Personal Evangelism Obstacle – Pay Me!

ALL – Psalm 33:12-22
ALL – Proverbs 21:11-12
OT – Nehemiah 7:61-9:21
NT – 1 Corinthians 9:1-19

Interesting passage for the day: Under this circumstance, what is my pay? It is the special joy I get from preaching the Good News without expense to anyone, never demanding my rights. – 1 Corinthians 9:18, The Living Bible

Thought: What if pastors, evangelists and missionaries all went on strike? What if they all banded together and said, “No more Good News for you until you pay me what I deserve?”

Don’t get me wrong. Many of us are compensated well beyond what we need. But on the other hand, clergy frequently serve wholeheartedly at great sacrifice to themselves. In fact, it’s so common for clergy to be underpaid that sometimes congregations respond scornfully to ministers to suggest that they might need a little more compensation.

What I love about Paul is that he’s not focused on rights. That’s not an excuse to God’s people, letting them off the hook from doing what’s right toward God’s servants. But Paul finds his joy and fulfillment in preaching the Good News. And because he doesn’t depend on anyone in the Corinthian church to provide him with food and clothes, he is able to share the Gospel with them whether they pay him or not. What Paul celebrates is not his right to be paid, but his privilege to carry Good News from city to city and region to region!

Question: What would it take to get you to introduce people to Jesus Christ? Would you have to be paid and compensated well first? Or are you already free to share? If so, are you sharing?

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