1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,440 Hi there, this is Pastor Rivera from Liberty Baptist Church. 2 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:05,040 Over the next couple of weeks, there won't be any updates to 3 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:08,400 the LBC Podcast, but if you want to check out the latest sermons 4 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:11,920 or live streams of our services. Head over to our YouTube page 5 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,440 search. For Liberty Baptist Church in 6 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:16,800 Easton, but in the meantime, enjoy this sermon that was 7 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,000 preached recently at Liberty Baptist Church. 8 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:22,440 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 9 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,520 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 10 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:29,520 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 11 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,640 or contact us at mylibertybaptist.org or just 12 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:36,240 look us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 13 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:38,560 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 14 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,640 If you would turn to 1st Corinthians Chapter 9 this 15 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:45,400 evening, I got to be honest with you, I'm glad not to be in my 16 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:47,360 kitchen this evening. All right, First Corinthians 17 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:49,560 chapter #9 this isn't too close, Vince is. 18 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:51,040 It's a good distance away. All right, good. 19 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:53,360 Yeah, he was a little. Concerned about how close I was 20 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:54,880 to him. So I told you just back up from 21 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:56,280 your computer, man. That's all you got to do. 22 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:58,960 But nobody listens to pastor. That's all right. 23 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,720 First Corinthians chapter #9 we're going chapter by chapter 24 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:04,560 right now in our study of First Corinthians. 25 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:09,160 We took about 23 or 24 sermons to get through 6 chapters and 26 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,480 we're picking up the pace right now for next few weeks as we see 27 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,400 really one item of note and other. 28 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,160 There's only one important thing found in each chapter, but 29 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,160 really each chapter lends itself very well to be treated 30 00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:26,480 individually as one topic and Chapter 9 is no exception. 31 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,080 Let me ask you this, could you imagine challenging the Apostle 32 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,240 Paul about whether he's really an apostle or not? 33 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:38,080 I don't know the Apostle Paul, obviously I don't know him. 34 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:40,800 I can only know what you know from the word of God. 35 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:44,320 But it seems to me he was a pretty intense individual. 36 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:48,000 It seemed like he was pretty passionate about the Word. 37 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,880 He was passionate about persecuting Christians, but then 38 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:55,520 he was equally passionate about serving Christ once he got 39 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:56,960 saved. By the way, that's what Jesus 40 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,400 will do to your life. He'll change it completely, 41 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:03,040 won't it, if you allow him to. And so just as much as Paul was 42 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:06,040 running hard in One Direction, once he met Jesus Christ on the 43 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,840 Damascus Rd. he started running just as hard in the opposite 44 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,400 direction towards Jesus Christ. So I just can't imagine it would 45 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,800 go well if you challenge the authority, if you challenge the 46 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:19,800 apostleship of Paul and said, you know, who do you think you 47 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,840 are, Apostle Paul. But of course we know the 48 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:24,800 Corinthians aren't just a normal church, are they? 49 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:27,120 They're carnal in almost every way. 50 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:31,320 And so Paul is now going to address finally this issue that 51 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:33,920 has been hanging over the book so far. 52 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:36,960 And that's this, that there are some people, there's an element 53 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:41,200 within the church that really has questions about Paul being 54 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,240 an authentic apostle of Jesus Christ. 55 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:46,720 Now, Paul's going to handle these questions tonight. 56 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,000 And he's not going to do so in a way that's born out of his own 57 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,440 sensitivity. He's not going to act in a way 58 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:57,520 that he is personally offended at what is being spoken of, but 59 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:02,080 yet he is going to be able to address it very carefully for us 60 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:04,880 in this chapter. Because a challenge to the 61 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,320 ministry of Paul really is a challenge to the message of 62 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:11,040 Paul, a challenge to the ministry. 63 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:14,640 The authenticity of the ministry of Paul is really a challenge to 64 00:03:14,640 --> 00:03:17,600 the gospel itself because that was the message of which he was 65 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:19,600 preaching. So I want us to look at that 66 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:23,840 here tonight to get a clearer picture of pastoral ministry, to 67 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,360 get a clearer picture of what Paul was doing. 68 00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:30,080 Although he was not the pastor at Corinth, if you would, he was 69 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:32,600 the apostle. He is the one that helped within 70 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,040 the founding of the church. He was instrumental within the 71 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:37,920 life of the church. And we see this picture that he 72 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,400 is going to give us here tonight of what we could translate into 73 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,640 pastoral ministry today. And it's something that helps 74 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:48,880 people like me, men like me who are pastors of the word of God, 75 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:53,200 but it also helps church members as well to understand what 76 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:57,880 should the pastoral ministry be? What should you expect from a 77 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,600 pastor? And in essence, what should we 78 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:04,280 all be doing as we're all ministers of the gospel of Jesus 79 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:05,280 Christ? Because if you agree with 80 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:07,440 nothing else here tonight, you ought to be able to agree with 81 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:08,960 this. We're all called to be ministers 82 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,480 of Jesus, Jesus Christ. We're all called to be the 83 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:16,040 servants of Christ and to be ministers of the gospel message. 84 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:18,680 And as such, we ought to do it well, kind of like the idea of 85 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:21,440 church on Sunday morning. If it's God's church, then we 86 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,360 ought to do it God's way. If it's God's ministry, then we 87 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:26,200 ought to do it God's way as well. 88 00:04:26,280 --> 00:04:28,160 And that's true for me behind the pulpit. 89 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:31,680 That's true for me as a pastor, and that's true for all of us as 90 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:35,000 God's people, no matter what ministry we may have. 91 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:37,400 Well, we're going to start reading in First Corinthians 92 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:40,120 Chapter 9, just verses 1 and 2. But then we're going to continue 93 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:43,080 to treat the chapter as we go along through preaching this 94 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:45,840 evening. So verses one and two present 95 00:04:45,840 --> 00:04:49,160 the challenge that is being made to Paul in his apostleship. 96 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,400 And he says, am I not an apostle? 97 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:55,040 Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our 98 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,000 Lord? Are not ye my work in the Lord? 99 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:02,400 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to 100 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,120 you for the seal of mine apostleship. 101 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:08,480 Are ye in the Lord now? We'll stop right there. 102 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,520 And it sounds like, again, he may be a little sensitive here. 103 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,240 Now, he's not being sensitive. We know that he's writing by the 104 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,360 inspiration of the Holy Spirit. There is no sinfulness in these 105 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:21,040 things that are being written. However, if he is being attacked 106 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,960 for his pastoral ethics, if you will, if he's being attacked for 107 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:29,000 his ministerial ethics, his apostleship into the very core 108 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:31,400 of who he is, he does need to answer. 109 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:34,480 He does need to respond because again, it cuts to the heart of 110 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:36,480 the very message of which he's preaching. 111 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:40,400 An attack on his ministry is an attack on his message because he 112 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,360 is a gospel preacher. So we ask ourselves this 113 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:45,280 question, well, what is the minister? 