The Care of the Technician
Notes
Transcript
God desire to restore our lives.
The closer our relationship with God becomes; the more restoration God performs in us.
Like these cars we’ve pictured. One needs restored, and the other has been restored.
Let’s say you own the car that needs restored and you take it to a garage that restores cars like this. You show the technician/mechanic the car, and he begins to evaluate the needs.
He consults with the owner. They together help evaluate and see how to proceed to restore the car.
The mechanic comes and says, I’ve talked with the owner, and here is what we recommend.
You agree on the work needed and then the mechanic begins to perform the work.
When the work is done. You are handed an invoice of the parts and labour needed.
We understand that the work and labour involved is valuable and that technician or mechanic is worthy to be provided for regarding his time and work involved. We accept that. We understand this.
Paul here in our text the care of those in the ministry. Those who labour and invest time to provide for needs of families spiritually, emotionally, and physically. This ministry is work, and the care of those serving in the ministry is important.
Paul is reminding the church in Corinth of his example. He led them to the Gospel and Jesus Christ, and reminded them that in his example he demonstrated at Corinth there was a Biblical philosophy and context to the work.
Paul was a man. He had rights as a workman for the Lord just like they had rights as citizens of Corinth.
The right of financial support
The right of financial support
Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
Money doesn’t grow on trees
This would rob God’s people of the blessings of being a part of the ministry of the Word and the eternal rewards in heaven
The word power speaks of right or authority
While in Corinth he voluntarily sought employment as a tent maker, but this was not mandatory.
Paul uses the illustration of his first missionary journey with Barnabas because that was a time when churches were started and, some time, to make ends meet secular work was necessary.
Wasn’t the general rule intended for permanency.
Advantages/ disadvantages of both methods of support:
Working bi-vocationally
Advantages:
Get to interact with people that may not have been to work with otherwise.
Helps care for a young church that is young and learning the principles of trusting God with finances
Disadvantages:
Pastor must work and then care for the preparation of messages, the visitation, the supervision of the ministry, and scores of others things that need attention into what time was left.
This often takes time away from the family, and at times the family can suffer as a result of the lack of attention
Working vocationally
Advantages
Able to invest full time into the ministry
More care is able to be given to people
Disadvantages
The church can begin to think, Pastor is full time, surely he can take care of it.
All he does is stand up for 2 or so hours each and talk. How hard can that be?
The illustrations for the right of financial support
The illustrations for the right of financial support
Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
Paul, reasoning with the church Corinth calmly, gives 3 illustrations for this right to work vocationally or bi-vocationally
Soldier
War is a costly business
Soldier, when he is called upon to go to war, makes great sacrifices:
Home
Family
Job
Culture
Sports and pleasures
When he leaves these things he faces:
Suffers hardship
Obey orders
Faces battle, wounds, and even death
None of these things are done expecting that the soldier is to pay for his own battle equipment, travel expenses, meals, and necessities for life
A full time Christian worker ought to be afforded the same provision
Farmer
A vineyard is long and arduous business that calls for considerable expertise and skill
The cost of money and time are high.
When the vines begin to bring forth the grapes, the grapes are harvested and then the husbandman is reimbursed for his labour.
The full time Christian worker, who is expected to be as diligent as a husbandman tending a vineyard, can expect no less.
Shepherd
This is hard work with long hours.
The sheep have to be guided to still waters and green pastures.
Rescued from danger and defended from enemies.
They must be counted for and their hurts and injuries tended with care.
A good shepherd knows and loves his sheep.
He endures the cold nights and the hot days.
He will battle with the lion, the bear, the wolf, and the thief.
He spends weeks away from his family.
He’s there to watch over the birthing of the lambs.
He goes after the ones that go astray.
It would be strange if he he were denied the right to some of the milk.
The full time Christian worker, who is expected to be no less devoted than a shepherd, has an equal right to the more mundane and material things of life.
The doctrine for the right of financial support
The doctrine for the right of financial support
Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
Paul begins teaching that this isn’t just me trying to reason with you from my wisdom and knowledge, but rather God taught this principle
Does God take care of the oxen? Yes, He does! He cares for all His creatures:
Raven with food
Job 38:41
Who provideth for the raven his food?
When his young ones cry unto God,
They wander for lack of meat.
Attends the funeral of a sparrow
Mat 10:29
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
Clothes the grass and spreads a banquet for the birds
Mat 6:26-30
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
It would be cruel to muzzle the ox after pulling the harvester through the fields all day without some of the corn harvested.
The ox has right to share in the material blessings after toiling in the field.
Some people are grudging and mean-spirited when it comes to the Lord’s work:
Indiana church - mission’s conference all week - just started travelling to raise funds so we may come to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ here in the UK
Took up offerings all week long
No help with petrol or help with time
We wore a gearbox out on a van, and purchased through a friend a vehicle that was nicer looking than our tired vehicle. We drove to a church and the a man stated, it must pay to be a missionary!
There are some today that think a full time Christian worker should have holes in their clothes, the cars worn out and barely moving, and reusing their tea bags for weeks at a time.
The Holy Spirit wants no part in such discrimination and mean-spiritedness!
God does take of His people, and I have seen God provide in miraculous ways over and over again through the years!
God desires the church to be a part of the blessing of caring the husbandman, the shepherd, the soldier in the church.
The design for financial support
The design for financial support
Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
Adequate
Both the worker who plowed and harvested received the support needed to perform the duties required
Some of the duties performed in the ministry are not easily seen, yet they are just as important as those things easily visible
Reconciling accounts are not as visible as bringing a new family to church
Yet both are important!
Adequate for where they minister - cost of living here in the UK versus the jungles of Africa is vastly different
Equally valued
Evangelist come to the church and with special meetings there may be new families, people saved, baptisms, and visiting Christians from other areas
The visiting missionary plowing the field in a difficult area and sees little “results” physically
Both should be honoured.
Just because one is a harvester and the other plows the field doesn’t mean that their duties should be reflected differently.
The worker should be cared for no matter if he pulls weeds or reaps a great harvest
The exercise of financial support
The exercise of financial support
Restated the right
1 Cor 9:12a
If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
Others may need to exercise the right of financial support
Others, like me, may not need it
Earned the right as an apostle, a pastor, a missionary, a teacher
Relinquished the right
1 Cor 9:12b-c
If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
Paul understood that if he accepted financial support from the church in Corinth that that would have hindered the work there
He wanted to preach the Gospel, and in Corinth the wise approach was to work as a tentmaker and a missionary accepting support from other churches
Paul did what was best for the church!
So called pastors and televangelists who ask people to send in £20 for a bottle of prayer tears or a handkerchief that has been blessed somehow that will supposedly cure whatever ails you.
This is not what Paul was about
This is not what a right-spirited Christian worker should be about. If money determines the call of God upon one’s life, then that call of God is on an erodible foundation.
The principle
1 Cor 9:13-14
Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
Referring to the Levitical priesthood - given cities and their financial means came from the tithes and offerings of the people of Israel
As they ministered in the temple and served people; their support would be given from those coming to worship the Lord together with them.
Jesus taught the same principle when it came to preaching the Gospel:
Material needs provided:
Mat 10:9-13
Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
Means of support:
Luk 10:7
And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
Jesus was content to live the same way:
Luk 8:1-3
And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve 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 Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
The church followed Jesus’ example:
Act 4:32
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
Personal example
1 Cor 9:15
But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.
Paul did not beg for financial help
He would rather have died than to have his boast of financial independence be made an idle one!
It is Biblical and right for a Christian worker to be well cared for in the church.
This testimony speaks of the love for God and their desire to reach the world uninhibited.