 Good evening everybody Hopefully this won't be a long video. I just want to Discuss what I had mentioned on an earlier Facebook post that I made regarding Pastor anniversary past the celebrations and and what is the biblical support behind it now? On the lowest day in particular On the lowest day in particular I believe that The Bible says there's a time place for everything Please ask each other three But I do believe that when we gather for the Lord's day that is supposed to be for the Lord's day To to worship the Lord not to recognize or to quote-unquote honor or celebrate or have a week A month-long quote-unquote anniversary slash celebration when we supposed to be gathering for the Lord and worshiping Let's go on brother will so I want to read a few verses description and you know, we can have a conversation about this and you know, I guess I swung at the hornet's nest or touched the sacred calf again But I'm here to to challenge the body Christ and also, you know myself I believe that if we're not careful We will Always make excuses for things that we idolize and we sometimes don't even know that we that we idolize or You know find ourselves Adulting people in this in this sense and in this context. So let me say this on the outset as a pastor myself I don't seek when I was preaching and pastoring my own church at the time I didn't seek to have a pastor's anniversary. I did not seek to have a Sunday set aside for our local fellowship to to quote-unquote show their appreciation or to thank me for the years of ministry that I did in fact That's what I'm supposed to do, you know And I want to set a few examples here and hopefully you guys will hear the Spirit behind what I'm saying here on tonight and please share this video as well. I believe this is a topic that we need to address as Christians in the body of Christ and to challenge and to you know, check our own hearts in this matter But we have past or anniversary. We have past the celebration. We have first lady celebration We have all these different celebrations and things on the Lord's Day When we're supposed to gather to worship God, we're supposed to We're supposed to come together as a local body to do the following things now I want to read some text and you show me in Scripture Where is the biblical support for past or anniversaries past or celebration? I don't care how you call it Because if you if you carry it to his logical conclusion We can have a day for everything on the Lord's Day. We can have parents day We're to get people, you know with mother's day and father's day and and I'm saying if that's the case then why don't we just set aside a day to basically, you know, honor parents honor mothers and fathers. I'm talking about give them money You know, let's have it if we're gonna do it for pastors Then let's let's do it for the parents who birthed these pastors So we don't want to talk about that I'm saying when we when we press these things and push it and press it to his logical conclusion We open up a door to all kinds of quote-unquote celebrations and Appreciations, this is not to say we're not to appreciate those who labor in the word and doctrine If you've been following me if you've been seeing what I post and what I preach and what I talk about You know that we are to appreciate those who labor in the word and doctrine But why does it have to be on the Lord's Day? That's my point and and not only on the Lord's Day. Why does it have to be for an entire week or weeks? You know, I Was watching earlier this morning. I saw Terry Anderson if you know Terry Anderson is here in Houston He's celebrating his 40th year of pastoral ministry or whatever like that and and he and they're making a big hoopla over that Ralph West same thing 30 years and They're celebrating his you know the church is celebrating his Anniversary and the church's anniversary and they having a month-long celebration and I'm saying So then why don't we do this for parents? You know in May? Let's have a month-long Mother's Day celebration and pay these mothers money Give them money Let's do it for fathers that God knows fathers are being neglected and being disregarded and being ignored Let's do it for them as well, too Let's do it for grandparents. They let's do it for children's day. Let's do it for your pet day Mr.. This is this is have a day every day anything we can think of let's make a day for it and Let's do it on the Lord's Day. Oh, no, brother Because you know if that's the case and that's that's gonna take away take away from what? Take away from the word take away from the glory of God being seen exactly Acts chapter 2 verse 40 Verse 42 and again, I'm just wondering I'm just want to read these texts and I'm gonna get out of your hair No pun intended, but I want to read these texts get out of your hair get out of your way and challenge you Challenge you for those who support Celebrating passes and inversions and again, I'm not here to attack But I'm saying what's the purpose of doing it on the Lord's Day? What's the what's the purpose of having these things done when we're together as a People to do the following things in Acts chapter 2 verse 42 and they that is the church and they Were continually devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching and to fellowship to the breaking of bread and to prayer You see the elements you see these these components that That loop records in a book of Acts he said when the church gathered together They devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching Don't be preaching to fellowship to the breaking of bread and to prayer So we have preaching partnership or fellowship prayer Breaking your brain we have all these components. I'm saying this is what the church is supposed to be doing You don't see the Apostles having an Apostles