So, I want to preach to you tonight, not specifically on the subject of tithing, but more so on
the subject of the fact that God's ministers are to be paid. That when a person or a man
goes into the ministry as a pastor or a staff member, like a deacon or an evangelist or
something like that, there's nothing unbiblical about paying that person a wage. Obviously,
everyone in here probably understands that and gets that. This isn't something I think
anyone in the room is struggling with, but this is something that is under attack. This
is something that certain denominations that are out there pride themselves on, the fact
that they don't pay their clergy. They like to pay the people that do their preaching,
their pastors, those that work for the church. They say, oh, we don't pay our ministers.
You guys pay, as if that's a bad thing. They like to cast shade on those that would be
on staff with the church that would receive a wage. Paul does a really good job here making
it pretty clear, and this really isn't a complex or deep subject. This probably won't take
very long, but at least maybe I'm giving you some ammunition because you're going to run
into this eventually. You're going to run into somebody who's going to say that those
that work for the church should not be paid. We'll see why they would say that here in
a minute because it's very clear that that's something that is, in fact, going to take
place, and we'll see why. It says in 1 Corinthians 9, I know we just read it, but let's look
at it again. It says in verse 1, Am I not an apostle? Am I free? Have I not seen that
Jesus Christ our Lord? Yea, he in my work in the Lord. If I be not an apostle unto you,
yea, doubtless I am to you. For the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord. My answer
to them that do examine this, have we not power to eat and to drink? He's saying, look,
don't we deserve to eat and drink? Just because Paul is working full time in the ministry,
does that just somehow magically take away the necessity for him to eat and to drink?
He still has needs, folks. He still has to put food in his mouth. He still has to stay
hydrated. He still has to put clothes on his back. He still has to take care of himself
just like everybody else. It says in verse 5, Have we not power to lead about a sister,
a wife? Of course, he's referring to a sister in the Lord. He says, as well as the other
apostles and as the brethren of the Lord. He says, look, don't we have the power to
get married and raise a family? Do we have to forebear getting married and raise? Here's
the thing about having a wife and kids, it takes money to do that. It's a financial,
you could call it a burden, I guess, but it's definitely an expense. If a man's going to
put food on the table, he's going to have to go out and work hard and earn a wage, especially
if he's going to obey the biblical command that his wife is going to be a keeper at home
to raise the children to guide the house and that he's going to be the sole provider for
that home, which in this day and age is getting harder and harder to do. That's something
that we should all take heed to as men that are married or hope to be married one day,
that in this world, we're going to have to work extra hard to provide for our families
so that our wives can fulfill their God given role as wife and mother. It's not probably
too much news to anybody in this room that the world isn't exactly set up for a one income
family, but that's kind of another subject. But he's saying here, look, we got to eat,
we got to drink. Can't we get married and have a family and raise them as well, just
like everybody else and have that expense met? And he goes on and says in verse six,
were I only in Barnabas or is it just me and him? We're the only ones. Have we not
power to forbear working? And of course, what he's referring to there is forbearing working,
not saying, don't we have the power to sit around and do nothing? Look, what he's saying
is forbear working as in the secular sense. He's saying, can't we forbear going out and
having to work a secular job and be ministers at the same time? He's not saying not do work
because just in case you're wondering, the ministry is work. Ministry is work. To sit
there and say that a man that is leading a church, pastoring, preaching and leading others
and helping others and ministering to people isn't work. I don't know what work is. I've
been doing it two years and I've had a lot of other jobs and I've had some tough jobs.
This is a whole other kind of hard. I don't want to sit here and play my little violin
up here or anything like that, but it is difficult. It is work. You never convinced
me that it isn't. And that's what he's saying. Look, don't we have the power to forbear working?
Instead of going out and having to earn an income in the world, can't we just receive
the wages from the church and minister unto it? Can't we be paid for the work that we're
putting into the church? Can't we be compensated by the church? That's basically what he's
getting at here. And he goes on and kind of drives that point in. He says, who go with
the warfare at any time at his own charges? Who go who enlists in the army and then says,
oh, don't worry, Uncle Sam, I'll buy my own boots and I'll take I'll get my own MRIs.
I'll buy my own. I'll bring my own rifle. I'll bring my own bullets. I'll bring my own
hand grenades. I got it all. You know, I'll get all my own equipment and I'll come and
fight your war. No, when you get conscripted in the army, when you sign up, I'm pretty
sure they size you up. They give you a nice haircut. Right. And then they they put clothes
on your back. They put a gun in your hand. They put boots on your feet. They feed you
and you go to war for them. They take care of that need in your life. He says, who go
to war for it in time at his own charges? Who planted the vineyard and eating out the
fruit thereof? I mean, think think of these examples that he's bringing up, you know,
planning a vineyard and not eating the fruit thereof, like going out and just planting
all these grapes, putting all this hard work, breaking up the soil, getting the rocks out,
taking care of it, planting it in the right place, getting the pests away, you know, keeping
the animals from destroying it, letting it grow, nurturing it, helping it to grow, become
fruitful and then just letting it all rot in the vine. Say, well, it would just be very
ungodly for me to eat any of this. You know, boy, you know, I'm just so spiritual. I'm
not going to eat of any of this fruit here that I've taken the time to grow. It would
be ridiculous. You look at that guy and say, what's wrong with you? Why are you doing all
this work and not benefiting from it? Or who feedeth the flock and needeth not of the
milk of the flock? You know, a similar example. Say thy these things as a man. He's saying,
look, is this just me? Am I just making this up? Is Paul just pulling this out of thin
air? And just is this just a doctrine of convenience for Paul? You know, oh, oh, the preacher wants
to talk about money. Go figure, right? That's always the knock. And by the way, if that's
the thought in your heart tonight, you know, your money can perish with you. I very rarely
bring up money from this pulpit. I think I've preached on maybe one other sermon on
tithing in maybe two, in the last two years. Maybe once a year I'll touch on the subject
and dedicate a sermon to it. In fact, a lot of times I just force myself to preach just
because there's something else that I have in my mind that I don't want to preach. Say,
well, let me, what can I just bring up so I don't just get up there and just ramble
about something I don't really want to talk about publicly? You know, I'll just, well,
let's preach about money. Nobody really, people can tune that one out, right? No one
wants to hear that one. But is that what Paul's doing here? Just, you know, doctrine of convenience?
