 Hey, good morning everyone welcome to a new week Hope you had a great weekend Let's begin this time with a word of prayer so any one of us can Please lead in prayer Prabhakar if you're there, can you please lead us in prayer? Let's pray. Thank you father Thank you for this gift of life that you've given us Father we pray for our guidance and blessing I commit our teacher I'll stop all into your hands Whatever is going to teach us let it be of good use to benefit us as a family I commit everybody Was not joined I pray for everyone for the internet everything will be in order The mighty name of Jesus Christ a man Amen. Amen. Thank you so much Kennedy all right, so We'll continue from where we stopped we stopped at Last week we looked at chapter seven and chapter eight The chapter eight was interesting, right? He the apostle Paul talks about food Sacrifice to idols and so he he He brings that whole chapter to a close saying yes, there is freedom for us as believers Because we know that there's only one god. We know that god is all powerful and an idol means nothing yet For the sake of my fellow brothers and sisters in christ who are probably not as Mature as the others I don't want To come to a place where because of me eating food sacrifice to idols that this fellow believer Is his faith is questioned and he decides he or she decides to You know abandon the whole faith and so paul the apostle is saying What is more important for me is not the food what is Priority is not that I have freedom and I can do what I want just because I know and I have knowledge about things But he uses that wonderful words. He says knowledge puffs up, but love edifies Right, so he brings that whole chapter to a close. He's saying If it is something that will bring A doubt of fear or bring another believer To question the faith I would not partake of it Right and again In chapter 10. He talks about food sacrifice to idols So from chapter 8, let's move to chapter 9 right and chapter 9 the apostle paul is You know, what happens is the believers start to question his authority right in a sense they The previous probably the previous letter they asked they asked apostle paul, you know Why why is why must we listen to all of this? Right. Why do we have to go through all these? You know rules and regulations and all of these things And maybe some of them questioned apostle paul in the sense that Why should we listen to him right? We have our own church. We have our own leaders You know, maybe some of them in the church in cordon haven't even met The apostle paul because after he moved on from cordon Maybe there were many believers who came into the church. So they don't know who apostle paul is They must have heard of him uh, and so here in chapter 9 the apostle paul is defending his apostle ship and As an apostle He mentions that I have certain rights and certain responsibilities and how I did not use those rights and responsibilities to my own benefit Right. So he brings this chapter. He brings this another problem or this another situation in the church in cordon and he addresses This matter right. So let's go into chapter nine. I'm sure All of us know this the the word apostle beings The greek is apostolos, which means a sent one Right now we must understand this before we get into the chapter There are three kinds of apostles Right three categories of apostles right now if you look in the book of revelations There are the 12 apostles of the lamb Right now. Nobody can add to that 12 apostles They are the 12th right then You got the second Criteria which are founding apostles Right. These are apostles who you know who are instrumental in bringing revelation who are able to start churches able to start ministries build ministries So if you look at it, the apostle paul was one of these founding apostles, right and also if you look at Peter and james. These are apostles who were able to start new work and really lead the people The congregation or the believers into christ likeness, right? So the first category is the 12 apostles and revelations. No, there's going to be only 12 Nobody can add to that. Then are the founding apostles Right like the great apostle paul peter And james who later on in acts 15 became the leader of the church in jerusalem Right and the third category Is the ministry gift of the apostle right now these are Those who we call right now who are You know going out planting ministries pioneering ministries advancing the church today right now It's interesting here when you look at the apostle paul he When he begins his defense of his apostleship He does not count, you know point to his personal encounter. He doesn't say hey, you know what I studied in All judaism studied under gemaliel and I was commander of the temple guard. I did this I did that he does not mention any of that Right. He's not does not mention, you know, I was going to Damascus and I saw the Lord Jesus right now He does not mention it Right. He does not mention the revelations that he received right Later on. I think it's in the same book Yes, it was it was 11 He says what I received from the Lord. I give unto you The night the Lord was Jesus was betrayed and so it was all received through revelation And he also talks about you know going up to the third heavens Right. So his personal revelations Or he does not talk about his missionary journeys The churches that