CCK Blog

Context
In Hebrews 3:5-4:13, the writer cites an incident describe hundreds of years earlier in Psalm 95 by King David. The subject of this psalm itself happened hundreds of years before that, showing the incident to be one of importance to God’s people for all time. What happened was this: God had brought his people out of captivity in Egypt, promising them a land to dwell in. The people experienced God’s deliverance from slavery but they faltered in their confidence in him and increasingly became hardened against him. Their rebellion and faithlessness continued to the point where God swore to them in His anger “They shall not enter my rest” (See Numbers 14:26-30 and Deuteronomy 1:34-36) He did not send them back into Egypt (which is analogous to sin and death which the Christian lives in prior to coming to Christ – see Ephesians 2:1) But they still did not manage to enter into the ‘Rest’ intended for them.

What is the ‘Rest’ referred to?
It is not a physical rest that is exhausted by the people of God entering into the land. We know this because Hebrews 4:8 says “If Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.” Rather, what is in view is the very rest that God himself enjoys and invites his children to share in. In the creation account of Genesis, God is depicted as working for six days and resting on the seventh. The first six days have a beginning and an end, the seventh has a beginning but no end – God is still enjoying that rest! So then, is God somehow ambivalent and apathetic towards his creation? This is the God of Deism but surely not the God of the Bible. A.R. Fausset helpfully points out “God’s rest is not a rest necessitated by fatigue, nor consisting in idleness but that upholding and governing of which creation was the beginning”
 So then this ‘rest’ has connotations of sharing in the effortless rulership, authority and glory with which God handles creation. It is what mankind was originally made for – not merely to fall but to rule. Jesus is depicted in Hebrews as the one who has walked the path prescribed for mankind perfectly and we are now able to do likewise as we follow in His footsteps, all the while fully aware that He has paid the price for us and thus we can walk the walk guilt-free. God himself wants us to attain this rest which He offers – what good news!

Unbelief
What is it that kept the children of God in the Desert from entering into that rest, the land, which was promised to them? It is the same thing that stops people entering into God’s purpose for their lives now – Unbelief.
Unbelief is a gateway sin which debars entry into God’s rest. Augustine said “While [unbelief] continues, all other sins are retained and when it departs all other sins are remitted.”
How does one fall into unbelief? There are different ways – here are a few:
For the Non-Christian
• Not hearing the message in the first place – Christian’s have a responsibility to any people they know who have not heard the Good News about Jesus. They need to ensure that those around them hear the message proclaimed (Romans 10:14)
• Mishearing the message – it is very common in the post-Christian UK at present, for people to think they understand Christ and Christianity. As soon as, for example, the guidance of Bible comes into conflict with our lives the tendency is to reject it as ‘outmoded’ or ‘impractical’ for our times. Whilst not an out and out declaration of the falsehood of God’s word, it is only a short step to it: This process is the one that the Bible describes as ‘hardening’
For the Christian
• Taking on another authority – Christians can sometimes find themselves in either internal or external rebellion. This takes place when one starts subjecting God’s revelation, which is of, highest authority, to other authorities. Paul, in Galatians 1:6-8 warns believers not to accept ‘another Gospel’ because it will be a false one. He offers the antidote to and protection against this slippage in Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly”
• Listening and not hearing – It is possible as a believer to constantly shrug off God’s speaking to us and to thereby miss out on entering into His rest. Hebrews 4:2 tells us “Good News came to us (meaning now) just as to them (the children of God in the desert) but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.”  In the desert they believed less and less of God, in spite of how faithful and powerful He had shown Himself to be. The Christian’s life should be characterised by believing more and more of God in light of who He has shown Himself to be!

