Church Members' Duties to Their Pastor

Let's go back to our study through this new test of the pistol and we are definitely in that practical section. I guess you'd save Timothy in this this pastoral epistle is all practical and be honest, I really struggled. I thought Lord, this time with these unique things were challenged with the need to be dealing with these practical elements of local church life and then it it actually before the service time this morning edition, rang true. In my mind.

What do you tell people to do when they're discouraged when their anxiety ridden when their hearts are heavy. Here's what you tell them who you do.

The next duty God's told you to do. You do the next thing that you get busy with your duties.

You don't sit around and just wallow in the despair of it you get busy, so maybe that's part of the reason why, in the providence of God were in this practical area just to remind ourselves. It doesn't matter what's going on out there. We stay faithful to our duties as Christians and this church members now looking at first Timothy chapter 5, 17 and 18.

The apostle has already built quite thoroughly with our duties to church widows. How would honor them how we are to take care of them even financially support them regularly if they have no family to help. Now he shifts from widows to pastors.

And here's what he says in first Timothy chapter 5 verses 17 and 18 have entitled this churches or church members duties to their pastors. Verse 17 the elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching the Scripture says you shall not muzzle the ox while he's threshing and the laborer is worthy of his wages.

As you come to this very practical, clear exhortation about church members duties to support the pastor or pastors that it's interesting the way pastors and commentary writers and scholars have handled this just just out of curiosity, I googled online and I want to see what some more, shall I say moderate or more liberal leaning guys would do with this text and you don't. I find that even across the board.

I find that guy Scana glance at the text and then move off of it. It's just like many of them they think diminish the clear teaching in this text in a play of humility, but let's remind ourselves. Humility is not thinking low of ourselves.

That's what I see guys doing they'll take this deck to say well you know, I know what this says, but you know, the pastor should this in the pastor didn't want the added were not suggesting you do this or that. That's not humility that's thinking about yourself because humility is not thinking low of yourself.

Humility is not puffing yourself up humility especially come to the text is forgiving yourself, you forget. Well, this group might think that her that Greg may think that, or they may think bad of me is the pastor you'd forgiving yourself and faithfully deal with the exposition of the text.

Regardless of the subject so I think when we come to text like this.

What to do with the apostle Paul did when he was dealing with local churches about this case the support of himself and ministers in general. He was direct he was thorough and he was downright personal about so as we look at this and I'll have to confess, so you know were starting our pastoral training Institute in the fall. We have a good number of gods interested right now and the first two classes that will be offered will be my class would be 40 hours of instruction. I think I'm going to call it the encyclopedia of the local church. I'm going to just thoroughly layout biblical truths about local church life and then give them the thorough applications we've learned through the years not in a legalistic sense but give them something to start all what I would have given if somebody with 40 years of experience in decently healthy local church life had given me something like that. So I'm going to do that and then Dr. Tim sales going to teach 40 hours on expository preaching more than the been expositor preaching to Tim is eminently qualified. He knows how to handle the text and he has experienced planting and developing a biblically sound sure so they'll think it's going to be announcing all that say this doing some things that has in mind that I'm going to use this later in my lectures in the pastoral training is okay so your get a little maybe more than now you bargain for. Here there's good stuff for all of us. So today's session this morning sermon will be all background to where Paulson getting to what he writes. This command to fulfill this duty.

So what's the background where does this all come from right here. Some thoughts first.