Well, after all, you know, it's real convenient, Paul, that you preach that. That's your take
on it since you're the one that benefits from it. But don't forget that there's, you know,
the people that benefit from that are putting in the work. Just like a guy who's planning
a vineyard, just a guy who's like leading and feeding a flock. There's work that's going
into it. It's only right that they should be able to take care of their basic needs.
He says, say, are these things as a man or say, if not the law, the same also. He says,
look, I've got Bible to back me up. You know, and that's the thing I like to tell. I want
to tell some of these people that were like, well, we don't pay into our ministers. Show
me that in the scripture. And we're going to look at subscription, right? Where the
Bible says it's perfectly clear that people, that those that minister of the gospel should
live of the gospel. He's saying, say, are these things as a man or say, if not the same,
the law, the same also. For it is written the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the
ox that treadeth out the corn. So he's, God puts that in scripture in Deuteronomy as a
picture for us. You ever wonder about some of the laws that God makes up and you scratch
your head and you go, why did he say that? Thou shall not, you know, don't plow your
field with a, with a, a mule and an ass and an ox. You can't put an ass and an ox together.
I mean, what's going to happen? Is it going to be like some kind of, you know, is that
going to open up some portal to hell if you do that or something like that? Some kind
of fission is going to take place and the whole, you disrupt the space time continuum
if you do that. You know what's going to happen if you put an ox and an ass together and plow
your field? You're going to plow your field with an ox and an ass. That's exactly what's
going to happen. Nothing else is going to change. I mean, you could talk about maybe
they don't have the same pace, but here's the picture that God puts in time. Some of
these rules or these laws, the ox and the ass, he's saying, don't be unequally yoked
with unbelievers. They're not the same. They don't belong in the same yoke, right? They're
different. You know, it's a picture that we as Christians should not yoke up with the
world and it'd be an endeavor to accomplish the things that the world wants to accomplish.
These are some of the, you know, some of these obscure laws that are written that we scratch
our heads sometimes and go, why is that in there? It's because there's a picture. God's
making a point and there's lots of things like that. Specifically here, he's saying,
look, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Why does God
say that? He said, did God take care for oxen? He just wanted to make sure that ox gets fed.
He just wants to make sure that that ox doesn't work all day and nobody feeds it. He's saying,
does God take care for oxen? No, God will tell you, go ahead and, you know, make that
ox work all day and then sacrifice it. You know, it's not that God is so concerned for
the oxen. It says in verse 10, or sayeth it all together for our sakes. He's saying, is
it because God is just so concerned with animals or is it because God wants us to understand
something? A principle in scripture that goes all the way back in the Old Testament. The
law sayeth the same thing. Well, what's the picture there? That, you know, if you're going
to use a beast of burden, if it's going to do work, it's going to tread out the corn,
you know, it's going to work that mill and grind the corn. It should be able to every
once in a while, you know, lean over and have a bite and get energy and be able to sustain
itself. Why? So that it can continue to do the work. Otherwise, it's just going to faint.
You know, you just keep that muzzle on it saying, no, no eating, just but you keep working,
keep working, keep working, keep working, but no eating. I mean, imagine if they did
that to you and your secular job. They just said, hey, no lunch breaks from now on. You'd
probably go find another job. Seriously. I don't care how good the job is. They just
said, look, we need you to come and work a 12 hour day. No breaks, no breaks, no lunch.
I mean, people could probably do it, but is that really what you want to do? I mean, you
should be able to take a rest, you know, and nourish themselves. Why? So that they can
just enjoy some delicious meal. No, so they can have energy to get back out there, you
know, so they can burn some more calories doing some more work. So that's why that's
in the law. God puts that in there so that we can understand that, as he says there in
verse 10, for our sakes, no doubt that this is written, that he that ploweth should plow
in hope, and he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. You know, if a guy's
put in the work, he's ministering unto people, he's teaching people the Word of God, he's
going out, he's reaching his community, he's motivating others to go out and do the same.
People are coming and they're gleaning spiritual things. You know, it's not too much to ask
that that person can be partaker of the tithe and take care of his family and take care
of what he needs to do. Because, you know, this is a full-time job, believe it or not.
You say, well, you're only up there for an hour, an hour, sometimes an hour and a half,
you know, a couple times a week. Yeah, but this sermon didn't write itself five minutes
before, you know, I got up here. You know, it takes time to write these things. And some
sermons take longer than others, obviously. There's a lot of other things that go on behind
the scenes. You know, floors get vacuumed, trash gets taken out, chairs get bought, put
together straight. I mean, do you want me to go on and on? I really don't feel like
I need to. I'd be belaboring the point. But look, there's a lot of things that go on behind
the scenes that, you know, there's a lot of work that goes in the ministry. It's not just
this three times a week. There's a lot that goes on. And look, if you were to offer me
this job and just say you need to do this full time for the rest of your life and go
work 40 plus hours a week, I don't know. I don't know. I mean, I know men that have done
that and are probably will doing it. And maybe, you know, I would be willing to do
that. But it wouldn't. It's not ideal. It's not like I just love that idea. You asked
me which one I prefer. Obviously, I'd rather be able to be given more to the ministry,
you know, and not have my time taken up just trying to put food on the table. He says,
For our sakes, no doubt this is written, that he that ploweth and hope should ploweth and
hope. Look at verse 11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing
if we shall reap your carnal things? I mean, people that, you know, get out. And look,
I understand the stigma. I understand the criticism that some people have of preachers
who are buying private jets, flying around, you know, have, you know, flying around all
over the world. Like that one. I wish I remember the guy's name because I use him as an illustration
all the time. That one televangelist who said, Well, my church is the world. I've got
to reach the whole world. You know, I need a private jet because I reach everyone in
the whole world. Turns out all of his church is in Hawaii. Looked at his flight records.
