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and so on. 
Well, that particular day in 

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this in the church had a what a 
picnic like we had a few weeks 

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ago. 
And so after lunch, we all 

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walked outside and there was the
tables of food. 

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And then we formed a line like 
just we did a few weeks ago. 

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And there's a long line of 
people. 

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I was standing in that line 
further maybe in the middle of 

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somewhere and all of a sudden I 
saw this one man coming up to 

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the line. 
He saw one of his friends close 

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to the front. 
He quickly walked up to his 

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friend and stepped right in 
front of him. 

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And his friend said, did we not 
just hear this morning that 

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we're supposed to put others 
1st? 

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And he said, yeah, he says, and 
that's what I'm giving you an 

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opportunity to do. 
Now, put me first. 

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It may be a bit funny, but 
that's how far some people's 

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mind goes. 
OK, I'm going to go where 

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they'll put me first. 
Self denial, OK. 

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Hope they deny themselves for 
me. 

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That's the tragedy. 
That's the problem, and it's 

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unfortunate. 
I want to say to you, brothers 

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and sisters, that's how some 
people come to church, Wonder 

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what they'll do for me here, 
wonder how they benefit me. 

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People with that kind of 
thinking have a lot have missed 

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the point and the entitlement 
mindset of the western culture 

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of our day would shock our 
ancestors of 100 years ago. 

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And I don't have time this 
morning to go into all the 

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details how this works itself 
out in life. 

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We could spend hours in all the 
different phases of life and 

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areas of life where this becomes
manifest. 

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It is self-destructive for 
ourselves and others when we do 

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that pushing for our rights and 
entitlement. 

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The entitlement setting is what 
we're born with at birth. 

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It started with Adam and Eve in 
the garden, that's they became 

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warped. 
We're warped when we're born. 

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We want what we want and I don't
care what it costs somebody 

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else. 
And if I can get something for 

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free and don't have to give 
anything, so be it. 

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Paul had something to say about 
this in Romans chapter 12. 

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I'm going to read a few verses 
before we get into the scripture

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text this morning. 
Romans 12 verse one to three, He

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says, I appeal to you brothers. 
Therefore, therefore, brothers, 

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by the mercies of God, to 
present your bodies as a living 

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sacrifice, holy and acceptable 
to God, which is your spiritual 

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worship, do not be conformed, do
not be conformed to this world, 

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but be transformed by the 
renewal of your mind, that by 

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testing you may discern what is 
the will of God, what is good 

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and acceptable and perfect. 
For by the grace given me, I say

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to everyone among you, not to 
think of yourself more highly 

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than you ought to think, but to 
think with sober judgement, each

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according to the measure of 
faith that God has assigned. 

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I want us to keep this in the 
background of our mind as we go 

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through First Corinthians 
chapter 19, the 1st 18 verses. 

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So we're continuing our sermon 
series in First Corinthians. 

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And last Sunday we heard from 
Pastor Jonah that if we do not 

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love, we do not yet know as we 
ought. 

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We were reminded what role 
knowledge plays in our walk with

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God and in our relationships 
with one another. 

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We were reminded not to use our 
knowledge as something with 

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which to disregard or pressure 
others. 

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We're supposed to use our 
knowledge as an Ave. of service 

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to other people. 
That's big. 

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That's huge. 
So this morning we're continuing

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in the same line of thought. 
We must acknowledge this. 

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Knowledge must be servant to 
love. 

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Let's hold on to that. 
Knowledge must be servant to 

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love. 
Paul modelled this beautifully 

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and how well he conducted 
himself considering what was 

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going on in Corinth. 
Paul had knowledge, and he used 

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that knowledge to discern how he
could best serve his fellow 

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believers in Corinth, not how he
could manage them into what he 

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would like them to be like. 
I'm going to make you the 

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world's views opposite the 
world's views. 

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As soon as you become the way I 
am, what I need you to be, we'll

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both be happy, right? 
And they both think the same. 

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Nothing's happening. 
What Paul was saying here in 

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this letter in Corinth, it was 
foreign to the culture of our 

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time. 
I put a few comments together. 

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I just want to go through them. 
In our culture, we're high on 

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rights and low on 
responsibility. 

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We're strong on entitlement and 
weak on restraint. 

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We're drawn to self indulgence 
and resist self denial. 

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We demand much from others. 
We offer them the minimum. 

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We expect others to conform to 
us. 

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We don't want to conform to 
others. 

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I want to say I trust that for 
most of us here this morning, 

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that's not the case. 
But this is our culture. 

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That's our culture. 
The culture of Paul's day, like 

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any culture, was a culture with 
those kinds of values. 

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I want to get the most for the 
least. 

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That was the thinking when Paul 
wrote to the to the Corinthians,

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and he addressed a variety of 
issues the church was dealing 

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with. 
As we're continuing to make our 

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way through this letter, we're 
seeing how serious this was. 

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One of the issues was the matter
of living out their freedom. 

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How were they doing that? 
And we heard last Sunday not to 

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do it abusively or with putting 
pressure on people. 

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And you're going to do it my 
way? 

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No, If somebody is struggling 
with a weakness, you know what? 

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I'm going to accommodate the 
best I can. 

