The Collection and Paul's Journey

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Introduction
Blessed Sunday morning Church.
As we gather this morning we affirm some things to ourselves, our community, and to the Lord today.
God is sovereign.
He is almighty and all kings and kingdoms will bow at His name
God is full of grace, saving sinners like us. This grace is held out to all of us and those who have yet to believe.
We are about our father’s business.
Nothing that took place this week changed any of those 4 statements. -Amen
Tension
Isn’t it great that no matter how the sands shift or how the wind blows, we can remind ourselves that our true north is centered in the finished work of Jesus. that our lives find their purpose and meaning in His salvation and the work held out on Calvary.
This morning we will continue in our series in 1 Corinthians realizing that this is one of only 3 remaining messages in this book. I greatly hope you’ve enjoyed our time in this book this year and that you’ve gleaned some things that have helped you in your own walk. Also, reminding us of one of our goals for this year, that we would be able to help apply each passage of scripture to our working lives as followers of Christ. Remembering that one of our chief goals is to make disciples of all nations.
New Christians need to be shown how to follow Jesus. For many, it is the first time they’ve heard or seen any of the things of Christ and they need your help to put such things into practice in their everyday lives.
Today, we continue into chapter 16, only 2 things remain: Paul’s concerns regarding the offering and his final charge to those receiving the letter. Today we tackle verses 1-11.
Truth
1 Corinthians 16:1–11 (ESV)
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do.
2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.
3 And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.
4 If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.
5 I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia,
6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go.
7 For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.
8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,
9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
10 When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am.
11 So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.
Prayer
Exposition
The collection vs. 1-3.
Now, I will admit that this was a thing that I glanced over in college and seminary with little study or thought. However, this offering consumed a good deal of Paul’s ministry.
The Corinthians has inquired about it from Paul in some correspondence, likely having heard of it from the Galatians churches, the oldest of all of Paul’s church plants in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch.
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do.
So, right off in verse 1, we see that this is a collection that Paul and his church plants are taking up for the saints of the church. We find it mentioned in Acts, Romans, Galatians, and both letters to the Corinthians, that this offering was specifically to help the faithful in Jerusalem. The church there had experienced a boom among the poor hearing the gospel and being saved. Now, as a consequence, the church was overwhelmed by the needs of the community. Paul, seeking to rally the church to meet the needs of their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem rallied the troops and their coin purses to see this cause as one of family helping family. Secondly, as another motive, Paul seeks here to in a real and tangible way, unite the Jewish converts and their gentile brothers through this endevour. By doing so, the Gentiles can show they are serious about their walk with Christ and the brother in Jerusalem will finally get what Paul has been telling them all this time.
2 On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.
Notice here, that Paul doesn’t use the word tithe in this passage when he discussed giving, even though he gives more attention to giving than any other New Testament writer. So why the omission? Well, the New Testament teaching on giving is actually not one of a tithe. What am I talking about?
In the OT giving looked alot like a set 10% tax on God’s people they paid to the treasury with special yearly offerings. Leviticus 27:30
Leviticus 27:30 (ESV)
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.
Numbers 18:26: “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the Lord’s offering.”
Deuteronomy 14:22: “Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year.”
2 Chronicles 31:5: “As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the first fruits of their grain, new wine, olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything.”
The 10% part literally comes from the translation of the Hebrew word, tithe which means “tenth”.
In the NT the practice, we are guided by one clear passage that gives us insight into the giving mind and heart that God delights in.
2 Corinthians 9:6–7 (ESV)
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
The point alluded to here is that while 10% was a requirement in the OT the legalistic side of it has been swallowed up by this passage. No longer should you only give 10% out of requirement, instead you should give abundantly, cheerfully, hilariously, not under compulsion, but for God’s glory.
Common phraseology has become tithes and offerings, starting with 10% then anything above or beyond that is considered an offering. Simply put the tithe was an OT obligation that bows to this new standard.
Dr. David W. Jones of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary expands the idea of NT using verse 2 here.
Giving is to be periodicon the first day every week… the church met weekly and gave weekly to see to it that funds were availible when need arose regularly.
Giving is to be personaleach of you… as each of us has benefited greatly from God’s grace and mercy, we too give out of a desire to give a tangible expression of God’s love to those that need it.
Giving is to be plannedput something aside and store it up…this is not an impulse gift or one that wrenches manipulation upon the people. Instead he asks them to plan it out and make a thoughtful decision towards their giving.
Giving is to be proportionateas he may prosper2 Corinthians 8:3 “3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord,”. Paul would have the church give what they are able. Some could give more and some could give less but it should be given within your means.
Giving is to be plentifulso that there will be no collecting when I come…The encouragement is that such a gift of generous hearts would be waiting that a second collection wouldn’t be necessary.
So, we can gather all of this together for ourselves as well. When it comes to our giving in 2024 as members of this movement,
it should be given to continue the work of the church among the nations.
It should be done with cheer and joy not compulsion.
