We are continuing our series Growing in Grace, working our way passage by passage through the letter of 1 Corinthians. We ask God to teach us through His holy word how we are to live this life to which He calls us. This letter is the word of God, delivered through the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth and to us.

Today we pick up in chapter 9. If you have your Bible, please turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 9. If you are using the blue pew Bible, we provide it is on page xxxxxx. If you do not own a Bible or have need of one, please take that one with you as our gift to you.

In the last chapter we learned that a proper understanding of doctrine leads to freedom, but freedom bound to the love of God and others. The Christian life is therefore not about following rules and laws and yet results in goodness, kindness, and patience because it is motivated by love. As we head into chapter 9, Paul continues to address the relationship between liberty and love and rights and freedom.

What we learn from the passage this morning is that Mature believers make the Gospel a priority when making decisions. That is the main point of the message this morning. Mature believers make the Gospel a priority when making decisions.

Remember at the end of the last chapter Paul gave an example of what this looks like when he says, “¹³ Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”

Now in chapter 9 he is going to continue to show how he modeled this in his own life and ministry. I am sure we have all had people in authority over us, whether it was parents, teachers, bosses, or others who would hold us to a standard that they did not live up to. We have all heard, “do as I say not as I do”.

Paul is not that kind of teacher. We know that Paul is not perfect and only Jesus models love perfectly but I think it is also important to know that by the grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that sinners like us can also mature to live in a way that allows Christ to be seen in us. Paul is going to show us that by the power of the Holy Spirit it is possible to live the life he preaches about.  

Like us, Paul was a sinner saved by grace. In fact, he was a persecutor of the church and called himself the chief of sinners. But Paul’s life is also an illustration of the power of the Gospel. So much so, that Paul can honestly say that if we follow his example, it will help us follow Christ. That is what every believer should desire to be able to say.

Paul begins by reminding them of his authority. He wants it to be very clear that he has certain rights that he could insist upon if he wanted to. Verse 1,

9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? ² If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

Paul has liberty, he has the freedom that every believer has. More than that, he is an apostle of the Lord. If anyone has a claim that others should defer to them it is Paul. Others claimed to be apostles, but Paul was made an apostle not by men, but by meeting the risen Christ and being called and instructed by directly by Jesus Himself.

And if there were any remaining questions about his credentials, he points out that at least the Corinthians should recognize his authority since he started the church there. The existence of the church in Corinth was the proof that God’s hand was on his ministry. The Corinthians themselves were the seal and evidence of his apostleship. Paul doesn’t need to defend or explain his authority. His entire argument here assumes that his apostleship is obvious.

In verse 3 he shows conclusively that he is entitled to certain benefits based upon the regular practice of the churches and even the common customs outside of the church. Verse 3,

³ This is my defense to those who would examine me. ⁴ Do we not have the right to eat and drink? ⁵ Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? ⁶ Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?  ⁷ Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?

He reminds them that the churches provide for the needs of the other apostles, including Peter, and other ministers such as the brothers of Jesus. Not only do apostles and ministers have the right to receive support but notice that even their wives who travel with them are also taken care of. Certainly, as a fellow apostle he has the same rights among the churches as the other apostles do.

He then shifts from the specific practice of the churches to show that even the general practices of the world show that he has a right to derive some benefit from them. He says, who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?

A man who is willing to serve as a solider doesn’t expect to have to fight and pay for the ammunition. Nobody would question the right of a farmer or vintner who cares for and cultivates the harvest to eat some of the fruit. Nobody would question the right of a dairy farmer to keep some of the milk for themselves. He is showing that it is obvious even in light of common sense that a person is entitled to a reward based upon their labor.

As if it isn’t clear enough, he then goes on to show that not only is this an accepted cultural practice, but it is a biblical principal as well. He says,

⁸ Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? ⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? ¹⁰ Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop.

He points out there is a principal embedded in the law that those who labor should not be deprived a share in the fruit of that labor. If the farmer and even the animals that do the work have a right to receive a benefit from such routine physical work how much more is owed to Paul and Barnabas for work that produces eternal spiritual fruit? Look at verse 11,

 ¹¹ If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? ¹² If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?

Paul establishes without any doubt that he has a right to receive support from those to whom he ministers. His work is of so much more value than so many of the other things they pay for without even giving a second thought that there is no question he has a right to receive their support.

But then he says,

Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

Similar to the way an accomplished lawyer might donate time to help a defendant who cannot afford them, or a celebrity or athlete who donates time to help with a fundraiser or coaching event, Paul uses his gifts to support the cause without compensation. After making an ironclad case that he has the right to be compensated he reminds them that he has never sought it.

