This morning's sermon is the one that every pastor doesn't want to have to preach because it runs the risk of looking like he's whining. And it's the kind of sermon no congregation wants to hear because it will have to do with money. Nobody likes to talk about money. And aren't we told the two things you're not supposed to talk about is money and politics and religion or whatever? And here we're going to fulfill two of those three. But I think it's important, it certainly is important that we consider these words because they are the word of God. And as a reminder, all the way back in chapter three, verse 14 and 15, Paul has said, I'm writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long, but in case I'm delayed, I write so that you will know how you want not to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. So Paul has written in part that we would know how to live together as the church. And we've seen that in terms of how we ought to pray, the roles of women, the calling of elders and deacons, the struggling with the apostasy, We've seen it in how we're to handle relationships, chapter five, verse one and two. We've seen it over the last three Lord's days as we considered the relationship of widows. And now he turns to elders and chapter six, he will have some more issues that we'll have to consider. And some of the things he has to say here have to do with how the congregation is to relate to the elders. And he says very clearly, they are to be considered worthy of double honor. And questions often raised, well, double honor from what? We're supposed to honor the widows, chapter five, verse three, is it double honor of them? Well, he's not talking mathematically like two plus two equals four or widows get this much honor and then for elders get, Double that. That's not a wooden way of trying to read this. But there is a double honor in how people are to be treated and esteemed that will have both interpersonal relationship issues, but also monetary issues. He says, elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, considered by who? The congregation. This is a direction to the members of a local church. They're to consider these elders worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. The ministry of the word is vitally important. Now, one way to think about this in my mind, and we'll talk more about this when we get to verse 18 in terms of the money, but if you are sick and you call your doctor, call your doctor and woke him up, say, doctor, what should I do? And he tells you, put some lime in the coconut and call me in the morning. And he says to you in the morning, I can see you at three o'clock on Thursday. And you say, oh, but doctor, I work. I'm not available at three o'clock on Thursday. Can you meet me at eight o'clock Thursday night after my work? And what will the doctor say to you? I can see you at three o'clock on Thursday afternoon. And you get off work and you go see the doctor. And so you should. You have an affliction of your soul and you call the pastor. Pastor, I need to see you. Okay, I can see you at 3 o'clock on Thursday afternoon. Oh, pastor, I can't come in then because I work. No, I'll be in my office from nine to five. I'll gladly see you at three o'clock. And you think the pastor doesn't care. Why is it that we treat earthly doctors better than the doctors of the soul? You go to see the doctor and he gives you bad news. You have a condition that will require extensive surgery and recovering therapies, and it will cost you out of pocket a lot of money. Do you pay it? What if it's your child? What would you pay to see that your child gets the kind of medical care he or she needs? You have, again, a spiritual affliction, or your child does. Metaphorically speaking, what are you willing to pay for the right application of the law and gospel to your soul or to the soul of your child? These are the sorts of things that each one of us needs to think about individually, but as a congregation as well, and I hope to unpack the passage in such a way as to help us do that. But this double honor is to put the pastor, especially the teaching pastor, in a position of honor and respect and honor in terms of caring for him that he might be free to be the doctor to your soul and the souls of those of the congregation. The word honor, we've already seen in chapter five, verse three, honor widows. And as in terms of these widows who have a life that has been well spent, this widow who is a widow indeed whose life has been well spent in putting her hope in God, in entreaties and prayers day and night, in performing good works, in raising children, showing hospitality, caring for the needs of the saints, assisting those in distress, and has devoted herself to every good work. That life that has been well lived, the church honors that. And when she's a widow indeed and there's no family to care for her, the church rallies around her to see that she is well taken care of, that she might continue to live that well-ordered life. And so it is with the elders. The elders are to order their lives as well. It's a different work. As we've read John Cotton in his Keys of the Kingdom, the key of order that's given to the congregation. is matched with the key of authority in which those who teach the word are to teach with the authority to bind your