Wallace remind ourselves that there are duties God gives all Christians to perform in the Christian life, but primarily in their local church service and ministry. All of us have duties to perform not just so happens at this point in Paul's letter to Timothy. He's dealing with the duties of church members for their pastors. Now let me say this. Christian pastors are not elitist, they are not unique and special in the sense that we would say there's some special holiness to him or he has this unique and special holiness know there's nothing like that. That's true about us us rather who are in the ministry. We are sinners saved by grace just like everyone else where this comes from is the Roman Catholic doctrine of the Pope, the Cardinals, the bishops and we reject that is false doctrine. That, whether you're talking about the none are the parish priest are all the way up to the Cardinal are the Pope in Rome. There is no special sanctity are holiness about those people or about those offices were all the same before God as sinners saved by grace. However, the New Testament says this first Thessalonians 513 says to esteem pastors very highly in love for their works are one translator just for their worksite because of the high importance of the work God's given them to do. Therefore, because they inherently are special know therefore because of the work God called them to do hold them in hot state.

And Jesus said this in John 1320 truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives me that's powerful. Jesus says that I'm not going to let you separate honoring me from honoring the one I sent now. I used to be very prone to want to think that way and I think that's probably natural for all children of Grace starting out while the same nobody special are all sinners absolutely but when God put someone in certain positions because of work or ministry. He wants them to perform a PCAs if you're honoring me you want to honor them and if you dishonor them you are dishonoring me by the way, that goes all the way down the line in the way God's ordered culture and or the church does not. Children have to honor their parents if there honoring God again say honor God.

But I dishonor my parents and on and on we could go so while inherently there is no such thing in the Scriptures of the Roman Catholic teaching of some sort of personal holiness are sanctity to someone noise just because God has set them apart for work and for the work's sake were to do that and because if we honor our Savior. We honor the worst. Those our Savior sent now continuing a background understanding of what what brought Paul to this particular place and church life to this particular place of having this compensated full-time clergy, they would say in the old days are ministers elders are pastors. These words are interchangeable of those titles are interchangeable. We do know now, in the earliest days of the church. The first century A.D. the church is all depended on the apostles and the apostles Associates to be the preachers and teachers.

They were 10 reps they would literally go from place to place were ever a group of believers was they would walk in the door and they had authority apostolate authority you would call it and they would preach and teach and then ask Christianity begin to spread. This was no longer feasible and so me and within the churches began to be appointed by the apostles as pastors or elders in those local churches in the so increasingly the churches depended less on the apostles to tour through and teach them and they had a regular preacher, pastor, teacher to teach them regularly in their own local church. Now what happened is as time passed and these men who were appointed as elders.

Those who were specially gifted in preaching and teaching became more prominent. So we see this chronological evolutionary process. What I want you to understand is that didn't just happen is not just pragmatic and what the circumstance allowed its God organizing things as he sees fit overtime for example, Ephesians 411 just lays this out beautifully and he gave some as apostles and prophets, some as evangelist and sub as pastor teachers notice that in the very beginning there just apostles then accompanying there were some prophets and then there accompanying there were some evangelist. Now the bank insisted I think maybe more than a little bit different than what we normally call an evangelist today.

Vendors would been more like missionaries.

They went into pioneer areas. Unreached areas and they preach the gospel and got a group that said they were converted and they sounded and started the local church and then they would hand it off to somebody and go work at another pioneer. Unreached areas are. We had that going strongly and then he says, apostles, prophets, evangelist, and then pastor teachers literally that that word is it's it's it's a two parts of one office pastor. His job is teaching you could as easily translated a separate instructor and that's the final stage that last until Jesus returns and we set up our he sets up the eternal state.

So what we find here is that when these pastor teachers were reported in these churches and they begin to realize that they could not handle the role and the burden of studying and preparing and preaching and maintain their secular vocational employment so there came a need for them to be compensated by the church. Now the church had a struggle with this.

There were those in the church that were reluctant about one minute you meet which will together money and pay this guy. Is that right is is that proper. I think one of the things that was going on was first of all the churches did learn to support the apostles as they toured three but let me just back up a little bit that didn't happen automatically. The apostle Paul ran into a lot of resistance about receiving compensation or salary for his work as an apostle.

This is before the pastor teachers web started or ever put in place. I should say, for example, when it Paul writes to the Corinthians will start in first Corinthians 9 verses one through six. Paul is arguing with them. If not, reproving and rebuking them which actually he is doing that they should be compensating him materially or financially.

