Supporting the Shepherds
The Church of Corinth; Struggling to be in the world but not of the world • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 48:59
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20 years ago, after discussing and praying with my wife for many months, I walked away from secular employment to pursue the path the Lord was leading me down in vocational ministry. God had placed in me a love for the church and a passion to help people understand his revealed word. It has been the most amazing journey for me and I am thankful to serve the Lord in this way.
One of the best parts of this path is that I can do as a way to provide for my family. I count it a privilege to shepherd God’s people and I would do it for free if I had to. But thankfully, for 20 years, the Lord has always been gracious to give me financial provision as I served him in this way.
I preach this sermon today because I am bound to expository preaching. I preach the next passage that comes up, even if its uncomfortable for me to preach. It is uncomfortable because it sounds self-serving but we are bound to God’s word and how it instructs the church.
This happens to instruct us on how to compensate the shepherds of this flock. As elders, we are thankful for the way the Lord provides for our needs through your faithfulness to give your tithes and offerings back to him.
Review:
We previously studied through chapter 8 where Paul is instructing the church regarding the proper use of christian liberty in the church. Christian liberty is the freedom that we have been given in Christ a freedom from sin and a freedom from the burden of merit based acceptance before a holy God.
Paul's concern for the Corinthian church was their abuse of Christian liberty. We could abuse Christian liberty when we exercise it without love. while we have freedom in Christ
if we exercise our freedom, without considering the way that it affects other people in the church, then we are not truly understanding the freedom that has been given to us. Christ, our Lord, who has provided that freedom taught us to serve and not be served and therefore, our exercising of our Christian freedom must come first with the prerequisite of the unity of love, and the bond of peace that we have with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
For Paul, this centered around some in the Corinthian church, who were eating meat that was once offered to idols, and they were doing so with the freedom that Christ had provided them, but they were neglecting the love that needed to be shown toward weaker Corinthian believers, who still struggled with the idea that this meat that was once offered to pagan idols, was still prohibited
Paul stated
11 For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. 12 And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.
Paul states that the greatest act of love in the church in regards to Christian liberty is to abstain from the things that we have freedom to enjoy in order to demonstrate love toward a weaker brothers, who still struggle with such ways of their life before Christ.
Now, in chapter 9, he will dive into an example of foregoing the rights and privileges that we have in our Christian freedom. Chapter 9 is an example in Paul's life of abstaining from the exercise of his full Christian freedom.
The example that he uses in chapter 9 is the right that he has as an apostle and leader in the church to be compensated for the work that he does, with the gospel. So what we will see in chapter 9 verses one through 14 is Paul's argument to the Corinthians, that he should be taken care of financially by the churches, because the Lord so ordains the church to support its shepherds. He will use this fundamental truth of the church to further argue that while he should be given compensation, he refuses his right to compensation in cases where he might foresee it hindering his ministry in the gospel.
During our study today, we will look then at the first 14 verses, where Paul defends his right, as an apostle to be taken care of financially by the church, as he minister of the gospel among them. In doing so, we will also be challenged as a church to consider the importance of the leader ship of our church being taken care of, so that they may focus on the ministry of the gospel they have been called to accomplish by the Lord. For the minister of the gospel, this will challenge us to be patient, and trusting, in the faithfulness of the Lord, and not men. For the church, this challenges us to see how the Lord uses our faithfulness, and giving to bless those who serve among us.
I. Qualification for Leadership
I. Qualification for Leadership
1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 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.
Paul begins with him his qualification for leader ship in the church. Paul is an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he is considered an apostle, which was in a unique position of ministry for the early church that is no longer needed in today's church setting. The word apostle means sent one, and we see in the narrative of the gospels, that the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ after his ascension were considered apostles, because they were sent out to fulfill the great condition and make disciples of all nations. They were prerequisites for being a disciple which included in seeing the risen Lord Jesus. Throughout church history some critics of the Bible have disagreed with the apostle Paul and his qualification for apostleship. They disagreed because they did not.