conscience, not to their own will or to their own preferences, but to the mind of Christ. And those who order in their lives well in rightly handling the word of God and cultivating the ability to teach are to be honored with a double honor. When we have a special speaker come, We pay him some money. We don't pay him a wage. We pay him what? An honorarium. We're trying to put together a dinner in Boston. The 3535 Foundation is trying to put together a dinner in Boston. for some of the young men that we are presently supporting or hope to support in the future who are working on PhDs and men that we are expecting to be kind of the cut above kind of scholar. And we are inviting a man named Dr. David Hall to come and to speak. David Hall is 90. He recently retired from teaching at Harvard. He's considered to be one of the leading experts in early American ecclesiology and church in general. He's written many books, and at 90, he is presently working on another book. Had the privilege of talking with him on several occasions, and he has agreed to come and speak, and then to talk to these young men about what an old David Hall might say to a young David Hall about a life committed to academics and research and writing. And in our email exchanges, he said to me, we didn't talk about remuneration. And I just wondered what there might be as I prepare a fresh message. Here's a 90-year-old man who's not just gonna show up and out of the strength of 90 years, phoned it in, as we might say, he's crafting a new message. And so I told him the figure, it's a very generous figure, it's a four-digit figure. And he emailed me back almost immediately, he's, my, that's generous. And I thought about that and if I told you the number, and I think it is at one level generous, But I understand that he got his PhD about 1962. There's only a few of us in the room who were alive in 1962. If you broke that down, that honorarium down a dollar for every hour, we're not paying him anything. And yet he will bring 60 some years of experience to minister and teach and mentor some young men. What's that worth? It's hard to put a figure to it. But I think if we gave him twice or three times what we've put on the table, would still be way too little to pay an honorarium to extend an honor to a man with such credentials. So this honor can be broken down in two things. One is interpersonal relationships. The word honor will appear again in chapter six, verse one. It says, and all who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor. So the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against. Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more. Because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles. And that's so contrary to the wisdom of this age, isn't it? You might expect if you have the carnal thinking of man to say, oh, Paul might say to the slave, if your owner is a believer, you can cut back because he will treat you as a brother and it's all good. He says, because it's your brother, you better work all of the harder. And you are to honor him and regard him as worthy of all honor, that the name of God and our doctrine not be spoken against. Paul will have similar words to say to the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 5. He says in verse 12 and 13, he says, but we request you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. And so this double honor has these interpersonal sorts of things, ways or implications of Here Paul in Thessalonians says to appreciate them, to esteem them highly in love, esteem them very highly in love. Why? Because of their work. Because of their work. Not because necessarily they're all that lovable. So part of reforming the church is for us to understand the dignity, the value, the importance of the teaching ministry in the life of the church and the one who the congregation has recognized as being set apart by the Holy Spirit to have the key of authority as the preaching and the teaching elder That position is such that you are to hold it in high esteem and in high regard in such a way that the name of God and the doctrine of God is not spoken against. The second way in which that double honor is to be expressed is actually financial as well. Verse 18, notice it starts with four, which means we have an explanation. Why do we do this double honor? For the scripture says, you shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing. Quoting from Deuteronomy chapter 25 and verse four. The ones who are working amongst you, you are to value them. You are to teach them. You are to give them that which is necessary for them to fulfill their ministry. In other words, you don't want a worn-out, hungry, tired, sickly ox. Why would you want a worn-out, tired, sickly Elder. But then notice it says, and the laborer is worthy of his wages. Now this is interesting. Where do we get that phrase? Where does Paul get that phrase? And notice, probably your Bible has it in quotes. The New American Standard does. So he's quoted Deuteronomy and not muzzling the ox, but what's he quoting from in the labor is worthy of his wages? Well, he's quoting the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of Luke chapter 10, he's sending out the 70 disciples. And he says in verse 3, "...go, behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes, and greet