114 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,440 Or maybe we can even say, what is the pastor supposed to be? 115 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:50,480 What is the pastor supposed to do? 116 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:53,480 What is he supposed to look at or rather look like? 117 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:55,960 Well, I once read the following. Listen to this. 118 00:05:55,960 --> 00:06:00,400 This is a interesting way that people will look at the ministry 119 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:02,720 of the pastor. After hundreds of years, the 120 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:05,760 perfect pastor has been found. Excited about that? 121 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:08,240 No, I am. After hundreds of years, the 122 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:11,360 perfect pastor has been found. He preaches exactly 20 minutes 123 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,960 and then sits down. He condemns sin, but never steps 124 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:18,040 on anyone's sews. He works from 8:00 in the 125 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:20,840 morning until 10 at night, doing everything from preaching 126 00:06:20,840 --> 00:06:24,680 sermons to sweeping the church. He makes $400.00 a week, gives 127 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:28,840 $350.00 a week to the church, drives a late model car, buys 128 00:06:28,840 --> 00:06:31,440 plenty of books, wears fine clothes, and has a nice family. 129 00:06:31,840 --> 00:06:34,240 He's always ready to contribute to every good 'cause and to help 130 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:35,760 every pan handler who comes along. 131 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,800 He is 36 years old and has been preaching for 40 years. 132 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:42,720 He has a burning desire to work with young people and spends all 133 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:44,120 of his time with senior citizens. 134 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:47,280 He smiles all the time with a straight face because he has a 135 00:06:47,280 --> 00:06:49,720 keen sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated. 136 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:53,000 He makes 15 calls a day on church members, spends all his 137 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,440 time evangelizing the unchurched, and is always in a 138 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,800 study whenever he is needed. Unfortunately, he burned himself 139 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:03,280 out and died at the age of 32. There's a lot of expectations 140 00:07:03,280 --> 00:07:05,920 out there about what the pastor ought to be. 141 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:08,640 What is he to look like? And again, I'm not saying that 142 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:12,320 Paul is the pastor here of the church at Corinth, but yet he is 143 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:14,200 an apostle. And he certainly was 144 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:17,280 instrumental in the ministry of Corinth, not just at its 145 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:20,680 founding, but coming back and setting things are right over 146 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:23,080 and over again. And as such, we can look at 147 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:26,680 ministerial ethics and we could call them pastoral ethics here 148 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:29,320 as we translate them to the office of the pastor this 149 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,880 evening to help us understand what we ought to to be and what 150 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:36,200 I ought to be as a pastor, but what you ought to expect from a 151 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,720 pastor as well. And so in the 1st 2 church 152 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,560 verses, Paul lays out the premise for the chapter. 153 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:44,880 The people of Corinth are questioning his credibility. 154 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:50,040 They are questioning who he is and what he says that he is. 155 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:52,800 And we just looked at these verses here just a moment ago 156 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:54,840 and he asked the question, am I not an apostle? 157 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:58,640 Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our 158 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:00,120 Lord? And we know certainly that was 159 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:02,960 the case as he was on the road to Damascus that he saw Jesus 160 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:04,760 Christ. And I'm of the opinion that he 161 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:08,080 was also taught by Jesus Christ for three years in the desert 162 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:12,120 fulfilling his apostleship as well as we see in Acts chapter 163 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,360 one, that someone who was to be an apostle had to be someone who 164 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:18,400 had seen Jesus Christ and had been through the ministry of 165 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:20,680 Jesus Christ. By the way, just a quick 166 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:22,480 timeout. That's why there are no apostles 167 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:25,280 today. If you turn on TBN, if you turn 168 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:29,280 on the local religious station and find that apostle so and so 169 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:31,160 is coming to town, Understand this. 170 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:32,919 He may be coming to town, but he's not an apostle. 171 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:35,880 Because if he's an apostle, that means about 2000 years old. 172 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,440 And we know that's not the case. But the apostleship was made 173 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:43,400 clear of what it was to be in Acts chapter 1 when Judas had 174 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:47,640 lost his apostleship because of taking his own life, because of 175 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:51,800 turning on Jesus Christ, That there was one named Matthias who 176 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:55,320 was elected by the church to be able to take that spot. 177 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:57,720 And one of the requirements was that have been with Jesus 178 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:00,200 Christ. And that was true with Paul as 179 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:03,480 well, even though he was one, as he said, that was born out of 180 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:07,080 due season, out of the time of which the other apostles had 181 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,080 been those three years with Jesus Christ. 182 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:11,440 So he asked these rhetorical questions. 183 00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:16,120 Are not ye my work in the Lord? If I be not an apostle unto 184 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:19,520 others, yet doubtless I am to you for the seal of mine 185 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:21,080 apostleship. Are ye in the Lord? 186 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,240 He says, if you want to see my credentials, if you really want 187 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:26,840 to get down to it, here's some credentials you can see. 188 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:31,280 Paul says, look in the mirror because this church is here 189 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:33,400 because of the work of which I have done. 190 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:35,760 No, he's not stealing the glory from the Lord. 191 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:37,960 Don't get me wrong. You can't get that from chapter 192 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:40,280 #9 that he's trying to take the glory from the Lord. 193 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:44,360 Paul is very aware of who he is. Paul is very aware of what his 194 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:47,160 abilities are, and Paul is very aware of who is the one who 195 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:49,120 empowers him. He knows it's the Lord. 196 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:51,760 But yet he says, if you want to see some credentials, you don't 197 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:54,080 need an ordination certificate. If you want to see some 198 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:56,960 credentials, you don't need to know about any of these other 199 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:01,200 things like a Bible college degree or diploma, or whether I 200 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:04,440 have doctor before my name. If you want to know, just see 201 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:06,880 the work that I've done, including the work that's done 202 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:09,800 here in Corinth. And then he says in verse #3 my 203 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:13,360 answer to them that do examine me is this. 204 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:16,560 So here's the rub right here. There's some people that have 205 00:10:16,560 --> 00:10:19,960 some questions in the Church of Corinth about whether he is who 206 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,800 he says he is. And that word answer there is 207 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:25,240 the word apologia. It's where we get the word 208 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:27,680 apologetics today. What is apologetics? 209 00:10:27,680 --> 00:10:31,440 It's defense of the faith, being able to understand how to answer 210 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:34,040 for your faith. So Paul is saying here I'm going 211 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:36,960 to answer. I am going to give a defense of 212 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:41,000 those who are trying to examine me and he's going to talk about 213 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,640 ministry and he's going to talk about his ministry credentials. 214 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:49,320 And again, we can see how that translates into who we are 215 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:51,360 today. And he comes at this from three 216 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:54,080 different angles. And the first we can look at is 217 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:56,080 this, what about the preacher's money? 218 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:57,960 We're going to ask the first question here tonight. 219 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:02,640 What about the preacher's money? Paul was at times a bi 220 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:05,280 vocational minister. Now we don't have time to go 221 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:07,120 there here tonight, have it written down, but for the sake 222 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:09,400 of time, you can write this down and look it up later. 223 00:11:09,560 --> 00:11:11,760 Acts chapter 18 verses one through 4. 224 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:16,440 What does it talk about that Paul met 2 good dear friends in 225 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:18,680 the Christian faith named Aquila and Priscilla? 226 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:20,640 Everyone ought to have an Aquila and Priscilla. 227 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,240 Everyone ought to have someone that they are close to that 228 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:26,280 refreshes them in the Lord. Now why did they come together? 