He went to Hawaii seven times. Was he going to the Congo, the deepest, darkest parts of
Africa? Was he going to the, you know, the Arctic Circle to reach the Inuits up there?
Was he going to these obscure places to preach the gospel in the dark corners of the world?
No, he's going to sunny, beautiful Hawaii. And look, I'm not saying there isn't a work
for God to be done in Hawaii. But it's real. So I understand that people are saying, you
know, look, some of these preachers just, they're in it for the money. Yeah, they're
in it for filthy liquor. You're right. They just want the long robes, you know, they want
the long, fresh coat. Look, I own two suits, people. One of them's from a secondhand store.
Neither of them fit very well. You know, I don't go to, you know, these aren't Armani
up here. This is J.C. Penney's, OK? Signature Shack Edition or whatever, you know, the Shaquille
O'Neal Signature Series at J.C. Penney's, the big and tall section. So it's not like,
you know, fleecing the flock. But he's saying, look, if we so want to use spiritual things,
is it really that big a deal if, you know, we reap a little bit and pay an electric bill,
buy groceries, put some gas in the car so we can get to and fro, go to work, you know,
or go to church, minister, do all these things. He said, it's not, it's, it's really that
big a deal. If others be partakers of this power over you or not, we rather. And that's
funny, isn't it? The people that object say, well, I don't go to church because all they
want is your money. OK, so do you still go to work? Because I'm telling you what, all
the IRS wants is your money. You don't see them rising up and quitting that. Well, I'm
not going to go participate in that program because, you know, and here's the thing with
that. You can come to church and not tithe. Believe me, people do it. You can come to
church and not tithe. It's not like I'm going to go through the records and approach you
and be like, I've noticed you haven't been doing any giving lately. You know what I mean?
You can do that. It's not that you're not paying, you know, that plate isn't there.
That's not your dues to join here. You can come in every service for years and not put
a penny in the plate. And it wouldn't bother me one bit because the tithe is the Lord's.
You know, your problem's with God. He's the one that's going to get after you about it.
So I don't need to worry about it. But isn't it funny people go to work and the IRS doesn't
even ask? They're just like, before you even get it, they're like, mine. Well, that's mine.
I'll just take that. Oh, did you want this? Too bad. We're taking it. You know, and that's
a whole other topic. Look, if others have this power or be partakers of this power over
you, are not we rather? Nevertheless, we have not used this power. He's saying, look,
we have the ability to do this, but Paul, and people always point to Paul. Well, Paul
said that he didn't receive any wages. Yeah, but he didn't say it wasn't an option for
him. He's saying, look, this is an option for me. I have this power. I could do this
and I'd be perfectly right with God. It would be biblical for me to take wages from the
church. And he's saying, look, nevertheless, we have not used this power, but suffer all
things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. He's saying, look, I'm going to
put myself out. You know, Paul remained unmarried and Barnabas. He said, I'm not going to raise
a family so I can be wholly given to the things of God. And for the, for the sake of the gospel,
instead of the church spending money on my needs, I'm going to work a job and I'm going
to minister, you know, and there's, you know, I know preachers that have done that and that's,
you know, that's, that doesn't make them any more or less spiritual for doing it. And they're
just, that's just what they're concerned with. They just, they would rather use that,
that way. He says, look, do we not, do you not know that they which minister about holy
things live of the things of the temple? And that's important that they got to pay attention
to the fact that Paul in first Corinthians nine and making his case is pointing back
to Levitical priesthood as an example. And he's saying, look, that's the example that
God has given that the ministers, those that live of the things that those that minister
about the holy things live of the things of the temple. And that goes into the whole
thing about tithing. And we'll talk a little about that here in a minute about how the,
how the priests, you know, lived of the sacrifices that were made. And they which wait at the
altar are partakers with the altar, even so in the same way, verse 14, he's saying, even
so just like back then, the Levites, the priests, those administered in the temple and the altar
were partakers of the sacrifices. That's how they, that was their sustenance. That was
how they lived was off the tithes of the people. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which
preach the gospel should live of the gospel. So now look, those that preach the gospel,
go out, get people saved. They come to church and they preach to them and they, those people
give their tithe. Those people that preach the gospel that make that happen, they should
live of that. You know, that's their job. That's what they're there to do. It's a full
time job. So the, you know, it's very clear here. I don't know how you can read first
Corinthians nine and not walk away understanding this. Okay. But the Lord has decreed that
the church should financially support its leadership. That is biblical. And here's the
thing, those that there, and there's churches out there that would forbid that it would
say, Nope, you're wrong. Well, you know what? This is clear scripture. I mean, how else
do you, how else can you interpret that? I would like to hear another interpretation
of that then. Those that forbid, you know, the church supporting its ministers are contrary
to clear scripture. You know, and you say, who's does that? Oh, I don't know. The Mormons,
the apostolic church. I mean, they pride themselves on it. You go on their webpage, just they
make it abundantly clear. Well, we don't pay our ministers before they get into something
like all these other doctrines, but how they run their churches. Well, and the first thing
you should know is that all of our people that minister in our church, they do it for
free. Maybe that's why they're, they're, they're in false doctrine. Maybe that's why
they stink. Maybe that's why the preaching is lame. And here's the thing, the Mormon
church, they say, Oh, you know, our, our ministers, you know, they, they, they just get up and
preach and they don't get paid. Yeah, but they didn't write that sermon either. Some
other guy who is getting paid, the elder, you know, the high, the head honcho, who is
living in a mansion, who is, you know, living pretty high on the hog. He's the one that
writes that sermon and then it just spreads it out to everybody else. It'd be like, it'd
be like if some, you know, pastor Anderson just wrote my sermon notes and said, here
you go, go preach this. Well, this is what I'm supposed to talk about today. And here's,
he gives me all my bullet points. I didn't have to do any work. All I got to do is stand
and deliver. So some denominations, they pride themselves on not paying church leadership.