He explains that he and Barnabas were willing to put up with anything so that there would be no obstacle in the way of the Gospel. He gave up his right so that others could benefit. He was not obligated to make that kind of sacrifice. In fact, it would be far more normal for him to have insisted on it. Listen to what he says next,

 ¹³ Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? ¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

The Jewish priests and those who served at the temple were supported by partaking of the sacrifice offerings that were bought. In the same way the ministers of the Gospel are to be supported by the offerings brought by believers. In Luke 10:4-7 when Jesus sends out the disciples, he tells them,

⁴ Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. ⁵ Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ ⁶ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. ⁷ And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house.

I can imagine Paul’s argument sinking in and some of the people in Corinth at this point starting to feel uncomfortable and thinking about how they could do something for Paul and Barnabas.

Churches have a responsibility to support those who minister to them. If we value those who labor in the word and shepherd us in the way, we should support those men in such a way that they do not need to be worried about their basic needs. I am not saying they should have airplanes and mansions as some of the false teachers claim, but they should be able to live in the communities they serve in a way that allows them to focus on the work of the Lord. A congregation should value spiritual things enough to support its ministers.

Paul had every right to receive support from them, but he never made use of that right and the reason is very interesting. Listen to what he says,

¹⁵ But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. ¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷ For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.

He is very clear that he isn’t telling them this to get something from them. He says, in fact, I am blessed in that I have not taken from you what I am entitled to. In verse 16 he explains that since he has been called by God to preach the Gospel he must do so. He says “necessity” is laid upon him and a curse is upon him if he doesn’t.

If Paul desired to preach, that would be commendable, but even if he does not desire to do it, he has been called to do it and so it is his responsibility as an apostle. He says this to show that although he is entitled to compensation, this was never the motivation for his preaching. For Paul, preaching itself would not be worthy of a reward since he was going to preach anyhow. If he preached and they paid him everyone would have simply done what they were supposed to do. Apparently, there are no participation trophies for apostles!

But look at what he says in verse 18,

¹⁸ What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

Paul’s reward was that he could preach the Gospel without being a burden on anyone. Even though they owed him support, he worked to provide for his own needs so he could be a blessing to them. His reward is acquired by giving them a gift. He works to meet his own needs so that he can donate his own ministry to them. 

He could have rested more, studied more, and even preached more but instead he was doing the difficult sweaty work of making tents so he could preach the Gospel free of charge. Rather than insist upon what he was owed, he humbled himself so he could serve them better. What Paul gets is the opportunity to be more like Jesus and for his life to reflect that of his savior.

Mark 10:42–45 says,

⁴² And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ⁴³ But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Paul’s love for the Kingdom and his confidence in the power of the Gospel led him to put the Gospel ahead of his own earthly self-interest. That is our main point, Mature believers make the Gospel a priority when making decisions.

Paul finds joy in serving the kingdom. It is a blessing to him to offer up the gift of his own ministry rather than use it to pursue personal gain, even if the compensation is due to him. Back in verse 15 he says, “For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting” What is it that he boasts in? His boast is nothing more than the work of Christ through him and this is precious to him.

You may notice that I rarely talk about my own life in my sermons. I don’t like doing that but I want to share something with you because this passage is personally important to me as your pastor and I know something of the joy that Paul is expressing here and how it is connected to the love he has for these believers.

I know that I am nowhere remotely close to the apostle Paul in any way. Not in terms of faith, gifts, maturity, preaching, the sacrifices he made for the kingdom or anything else, but I think I understand, at least in some small part, the strong feeling Paul has about this. My ministry for many years was to serve at small churches that needed help but were limited in their ability to pay for staff. That is why our family first came to Grace Bible to help pastor Bill. The Lord has allowed me to serve smaller churches in several ways without being a burden on them.

That journey led me back here where I have the tremendous joy to serve you as the senior pastor. Now, to be a healthy church, this congregation needs to be able to support its ministers. I pray the Lord continues to grow this church and those whom he lifts up to shepherd here have a right to be supported by those that they serve with the Gospel.

But I rejoice that the Lord has provided so that I can preach and pastor here without being burden on you. I am here because I love you in Christ and I want to see every single one of you grow in the faith and be transformed more and more into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Like Paul, it is my reward to forfeit the benefits I should have as a pastor to serve you.

