My Rights as a Preacher of the Gospel 1 Corinthians 9:11-18 Ive been saved for almost a decade and never have I felt like an outcast more than now. According to this scripture, I have a right to receive monetary compensation for preaching the Gospel. Paul refused this right. He was so passionate about it that he said he would rather die than allow anyone to deprive him of that boast. American business church culture abuses the mess out of this right. What I find myself asking at the end of the day is why has American church missed one of the greatest revelations God can give? Amos 8:11? Jesus does not operate based off of a right to do something. If that were the case then then wages of sin are death and so He has a right to kill us all. Paul understood this concept. Knowing that, I tend to take Paul seriously when he says to imitate him like he imitates Christ. Paul went beyond his right and refused it so it would not hinder the Gospel. He goes onto say If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel. How is it possible to hinder the gospel? Any righteous leader understands that he/she needs to adjust their actions based on who may stumble as a result of them. If a portion of my congregation has an issue with lust then my ministers better dress conservatively so it does not hinder the message. If there are issues of pride/greed/poverty then guess what? I have a responsibility to adjust my lifestyle of living so it does not hinder the message. It is my opinion that those components are always put into practice. Ministry is no longer about you or what you have rights to. Were in the Preachers of LA era and they dont even have a right to the pen that they used to use to bounce checks with before pulpit pimpin became a full time job! Again in my opinion, I feel I have received some of the most amazing revelation from God that you dont hear every Sunday. Ive preached some of them. Then I go home and cry to God because at that moment I realized that I wasnt in control of any of that. If Jesus wanted to He could make sure another one would never come my way again. I am completely vulnerable to what He wants to do. So who am I to put a price on that? What kind of audacity do I have to do that? Honorariums and love offerings are so typical. Its a mainstay in American church culture. Ministers charge for even altar calls now. Lists are given out as to what kind of hotels are even acceptable. Every ministry that invites me to minister asks me how much do I charge monetarily. Why? Because that is the standard that American church culture (we) have created. Many see ministry as being lucrative and it is. If you are a Pastor and you have an excellent Praise and Worship team that will do it voluntarily then you are blessed. So many are hired guns and chase after the dollar in the name of their “right. Some dont even stay the full service because they have another church to entertain. Sadly, people will turn away churches because it doesnt look like American church. If you dont have a banging praise and worship team, an array of lights on stage, streaming, and a cafe then Jesus has not blessed your ministry. Thats our standard though, and if you arent careful you will get sucked into the fraternity of pastors who compromise the gospel for the sake of keeping membership(money). When we wake up and realize that we dont have a right to even rise up the next morning then we will start making some progress. Am I dogging full time ministers? No. However, if you have been in this culture long enough then you know exactly what I am talking about. A thriving walk with Christ is one that lays down their own right to live so that someone else can. Lets have a reality show on that. You might even see some pastors who havent been divorced yet too, because they applied that in their own marriage. Its not the easiest way of Christian living but it is the most profitable. ; )
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 05:47:50 +0000
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