no one on the way. And whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be with you in this house." And if a man of peace And if a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him. And if not, it will return to you. Verse seven, stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you for the labor is worthy of his wages. Now, a couple things there. First of all, notice Paul has said, the scripture says, quoting Moses, And then he quotes Jesus. He's taking the words of Jesus to be scripture themselves. So how did Paul view the teaching of Jesus? As the inerrant, infallible, authoritative word of God. And the commentators like to suggest that this might be the first example of a New Testament quotation of Jesus actually placing, as this writer, Paul, someone other than Jesus, placing the very words of Jesus on par with the rest of scripture. But secondly, we notice in Luke, what's he say as he sends them out? Carry no money. Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes, but as you go, you will be supplied because the labor is worthy of his wages. They weren't to be self-funding, in other words. They were to be funded and God would provide for them. Well, we see this very thing in the Apostle Paul's teaching in the book of 1 Corinthians 9, and I invite you to turn there. In 1 Corinthians 9, 1 through 14, Paul is dealing with this very issue of pay for the minister. And in verse 14, you have him not quoting Jesus, but it's probably fair to say what we just read in 1 Timothy 5.18 is in his mind. Verse 14 says, so also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. We see that in Luke 10.7. We hear that in 1 Timothy 5.18. So what is the mind of Christ when it comes to somebody who has been set aside by God as Holy Spirit to be an instructor or teacher of the gospel? That in their work, they are to be renumerated for that work. Now, one of the things that's interesting in the 40 years that I've been in the ministry, I've seen so many, I've been involved in and have witnessed so many different conversations about what, where to pay a guy. And everybody seems to think it's a great mystery, and it's not, at least not in my mind. But there are some who'll say, I've been in conversations when they're considering hiring somebody, well, what are we gonna pay him? Well, he's gonna teach, What does the teacher get in the local high school? We'll pay him that. Well, who has ever said the teachers in our local high schools are paid well? So what kind of standard? That's rather arbitrary. Why the teacher in high school? Why not at a college? Why not at a university? Why not at Harvard? It's not that arbitrary. I've heard people say, and this is the one that really got my gall. We were considering bringing this guy on. When I was a youth pastor and a man was going to be brought on staff, he was being sent out as a missionary from that church. He was going to be going to Italy. He was in the process of raising funds, and they wanted him to work for two years alongside of me, to be an aide to me, and I was to be mentoring him. And they were discussing how they would pay him. And I think the teacher thing came up, a couple other things came up. And finally, this one guy, I remember, I know his name. I could tell you his name right now. I'm not going to. But one of the deacons said, Well, how much money has he already raised? We can use that for his salary. And being the youth pastor and the young one in the room, I had not said anything, but that was too much for this Dutchman at that point. And I turned to this gentleman and I said, what job have you applied for in which they asked you as part of the interview process, let us see your financial portfolio and we will adjust what we pay you based upon your portfolio. That would be considered highly disrespectful and inappropriate. And if we wouldn't do that to a business person, why would we do that to somebody who the Lord Jesus Christ has said is worthy of double honor and to be highly esteemed? Why would we go there? So we have in 1 Corinthians 9.14 the mind of Christ. The Lord has directed, the Lord has commanded, the Lord has ordered. that those who proclaim the gospel get their living from the gospel. Okay, what does that mean? Well, go back to the beginning of the chapter. Paul talks about being an apostle and some of the other apostles. In verse three he says, my defense to those who examine me is this, do we not have the right to eat and drink? Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or do only Barnabas and I not have the right to refrain from working? What's the standard of verse 14? It would seem to me what Paul is saying is the standard is that I'm paid as a living wage from the gospel in such a manner as I don't need to work at anything else. And if I have a believing wife who shares this, who travels with me, I am paid enough that she also is covered in that salary. So there was no need beyond what I'm receiving in my work for anything else financially. That's the standard. That's rather objective. Now, it may have a subjective application. Is the guy single? Is the guy married? Does he have one kid? Does he have five kids? Whatever. Where is he working? That sort of thing. But the principle is fixed. that he is to be paid in such a way that there is no financial need beyond what he is being