62. Financial Independence in Ministry-1 Co 9 15–18
Application
Today, ministers can glean some great insights from Paul's ministry. Those who enter ministry should embrace humility, avoiding pursuing personal gain and glory in ministry, and prioritizing the transformative message of Christ over personal acclaim.
Ministers of Christ must show vigilance against distortions and false teachings, and this requires a commitment to safeguarding the purity of the gospel. Over the years we have witnessed people in churches who walk around the church building in their expensive suits with brass labels that read “apostle so and so” or “prophet so and so.” A young visiting pastor was told by one of these label wearing Apostles that if the young minister left the denomination or movement he was currently in and joined the apostle's movement, success was an absolute outcome. Likely success meant having a big building fill with people coming to listen to his “apostolic wisdom.” While, we are in no position to judge the motivation of the seemly ambitious apostle, we can’t help but compare his words and general air with that of the apostle Paul.
Paul’s goal was not to write 13 books of the New Testament. Nor was it his goal to plant churches. He had one goal to preach Christ and him crucified. A message that was an obstacle to the Jews, and foolishness to the Greeks. Yet, because he experienced the risen Christ, and was faithful to “preach the word” Many wonderful things did occur, churches were planted, letters were written, and today Paul is considered one of the greatest legal minds of his time. But that is not what Paul set out to accomplish.
Ministers should not worry about salaries or ecclesiastical careers. These concepts are foreign to the biblical record. Instead ministers should ask the question, does God call me? This question at some point should resolve with a “yes I am “or “no, I am not.” It would naturally follow that any other question is irrelevant. In that sense it is much like marriage “for better and for worst.” Entering ministry is never nor should it ever be about upward mobility whether social, vocational or ecclesiastical!
Pastors should ‘preach the word” inside and out, and with faith the Father shall provide for all their needs. Church leaders should humble themselves before the Lord, and in time God will lift them up.
In addition, ministers can draw inspiration from Paul's sense of necessity and urgency in preaching, viewing their calling as a divine appointment with eternal consequences.
Lastly, ministers are given through Paul’s example a way to find reward in the intrinsic satisfaction of fulfilling their stewardship and to approach preaching with a commitment to financial independence, emphasizing the integrity of their message.
Yes, we highly recommend that ministers follow Paul’s example with regards to being independently self-employed. Unfortunately, when a minister is self-employed many of those who are blessed by the minister spiritual care and insight, see his financial independence as reason not to give, instead of seeing this as an opportunity to bless the man or woman of God.
Still when God’s servant is free from depending on the financial support of those to whom he ministers, he is at the same time free to preach the truth and confront those who oppose the gospel by their lifestyle and words, while at the same time free of the worry of the truth affecting his pay check or tithes dropping.
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