WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:04.400 If you're able, we'll be in chapter 9 of 1 Corinthians, starting at verse 1. 00:00:04.480 --> 00:00:05.519 We'll go through verse 18. 00:00:05.599 --> 00:00:09.439 If you're able, do me a favor, let's stand, and I'll read this out loud for us. 00:00:11.119 --> 00:00:14.000 Paul says to the Corinthians, Am I not free? 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:15.679 Am I not an apostle? 00:00:15.919 --> 00:00:18.800 Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:21.280 Are not you my work in the Lord? 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:28.879 If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, because you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:34.399 My defense to those who examine me is this: Don't we have the right to eat and drink? 00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:39.520 Don't we have the right to be accompanied by a believing wife like the other apostles? 00:00:39.759 --> 00:00:41.520 The Lord's brothers and Cephas? 00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:46.479 Or do only Barnabas and I have no right to refrain from working? 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:49.520 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? 00:00:49.759 --> 00:00:53.280 Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:57.600 Or who shepherds a flock and does not drink the milk from the flock? 00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:00.719 Am I saying this from a human perspective? 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:03.600 Doesn't the law also say the same thing? 00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:09.599 For it is written in the law of Moses, do not muzzle an ox while it treads out grain. 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:12.079 Is God really concerned about oxen? 00:01:12.239 --> 00:01:14.799 Isn't he really saying it for our sake? 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:17.439 Yes, this is written for our sake. 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:25.599 Because he who plows ought to plough in hope, and he who threshes should thresh in hope of sharing the crop. 00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:34.239 If you have sown spiritual things for you, I'm sorry, if we have sown spiritual things for you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:39.519 If others have this right to receive benefits from you, don't we even more? 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:43.280 Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right. 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:49.359 Instead, we endure everything so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ. 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:59.200 Don't you know that those who perform the temple services eat the food from the temple, and those who serve in the altar share in the offerings of the altar? 00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:05.920 In the same way the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel. 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:13.520 For my part, I have used none of these rites, nor have I written these things that they may be applied in my case. 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:18.560 For it would be better for me to die than anyone to deprive me of my boast. 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:24.560 For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am compelled to preach. 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:27.599 And woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:30.879 For if I do this willingly, I have reward. 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:36.080 But if unwillingly I am entrusted with a commission, what then is my reward? 00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:42.400 To preach the gospel and offer it free of charge and to make full use of my right in the gospel. 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:43.919 Let's pray. 00:02:44.240 --> 00:02:46.319 Father, we we thank you for these words. 00:02:46.479 --> 00:02:48.800 We thank you that you've preserved them for us. 00:02:49.039 --> 00:02:56.240 We thank you as we gather, we have the assured promise that your son Jesus dwells among us, and we rejoice in that, Lord. 00:02:56.400 --> 00:03:02.639 And Father God, as we gather this way, we pray it's these words and by the power of your spirit that ministry happens now. 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:04.400 Not by the words of a man, Lord. 00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:06.080 We need something much more powerful than that. 00:03:06.159 --> 00:03:06.719 We need you. 00:03:06.879 --> 00:03:15.280 And so as we do this, as we gather, may you be the one who we proclaim as worthy, as we proclaim as the one deserving of worship. 00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:17.280 And so, Lord, there's there's that tension. 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:20.960 We we pray that we be praising you, but we also pray that we be blessed by you. 00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:22.879 And so, Lord, here we are. 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:25.120 We ask for a miracle in Jesus' name. 00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:25.919 Amen. 00:03:26.240 --> 00:03:26.879 Amen. 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:27.439 All right. 00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:29.199 Well, please have a seat. 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:33.039 We're going to begin with a little confession. 00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:41.039 See, those those times when we were missionaries in Kenya, during the Christmas week, or actually a few weeks around Christmas, everything would shut down. 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:43.039 There was there was nothing going on. 