anniversary You don't see the the Apostles you don't see Peter you don't see James You don't see Paul you don't see any of these Apostles, you know Looking for the church to celebrate them No, I don't oppose honoring passes and I'm and so let me just read these texts Let me just read these text what I oppose is the adulation is the is the fanfare of These things when we gather together we were we're making the pastor the focus instead of Instead of the one who enlisted the pastor into their local church So actually to verse 42 just read that then in actual to 20 verse verse 33 and 34 this is Paul talking to the Ephesian elders and Ephesus and he says Verse 33 I have coveted no one silver or gold or clothes you yourselves know that these hands minister to my own needs And to the men who were with me So notice what Paul says he said listen, I never I didn't come after your money I didn't I didn't go after being lauded and celebrated and quote-unquote appreciated. I didn't I didn't you know Want to have my own day or anything like that and in fact Remember There was a passage of scripture And I'll just read this this is this is something I just thought about and act shut the 14. Okay, and act shut the 14 verse 8 It says in the literature at a literature there was sitting a certain man without strength in his feet Name from his mother's womb who had never walked this man was listening to Paul as he spoke and when he had fixed his gaze upon Him and has seen that he had the faith to be made well Say it with a loud voice stand up right on your feet and he leaped up He began to walk and when the multitude saw that when what Paul had done They raised their voice saying in the Lyconian language The gods have come have become like men and have come down to us And they began calling Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes Because he was the chief speaker and the priests of Zeus whose temple was just outside the city brought oxen and garlands to the gates And wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds now I know some of y'all say well, we're not doing all that we're not doing on that look at the spirit behind What these people were doing and these people are pagans? Okay So they're they're they're they should they should do do this by nature. That's because they're pagans They don't know they're living in true God But they wanted to show their appreciation Because of what Paul and and Barnabas did but primarily Paul but notice Verse 14 says but when the Apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it They tore their robes and rushed out onto the crowds crying out and saying men Why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you and preach the gospel to you and order that you should turn from these vain things To a living God who made the sea heaven and made the heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them And in the generations he had In the generations gone by he permitted all the nations to go their own ways and yet did not leave himself without witness And that he did good and gave you range from heaven and fruit for season satisfying your hearts with food and gladness And even saying these things they would difficulty to restrain the crowds from offering sacrifice From offering sacrifice to them. They didn't want it. They told their robes saying man, don't do this We're just like you. We're men like you. We listen all we are a Bond slaves. We're here to preach the gospel to you So I'm just asking and so far what I've read. What do we see and what do we have biblical support of Having pastoral appreciation pastoral celebrations on the lowest day now This is not to say again that you cannot appreciate a show tangible love to your past But I'm gonna give you practical ways on how that should be done biblically Biblically if you do it biblically then there's no reason for a quote-unquote pastoral anniversary pastoral celebration on the lowest day Because you're already you're already celebrating. You're already thanking God for the man of God when he Labors in the word and doctrine you show your love you show your support by how you take care of the pastor I'll discuss that in a minute first Corinthians chapter 9 verse 1 through 14 And I gotta hurt them to get a body here cuz I got some things are gonna take care of you but I wanted to read this is just on my heart y'all and so This is not to offend but at the same time I'm going to say what I need to be what needs to be said First Corinthians chapter 9 verse 1 it says am I not free this is Paul He's he's he's responding to those who are questioning his apostleship saying he's a false teacher saying he's in for the money And Paul is now right into the Corinthian church showing them Hey, listen if anybody should know me you should know me So the verse one he says am I not free am I not an apostle have I not seen Jesus our Lord Are you not my work in the Lord if if if to august am I not an apostle at least I am to you For you are my CEO you to see the my apostleship in the Lord My defense to those who examine me is this do we not have a right to eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along the believing wife even as the rest of the apostles and brothers of the Lord and Cephas but do not or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense Paul is building his case. He's building his case That they should they should be supporting Paul They should be financially Supporting Paul in his endeavors and in his efforts in preaching the gospel but notice what he says He says who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it or tends to flock and does not use the milk of the flock He says I'm speaking these things according to human judgment. Am I? He says I'm not rather speaking these things in accordance to human judgment Am I