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Episode 120 - The Free Preacher · End-Time Revival Ministries, USA

• 0:13
  Speaker 1: I will lift mine eyes to the hills from which
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  Speaker 1: comes my health. My health comes from the Lord who
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  Speaker 1: made the heavens and the earth. He will not suffer
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  Speaker 1: my foot to be moved. He that keeps Israel neither
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  Speaker 1: slumbers nor sleeps. The Lord is my keeper. The Lord
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  Speaker 1: is the shade of by my right hand. The sun
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  Speaker 1: shall not smite me by day, nor the moon by night.
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  Speaker 1: The Lord will preserve me from all evil. The Lord
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  Speaker 1: will preserve my soul, my going out, my coming in,
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  Speaker 1: from this time forth and even forevermore. Thank God for
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  Speaker 1: all of his promises. He is our refuge and our strength,
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  Speaker 1: our very present help in the time of troubled trials, tribulations.
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  Speaker 1: And yes, yes, yes, we will go through the valleys
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  Speaker 1: the shadow of death. But yet we can go through
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  Speaker 1: without fear of evil, fear of death, fear of the grave,
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  Speaker 1: fear of men, because God is with us. And if
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  Speaker 1: God be for us, who can be against us. Thank
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  Speaker 1: God for these great and precious promises, and many many more.
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  Speaker 1: That God has a man for his people. His word
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  Speaker 1: has gone forth out of his mouth. It shall not
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  Speaker 1: return unto him void. And we are a man. The beneficiaries,
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  Speaker 1: great recipients of the multitude of His mercies toward each
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  Speaker 1: and every one of us. And certainly if you are
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  Speaker 1: not a man in the ark of safety, we certainly
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  Speaker 1: pray today that God will open your eyes, your ears,
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  Speaker 1: your heart, Amen, so that you can a man know
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  Speaker 1: the joy of this great salvation that God has for
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  Speaker 1: everyone who puts their trust in Him. Amen. So thank
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  Speaker 1: God again for this glorious day. We welcome you to
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  Speaker 1: this another of End Time Revival Ministries USA podcast. I
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  Speaker 1: am your host, Pastor al Zachary, and today we are
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  Speaker 1: continuing in our study in the First Letter to the
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  Speaker 1: Corinthian Church, and I believe today we're going to be
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  Speaker 1: in chapter of A nine. So if you have your Bibles,
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  Speaker 1: you can go along with us as we follow a
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  Speaker 1: man into delve into rather the word of the Word
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  Speaker 1: to see. Amen. Well the Lord has to say. Amen.
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  Speaker 1: What we'd like to share with you on today again?
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  Speaker 1: For those of you listening to us by way of
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: our podcast audio podcast, it can be found through many
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: different outlets End Time Revival Ministries USA podcast. You can
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: share it with someone else, please do. You can also
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: become a subscriber Amen to the podcast and Amen, we
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: encourage you. Amen. To again, Amen, share it with someone
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  Speaker 1: else so that they can also, Amen, hear the truth
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: of God proclaimed, which is what we have been called
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  Speaker 1: to do, and we endeavor to do a man without compromise. Amen.
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  Speaker 1: And certainly for those of you who are also now
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  Speaker 1: we simulcasts on our YouTube channel that we have started recently,
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  Speaker 1: simply entitle one Voice in the Wilderness. So the YouTube
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  Speaker 1: handle is at one v I t W one v
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  Speaker 1: I t W. You can find our YouTube channel there,
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  Speaker 1: and you know the drill. You can please if you
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  Speaker 1: will become a subscriber, and also please for share it
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  Speaker 1: with someone else. Amen. On into the Word of the
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  Speaker 1: Lord today, we want to talk about the free preacher.
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  Speaker 1: The free preacher. You say, is that such thing as
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  Speaker 1: a free preacher? Hey, yeah, we're going to see Amen
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  Speaker 1: in the Word of the Lord today. Amen, the free preacher,
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  Speaker 1: he whom the Son sets free, by the way, that's
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  Speaker 1: what Jesus said, He whom the Son sets free is free. Indeed,
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  Speaker 1: And as the preacher of the Gospel, this, by the way,
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  Speaker 1: is my endeavor as well. We're gonna be talking about
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  Speaker 1: the apostle Paul. Amen. And again when one Corinthias chapter
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  Speaker 1: of the nine as a true servant of the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: We should be striving to be free of guilt, free
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  Speaker 1: of offense, a man free of legalism, free certainly of
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  Speaker 1: the blood of all men, as the Apostle Paul, who
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  Speaker 1: by the way is my mentor. Amen. The Apostle Paul
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  Speaker 1: is my mentor. Amen. He made his declaration, And I
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  Speaker 1: certainly want to be able to say the same, that
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  Speaker 1: I am free from the blood of all men, because
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  Speaker 1: I have not shinned to declare unto you all the
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  Speaker 1: whole counsel of of God. Amen, free of the blood
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  Speaker 1: of all men, free of conscience, Amen, free of compromise,
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  Speaker 1: free of certainly condemnation. Amen. Because the Bible tells us
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  Speaker 1: there is therefore now no condemnation to them who are
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  Speaker 1: in Christ Jesus, who walk down after the flesh, but
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  Speaker 1: after the spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life.