229 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:28,840 First of all, because they're bond in Jesus Christ. 230 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,280 Secondly, because they were of the same trade. 231 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:34,680 They were tent makers. And so Paul, at times and 232 00:11:34,680 --> 00:11:37,960 seasons when the ministry necessitated it, was willing to 233 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:42,160 be able to forgo any payment from a young church and instead 234 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:46,320 supported himself with whatever he sold with his tent business. 235 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:49,440 That's why sometimes you hear a pastor will talk about his tent 236 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:52,720 maker, the idea of that's how he makes money outside of the 237 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:54,080 church. It's not because he's trying to 238 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,480 get rich, but it's the money that he needs to be able to do 239 00:11:57,640 --> 00:11:59,360 what he needs to do with his family. 240 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:02,480 I've had tent makers in the time that I've been here of driving 241 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:05,400 for Uber or riding for companies online. 242 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:08,600 These are tent makers that I have had to be able to support 243 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:11,360 our family in time of ministry. I've had a tent maker of 244 00:12:11,560 --> 00:12:13,920 cleaning out trash from an arena. 245 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:15,400 That was when I was back in Florida. 246 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:17,760 These are things that I have done in the past to be able to 247 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:21,320 supplement that which comes in. And so we know this about Paul, 248 00:12:21,560 --> 00:12:23,440 that he has had this within his past. 249 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:25,000 It's not that he did it in every city. 250 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,680 I don't think the book of Acts makes clear that that was the 251 00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:29,880 case. But it did seem to be something 252 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:31,960 that he was able and willing to do this. 253 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:35,960 We know he was able and willing to be able to do whatever he 254 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:38,280 needed to do for the gospel ministry. 255 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:42,120 It wasn't an issue of Paul was on a money making scheme going 256 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:45,560 around through Asia and Europe. His heart was not money. 257 00:12:45,680 --> 00:12:48,880 His heart was the gospel and he was going to do whatever he 258 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:52,200 could to preach the gospel. But there were some people in 259 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:56,720 verses 4 through 6 who had some questions about his financial 260 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,920 abilities, and they had some questions about how he was 261 00:12:59,920 --> 00:13:03,480 meeting those needs. And so he lays out this premise 262 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:05,720 here. Beginning of verse #4 he says, 263 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:08,160 have we not power to eat and to drink? 264 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:12,560 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as 265 00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:16,480 other apostles and a brethren, and as the brethren of the Lord 266 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:18,800 and Cephas? Now that word power there is 267 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:20,240 being used as talking about the right. 268 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:22,240 He says this, don't I have the right to eat? 269 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:25,320 Don't have the right to drink. Now, what do you need? 270 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:28,240 If you want to eat and drink, typically you need, well, money, 271 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:29,840 don't you? I don't know how it works where 272 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:32,520 you're from, but where I'm from, the grocery store, they usually 273 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:34,720 take money, not just a hey, God bless you. 274 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:36,480 And they say, oh, take all the groceries you want. 275 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:39,400 I would love it if that worked, but that's not the way it works. 276 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:42,680 And it seems like it's going up all the time and the eggs might 277 00:13:42,680 --> 00:13:44,440 be going down, but everything else seems like it's going up. 278 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:47,920 And that's OK. That's just the way life works. 279 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:50,160 But he's saying, don't I have the right to eat? 280 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:53,080 Don't I have the right to drink? Don't I have the right verse #5 281 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:55,720 to be able to take care of a of a family. 282 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:58,400 And now we understand that Paul's extended family would 283 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:00,680 have been different. But just the rhetorical question 284 00:14:00,680 --> 00:14:04,520 of the idea of being able to have real support for himself 285 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:06,240 and those he is supposed to support. 286 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:10,680 And I only am Barnabas, have we not power to for bear working? 287 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:13,440 And so again, the thought process here is this. 288 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:18,800 What do I have the right to receive as a minister of Christ? 289 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:21,600 And so he's going to give two sets of examples. 290 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,200 And this is important because there are questions about 291 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:27,000 pastoral ministry and ethics when it comes to money. 292 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:28,880 Now, when I was in Bible college, one of the things they 293 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:32,080 taught us, in fact, I remember John Aldridge, an Old Testament 294 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:35,000 survey, he said this in the way that only John Aldridge could 295 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:37,000 say it, an old preacher, old country preacher. 296 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:39,000 He says, boys, there's only two things. 297 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:41,360 He said there's two things rather you don't touch when 298 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:43,240 you're the preacher, the money and the Mamas. 299 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:46,640 I'll let you think about that for a second, All right? 300 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:49,200 You don't touch the money in the moment when he's talking about, 301 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:51,000 hey, don't count the offerings by yourself. 302 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,120 And you don't don't touch the lady folk. 303 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:54,280 That's what you're supposed to do. 304 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:56,240 And you say, is that really something you should tell 305 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:56,880 preachers? Have you? 306 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:01,600 Seen the news that he may have been an old country preacher but 307 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:03,600 I'll tell you what a lot more common sense than a lot of guys 308 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:05,840 who are professionals if you will today. 309 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:09,280 It certainly was and continues to be very good counsel. 310 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:12,440 But that doesn't mean that a pastor is not to have any type 311 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:14,560 of money or have any type of funding. 312 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:17,000 Because there's some people that thinks the pastor's only godly 313 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:22,600 if he's poor, that the pastor is only good if he is receiving 314 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:24,800 salary from something else other than the church. 315 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,320 But then there's also the thought process that some 316 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:32,440 pastors have that they need to be the most well compensated of 317 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:34,240 anyone within their congregation. 318 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,120 And so the question is, well, where should we lie on that? 319 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:39,760 Where is a pastor should my thought process be? 320 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:43,480 And in turn, where should a church's thought be about this 321 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:45,240 as well? Say, pastor, how comfortable are 322 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:47,280 you talking about this tonight? My answer be about as 323 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:48,840 comfortable. I was on Sunday morning talking 324 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:50,400 about all the things people need to do in the church. 325 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:53,960 And the answer is, it's not about whether I'm comfortable or 326 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:55,520 not. It's about preaching the whole 327 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:56,920 council of God. By the way, it's not about 328 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:57,880 whether you're. Comfortable or not? 329 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:01,120 I'm not trying to purposely make you uncomfortable, but sometimes 330 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:03,760 the Word of God kind of makes us uncomfortable when we're not 331 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,040 where we need to be. And you have to understand that 332 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,480 what I'm talking about these things tonight, I'm not as much 333 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:12,520 talking about myself as I am the very office of which I have. 334 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:15,480 You need to understand these things for several reasons. 335 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:19,000 One, because this will apply to whoever stands behind this 336 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:22,000 pulpit as pastor over the many years this church will be here. 337 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:25,800 Praise God or we pray until Jesus returns that this church 338 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:28,320 will be here, will outlast all of us, unless He comes tomorrow. 