You know, that's not something to be proud about. It's unbiblical. Paying church leadership
is biblical. I mean, let's read it one more time. Verse six, or I only in Barnabas have
we not power to forbear working. And Paul said, you know, if a man, if a man doesn't
work, neither should he eat. So what is he saying here? That he shouldn't eat or that
he has another job called ministering the gospel. So forbear working, we talked about
how that's, you know, referring to secular employment. The ministry is work. The Bible
says in Ephesians chapter four, I'll read to you. If you want to go over to Deuteronomy
chapter 14, Deuteronomy chapter 14, it says, and he gave some apostles and some prophets,
some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints for the work
of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. And let me tell you something,
the perfecting of the saints, you know, preaching the saints, helping them become whole Christians
to there's nothing lacking in their spiritual life. That is work. I mean, to get up and
to go to the Bible and say, what does this group of people need to hear? How am I going
to say something or inspire people or motivate people to be better Christians? That's work.
That is the work of the ministry. To say that's not work is a joke. For the edifying of the
body of Christ, work, it takes effort to do that. And those people that do that, that
are involved in that work should be paid. That's what the Bible says. They should be
paid for. I'm not saying they should roll around filthy, filthy rich. That's not my
goal, but you know what? They should at least have, you know, have a modest income to be
able to just take care of their family. That's, I don't think that's too much to ask. So Paul
in his appeal, right? Like we just read first Corinthians, he refers back to the Old Testament
priesthood. He says, look, verse 13, do you not know that they which minister about the
Holy things live of the things of the temple and they which wait at the altar are partakers
with the altar. So he, and making his case goes back to the Old Testament. You're going
to do it around me 14, but he said, number eight, numbers 18, but the tithe of the children
of Israel, which they offer is an heave offering unto the Lord. I have given to the Levites
to inherit. Therefore I have said to them among the children of Israel, they shall have
no inheritance. He's saying, look, the Levites, they're going to be so busy ministering about
the things of God at the temple. They're not going to have time to go out and grow crops
and raise herds and have lands and be involved in agriculture because they're going to be
too busy offering sacrifices, maintaining the tabernacle, maintaining the temple, so
on and so forth, all the work that went into that. And look, you go back and read the Old
Testament where they're bringing animals every day, three times in a year, all Israel,
all the males are showing up with all these sacrifices and they're just saying, and they're
sacrificing them on the altar. Who here has ever butchered an animal? I mean, I've pulled
the hide off of them and quartered them and tried to break down a deer or two. That's
work friend. And that's messy business that they're getting involved in. They're basically
butchers when you think about it. That's what they are. They're the equivalent of a modern
day butcher back then. That was a full time job back then. They're just cleaving animals
up, burning them on the altar, taking out the ashes, making everything look nice, so
on and so forth. That's work. And that was their job. And he's saying, look, that's why
God's going to give them the tithe. All the thing, the 10th of everything that people
brought, you know, that tithe goes unto the Levites. They're going to minister of the
Holy things. They're going to live of the Holy things. You're in Deuteronomy chapter
14, look at verse 22. Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field
bringeth forth year by year, and thou shalt eat them before the Lord thy God. Now, isn't
that great that in the Old Testament, God said, you're going to tithe, but you're also
going to eat the tithe. It's like, God just wants you to sacrifice that. But he's like,
you know what? I'm also going to let you eat it. You know, our equivalent of that today
is that you tithe and then brother Corbin takes you down and buys you, you know, raspados,
you know, with the church card, you know, you're putting money in the plate and you're
getting raspados. You know what? You'd probably buy a raspado on your own anyway. So what's
the big deal? You know, but that's what he's saying. Isn't that great about God? He's,
you know, he's saying, look, you're going to eat before the Lord thy God in the place
where he shall choose to put his name, the tide of thy corn, of thy wine, of thy oil,
the first thing of thy herds, and of thy flocks, that thou mayest learn to fear the
Lord thy God always. It sounds like tithing is pretty important. You know what, you know,
and this is kind of a different subject. It's tied in, but you know, it's kind of separate
from what I'm getting at tonight. You know, the tithing there says so that you can learn
to fear the Lord your God. You know, that's, it's one thing that at least keep you in church.
You know, you know, some, some people that's like the, that's like the fine, that's like
one little thread that's just barely keeping them attached to the church is the tithe.
I've known, I've seen this with people. They get backslid in, they start getting out of
church, but they show up every so often to at least get the tithe check in because they
don't want to go that far away from God. Because they at least want to say, at least, you know,
in my backslidden state, I was tithing. I was, you know, and it's tithing that hard
to take one tenth. You say, oh, one tenth. You know, everything about God could have
done it the other way. They say, how about you keep a tenth and give me 90? You know,
God could have said that, but God says just one tenth, you know, and really at the end
of the day, it's all God's anyway. The earth is Lord and the fullness thereof. But it's
just funny that people can, you know, they at least have enough spirituality to always
maintain that. And he's saying, look, so it sounds pretty important that thou mayest learn
to fear the Lord thy God. And if the way meet too long for thee that thou were not able
to carry it, will the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose
to set his name when the Lord hath God blessed thee? Then thou shalt turn it into money and
bind up thine money in thine hand. People will make the objection. Oh, well, tithe in the
Old Testament was only, you know, crops and animals, vegetables, and, you know, it was
just the fruit of the land. It wasn't money. But God here is saying, look, turn it into
money. You could bring money. Look at verse 27. Levite, that is within thy gates, thou
shalt not forsake him, for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee. Look, back then,
if the people didn't tithe, I mean, they wouldn't have a priesthood. You know, and it's the
same way today. You know, preaching is free, you know, and we can all get together at a
park somewhere, if that's what we want to do, and sit in the grass and the hot and be
harassed by all the bums and try not to sit on a needle or get eaten up by ants or whatever,
and I can preach to you for free, and we can do that. You know, or we could bring our tithes
into the storehouse and rent a modest building and have some comfortable chairs. Because
all those things aren't free out there, you know. And so Paul here, he's going back to
the Levitical priesthood, right? And people say, well, yeah, but you know, that Levitical
priesthood has been done away. Yeah, but go show me in the New Testament where God specifically
says thou does away with tithing. 1 Corinthians 9 is the complete opposite. It's him going
back and reaffirming that the tithe is something that's still supposed to take place. That's
why he said, right at the end there, even so, that the Lord ordain that they which preach
the gospel should live of the gospel. But even then, you want to make that argument.