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Before we read today's passage, 
I want to ask us this question 

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and seriously reflect on it. 
Am I an entitled person? 

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Do I push for my rights? 
Does my life reflect a rights 

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mentality or do I live a life of
self sacrifice, self denial, so 

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that others may grow in their 
faith? 

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And the subject that Paul uses 
to describe last Sunday's topic 

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is powerful, perhaps the most 
powerful 1 he could have chosen.

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Let's read it. 
First Corinthians Chapter 9 

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beginning verse 18. 
First Corinthians Chapter 9, 

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verse 1 to 18. 
Paul writes, am I not free? 

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Am I not an apostle? 
Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? 

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And are not you my workmanship 
in the Lord? 

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If to others I am not an 
apostle, at least I'm to you, 

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for you are the seal of my 
apostleship in the Lord. 

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This is my defence to those who 
would examine me. 

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Do we not have the right to eat 
and drink? 

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Do we not have the right to take
along a believing wife, as do 

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the other apostles and the 
brothers of the Lord and Cephas?

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Or is it only Barnabas and I who
have no right to refrain from 

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working for a living? 
Who serves as a soldier at his 

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own expense? 
Who plants a vineyard without 

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eating any of its fruit, or who 
tends a flock without getting 

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some of the milk? 
Do I say these things on human 

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authority? 
Does not the law say the same? 

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For it is written in the law of 
Moses. 

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You shall not muzzle an ox when 
it treads out the grain. 

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Is it for oxen that God is 
concerned? 

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Does He not certainly speak for 
our sake? 

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It was written for our sake 
because the plowman should plow 

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in hope, and the thresher should
thresh in hope of sharing in the

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crop. 
If we have sown spiritual things

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among you, is it too much if we 
read material things from you? 

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If others share this rightful 
claim on you, do not we even 

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more? 
Nevertheless, we've not made use

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of this right, but we endure 
anything rather than put an 

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obstacle in the way of the 
gospel of Christ. 

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Do you not know that those who 
are employed in the temple 

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service get their food from the 
temple, and those who serve at 

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the altar share in the 
sacrificial offerings? 

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In the same way the Lord 
commanded that those who 

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proclaim the gospel should get 
their living by the gospel. 

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But I have made no use of any of
these rights, nor am I writing 

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these things to secure any such 
provision. 

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For I would rather die than if 
anyone deprived me of my ground 

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for boasting. 
For if I preach the gospel, that

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gives me no ground for boasting,
For necessity is laid upon me. 

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Woe to me if I do not preach the
gospel, for if I do this of my 

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own will, I have a reward, but 
if not of my own will, I am 

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still entrusted with the 
stewardship. 

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What then is my reward? 
That in my preaching I may 

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present the gospel free of 
charge so as not to make full 

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use of my right in the gospel. 
We see in today's text how Paul 

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expands on what he is writing in
chapter 8. 

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There's a continuation here from
last Sunday. 

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I want to read Daniel Aiken's 
commentary on this particular 

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subject. 
He's a good commentator. 

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And that's that's a commentary 
that we as pastors have kind of 

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agreed on to use it as a 
reference to kind of guide us 

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through this this book. 
And he puts it this way. 

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He takes the First Corinthians 
chapter 830 and he says this is 

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the connecting point is 
therefore food makes my brother 

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to stumble. 
I will never eat meat lest I 

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make my brother stumble. 
That's a powerful verse. 

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But then he goes on to explain 
he says in verse he says this 

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1st Corinthians 813 ties chapter
8 and 9 together. 

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Paul will not do anything to 
cause a brother or sister to 

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stumble in the faith, even if he
has the liberty and the right to

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do that thing. 
That includes eating food, 

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sacrifice to life as idols 
chapter 8, and receiving 

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compensation or pay for 
preaching the gospel Chapter 9. 

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Chapter 9 is a personal example 
that drives home the point Paul 

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is trying to make. 
In chapter 8, he builds a 

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compelling argument for the 
right of financial compensation 

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for anyone who preaches the 
gospel and ministers to the 

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church. 
His argument is filled with 

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rhetorical questions and 
illustrations. 

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You see, eating meat was not a 
sin issue, but it could cause a 

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weaker follower or a new 
follower of Jesus to stumble. 

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In Chapter 9. 
He then uses his own life 

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practices, his own 
self-discipline to explain how 

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he's living this out. 
We see Paul pointing out that 

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he's not taking any pay for the 
work he's doing. 

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While he has the right to do so,
he denies himself that in order 

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not to get a false impression 
from people he's preaching the 

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gospel to. 
I have to say I find it 

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extremely interesting how Paul 
chooses the matter of paying the

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pastor as the example to use. 
Maybe it's because it's such a 

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sensitive topic and it's such a 
great need. 

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He says ministers have the right
to be paid for the work of 

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preaching and teaching. 
The issue of paying pastors may 

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have been a sensitive issue back
then. 

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I don't know, but sure as now 
what Paul was saying in Chapter 

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9 verses 1 to 14 is this. 
And I know that for some dismiss

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on stranger harsh, it's true. 
But Paul says this way, you 

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know, just summarize it. 
He says, I have the freedom to 

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instruct you to pay me for the 
work I've done among you, but 

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for the sake of not hindering 
the gospel, I've denied myself 

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that right. 
That's powerful. 