So he argues in verse one am I not free. Am I not an apostle. Have I not seen Jesus our Lord, are you not my work in the Lord. I don't have time to unpack all that but he saying in every way.

I have a right to expect you to compensate me verse two if the others I'm not an apostle.

At least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord my preaching changed your life you not see you old me back to support me in this work uses verse three my defense to those who examined me as this revenue there's a group in the church.

He rose up to say were were not thinking Paul's working. We don't think Paul is deserving of the support pieces in verse 40 we don't have a right to eat and drink. We now have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas.

He said you seem to have supported other guys even their families pauses. I'm single.I have a right to expect you to support me to this is ardent not only Barnabas and I have a right to refrain from working. That means the secular work to support themselves. We did on the context. Paul said okay you can probably think keep your money.

I will take anything from you but then he turned her and writes his letter rebukes them for it.

So it's gotta be interesting. You see the personal aspect to so my point is going back before pastor teachers when there were only apostles there was a lot of problems with the financial support of ministers even in the apostolate era.

Philippians 415 shows a positive side if you will pieces of the Philippians you yourself also know Philippians that at the first preaching the gospel.

After I left Macedonia. No church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving. But you alone said the idea was I gave you spiritual things and I was to receive back from you, material things he said you guys got it pretty quickly.

You you caught up in your learning and grasping how this is the work quickly but a lot of others didn't quite get it yet. I can take you to a lot of Baptist churches that still don't get it and let me throughout this that grace life church gets it. You take good care of us and there's not much of a correction here for you now.

There may be a correction and some individual parts, but as a church you've you've live the truth of this and I praise the Lord for that.

And by the way, you are the benefactors of that your pastor's particular your teaching pastors cannot be effective if they're filled with anxiety and worry about paying the bills and buying she is littered out of Taft along with the goat. His wife said, I just struggle about misuse kids for school next year God for bid such a thing. You want that man to faithfully proclaim to you the whole counsel of God, but you wanting to base under such a stinginess that he can even comfortably buy shoes first kids go to school on and that's common vote, you're not the normal but you are biblical and then we have the positive example for Lehman. I'm talking with some of our businessmen about establishing the Philemon Fellowship. Lehman was obviously a quite successful businessman but he was devoted to the ministry of Paul and training pastors and planting churches and so Paul, when Paul writes to Philemon, he doesn't even stop to ask and you handle or take care of this and that he basically tells for Lehman. I know you'll take care of.

I just had that close of a relationship.

So I think in background as we continue on with thinking about how this all evolved to the place where there's pastor teachers and churches and the churches have a duty to financially compensate support them. There's another element I want to bring out and that is the Jewish element of their past. I believe that some even the Gentiles the that the Greeks of the day. You didn't put particular participate in the Jewish religion yet understood why all the legalism of the old Jewish system and when they became Christians they receive. This gospel of grace. This new liberty, and the route run from under the burden of the law and out from under the coercion and the willfulness of being beat down with Israel in that room with this ruling that ruler you will make it to heaven {if I could know Jesus paid my debt. Jesus paid it all. Jesus has claims made Jesus and set me free.

I'm not under any coercion of Wallenberg I know Christ to set me free. So, obviously, and we know this, particularly in some cases, but generally speaking, these early churches came out of that legalism and they probably thought. Now if we bring in regular ties and offerings into the church were going back to that old bondage were going back to the old course of the law were going back to that old legalism. Now let's talk about the old legalistic Jewish system.

The old economy of the old covenant, we might say what it did teach about tithes and offerings will bear simply Leviticus 2730 teach us that the tithes is holy unto the Lord. Another word says these guys went out and put their crop in 10% of that crop was already God's it never was there in the biblical understanding of the tide.

