Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
Over the years, we have had a lot of chickens on our property. In fact there have been quite a few times where we had so many eggs that we couldn’t possibly eat them all and had to give many of them away to others in town. One of our daily routines was to get up to the sounds of our roosters crowing, and going outside to feed the chickens. I had picked up a couple of free pallets and made a long feeding tray that we placed right outside of their hen house. We used to keep large bags of corn, oats and layer feed that we would mix together in four gallon buckets, and each morning we would walk outside and pour out a bunch into their feeder. As soon as we opened up their door, the entire flock came running out of the hen house so fast that they would practically run you over to get to their food. I always kept them well fed because they deserved it. After all, they provided my family with bucketfuls of free eggs for us to enjoy at the breakfast table.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
But after having chickens for so many years, I can’t imagine somebody walking up to me and telling me that I couldn’t eat any of the eggs from our flocks. After all, we had invested many hours taking care of them, and their eggs were a gift back to us for our labor. When you spend time gardening, you can enjoy the tomatoes when they are ready to harvest. When you grow an apple tree, you can enjoy the apples when they are ready to pick from the branches. Those who preach God’s Word are sowing Spiritual seed into people’s hearts, and those who preach can certainly receive gifts in return for their efforts.
1 Corinthians 9:3-18 (KJB) Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, Have we not power to eat and to drink? Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.
For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
The Apostle is explaining that there is nothing wrong with receiving gifts from those whom you have helped grow in the teachings of God’s Word. If people have sown unto you Spiritual things, obviously they can reap back carnal ones, such as finances, food, or other possessions. When people get a job in the world, many times they won’t lift a finger to do anything unless they get so much money per hour, but that’s not how it works in the New Testament Church. Jesus never charged the public when He preached God’s Word, but freely gave them His knowledge of Spiritual things, and His Apostles did the same thing. But occasionally, some people will take issue with a preacher receiving any types of gifts from others, but just consider this for a moment,….
If you did something really nice for your dad, and out of his great appreciation for your kindness, he decided to present you with a special gift that he purchased, would you turn it down? If a high schooler decided to help their elderly neighbor around the yard, and they decided to give them a thank-you card with a financial gift in it, would you reject it? Giving a gift to somebody is a lot different than receiving a paycheck, and many people cannot understand the difference between the two. The Apostle Paul freely gave of his time to the church, and he didn’t want anybody to think that what he was doing was motivated by greed or a covetous heart. He really wanted them to be converted to the truth, even when that meant having nothing at all.
2 Corinthians 9:5-8 (KJB) Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
If a child shovels the snow from your sidewalk, chances are, you are going to give them some type of gift. If your husband works hard out in the field, chances are, you going to make him a nice big meal for supper. Those who give freely of their time to minister God’s Word, can receive gifts of appreciation for their efforts. After all, when oxen tread out the corn, they are worthy of their reward, just as our egg laying chickens were worthy of their,….
..…Layer Feed
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
https://tlkjbc.com/written-sermons/
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2055335/episodes
https://www.facebook.com/share/14RHGVBBHbG/
tlkjbc.com
Note: Any copies may be printed and freely distributed among those who have no internet service. There is no AI creative involvement in my writings, and must be left intact because they are very personal to me. These are not to be sold, and are made public only for the free benefit of Spiritual knowledge to those who are genuinely seeking the will of God.
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 