Tithing predates the Old Testament law. It predates the Levitical priesthood. Tithing
starts before that. Go over to Genesis chapter 14. Genesis chapter 14. I'll read to you from
Genesis 28. Verse 16. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord
is in this place. And I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this
place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob
rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he put out for his pillows and
set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it and called the name of that place
Bethel. But the name of that city was called Loz at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow, saying,
If God be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat
and raiment to put on, if God will make me filthy and stinking rich, then I'll tithe.
And a lot of people, that's where they get messed up. I'll tithe when I can afford it.
Look, you can't afford not to tithe. It's kind of a separate subject. But he's saying,
Look, if God will just give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, so I come again to
my Father's house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God. And this stone, which I have
set up for a pillar, shall be God's house, and all that thou shalt give me I will surely
give the tenth unto thee. The tenth, the tithe, unto thee. So that's tithing in the Old Testament
before the law. It's an example that we see. Here in Genesis chapter 14, look at verse
17. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of
the king of Sodom. This is, of course, referring back to Abram, right, when he went and delivered
lot from the five kings, or, excuse me, delivered Sodom. The kings there, he made that, went
out and made war with them. And it says the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his
return from the slaughter of Chedor the low aimer of the kings that were with him at the
valley of Sheva, which is the king's dale. And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth
bread and wine, and he was the priest of the Most High God. Of course, I believe that that
is an Old Testament appearing of Jesus Christ. And it says there, he brought forth bread
and wine, and he was the priest of the Most High God. Verse 19, And he blessed him, and
said, Blessed be Abraham of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth. And blessed
be the Most High God, which hath delivered thine hand into thine enemies. And he, referring
back to Abraham, gave him, Melchizedek, tithes of all. So he's coming back. Abraham's coming
back from winning this war with all the spoil that he'd taken. He's returning it to the
king of Sodom, and Melchizedek comes out, and Abraham tithes him, gives him a tenth
of all. So there again, you have Old Testament tithing before Levitical priesthood, right?
You say, well, that doesn't, you know, yeah, but that's not specifically a command, whatever.
But here's the thing. God refers back to this in the New Testament. And go over to Hebrews
chapter seven, Hebrews chapter seven. Look, Paul went back to the Old Testament to make
the case for tithing, for paying the ministers, right? That's what he referred to. And then
people make the argument, well, tithing didn't exist in the Old Testament until the law,
and it's done away in the law. No, it's always existed, even before the law. Hebrews chapter
seven, verse one, it says this, for Melchizedek, this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priests the
Most High God, who met Abraham, returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed
him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being, by interpretation, king
of righteousness, and after that, king of Salem. Look at verse five, and verily they
that are the sons of Levi, who received the office of the priesthood, have a commandment
to take the tithes of the people according to the law. It isn't interesting how God phrases
it there. They have a commandment to take the tithes. That was their job. They were
there to receive the tithes of the people, and to minister. That is of their brethren,
though they come out of loins of Abraham. Look at verse nine, and as I may say so, Levi
also who receiveth tithes paid tithes in Abraham. So he's just going back to the fact that even
before the Levites came about, he's giving honor to Melchizedek here, saying, look, even
the Levites who came out of Abraham were tithing in Abraham to Melchizedek, and that's kind
of the context of that passage. But it goes to show you that this is a legitimate tithe
in the Old Testament that predates the law. How about the fact that the New Testament
just flat out teaches paying the preacher? There I said it. Isn't that frightening? Isn't
that scary? What a profound thought. I can't believe you say that. Well, you know, it's
the Bible, folks. I'm here to preach the Bible. Ah, he cares about money. No, I'm just preaching
the Bible tonight. And this is just one of those subjects that every once in a while
you've got to hit on. Every once in a while you've got to bring up and just remind people.
And look, I'm not bringing up because we're hurting. I don't know if you looked at the
bulletin there, but we had a good month. You know, Brent's getting paid, and then some,
and the place is taking care of itself. First Timothy chapter five. Are you there? First
Timothy chapter five? Go to First Timothy chapter five if you're not there. You say,
oh, your argument from the Old Testament is weak. Okay, well, let's just go to the
New Testament where it just explicitly says that preachers are supposed to be paid. It
says in First Timothy chapter five, verse one, rebuke not an elder, but entreat him
as a father and the younger men as brethren, the elder women as mothers, the younger sisters
with all purity. Honor widows that are widows indeed. Now, what does he mean by honoring
there? Well, it's defined, honoring is defined in this context as caring for their financial
needs. And we'll look at it here in a minute. That's what it means to honor them. I mean,
what good is it to a widow, you know, who's lost her husband and has no means to take
care of herself, if you walk in and just say, you're so holy, I just honor you. I just,
you know, you just, you take a knee and just say, I'm so glad to be in your presence, that
you're so holy. Is that what he's talking about? You know, she can't eat that. She can't
go home and put that in the oven and feed herself. That's not going to keep her warm.
Your blessing. That's not what he means by honor. You know, just have a profound respect
for her. You should have that anyway. But he's saying, look, what he's talking about,
let's look at it here, verse four, but if any widow have children or nephews, let them
learn first to show piety at home and to requite their parents. Now, nephews, that's
actually, it's kind of a long story, but that actually, it back then would have meant grandchild.