paid for his work in the teaching of the gospel. That's not subjective. That's objective. Then Paul begins to take several different evidences for this. For example, he says, Or is it only Barnabas and I who have a right to refrain from working? Again, that's not Paul and Barnabas being lazy, not having to be the tent maker or whatever in order that he can give himself to the ministry. Verse seven, who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? We draft you into the Army of the United States to go and serve our country, and you bring your own gun, you bring your own ammo, you bring your own boots, you bring your own meals, you bring your own Medicare, Medic Kit, whatever. We love to have you. We drafted you. We'll send you to jail if you don't, but understand, it's all on your dime. No one's going to argue that way, right? The government has enlisted you into its service, it will pay for you. Now, maybe they pay well or not, but no soldier, even all the way back in the times of Rome, as Paul says, no one serves as a soldier at his own expense. His second illustration, one is from just life in general, next comes from nature. Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends the flock and does not use the milk of the flock? I am not speaking these things according to, am I not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? The farmer farms, he raises his crops, he raises his cattle, he raises his sheep, and he shares in the benefit of having them. Paul is saying, so you look to just the civic arena in terms of how a soldier, he's funded. You look to the farmer, he does his work, and from his work, he's funded. And then, just like Paul will say in terms of 1 Timothy 5, for it is written in the law of Moses, again, from Deuteronomy 25, you shall not muzzle the ox while he's threshing. God is not concerned about the ox, is he? No, he's concerned about the minister. The principle has already been laid down in the law that the one who does the work is to be furnished accordingly. Verse 10, or is he speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sakes it was written because the plowman ought to plow in hope and the thresher to thresh in the hope of sharing in the crop. If we sow spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? For others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. So he's saying when Moses laid down this law, what was God saying through Moses? It wasn't for the ox sake, it was for our sake, those who would be the teachers and proclaimers of the gospel that they would share in the hope of their laborers. And it's no small thing, he says, if I'm sowing spiritual things to reap from you temporal financial things, according to the mind of Christ, to the standard in which he has no need for any other financial support. So he's made an argument from just the civic world in terms of soldiers. He's made an argument from the farm, the ranch. He's made an argument from the law of Moses. And then he adds one more. Verse 13, do you not know those who performed their sacred service eat the food of the temple and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. So in verse 13 is a basis for which verse 14 is the application. Verse 13, what was true of the Levitical priesthood? When they divvied up the land of Israel, did the Levites get land? No. They got all of their support from the tithes and offerings of the nation of Israel and through the temple worship. That's how they were supplied. And from what I've read, though I can't prove it, but from things I've read, they were paid also when a rabbi would teach and catechize your children, family would teach, pay the rabbi. But the point is, under not just the civic way things are done with the military, not just from the farmer, not just from Moses, but from the very institution of how worship was to be practiced in Israel, the priests got their living, their complete and total living from the worship done in Israel. And I don't think you read of a single starving priest in Israel. And then the application of that is, so the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. So this double honor, one is the interpersonal relationships, how you relate to, how you treat on a personal, professional level, those who teach. You hold them in high regard, you hold them in high esteem and love, You consider them worthy of all honor and respect, and that overflows into how you pay for them. I would add also how you pray for them, but we'll save that for another time. I want you to turn your attention to one other passage, and this is in Galatians in the sixth chapter. In Galatians 6, the Apostle Paul brings this up again. Now, as we've gone through John Cotton's book on the keys of the kingdom, and through John Owen's book on the duties of the members, and on Keech's book on the true glory, the glory of the true church, all three of them appeal to this same passage in agreement with one another that Paul is speaking about how the pastor is to be paid. So it says in verse six, the one who has taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. And do not be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, he will reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap and we will not grow weary if we do not grow weary. Now, not only does the Apostle Paul argue this way, and