339 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:30,160 And that's fine, we're all good with that. 340 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:33,360 And Satan can take over the lease of this building and we'll 341 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:34,040 all be gone. Amen. 342 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:38,360 And in fact, you'll find out how how much troubles there are in 343 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:39,800 this building. All things consider you can have 344 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:44,320 it. But the reality is, is that 345 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:46,360 sometimes it's good for you to learn these things because as 346 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:50,480 God moves you on to other places in the future, you'll be able to 347 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:53,080 take those and maybe be able to help a young church or to help 348 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:55,400 another ministry understanding biblical principles in these 349 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:57,480 areas. I am glad in the very infancy of 350 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:00,840 this church, there were some people who had known biblical 351 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:04,640 standards and had known biblical issues in dealing with the 352 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:09,079 pastor that were very good and gracious in helping us. 353 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:13,400 And I can thank pastors that were in this area maybe 30 or 40 354 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:14,960 years ago that trained them to do that. 355 00:17:15,319 --> 00:17:18,359 And so my heart tonight is not as much to be able to help you. 356 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:21,520 To help me, this church again has been very generous to me, 357 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,760 very generous to our family, very kind to our family beyond 358 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:28,359 anything that we could possibly even articulate here tonight. 359 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:31,200 But it is. That you know why that is and 360 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:34,320 that you can use that not to apply to the man, but rather to 361 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:38,640 apply to the ministry office, whoever it is or wherever it is 362 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:41,000 that you are in the future. And so Paul when it comes to 363 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:44,640 issue of money, gives 2 examples and the first is the example of 364 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:46,720 the laborers. And so when he talks about this 365 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:48,440 issue of should the pastor receive money? 366 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:50,880 Because I think some people are getting kind of crossways here 367 00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:52,560 with Paul about this issue with money. 368 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:55,440 And he says this who go with a warfare at any time at his own 369 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:57,880 charges, Who planted the vineyard and eateth not the 370 00:17:57,880 --> 00:17:59,880 fruit thereof? Or who feedeth the flock, and 371 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:01,800 eateth not of the milk of the flock? 372 00:18:02,360 --> 00:18:05,680 Say I these as a man? Or say it's not the law The same 373 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:07,400 also 4 is written in the law of Moses. 374 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:10,160 Thou shalt not muzzle the Alpha, the ox that treadeth out the 375 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:12,920 corn. Doth God take care for oxen? 376 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:16,720 Or sayeth he it all together? For our sakes, for our sakes. 377 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:20,080 No doubt this is written, that he that plow is should plow and 378 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:23,160 hope, and that he that threshes in hope should be partaker of 379 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:24,440 this hope. Now stop right here. 380 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:28,200 Paul gives the example of the laborers he says is a soldier go 381 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:32,400 to war at his own expense or does someone pay to make sure 382 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:36,200 the soldier goes to war? It Does a man plant a vineyard 383 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:39,360 is not allowed to eat from it or does the man who planted the 384 00:18:39,360 --> 00:18:41,080 vineyard take from his own vineyard? 385 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:44,520 Is there someone who feeds the flock and can't take the milk of 386 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:48,440 the flock, or does it just expected that the shepherd of 387 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:51,120 the flock would be able to drink of the milk of the sheep? 388 00:18:51,120 --> 00:18:54,960 And it's just understood that that is a way of compensation of 389 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:57,440 that the laborers. And he says he didn't even 390 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:00,120 explain that you don't muzzle the ox that treads the corn. 391 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:03,200 That ox may be treading corn, but don't muzzle. 392 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:05,840 Allow it to get a little bit here and there, because really, 393 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:08,680 won't the ox be better off if it gets a little bit of corn on the 394 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:10,960 way? You muzzle the ox, you get the 395 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:13,120 ox lean. And what happens now? 396 00:19:13,120 --> 00:19:15,160 It's not strong. Now it can't do the work. 397 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:17,160 Now it's faint. Give the ox a little corn. 398 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:20,200 It's going to won't be okay. Everybody is better off when the 399 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:22,480 ox gets the corn and Paul says this. 400 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:25,120 If you think that principle and by the way he's using the verse 401 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:28,200 when it talks about it is written the Law of Moses from 402 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,160 Deuteronomy chapter 25 verse #4 that comes from the Old 403 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:33,640 Testament. Now I had someone a few years 404 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:37,640 ago tell me. I have said many times here at 405 00:19:37,640 --> 00:19:39,560 Liberty Baptist Church, sometimes there's a mess here at 406 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:41,960 the church and there's a lot of kids around here and they make a 407 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:43,880 mess. And I'm not saying the kids 408 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:46,880 ought to make a mess in church. I'm not for that, like 409 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:48,320 intentionally, you know what I'm saying. 410 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:51,400 But I also know that if you want children in a church, there's 411 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:52,760 just going to be a little bit of mess. 412 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:56,240 That's just the way it is. And I have said about that in 413 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:59,520 the past that where the book of Proverbs says where there is no 414 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:02,040 ox, the crib is. Clean, and I've used that as a 415 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:05,360 way to use a truth about the children to talk about. 416 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:08,320 What Solomon talked about with the ox. 417 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:12,160 Not a man a few years ago who took a great exception with me 418 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:15,040 in a letter and said about that, he says. 419 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:19,560 Don't you know that verse isn't about people, It's about an ox? 420 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:25,120 And I wanted to answer, but I didn't really answer the letter 421 00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:28,440 other than to say I can't answer all the things on there because 422 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:30,920 the Bible talks about answer. Not a fool according their 423 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:34,520 folly. But that's what I said, and I 424 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:36,000 wasn't trying to be mean. I'm just saying I can't go 425 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:37,440 through all these things and say them. 426 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:41,400 But I did say to this gentleman that that the whole issue is 427 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:43,360 that, yes, it's talking about oxen. 428 00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:46,760 But do you think that Solomon was just trying to get some 429 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:49,720 issues across the people who are engaged in animal husbandry? 430 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:53,120 Because that would be a very small group of people? 431 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:59,000 Or was he using something that was true about animals to show a 432 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,480 truth that applies in a lot of other areas as well? 433 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:04,640 So when it talks about don't muzzle the ox that treads the 434 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:08,400 corn, even Paul says here, do you think that he say this all 435 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:10,080 together? For our sakes, He says for no 436 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:12,960 doubt this is written that he should plow and hope. 437 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:15,960 The idea is that, of course, if someone is engaged in the work, 438 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:18,200 they should be able to take a little bit from the work. 439 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:20,440 No, no, that doesn't mean that the pastor just gets to, oh, 440 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:22,320 I'll take a little bit here, I'll take a little bit there. 441 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:24,120 If we put that offering plate away, let me take a little bit 442 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:25,600 out of there. That's not what it's talking 443 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:27,720 about. But the idea is that those that 444 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:31,120 live of the ministry, if it's possible, should be able to live 445 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:35,240 of the ministry and not be guilty or feel guilty to be able 446 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:37,240 to do so. But the other side of it is 447 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:39,800 this. If it is not an ability of the 448 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:43,840 church to be able to do so, then that minister ought to minister 449 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:47,080 for the gospel sake, because whether he's receiving money or 450 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:50,400 not receiving money, he's ministering for the gospel sake, 451 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:52,920 not for the money. And we'll say that one more 452 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:55,320 time. If I can recall that, that I 453 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:59,440 just said whether he receives the money or he doesn't receive 454 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:01,480 the money, he's not really ministering for the money. 455 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:04,720 He's, he's ministering for the gospel's sake. 456 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:10,240 So whether the check is there or not, the ministry is the 457 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:13,560 ministry, the work of the gospel is the work of the gospel. 