he planted the episodes that he's written And you know, he does not do all that What does he point to in in terms of his right as an apostle? He says I am a servant of the Lord And that is the first defense of his apostleship That he say I'm servant of the Lord So all these other Criterias Personal encounters personal revelations the letters I've written the churches I've planted You know the people who listen to me You know all these things are secondary but first Defense he says I am a servant of the Lord Right, and what does he point to he points to the fruit of his ministry? I love what Jesus says he says you shall be known by your fruit And so Paul is pointing out he's saying listen the reason I am Saying this is because as an apostle You are my work in the ministry Now it's also interesting you see that Paul does not boast about what he has done Right He points to the fruit of his ministry But he's talking about his sacrifice his stewardship the challenges the self-discipline the The trials the tribulations that he went through Right. He does not say hey Church and Corinth, you know what I went in the first missionary journey before coming here Go into Galatia and you see the number of churches. I've planted there so many believers there You know so many people who have accepted the Lord and that is that's why I'm an apostle Right. He does not say that You see the humility In his defense And and he's saying see first thing is I'm a servant of Christ And the fruit of what I have done is seen If there is no fruit then I have no authority to speak over your life Right so Even as we go through this chapter We must keep our hearts open to understand That ministry Is really about serving the Lord Jesus It's not a place to boast. It's not a place where we can Take credit for ourselves It's really serving the Lord And that's where you we will see the fruit of the ministry Why did apostle paul see such a wonderful fruit his ministry because he said hey Uh, I'm branded in christ. I I I'm no longer Myself. I am I'm crucified with christ So it's not my will whatever I do. It's not about me Right. He later on he goes on to say Uh, if I live I'm going to serve the Lord if I die I'll go and be with the Lord But I do feel like dying and going and being with the Lord because it's so much more better But for the sake of the church, I am here and I will continue to serve the Lord So there was no way Of any boasting there Right. So we know the apostle paul was Uh, an established apostle, but let's see in chapter nine. How does he begin to defend his apostleship? Right. So we'll read a couple of verses and then we'll get in Let's read Chapter nine verse one to fifteen, uh, but we'll just break it down Excuse me. Sorry. Yeah So am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord and are you not my work in the Lord? Right. This is interesting. Right. Are you not My work in the Lord If I am an apostle to others. Yes, darkness. I am to you for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord Right and he's he's talking to the church. He's saying you are the seal of my apostleship My defense to those who examine me in this Do we have no right to eat and drink? Do we have no right to take along a believing wife as to do also the other apostles the brothers of the Lord and seephus Or is it only uh barnabas and I Who have no right to refrain from working now? It's interesting You see paul is adding barnabas if you see In the first missionary journey, what happens, right? They finish their first missionary journey Uh paul and barnabas have a sharp disagreement and they Part ways but here in the second missionary journey He's he's finished. He's somewhere in the middle of that journey and he's writing and he's saying He remembers barnabas and he's saying is it only barnabas and I who have no right Uh, you know to refrain from working Right because he knows that even barnabas who worked With his hands and provided for himself Right So whoever goes to war at whoever goes to war at his own expense Who plants a vineyard and does not eat his fruit or who tends to flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock Now he's saying this because he's saying Now, uh, you know, I have all of this I can ask for all of this Right. I can ask for vineyards I can ask for the to eat the fruit of my own labor. I can ask Uh, you know for the, you know, for example, you know, what he's trying to say is if I have cattle Can I not drink from my own drink the milk from my own cattle? I can Right Nobody can question that Right, so he's trying to say This work that I'm doing I'm I have a right to ask for things Because you're my seal Right. You're the work in the ministry But I don't ask for it And he goes on verse eight Do I say these things as a mere man Or does not the law say the same also for it is written in the law of moses You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads on the grain Is it the oxen god is concerned about? Or does he say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt that it is written that he who plows should Plow in hope and he who threshes in hope should be partakers Of his hope You know verse nine is very interesting. What does he say do not muzzle an ox while it treads on the grain The word muzzle means to you know, uh to cover the ox, you know, you put a covering on the on the mouth Now imagine you got