The type that there was hours from the moment we got whatever we got in hundred acres of wheat or whatever it might've been in this day 10% of it blown the God already. That's what the law talked its holy end of the Lord now interested. No one was just for why would I going to bring medevac the Old Testament even amplifies that further.

Just don't bring 10% bring 10% of the first you getting if you only harvest 10 acres of your hundred acres bring that 10 acres to the Temple first and this is not only the first but the best 10%. If you got 100 acre Johnson where we had a lot of rain.

You know that lower bottom. Then there's about 10 acres and that's only will produce about half with the rest. PS I will get that 10 acres to the Lord blessed the poor stupid know he said no get bring the first and the best 10%. That's the law know what was that for one numbers 1821 and was installed numerous times that Scriptures.

The child was given to support the ministers. The Levitical priesthood support them for their mature.

They ate what came in.

That's why Malachi by the landlord deal with this son next week and it's an interesting thing because in Malachi is a curse on the land.

Listen to me. The Old Testament prophet called it a devour has been let loose in the land and of all things. God said you know what the primary issue is I'm sending the devour to devour your houses and devour your crops and possibly to devour your health because your robbing me of ties and offering will deal with that next week.

Lord willing. In that context, they replied back to God and signal God we robbing you without robbing you God got to get you. Are you not bringing my ties and offerings in he should bring them into. Here's how it's worded that there might be food in my house that's weird food.

This is given to the Lord know it's food for the priest God ordained the ties and offerings would be the material physical sustenance for the preached now trying to get all this in our minds. So the early church came out from under law, the burden of law. The coercion of law, including the law of ties and offerings and their joining in their liberation.

They're celebrating that they're not under that burden anymore, but the problem is they overcompensated.

Have you ever heard the word balance from this pulpit's. They took grace and liberty as a license to sin instead of grace and liberty enable them me enabling them to enjoy what the law required that I did this in several areas. If you remember it would just a few weeks ago in first Timothy Paul had to rebuke and correct some ladies in the church. Some of the ladies in the church interpreted Christian freedom to me. They didn't have to submit to authority anymore. I was out from under their headship and also know you got liberty in Christ are equal before God with your husband's with the pastors you're not secondary were all sinners and all say the same way, but you don't throw out the God ordained principle established in creation of male headship that I work being wicked, they would just gotta balance their mature their learning. We have the Corinthians. For example, remember Paul having to straighten out the overcompensation of the Corinthians, when I tried to fill the whole concept of marriage act. They thought your you're really holy. If you're single you can get all your energy serving Lord Thompson also note that you're going too far, you're missing the point. So here we have when it came to tithes and offerings to support ministers. They felt that's old law. We need to get rid of that, so they threw out the baby with the bath so they didn't get that giving ties and offerings to support full-time ministers in the church is not wrong and is not eliminated because it was tall under the law know it should be embraced.

Listen to me now not as loud. All but embraced under grace as a blessing. That's what I want to get to.

That's what I will pitch a fit about right now it's not your money. It's about grace. Changing your heart to glory in the wisdom of God's way to build support his work in the earth while glad I got a minute out of that's what's important modeling. If you're not born again. If you're not a child of God. If you're not a church member this evening for you. This is only for God's children. This is family stuff. So now we don't come to church, giving our ties and offerings, primarily because we won't God keep that devour away from our checkbook in our business, though that's not a bad motive. This is not the primary mode. We don't even come primary, make sure that brother Jeff and the staff are well compensated, though that's clearly what Paul says here that's not a bad motive. The primary motive is God's changed my heart and I'm learning to join in the wisdom of how he's put his work together and that's a part of my part in it. Grace has taken what was a curse and a burden into a blessing price award so Paul's final argument to the Corinthians member. We were in first print is not he's arguing with them about how they should financially supporting medical student affairs illustrations are metaphors sent by the Lord, you got a soldier your army how many of you expect that soldier to be so drained his own expense.