458 00:22:14,120 --> 00:22:16,480 So he gives the example of the laborers, but then he also gives 459 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:18,880 the example of the Levites. And look at verse #13. 460 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:21,920 It says, do he not know that they which minister about holy 461 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:24,960 things live of the things of the temple, and they which wait at 462 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:26,760 the altar are partakers of the Lord? 463 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:29,040 So firstly he talks about these laborers, but he talks about the 464 00:22:29,040 --> 00:22:31,400 Levites. So when someone was to give of 465 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:35,120 their tithes and offerings, guess who was to receive in the 466 00:22:35,120 --> 00:22:36,600 temple of those ties and offerings? 467 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:37,600 The Levites? You. 468 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,600 Can go to numbers chapter #8 we're going to numbers chapter 469 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:42,400 18. Go ahead and do it. 470 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:43,920 All right, You need to go to these passages. 471 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:46,520 All right, Numbers chapter 18. I'm trying to save all this 472 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:48,600 time, but you know what you got to turn these places. 473 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:50,760 You got to get go get those pages of workout. 474 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:54,320 Amen. All right, thank you, Jay. 475 00:22:57,520 --> 00:22:59,240 Everyone else, if you don't turn there, you just read Jay's 476 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:02,080 Bible, All right, because we know he's turning there. 477 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:04,040 Numbers chapter 18. But you got to know where these 478 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:06,280 things are in the word of God. You got to understand these 479 00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:08,200 things. And sometimes I'm so busy trying 480 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:09,840 to communicate things to you and I don't want to. 481 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:13,200 I have you jumping all over the Bible that sometimes I think I 482 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:15,560 robbed you of the opportunity to see where there's things are for 483 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:17,200 yourself. And so I kind of had to calm 484 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:19,440 myself down a little bit to get you to these places. 485 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:23,720 Numbers chapter #18 look at verse #20 It says this. 486 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,800 And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance 487 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:29,320 in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them. 488 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:32,560 I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children 489 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:34,720 of Israel. And behold, I have given the 490 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:37,640 children of Levi all the 10th and Israel for an inheritance 491 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:40,120 for their service which they serve, even the service of the 492 00:23:40,120 --> 00:23:42,960 Tabernacle of the congregation. The priesthood dedicated 493 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:46,440 themselves to God and in turn God would always take care of 494 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:48,720 them. That was the setup that God had 495 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:50,960 with the Levites. This is what Paul is talking 496 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:53,800 about in his second example when it comes to money in first 497 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:57,680 Corinthians chapter #9 he says the Levites were always taken 498 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:01,200 care of by God. Now drop down to verse #24 It 499 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,160 says this, but the ties of the children of Israel, which they 500 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:07,840 offer as an heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the 501 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:10,640 Levites to inherit. So when the people gave of the 502 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:13,000 tithe, where was the tithe to go? 503 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:16,360 To the Levites who were in service to the temple, because 504 00:24:16,360 --> 00:24:19,200 they gave their life to the service of the temple and 505 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:22,560 because they couldn't engage typically in outside 506 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:25,160 entrepreneurialism, sometimes you would see that they own 507 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:28,080 cattle and different things like that, but in general they gave 508 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:30,000 themselves to the life of the Lord. 509 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:33,840 And because of that, when the tithe came in, it was to be able 510 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:37,320 to sustain them and to be able to continue to help them in the 511 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:39,680 work of the Lord. So Pastor, so we just pay you 512 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:42,200 and you just hold on to all of it and you just keep all of it. 513 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:44,160 You know what? I have to do the same things I 514 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:47,720 preach to all of you. You know what that means? 515 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:50,680 That the pastor gives tithes and offerings. 516 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:53,280 Why? Because it is the right thing 517 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:55,280 for the pastor. Do you don't say, well, you 518 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:57,800 know, I mean you all give the tithes and it just comes to me. 519 00:24:57,800 --> 00:24:59,840 And so it's already been tithed on. 520 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:02,640 And so, I mean, we don't want to tie that again, right? 521 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:04,280 That doesn't really make a lot of sense, does it? 522 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:08,880 The pastor ought to be one of the best givers of the church. 523 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:13,360 You said, Is this conversation making you feel uncomfortable? 524 00:25:13,360 --> 00:25:14,520 It's making me feel uncomfortable. 525 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:17,560 But you've got to learn this. You got to understand this. 526 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:20,880 I don't mean that I have to be one of the best givers compared 527 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:22,880 to everyone else. And I don't know that I am. 528 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:27,320 I don't know that we are, but I will say this, we ought to be 529 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,360 able to lead the way as best as we can with the resources that 530 00:25:30,360 --> 00:25:34,640 we have because shame on me if I preach that everyone needs to 531 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:37,200 sacrificially give and we don't sacrificially give. 532 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:43,960 Tip critical is what it is. So to work hard at that, you 533 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:47,280 say, what do you give, pastor? Well, if you want to see my 534 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:50,240 tithe report, our tithe report. I say my tithe report because I 535 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:52,840 write the check. It's our tithe report because we 536 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:56,840 both have incomes. But I would guess I would show 537 00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:58,800 it to you, but I would say the only people who do know are the 538 00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:03,000 trustees, the people that count. And honestly, I'm just concerned 539 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:04,320 about making sure I'm doing right with the Lord. 540 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:06,880 That's right. That's that's what I need to. 541 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:10,000 Make sure of but but what do we see here? 542 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:15,360 We see that it says, I cut myself off early here, from 543 00:26:15,360 --> 00:26:16,720 where we need to read. Look at verse 25. 544 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:19,320 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Thus speak unto the 545 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:22,240 Levites, and say unto them, When you take of the children of 546 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:25,280 Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your 547 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:29,400 inheritance, then you shall OfferUp a heave offering of it 548 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:31,680 for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe. 549 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:35,680 So when the Levites received the tithe, what did they do? 550 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:40,360 They tithed off of it. This is what it is supposed to 551 00:26:40,360 --> 00:26:42,680 be. And so this is not even when I 552 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:45,840 get up here tonight and say to you that there is some ethics 553 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:51,000 and ministerial conditions that are given when it comes to the 554 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:53,840 issue of money. But yet even when I preach to 555 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:56,600 you, must be followed by our own family. 556 00:26:57,640 --> 00:26:59,880 And that's true in the Old Testament, That's true in the 557 00:26:59,880 --> 00:27:01,000 New Testament. We'll go back to First 558 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:10,120 Corinthians chapter #9. Now I'm going to give you some 559 00:27:10,120 --> 00:27:15,840 riverology that is a, this is a, this is a clear warning sign 560 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:18,000 that I'm going to tell you something's not in the Bible. 561 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,000 You say, why are you preaching? Something's not in the Bible. 562 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:24,320 I'm going to give you my opinion on a matter and you take it for 563 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:27,200 what it is. But I believe that opinion is 564 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:29,440 fashioned by what we read here in these verses. 565 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:34,080 You say, what does a pastor, what should a pastor receive as 566 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:36,360 a salary? What should he receive? 567 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,000 And my answer to be would be a good rule of thumb is to pay a 568 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:44,640 pastor the average salary for his area and for his family 569 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:48,280 size. That's an aspirational goal, but 570 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:51,480 is one that makes sense. The pastor's family shouldn't be 571 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:53,640 the ones that have the least in the month in the church. 572 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:56,120 They certainly should not be the ones that have the most in the 573 00:27:56,120 --> 00:28:00,960 church, but to have an average amount for their family size in 574 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:03,080 the area in which they live is a good thing. 