Okay. Let them learn first to show piety at home, who? The children and the grandchildren,
they should learn to be, show piety at home and to repay their parents and grandparents.
That's something that's lost on this culture today, that the children should take care
of their parents and grandparents in their old age. Instead, they just want to, and look,
if that's what, and it's an option that's out there, and grandparents just say, look,
I'm able-bodied, I've taken care of my, I've been smart with my money, I don't need financial
help, I'm just going to go live in this elderly community, and that's what they want. Great.
But you know what, if a parent or a grandparent is in need financially, it's your God-given
duty to take care of them. Why do you think I'm having so many kids? Because I'm just
banking on the fact, no pun intended, that one of them is going to like me enough to
take care of me in my old age. That if I could just manage to raise one godly child who will
honor the scriptures here, that I'm going to be all right in the scripture, or one of
my old age, right? I'm joking, of course, but that is the hope. But that is biblical
for me to say that. Say, look, I'm counting on my, what's your retirement plan? I'm putting
all mine in the bank of Karen, Linda, Heather, Corbin, and whatever this next one's going
to be. That's my retirement, that's my 401k, right? I'm trying to come up with some clever
sayings, but I can't think of any right now. That's what I'm banking on. He's saying, look,
She that has a widow, a deed, and desolate, trust in the God, and continue in supplication
of prayers night and day. But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth, and
these things given charge that they be blameless. But if any provide not for his own, especially
of those for his own house. That's not an isolated scripture. This is all one thing.
He's saying, look, and if somebody does not provide for his own, referring back to what?
The widow, his own house, his own mother, his own grandmother. If he does not provide
for them, especially his own house, he had denied the faith, and it's worse than an infidel.
Then he goes on and gets some qualifications for a widow. So if a widow doesn't have any
of this, she doesn't have the children or the grandchildren, or they're just refusing
to take care of her, and she's destitute, then the church can take her in. They can
honor her, right? But there are requirements for it. There are requirements. Look at verse
nine. Let not a widow be taken into the number on the payroll under three score years old,
under 60 years old. So one, there's an age requirement. So some woman is widowed at 30.
It's not like she just gets to walk in the church and be like, I'm ready to just go on.
The church is dying now. I'm 30. I'm widowed. It's like, well, you got another 30 years.
Why is that? Because in all likelihood, at 30 years old, you can go out and find another
husband who will take care of you. He said, let not a widow be taken a number under three
years scores, your old having the wife of one man. So I know if you got married and
they got divorced, sorry, the church cannot, is forbidden from taking care of a widow in
that instance. Well reported of for good works. If she had brought up children, if she had
lodged strangers, if she had wowed the saints, but you got to have a good testimony. If she
had revived the afflicted, if she had diligently followed every good work, but the younger
widows refused for when they begin to wax one against Christ, they will marry having
damnation, not talking about going to hell, but talking about having judgment in this
life because they have cast off their first faith and with all they learned to be idle,
wandering back and forth or wandering house to house, so on and so forth.
Go to verse 15 verse 16, if any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve
them. What did that start out by saying? Honor widows that are widows indeed. And this whole
passage is talking about what that means. What does it look like to honor a widow who
is a widow indeed, a widow who is worthy, has met these requirements. And that's what
he means by a widow indeed. How do you do that? Let them relieve them and let not the
church be charged. Don't put them on the church's account. Let them relieve them. Let them take
care of their financial needs. Let them build the little one room studio in the back part
of the yard and put an AC unit in a little stove and buy grandma some groceries. That's
what it's talking about. That it may relieve them that are widows indeed. He's saying look,
if every widow, if the church had to take care of every single widow that deserved it,
we might not be able to take care of them all. So look, if any man or woman that believeth
have widows, let the church members take care of their own, those that are of their own
house. Going back to the fact that it's your duty to do what? To take care of parents and
grandparents. Why? So that the church can actually take care of those that are truly
destitute. And how is the church going to take care of them? Sprinkling some holy water
on them and just saying a blessing? Be warmed and filled and not give them those things
which are needful for the body? No, we honor them. We bring them into the number. We're
charged. We relieve them financially. You say, where are you going with all this? Well,
that word honor comes up again with another group of people. This word honor, it's used
in this context here as relieving the widows. It's taking care of them financially. And
you know what? It says the same thing about ministers. We are to honor. Let them that
labor in the word and doctrine be kind of worthy of what? Double honor. He's not saying
don't give them double respect. Brother, deacon, wrestle. I'm putting extra respect
on that name. Double honor. Pastor Steven Anderson, sir, double honor. He's saying look,
let them that labor in the word and doctrine be kind of worthy of double honor. They're
worth their weight in gold. Pay them for their work's sake. How about the fact that Jesus
was a paid minister? Jesus was a paid minister. Did you know that? Luke 8. And it came to
pass after that he went through every city and village preaching and showing the glad
tidings of the King of God. And the 12 were with him and certain women which had been
healed of evil spirits and infirmities. Mary called Magdalene out of whom went seven devils
and Joanna the wife of Cuzzah, Herod's steward and Susanna and many others which ministered
him unto him out of their substance. So when Jesus was going around ministering, you know,
he wasn't just swiping the card everywhere he went. People were actually taking care
of his physical needs, saying you're going to sleep here tonight. We're going to feed
you. What do you need? They're ministering of their own substance. Well, I just don't
think the church should have paid ministers. Well, you wouldn't like Jesus very much then
because that's exactly what he was. A paid minister. Somebody went out and was taken
care of by others financially as he went about doing the work of God. How about the fact
the apostles were paid ministers? In Luke chapter 10 the Bible reads after these things
the Lord appointed others 70 also. 70 of them. And sent them two and two before his face
and every city and place whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them the
harvest truly is great but the labors are few. Pray therefore the Lord of harvest that
he would send forth labors into his harvest. And he said go your ways. Behold I send you
forth as lambs among wolves carry neither purse nor scrip. He's saying don't take any
money. Take neither purse nor scrip. He's sending them out there with no money. Why?