It should be done through prayer and consideration not haphazardly.
We should give so that God gets the glory not seeking our own way, our own glory, or our own preferences.
This last point is major and watch how Paul makes it known.
3 And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.
4 If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.
Paul’s handeling of church funds was so above board that he would not solicit gifts for himself or his ministry, prefering to work in the community rather than have anyone say of him that he was burdening the church. On top of that, when raising funds for others, he refused to be directly involved in the handling of the gift. He preferred instead to have the churches elect representatives to bear their gifts to the churches. Here we see that Paul would go with them but wouldn’t carry the money himself. This accomplishes a couple things.
First, it saw fit that those churches who gave the gift would be recognized for it, not Paul. He didn’t need any credit, nor did he want any for what the Lord inspired in these churches to bless each other and care for the needs of their growing congregations.
It reminds me of our cooperative program through the MBC and SBC. Collectively we gave $191,851,947
International missions: 50.41% of funds go to the International Mission Board ($96.712 mil)
North American missions: 22.79% of funds go to the North American Mission Board (43.723 mil)
Theological education: 22.16% of funds go to the SBC seminaries and the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives (42.514 mil)
SBC operating budget: 2.99% of funds go to the SBC operating budget (5.736 mil)
Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission: 1.65% of funds go to the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (3.165 mil)
In addition to these items 14,823,030 stayed right here in Missouri to fund Missouri Baptist Missions, ministries, our 3 Baptist colleges (Hannibal La Grange, SBU, MBU) , Missouri Baptist Children’s Home, The Baptist Home, The Baptist Foundation, Disaster Relief, and so many more.
Friends, that is a big deal. Southern Baptists have indeed cooperated together for the work of the gospel and Paul wanted to make sure that God was glorified by his churches carrying for and meeting the needs of each others ministries.
Secondly, Paul allowed others to carry the funds so that he would be above reproach regarding the stewardship of the monies. The love of money has a strange allure and has caused many through the years to do everything from fraud to embezzlement with the church's funds. This is part of the reason why I never touch money in this place every for any reason. If you hand me money to pop in the plate for you I run away. I never want to touch money, know a password for anything, or have access to money. Because If you never touch money, if you can’t touch money, no one can say that you did anything wrong with it. Great wisdom is found in this.
5 I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia,
6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go.
7 For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.
8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,
Paul gives some outline here for this trip. He was planning to leave the ministry going on in Ephesus, a work that no doubt involved the budding new pastor he’d set up to guide that flock, his protege in the faith, young Timothy. He would then travel through Macedonia, the region north of Corinth where the churches of Philippi, Thessalonica, and presumably Berea flourished. He was planning to also gather the gifts and representatives of those churches on the way to Jerusalem. This is outlined in 2 Corinthians 8:1-4.
In verse 6 we see that Paul planned on wintering with the Corinthians to beat the weather which made any kind of travel during that time of year a collective death sentence due to sea conditions.
However, we know from 2 Corinthians 1:15-2:1 that it didn’t go down that way. These plans never happened. Paul didn’t come through Corinth because of hard feelings that had arisen there regarding him and his ministry.
He sums up his feelings nicely in 2 Corinthians 2:1-4
2 Corinthians 2:1–4 (ESV)
1 For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you.
2 For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained?
3 And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all.
4 For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.
The people’s hardened hearts had caused him a great deal of pain when all he wanted for them is God’s ideal. He was a father seeking to help his wayward son change his life for the better. Yet family strife was the only result. His sincere heart is opened in verse 7. I want to spend real time with you. I want to pour into the church. I want to stay a while and help you all get this first hand. Even with all the issues and all the conflict Paul’s love for them outweighed his disappointment with them.
9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
10 When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am.
11 So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers.
Now the rice is seasoned and we can understand the flavor of these 3 verses. In the midst of so many adversaries, Paul is excited about what could come to be. He doesn't desire to hang on the failures of the past but to help the church course correct and move forward.
He is bringing in Timothy to help guide and strengthen the church as well. This young man is leading a church in a similar setting and helping them overcome similar situations, yet, he cushions them to make his time peaceful. Put him at ease. Don’t rawl up timothy. See him as an ally that you need right now, not an adversary. The fear there is that the church will see him as a Paul surrogate and not listen to him even though they have cancer and he’s an oncologist.
He left Ephesus with brothers of whom we don’t officially know. We know Erastus from Acts 19:22 but the others are nameless, likely these men accompanied Timothy for the collection with the intention of joining Paul as Ephesus’ representatives.
The giving portion of this message writes itself but I want to spend the remainder of our time this morning looking at this hard truth which seems to be glossed over every time we read one of Paul’s closings in a letter. After all, who thinks to dive into Paul’s travel itinerary as a means of discovering spiritual revelation. Yet here the fruit is ripe if you know where to look. However, I will admit that the conversation isn’t for those in sandals because we will all have our toes in danger of being stepped on.