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  Speaker 1: In Christ Jesus has made me what free, oh, from
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  Speaker 1: the law of sin and death. What the law could
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  Speaker 1: not do, in that it was weak through the flesh.
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  Speaker 1: The Bible says, God sent his son in the likeness
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  Speaker 1: of sinful flesh, and for sin He condemned sin in
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  Speaker 1: the flesh. And therefore we can live. Amen. Through a
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  Speaker 1: man the power, a man of the law of the
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  Speaker 1: spirit of life that comes only through Jesus to Christ, Amen,
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  Speaker 1: who sets us free. And the Apostle Paul not only
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  Speaker 1: sought to be free in that regard, Amen, he earnestly
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  Speaker 1: a man sought with everything inside of him to be
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  Speaker 1: a man, a free preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
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  Speaker 1: even to the point of himself not receiving monetary if
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  Speaker 1: you all compensation for preaching the Gospel, and let me
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  Speaker 1: put it plainly for you, even to the point of
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  Speaker 1: denying himself, just as the Lord denied himself. And again,
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  Speaker 1: if we're going to be like Jesus, if we're going
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  Speaker 1: to be like Jesus, Amen, we've got to deny ourselves.
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  Speaker 1: And that's what Jesus said. If you're going to be
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  Speaker 1: my deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me daily.
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  Speaker 1: And Apostle Paul was certainly absolutely committed to that in
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  Speaker 1: the ultimate sense and in an ongoing defense, a man
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  Speaker 1: of his apostleship and of his minister ministerial calling, if
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  Speaker 1: you will, his legitimacy as being a a servant of
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  Speaker 1: the Lord of God, ordained minister of Christ. Jesus, a man,
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  Speaker 1: the apostle, he writes to the Carinthian Church as he
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  Speaker 1: argues his case, a man for his choosing to be
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  Speaker 1: a free preacher, a man, a totally free preacher. Amen. Remember,
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  Speaker 1: free of compromise, free of a man of free, free
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  Speaker 1: of of of of the blood of all men, free
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  Speaker 1: of legalism, a man free of guilt. Amen, and and
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  Speaker 1: and so forth and so on. In this conscience was
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  Speaker 1: always a man. He sought for it to be clear, clean, free.
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  Speaker 1: And although listen, police carefully, we're going to see this
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  Speaker 1: in the word of Lord. A man, although he did
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  Speaker 1: not have to as an apostle, although he did not
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  Speaker 1: have to as a pastor. Paul chose to take a
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  Speaker 1: path similar again to the path that his Lord and
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  Speaker 1: master Jesus Christ took a man, a man, when, of course,
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  Speaker 1: he exemplified far above anyone else, a man, the ultimate
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  Speaker 1: example of self denial. That's what Jesus did. He made
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  Speaker 1: Bible says himself of no reputation, took on the form
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  Speaker 1: of a servant. Being found in the likeness of man,
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  Speaker 1: he humbled himself. He became obedient unto death and even
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  Speaker 1: to death the cross. Amen. Wherefore he is now even
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  Speaker 1: at the right hand of the Majesty. On how highly
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  Speaker 1: exalted his name is above every name. At his name,
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  Speaker 1: every need must bow, every tongue must confess that he
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  Speaker 1: is Lord, because there is salvation in none other. This
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  Speaker 1: is whom Amen. The apostle Paul, a man modeled himself
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  Speaker 1: after Amen. And I just amen, want to be like
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  Speaker 1: Jesus myself. Amen, And so a man, we would do
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  Speaker 1: well to take heed Amen to the word of the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: And again this is a choice that the apostle Paul made.
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  Speaker 1: This we're going to see. Amen. In this ninth chapter
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  Speaker 1: of First Corinthians. I'm again reading at version number one.
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  Speaker 1: I'm reading from the New King James version. Am I
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  Speaker 1: not an apostle? Now, keep in mind the apostle has
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  Speaker 1: to on an ongoing basis, defend his apostleship, defend his ministry,
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  Speaker 1: defend his calling, defend his legitimacy as Amen, Amen, God
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  Speaker 1: ordain authorized spokesman for Amen, Jesus Christ. Amen. Am I
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  Speaker 1: not an apostle? Am I not free? Oh? Oh, free preacher?
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  Speaker 1: Free preacher? Yes, I want to be a free preacher.
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  Speaker 1: Have I not seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Are you
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  Speaker 1: not my work in the Lord. If I am not
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  Speaker 1: an apostle to others, yet doubtless, Paul says, I am
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  Speaker 1: to you, for you are the seal, You are the proof.
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  Speaker 1: As it were, he says, of my apostleship in the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: My defense to those who examined me is this, this
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  Speaker 1: is personal? Aymen, Do we have no right to eat
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  Speaker 1: and drink? Paul said? Don't we have men? In other words,
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  Speaker 1: don't we have the right to eat and to drink? Amen?