Paul begins with a series of questions in verses one and two. These are rhetorical questions that are qualifying him as an apostle one of the statements that he makes that serves as a primary qualification of an apostle is, “have I not seen the Lord”
We know that, although Paul did not surrender to the Lord Jesus, during his earthly ministry, we do have recorded in the book of acts three different times that the Lord Jesus appeared to pull that qualify him with the rest of the apostles, as one who saw the resurrected Christ. The first encounter was when Paul was still Saul and he was persecuting the church. In acts, chapter 9, we read the transformative story of Paul's conversion to Christ. On the road to Damascus. Were the Lord appeared to Paul, asking him why he was persecuting his people which intern was persecuting Christ himself. Through this experience, Paul was converted to Christ and began serving the Lord. The second encounter came a few years later. Shortly after Paul's conversion, Paul ministered in the area of Damascus, and then went to Arabia and spent three years there. After he returned to Jerusalem to meet Peter, the apostle, we are told in Acts 22, that the Lord appeared to Paul after putting Paul in a trance and told him to get out of Jerusalem quickly. The third vision of the Lord Jesus with Paul comes toward the end of Paul's, recorded ministry, and ask 23 when he is defending himself before the Jerusalem Council. We are told an X 23 that the Lord Jesus appeared to Paul and encouraged him to be courageous and informed him that his ministry would go beyond Jerusalem to also Rome all three of these occurrences give the church further confidence that Paul was truly an apostle Paul, by the Lord and these unique experiences affirm the Lord's anointing on his servant, Paul.
Paul clearly had critics in his day about his apostleship, and so he is asking the Corinthian church to recognize and be really reminded of the Lord's purposes for him. This serves his argument well, because he will then declare to them his right as an apostle to be taken care of financially by the church.
He states that while he may not be an apostle to song who reject his leader ship, he is an apostle to those who faithfully recognize the Lord's calling upon his life, and they submit to his leader ship.
But notice the second quality that Paul mentions here in regards to his apostleship. Well, the first quality is a calling by the Lord. The second quality is effectiveness in the Lord's work. Paul states that the Corinthians themselves are an example of the genuineness of his calling as an apostle because they exist as a church of the Lord Jesus. They exist as this church, because the Lord has used Paul effectively to bring about spiritual change in the lives of unbelievers, and the forming of churches across that land, that effectiveness is an example of the great work of the Holy Spirit in his servants to fulfill the great commission.
So why is Paul qualified to be an apostle and receive support from the church? One because the Lord called him to such a task by his grace. Secondly, because the Lord has affirmed that call by the fruitfulness of his ministry.
While shepherds of the church today or not apostles, this passage is still applicable to church leader ship. Paul first must be qualified as an apostle and then his authority and exhortations to the church follows. When we consider the idea of financially supporting our leaders, we understand that their leadership comes first with a faithful qualification for a ministry. If a pastor is not qualified to serve, then they definitely are not qualified to be supported financially in their service. This is why we must appreciate the words of the apostle Paul to Timothy and Titus, about the qualities of the spiritual shepherds of gods people. Elders and pastors of the church go through rigorous training and evaluation so that they may be prepared to face and lead in the great spiritual battles, that the church faces in its history.
Let this also be a reminder to hold our leaders accountable to those qualifications continually. The church has faced great dilemma when it comes to love the shepherd so much that they overlook his failure to lead them properly. Paul seems to be facing unwarranted scrutiny but it leads us to the general reminder that they best way to love your elders is to hold them to the standards of God’s word that the Lord has established.
II. Compensation for Leadership
II. Compensation for Leadership
A. Worldly examples (3-7)
A. Worldly examples (3-7)
Now we move into the section where Paul talks about, financially supporting those who served in leadership in the church. As a disclaimer, I believe that Paul is referencing his right to receive financial support from churches, and this obviously means churches that can faithfully support him. Paul is not intending for churches to go into debt, or be unwise with their money in the way that they support their leaders. Instead, he is calling on churches to consider the general principle to make sure that their leaders have financial support.
Noticed first of all the questions that Paul asks inverse 4-6. All of these questions have to do with supporting the ministry financially. First, Paul asks about his right, as an apostle to have his needs met so that he might eat and drink. This is not Paul seeking to live lavishly, but merely expecting the church to take care of the basic needs that he may have.