Inheriting
If it is unbelief that prevents someone laying hold of the inheritance which God has for them, it is surely by faith in God as he has revealed himself through his words and deeds that causes them to inherit.
Keeping this faith vital is described as a communal activity. As Hebrews 3:12 tells us “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day as long as it is called ‘today’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
• Sin is deceitful – It presents itself well but ends in misery and disappointment
• Christians are God’s provision for each other – we are delivered from the deceitfulness of sin by the fellowship of other believers. Sin cannot perform its trick of deceit so easily when your isolation is broken by being a part of the community where God dwells by His Spirit.
• Christians need to
o Encourage each other’s faith by being an example that faith is fruitful
o Be encouraged in their faith by observing the fruitful lives of other Christians

Today
In the passage that we have been considering the writer repeatedly quotes the scripture “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts”.  G. Wilson tells us “God’s word is always ‘to-day’ but it is never safe to presume that He will say it again ‘Tomorrow’!”
In 2 Corinthians 6:2, Paul writes ‘God says “In a favourable time I listened to you and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favourable time; behold, now is the day of salvation”

Paul is dealing with another issue in the Corinthian church – how they have misunderstood and mishandled the things of the Holy Spirit. They have become sensationalists, becoming obsessed with spiritual and mystical ideas, with having simply an “experience” void of any meaning or purpose. They have also become competitive, having rivalry with spiritual gifts, being proud in how “gifted” they were.

But spiritual gifts are for a purpose and a goal. This is why the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts:

1. To honour Jesus

• You can only say that Jesus is Lord from the heart by the enabling of the Holy Spirit. Likewise you can’t curse Jesus from the heart if you have the Spirit.
• The Spirit wants to bring about the Lordship and worship of Christ in people’s hearts.
• The Spirit brings about revelation of Jesus – who He is and the fact that He’s alive
• Jesus gets a lot of attention when the Holy Spirit turns up. Jesus sent us the Helper who would bring an awareness of Jesus wherever the Spirit goes.
• The Holy Spirit is God and should be worshipped as such, and yet He brings attention to the Father and the Son.
• We don’t worship spirituality, or even just focus only on the Spirit, but God Himself in all He is.
• The Spirit works powerfully when Jesus is honoured and worshipped and enjoyed and exalted.

2. For the common good

• Same Lord, same Spirit, same Body.
• All of us are who are in Christ are given the same manifestation of the Spirit.
• Spiritual gifts and abilities are for the good of others and the building of the Body. It’s bigger than just you – it’s for the Church.
• The gifts are to server – otherwise they’re not a gift!
• Paul uses the analogy of a body – you become part of it automatically when you come to Christ
• You only hurt yourself if you damage the Body, the same if you hurt one part of your body, there is a knock-on effect on the rest of yourself.
• We need to live for the overall purpose of the Church.
• Don’t be a cancer! This is someone who only lives for their own purpose, draining the Body of time and energy. Don’t just be a consumer – be a part of the answer and the solution.
• The part you play is vital for the Body. A healthy body is where every part plays its correct role. How are you functioning?

This deals with two problems:

1. Self pity (v.15-17)

• We need to resist feeling like we are not a part of the Body just because we don’t have a particular gift or are not a particular part of the Body.
• We are not called to be the same as each other – not called to do what others are called to do.
• We fall into self pity when we can’t do the same thing or be like someone we admire and measure as the idea of a successful Christian. Don’t give into gift envy!
• Be the most useful version of yourself by the grace of God, to the blessing of the Body. Don’t waste your time trying to be something you’re not!
• God custom-designed us each for a specific purpose. Eph 2 – we are His workmanship, created for good works which He prepared in advance.
• You learn what your purpose and role is by trial and error.
• Help others find out what they’re meant to do – tell them what they’re good at (and be brave enough to tell them what they might not be so gifted in).
• You won’t find out what you were meant to do if you’re not in the Church!

2. Superiority (v.21-23)

• We are totally wrong when we identify importance with profile.
• The last shall be first, the first shall be last.
• Your gift is not there to make you more public. That may happen anyway, but don’t idolise fame and profile.
• Give honour to the “lesser parts”. Outdo one another in showing honour to others – be competitive about that!

Self pity and superiority are both issues of the same root problem – a security that is not found in Christ. Find your security in Him – not in how good you are at doing particular things. God could take away your gift at any time, or bring someone along who is more gifted in the same thing as you. Ensure your identity is firmly built on Christ!