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It's a very heavy truth. 
It's not just in this passage. 

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There are other passages that 
say it's the same thing with 

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different words. 
But in this passage, Paul drives

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00:12:15,560 --> 00:12:18,000
home the point that a minister 
of the gospel is freedom like 

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00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:19,840
everyone else. 
And here he gives a clear 

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picture of what that freedom 
looks like. 

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00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:26,440
Ministers of the gospel have a 
right to be paid for the work 

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00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:28,800
they do. 
Paul goes on through a long list

235
00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:30,560
of self answering questions to 
explain it. 

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00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:33,280
Now you again use Danny Aiken's 
list of statements to come up 

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00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:35,320
with my own list. 
Let's look at what Paul is 

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trying to teach the church. 
Danny Aiken's commentary has a 

239
00:12:38,680 --> 00:12:40,360
lengthy list. 
And here's kind of here's how 

240
00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:44,560
it's kind of put together #1 
Paul apostles have the right to 

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00:12:44,560 --> 00:12:46,480
receive compensation for their 
work. 

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00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:50,760
Remember verse one and two and 
3:00, AM I not free? 

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00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:57,240
He says, am I not an apostle? 
He's I'm at least you and he's 

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00:12:57,240 --> 00:12:59,240
that's my defense. 
He reminded them he's an 

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00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:02,200
apostle, he's free, he's seen 
the Lord and all those things. 

246
00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:05,400
He says I have the right for 
this like everybody else. 

247
00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:09,080
And verse 4, do we not have the 
eat to eat right to eat and 

248
00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:12,040
drink right to take a long 
believing wife or is it just me 

249
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and Barnabas who can't do that? 
He says we have a right to eat 

250
00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:21,000
and drink at the church's cost. 
We have a right to take along a 

251
00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,440
wife at the church's expense. 
We have a right to take payment 

252
00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:26,400
at your expense. 
That's what he's saying. 

253
00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:29,040
It's hard, I know. 
But then he goes into all this 

254
00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:32,640
detail, how he explains it. 
He says soldiers have the right 

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00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:34,320
to be paid for their service, 
right? 

256
00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:35,960
That's the truth. 
He says. 

257
00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:38,800
That's how soldiers go to 
battle. 

258
00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:40,920
They get paid. 
He says vine dressers have the 

259
00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:42,240
right to eat from the fruit of 
the vine. 

260
00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:44,360
Someone plants a vineyard. 
Are they not going to want to 

261
00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:45,680
eat from it? 
Of course they do. 

262
00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:50,120
He says shepherds have the right
to take milk from the flock. 

263
00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:54,920
The shepherd verse 7 it's 
self-evident the herdsman will 

264
00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:58,280
benefit from the flock that he 
shepherd over and he he goes 

265
00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:01,040
further he even goes to animals.
Oxen have the right to eat from 

266
00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:03,600
the grain they thresh. 
This is interesting how he uses 

267
00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:07,800
Old Testament law to back to he 
goes back that far to back this 

268
00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:10,760
up. 
And the Old Testament law said 

269
00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:13,200
you shall not muzzle an ox when 
it treads out the grain. 

270
00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:16,080
They used oxen for threshing in 
those days because they didn't 

271
00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:17,960
have, of course, no mechanized 
farm equipment. 

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00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,960
So they would gather the grain 
off the field and buy tie it in 

273
00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:23,040
bundles, bring it home. 
And on a flat hard surface, they

274
00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:24,680
would spread it out. 
The ox would go round and round 

275
00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:28,280
and round walking over the grain
and the the kernels would 

276
00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:30,680
separate from the stock. 
And then eventually the with the

277
00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:33,400
wind, they would blow the chaff 
away and they would have the 

278
00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:35,840
grain. 
And the law was don't muzzle the

279
00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:37,840
ox when he's doing that. 
If he wants to eat, let him eat,

280
00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:40,440
he says. 
That's written for us. 

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00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:47,720
Paul writes for pastors. 
He's reminding even oxen have 

282
00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:52,440
that right. 
God's concerned about treating 

283
00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:54,640
animals fairly. 
How much more people? 

284
00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:57,560
He says. 
It's not just written for them, 

285
00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:02,960
it's written for us. 
The ploughmanesis has a right to

286
00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:04,200
eat from the harvest of the 
crop. 

287
00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:06,800
Someone ploughs the field, so is
the field. 

288
00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:08,800
Will they not want to eat from 
that verse? 

289
00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:12,240
Then the next one, verse 10, the
treasure has a right to eat from

290
00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:13,280
the harvest. 
Verse 10. 

291
00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,440
But then Paul moves in closer. 
It's not that he stops here. 

292
00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:19,400
It's not that he's OK. 
That's enough for that. 

293
00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:23,960
And now he moves in closer, and 
now he's bringing it in closer. 

294
00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:27,960
In verse 11 and 12, he's tying 
the temporal, the physical with 

295
00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:29,840
the spiritual. 
Here he makes the application. 

296
00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:35,840
But here's where a lot of people
draw a line. 