for example a huge one acre of land And you have a plantation there Right, and you know, you're trying to build some crops and along the way the crops grow Now the ox is doing all the hard work Right, so it's okay if the ox eats a little bit of its grain, right some of the plants that pop up Or some of the leaves it's okay Is it wrong for the ox? It's not right. So if an owner look if I'm an owner of an ox I'll say, okay Poor ox. It's doing so much for me one acre of land Let it eat because that needs strength so that you know, I can continue the work on the fields But if I muzzle that ox if I cover its mouth in a way that it can't eat anything What's going to happen? It'll show that I am a you know rude Owner of the ox. I don't care about the ox And two it'll also show that you know, um, I'm being very I'm not emotional not I'm not caring for the ox I'm just looking at how do I gain more money? How do I gain more? You know just because that little the ox can eat And it's a powerful worse, right? How can I muzzle an ox while it's treading the grain because the ox is doing everything right worse 11 If we have spiritual things for you It is a great thing if we reap your material things If others are partakers of this right over you, are we are we not even more? Nevertheless, we have not used this right But endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of christ We do not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple and those who serve at the altar partake in the offerings of the altar Even so the lord had commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel But I have used none of these things nor have I written these things that it should be done So to me for it would be better for me to die That anyone should make my boasting void These are strong words right was 14. He says Uh, it was 30 non words. He says, you know, he's bringing out the old testament He's saying the old testament when when you bring in your offerings and you offer it to You know, you make your offerings a peace offering guilt offering sin offering whatever offering you make The priest has a right or the portion of that offering Now when we have the right to it that person the priest can either have it or not have it Right and and here he's saying how much more we Who have done this work? We have a right But we don't use that right We don't use our our, you know The things that we have done our apostleship for our own personal gain And because I don't want paul is saying we don't want our boasting of being in a possible Of a being an apostle to become empty Should never come to a place where somebody else says hey He's he's become a you know preacher or an apostle so that he gets these benefits He paul is saying if that's the reason our boasting is empty. It's wired Right, so these are strong words now. Look at what paul points out as he defends apostleship. He says You are my work on the seal of my apostleship Right So it's not like i'm somebody who just came shared the gospel and went away and you know nothing happened Look at my fruit Look at the fruit of the ministry Right that are lives changed that are churches planted You are my fruit of my apostleship Right and two he says I have not abused the power of being an apostle Now remember In the early church In jerusalem There were people who wanted to come into you know full-time ministry or join so that they get fame or You know they become powerful or they become wealthy Right there were different wrong reasons why people wanted to get into ministry So paul is defending saying i'm not coming to ministry for any Fame or any you know benefit or any freedom or any you know comfortable life right He he gives three points there. He says As an apostle I have certain rights And what are those rights? Here he says to have a believing wife yet. He chose not to have a believing wife Right why like previously he he talked about how all this you know of being single and The gift of singleness and being married. We talked about that So he says if I wanted I could have got married had children But that's going to take a lot of my time But I chose not to so that I can serve you I can do the ministry To he says I I could have said okay since I'm in full-time ministry. I don't have to work You all provide for me But he doesn't do that all through even in The final missionary journey he goes into Rome. He's staying in that rented house. What is he doing? It says there that he worked with his own hands and provided for himself Yes, I think it's in the book of acts. We'll look at it later But This was in Rome where he spent, you know, most of his time. Yeah, the last chapter of acts So let me read that so that we understand acts 28 And verse 30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house And well welcomed all who came to him Bowly and without hindrance. He preached the kingdom of God and thought about the Lord Jesus So he's saying I worked with my hands And I provided for myself Remember he says to some of the believers who are not working. He I think it's in the book of Thessalonians, he says if they're not working get them out of the church They got to be working. They got to work and provide Right, but as an apostle he he could have said hey, I'm going on these missionary journeys. I'm not able to work So you have to provide for me so that I can, you know, reach different places