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:46.719 Businesses were shut down, everything would just close up. 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:50.960 So we're kind of left to figure out what we were supposed to be doing during that time. 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:56.000 And so um we started the Compion family poker tournament. 00:03:56.159 --> 00:04:01.840 And um that I'm not suggesting that we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Seiver Jesus Christ by playing poker and gambling. 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:03.520 That wasn't what we were doing. 00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:09.199 But each of our you know, my wife and myself and our two children, uh, we each put in 500 shillings. 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:19.199 It might take us a couple days to see who was going to win, and then when we whoever won, it was their responsibility to take the rest of the family out for dinner at our favorite Indian food place. 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:21.279 That's that's what it was. 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:25.680 Well, one of the pastors we worked with in Kenya, he found out about this. 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:28.240 And he got very serious. 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:30.879 He wasn't angry, but it's a very serious look on his face. 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:37.839 And he sat me down and he told me very clearly, um, you can never let other Kenyans know you do this. 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:42.720 You can't do that because he's he says, again, he wasn't angry, but he's just set me straight. 00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:46.720 He says, see, this is associated with the Maganga, where the Maganga is the witch doctor. 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:49.839 He says, And so what you're doing is associated associated with that. 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:52.000 And I'm not sure he knew what to make of us. 00:04:52.319 --> 00:04:53.839 He's kind of wondering these questions. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:56.639 He says, cards are associated with witchcraft. 00:04:56.720 --> 00:05:10.560 And he was concerned if we continued to do that, it might stumble some of the other believers that they would begin going back to the Maganga and start seeking the advice of the Maganga and switching, you know, getting that all mixed up with their new Christianity. 00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:15.040 And so some of you maybe have been to the Maganga. 00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:16.079 No, you probably haven't done that. 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:24.879 Okay, but some of you may have questioned your freedoms with maybe wine with your dinner or your liberty to watch certain television shows. 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:32.480 And we've all experienced that tension of the freedoms versus love or the rights versus privileges. 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:34.000 That's just normal, right? 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:36.720 Because that's been around ever since churches have been churches. 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:38.800 Are those tensions that we have, right? 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:41.279 And you're looking for an answer, I know it, so just hang on. 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:41.759 Okay. 00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:46.879 So that was part of the question there in chapter 8, wasn't it? 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:53.680 When the church at Corinth asked Paul, um, hey, can what about our right to eat the meat that's been sacrificed to idols? 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:56.560 I don't believe in those idols, but you know, so can I take that meat? 00:05:56.800 --> 00:06:07.759 Well, he says, you know, as the stronger believers, you should lovingly not exercise that right so as to not stumble, not to be a stumbling block to your brothers and sisters in Christ. 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:08.959 It's a really great answer. 00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:09.920 Of course it's a great answer. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:11.519 It's scripture, it's a good answer. 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:26.800 But keep that in mind as we come into chapter 9, but also recall that as you've been going through this book of 1 Corinthians, you've probably noticed, you've probably caught on that there's a tension between Paul and the church at Corinth. 00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:30.560 That there's some baggage going on between them. 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:40.240 And he's going to use that tension to make a very well-thought-out argument of how to respond to those rights versus privileges. 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:44.560 And in the cases, he wants us to respond in love. 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:46.480 That's the key point here. 00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:49.680 We would respond in love of God and love of others. 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:50.560 Okay? 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:53.439 Today's message is called rights versus privileges. 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:55.600 If you're a note taker, rights versus privileges. 00:06:55.680 --> 00:06:58.720 And what I want us to do is that we would love God and love others. 00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:00.800 I know that's familiar language around here. 