You hire men to keep your vineyard may be expected to keep the vineyard and not receive some of it for himself. That's why they paid on that day you hire a herdsman for your flocks. You expect that herdsman to do his job, not take of the milk of the flock you hire Amanda plot your field. Paul said, I did expect that men apply your field and not get some of the produce from the field. He said you know this or that you all expect to compensated biggest to his last illustration which I think it's less because it's the most important here since last metaphor our guideline. First Corinthians 913 and 14 and this should all those other things do you not know that those who perform sacred services. That's the Old Testament priest. He talked about. They eat the food of the temple and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar so the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.

Don't you understand were not under law but God gave us a principle we bring over to the church, but you get to see the Old Testament law is a type it's a foreshadowing of what we live out in the New Testament. The Old Testament has the picture New Testament churches. The reality the Old Testament is the shadow. The New Testament is the true thing. The Old Testament gives us something of a shell New Testament gives us the substance.

It's not thrown away because it's under law. It's fulfilled in grace and is no longer law. This came to my mind, do you guys remember the days we still do some of this but not nearly like we used to do. My mother, days, years ago. If you took a leadership position at Grace life. Please don't stone me from this we had a list of commitments list of standards that was years ago when we did that. No, we still kinda have that were not so big on it but you know back in those days it was common for a lot of folks to believe they were God's gift to lead and there were very unfaithful in some obvious areas of Christian discipleship and faithfulness and so I felt like we needed to up the standard and we had all these things that you know as we matured in grace and did what we did because we love God we didn't need all the rules anymore because the laws were being fulfilled because out of love.

We were doing it anyway. Are you with me church when you raise your children with a little you got get O's.

You gotta get a lot of specific gnomes inducing dogs. Those kind of thing. But as they get old and grow in wisdom. They do that stuff without you having to bring the rules up all the time.

That's called it's called maturity. The Old Testament law is the embryonic stage of biblical scripture.

New Testament church is maturity. This was getting to hear. Don't throw it out. Just realize how it's fulfilled and matured in the New Testament church so Paul in our book is writing to Timothy about the church in Ephesus decide you guys need to get caught up in your thinking here. You need to mature in your thinking here.

Now Paul was quite thorough when it comes to trying to get the churches caught up in their duties to their local church pastors. For example, he said it every winter to whatever he wrote to basically in first Corinthians. He told those Corinthians be subject to such men. What made you talking about one at that point the Corinthian church did not have any elder supported but there are some men who look like they were becoming the elders they were working hard at night prove themselves.

And Paul said submit to those men in first Thessalonians, Paul uses the word to appreciate those men who labor over you. Then he says to esteem them highly. Then he says to love them. That's what I want more than the rest because if that happens the rest happens Hebrews 1317 to the Hebrew church. He says obey them and submit to them. Why is Paul doing all this. He said I'm trying to get the churches caught up. They came out of the bondage and coercion. Legalism of the old dispensation now grace in which we got over to gray some of you got out of balance and overcompensating that you could throw some things out there fulfilled thrown out there perfected in the church. They become hard passion because God through Christ has changed your heart attitude about so you there is the duty your to be taught, but it's not a law because it to be in your hearts supposes I'm trying to get you caught up in trying to get you back in balance. Remember church that the things under the law are not abandoned under grace. They are perfected under grace say that again the things of the law are not abandoned under grace. They are perfected under grace.

The law said do not commit adultery, do we throw that out because under law know our hearts are changed. We no longer want to be adulterers soon saying it's perfected is not just an outward coercion of law.

I don't do this and that is trying the losses to honor your father and mother. I don't just honor them out of cold external obedience know now my hearts change that learning to honor my father and mother because I know it honors my Lord. So the law is not thrown out. It's perfected under grace.

And so it is in the area of returning tithes and offerings to support the Old Testament, the priest in the New Testament is perfected to the grace preaching New Testament pastor so we tried to get them to procure progress forward to full and proper functioning as a New Testament church and again.