297
00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:38,200
Or they have no problem with 
paying a worker for building 

298
00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:40,920
something, building a fence and 
building a barn and and doing a 

299
00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:43,640
day's job. 
Fine, pay them, sure. 

300
00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:47,080
But when it comes to the matters
of church, shouldn't it be free?

301
00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:53,520
Should we have to? 
And then we hear things like 

302
00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:56,040
Matthew 10, verse 8. 
You receive without pay. 

303
00:15:56,040 --> 00:16:01,560
You freely receive, freely give.
I've heard that the argument is 

304
00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:03,600
that Jesus gave himself free. 
Of course he did. 

305
00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:07,360
The problem is the people who 
say that they stop right there. 

306
00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:09,640
And if we go a little bit 
further in Matthew 10 verse 9 to

307
00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:12,320
10, Jesus has acquired no 
silver, copper, gold for your 

308
00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:15,480
belts, no bag for your journal, 
tunics or sandals or staff. 

309
00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:17,880
He says if you stop there, then 
it would be interesting. 

310
00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:20,920
He says for the laborer deserves
his food. 

311
00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:25,480
They're not to charge for the 
service, it's true, but on the 

312
00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:28,160
account the people they would 
minister to would be generous in

313
00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:31,720
providing for their needs. 
It should be mutual. 

314
00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:36,480
The worker should not have to 
worry about will he eat or not. 

315
00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:39,920
He's not saying about meeting 
their wants, but meeting the 

316
00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:42,400
needs. 
Paul is literally saying verse 

317
00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:44,880
11 and 12. 
Have I sown spiritual things 

318
00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,600
among Is it too much if we reap 
material things from you? 

319
00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:51,320
If others share this rightful 
claim, this rightful claim on 

320
00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:53,000
you do not do we not even more, 
he says. 

321
00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:55,960
Nevertheless, we've not made use
of this, but we endure anything 

322
00:16:55,960 --> 00:17:00,680
rather than put an obstacle in 
the way of the gospel of Christ.

323
00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:09,560
Paul here bridges the gap. 
Paul connects the physical to 

324
00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:11,880
the spiritual, the money to the 
work. 

325
00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:15,200
You see, we can't put life in 
silos. 

326
00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:19,760
Money is 1 silo. 
My job is another silo, my 

327
00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:22,599
family is 1 silo, my recreation 
is A1 silo, and the church is 

328
00:17:22,599 --> 00:17:24,960
another silo. 
That's not how life is. 

329
00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:26,800
We might think it is. 
It's not true. 

330
00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,760
It's all interwoven, 
interconnected. 

331
00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:34,240
Everything effects everything. 
And of course, we know the 

332
00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:36,880
material world is not eternal. 
It'll pass away. 

333
00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:42,760
We know that. 
But God created the material for

334
00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:46,120
the purpose of reflecting the 
eternal through the material, 

335
00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:48,200
and in so doing bring honor to 
His name. 

336
00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:50,600
And it isn't how we live in the 
material. 

337
00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:52,960
That's a window, what's in our 
heart and soul. 

338
00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:56,600
Paul talks about this principle 
also in First Timothy chapter 5.

339
00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:59,360
He says let the elders who rule 
well be considered worthy of 

340
00:17:59,360 --> 00:18:02,040
double honor, especially those 
who labor in preaching and 

341
00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:03,760
teaching. 
And he's tying the physical 

342
00:18:04,120 --> 00:18:06,200
compensation to the spiritual 
work they do. 

343
00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:13,400
And in verse 13, First 
Corinthians 1913, Paul does talk

344
00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:17,720
about this. 
He says the priests receive 

345
00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:20,920
money and receive food from the 
temple. 

346
00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,320
In Paul's day this was common. 
People would worship in temples 

347
00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:25,920
and then the priest would be 
there. 

348
00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:27,880
He was a full time there and he 
would eat from what they would 

349
00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:31,560
bring. 
And he says in verse 14, people 

350
00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:35,120
who minister in the word have 
the right to be paid for their 

351
00:18:35,120 --> 00:18:37,960
work. 
Paul is saying paying pastors is

352
00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:39,880
normal. 
To not pay them is not normal. 

353
00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:44,760
Paul has a right to not take the
money that his he has a freedom 

354
00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:48,880
to not do it, but the church 
owes it to him from the church. 

355
00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:50,680
They should, they should pay the
pastors. 

356
00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:53,320
From the pastors side, they have
the right to not exercise that 

357
00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:54,960
right. 
So why is it then that this is 

358
00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:58,880
so difficult for so many 
churches in this area to live 

359
00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:01,920
this way, to put others before 
ourselves? 

360
00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:07,120
Why is it and why is it that so 
many churches, so many mission 

361
00:19:07,120 --> 00:19:09,080
organizations, so many 
nonprofits are struggling, keep 

362
00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:12,080
the doors open, pay their staff,
and just barely hang on? 

363
00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:14,480
Because it's partly it's because
we don't understand the 

364
00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:17,760
principle of knowledge, acting 
and love. 

365
00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:23,920
We're more focused on 
entitlement, on rights than on 

366
00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:26,480
self sacrifice. 
I get it. 