Hebrews deals with the glorious theme of the Supremacy of Jesus Christ.

Here in this passage there are 3 main ideas.

Don’t Drift Away

Sadly some do drift away out of church fellowship. But here are compelling reasons not to do so.
• Because of the supremacy of Christ. This is particularly described in Hebs 1:1-3
• Because of the anger of God. The writer asks here; how can we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? (vs.3)
• Because this message of salvation is the Truth. It was spoken first by the Lord himself who is the Truth. It was attested to by first hand witnesses. It was confirmed by signs and miracles.

The Plan of God

The writer quotes from Psalm 8 which exalts the greatness of man as God’s plan was to bring everything under his feet. Men and women are meant to rule on the earth but because of sin we’ve mucked it up. However through the death of Christ not only have our sins been forgiven but we have been restored to the position that God intended – but we don’t yet see it! (See vs. 8).
However right now we recognise that Christ created the earth, so we should be living responsibly with regard to the environment and also anticipating the new earth which is part of the fruit of Christ’s redeeming work at Calvary.
Also, God’s plan will be fully worked out in us when finally we rule with Christ over a new creation. Rev 11:15 says that when the final trumpet blows then the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. Yes, and we shall reign with him.

Jesus is the Perfect Saviour

Vs. 10 says that Jesus is made perfect through suffering. This is not a reference to his character, but simply to the fact that he became our perfect Saviour when he died for our sins, as nothing else needs to be done to achieve our redemption.
He is our perfect Saviour because:
• He sorts out creation. He will rule over it forever with joy.
• He sorts out our destiny. He is leading many sons to glory (vs.10) and glory includes the fact that we will reign with him.
• He sorts out relationship. Through his redeeming work Jesus makes us his brothers and sisters. (vs.11).

Jesus is the ‘founder’, or better the ‘Champion’ (vs.10) of our salvation.
We cannot drift away from such a great salvation.

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In the Corinthian culture, people enjoyed eating and drinking together, and so the Lord’s Supper appealed to the church in Corinth as a time of getting together for a feast with wine – but it lost its true meaning, and Paul wants to remind them about it. In this we learn what the meaning and principles of Communion are:

1. Brings His presence

• It has always been God’s plan to dwell amongst people and have communion together.
• There is a history of meals being involved as part of God visiting His people in a powerful way.
• God wants to eat with us – like the way we do with other people when we want to spend quality time together.
• As we hunger physically, God wants to remind us that He is our true satisfaction. We all crave peace and joy and comfort and look for it everywhere except God, but He is the only one who can fill us and meet those longings.
• God gives us these opportunities to draw near to Him and feast on Him. We feed on Christ when we feed on Communion.
• The bread and wine don’t literally become the body and blood of Jesus – He very often described Himself in metaphorical terms, and this was one of them. But neither is Communion meant to be merely a “memorial” service, with no sense of wonder or expectation to meet with God.
• Our minds are involved in the process – Communion isn’t magic.
• The bread and wine tell our story – like how the Israelites celebrated Passover – of how God has redeemed us and rescued us from our slavery to sin and death. We reflect on the rescue mission He has accomplished for each of us, and we celebrate who we now are – the chosen, redeemed children of God.

2. Demands our purity

• We examine and purify our hearts in preparation, coming to God humbly on His terms.
• We do it with the right motives and a soft heart, not hard-hearted or stubborn towards God but open for Him to search us.
• ’some have died’ – God often does things drastic to wake us up from our wanderings, to get our attention because He loves us and cares about us too much to let us go on in our own foolish ways.
• We need to be open to what God is doing in our lives.
• If you are in sin, do business with God in your heart – repent and receive His forgiveness and grace.
• Paul is addressing corporate sin – i.e. divisions within the church. There is to be unity – there should be no social divisions; we are all one in Christ.
• Communion brings us together – we should celebrate and enjoy it, and just be together, and pray for one another.

3. Proclaims the future

1. We proclaim the the Lord Jesus’ coming as we take Communion – we take it until He comes back.
2. The bread and wine are tangible things to help us remember the past and the future of what Christ has done and what He will do.
3. Communion is a shadow of the great feast to come in heaven.