And whatsoever house you enter into enter first say peace be this house and if the son
of peace be in there your peace shall rest upon it and if it not turn to you it shall
not it shall turn to you again. And in that same house remain eating and drinking such
things as they give. He said look I want you to go out with no purse no script preach
the gospel and if you find some a house that is worthy that is blessing you stay there
and whatever they set in front of you that eat and that drink. You know I got a taste
of this no pun intended man they just roll off the tongue sometimes I'm telling you in
the bus route you know I wasn't in need I had purse I had script right I didn't have
literal purse calm down right. I was I had a job and everything like that but sometimes
I'd go into these houses with these Ukrainian families and they would they just would insist
that I sat down and eat. They'd be like you're gonna sit down and eat and they love to put
sour cream on everything. Remember that just sour cream everything sour cream. I used to
joke about it all the time like where's the sour cream and just boom big tub of it they
put sour cream on everything. And you know this is kind of you think that's a real ease
that's great what a great commandment eat and drink such things as they give you know
sometimes people put things in for you it's kind of like I don't know if I can eat that
you ever had that happen you're like looking you go something hey come over and eat and
you're like what is that you don't want to be rude so you're like choking it down I've
had that happen now I've had some good Ukrainian meals I'm not knocking you know the cooking
of the former Soviet you know block or whatever it is the eastern block but I'm saying there
were some things I got sent like herring pie herring pie is a thing it's like this
I'm telling too many stories but it's this brown it's made out of fish folks and it looks
like a chocolate mousse that's what I thought it was and they put up like then they put
like this mayonnaise cream on it and I and then they got a I'm like I'm thinking this
is some kind of chocolate mousse with whipped cream that's what I thought it was big old
scoop of that plunk by the way this cold fish just cold brown gravy fish just look
I can count on one hand how many times I spit something out okay that was one of them right
the other time was at a Chinese restaurant it's just one and I'm like what is this and
the Ukrainian kid he says it's herring pie you know his little Ukrainian voice it's herring
pie is good yeah you know that's me creating an accident but look this just goes to show
you that the apostles were paid ministers too Jesus said don't take any money go out
there and just live off of the people go minister to them and whatever they give you that eat
it was the practice of the early church it says in Acts chapter 6 and in those days when
the number of disciples was multiplied there rose a murmuring of the creations against
the Hebrews because their widows knew were neglected the daily ministration then the
twelve called the multitude of disciples unto them and said it is not reason that we should
leave the Word of God and serve tables wherefore brethren look you out among you seven men
of honest report full of the Holy Ghost wisdom that we have made that we may appoint over
this business again showing you that the ministry is actual work it's a work it's work just
like any other job is it I don't think the minister should be paid you know what you
that's like saying any other guy who goes to work shouldn't be paid it's ridiculous
I wouldn't say that to any other working man oh what do you do for a living oh you're
a roofer I don't think you should be paid it's work right I wouldn't say that to him
but that people have no problem saying that to a minister well I don't think you should
be paid obviously you've never done it you don't understand the work that goes into it
because it is work he's saying look appoint them over this business right but we will
give ourselves continually to bagging groceries part time we will give ourselves continually
to you know driving lift in the evenings delivering pizzas you know working in a tire shop that's
what we're going to give ourselves to you know here in the early church they're pointing
them over this other church business and saying look we're going to give ourselves to prayer
and to the ministry of the word that was their job to be in prayer and in the ministry of
the word writing the sermons preaching especially back then when they didn't have the old test
or the New Testament they were having to really spend time in the Old Testament opening
it up and looking at it with new eyes seeing Christ and writing these things down and preaching
and teaching you know the early church it was a practice in the early church folks that
the ministers were paid it was a practice when Jesus time when he sent out his apostles
it was a practice of Jesus Christ himself it's been a practice going all the way back
to Levitical priesthood and beyond and some people will you know they'll object and they'll
say well you know Paul worked you know go over to Philippians chapter 4 actually go
to 2 Thessalonians 3 I'm almost done I'll say well you know Paul worked and you know
he didn't accept the wage and that's true but 1st Corinthians 9 makes it very clear
that he that Paul wasn't saying I'm working because me taking wages and an option he's
saying it's an option and I'm choosing not to accept it he said you know we're I'm not
using this power meaning that I have this power I could do this if I wanted to but I
choose not to 2 Thessalonians 3 verse 6 now we command you brother the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ that we draw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly and
not after the tradition which he received of us for you yourselves know how you ought
to follow us for we behaved on ourselves disorderly among you neither do we eat any
man's bread for not but rot with labor and travailed night and day that we might not
be chargeable to any of you so this is Paul saying look we didn't eat any man's bread
for not you know what we didn't accept a wage we didn't we did not take of any of your substance
we didn't let you to minister us to these earthly needs but rot with labor and travail
night and day and there's some people that's what they would have for every minister you
know what you should you should you know work in the ministry put all the hours in the ministry
and you should just work night and day you know and that sounds real good at first doesn't
it it's unsustainable especially as a church grows you know as churches are smaller and
they can't here's the thing when a church is smaller and they maybe they can't afford
to pay the preacher full-time yeah you know what that's that's a that's a reality that
if that church is going to continue to grow and want that the preacher is probably gonna
have to just say you know what I'm just gonna work whatever I need to do to make ends meet
as the church grows but here's the thing that's less work there's less work in a church with
20 people in it than there is with 200 there's less phone calls being made there's less fires
to put out there's less ministering that has to be done in a church with 20 people than
200 you know he could probably take you know every once in a while take a you know take
a call on his lunch break what's the problem what do you need how can I help you and minister
right when that turns into two three four hundred people and that phone's just ringing
non-stop every day just off the hook right and the sermons still have to get preached
you know all these other things have to take place it's not realistic that's why Paul said
look he did it how did Paul say it was a cakewalk is that what he said there he said we rot
with labor and travail night and day he's saying look this was really hard to do this is really