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:03.519 We want to love God, we want to love others well. 00:07:03.839 --> 00:07:07.199 Well, Paul expertly sets up this argument in verse one. 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:13.519 He begins with what's going to be a total of 16 rhetorical questions in this passage, but he starts with these four. 00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:16.639 Verse 1 says, Am I not free? 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:19.120 Am I not an apostle? 00:07:19.519 --> 00:07:22.000 Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:25.120 Are you not my work in the Lord? 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:29.600 He's asserting that his position, he's asserting his position as an apostle. 00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:34.879 He's saying these questions, and they can only be answered with yes. 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:37.279 There's no other answer that can be given. 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:38.800 They're completely rhetorical. 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:40.720 He's building a defense. 00:07:40.879 --> 00:07:42.720 And that's your first point if you're taking notes. 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:44.160 He's building a defense. 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:46.160 Because Paul was free. 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:52.800 Well, in the sense that, like all of us, he's under the authority of Jesus Christ, but he is free to make whatever choices he desired. 00:07:52.879 --> 00:07:53.839 He's a free man. 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:56.879 And yes, Paul was an apostle. 00:07:57.040 --> 00:08:04.319 And now, if you're not familiar with the idea of an apostle, its word means someone that's sent out from a greater authority with a great message. 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:09.120 Someone sent with a great authority, with a great message, and they go out to proclaim that. 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:13.120 The closest thing we have to that in this modern day are missionaries. 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:19.040 They're sent out with authority from their church to begin new church works with the message of the gospel. 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:20.160 They're sent out. 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:21.759 That's the idea of what a missionary is. 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:23.759 That's the idea of what the apostle is. 00:08:23.920 --> 00:08:26.240 But Paul and the other apostles are a different type. 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:31.759 I like to think of the missionaries as small A apostles, these first century apostles as capital A apostles. 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:42.399 These apostles that were sent out by Jesus, they're different because they're sent out from Christ with that message of the gospel, with the authority to begin a church movement across the world. 00:08:42.639 --> 00:08:53.919 The apostles of these capital A apostles, they had the criteria of having seen the risen Lord, which answers the third question of those questions he gave, and be commissioned by the Lord to preach the gospel. 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:59.679 They had spent time personally with the Lord, and the Lord himself had commissioned them as apostles. 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:08.159 So those initial apostles were kind of like the Old Testament prophets, including in the sense that they had authority to write scripture. 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:10.639 They had that sort of authority going on. 00:09:10.799 --> 00:09:13.039 It's why Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus. 00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:20.159 And he says, the church was built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. 00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:21.519 That's Ephesians 3.20. 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:22.879 So there it is. 00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:38.399 There's the apostles, there's the prophets, authority to produce scripture, and they have this authority, and they are the foundation, that scripture is the foundation of what would build the church, Jesus himself being the cornerstone that holds it all together. 00:09:38.799 --> 00:09:45.039 It's why Paul can say in chapter 14 of this letter, what I write to you is the Lord's command. 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:48.080 So Paul has this authority in him. 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:56.960 But maybe from ignorance or maybe from evil, but some there in Corinth, they challenged Paul's apostolic authority. 00:09:57.200 --> 00:09:59.120 They weren't sure about him. 00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:03.440 And whether they accepted or not, they were Paul's work in the Lord. 00:10:03.519 --> 00:10:05.039 That's the kind of funny part of it all. 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:06.480 They're not sure about this. 00:10:06.639 --> 00:10:09.600 So it's kind of ironic, or maybe it's comedic. 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:20.240 It's absolutely absurdity, but Paul says in verse 2, if I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you because you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:24.240 He's saying, Why are you writing me if you don't think I'm your apostle? 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:27.919 And so he's saying that it's this is the evidence. 00:10:28.159 --> 00:10:31.840 This is saying the fact that you asked me affirms my role. 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:40.720 And having established those who first received this letter that they were the very seal of his apostleship, Paul begins his defense. 