When I ask you to work hard for the Kingdom and to serve each other with love, know that by God’s grace I try to be an example for you. When I encourage you to give so that the Kingdom work can expand, this is entirely for your own growth and blessing as I derive no financial benefit from your giving. The apostle Paul is a far better example than I will ever be, and Jesus is a far better example than Paul will ever be. Even so, I hope you will see that as weak and inconsistent as I am, it is my prayer that everything in this ministry would point to Jesus Christ with as few obstacles as possible. It is my joy to make tents so to speak so that I can give to you as a gift whatever blessing the Lord sees fit to bring through my ministry.

What a joy it is for all of us to live to worship Jesus and point others to him. Think of what God has done in Jesus. We were all created to glorify God with every aspect of our lives. God shaped us and molded us and breathed life into us so that we would bear His image, worship Him, and enjoy Him in perfect fellowship. But sin separates us from God and every one of us is a sinner.

Sin is a rejection of God as lord and king. It is a rejection of God as loving Father. It is the desire to place ourselves rather than him at the center of the world. It is a desire to enjoy the things the Father created without using them to glorify and express love for Him. Each of us is born with a sinful nature that pulls us away from God and toward ourselves.

The problem with that is that God is the source of all goodness and life in the universe. When we sin, we not only separate ourselves from a relationship with God, but we are actively participating in the corruption of the good universe He created to display His glory. Our sinfulness is an attack on the purpose for which the universe was created and diminishes the ultimate joy of our fellow creatures.

The only reason we have not already stood before Him in judgment is because God is gracious and longsuffering. One day, however, every one of us will stand before Him. God is righteous and perfect in His judgments and so if we die in our sins we will be cast out of His loving presence for eternity. We will be punished.

But God is also loving and has provided a solution. That solution is the very Gospel that Paul places of primary importance in his life. It is this, God demonstrated His love by sending His son Jesus. Jesus lived the perfect life we were created to live. Then He offered Himself, who had no sin, as a sacrifice for the sins of all those would put their faith in Him. He paid the price for sin. He was crucified, suffered, and died just as the Old Testament predicted. Then three days later He rose again proving that the work was finished, and the price was paid.

If we put our faith in Him and Him alone as our substitute, we can receive forgiveness and new life. We can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to enable us to grow in love and repentance. We can be transformed from children of wrath to children of God. If you have not yet accepted Jesus, I urge you to come to Him now. If you come in faith, He will not disappoint you.

This Gospel is so important and so powerful that Paul prioritized everything in His life around it. He knew that souls were more valuable than any benefit he could get in this world, and he knew that the Gospel was the only hope for the salvation of souls. This is why back in verse 12 he says,

we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

Let’s think about what he is saying here. Paul and Barnabas are willing to endure anything rather than hinder the Gospel. We saw several weeks ago that Gospel is offensive to worldly thinking and that God must do a work in the heart of the sinner if there is any hope of them coming to Christ. So, what kind of obstacle is Paul talking about?

He is talking about things that make it more difficult for someone to hear the Gospel. He is talking about putting up with anything so he can have the opportunity to share the truth of the Gospel. I ask this morning, what are we willing to endure to that end? What are we willing to put up with so that we do not create unnecessary obstacles to the Gospel?

By unnecessary obstacles I do not mean modification of the message of the Gospel or the holiness of God. What I am asking is what personal rights and comforts are we willing to yield so that if the sharing of the Gospel causes offense, the offense comes from the gospel itself and not from us.

Are we willing to set aside our preferences to reach others? Are we willing to take time away from our hobbies and entertainment to intentionally develop relationships with people so we can communicate with them as people rather than projects? Are we willing to endure being less partisan in our politics so that we do not create an obstacle for someone on the other side hearing the Gospel from us? Are we willing to invest less in our own comfort so that we can invest in ministry so others can hear about Jesus? Are we willing to adapt to contexts that might make uncomfortable for the sake of the Gospel?

This is something the word of God calls us to think about. If you are here today or watching this sermon God’s kingdom probably plays some role in your life or you are thinking about such things. Let me ask you, can you think of anything you are willing to endure to remove an obstacle from others hearing the Gospel?

To endure means it costs us something. It means that our love for the kingdom compels us to press forward through something that is uncomfortable or costly for us because the kingdom is a bigger priority to us than our own comfort or self-interest. Mature believers make the Gospel a priority when making decisions. Is that the kind of faith we are praying for? Is that the kind of love for Christ and His kingdom we desire?

In Matthew 6:33 Jesus instructs us and comforts us regarding the things we might give up serving Him. He says, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these [other] things will be added to you.”

Amen.