and Uh, but he does not use that Right. He does not use that option He continues to work as a tent maker Three he chose not to ask for material things in support while he ministered Now as an apostle he could have You know said I need this I need some clothes I need some money to take the ship to go into this place Or I need to stay in Ephesus for three years or I need to go to this city And these are the people here He does not ask at all Right The church in the church in Philippi that sent him some gifts in terms of clothing in terms of finances, but Well, what does he say? It's a sweet smelling aroma, but yet he's careful and he says It says what god has put in your heart and you have given So it's a sweet smelling aroma to god. May the lord bless you for doing it night. He does not Tell them no, no, I don't want to return it back. He didn't do all that But he see you see how well Paul handled himself as a as a apostle right And serving god, this is very important for each one of us Serving god is about serving people To see their lives transformed now It is not about Okay, I don't have to work a 95 job I don't like the it company You know, but I like to you know This being the church the whole day or I like to go out on ministry Or you know, I like when people ask me to pray These are all the wrong reasons of serving god Paul says serving god is about serving people and when we serve people it is about seeing their lives transformed Right And when you look at the church around us, I think we have lost this in many places because now Sometimes we look at okay ministry as a way of gaining wealth as a way of you know, just becoming famous Or so that people may look at us and say, oh, he's a wonderful man Or you know, he to become popular to have a good reputation Paul does not even care about all of that Right He's saying look at my the fruit of my work Right The fruit of my work is not that I chose myself. Okay. I have nothing to do. So let me go and do ministry No, he says god chose me and so I've gone out. I've started these churches started the ministry and you are the fruit Look at the results. Look at your lives being changed Right now he's saying this not so that he becomes Popular have a has a good reputation. He's saying Serving god requires sacrifice Right it requires sacrifice We willingly choose to sacrifice Willingly let go of things that we can legitimately enjoy But the question is are we willing to do this? right Now for example god has said to and maybe some of us I want you to start your own ministry or you're already pastors leading a church You have certain You know things that you can legitimately enjoy But why is it that we have to do 15 days fast 20 days for 21 days fast 40 days fasting Why is it that we have to wake up early in the mornings and Everyone are resting but we have to you know wake up and pray and seek out Everyone are you know going out and enjoying themselves, but we are You know not doing much of that, but most of our time. We are spending Visiting people praying for people Why are we doing all this? Is it so that we become famous? No Paul is saying I have the right even now if I stop the ministry If I go back to tent making Right and I'm an old man now So paul could also say I'm old. I've done one missionary journey. I think that should do I can go back work And then even if I die now, I know I'll go to heaven because I have received salvation But paul doesn't say that he says I have to serve god It's a sacrifice. I will continue to sacrifice now remember By this time the apostle paul has been bruised physically. He's been beaten with rods. He's been thrown from a cliff. He's been you know Uh beaten with uh The lashes have he has received the Jewish lashes. He is he has been spit at he's been mocked Now why should he go through all this at such an old age? Right? Probably right now he's about somewhere in his late fifties early sixties Why should he go through shipwreck and without food without water without you know, why is he doing all this? He's saying because he chose willingly to sacrifice I can go home to taasas And just relax there Just do the ministry in taasas. He says no he says no right, so paul is saying There is a necessity and a stewardship in serving god But there's a great sense of responsibility to god and his people. There's a straight sense of accountability Right, so serving god is responsibility and accountability If we have a church And for example, if there are 10 people in the church for those 10 people also we must You know Take it a great responsibility When we're ministering the word to them It's a huge responsibility And we must be accountable Right to god with the gifts and the resources that he has given us So sometimes We only look for the big right once my church becomes 500 or 1000 people Then you see i'm going to pray for five hours six hours a day for now one hour is enough No, it should be the other way around Because once your church grows 500 600 you will not have time Because you'll be busy people will keep calling you you'll have things to do in the church So when you're starting small start off with this great sense of Responsibility to god It's a responsibility to his people being accountable to god and accountable to his people And you will see the fruit of your work. You'll see the fruit that you know god will bring many lives and It's