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This is a difficult passage and is controversial in our day and age, but we need to humbly submit ourselves to it and listen to what it is saying to us, rather than force our own interpretation on it.

1. What is instructed here?

• v.4
• Because of the freedom that has been bought for us through Christ, we can sometimes “over do” it and take our liberties too far, throwing off every rule and principle. One of the things we can do is blur gender
• Jesus promoted a new freedom, a new way of equality between the sexes – and this is what Paul is also promoting
• When this letter was written, it seemed as though women in the Corinthian church were not following the normal protocol/dress code of the day – it could be that they were not wearing their headcoverings, which distinguished them from the men, or that they were wearing their hair like immoral women would
• The principle here is that men should be men and women should be women – and it should be visibly seen that way

2. Why is it instructed?

• v.3
• Paul wants there to be an understanding of the beautiful and honourable principles of authority and submission, and distinction within gender
• The key phrase here is ‘the head of Christ is God’ – it all comes back to and originates within the Trinity – 1 God, 3 persons, where there is order, headship and submission
• Equality of essence does not diminish distinction of roles
• Authority does not mean a higher importance, higher value or more envied position
• Jesus is glad to submit to the Father
• The woman is the glory of man – woman was made from and for man. She was made in the image of God as man’s equal, but with a different role
• Paul wants the church to shine with complementarianism and equality
• The word “helper” used to describe the role of the woman is not a derogatory word; the exact same word is used to describe God the Holy Spirit. God does not mind being called a helper! It is an honourable thing

3. How is this fair?

• Paul stresses that both sexes are equal before God
• The key phrase is in v.11 – ‘in the Lord’ – this all works in the Lord
• In God all of this works in joy and harmony – and it was the same with Adam and Eve in the garden
• What ruined everything was sin – it brought on gender wars, oppression of women, etc. Women desire to control men and men oppress and rule over women
• It’s not that there is a problem with headship and submission are wrong – is that there is a problem with us
• Men are supposed to lead and use their power with humility – like Christ, who did not boss people around or lord his authority over people; He serves and He loves
• Jesus used his power and authority wisely – husbands are to do the same
• Jesus is also the model for wives in that He submits to the Father with gladness, honour and joy, trusting the Father

4. What now?

• ‘Judge for yourselves’ – it is obvious to us what makes our gender distinctives in our culture
• We need to know that God cares about gender, even if our culture doesn’t
• Women are only called to submit to their husbands, and men only have authority over their wives – but we can have echoes within the church of men taking responsibility and serving as a way of leading, and women can come alongside and be of great help
• Look to Jesus – as the role model and as the strength to be able to carry out our roles

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The writer of Hebrews compares Christ to what he knows about Judaism – that He is the supreme version of everything (High Priest, sacrifice, etc).

Christianity is not about rules but about the person of Christ.

God has spoken
1. Many times, many ways
2. Last days – spoken through His Son
3. God speaks through what Jesus is

• Prophecy today is judged by the Word
• Prophets do speak today, but God speaks to all of us by His Son – not just by what He said but by what He is, which is the very Word of God

Jesus is supreme (v.2-3)
1. He is the heir of all things

• Jesus conquers all people groups through love
• Christianity is not a lost cause that will one day fade away – God’s plan is to unite all of creation in Christ, restoring the created order under His headship

2. Through Him, God created the world

• God spoke and the universe came into existence

3. He is the radiance of God’s glory

• God speaks to us about His glory through Jesus – in grace and in truth

4. He is the exact imprint of God’s nature

• We now have access to God through Christ

5. He upholds the universe

• He sustains all with purpose, moving it all towards a glorious consummation
• The Son holds it all together

6. He made purification for sins
7. He sat down

• High Priests in the Old Covenant could never really sit down – the work was never finished
• Jesus is on the throne – the work is finished – and He is waiting to come back

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Paul is challenging the Corinthians on wanting to have it both ways – of wanting to have both God and their idols. This is typical of human nature – wanting to have multiple gods – but you can’t just switch gods when it’s convenient; God has a right to us and a right to be our God because He made us and He is the only true God. We are made to worship Him alone – that’s where we find true life, that’s where life makes sense. Our relationship with God must be exclusive like a marriage – God won’t accept other idols, otherwise it means we don’t really love God.