367
00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:29,000
Some countries things are very 
hard financially. 

368
00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:30,760
Everyone's struggling, nobody 
has enough. 

369
00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:33,720
Even that's real. 
But in the Western world, in the

370
00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:36,080
US and Canada, for the most 
part, that's not the case. 

371
00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,000
When I read stories of 
missionaries, how they sacrifice

372
00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:41,440
and people in poor countries 
when somebody comes to serve, 

373
00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:44,360
how they sacrifice of their very
meager, what they have, they 

374
00:19:44,360 --> 00:19:46,320
still want to. 
This is for the God's Kingdom. 

375
00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:48,800
This is for the gospel. 
I will take of what I have to 

376
00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:52,960
help that versus, well, I can't.
I can't. 

377
00:19:56,520 --> 00:20:00,480
For many years, we in North 
America have lived relatively 

378
00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:02,880
easy lifestyles, comparatively 
speaking. 

379
00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:05,320
We are living in a time of 
prosperity. 

380
00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:08,200
Why is it important to bring 
this up? 

381
00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:11,480
Here's the issue. 
Just like in chapter 8, there 

382
00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:13,680
were issues about eating and not
eating meat. 

383
00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:15,520
Paul is saying it's not the 
issue. 

384
00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,200
The heart is the issue. 
The issue is the heart. 

385
00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:20,520
It boils down to a problem of 
entitlement. 

386
00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:22,160
Who's first? 
You are the next person. 

387
00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:28,120
What I'm about to say is true, 
but I'll say this gently as I 

388
00:20:28,120 --> 00:20:30,560
can. 
This applies to many churches, 

389
00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:35,360
even here at LEMC, for many of 
us as devoted and dedicated, as 

390
00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:40,000
loyal to Christ in this church 
as we say we are, how we live, 

391
00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:43,360
where we go, how we shop, what 
we drive and all those things. 

392
00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,000
If that dedication would be 
measured by the other one, which

393
00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:53,000
one would come first? 
Paul could have told the 

394
00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:54,920
Corinthian church, Hey, you 
guys, you got to pay me. 

395
00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:57,200
Here's my, here's my, here's 
the, here's the receipt. 

396
00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:59,040
This is how much you owe me for 
coming and serving here. 

397
00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:03,720
These this amount of time he had
the right to charge, but for the

398
00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:06,160
sake of the gospel he refused to
give up his position of strength

399
00:21:06,360 --> 00:21:10,040
as an example of generosity and 
self sacrifice for them to 

400
00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:14,560
reflect on. 
He says as a minister of the 

401
00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:17,760
gospel, I will live so that no 
one can fault me for the purpose

402
00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:20,200
for which I'm doing this and no 
one can point to my work as 

403
00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:23,880
being done for selfish motives. 
How would we as a church 

404
00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:26,720
function if all of us in our 
respective occupations and 

405
00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:28,320
colleagues would live this 
principle out? 

406
00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:33,000
If Alliancy is going to be a 
loving church, it will mean we 

407
00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:35,640
will look into the needs of 
others first before ourselves. 

408
00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:40,880
It means we're going to be 
generous with each other, with 

409
00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:44,880
the call we have, how we manage 
our resources, how we prioritize

410
00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:47,600
them. 
The most powerful testimony in 

411
00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:49,400
this regard. 
It was lived out by the Apostle 

412
00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:55,680
Paul and the same in our lives. 
How we use our rights says more 

413
00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:01,800
about us than the people on 
whose behalf we're exercising 

414
00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:03,160
our rights or practice self 
denial. 

415
00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:06,360
Let me repeat this. 
How we use our rights or 

416
00:22:06,360 --> 00:22:09,360
exercise our rights says more 
about us than the people on 

417
00:22:09,360 --> 00:22:13,160
whose behalf we're exercising 
our rights or practice our self 

418
00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:14,880
denial. 
And for that reason, Paul says 

419
00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:18,160
I'm not going to do it no matter
what it cost me. 

420
00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:22,160
That brings us there's only two 
points in our sermons and they 

421
00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:24,800
minister the gospel can decide 
not to use his rights. 

422
00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:28,080
What would have happened if Paul
had forced the issue, so to 

423
00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:29,280
speak? 
You guys have to pay me. 

424
00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:32,000
You have to share. 
If he had done what might have 

425
00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:35,680
happened, it would have impeded 
or hindered that particular 

426
00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:39,600
ministry, that particular work. 
It could very easily have come 

427
00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:42,240
across as demanding, controlling
and manipulative even. 

428
00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:44,720
Let's read again First 
Corinthians 9, verse 15. 

429
00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:47,560
Take your Bibles and read verse 
one more time, he says. 

430
00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:51,920
But I have made no use of any of
these rights, nor am I writing 

431
00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:59,880
these, nor am I, for I would 
rather die for anyone didn't 

432
00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:01,680
have anyone deprive me on my 
grounds for boasting. 