575 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:06,680 So you say, pastor, unless a man gets that amount, he shouldn't 576 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:09,240 work at that church. Well, then Paul wouldn't have 577 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:12,040 done anything that he did. I said it's an aspirational 578 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:13,760 goal. Remember, we're talking about a 579 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:16,840 church here and from your side as well. 580 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:19,240 And again, I want to make abundantly clear that this 581 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:23,400 Church has taken such wonderful care of us from starting from 582 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,880 nothing. To where we are here in a very 583 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,720 few short months that we will be a completely self supporting 584 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:34,280 church by the grace of God and the good giving and godly giving 585 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:36,480 of God's people in this church. Praise the Lord for it. 586 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:39,320 But I don't do want you to understand the thought process 587 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:42,760 that goes behind it. That a pastor should have a wage 588 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:47,240 that will help him to eat some of the corn as he treads. 589 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:51,680 But at the same time doesn't need to be the one that is in 590 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:56,120 the highest income bracket. And if he cannot receive that 591 00:28:56,120 --> 00:29:01,200 amount, it should not be that that's condition for him to 592 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:05,800 serve at that ministry or not. I will remind you get some of 593 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:08,000 you've heard this before and so I apologize if you have. 594 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:10,280 But I feel like with people coming and going, it needs to be 595 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:13,160 said every once in a while that when we got to the place of the 596 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:16,600 church paying us $300 a month, we still had salary and support. 597 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:19,200 But $300 a month. I, I knew I was probably had to 598 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:23,600 get outside work and we lost $600.00 of support in one month. 599 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:26,120 It was gone. I don't know about you. 600 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:28,400 I don't care what income bracket you are, you lose $600 in a 601 00:29:28,400 --> 00:29:30,240 month and you know it's not coming back. 602 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:33,280 You know, you can kind of fudge things for a month or two, but 603 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:34,840 if they ain't coming back, it's a problem. 604 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:37,720 So I went to our trustees and I told them they wanted to know 605 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:40,120 when we had a loss of income. I told them that we lost some 606 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:44,600 support and they said, well, give us, give us till tonight 607 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:46,680 and we'll let you know what we, what we think about this. 608 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:49,520 And they said, we, we, we can't give you a raise, pastor. 609 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:51,840 And I said, I know you can't give me a raise. 610 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:54,400 I told you I was going to tell you this, but I know what's in 611 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,160 the, in the bank account. At the time we were making our 612 00:29:57,160 --> 00:30:01,360 rent payments and such every month, but we didn't have a 613 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:05,600 whole lot extra in the bank. And one of the gentlemen says, 614 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:06,960 so does this mean you're going to leave? 615 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:10,960 And I said, who said anything about leaving? 616 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:15,080 This is where God's called us. This is what God's called us to 617 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:16,960 do. We're not going anywhere. 618 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:20,600 And by the grace of God, we did do different things. 619 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:24,400 And I worked Uber and my wife and children ended up having 620 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:27,280 their own tent makers where they were making T-shirts and making 621 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:30,480 signs and making glassware and making, I don't know what they 622 00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:31,440 were making, to be honest with you. 623 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:34,400 They're creating all kinds of stuff in our house, and I didn't 624 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:36,600 want to be around it, so I wouldn't go to do work. 625 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:40,520 Oops, that slipped out. That was a little too real right 626 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:44,000 there. No, we did. 627 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:47,520 We had to do Why? Because about the gospel, not 628 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:50,440 about the money. As a church, you do what you can 629 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:54,080 and even by faith, stretch yourself beyond what you can, 630 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:56,760 because that's what the pastor preaches, right? 631 00:30:57,520 --> 00:31:00,960 But the pastor can't preach to you and not live it himself. 632 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,240 And so Paul says right here, what about the preacher's money? 633 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:06,600 Well, he gets a good illustration right here of what 634 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:08,720 needs to be done. And Paul was willing to do 635 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:11,680 whatever it took for the sake of the gospel, whether it was a 636 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:14,200 church that would support him or whether it would make a tents, 637 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:15,560 he was good with it. Why? 638 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:17,320 Because the goal wasn't the money. 639 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:21,360 The goal was the gospel #2 Second question, what about the 640 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:23,680 preacher's motivations? What about the preacher's 641 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:26,600 motivations? I think we made it clear already 642 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:29,040 that his motivation was not monetary based. 643 00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:32,440 And remember, he's not pleading his case here. 644 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:35,320 He's just pleading a case. Remember, he's not even talking 645 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:37,080 about himself. He says that in verse 15. 646 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:39,680 But I've used none of these things, neither have I written 647 00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:41,360 these things that it should be so done unto me. 648 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,520 He's saying, I'm not even telling you to apply this to me. 649 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:48,400 I just want you to know what is right in this matter, that it 650 00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:51,280 should be so done unto me that it were better for me to die 651 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:54,280 than any man should make my glorying void. 652 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:56,120 This is how serious he was about this. 653 00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:59,160 Now look at verse 16. For though I preach the gospel, 654 00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:02,360 I have nothing to glory of, for necessity is. 655 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:07,240 Laid upon me, Yeah, Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel. 656 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:12,680 This shows the principle of the calling of God upon a man's life 657 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:15,840 to preach the gospel. And sometimes we talk about the 658 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:19,880 call to preach. I am not a preacher because I 659 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:21,200 can't do anything else for a living. 660 00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:26,600 I am not a preacher because it is what I have chosen to do as a 661 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:29,160 living. I am a preacher and a pastor 662 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:31,520 because I believe that's the call that God has placed upon my 663 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:34,400 life. You say why is that important? 664 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:37,960 Well, because if there's no call upon my life and there's a 665 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:41,560 Monday that doesn't feel great, guess what, maybe I'm gone, 666 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:44,200 maybe I'm done. Says that ever happened. 667 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:46,800 I've heard pastor, what happens to me every Monday? 668 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:48,200 Well, I don't know what's the matter with them. 669 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:51,080 That doesn't happen to me every Monday, but there are Mondays 670 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:51,920 that it does. Happen. 671 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:53,960 There are Sunday afternoons that happens. 672 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:56,800 I felt that way in the car driving home on Sunday 673 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:59,520 afternoon. I told my wife, I said I, I I 674 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:01,360 preached on the church and people were just looking at me 675 00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:02,720 like cow is looking at a new gate. 676 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:04,440 And I was talking about all these different things. 677 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:06,680 And I'm talking about it. There was visitors here and they 678 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:08,280 probably thought it was crazy because I was trying to talk 679 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:09,280 about all these different things. 680 00:33:09,520 --> 00:33:11,320 And she just said, you just calm down. 681 00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:16,560 This is what goes through the mind of a pastor because I have 682 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:19,440 to be articulate all the time and I have to say the right 683 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:21,640 thing all the time. At least that's what I place 684 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:24,560 upon myself because I know what I'm standing here, that this is 685 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:28,720 not some high school pep rally, that this is not talk radio, 686 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:31,080 that we're preaching the very word of God. 687 00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:34,000 I got to get it right. I feel that pressure. 