We also can’t use the line of “being all things to all men” or trying to be culturally relevant as excuses for idolatry. We may think it’s harmless but we allow idols to have power over us when we worship them.

Paul goes back to the Exodus of God’s people to make his point. He says that they did the right “Christian” rituals – once saved by God out of Egypt, they had their own equivalents of baptism and communion – and yet God still overthrew them in the wilderness and all but 2 out of 2 million failed to fulfil their destiny, even though they still remained God’s people and didn’t go back to Egypt. We are foolish if we take that lightly.

Paul says that eternal life is something we need to “lay hold” of. We are saved – by grace – for a reason; we have a God-given purpose to fulfil. And the hurdle we fall at is tempation.

1. Be ready

• Prepare to be tested. Be careful, don’t be cocky, because testing will come. Wake up!
• Do not misunderstand or underestimate our enemy. 1 Peter 5:8 – our enemy, the devil, wants to destroy us. He is real and he will use anything at all – any desire or longing or thing we want – as bait to lure us away from God’s purposes for us.

2. “Special case” syndrome

• We so often make exceptions for ourselves, saying that we can handle certain temptations that others can’t, or that our circumstances excuse us from not giving into temptation because it is just to hard for us.
• But obedience to God is always hard and any temptation we face is one common to man.

3. Hold fast to Scripture

• This is the antidote to the devil’s lies, because when we give into temptation it means that we are believing the false promises of Satan and the false picture of the future that he presents.
• The devil casts doubt on God in our minds and makes us distrust Him – so we need to beat the devil’s promises with God’s promises.
• Whenever we sin, we are effectively saying that we don’t trust God, but we need to know that God is faithful and that the one who is trustworthy is the one who hung on a cross for our sake.

4. God is in control

• You are not “giving God a break” when you give into temptation – that is nonsense!
• God allows the temptation to happen – He knows how much we can handle and He always provides the grace we need to endure it.
• God does not tempt us, He tests us – to strengthen us. The devil tempts us to destroy us.
• God cares so much about us – He is our good Father.

5. It will end

• The testing won’t go on forever – God always has an escape (literally “outcome”) ready for us at the right time.
• The way to endure is to remember that God has an outcome prepared, that there is an end in sight.
• Sometimes we think we can’t go on any more, but God gives us the grace to just get through one day at a time.
• Jesus endured every temptation and endured the cross, and yet He really was abandoned – for our sake, and so that we can endure and reign in life with Him, never being forsaken.

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1. Culture

• Each culture has its own language, customs, habits, etc, and we have to learn these if we are cross into other cultures. Culture isn’t confined to being international – there are many sub-cultures within any culture. There are even different cultures just as we step outside our front door!
• Paul dealt with the challenge of culture crossing – he especially needed to as an apostle.
• Paul was firm and unmoving in his beliefs and convictions, but he was also pliable and able to accommodate different types of people.
• The problem is that we often assume that our culture superior and is the “right” way of doing things, and we can equate certain customs and cultural values with the gospel – bringing the gospel plus our customs to other cultures. But what we need to do is bring the gospel in its absolute purest form.
• It is difficult and it isn’t comfortable to cross cultures effectively.
• Paul is FREE – he is free from trying to impress people and God. He is not taking on other people’s cultures to impress those people, nor is he trying to earn favour with God. He is free from condemnation and free to live for God alone.
• Paul’s home is not in any culture because it is in heaven, so he can put aside his cultural comforts and enter any other culture.
• Paul makes himself a servant to all – for the sake of those who don’t know Christ.