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:43.200 He begins his defense in verses 3 to 6. 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:44.960 So follow along with me, please. 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:51.600 My defense to those who examine me is this don't we have the right to eat and drink? 00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:58.960 Don't we have the right to be accompanied by believing by a believing wife like the other apostles, the Lord's brothers and Cephas? 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:04.720 Or do Barnabas and I and I only have no right to refrain from work? 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:11.120 Paul's making his case that he's been denied two rights. 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:15.679 First, he and fellow apostle Barnabas had a right to eat and drink. 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:19.759 This means to be supported by the work there, the ministry going on at point. 00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:21.440 They had a right to be supported by that. 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:30.799 And they both had the right that the second right he mentioned was to bring a wife, and that he could support a wife and presumably a family by the ministry. 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:32.559 It's a reasonable right. 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:38.399 To defend that position, Paul said these two rights were exercised by these other apostles. 00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:40.960 Specifically, he mentions the brothers of Jesus. 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:42.960 We can presume that's James and Jude. 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:45.519 There may have been other brothers, but we know at least of James and Jude. 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:47.440 They wrote New Testament epistles as well. 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:49.840 But also Cephas, that's Peter. 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:55.440 Now, as Pete said, my background is church planning and training of church planters. 00:11:55.679 --> 00:12:16.240 And the basic concept in that is if you have 15 people coming together in a church, and that 15 people give generously to the Lord, then that church should be able to pay a pastor, a leader, the median wage of the community, and then still have some finances left over for other parts of ministry, including investing into missionaries and other church planters. 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:18.080 It's just a simple bit of math. 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:25.919 If people give generously, 15 should be able to support a pastor and give also to the other works going on. 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:29.039 So, Abide, I want you to know something. 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:31.039 I think it's good for you guys to know this. 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:37.360 Two years ago, we at Shoreline, and Pete sort of hinted at this, we made a bit of a sacrifice to send out Chris. 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:42.960 Pastor Chris, he was our associate pastor, he's our worship leader, and to help establish this church in Abide. 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:46.639 And we said, we're sending you to GNC, that's the great North Country up here. 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:48.159 We call you guys the Great North Country. 00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:50.000 And so we're sending you up there. 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:56.159 And what we were going to do is we were going to continue with his salary for some time, for a few months. 00:12:56.399 --> 00:13:01.840 But Chris was expecting that he was going to need to eventually find another job, a job to support the work. 00:13:02.480 --> 00:13:05.360 And he was prepared to do that as long as it was needed. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:14.080 But here's the thing: within a few months, Chris contacts me and he says, Um, Bide has realized that they really need a full-time pastor. 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:17.759 And they're willing to support me and my family in this. 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:26.000 Then he told me that the ongoing monthly support, because we were supporting not only that that salary, but a little bit more just to help out with you know what it takes to get a church off the ground. 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:28.240 And he says, Hey, we no longer need that. 00:13:28.559 --> 00:13:31.840 And that usually takes like years, right? 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:34.879 And this was, no, it's like months. 00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:39.600 So I was able to stand up in front of Sherlin and explain, hey, God's doing a great work in a body. 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:42.000 And that was true regardless, right? 00:13:42.159 --> 00:13:45.600 Uh but um we are now taking them off of financial support. 00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:47.440 And and they cheered. 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:50.320 They cheered because it wasn't about the money. 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:52.320 The money just comes, we don't have to worry about the money. 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:53.440 God supplies that. 00:13:53.679 --> 00:14:02.159 But they they were they're getting that that the church here was starting to develop and mature, and it was really a great moment for all of us. 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:09.840 Now I realize at some level I'm preaching the choir, you guys obviously get it, and you guys get to be a great illustration for me today, so that's that's wonderful. 