How many brothers and sisters in the faith who serve in ministry have done the work the Lord has called them to do, said the truth to their churches in kindness and love, ran their race with integrity and faithfulness only to have the bride of Christ dash them and their families upon the rocks for trying to call them to truth? Let me say from personal experience, far too many.
The average tenure of a pastor in an evangelical church today in the US is 4 -10 years. A majority of pastors only make it 4-6 years before they seek other churches. This is particularly heart-breaking because research shows that often it is in years 7-8 that church’s experience seasons of growth and break cycles of decline. Tie this information to the stats that 65% of SBC churches are plateaued or in decline and we have a recipe that no one would like to cook. Personal to me is the data that says that year 3 is when pastors usually start looking for greener pastors. Friends it is my 3rd year here. I will admit that there are days when I realize the honeymoon is over and people pull there punches far less than they used too. Some days this stuff gets really hard and all you want to do is go fishing where you can’t get any cell service.
However, Dr. Kevin Blackwell of Samford University gives advice to pastors so that they will develop longer tenures.
Don’t soak on negative criticism. Have a short term memory especially in regards to destructive and unwarranted criticism. “Yeah Kevin, sounds easy, i’ll get right on that.”
Take regular sabbaticals. These are not times of vacation but time dedicated to prayer, vision, and study. I will have more to say on this starting next year but I will admit to you all, my church family that I feel very lean in this area. No disrespect meant at all, I feel that alot of my time as the pastor here is spent putting our fires, dealing with emails and phone calls and not near enough spent in prayer, vision, and study. I seek to right this in coming weeks.
Surround yourself with people who are strong where you are weak. It really wouldn’t take much for you all to put together a list of my weaknesses. They are plentiful and easy to spot. Yet, I need brothers and sisters who don’t just see them, who don’t just bring my attention to them, but stand in the gap for me. Those who come alongside me and help me succeed by using their gifts and abilities. Paul said something about a body and many parts and this seems, at least, to echo that sentiment.
Don’t stop learning. Take time to develop professionally and grow as a pastor and follower. I have some things in the works for next year but I will let you know that every pastor has a pile of shame sitting on their desk somewhere of all the wealth of books they plan to read and instead gather dust. A book is only as effective as the person who makes the time to read it.
Form deep relationship with other pastors and stay connected to networks of support. I will break my arm off patting Wade Rogers on the back as one of the best DOM’s ive ever had and good friend. I have been the recipient of great blessings in my time here through relationships with our local area pastors.
Don’t neglect your spiritual disciplines. Its impossible to lead people to places where they’ve never been when you’re spiritually anemic. Ouch. Been there done that, have the scars and the t-shirts. I will admit and ask forgiveness here this morning church. I’ve had seasons this year where bible study, prayer, and seeking God’s face have disappeared into the shadows because putting out fires seemed more important. I’ve felt shallow and hollow. I’ve felt going to houses to bring hope and healing to families in crisis that I was in crisis. How could I hope to give anything when I was so dry. I’ve got my finger on this pulse right now but I believe the only way we get better is to call things what they are and take steps.
Never stop casting a compelling vision for the church. Dr. Kevin writes...
Every pastor who spends adequate time with God will receive a Spirit-led burden, passion, and vision for the work of Christ in that congregation.  The initial vision during the honeymoon phase can be exhilarating to a pastor, but the excitement can wane as the years go by. Every 5 years a pastor ought to share a fresh and compelling vision for the church. Once shared the pastor should often and regularly remind the congregation of the importance of the Spirit given vision. Share it with passion and excitement because both are contagious and will give lasting benefits.
Friends, thankfully, I feel like God has given me a vision for this place and I am excited to share it with you all this coming year. I think God has given us a great history and legacy of faithful men and women and he plans on doing that again in the coming years. That God is doing some new things in our community, in our church, and he is seeking to grow up spiritually, numerically, and stretch us in new ways. I am excited about it. I am prayerful about it. I would covet you all all over these next couple months to do me two favors as your pastor.
1. Pray for me. I mean this and don’t tell me you will unless you are seriously going to commit yourself to the task of bringing me up before the Lord. I mean it. I want to be nowhere but where he would want me and to lead this church only in ways that honor him and lift him up. I need your intercession.
2. Ask the Lord to prepare you for what he is calling you to do. Perhaps he’s closing a door on a season of ministry for you so he can open up another one? Perhaps he’s preparing your heart to launch a new ministry in unfamiliar waters. Perhaps he’s calling you to repent of long held and hidden sin for something so much greater. Maybe he’s calling you to leadership, to service, to share the gospel more than you have. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. Either way, like the apostles awaiting the falling of the Holy Spirit in Acts, all they could do is wait and pray for the Lord to do his work. Would you diligently these coming months ask the Lord to start a work in our church that begins in your heart.
Let us rally together for each other and with one another so that what happened in Corinth is a lesson we choose to head. That we would not make their mistakes, that we would realize that the truth of the word of God is our true foundation.
Landing.
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