or does not the law also say these things for it is written in the law of Moses You shall not muzzle the ox while it is thrashing in other words You are another picture while the ox is is thrashing the ground. He's gonna be eating as he's working He's giving the picture To support his point He says or is he speaking altogether for no excuse me says for this written in the law of motion Not muzzle the ox while it is thrashing God's not concerned about oxen is he or is he speaking altogether for our sake? Yes for our sake it was written because the plowmen are to plow and hope and The thresher to threshing hope of sharing the crops if we sow spiritual things in you Is it too much if we should reap material things from you? So I hope you hear what Paul is saying. That's exactly what I'm saying. I'm not saying that we should not Financially take care of those who preach and teach the word of God It is hard work to do that But what I am against and what I believe scriptures against is these man-made Celebration that go on in the house of God and we want to spiritualize it and for us as black folks We overdo it when we with what some people do in moderation. We do in excess we go over the top with it from from pastors having their own parking spot to to having their own seat on the on the on the Podium or whatever the case might be and I'm saying it just draws attention and it has a sense of hierarchy That's that's not necessary in in God's church. So here my heart on that. I'm not I'm not attacking I'm just making a statement Regarding my earlier post this morning and trying to elucidate it by providing exegetical text and Letting the scriptures say what it says and then the burden of proof has to be on those who basically say well, you know Something wrong what we could do. Okay, so if we do it for pastors, then we should be able to do for parents We should do it for grandparents. We should do it for pets. We should do it for kids We should do for everybody let everybody have a day on the Lord's day and we just celebrate them and And honor them like we honor the court of capacity with a pastor different from people in one way Other than the fact that he is tasked with preaching and teaching the word of God. What do we find the biblical support? I'm talking about book chapter verse that Substantiates such activities going on on the Lord's day keyword Lord's day My wife's birthday is is on the 22nd and of this month And it's her birthday right I'm pretty sure my wife would not be happy with me if I decided to take her Out for her birthday what I'm going to be doing earlier this week because we know things give us on thursday And so it's gonna be very hard for me to try to you know, take her out on wednesday Because I know she's gonna be gonna be cooking and all that good stuff. Um, but How how do you think my wife would feel if I on her day the day that I recognize my family recognizes The day that the Lord allowed her to come into this earth And and she gets dressed up and she gets ready to to go out and and I take her out But I I don't I don't recognize her. I recognize somebody else The focus and the attention is on someone else. It's not on My wife whose birthday I am I have set aside quote unquote to To give honor to give appreciation to Are y'all following my point? That's what we do when we have these celebrations on the Lord's day We can try to we can try to spiritualize it. We can try to make it seem as if we are Doing it as unto the Lord, but it causes confusion. It creates Idolatry and pride and if you're disagreeing with that then you're not being you're not being honest Because you know in the black church, this is what goes on and it's planned in advance You have churches that have these auxiliaries have the usher board the deacon board this board that board school board skateboard all kind of boards that they are Going to these these leaders in these in these boards and saying Y'all know the past is anniversary is coming up and we know, you know, we we decided we're going to give This amount of money to to the pastor as if The pastor does not already have money Now again, I'm not saying I am not saying that we should not tangibly support our pastors those who labor in the word of doctrine what I am saying is this stuff that what we see going on With these weeks and months long quote unquote celebration that particularly happened on the Lord's day Or I'm going further than that. I go further than that when the church gathers Let me just let me just hit it where it hurts when the church gathers. We're to worship God period period When when you and I come together whether it's on a sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday if whether whatever day it is If we come together as a local body We are coming together to worship God not to worship and quote unquote honor man So let me even expand and broaden that earlier post and if you have an issue with it that you have an issue with the text Because the early church met daily So We as believers when we come together And we come together we're supposed to be doing what acts 242 says We're supposed to be devoting ourselves to the apostles doctrine to fellowship To prayer to break and embrace April my message right now. I'm my message right now. Um, so when the church comes together for worship, okay We better be having these elements in place because if we are setting aside A time to honor quote unquote man When we're supposed to be honoring God and i'm not saying we're not to appreciate you can do that But setting aside a day and all this other kind of stuff. No, we don't we don't see that in the scripture. So Paul says in in first Corinthians 9 to where he says if others share the right over you do we not more Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things that we may