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:14.000 But you get that a worker of the gospel deserves to be paid. 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:28.000 And when you guys start the church in King City, just saying, Okay, when that happens, somebody I I listen, I go through King City and I pray for you guys to come to church in King City. 00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:28.960 I'm just letting you know. 00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:33.120 Okay, so um that you know what it will take. 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:37.120 Because I told Chris, I told the whole crew, plant pregnant. 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:40.399 When you go to Tesla or you get pregnant quick, that this keeps happening. 00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:42.960 Yeah, I know, because I hope it's not me. 00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:50.639 But anyway, so supporting workers and their family in the gospel is something churches should do. 00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:52.320 It's what we're supposed to do. 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:54.480 But that's actually not the main point of the passage. 00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:55.600 That's just a side-back. 00:14:55.679 --> 00:14:56.799 That's something churches should do. 00:14:56.879 --> 00:14:58.000 It's not the main point. 00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:01.759 It's a practical illustration Paul was going to build on. 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:08.960 And since none of you would ever, ever, ever played poker on Christmas, I want to explain to you about it a little bit. 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:11.279 Because probably none of you ever played poker. 00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:11.679 Okay. 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:16.000 You use five cards and you build your best hand from the five cards. 00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:17.519 Now you know a little something. 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:25.200 Paul's not playing poker here, but he's going to build his defense, and he's going to give us five reasons for his defense. 00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:29.200 And he's going to give us five reasons for the rights that were deserved. 00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:31.840 And that's your second point, rights deserved. 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:32.320 Okay? 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:36.559 He began in verse 7 by asking three rapid fire questions. 00:15:36.799 --> 00:15:41.120 But notice they're not only questions, they're kind of mini illustrations. 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:45.120 He says, Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? 00:15:45.360 --> 00:15:48.240 Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? 00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:52.399 Or who shepherds a flock and does not drink the milk from the flock? 00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:57.519 Now, his first appeal is to the secular tradition. 00:15:58.159 --> 00:16:02.399 It's those who labor, they're supported by the labor. 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:09.440 So a soldier doesn't go off and fight during the day and then at night go work a night shift in the factory to support his family. 00:16:09.840 --> 00:16:14.240 He's expected to be supported by the governing forces that called him to be a soldier. 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:15.919 That's just reasonable. 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:22.480 And similarly, the vine keeper eats from the fruit of the vineyard, and the shepherd drinks from the milk of the flock. 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:23.919 I think that's reasonable. 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:25.840 That's just the secular tradition. 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:27.120 It's a legit thing. 00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:30.720 But then in verses eight to ten, he moves on to the law. 00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:33.840 So beginning with the secular tradition and then the law. 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:36.720 And by the way, the law, that's the first five books of the Bible. 00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:41.440 And he says, starting in verse 8, am I saying this from a human perspective? 00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:44.320 Doesn't the law also say the same thing? 00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:50.000 For it is written in the law of Moses, do not muzzle an ox while it treads out grain. 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:52.799 Is God really concerned about oxen? 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:55.519 Isn't he really saying it for our sake? 00:16:55.759 --> 00:16:57.679 Yes, this is written for our sake. 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:04.880 Because he who plows ought to plough in hope, and he who threshes should thresh in hope of sharing the crop. 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:07.359 So second appeal comes from that short sentence. 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:10.400 He quoted from Deuteronomy chapter 25, verse 4. 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:11.039 Short sentence. 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:14.240 It says, Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out grain. 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:15.359 It's interesting. 