688 00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:36,920 People say, do you get nervous when you get up behind the 689 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:38,680 pulpit? I don't get nervous around you 690 00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:40,400 all anymore. I don't. 691 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:42,800 But I'll tell you, I feel the gravity and the weight of 692 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:45,400 standing behind this sacred desk every time I get behind it. 693 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:47,480 And the day that I don't, I ought to go. 694 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:49,360 Why? Because it's a. 695 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:52,960 Calling that's been placed upon my life, he said. 696 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:56,800 Well, pastor, thank you. Thank you for all that you do. 697 00:33:56,800 --> 00:33:59,760 No, go ahead and say it. No, I'm just kidding. 698 00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:01,840 I was waiting for somebody to say it. 699 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:09,120 That was your cue. If you were to say that, the 700 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:13,560 answer would be why thank me? It's what God called me to do. 701 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:17,520 That's what Paul says. There's no thanks that's needed. 702 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:20,639 My motivation is not that. You give me an attaboy and a pat 703 00:34:20,639 --> 00:34:23,520 on the back. The motivation, it's a blessing. 704 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:25,960 When that does happen, I'm not going to lie, it's a blessing. 705 00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:30,159 But if I get up every Sunday and Wednesday and preach to you, 706 00:34:30,159 --> 00:34:31,679 hoping that you will give me. Hey. 707 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:37,480 Pastor, that's a good one. Then I've missed the mark of 708 00:34:37,480 --> 00:34:40,880 what in the ministers to be. He says woe unto me if I preach 709 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:43,159 not the gospel. It reminds me of the verse in. 710 00:34:43,159 --> 00:34:46,800 Luke Luke chapter 17, verse 10. So likewise he when you shall 711 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:49,520 have done all those things which are commanded, you say we're 712 00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:51,800 unprofitable servants. We've done that which is our 713 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:55,000 duty to do. You know, there's no thanks that 714 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:59,440 are necessary in something that is done just because it was the 715 00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:00,720 calling to be done in the 1st place. 716 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:03,360 How serious is it? Verse #17 For I do this thing 717 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:04,920 willingly. I have a reward. 718 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:07,680 But if against my will a dispensation of the gospel is 719 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:10,360 committed unto me, that's a very serious verse. 720 00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:12,840 And it's, it's very hard to untangle in just a few moments. 721 00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:16,800 But the idea is this, it's to be done willingly. 722 00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:21,600 But if it is done unwillingly, the calling is still upon the 723 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:27,320 man and he better get it done. So his motivation is about the 724 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:29,240 gospel. You say? 725 00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:31,960 Would there ever be times when you wanted to preach against 726 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:33,920 your own will? There are times I don't feel 727 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:37,320 like being in the pulpit because it may be struggles within my 728 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:41,200 own life or because of hardships or heartaches. 729 00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:44,080 But I always. Go back to Jeremiah chapter #20 730 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:48,840 verse #9 when he had a calling placed upon him that he couldn't 731 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:52,280 run from, and he said this. Then I said, I will not make 732 00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:54,320 mention of his name nor speak any more in his name. 733 00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:57,080 Jeremiah says as a prophet, I'm done, I'm not going to speak in 734 00:35:57,080 --> 00:36:01,520 His name anymore. But his word was in my heart as 735 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:03,680 a burning fire shut up in my bones. 736 00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:05,800 I was weary with forbearing. I could not stay. 737 00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:08,200 He said. I tried to hold it in, but after 738 00:36:08,200 --> 00:36:14,440 a while they had to come out. That was Paul, remember. 739 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:17,120 Paul got to Corinth. I had to be quiet. 740 00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:18,800 He was waiting for the other group to come. 741 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:21,120 He was out in the. Marketplaces and it was just the 742 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:23,640 place where he's like, I got to say something. 743 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:27,600 There are lost souls everywhere. They need to know about Jesus. 744 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:29,560 Why? Because his motivation wasn't 745 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:32,160 about money. His motivation was the gospel. 746 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:34,920 What was his reward? Look at verse #19 for though I'd 747 00:36:34,920 --> 00:36:37,000 be free from all men, yet have I? 748 00:36:37,240 --> 00:36:38,760 Oh, actually verse #18 my apologies. 749 00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:42,880 It says what is my reward then Verily then when I preach the 750 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:46,280 gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge that I 751 00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:48,720 abuse not my power in the gospel. 752 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:51,840 You know what his reward was? If I was to just boil that down 753 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:57,200 very quickly, His reward was to preach the gospel, but I thought 754 00:36:57,200 --> 00:36:58,640 his calling was to preach the gospel. 755 00:36:58,640 --> 00:37:03,960 It was, but his reward was to preach the gospel of which he 756 00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:06,920 was called to do. Do you know what an incredible 757 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:10,680 privilege it is for me to be able to stand behind a pulpit 758 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:17,400 and there to be people 30405070 who will come and listen to me 759 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:21,280 for 40 minutes? Someday, 50 minutes. 760 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:25,880 For a while. It's not lost on me that there 761 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:31,560 are people for years that have heard my voice more than almost 762 00:37:31,560 --> 00:37:33,840 any other voice in their life other than their loved ones. 763 00:37:35,160 --> 00:37:36,640 Do you know how much that affects me? 764 00:37:37,640 --> 00:37:40,120 You know how much that really rings within my ears? 765 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:46,680 That's a reward of itself, that God would count me faithful, 766 00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:49,520 putting me in the ministry, Paul said to Timothy. 767 00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:52,640 And that God would place that upon all of us. 768 00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:55,320 They remind you you're called to be an ambassador for Christ. 769 00:37:57,960 --> 00:37:59,360 You know, I was thinking about this today. 770 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:04,320 Could you imagine terrorizing a school as a young person? 771 00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:07,160 It's something you don't have to imagine, I guess. 772 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:10,840 But then growing up as an adult and then becoming principal, 773 00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:13,600 that school, that'd be pretty crazy, wouldn't it? 774 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:18,240 Can you imagine robbing a bank and then years later becoming 775 00:38:18,240 --> 00:38:22,760 the president of the bank? Be pretty crazy, wouldn't it? 776 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:25,160 Could you imagine being in the military and having a 777 00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:28,480 dishonorable discharge and later on becoming the commander in 778 00:38:28,480 --> 00:38:30,400 Chief? That'd be crazy. 779 00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:33,360 Can I tell you something even crazier than that? 780 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:39,360 That we would be at odds with God, that our sin would place 781 00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:44,600 him on the tree, and that He would turn around after saving 782 00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:49,680 us with his precious blood, and count us to be his ambassadors 783 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:52,480 for Christ. Second Corinthians, chapter 5. 784 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:55,520 Well, I mean, I, I mean, that's, that's fine. 785 00:38:55,520 --> 00:38:57,160 But I mean how much is the pay scale? 786 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:01,400 You missed the point. Well, how? 787 00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:03,200 How much am I? How much am I going to make? 788 00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:04,320 Am I? Going to have to work an outside 789 00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:06,920 job. And there are young people, 790 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:08,760 young men coming out of Bible colleges today. 791 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:11,240 They won't even sniff a church unless they know what the pay 792 00:39:11,240 --> 00:39:14,760 scale is, how much the insurance is, if they're going to get a 793 00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:17,040 vehicle allowance, what days off they're going to get. 794 00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:18,600 And I'm not saying you shouldn't be able to take care of your 795 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:20,560 family, but they don't even understand the calling of God 796 00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:22,600 upon their life and shame on them. 797 00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:26,280 They want to know what the package is. 798 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:28,920 Let me tell you what the package is. 799 00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:33,760 The package is this book right here contained within this 800 00:39:33,760 --> 00:39:36,040 cover. This book is your package, you 801 00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:37,240 say? Well, Pastor, it's. 802 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:40,640 It's not that simple. I mean, the Levites just serve 803 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:41,920 the Lord and God took care of them. 804 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:45,040 I'm not talking about taking a blind eye towards the needs of 805 00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:47,680 your family. One of the requirements of a 806 00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:49,720 pastor is that he's taking care of his family. 