1of5 Support for ministry Text: 1 Corinthians 9:1-11 Introduction This morning we carry on in our series from 1 Corinthians. Last week we completed Chapter 8. This week I would like us to work through Chapter 9 verses 1-12. This sermon will include a fair amount of talking about money. Please understand that this is not the norm for us as a Church (to talk about money). Yet, as we come to a text that lends itself to talking about, I will do so this morning. I trust that you will receive this message well and be all the more encouraged by God's faithfulness in our lives. 1. Paul and his rights v.1-2 Am I not free? Based on 1 Corinthians 8 and the believer's right to freedom If the Corinthian believers are free, then surely Paul is also free In fact, he chose to go the extra mile as in 1 Cor. 8:13...if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. Ie. He is like them, having been freed in the Lord Am I not an apostle? An apostle was an eyewitness of Jesus Apostles were in a position of authority over gospel / Church work Paul's right to support was boosted by the fact that he was an apostle Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Referring to his experience on the Damascus Road Acts 9 Acts 9:3-6 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And he said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do. Are you not my workmanship in the Lord? The Corinthians themselves are proof of Paul's previous work among them If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. The Corinthian believers represent the fruit of Paul's labor They received the Lord Their lives had been changed So, what Paul is showing here is that he has claim to rights that he should be supported in the Lord's work. 2. Paul's defense of his rights v.3-7 This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to eat and drink? Ie. Does he not have a right to receive support from the Church in order to see to living expenses? Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?
And if he should have a wife and children, he would also need greater financial support Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Or should Paul be providing for his own needs? He then gives 3 examples from everyday life Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? A soldier cannot supply his own needs while at war Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Only makes sense that the owner of the vineyard will benefit from his crop Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Which farmer doesn't benefit from his work? We have seen that Paul made the case that he has a right to be supported in the work of the ministry. Anyone who wants to examine Paul's right to support also needs to consider that: He needs means to live He was single, but should he have had a wife and family, it would mean even greater need for support Just as a soldier needs financial support, so would Paul Just as the vineyard owner and farmer derive direct benefit from their work, so would Paul Paul's defense is the same as everyone else's defense, everyone needs to live. 3. The authority for Paul's defense v.8-12 Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? For it is written in the Law of Moses, 'You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.' (Found in Deut. 25:4) 1 Tim. 5:17-18 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain, and, The laborer deserves his wages. If God is so concerned for oxen, then surely He is concerned for His laborers v.10 Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. Paul is totally convinced that the Christian preacher / worker should earn his living out of the work he does v.11 If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? So, the authority for Paul's defense comes from the Scriptures. Paul reasoned the point that each one should earn a living out of the work he does. 2of5 4. Ministry needs money Concept of tithing Before the law Abraham Gen 14:20 -...And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. Jacob Gen. 28:22 -...and of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.
The law Lev. 27:30 - Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the LORD s; it is holy to the LORD. Post-exile Neh. 10:37 - and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor. Malachi 3:10 - Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. Concept of Firstfruits Entering the promised land Deut. 26:9-10 - And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O LORD, have given me.' And you shall set it down before the LORD your God and worship before the LORD your God. Post-exile Neh. 10:35 - We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the LORD. Wisdom Prov. 3:9-10 - Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. New Testament on tithing Jesus rebuking the Pharisees Matt. 23:23 - Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. New Testament on giving / offerings Main texts: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (Read and explain) Taking up an offering for the believers in Jerusalem We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (Read and explain) The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 3of5
Principle of giving Not a formula, but a matter of the heart Robert Rodenmeyer: There are three kinds of giving: grudge giving, duty giving, and thanksgiving. Grudge giving says, I have to ; duty giving says, I ought to ; thanksgiving says, I want to. So, from the complete Scriptures we deduce how we should give to the Lord. I share with you some points I received from Basil Sparks of Durbanville Baptist Church: Generously...We know Christ has given all to us, and we know Christ owns all we have anyway. Jesus is the Creator Jesus is the Sustainer Proportionally...We try to give as high a percentage of our income as possible, recognizing the tithe (10%) as a long established benchmark which may be exceeded as we prosper. 10% was the established tithe Jesus also backed up the tithe But we give even more, as we are able...as in the case of the Macedonians Regularly...As resources flow in, we offer the 'first fruits' back to God, honouring Him before others. We pick up on the concept of firstfruits We give to God first, not last Unknown Author: Give God what is right, not what is left. We give the best, not the worst Locally...Knowing that we claim this Church as our spiritual home, we support the ministries from which we derive benefit. We give primarily to this Church as our spiritual home Church has a budget Liberally...As we are able, we go beyond giving to our own church and contribute to the cause of Christ globally. We are missions-minded Also, in the small everyday things Cheerfully...Knowing that God sees the heart, we don't just give begrudgingly to an organization - we give our offering as unto God Himself; we do so willingly, and not under compulsion, but with joyful worship as our resources flow out to serve others. Give joyfully, not out of duty We give worshipfully Anonymously... We don't call attention to ourselves when we give or expect our offering to produce an advantage in the church. Don't let the left hand know what the right hand is doing. - Matt. 6:3 Expectantly...Counting on God's promise of provision, we anticipate seeing God use our gift and know He'll work in our own life - including financially - and give. Trust God for future finances Walk by faith and not by sight Conclusion The sermon began with looking at Paul and his rights as an apostle. Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ As an apostle he had a right to earn a living through the ministry of the gospel It is only right that a person earns a living through the work that they do We saw in some Scripture texts that it is right for workers in the ministry to earn their living 4of5
from the ministry 1 Tim. 5:17-18 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain, and, The laborer deserves his wages. We then looked at the concept of tithing and sacrificial giving to the Lord's work We praise the Lord for the way in which He has sustained Ladysmith Baptist Church since 1958. If God has been faithful to the Church, then He has been faithful to you. I trust you are encouraged this morning to take the Lord at His Word and to trust Him. Giving to the Lord's work is also by grace. May we give joyfully to the Lord, as He enables us. All this for His glory. 5of5