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:24.960 If you were to read through chapters 23, 24, and 25 of Deuteronomy, that sentence is surrounded by chapters of law on how to love image bearers of God. 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:33.039 And how to love image bearers of God, such as our neighbors, as our resident aliens that are around us, and even though those who are guilty of horrible crimes. 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:34.720 He tells us how to love them. 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:40.960 But then among all those commands to practically love people, there's a single short sentence about an ox. 00:17:41.279 --> 00:17:43.680 This animal stands out on the page. 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:46.799 Jesus didn't come to die for animals. 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:48.000 It's just clear to us. 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:49.359 He didn't come to die for animals. 00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:53.359 So we know this ox is a metaphor for those who labor in the Lord's field. 00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:59.759 The idea is that those that labor in the Lord's fields labor in hope, not in despair, and not in need. 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:12.559 He reinforces this idea with another rhetorical question in verse 11 saying, if we, that's the apostles, if we have sown spiritual things for you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:14.480 Well, the answer is no. 00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:16.079 It's not too much to ask of that. 00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:17.279 That's a normal thing. 00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:21.839 So as the ox treads out the grain, it can go on eating the grain. 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:24.000 It's eating from what's being produced. 00:18:24.160 --> 00:18:31.440 So those sowing spiritual gain, that's the gospel-centered work, those involved gospel-centered work, can eat from the gospel-centered work. 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:33.519 It'd be a normal pattern. 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:41.839 So Paul said we that his right is deserved because of the tradition, because of the law, and then in verse 12, he adds precedent. 00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:48.960 He says, if others have this right to receive benefits from you, don't we even more? 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:52.640 Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right. 00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:57.839 Instead, we endure everything so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ. 00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:11.599 Apparently, it was precedent in the church at Corinth for them to support other gospel workers, other apostles, other gospel workers, and they didn't support Paul and Barnabas, the ones that worked among them. 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:23.839 Now, I might be plowing a little bit close to my own personal row of corn on this, but if a church told me, yeah, it's our precedent, we're going to pay those other pastors, but we're not going to pay you. 00:19:24.079 --> 00:19:28.640 Um I would ask, oh Lord, are you are you moving me along? 00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:31.279 Maybe these aren't my sheep. 00:19:31.440 --> 00:19:33.519 You know, I'm not wanting here. 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:35.519 I think it might be time to move on. 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:38.319 But remember, this is not about Paul. 00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:39.920 That's that's something we have to keep in mind. 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:40.640 It's not about Paul. 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:43.680 He he's using himself as an illustration of this. 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:51.599 So in the first of what will be two times, Paul said, he and Barness Barnabas did not use this right, but they endured. 00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:53.200 Keep that in mind. 00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:55.039 They didn't use that right, but they endured. 00:19:55.200 --> 00:20:01.279 They purposely, willfully, voluntarily surrendered their right to eat meat and to be paid. 00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:03.519 They weren't forced to do that. 00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:10.720 They purposely, willfully, and voluntarily did not exercise their right to be paid or to take meat. 00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:14.160 They endured, suggesting there was a sacrifice in this. 00:20:14.640 --> 00:20:19.200 They endured so that they will not hinder the gospel of Christ. 00:20:19.839 --> 00:20:21.279 Now we're getting somewhere. 00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:26.000 So you may want to underline that because we'll come back into that point. 00:20:27.039 --> 00:20:30.559 But we're going to come back into the idea that there's sacrifice. 00:20:31.519 --> 00:20:35.440 So, tradition, law, precedent. 00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:39.519 That example, that example from the Old Testament comes in verse 13. 00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:49.279 Don't you know that those who perform the temple services eat the food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the offering of the altar? 00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:52.319 It's the example of the Old Testament priests. 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:54.880 They're supported from what's happening at the altar. 