cause no hindrance to the gospel of christ Do you know or do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple and those who attend regularly To the altar have this share with the altar notice Paul doesn't mention anything about the priests having a special day set aside for them when they were offering and receiving sacrifices and placing sacrifices in the temple You don't see any mention of that He says verse 14 so also the lord directed this this is a command The lord Directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. So If pastors are pro proclaiming the gospel, they should be receiving provision From the people of god for preaching the gospel. Is that pretty clear? Whoever's preaching and teaching the gospel preaching and teaching the word of god in your local church They should be provided by the local church for the work of preaching and teaching the word of god Is right there in the text can't argue with that if you're arguing with that you're arguing with truth First Corinthians chapter 16 verses 1 and 2 the text says now concerning the collections for the saints as I directed the churches of Galatia So do you also on the first day of every week? That's the lord's day We know the first day of the week is when the church gathers together. That's sunday. That's the lord's day He says Let each of you put aside and save as he may prosper that no collection be made when I come And this is in the context of taking care of others in need He said we gather together our given should be it should have we should be proportionate it should be in in a pattern Of giving we should have that pattern of giving it should be in proportion and it should be planned On the first day of the week, you know sunday morning comes And you have money that god has blessed you with we should give in proportion to what god has blessed us with no mention here No mention in the text of the being pastor or anniversary pastoral Celebration first Timothy. Oh, excuse me first. That's the only is five 12 and 13 He says first that's lunch at the five verse 12 and 13 But we request of you brethren that you appreciate That you will appreciate that you respect those who diligently labor among you local church And have charge over you and the lord and give you instruction and that you esteem them very highly for Very highly in the in love because of their work Living peace with one another notice. So we're to we're to appreciate We're to also remunerate our pastors those who are Elders and teachers that labor in the wording of god over us We're to take care of the people of god There's nothing more worse than you have people that know that your pastor is struggling and they do nothing to take care Of the pastor as if the pastor doesn't have any bills as if the pastor doesn't have you know The same expenses that you have it's a very sad thing because you have two extremes here You have one extreme where people go overboard And and and give these people In excess of what they've already received they're not hurting for anything and then you have pastors who are struggling Passes who are trying to make ends meet and the people of that they are that they are ministering and serving to know this But they don't care That's the other extreme because oh well We don't we don't want the pastor to be you know to think that you know that you know I want to think there's an issue to get it in for the money It shouldn't that should be no that should not be your concern Your concern should be if god has placed you placed in a local fellowship And that man of god knows what i'm saying man of god. I don't want That man of god has been given to you as a gift by god to labor in the word of doctrine Your responsibility and obligation is to financially take care of those undersuppers They have families. They have responsibilities. They have bills and and if they are preaching and teaching the word of god One of the ways you show your love Is by taking care of the needs notice not greed's the needs of your pastors In any way you can But to set aside a day and also the kind of I just don't see that in the text I don't see that in the word of god I think we need to guard ourselves from these these practices that we have made traditions and have made these traditions truth So another text in first timothy chapter chapter six versus Oh, no first Timothy chapter five, excuse me verse 17 let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor. We know that is money you pay them you take care of them And I don't think that that's the same thing a pastor and a verses not different than well It is because because we don't see that in scripture, you know dana and and I think I understand what you're saying but I I think we need to be careful with that because As a pastor and as an undershipper We don't we don't seek to be recognized It should already come with the responsibility from those who recognize the gift that god has given to them And it should not be a day that they set aside and and I asked this question earlier Who are the ones that are making these decisions for pastors to have these types of celebrations? On the lowest day or when the church gathers to worship god All right, they need to have biblical support for that Because if we have a pastors anniversary then we need to have Again anniversaries for everything any idea that somebody brings down the pipe Then might as well do it because if not then that's favoritism That's favoritism And we don't think like that Oh, that's a pastor. We're supposed to appreciate. We're supposed to appreciate everybody but At the same time we are to show our appreciation for those who labor in the word of doctrine But that doesn't mean that we set aside days for them when the church comes together That's what I am talking about. That's what I see