2. Jesus

• Paul was free because of Jesus. Jesus bought our freedom and peace with God with His blood. Jesus was made a servant so that we could be free.
• The way Paul enters other cultures like this points to something deeper and more powerful – he is acting like Jesus.
• God Himself came down and entered our world, taking on our likeness, and made all the effort and took all the steps to reach out to us. He gets on our level and communicates to us in a way we can understand.
• Like Jesus, we are to take the glory of God to other people.
• Jesus will take us over borders in order to reach those who don’t know Him.
• We have to learn the cultures and world in which we live – we need to go as far as we can to reach people, without sinning.
• Don’t put barriers in the way of the gospel!
• The onus is on us to take the steps and go to people with the gospel.
• We need to be flexible and get our priorities right.

3. Challenges

• Listening challenge: we need to learn to listen to others first, as our propensity is usually to preach at people instead. People will listen more when they’ve been heard.
• Persuasive challenge: we need to know what and why we believe, and we need to give reason for those beliefs. Sometimes we can be superspiritual and just “leave it to the power of God”, but we need to challenge other people’s worldviews because we love them and want them to know Jesus.
• Sunday challenge: the church has the challenge of drawing people into the community of God. We need to present ourselves and our meetings in an intelligible way, being accessible to all, and not being lazy about explaining what goes on during meetings.
• Community challenge: drawing people into zones and small groups, particularly those who are on the fringes, and not sticking to Christian cliques. Jesus left the 99 sheep to go and find the one – we’ll grow to be more like Jesus when we reach out to and hang out with those on the edges.
• Public challenge: this is how we present ourselves as a church in terms of communications, aesthetics, online presence, etc – presented in a clear and relevant way.
• Misunderstanding challenge: by trying to reach out into our culture(s), people may accuse us of “selling out” and just trying to be “hip”. Other Christians and other churches may cut us off – but true maturity is putting aside the barriers and our personal preferences in order to advance the gospel whatever it takes.

Often on Sunday nights at CCK we take some time at the end of the meeting to answer questions sent in via text message. We did this a few weeks back after my preach ‘Jesus and Your Money’ but due to time we weren’t able to answer all the questions on the night, we said we’d put some answers online so here they are.

Q. Should we give out of guilt?

A. No! The Christian gives out of an assurance that 1) Everything belongs to God anyway and 2) That God has shown the great extent of His love for them in giving His son. As Paul says in Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” – if we understand this and hold it to be true, it must surely follow that we can no longer give out of a sense of guilt.

Q. Is it spiritually worthwhile to pursue a career in which you can progress thru a hierarchy to gain increased wealth and influence to re-inject your earnings back into church and its projects while encouraging your colleagues if you are in a position to do so? Or would it be better to take a job that allows more opportunity to become more involved with the projects personally? Or are both stances equally spiritually rewarding and good uses of our giftings?

A. It is possible to pursue either of these courses with integrity, equally it is possible to pursue either and be entirely fruitless. What is in question is the state of your heart: If a thing is done to the glory of God, it is worship and therefore acceptable. If it is done with purely self in view, in an attempt to justify oneself by gaining merit / appeasing guilt etc. it is a dead work. A Christian can bring great glory to God in either of the ways mentioned in the question but only if His glory and fame are the desire of their heart.

Q. Is there merit in the saying that being on the edge financially keeps you more reliant and trusting on God?

A. As with the question above, it is quite possible for this situation to go either way: If the individual in question has a right assessment of who God is, and so fears and honours Him, they will find that they approach impending poverty with faith and hope. For those without this perspective, they might well panic and fear the situation. 1 John 4:18 tells us “Perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” Therefore, the true deciding factor in reliance on God is whether or not one truly knows God as a loving Father. Whether or not this person is ‘on the edge financially’ is incidental.

Q. Is not the current system of money itself evil, as well as the love of money, in that it requires perpetual debt? Should we be partaking in a resource based economy instead, is this not what both Jesus and Paul advocated anyway?