00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:58.000 So when meat was sacrificed at the altar, they could take of the meat. 00:20:58.079 --> 00:21:00.799 When other things are sacrificed at the altar, they could take from that. 00:21:01.119 --> 00:21:03.839 It's just a simple example for them. 00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:09.759 Well, Paul established these four absolutely solid reasons he had right to the financial support. 00:21:10.319 --> 00:21:13.519 But the fifth reason is sort of the closer. 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:15.680 It's sort of the haymaker punch. 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:17.599 It's arguably the greatest. 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:25.119 He says in verse 14, in the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel. 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:30.400 Now, remember, as an apostle, Paul could speak authoritatively. 00:21:30.559 --> 00:21:32.000 He could speak prophetically. 00:21:32.319 --> 00:21:34.960 He could speak with, in a sense, the authority of God. 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:38.880 But he doesn't draw from himself for this. 00:21:38.960 --> 00:21:43.359 He doesn't say this is what I say, but it's a command of the Lord Jesus, is what he says. 00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:52.400 It's an appeal that he's appealing back to when Jesus had sent out the 70, the 70 disciples, he sent them out two by two for ministry. 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:53.839 You're probably familiar with this. 00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:56.640 But they weren't to take any supplies with them. 00:21:56.799 --> 00:21:59.200 They are supposed to go out into the countryside. 00:21:59.279 --> 00:22:03.839 They were supposed To go minister, and as they're doing this, they would take nothing with them. 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:12.240 But when they went, they were to go into the home, and when they found the man of peace, and they were in that home, they were to eat whatever was supplied for them with joy. 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:19.039 In other words, their dependency would be on the Lord, and that would be seen as those around them would help them out in it. 00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:28.480 They needed to trust God for their supply through the people they ministered to, as Jesus said in Luke 10, 7, he says, For the worker is worthy of his wages. 00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:31.039 So Jesus said this. 00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:36.960 So there's tradition, there's law, there's precedent, there's the example of the Lord's command. 00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:40.960 So just think about that. 00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:43.279 That fifth one, the Lord's command. 00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:55.200 That final example, so it wouldn't be hyperbole if Paul said, listen, um, Corinth, church, it's my God-given right that you pay me. 00:22:55.359 --> 00:22:56.880 That would be a literal translation. 00:22:57.039 --> 00:22:59.279 It's my God-given right that you pay me. 00:22:59.839 --> 00:23:07.440 So this is where it would be tempting for me to be saying, listen, church, you need to defend your rights. 00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:11.359 You need your freedoms, you need your liberties. 00:23:12.160 --> 00:23:14.880 If we stopped right here, we could we could make that case. 00:23:15.119 --> 00:23:16.480 That all these are there. 00:23:16.640 --> 00:23:22.319 You need to stand up for your rights, but that would be a very wrong understanding of this passage. 00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:24.640 It'd be a really wrong understanding of this passage. 00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:26.880 And I understand, I'm very sensitive. 00:23:27.039 --> 00:23:31.920 I'm very grateful for those rights and freedoms and liberties we enjoy. 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:38.640 I'm very aware, I'm very grateful also for those who've sacrificed greatly for those rights. 00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:48.480 My friend Bill, a veteran, has laid his life on the line, and certainly there's other veterans and families of veterans among us that have done the same, and and I'm grateful for that. 00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:55.839 But as a Christian, I suggest our kingdom is not one seen by us always claiming our rights. 00:23:56.079 --> 00:23:57.920 There's a difference there, isn't there? 00:23:58.160 --> 00:24:00.319 It's right to be grateful for them. 00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:05.359 But we don't gain our rights as followers of Christ by claiming them in that way. 00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:13.839 Instead, our kingdom is one who is declared by lovingly and purposely and willfully and voluntarily sacrificing our rights, freedoms, and liberties. 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:15.440 That's upside down. 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:16.640 It is. 00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:19.759 And that's not foreign in our kingdom. 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:23.839 It's not a foreign concept in our kingdom, but it's the very nature of our king. 00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:32.480 Because here's what our king did: He emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. 00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:41.920 And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even the death on a cross. 00:24:42.559 --> 00:24:49.039 That's a poem Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, chapter 2, verses 7 and 8, if you want to go look it up. 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:59.359 It was in love that Jesus did not make use of his rights as God, but added flesh and bone to his nature. 