wonderful. I think the most joyful thing that a servant of god or a minister of god can see Is a person who was living in sin his life changed and transformed and living You know in holiness living In in christ that is the greatest joy as a minister of god Right so serving god is serving people by Willingly entering into their world right, so he says here was 20 and to the jews I became as a jew That I might win the jews To those who are under the law I became under the law so that I may win those who are under the law To those who are without the law As without the law not being without law toward god but under law toward christ That I might win those who are without the law To the weak I became weak to the might That I might win the weak I have become all things to all men That I might be able to save some Now I do this for the sake of the gospel So that I may be a partaker of it with you You see the apostle paul you see how humility here. He's saying so that I can be a partaker with you He doesn't say so that you can be a partaker with me Right, it's so beautiful He's saying to the jews I'll become a jew Right if the jew says, you know, I don't believe that he's a messiah. So I'll become a jew for them. I'll I'll try to You know answer them as from a jewish point of view If there's somebody who's not under who's not under the law, maybe a gentle I'll become one just so that I can see them become a believer in christ To the weak I'm not going to look down on the weak and say, okay You don't know this you don't know how to Pray you don't know about the gifts of the spirit. No To the weak I'll become weak To the poor I'll become poor to the to the intellectual. I'll be the intellectual Now you don't see paul coming to a place of oh, these are very intellectual people But to the weak I'll be weak. No To galatians he was very humble very simple he brought the gospel to them He came in weakness and meekness But when he went to Greece when he went to Corinth in a second missionary journey, we don't see any meekness there You know, they were all intellectuals. They had different kinds of understanding But you see a boldness You see that he was, you know, he reached the gospel and boldness there right, so He became what others were so that He can win them to christ right now stepping into others Life or people's world may not be comfortable There may be risks involved. There may be social taboos to break past It may require us to stretch our time our efforts our resources Here's the thing. Are we willing to do it? Well the gospel's sake So for example There's maybe some of them put it there Some somebody in your church or in your life group May just come up to you to you and say, hey, no, I've been feeling these thoughts of depression Now what must we do? We can't say depression Why do you have depression? You're a believer. No, you should not have depression go back and pray and god will help you We can't do that I need to step into their world I need to understand Why this person is going through this and the same thing with suicidal tendencies with anxiety with fear Fear of finances fear of the future, you know, I know a couple of young youth who are You know, all of a sudden there's some fear that gripped them. They're saying What is our future? What are we going to be here? And there's a fear Said everything they try to do there's a fear There's no freedom Will this work in my life? What if I'm not able to get a job? What if I'm not and they're in the early 20s Like I can't say hey grow up. Don't be like this. Go to college finish. I can't say that right I need to sympathize. I need to empathize. I need to get into their world Because they are looking at the world in a different way Now as a believer I may look into the world and say god You know the enemy may come in One way, but he will run in seven different ways when the enemy comes in like a flood The spirit of the lord will raise a standard against it. So as a believer I'm using these verses and I'm you know continuing to fight this fight of faith But maybe this person is not a believer or even he is a believer, but he's a little weak But he still has to grow. I not I should not come to a place of bringing condemnation But I should say god Helped me to get into his You know his shoes and see what he is going through and paul is saying As an apostle I know what you are going through I've seen the threats that come from every side And I feel it. I know it And and and he's trying to say that I can get into your world your your challenges But I'll do it for the sake of the gospel Right Then he goes on verse 24 Right, do you not know That those who run in a race all run But one receives the prize Run in such a way that you may obtain it now. He's Moving the attention to himself from himself and he's saying All of us have this responsibility, right? Run in such a way that you may obtain it and everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown But we are for an imperishable crown therefore Therefore I run this not with uncertainty Thus I fight not as one who beats the air But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection Lest when I have preached to others I myself Should become disqualified Now this verse is really strong The apostle is saying now as an apostle Or as a leader nobody may question us So we must be self governed as leaders Serving God