Cotton, and Owen, and Keech, but our own confession. We say we are a full-subscription church. Our full subscription church embraces the Baptist Confession of 1689 in chapter 26, verse 10, citing this verse as the proof text, Luke, I mean, Galatians 6, 6 and 7. The work of the pastor being constantly to attend the service of Christ in his churches, in the ministry of the word and prayer, with watching for their souls, as they must give an account to him, it is incumbent on the churches to whom they minister, not only to give them all due respect, but also communicate to them of all their good things according to their ability, so as they have a comfortable supply. without them being themselves entangled in secular affairs and also being capable of exercising hospitality to others. And this is required by the law of nature and by the expressed order of our Lord Jesus, who has ordained that they that preach the gospel should live by the gospel. In sites 1 Corinthians 9, 1 Timothy 5, Acts 6, Hebrews 13, and Galatians 6. In the second chapter of his book, The Keys of the Kingdom, said, there's the key of order that's been given to the congregation, which is the power whereby every member of the church walks orderly himself according to his place in the church and helps his brethren to walk orderly also. And we have spent a lot of time on that. And a lot of that time had to do with, like, say, things like church discipline, right? Helping each other, you know, repent of sins and walk. But I think, based on what he will say, and the very... The very next page of his book, he'll talk about this key of order is, has to do with calling gifted men to order the life of the church by calling gifted men to the office that is in his church. And then on the very next page, he lists the key of order as including the censuring of false teachers, the touching of the gentle admonition and the restoring of a fallen brother, touching the maintenance of their ministers and the benefits of others. In other words, the key of order isn't just about church discipline. You're helping each other order their lives. You're helping the teacher, the proclaimer, order his life by how you financially support him and how you treat him. You want him to be able to teach, you want him to be able to pray, you want him to be able to be available for you, then you make him available for you by how you support him. And Christ has given his authority to the church to order for the local congregation to order the life of the church, which includes helping order the teacher's life by your respect and financial support. Well, the apostle Paul says, the one who was taught the word is to share all good things. And he says, don't be deceived, God is not mocked. Remember Ananias and Sapphira? They mocked God, didn't end well. God knows what you give. God knows how you view those who sit over you, the key of authority. God knows how you support those who teach. I was in a church one time, one of the pastors in church one time, and the church didn't have enough money to support me and the senior pastor. An entire adult Sunday school class, while the church was in financial need, felt the freedom as a Sunday school class, which was a good size class, to go together on a trip from California to Hawaii and to spend seven to 10 days at some condo, yucking it up, while one of the pastors was gonna have to be laid off because there was no funding. I don't think that's according to the mind of Christ. I believe that is a mocking of God. And Paul says, you know, the one who sows through the flesh, you've got all these good things. You can say, I'm gonna give those, make sure the pastors, I'm sharing these things with the pastor. No, I'd rather go to the magic kingdom. I'd rather have a second house. I'd rather whatever. All legitimate things. But even in doing the legitimate things, if the first thing of seeing that the pastor is being cared for is trumped by these other things, you are in fact mocking God. You may have great theology. you might be able to explain the divine impassibility and the trinity and the infinity and the simpleness of God. But you're still a God marker. The Reformed Baptist of the 17th century wrote a book. Here's a copy of a title page. It was entitled, The Gospel Minister's Maintenance Vindicated, wherein the regular ministry of the church is first asserted and the objections against a gospel maintenance for ministers answered. Also, the dignity, necessity, difficulty in use, and the excellence of the ministry of Christ is opened. Likewise, the nature and weightiness of the sacred work and office is clearly evidenced. Back in those days, I mean, that's the title. Back in those days, the title is almost a book in itself, right? Why did they write this book, published in 1689, published in London, 1689? Because in the beginning of the 17th century, when, this is an oversimplification, but you had the Church of England. Basically, again, this is an overstatement, all your churches in England are Anglican. You know who pays the salary of the Anglican priest in the Church of England? The government. Whether you go to church or not, you are taxed, and part of your taxes go to the government to build church buildings and pay the clergy. Then in the 1620s, and more so in the 1640s, and the rising of the 1660s, and