This includes embracing the duties they have two church pastors. Now I for conclusions for practical application right and they were done for conclusions for practical application number one of course we learned from God's dealings with Israel and from the old covenant there so much. The church founded through Christ and the gospel of grace can learn by looking back skews me it's allergy season in my throat is water. First Corinthians 10 six of these things happened as examples for us so that we would not crave evil things as they also Christ. They talk about what happened.

Israel Israel was judge severely when she backslidden crave evil thing. So the point on the making here is the New Testament says we can learn a lot about what God will do with us. By the way he dealt with Israel in the Old Testament.

Let's remind ourselves first Peter 417, for it's time for judgment to begin with the household of God, and if it begins with us first, what over the outcome of those who do not obey the gospel of God, brothers and sisters were under grace of your child of grace. You're going to make it to heaven, but God may have to handle you and deal with you sternly between here in the remind us we should be reminded the way God met with Israel as a pattern of the way he'll be with us and not just from the standpoint of their rebellion and correction but in many many ways. There's so much we learn from the old covenant that's perfected under grace number two let's glorify God for the wisdom, power and beauty of his unfolding plan how to get that that they didn't just over the New Testament is pastors know God was unfolding not only just the plan of how the churches would be led just the plan of how those minister to be supported but everything is unfolding, illustrating God's power. God's wisdom and God's beauty and glory and that everything builds to the crescendo of Jesus Christ. The centerpiece of everything and he is perfected, glorified bride from the embryonic stages of the Old Testament to the coming of Christ in his death on the cross, the consummation of the new plan. The new family to the beginning of the church agent acts, which is the actual birthing of the new plan. The new family of God to the church's maturation spelled out in the epistles.

That's where we are is bringing us to maturity and even the pestles point out the church troubles and trials and difficulties are part of his wisdom to make us what we ought to be all the way to the return of Christ. When were perfected and glorified with him. God is unfolding what he's doing. If you call the back to the Old Testament and you look forward to what God's doing. You could only see it in shadows and types would very clear began to be opened up over time what it's what it's all about. As God unfolds all that he's doing. It's all about the glory of God. It's all about causing men to look at what he can do and say. Only God could do that in the specific, common, everyday thing of having pastors and taking care of them is a part of that overall huge plan is what I'm saying. Don't diminish anything. God's ordained it's all a part of the wonders of his wisdom and power and the beauty of how he could do stuff we marvel at it all to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 321, number three, my part in the church body is a key part of fulfilling God's great purposes. Your part is a key part that Joe saddens me as I think about all the things Paul mentions. He jumps onto versus will actually more than two when it comes to financially supporting the pastors to versus said that's a part but there's many other parts the widows have their part we study that the lady said their part we study that, but all of us have a part in this great plant God's unfolding. By the way, as you and I do our part to fulfill our duties. Listen to me, it causes even the angels in heaven tomorrow, marveling, look at it. Same mild what college do I… Almost caught soliciting clearly because of my call your name. Our call some names out because he's called you to pardon.

He's called you to part. He's called you to pardon you two apart and you depart. And when we all do our parts in this great why divinely wise plan of God. God is glorified and we get to getting on it.

Nothing is incidental. First Peter 112 it was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, that's the Old Testament saints.

They were serving us in the church age. These things which have now been announced to you through those who preach the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. While not I can say about that. We preach the gospel to you and the power of the Holy Spirit.

So these things can be unfolded, you can begin to see the wisdom them on the plan of God that he says something interesting last Friday's first one to things into which angels long to look is literally a picture of angels stooping over the edge of heaven, saying that you see God take that little nothing do you see God take that woman was she's the most cantankerous when you're safe and he's converted her and saved her and clinched her and redeemed her righteously to the righteous fugitive gave her spiritual gifts and she's doing her duties in her local church is this all part of God bringing his ultimate plan for each of actually so happy you're looking at me like I Had an okay to make you happy. You are jobs in Florida is not incidental.