requires self-discipline Self-governing empowered by the Holy Spirit We must watch over our lives and serve the Lord. So for example Okay You feel that God is calling you to become a pastor or a You know a pastor for example, right? You started your church Your serving God the church is growing Now as a leader nobody is going to come and question you right did you pray did you read your word Did you spend time in God's presence? Nobody's going to question you I'm very unlikely Right Because they look at you as a leader. Okay, this man is a pastor or he's an apostle. He's a leader in the church So nobody questioned. Did you pray? Did you fast? Did you spend time in God's word? Are you staying fresh in the word of God? Are you receiving revelation from God? Are you spending time with family? Are you looking after your finances? Are you faithful to the resources that God has given you? Nobody's going to question So Paul is saying If I keep preaching That you should do these things and if I'm Myself don't do it. I would be disqualified Right so picture this Imagine this right as a as a leader or a pastor We keep saying telling people. Okay. You read the word use the pray and you should must fast You should use God's word as a weapon. We're doing all this We're preaching it Sunday after Sunday after Sunday. We're serving God's people. But It's come a time when the more of serving personally I myself. I'm not growing I'm just come to a place where I'm just pouring out, but I'm not receiving anything So Paul is saying now if that's the case, I myself will be disqualified From what I've been preaching Right so as believers as as leaders in the church as pastors and You know anything in the five-fold ministry We must be accountable We must have self-discipline We must be self-governing be able to spend time In prayer Spend time in God's word Reading Right gaining knowledge All of this is important Right and how do we do it? We are empowered by the Holy Spirit So we must watch over our own lives Right so Some of the key lessons in this chapter One Serving God Is about serving people To see their lives transform And I urge each of you Let this be the motto Of why we do ministry It's got very little to do with You know all the other things So we must watch over our own lives When we serve God to serve People to see their lives transform if that's the main aim All the other things under that Will come in alignment to this vision right If I'm serving God and And I'm serving people just so that I can come on youtube or so that people can watch me and You know all of these things then The reason is wrong Because Paul is saying you're serving God Serving God is serving people to see their lives transform Serving God requires sacrifice Could be sacrifice of our time our resources our sleep Right There'll be times you won't feel like reading the word. There'll be times you don't feel like fasting and praying There'll be times you don't feel like you know Counseling this person you're just tired Or it involves sacrifice Serving God is stewardship. There's a responsibility. There's a countability. Say God. Thank you for the responsibility you've given me Help me to be accountable in what I'm doing And then serving God is serving people By willingly entering their world That's saying to the Jew. I'll become a Jew to the Gentile. I'll become a Gentile Right and and to the weak. I'll become weak to the intellectual I will be an intellectual Right just so that I can bring them to Christ And finally serving God requires a self-coverting ability. I cannot be a person who keeps teaching Keeps, you know preaching and doing all of this and then in the end I myself am disqualified from the price Right, so we must keep a close eye close watch on our lives many a times you know Many leaders that we see around us. Why are they falling? Why are they falling into temptation and sin and living a Sinful life. They're in ministry full-time ministry 10 years 20 years. Why is it happening? The reason is they're so Caught up with serving people serving people They've forgotten that they need to go back to God It's only once you keep we keep getting that fresh revelation is when we can give it to others Right. Otherwise, it's just It's going to be in a way that you know one day we will fall Because we have not spent time in prayer in God's word Right. So interesting very interesting chapter. Paul has you know, uh, defended the gospel And he's put out his own reasons as to why he's not, uh, you know Using his rights as an apostle, right? So any questions any questions before we go into chapter 10 Any questions? Okay. Mangi has questions What right Do an apostle have sorry man. I I saw your because I was projecting. I couldn't see the chat Okay, so Mangi asked what right Do an apostle have now? Uh, if you look at the old The new testament Paul is saying he had the right one to be married to a believing wife Right, so he could he can be married to he had the right to come to a place of saying Hey, I'm doing this ministry Can you provide for the for the for the ministry? He had the right to ask Right You you give Give for my personal needs as well because I'm going to these kind of places. So I need this help Right. So and we also see in the other He gives us reasons there in world chapter nine Uh, I think it's three odd reasons Yeah, he chose not to have a believing wife