The second question has to do with not only financial support but for the pastor but also to consider meeting the needs of his family as well. Paul asks if he would be able to take along unbelieving wife. This is a hypothetical question for him since he is most likely widowed and definitely single. But he is asking in the sense of financial support so that he makes clear that taking care of a family financially includes not just the pastor but also his wife. Churches should consider such a thing if they can't afford it so that the wife can serve her husband and children well and not have to work outside the home. This creates a more blessed and refreshing environment for the rigors of pastoral ministry upon a man and his family.
Notice here he mentions the rest of the apostles, the brothers of the Lord and Cephas. As a side note, it is interesting, hear that Paul mentions all three sets as ministering in the church. We would expect to see Peter's name as well as the other apostles. The mentioning of Jesus's brothers shows us that as Paul writes this letter he is including James and Jude, the brothers of Jesus as other leaders in the church.
Within conclude the section with three illustrations of these examples of the world that we can see all around us whereby a servant of these areas. Do not have to worry about outside work, but can focus primarily on their task before them while having their needs met financially. The first example is a soldier who does not need other employment to make ends meet, but focuses on his assignments to protect and defend. Similarly, the farmer and the shepherd are also examples of those servants who reap the benefits from their hard work as a form of payment for their labors. These three examples Paul uses to solidify his argument for the servant of the Lord, in church leader, ship to receive financial support from the church.
B. Biblical Examples(8-14)
B. Biblical Examples(8-14)
8 I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.” God is not concerned about oxen, is He? 10 Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. 11 If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? 14 So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.
Now Paul moves two examples that we see from the Bible that teach the same lessons of a church's responsibility to care for its church leaders. Paul begins with another rhetorical question because he wants to solidify his argument in the word of God. He directs them to Deuteronomy, chapter 25 verse nine, which states that a Jew was commanded by God to care for his animals, in such a way that he allowed them to eat and enjoy some of the fruits of their labor. Call Dan responds and asks if God is concerned about oxen? Well, Paul is intending to convey is that God's concern for animals is great, but his concern for his people is
greater. Therefore, you've got allows the oxen to enjoy what they have worked hard for then leaders in the church should not be kept from the fruits of their labor either.
What do you consider this passage in Deuteronomy, and ask why would a farmer refrain from feeding the beasts that work so hard to provide his crops? I think what we need to focus in on is a heart of greed. I think this is the attitude that is underlying such an action, and possibly Paul's main concern in the church. Why would a church in this world not want to properly pay their pastor? The answer to that question is multifaceted, but a major reason would be a greedy church. The church that is greedy is a church that is seeking to accumulate wealth and not spend it appropriately on the things with the greatest need.
I want you to consider the reality that many churches across our land have beautiful buildings that they must maintain with underpaid and physically drained pastors. These churches have chosen to prioritize the building of walls of great beauty instead of properly, supporting the leader ship who Shepherds their soul.
You'll notice also in versus 13 that Paul points them to the old testament Levitical system, which allowed the priests in the temple to take what was left from the altar to enjoy. This was the practical way in which the Lord established the servants of the temple the means to focus on their service alone. Look with me at Numbers 18:18-20
8 Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, “Now behold, I Myself have given you charge of My offerings, even all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual allotment. 9 “This shall be yours from the most holy gifts reserved from the fire; every offering of theirs, even every grain offering and every sin offering and every guilt offering, which they shall render to Me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons. 10 “As the most holy gifts you shall eat it; every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to you.
One commentator writes,
“The tithing system is logical. Levi would not possess land in Canaan to cultivate and farm. Instead, God would be their inheritance and they would serve him without distraction, supported by tithes. Twelve tribes (600,000 men), each bringing tithes and offerings would maintain some 22,000 Levites (26). The people had received the land freely, and thus they paid their tithes from what God had first given. In their turn, the thousands of Levites must bring their tithes to the Lord. From their tithes Aaron’s family would take their portion (28). By this means, the priests would be well supplied”
Peter John Naylor, “Numbers,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 186.
Paul has pointed to examples in the OT, but now he concludes his statements with pointing to the Lord Jesus. Paul reminds the Corinthians that even Jesus taught this principle of God’s servants being taken care of by the provision of the Lord and his people. Look at one more passage with me,
5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. 9 “Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10 or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.