433
00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:04,680
For if I preach the gospel, that
gives me no ground for boasting 

434
00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:07,120
for necessities laid upon me. 
Woe to me if I do not preach the

435
00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:09,160
gospel. 
For if I do this of my own will,

436
00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:12,080
I have a reward, But if not of 
my own will, I'm still in trust 

437
00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:14,720
with the stewardship. 
What then is my reward that in 

438
00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:18,200
preaching I may resent present 
the gospel free of charge does 

439
00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:21,560
not to make full use of my right
in the gospel. 

440
00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:26,720
It literally seems as if Paul 
exercised self denial at every 

441
00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:30,800
turn as much as possible. 
If there ever was a person who 

442
00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:33,840
suffered for preaching the 
gospel, it was Paul, and he 

443
00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:36,480
restrained himself from using 
his rights for the sake of the 

444
00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:39,640
gospel and didn't demand that he
be paid for his work. 

445
00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:45,840
Consider this. 
What did Paul's acts of self 

446
00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:51,480
denials do to the church? 
It put the ball in their court. 

447
00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,320
It put the ball in their court 
for them to freely decide of 

448
00:23:56,320 --> 00:24:00,120
their own convictions. 
What do we do to Paul in 

449
00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:04,320
response? 
Seems to me if I was a member at

450
00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:07,960
the Church of Corinth, I would 
have been convicted and started 

451
00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:10,680
feeling pressured or burdened. 
Or what can I do for him? 

452
00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:14,480
He gives so much. 
He doesn't demand anything. 

453
00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:19,400
Let me give you an illustration 
to illustrate this a little bit.

454
00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,440
I'm not sure all of you have 
been to yard sales, you know, 

455
00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:26,800
and we look for the best items 
and maybe a nice tool or 

456
00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:28,600
whatever there may be that we 
want to buy. 

457
00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:30,160
It's good. 
I'm not arguing with that. 

458
00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:32,160
And then we look at the price. 
Oh, that's cheap. 

459
00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:35,480
This is $100 tool sale for $15. 
I'm buying that. 

460
00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:40,480
I'm not saying it's wrong. 
What do you do? 

461
00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:42,720
This happened to me. 
What do you do when you come to 

462
00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:44,480
a yard sale and you see 
something you really want and 

463
00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:48,720
there's no sticker on there And 
the guy says, welcome to say, 

464
00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:49,880
what's this part? 
What's the cost? 

465
00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:53,360
Just he says you decide, well, 
you know, it's worth 100 bucks. 

466
00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:56,400
Now you get to decide how much 
you're going to pay for that. 

467
00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:01,800
What do you do? 
Oh man, I know it's worth 100, 

468
00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:04,840
but I don't want to pay 100. 
It's used maybe slightly, but 

469
00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:06,480
still. 
Do I give him 50? 

470
00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:08,040
I wish he would just say 
something. 

471
00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:13,280
You know, we want boundaries, we
want law, we want restrictions, 

472
00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:15,560
we want margins. 
But you know what God wants? 

473
00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:21,680
He wants us, but you know when I
tell this guy, OK, well that's 

474
00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:24,920
$100 tool I know, but UK, if I 
give you 20, what does that make

475
00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:30,840
me look like? 
That my friends, is what we do 

476
00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:33,640
with the gospel many times. 
See how cheap we can get it for 

477
00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:34,920
as little commitment as 
possible. 

478
00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:41,160
Imagine this, you go to car 
dealership, see these nice new 

479
00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:45,200
cars, go to the sales guy. 
Hey, yeah, I'm interested in 

480
00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:47,280
that Ford 150. 
That's my favorite truck. 

481
00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:49,680
I'm interested in that Ford 150.
How much is it? 

482
00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:54,560
Well, you decide. 
Well, now, cool. 

483
00:25:55,120 --> 00:25:56,440
I'm going to get this truck for 
free. 

484
00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:57,920
I'm going to pay them 10 bucks 
for it. 

485
00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:01,000
How foolish would that be on my 
part knowing that dealership 

486
00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:02,480
paid 50,000. 
Put it on the lot. 

487
00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:04,120
They want to sell it for 60 or 
something like that. 

488
00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:11,760
For Paul to deny himself to take
the right of taking a paycheck. 

489
00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:15,760
Put the ball in their courts to 
have them evaluate themselves, 

490
00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:20,680
who they were. 
Their generosity or lack thereof

491
00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:22,600
was a clear indicator where 
their hearts were. 

492
00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:24,760
Paul was after their hearts, not
their money. 

493
00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:27,840
He wanted a relationship. 
Goes back to chapter 8. 

494
00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:31,520
Look guys, love one another. 
Use your knowledge to love one 

495
00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:39,280
another. 
He was not demanding his rights,

496
00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:46,120
but he was putting it out there.
Self denial is one of the most 

497
00:26:46,120 --> 00:26:49,120
powerful lights that one can use
to shed light on what needs 

498
00:26:49,120 --> 00:26:51,160
changing in another person's 
life. 

499
00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:56,320
We don't force it, we invite it.
I visited one time years ago 

500
00:26:56,320 --> 00:26:58,520
with an older retired Highwood 
coach driver. 

501
00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:00,960
He was driving a bus. 
He was retired, still had his 

502
00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:03,000
coach and was using it to drive 
church groups around. 