A. Earthly governments are always a mixture, therefore we have a tension: On the one hand, we read in Romans 13:1 “there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God”. On the other hand, several verses later in Romans 13:8, we read “Owe no one anything”. This leaves those in our situation with a problem: How do we submit to the authorities in a ‘debt’ culture? It would certainly involve not participating in the aspects of the culture that were counter to the Faith – in this case living on credit. The underlying principle to be observed is: Live in a godly way within the time and place and under the authorities that God has placed you. This does not mean that where things are unjust and ungodly we do not pray consistently and seek peaceful reform. On the second question: One could probably cite Scripture in various creative ways (and many have,) to suggest that Jesus and Paul advocated one particular mode of government or economy but this would involve reading into the text.

Q. If we invest in God’s church here in CCK, do you think this city will change?

A. In a word: YES! Our vision is to be ‘in Brighton, for Brighton’. In writing to the exiles, Jeremiah advised them “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7) We feel a similar mandate on us for Brighton. By giving to CCK, we are giving to an initiative that will effect permanent positive change, as the peace and prosperity of Brighton and Hove are placed high on the agenda.

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Paul has been explaining what true freedom is and what it is to be used for. When talking about money, we have to set the foundation right first, which is that grace is a free gift – it cannot be bought or earned with good works (e.g. giving lots of money to church). We can’t cover our sin with money – the price was God’s own Son. Another thing that needs to be clarified is that Paul is speaking to Christians, to members of the church.

Paul explains that he has every right to be paid by the church – and yet he chose not to in the case of the Corinthian church, as he didn’t want people to think they could bribe him, and the church had only recently been started up. However, Paul does explain four reasons why he has this right, as do the leaders of any church:

1. Common sense

• v.7 – if you work, you should get fairly paid.
• Often, Christians are the slowest to get this – some of us have a superspiritual view of money, thinking it is “unspiritual” or the root of all evil, or thinking that it will make the pastors/elders more spiritual and humble by keeping them poor! But money can and should be used for God’s glory, for blessing others – the church needs it. It is the LOVE of money that is the root of all evil – when you treat money as god.
• Jesus had to be supported financially when he was in full-time ministry.

2. God wants fairness

• v.8 – it is in the law of God.
• God has said many times in Scripture that He cares about fairness. He wants there to be justice for those who work – to be given dignity and rights and treated well.
• Paul uses the metaphor of an ox – good representation of what ministry work looks like: genuinely hard work, carrying a heavy load, extends beyond ordinary working hours, a continuous labour.

3. God’s presence costs cash

• v.13
• The Church is the presence of God – extending the Church, doing the work of God’s kingdom requires resources, and that requires money.
• The Church is God’s plan and only plan for the world – Jesus gave His life for it, and He will build it.
• We can be tempted to give our money to other ministries that seem more exciting than giving to our church – but the church is God’s mission and the mission we should be on. God has placed us here, to serve THIS city.
• We are not forbidden from giving to other ministries – it’s just that our priority in giving should be our church. We can give on top of what we give to church.

4. Jesus said it

• v.14 – ‘the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel’
• 1 Timothy 5:17-18
• It is a clear, biblical principle, taught by Jesus Himself.

There are four common myths that stop people from giving:

1. “More people = more money”

• i.e. thinking that it will just be covered by others. However, every member is needed. The church cannot afford to have people not giving.

2. “It’s ‘my’ money”

• No it’s not, it’s God’s money. We are stewards – we merely look after God’s money. He can do with it what He likes. Our calling in life is not to accumulate wealth and material possessions, but to steward well.

3. “I can’t afford to give”

• If we have this attitude, will we ever be in a place where we’re able to give?
• It sets a principle of “God gets the leftovers” or “God gets whatever I have spare”.
• The reality is, we can’t afford not to give! We need to learn that God covers us – that He is our security, not money.
• We can’t outgive God!
• We rob God when we don’t give to Him the first and best.
• We need to realign our priorities – where your treasure is, there your heart is also.
• If we learn to steward with little, God can trust us to steward with large amounts.
• Learn to give freely, wholeheartedly and crazily!

4. “CCK just needs to survive”

• i.e. we just need to stop being so ambitious.
• In truth, we need to be way more ambitious – God has much GREATER ambitions for our city, our nation and our world!
• This is a serious matter – we need to reach people with Jesus, we need to be building and growing more and more. And in order to do that, each member needs to play their part.