00:24:59.920 --> 00:25:04.400 He did not make use of his right to be served, but he came and he served others. 00:25:04.799 --> 00:25:10.960 He didn't make use of his right to live, but took on death, even the death of the cross. 00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:19.119 So when we read in verse 12 that Paul did not make use of his right, we understand it was for the purpose of not hindering the gospel. 00:25:19.759 --> 00:25:24.480 To not hinder the gospel that Jesus gained for us by giving up his rights. 00:25:25.519 --> 00:25:30.079 That's why it's not wrong for us to think we may give up some rights. 00:25:30.400 --> 00:25:35.039 So as Paul's, as God's people, there are rights we deserve. 00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:42.319 But we also get, there's very, very valid Christ-like reasons to refuse your rights. 00:25:42.400 --> 00:25:46.960 And that's our final point for today that we may need to refuse rights. 00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:53.039 Paul's further reason for refusing his God-given rights is seen in verses 15 to 18. 00:25:53.519 --> 00:25:57.599 It reads, For my part, I have used none of these rights. 00:25:57.759 --> 00:26:04.319 That's for financial compensation, nor have I written these things that they may be applied in my case. 00:26:04.559 --> 00:26:09.599 For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast. 00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:15.440 For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am compelled to preach. 00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:18.400 And woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:26.400 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, I am entrusted with a commission. 00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:29.599 What then is my reward? 00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:35.839 To preach the gospel and offer it free of charge and not make full use of my rights in the gospel. 00:26:37.119 --> 00:26:39.680 Let's remember just a quick bit of context. 00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:49.119 I'm sure you've been through this, but those people in Corinth, the people in the church, they didn't come from like a generally moral society full of Christian influences. 00:26:49.279 --> 00:26:50.319 That's not what was happening. 00:26:50.960 --> 00:26:54.799 There was no Christian influence in their community until that church was there. 00:26:54.960 --> 00:26:58.400 They didn't come from a society where they had multiple Bible translations on their phone. 00:26:58.480 --> 00:27:00.240 That wasn't what was going on in Corinth. 00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:07.839 They came from a society in which discussion about eating meat sacrificed to idols was not an academic exercise. 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:09.680 That was real life for them. 00:27:09.920 --> 00:27:14.480 They came from a society where the only meat came from temple butchers. 00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:19.200 They came from a society that was based around the worship of Artemis. 00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:24.079 That's a sex-based worship system with an emphasis on temple prostitution. 00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:25.920 That was a societal norm. 00:27:26.079 --> 00:27:28.720 Those are the people that were being born again into the church. 00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:34.720 That's how money came into their system because it was that sex-based system all based around finances. 00:27:35.119 --> 00:27:38.079 Those are the people who made up the church in Corinth. 00:27:39.039 --> 00:27:41.920 That makes, guys, that makes the King City people look easy. 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:43.039 I'm just saying. 00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:52.799 You know, you tell the King City people who were planting pregnant, too, so we'll go from there. 00:27:53.279 --> 00:27:57.519 Verse 15 tells us Paul did not write all this for his case. 00:27:58.000 --> 00:27:59.279 That's not why he's doing this. 00:27:59.440 --> 00:28:00.960 He's just the illustration. 00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:02.480 It's not for his benefit. 00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:04.559 He wrote these things for a greater purpose. 00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:07.279 And one of those purposes is that he could boast. 00:28:07.519 --> 00:28:08.640 That sounds funny, right? 00:28:08.720 --> 00:28:16.000 That he could boast, but the boast was not in himself, but boast that he's not like that other religious system. 00:28:16.079 --> 00:28:18.960 That Christ is not like that other religious system. 00:28:19.440 --> 00:28:30.400 The boast was that he can minister with integrity, that he can minister without the baggage of all that financial gain by using people, by leveraging people in their bodies. 00:28:30.559 --> 00:28:39.519 His boast was that he preached the gospel of grace freely as a radical commitment to the freely received and freely given grace of Jesus Christ. 00:28:40.160 --> 00:28:49.440 His boast was Jesus was vastly different than the idolatrous and perverse methods of the local societal indigenous religious system of Artemis in the cult. 00:28:51.039 --> 00:28:57.200 To have that boast to purposely, willingly, and voluntarily separate himself from the money of the ministry, that was his boast. 00:28:57.519 --> 00:28:58.799 We're not like that. 00:28:59.119 --> 00:29:02.079 So no one could say he's doing this for the money. 00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:07.759 It's my experience, there's not a lot of money in ministry anyway, but that's besides the point. 00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:17.920 But he knew that nobody could compare what Paul was doing for Christ to any work similar to that cult. 00:29:18.079 --> 00:29:20.240