503
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,880
And he shared with me how at the
beginning of his retirement, he 

504
00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:08,840
had just donated his coach and 
his time as a driver to drive 

505
00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:11,400
church groups around wherever 
they needed to go, long distance

506
00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:12,600
trips and whatnot, and 
everything. 

507
00:27:14,360 --> 00:27:15,600
And he had done it free of 
charge. 

508
00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:18,720
Just whatever you feel is good 
you want to give me, I'll accept

509
00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:20,040
that. 
And I'll do this free of charge.

510
00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:22,720
You give me whatever you feel 
that to give me. 

511
00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:28,440
He shared with me how this one 
church he had hired him to drive

512
00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:31,240
on a youth event was a youth 
conference retreat. 

513
00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:33,560
I forget what it was, but a long
event, several days I guess. 

514
00:27:34,120 --> 00:27:36,600
And so he drives them there and 
brings them back. 

515
00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:38,640
Everything works well. 
And when it's all said and done,

516
00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:40,800
they say thank you very much, 
appreciate what you did for us. 

517
00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:46,960
And they leave no money for the 
diesel, no money for the time, 

518
00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:50,160
no money for the upkeep of his 
vehicle, nothing like that. 

519
00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:52,160
He says. 
I eventually had to start 

520
00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:55,840
charging to stay in the 
business, to keep volunteering. 

521
00:27:57,040 --> 00:28:00,680
Wasn't his fault, it was the 
people's fault who he was 

522
00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:07,040
opening himself up to. 
So what's the problem? 

523
00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:11,040
Wasn't the bus driver, it was 
the people he was serving. 

524
00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:16,320
You know, Paul's exercising his 
freedom and not charging because

525
00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:19,200
he wants to open the doors for 
everybody to do likewise. 

526
00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:22,200
Give, be generous. 
Paul gave not just money, he 

527
00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:24,840
gave himself. 
He was a Pharisee. 

528
00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:29,200
He had it made young Pharisees, 
they were the cream of the crop.

529
00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:31,520
They were the best of the best. 
They had to secure income. 

530
00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:33,960
They were set for life, 
educated, trained, and 

531
00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,680
everything you can imagine. 
He gave all that up to do what 

532
00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:42,240
God called him to do. 
I've said in the past, churches 

533
00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:45,320
should be shiny examples, 
examples both in how they treat 

534
00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:46,960
their own, how to deal with the 
community. 

535
00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:49,840
So we must ask ourselves how 
we're doing individually. 

536
00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:51,880
How are we? 
How are we doing collectively as

537
00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:55,240
a church? 
Paul used his freedom to deny 

538
00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:58,800
himself, to set an example the 
way he wants every Christian 

539
00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:01,560
follower to do. 
I think I'm well within the mark

540
00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:05,440
when I say Paul was doing what 
he was doing because of his free

541
00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:12,480
spirited, generous generosity 
mindset, not out of pressure or 

542
00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:16,080
coercion. 
He had the right to make the 

543
00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:19,080
call, but instead he did not 
because he lived it. 

544
00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:21,920
Paul says the rewards for 
preaching the gospel is to 

545
00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:24,360
present it free of charge so no 
one could rob him of his boast 

546
00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:25,440
of his purpose in doing the 
work. 

547
00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:28,360
There are many pastors today who
don't work for payment either. 

548
00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:32,680
They do not set their salaries 
yet to get paid, but only what 

549
00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:34,160
the leadership of the church 
decides to pay them. 

550
00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:36,360
And some churches do great, some
do well, others don't. 

551
00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:41,640
But Paul says I won't use my 
right, my power, to enforce it. 

552
00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:46,400
Paul lived above reproach and 
yes, a true minister, the gospel

553
00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:48,920
must put the gospel for its. 
And that's why many pastors year

554
00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:51,200
after year keep on serving for 
far less than if they had 

555
00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:53,040
different jobs. 
And they do it because they were

556
00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:55,280
called to the ministry not not 
in the condition if the church 

557
00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:57,720
pays you serve, but because of a
calling. 

558
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,200
What sometimes happens in 
churches in our time is when 

559
00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:04,680
times are good, living standards
go up. 

560
00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:10,680
Pastor salaries don't, even 
though they spent years 

561
00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:12,840
training. 
The good times don't reflect on 

562
00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:14,520
their lifestyles. 
And so while the many in the 

563
00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:17,000
courage live better times, they 
upped the ante. 

564
00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:22,240
Good times are good, but they 
still drive the same vehicles, 

565
00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:27,200
live in the same conditions, the
same low cost living don't. 

566
00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:29,520
They don't do with the nicer 
things because the economy 

567
00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:31,480
didn't go up for them. 
But then when the economy goes 

568
00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:35,120
down, now the Church feels, oh 
boy, now my lifetime is supposed

569
00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:37,680
to drop and boy, I'm supposed to
drop my living standard. 

570
00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:39,200
Well, we didn't have to 
downgrade. 

571
00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:40,280
So where, where can we 
downgrade? 

572
00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:41,960
Well, I guess the Church will 
have to do with less. 

573
00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:46,840
That's what sometimes happens. 
I'm not saying this by way of 

574
00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:50,040
punishment or abuse or rebuke. 
I'm just saying this is true 

575
00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:56,640
reality. 
The Church is often the first 

576
00:30:56,640 --> 00:30:58,720
thing to get checked off on the 
checklist. 