He chose not to stop working So as a minister of God, he could have kept saying, you know, I'm doing ministry So you provide for me, but he chose not to do that And then three he chose not to ask for material things Right. Now we do understand that You know, many of the places that Paul went were he went by ship or he went By walk and by road and uh, and so there were needs, right? He would have needed Material things as well and uh, he never asked for them Though as an apostle, he had the right to ask So when you translate that into the times that we're living in now, Maggie As as ministers of God sometimes and we I'm I'm sure we've seen this around people say Provide for you provide and only then we can buy this you give and only then we can buy this right so That is a wrong way to Ask for you know, giving unto God must be given, right? We do tell them, right Give as the Lord leads you God loves the church will give up, but we never say only if you give we can do this Only if you give Material leave then we can do this as a church only if you do this. No Right. So basically what Paul is saying is you all are there Believers as a church my my my resources my help comes from God God will provide for my needs Right. Uh, so that's what Paul is, you know, focusing on he's saying I can ask for all this I don't want to ask I want to do it on my own and even if I When I'm doing it on my own, I know that God will provide whatever I need Right, but then he says why is Paul quoting the law to a Gentile church? Why should the church provide for their pastor? okay, so Paul is Now this church we must understand the church in Corinth is Is not it's a Gentile church, but they have Jews also Right. Uh, there are people who are Jews Right. Remember there was the persecution that happened and so the Jews went all across into Asia Minor, right? So if you look at Galatia also Galatia is again, it is a Gentile Place but he says to them now. Why are you going back to the law? Why are you going back to circumcision? So after the roman persecution? The Jews went into different places Right. And so when they went into these different places, they settled in those places Right. So there were Predominantly it was a Gentile church Yet there were Jews who became believers and came into the church Right. So Maggie, I hope that answers your question Yes, thank you. Yes. Uh, so if you even if you look at the church in Jerusalem There were 10,000 odd people in the church Now all of them were not Jews But it was predominantly a Jewish church. Like they were all Jews Right, but there were Gentiles. There were people from other faiths as well. So it was a mixed crowd Um, so Paul is you know quoting to them as well So why should the church provide for their pastor, right? So During those times right when you look at the Old Testament God gave certain rules or certain You know Functions to leaders. So if you look at the Old Testament, the high priest and the priest What they had to do was they had to only sit and you know, read from God's word prepare themselves Be able to you know, do the sacrifices and they they had the authority or they had the right to use what you know portions of the offering portions of the The sacrifices for their own personal need Right. God Allowed it because they're always doing this. They're not they've dedicated themselves to God Now over time what has happened is it became a norm You have to give But because God told In the Old Testament I got told Moses and the people of Israel you have to provide for the you have to be there for your high priest as a And they they have the right to Use portions of the sacrifice Because they're called of God Right. So that that right that feeling of okay I it's my right to have it continued on and on and on So when it came to the time of the New Testament that same picture was still going on and I think I believe that we must provide To the church right God has said give unto the Lord. So that is good But out of our own if we feel led To provide to a leader or a pastor we can do that right there's nothing wrong And when we do that we're doing it in in a way that is pleasing to God right So it's not that the church has to provide if you don't provide, you know, you'll You have not obeyed the you know, God was not pleased with you. No, right? You give unto the church right and as And as a pastor if you're in the if you're a Salaryed in the church you will get your portion and You know, that's your income for the month But here's important thing We must we must give unto the Lord When we give even if you're giving it to a believer in the church You know, the Lord Jesus says it's a wonderfully. He says let not your right hand know left hand know what your right hand is doing Right meaning do it in a quiet way Because the Lord will see your reward and bless you So it's good to provide for fellow believers for leaders for your pastors in the church But it should not be out of compulsion or force What a pastor or a leader cannot say you have to give Right You have to give to me then only you'll be blessed. That will be completely wrong Right, it's God said you give to the church give to his kingdom And then as a believer we choose to bless others. It's going to be a blessing to us as well Right, so we'll take a break. We'll come back in 10 minutes 10 o'clock and we'll start with chapter 10 Thank you