hard to do I remember when I was younger before I got married I thought you know I'm gonna put
away some I'm gonna work hard for him I'm gonna work two full-time jobs I'm gonna work a third
shift in a first shift job lasted one month it's unsustainable even for a young guy who doesn't
have anything else going on but to work I'm I quit when I fell asleep at a stoplight in the
middle of the day I said yeah that's enough of that trying to work 80 hours a week you know
third first shift just non-stop you know 16 20-hour days whatever it's not sustainable that's why
Paul's saying look we rot with labor and travail night and day that we might not be chargeable to
any of you he's saying it's not because we didn't have power to to forbear working he's saying look
that we might not be chargeable to any of you not because we have not power verse 9 but to make
ourselves and in sample unto you to follow us he said the reason why I did that when I was with
you and he's only talking to the Thessalonians say look the reason why we chose to labor night
and day with travail was to be an example to you because look at verse 10 for even when we were with
you this we command you that any would not work neither should he eat for we hear that are some
which walk among you disorderly working not at all not at all but are busybodies now then that
are such we command exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat
their own bread so Paul states again here just like you in 1st Corinthians 9 that he has the
power to forbear working right but he refused the financial support from the Thessalonians in order
to do what to set an example to those that are behaving poorly not to set an example for other
ministers to come after him to set an example specifically to the people and that's and that's
like and anybody else that would come after them that if you don't work you don't eat and just
showing them look I'm travail I'm working night and day with travail what why can't you go out
and get a just a day job that's what he's saying here he's look I'm gonna go out and just work my
fingers to the bone just work hard just put myself through the ringer to prove to you that it's
possible so that that bum that refuses to work not at all isn't that what he said there there's
so much walking with disorderly among you working not at all they're not working night and day
they're not working day and they're not working night they're not working at all so Paul saying
look I'm just gonna work twice as hard as a person should just to prove to you bums that you need to
go out and get a job so that's why Paul forbear working at Thessalonica to be an example to those
that were behaving poorly but you know what Paul did accept money from other churches and you see
that in the scripture go to Philippians chapter 4 Philippians chapter 4 Philippians 4 I'll begin
in verse 11 not that I was speaking of what if I have learned and whatsoever study I am there with
to be content I know about the base and I know how to abound everywhere and all things I am
instructed people full and to be hungry to both a self abound and to suffer need I can do all
things through Christ which strengthens me notwithstanding he have done well done that
communicate with me in my affliction what does he mean by that you did communicate with me in my
affliction he's not saying you spent you sent me a nice card when I was in the hospital you
communicate with me you know you wrote me a note right he's talking about money look at verse 50
now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel when I departed from Macedonia no
church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving it's talking about look there was
no financial support no one communicated with me think about that word communication communication
what other words do you think of commerce right commercial right communication he's talking about
giving and he's talking about money here about commerce sharing he said look no church community
is giving and receiving but ye only for even in Thessalonica you sent once again unto my necessity
so he's over there working his fingers bone they're still communicating to him and that's
when I could not because I desire a gift but I desire fruit that may abound to your account
you know God blesses the person that gives it's true but I have all in a bound and I'm
full and I've receiving of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you an odor of
sweet-smelling a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God so Paul gets this gift from
them at the hand of Epaphroditus and he says hope well what are you doing you know ministers
aren't supposed to be paid no he took it he's very clear and he's blessing them for it for
what for them communicating for them giving financial support last passage go to first
Timothy chapter 6 first Timothy chapter 6 Bible says in first Timothy chapter 6 verse 17 charge
them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches
but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy that they do good that
they be rich and good works ready to distribute willing to communicate what are they saying that
there can be introverts make sure the rich people are outgoing and energetic and have
one lengthy conversations is that what he means by communicate no ready to distribute ready willing
to communicate to give of their abundance to help others that are need laying up and store
for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life so
look communicating is something that you know means financial giving which shows us that Paul
accepted money of other churches to so so to sit there and say that Paul you know he never took any
tithes is not true Paul never accepted money from the churches not true he did Jesus took money
the Apostles took money nearly Church accepted the payment because it's biblical the Levites did it
God commanded them to take the tides paying the minister is biblical and I don't feel guilty about
it I'm not gonna get me like oh man I hope people don't think I don't feel good about because I know
it's the work of the ministry that you know I'm earning this wage and people look look people that
object to this they have our carnal they're carnal they're so all they care about is money
that's all they care about you want to you want to know who really cares about money it's not the
guy who gets up every you know year and a half and preaches a sermon about money it's the guy
who's whole who quits church after church after church because that pastor takes the wage there's
people out there that do it they're carnal they have other motives people who object to people
ministers being paid you know why they do that because they don't want to go to church because
newsflash the vast majority of churches pay their ministers okay except the Mormon Church but you
shouldn't be there anyway you know you know evangelical churches pay their ministers Baptist
churches pay their ministers because it's biblical it's Bible so if I could if I want if I want to
come off as spiritual if I want a spiritual excuse to not attend church it's real convenient for me
to just say well I don't I don't agree with churches that pay their ministers you know that
pastor you know he's not he's not qualified he accepts a wage so I can't go there you just
excused yourself from virtually every biblical church there is now who's got the doctrine of
convenience it's not the preacher who's just saying look the Bible says you know pay the
preacher he's worthy they're worthy of double honor the person with the doctrine of convenience
this guy who just wants a spiritual sounding excuse to excuse himself from going to church
because not going to church is a sin it is so you know that's my message tonight is that it's
perfectly biblical to pay the ministers in fact the Bible teaches it going all the way back to
the Old Testament you know and and that's my sermon on money for probably the next year at
least so at least we got that out of the way tonight right let's go ahead and pray here