577
00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:02,280
Well, I guess I can cut here. 
Why do I say these things? 

578
00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:05,320
Because they're true. 
I'm not trying to be harsh or 

579
00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:07,520
abusive. 
This is just what happens. 

580
00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:12,320
God's design is that we're free.
Free to do what? 

581
00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:14,600
To use our knowledge for the 
glory of His Kingdom by 

582
00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:18,600
benefiting others. 
The freedom, the freedom we have

583
00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:22,000
in Christ is not given to us to 
do as we please, but to do as we

584
00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,840
ought. 
This applies to all of us. 

585
00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:27,200
Paul never had an attitude of 
entitlement. 

586
00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:29,520
Neither should we. 
Jesus paid for our freedom at 

587
00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:31,760
the cost of his life. 
Paul paid for the ministry he 

588
00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:33,800
did with his own life in this 
world. 

589
00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:39,760
The truth is to exercise this 
freedom and live with this kind 

590
00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:41,200
of self denial. 
It costs stuff. 

591
00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:45,840
It is painful. 
In a recent Sherman Pastor John 

592
00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:48,360
made this comment. 
He said just because one can 

593
00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:51,440
does not mean one should. 
I agree, but let's add to it. 

594
00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:54,120
Just because 1 does not have to,
does not mean one doesn't need 

595
00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:57,040
to. 
Do you as a person who want to 

596
00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:59,840
experience freedom in Christ, do
you want to live free? 

597
00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:03,320
Your freedom will not consist of
others serving you. 

598
00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:05,800
Your freedom will consist of you
serving others. 

599
00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:08,600
You will never find greater 
freedom than when you put the 

600
00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:11,400
needs of others before your own,
when the needs of another become

601
00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:13,960
your objective, when you make it
your mission to meet that need. 

602
00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:16,320
That is what Paul is doing with 
his ministry. 

603
00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:18,920
That's what we find in chapter 8
and it comes through here as 

604
00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:24,960
well. 
And in our time, I must confess,

605
00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:28,600
we have been spoiled in this in 
this country, in our in our 

606
00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:33,560
North America generally. 
I just heard a social media post

607
00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:38,680
that in North America and 
today's situation, 47%, I don't 

608
00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:39,800
know if the status accurate 
this. 

609
00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:43,440
The way I heard it, 47% of 
people who make 120,000 to 

610
00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:47,520
200,000 a year live from 
paycheck to paycheck. 

611
00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:49,880
That's how high they've elevated
their life's down. 

612
00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:50,920
I know that's not the norm for 
you. 

613
00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:53,040
I know the majority here make 
way less. 

614
00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:57,040
I get that. 
It's not a money problem, it's a

615
00:32:57,040 --> 00:33:00,680
values problem. 
We'll never be free until we 

616
00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:03,640
surrender us fully and totally 
everything we have to Jesus 

617
00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:07,600
Christ and instead of focusing 
in rights and entitlement, focus

618
00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:14,640
on self denial. 
Does the self restraint, the 

619
00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:18,840
self denial of others inspire 
me, convict me, spur me on, or 

620
00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:22,240
is like, hey, cool, that gives 
me more space, that gives me 

621
00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:27,720
space to cash in, to live in 
freedom, We must respond to the 

622
00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:30,640
gospel. 
We must repent our sin, put our 

623
00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:32,600
faith in Jesus. 
It means giving up ourselves, 

624
00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:35,440
running ourselves to embracing 
the cross, committing to follow 

625
00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:38,920
Jesus, embrace the life of self 
denial, and then in love walk 

626
00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:41,280
with one another as his 
disciples. 

627
00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:48,680
Jesus set the ultimate example. 
Paul set the example. 

628
00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:50,120
Many Saints and have set the 
example. 

629
00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:52,000
Many are still setting the 
example. 

630
00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:54,560
What about us? 
Are we going to set the example?

631
00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:56,760
That was the message Paul 
preached. 

632
00:33:57,440 --> 00:34:01,160
Jesus did that for us and he 
helps us to freely do it for 

633
00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:02,120
others. 
Let us pray. 

634
00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:07,160
Lord, thank you for Your grace 
to us, but through the blood of 

635
00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:09,639
your Son, Jesus, you set us free
from the bond of sin. 

636
00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:12,320
It is through your Son's 
resurrection we can now live 

637
00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:14,960
lives and freedom. 
There are many parts to the 

638
00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:17,520
Christian life to deny ourselves
as a key part. 

639
00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:20,760
May you help us to do that, 
Lord, to look to you to help us 

640
00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:25,760
to see where we want to, where 
we need to serve, what we want 

641
00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:27,400
to do. 
Help us to want to do the right 

642
00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:29,040
things. 
Lord, you always call us to 

643
00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:30,400
serve you by serving one 
another. 

644
00:34:30,719 --> 00:34:33,679
Lord, may your Spirit help us to
live lives that are testimony to

645
00:34:33,679 --> 00:34:35,560
your grace and to your mercy. 
Thank you, Jesus. 

646
00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:36,280
Amen.