this summer's conference is gonna be all about that window and the rise of congregational Reformed Baptist churches. Your independent and congregational churches weren't getting any money from the government because they weren't part of the Church of England. And so something that had never happened before in England now has to happen, a discussion about a local church pastor being paid by the local church. That conversation had never happened, essentially, since 1535 when King Henry left Rome. It's interesting, this book was published in 1689, and the best evidence that I have, and this may not be totally accurate, there may be more, people I've talked with and conversations and what I've searched for. After it was published, it was never reprinted. Right now, Michael and Sarah Beatty are in the process of transcribing this book and be ready for our conference this summer. That will be the first time that that book will exist as a standalone copy since 1689. And it's a book that this congregation should read and study and talk through and work through. and everyone deciding exactly how do we extend double honor. Well, there's more that I could say, but I wanna close with some application. I wanna be very careful with what I'm about to say, and I want you to be very careful in how you hear me. Because what I'm about to say might sound like I'm whining and complaining. I am not, at least that is not my intention. In the last 21 years, God has been very faithful to care for my family in ways that I think are above and beyond maybe what I've deserved. But from the generosity of this church and my salary and the Christmas bonuses that you've given that have been wonderful, and from my own Linda's family and my family helping us, and my friends that have come alongside, we've had what we've needed. And like all of you, we've had tough times. I remember we had to take out a loan on my life insurance to be able to do some basic home maintenance at one point. It took us a long time to pay off that loan. But you all have stories like that, too. That's just part of life. And so what I want to say now is not for me or for you to hear as a complaint, but you understand, I'm not here much longer. I don't have any plans to leave, don't read into that, but clearly the end is closer to me than the beginning. I know I'm slowing down. I find myself tripping. I'm waiting for myself to fall down the stairs some morning. My synapses fire slower and slower. I know that the end is near. Is it a year from now, three years from now, five years from now? I don't know, but there's gonna come a time when I will not be here and you're gonna have another guy. And so everything I'm about to say, though it will be illustrative for my life, it's about the other guy. You understand what I'm trying to say? 21 years, I have served you. I've never had a raise, not a single raise. I have received COLAs, which as you know, stands for a cost of living adjustment. It's an adjustment, it's not a raise. And I appreciate every adjustment I've ever gotten. They have helped, so don't hear me complaining. But to illustrate, from buying power, you pay me a whole lot less today than you did 21 years ago when I came. Is that okay? Now that's more sensitive, I'm maybe a little more sensitive to that for this reason, because when we came here, we took a significant cut in salary to come here. Our choice, that's not a complaint. But the reason why I bring that up is because at the time we're negotiating with the then elders, it was very clear to us that what they were offering us, which was for us a significant cut, was a significant increase from what the previous pastor was being paid. I don't know what he was paid, I don't wanna know what he's paid, but I'm thinking, that's not good. So today I make a whole lot less. So the next guy comes, how are you to care for him? And that's not a conversation that the elder board should have in private or the elders and deacons should have in private, because that has been given to you as the congregation To exercise the authority and been given the responsibility to extend double honor to those who teach you, so says Paul in 1 Timothy 5 and Paul in Galatians 6. That's those who are taught the word are to share all good things with those who teach the word. That's not a direction given to the elder, that's a direction given to the body. I would like to retire. But in 21 years, not a single penny has been paid to a retirement fund for me. And that's okay. That's still my responsibility or my wife and I responsibility. And we've shared, staved up what I think is a lot of money. But if I was to retire today, if Lynn and I were to retire today, we would have to cut our livings standard in half about. Is that okay? When you go get a job, don't you ask, well, what are the benefits? What's my salary? Do I get healthcare? Do I get any kind of retirement? In some cases, you have jobs, like if you worked at Shields, where you'd be, it's a employee-owned company, you might get some stock. And none of those things should be taken for granted, and certainly none of those things are necessarily owed to anybody. But my point is this, again, not to complain. But if you go to apply for a job and they say, we'll pay you this, but there will be no insurance and no retirement, we will tend to talk about, that's