November 29, 2022
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in selections from 1 Corinthians? Here’s today’s reading:
1 Corinthians 9 (NIV)
Paul’s Rights as an Apostle
1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2 Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?..........Continue Reading
1Corinthians 8&9
1 Corinthians 9
Serving in a church is an honor and a privilege. To use our gifts to further Gods kingdom. The moment we look to the church to gain financially or otherwise we have lost sight of the calling of God. Have a cousin in Alabama for years attended the highland church. Around 80,000 members but breaking apart as the leaders are looking for financial gain. I read this chapter yesterday and the first person I met I asked if they were interested in spiritual truths. Still conversing. Love the end of this chapter: to not have a know it all attitude but to be totally sensitive to who we are engaging with
This passage certainly gives justification for those who more officially and consistently do the work of Christ for the church, the Word or the gospel to be compensated for it. But those who receive such compensation must be careful that that does not become the motivation for doing the work. Paul’s point is well taken that those who serve without monetary compensation have a more pure motivation for doing the work of Christ, both in themselves and to others, but that does not therefore make it wrong to receive a salary for it. Yet everyone’s motivation should be about the gospel. It should be such good news to us that we can’t help but share it with others and look for opportunities to do that more and better. And the gospel never changes and godly standards of living never changes, but our approach to people certainly does/can. We are to meet people where they are and show how the gospel meets them where they are and addresses the circumstances and condition of their lives. We need to speak their language, if you will, as we talk about the truth and the value of Jesus to them. And that is what we strive for and pursue. That is what we try to get better at and purify ourselves on many levels so that our witness to others is pure. May we bear fruit in our lives as we become more intentional about sharing the truth of Jesus with others.
I am forever honored, privileged, and humbled to get to work at LHCC. To feel like the things we do at the church will make a Kingdom impact and possibly bring people to salvation. I appreciate the fact that it also allows me to help support my family as well….blessed beyond measure to love what I do and try to always do it for God’s glory!
I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.