807 00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:55,080 But I'm also saying that the pendulum has gone so far that 808 00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:59,080 way that there's really in some circles not even much sacrifice 809 00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:01,760 when it comes to the issue of being a pastor. 810 00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:06,960 I, I don't, I don't know where this is ending this. 811 00:40:07,160 --> 00:40:08,440 I thought we're going to do a chapter a week. 812 00:40:08,440 --> 00:40:09,440 I guess that's not going to happen. 813 00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:13,440 Because I think we just need to park here for just a minute and 814 00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:15,080 we'll be done. We'll get back to this when I 815 00:40:15,080 --> 00:40:16,760 come back on this continent in a few weeks. 816 00:40:16,760 --> 00:40:20,120 All right? I've never said that before. 817 00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:21,080 That's actually pretty interesting. 818 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:25,440 But I feel like we need to, we need to get this here. 819 00:40:26,800 --> 00:40:31,680 That we were at odds with God and he would allow us to be his 820 00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:34,680 ministers is an incredible thing. 821 00:40:36,560 --> 00:40:41,560 And that as a pastor, that I cannot get to a place where I 822 00:40:41,560 --> 00:40:48,080 feel like I need to have XY and Z to be able to have what God 823 00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:53,080 has in my life. But this is true for all of us. 824 00:40:54,720 --> 00:40:55,960 Here's where we need to get this. 825 00:40:57,200 --> 00:40:59,280 You may not have everything that you want in life. 826 00:41:00,720 --> 00:41:04,280 I would dare say none of us do. And that's probably God's 827 00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:06,440 benevolence and kindness in our life, to be honest. 828 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:09,080 Because if He gave us all the things we wanted, we may never 829 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:12,120 serve Him again. We'd be so busy going here and 830 00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:13,160 there. We would have time for the House 831 00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:14,320 of God. We would have time for a walk 832 00:41:14,320 --> 00:41:16,480 with God. And so in His kindness to us, 833 00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:18,360 He's given us what we need. He's always promised to give us 834 00:41:18,360 --> 00:41:20,720 what we need. He's given us a lot of wants to, 835 00:41:20,720 --> 00:41:25,480 let's be honest. But none of us are in the place 836 00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:28,360 where we have everything that we want, but we're still called to 837 00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:33,240 serve the Lord. The gospel is life. 838 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:37,720 Isn't life found in the gospel? I mean, where else can you find 839 00:41:37,720 --> 00:41:42,560 true life but in the gospel? The gospel is life and so for 840 00:41:42,560 --> 00:41:48,680 Paul, the gospel was his life. For us, gospel is life. 841 00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:51,240 So the gospel must be our life as well. 842 00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:55,680 That means this, that if the pay isn't what it needs to be, it's 843 00:41:55,680 --> 00:41:59,120 OK because the gospel is what needs to be spread. 844 00:42:00,520 --> 00:42:03,000 If we had to, had to see all the projections of what it would be 845 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:06,200 like to come to Easton and the amount of money they would take. 846 00:42:06,520 --> 00:42:09,040 To live here. And all those things, you know, 847 00:42:09,040 --> 00:42:12,000 we would have done, gone to the Bible Belt. 848 00:42:13,640 --> 00:42:16,440 I even had a person tell me once she was a pastor's wife of a 849 00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:18,920 church in Texas and she says this, why don't y'all start a 850 00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:21,640 church in Texas? I thought, well. 851 00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:26,880 I said. I said. 852 00:42:27,800 --> 00:42:29,280 She said come to start a church in. 853 00:42:29,280 --> 00:42:33,400 Texas, it's the promised land. And that was galling, and Kaylee 854 00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:36,360 just laughed. But there was a promised land, 855 00:42:36,840 --> 00:42:39,160 and I said, well, we'd love to go to the promised land, but the 856 00:42:39,160 --> 00:42:45,080 Philistines still need churches. I'm not usually that quick, but 857 00:42:45,080 --> 00:42:46,240 on that day I was like, hey, that's pretty good. 858 00:42:46,240 --> 00:42:50,200 Actually. I got to write that down because 859 00:42:50,200 --> 00:42:53,000 we're at an area where, well, they need the Bible Belt. 860 00:42:54,480 --> 00:42:56,800 Guess what? We are called to minister to 861 00:42:56,800 --> 00:43:00,120 those people out there. And it's not just a pastime. 862 00:43:00,360 --> 00:43:03,920 It is our life because the gospel is life. 863 00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:07,880 Here's what I'm afraid of. There's far too many ministers 864 00:43:08,560 --> 00:43:13,160 talking about men who stand behind this desk that will only 865 00:43:13,160 --> 00:43:17,480 go places if the package is right, if they get a full time 866 00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:21,560 salary, if they're going to have the insurance package to be what 867 00:43:21,560 --> 00:43:25,040 it is, if they have every assurance that they will never. 868 00:43:25,040 --> 00:43:28,320 Have to work an outside. Job and what they do is they 869 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:33,040 miss the blessings and bounty of God because they are so 870 00:43:33,080 --> 00:43:38,040 intensely looking at receiving something that they miss what's 871 00:43:38,040 --> 00:43:41,320 right in front of their nose. I can't tell you how many I've 872 00:43:41,320 --> 00:43:44,840 interviewed over the years been here 12 years. 873 00:43:45,600 --> 00:43:48,600 Come to New England. The opportunities are wide open. 874 00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:52,160 Young men from Bible colleges, several different ones. 875 00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:55,880 You know, there's not a lot of interest. 876 00:43:57,200 --> 00:43:59,480 Why we probably have to work another job. 877 00:43:59,480 --> 00:44:01,760 Well, you don't work another job. 878 00:44:01,760 --> 00:44:04,120 I I don't now, but I did for a while. 879 00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:06,400 And if I needed to, I would again. 880 00:44:08,080 --> 00:44:10,480 You say, are you hoping for that? 881 00:44:10,800 --> 00:44:12,440 Are you crazy? No, I'm not hoping for that. 882 00:44:13,360 --> 00:44:16,520 The church is so much better off when I'm able to do exactly what 883 00:44:16,520 --> 00:44:21,560 I need to do. But for the minister, it's about 884 00:44:21,560 --> 00:44:23,520 this. It's not about the money. 885 00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:26,800 It's about the gospel being life everlasting. 886 00:44:26,800 --> 00:44:29,920 So it's got to be our life. Here's what I'm telling you 887 00:44:29,920 --> 00:44:35,200 tonight when it comes to you as a church, when it comes to you, 888 00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:36,960 to wherever you are in the future. 889 00:44:36,960 --> 00:44:39,400 And I hope everyone here stays at liberty again till Jesus 890 00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:41,560 comes. But I also know that's just not 891 00:44:41,560 --> 00:44:46,000 the way life works. But wherever you go, understand 892 00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:51,960 that the minister must be taken care of, but you also must 893 00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:53,600 expect the minister to take care of you. 894 00:44:53,600 --> 00:44:59,320 I'll say it one more time. The minister must be taken care 895 00:44:59,320 --> 00:45:02,280 of, but the minister must also be taking care of you. 896 00:45:04,120 --> 00:45:09,840 The minister's motivations must be right, but you also must be 897 00:45:09,840 --> 00:45:12,320 motivated to take care of the minister. 898 00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:15,880 Liberty Baptist Church is a wonderful church. 899 00:45:16,800 --> 00:45:19,880 I hope you don't misconstrue anything I say here tonight 900 00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:25,960 because I love this church. I I can't even describe to you 901 00:45:27,040 --> 00:45:31,120 the love that we have for this church and how good you have 902 00:45:31,120 --> 00:45:33,840 been to us. And this is our family. 903 00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:38,000 And, and they always say in Bible college, don't get too 904 00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:41,360 close to people in your church. Well, I failed at that because 905 00:45:41,360 --> 00:45:45,600 we feel very close to you. But I want you to do what you 906 00:45:45,600 --> 00:45:50,320 do, not just because you love us, but because you understand 907 00:45:50,320 --> 00:45:52,160 the biblical motivations for doing so. 908 00:45:53,240 --> 00:45:57,480 I want to be right #1 and #2 but do you understand biblically why 909 00:45:57,480 --> 00:46:00,280 you need to be right? Be #1 and #2 why? 910 00:46:00,680 --> 00:46:05,080 Because it's the most important thing of all the gospel and it's 911 00:46:05,080 --> 00:46:07,640 got to be our life. At the end of the chat, we'll 912 00:46:07,640 --> 00:46:09,800 we'll get here like 2 months from now. 913 00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:12,120 I don't know when we're back here, but when we get back here, 914 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:15,840 there are people that run for a crown that's corruptible. 915 00:46:17,200 --> 00:46:21,400 I have in my notes Tom Brady that he, if I told you his 916 00:46:21,400 --> 00:46:24,000 regimen, I don't have time to right now, the regimen of which 917 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:28,920 he undertook as a player just to be ready to be able to do what 918 00:46:28,920 --> 00:46:30,280 he did. And he did some amazing things 919 00:46:30,280 --> 00:46:31,840 as a player. Why? 920 00:46:31,840 --> 00:46:35,880 Because he wholly gave his life to something that in eternity 921 00:46:35,880 --> 00:46:39,800 matters for nothing. In fact, he burned through two 922 00:46:39,800 --> 00:46:40,960 families on the way to get there. 923 00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:43,480 No, I'm not trying to pound on the guy. 924 00:46:43,480 --> 00:46:44,800 I'm just saying that's what reality is. 925 00:46:45,360 --> 00:46:48,080 That's exactly what it was. He got what he wanted and it 926 00:46:48,080 --> 00:46:51,960 cost him. And Paul says this. 927 00:46:51,960 --> 00:46:55,720 If people are willing to do that for some that doesn't count. 928 00:46:56,560 --> 00:46:59,400 How much more should we be able to give for something that does 929 00:46:59,400 --> 00:47:01,680 count? It's the gospel man. 930 00:47:02,400 --> 00:47:05,480 There's nothing greater. There is nothing greater. 931 00:47:05,920 --> 00:47:09,280 And that he's let this bank robber, this dishonorable 932 00:47:09,280 --> 00:47:15,480 discharge, that he has let this miscreant be able to be an 933 00:47:15,480 --> 00:47:19,880 ambassador for the one of which I place the nails within his 934 00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:25,000 hands and his feet. I don't need a reward of money. 935 00:47:25,720 --> 00:47:29,560 It helps so I can eat and drink. My reward is that God lets us do 936 00:47:29,800 --> 00:47:31,440 that which we don't deserve to do. 937 00:47:31,720 --> 00:47:34,040 It ought to motivate us to go out and do more of it. 938 00:47:35,200 --> 00:47:37,840 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 939 00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:40,760 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 940 00:47:40,760 --> 00:47:44,240 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 941 00:47:44,240 --> 00:47:48,840 know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org. 942 00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:53,640 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton, 943 00:47:53,640 --> 00:47:56,480 MA. May the Lord bless you as you 944 00:47:56,480 --> 00:47:57,680 grow in His Word.