It may not be private, but it's important to important God. You're not just I'm saving a bunch of people know he saved you and clinched you and wipe the slate clean used in guiltless before God. A child of God. And then he gifted you gave you duties in the local church to the end that one there you listen to me he's going return and perfecting glorified list of the churches will be perfectly exactly the way you meant it to be and you had a part merciful heavens.

That's good. So I got a self-esteem problem will get over it.

Happy to have a self-esteem problem God's will play different roles but will have a role, prescriptions 1222 and 23. On the contrary, it's much truer that the members of the body would seem to be weaker are necessary and those members of the body which we deem less honorable to the church body now, not your physical body. The physical bodies the metaphor those things parts we sing lease honorable on these would bestow much water in our less presentable members become much more presentable those lowly jobs. Those unseen jobs of things you think are unimportant.

God says I've ordained their essential to get the end task accomplished. While not as important as brother Jeff he sends up there to screams at us and preaches the word about yes you are yes you are. Takes all of us doing our duties. Romans 12, four and five are just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. I look this up. You know an average car has 30,000 different pieces to it.

30,000 different pieces and some of those pieces come together to make up real important things like transmissions or injured but I found out in my old truck that 159 sent fuse can blow the whole thing shows 159 sent fuse Nestlé the churches. Every part is needful. Every part is important and we glory in our God that our part is a part of God fulfilling this magnanimous plan of the ages, building his church and being with her glorified forever. One day I don't know what God may do through the coronavirus. I don't know what God may cause or allow through unrest in my country. Did you listen to me. The church is going on, the church will be strengthened, the church will be purified. The church will be built up in one day will be glorified with him and we all get to be a part of number four, Christian duty should be embraced as helpful God's name in particular.

Just for today could be any Christian duty but the duty Paul has gotten to in our text is the duty of supporting your ministers it's clear it's about materials. Financial support.

That's a duty you have, but all the duties are are included in this principle there helpful God's words as you fulfill the duties God's given you. It guide you to nearness of God. Listen to me and it got you to fullness of joy. Did you hear me it guide you to the nearness of God and to the fullness of joy. Job 20 verse five tells us that the joy of the ungodly is only momentary. Our joy is not look like the ungodly are joy expert believers is now it's eternal and it's increasing forever.

My stars in it, but you have to fulfill your duty to begin to taste this joy. Some of you don't know the joy first talk to some of you don't know him. Some of you know him but don't know the joy because your unfaithful in your duties and you're not near him and you gotta be near him to find the joy. Psalm 43 verse four says that I will go to the altar of God to God my exceeding joy honoring our duties brings nearness of God, which brings increasing joy pastorates his traveling days is anxious and I'm concerned with your duties. What are your duties. Scripture makes them clear. We do the best we can with the present situation. In this text.

The particular duty was take care of your pastors, but their other take care of your elders regarding saying that in course, many others so as I perform my duties by nearness to God is increased in the near I'm to God, the greater my joy. Sometimes we have to do is honor our duties until the joy, listen to me because you're not going to be satisfied with the earthly joys that are momentary you want better than that.

You won't God's eternal choice in our in our land right now.

You don't were dealing with a whole lot of emotionalism.

What were dealing with a whole lot of in our land today is sentimentality just being feelings driven. Listen to me.

Christianity is not about feelings brought little girl is not about emotions. It's about truth function on truth, listen to me.

Here's the beauty of it that's that's my duties now and when I walk in truth, the joy catches up and sweeps me up and carries me along. Sometimes you gotta go forward in your duty because it's guiding you to the joy child of God, your pastor loves you. I'm so grateful to God for you, what are we to do in these trying times were to wake up in the morning so what's my duty to God today was my duties to God is. That's where I'll find the joy that he keep me through these hours of difficulty in trials