that goes beyond what is written But the bible says let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor Especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching for the scripture says You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing So, you know what paul does paul goes right back to what he had mentioned in first Timothy is nine verse nine You don't muzzle the ox while it is threshing. You don't starve the worker Um First Timothy chapter six verse six But godliness actually is a means a great gain when accompanied by contentment For we have brought nothing into the world so we cannot take anything out of it either And if we have food and clothing and clothing covering with these we shall be content But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires Which plunge men into ruin and destruction for the love of money not money in itself, but the love of money Is a root of all sorts of evil and somebody longing for it have wandered away from the faith and have pierced themselves with many a pang Now again, it is dangerous And I'm not I'm not calling any anybody that that is doing this, you know Pimps and anything like that. It is a money gain for a lot of these preachers. It really is um Because how these things go on Who do you think is getting this money? It is not it's not those who are uh less fortunate And if the pastor's already making a six-figure salary or doing well Then then what's the purpose behind all this stuff? And then if it's not about money the bottom line is it can it can fee and infest the pride And we need to guard ourselves uh from that He reached out to 13 verse 5 I believe this is the last one I read here. Let your character be free from the love of money being content with what you have Again, let your character be free from the love of money being content with what you have for he himself has said I will never leave you Nor I ever will forsake you. So I'm bringing these things up to ask the question What do we get this pastor's anniversary past the celebration on the law's day? And When the church comes together I don't see that in the word of God and if we're honest with each other, you don't see that in there too But we need to we need to be honest with ourselves and say we we succumb to tradition more than we succumb to the truth Now let's just be honest. Let's just say, you know what? Yeah, you know, I just We've always done it this way Well, let's just change that Let's let's do what the bible says My brother asked me earlier on my facebook thread Uh, uh, how do you how do you you know? Is there a way to to celebrate or appreciate a pastor in the christ honoring way? I just read it but for the sake of for the sake of reiteration, I'll read it again So everyone can hear what I'm saying. How do you Appreciate your pastor? How do you show appreciation to your pastor in the christ honoring way? first timothy chapter five verse 17 and 18 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor Especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching For here's the reason why? The scripture says you shall not muzzle the ox while he is Threshing and the laborer is worthy of his wages if you take care of the pastor by Making sure that he is financially cared for and financially supported By the best of your ability You don't need to have a quote-unquote pastoral anniversary pastoral celebration There's no need for it There's no need for it Now it's one thing saying, you know, you know, we praise god for our past We praise god for the you know for the work that he is doing and we we really thank god for him and and you know and you Give him something, you know, uh and appreciation for that It's no different than a happy birthday, but when people have happy birthdays and when people have birthdays Do we do we find churches? Do we see churches setting aside having all this stuff going for everybody's birthday? So why are we doing it for the pastor? What makes him Special what makes him more special than another person made in the immobile day if we're we're honest if we're honest the tradition That we have have become idolatry and and i'm seeing a lot of people bristle when their idols are touched And we just need to be honest with with ourselves and each other regarding this issue. All right, so this wanted to put it out They hope you guys heard my heart I hope you all heard my heart. I'm not here to attack anyone You know, this is why I post videos and and do these things because I would rather you hear the tone of my words Verbally than trying to interpret it via Via text. So I think I'm very I've been I've made myself very clear with this I don't think there's nothing that I said that can be misconstrued or misinterpreted or even misrepresented Um, but I just believe that there's nothing in scripture that supports this when we come together on the lower Is there when we come together as a church to worship god that we should have a set aside time or day to appreciate and celebrate pastors and I for pastor speak On that same level as well. So you have any questions you feel feel free to inbox me on my facebook page or you can email me seko woods s a i k o woods with an s at yahoo.com and uh Make that our conversation on the phone just email me your number and we'll set up a time to talk But I just want to encourage the body christ and and to and to exhort us that we need to guard ourselves uh from idols we need to guard ourselves from idols and A pastor could be made an idol too Not just a piece of wood or stone that we think is is an idol only Anything that we elevate or eclipse Before god can be an idol So hope you heard my heart. Um, and that's pretty much all I wanted to say so God bless you all. I love y'all. You know, there's real whatever you do do all to the glory of god. God bless