not as good a deal as I think I should have had. Well, if that's not as good a deal as you think you should have, well, what about the teaching elder? Again, I'm not asking you to do anything about that. I'm asking us to think about when another guy comes, what is it when we say double honor? What does that mean for us? Where do we go with that? And this is what I said in Sunday school this morning. I'm gonna say it again in Sunday school this afternoon. I've said it so many times. My biggest fear at this point in my life is not my income. but that we'll have sermons like this, we'll take a year to study ecclesiology as we have, and we will get done, and nothing will change. We will be just like we were a year ago, five years ago, 10 years ago, or 21 years ago. And that's not acceptable. If we say we're reformed, we're not. We are reforming, and we have made tremendous strides. I am so blessed, and so many pastors come, and they visit, they come to conferences here, and they tell me afterwards, we love, I have guys who say, can I come and be at your church? They love you guys, they love what they're doing. Guys, they just think what's happening here is wonderful, and I think it is. But we will always be reforming. just like we will always be in our own lives further sanctifying, if I can say it that way, because until we see Jesus, there's always gonna be room for growth and maturity. And what's true of the one is true of the many. And so I closed with this. These personal illustrations, not to complain. I want to say that again. I am not complaining. I'm not saying I haven't been given my just. God has cared for us. I'm trying to lay it out as a practical way for us to think about and discuss as we move forward next year, five years, 10 years. What will we do to fulfill the mind of Christ in seeing that those who teach the word make their living from a word at a standard, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9, 6, where they don't have to work at all. And I think that would include their wife, that they can be an embodiment of what you'd want a Christian family to look like in terms of a mom caring and nurturing, maybe educating the kids if possible. And that's on the congregation. And for us to have a hearty discussion about it. So I will end with this. And thank you for allowing me to speak so frankly. And if I've offended anybody, I apologize and ask that you not say that to anyone else, but rather come to me so I might apologize to your face because I mean no offense whatsoever. But I'll close with this illustration. Sometimes, Early on in my ministry, when I performed a wedding, I used to get nice honorariums. And I always felt awkward because I've never seen my doing a wedding or a funeral as something that I should necessarily receive an honorarium for, although, like anyone, I'm always thankful to get one. But I've seen it as an extension of my job. It's what I do. I'm happy to do it. And so if I don't get anything, I don't complain because I don't think I deserved anything. It's my job. But the people would come and they would say early on, what do you charge to do a wedding? I would always feel uncomfortable. How do you, what do you say, 100, 200, 500? I never knew what to say. Then I came up with this great saying. I said, mostly as a joke, so pastor, what would you charge to do a wedding? I would say, how badly do you want to be married? Pay me what you think is worth me showing up to do your wedding. And one guy says, well, I'm not, I don't know. Is there anything you want? I said, as a joke, how about a handgun? He handed me his payment for the wedding, his father's Colt .357 Magnum revolver for doing his wedding. That is the best honorarium I've ever gotten. Bring him on, baby. So I wanna take that and just turn it. What should you give to support the ministry of this church? How badly do you wanna get married or what's it worth for you to be married, right? When you're thinking about supporting the church, the question isn't how much should we pay the pastor, but based upon double honor, based upon 1 Corinthians 9.14, based upon Galatians 6, what is your soul worth to you? And would your giving reflect the value you expect from the ministry for your soul? Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you that you do care for us in ways beyond what we could ever ask or even think. I thank you for the generosity that you have lavished upon this church, upon my family, for the prayers, the finances, the special gifts. You truly have been generous to all of us and to my family in particular, and I wanna give you the glory for that. And Lord, I pray that the personal illustrations today, I hope will be received in such a way that people will be prodded to think, not feel guilty, but to think and to ponder. What is our role? and exercising the key of order in expressing double honor to those who teach. We pray that you would help us in these things, Lord, not so that someone will get more money or less, but that we will, as a congregation, be more conformed to the mind of Christ, that we might, as a local church, more faithfully express the beauty and the glory of the true church of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's to that end, Lord, we ask that you would give us instruction. We pray these things in Christ's name, amen.