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  Speaker 1: Do we have no right to take along a believing wife?
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  Speaker 1: In other words? Do I not have the right to marry? Now?
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  Speaker 1: Remember we already covered marriage and for those who are married,
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  Speaker 1: the things that Apostle Paul responded to the church concerning.
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  Speaker 1: Paul made the choice here again to remain single. There
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  Speaker 1: are some who believed he was married at one time,
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  Speaker 1: but for whatever reason or other, perhaps his wife was
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  Speaker 1: deceased and he remained a man single. Excuse me, so,
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  Speaker 1: he says here, do we have no right or the right?
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  Speaker 1: Do I not have the right to have a wife,
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  Speaker 1: a believing wife? That is, as do also the other
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  Speaker 1: apostles and the other apostles of course, being married. We
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  Speaker 1: know about Peter having a wife, of course, the brothers
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  Speaker 1: of the Lord and Sephus of course. Or is it
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  Speaker 1: only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain
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  Speaker 1: from working? Do we? Is it only barns Us and
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  Speaker 1: I who don't have the right to refrain from working?
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  Speaker 1: So he goes, listen, listen carefully, how he goes to
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  Speaker 1: defend this. And he's going to go to the Old
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  Speaker 1: Testament to show and to demonstrate a man that he
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  Speaker 1: does have the same rights as it were, and privileges
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  Speaker 1: as it were, as an apostle, as a pastor, as
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  Speaker 1: one who has been called by God a man to
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  Speaker 1: a man, do these things if he so desires? Whoever
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  Speaker 1: goes to war at his own expense? Who does that?
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  Speaker 1: Paul says? Who goes to war at his own expense?
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  Speaker 1: Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit?
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  Speaker 1: Who tends a flock and does not drink of the
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  Speaker 1: milk of the flock? Do I say these things as
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  Speaker 1: a mere man? Paul asked? Or does not the law
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  Speaker 1: say the same? Also? Now he takes to the Old
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  Speaker 1: Testament here, for it is written in the law mold this.
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  Speaker 1: You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out
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  Speaker 1: the corn. Is it oxen? Paul says, God is concerned about.
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  Speaker 1: In other words, you have an ox an animal, beast
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  Speaker 1: of burden, that's working, laboring in your feeling, you deprive
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  Speaker 1: him of the ability to eat by putting a muzzle
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  Speaker 1: on his mouth. Amen, so that you can just drive him,
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  Speaker 1: drive him, drive him, don't feed him. Don't feed him,
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  Speaker 1: doesn't get to eat. Amen. So this was written in
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  Speaker 1: the law. But Paul says, hey, wait, wait, this is
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  Speaker 1: not written strictly pertaining to oxen. He says, is it
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  Speaker 1: oxen that God is concerned about? Is this why God
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  Speaker 1: put this in there? He said? Or does he say
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  Speaker 1: it all together? For our sex? He says, for our sex?
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  Speaker 1: This is in verse ten. No doubt, this is written
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  Speaker 1: that he who plants, who is working, as it were,
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  Speaker 1: should plow in hope. Man, you're not out there in
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  Speaker 1: the field. If you are plowing in the field, you're
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  Speaker 1: not out there working and sweating and laboring without a
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  Speaker 1: hope of a harvest, a hope of a return on
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  Speaker 1: your investment and your labor. Amen. So he says this,
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  Speaker 1: no doubt is written. This is for a man, the
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  Speaker 1: one who is plowing, who will be plowing in hope,
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  Speaker 1: he who is threshing in hope. Amen. He says he
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  Speaker 1: should be a partaker of his hope. So listen, listen
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  Speaker 1: what he says. If we have sown spiritual things to
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  Speaker 1: you or for you, is it a great thing if
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  Speaker 1: we reap your material things? If others are partakers of
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  Speaker 1: this right over you? He says, amen, are we not?
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  Speaker 1: Even more? Nevertheless, Paul is making the argument here first
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  Speaker 1: and foremost, he puts forth the amen truth of the scriptures,
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  Speaker 1: and goes even back again to the Old Testament to
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  Speaker 1: show that a man God has made provision for those
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  Speaker 1: who work and labor, a man to be partaker of
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  Speaker 1: that which amen, they work and labor in amen. And
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  Speaker 1: so he says, you have others who are partakers of
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  Speaker 1: this right to reap from their labor. And he says,
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  Speaker 1: do we not also have that right? Basically is what
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  Speaker 1: he's saying here. But he says, nevertheless, verse twelve, we
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  Speaker 1: have not used this right. We have the right to
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  Speaker 1: a man, be a partaker to reap your material things,
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  Speaker 1: in other words, to receive compensation for our labor. However,
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  Speaker 1: Paul is saying here we have not chose to do so,
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  Speaker 1: but we endure all things. Listen what he says, lest
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  Speaker 1: we hinder the Gospel of Christ. This is marvelous, this
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  Speaker 1: is splendid. Would to God we had many more, many
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  Speaker 1: more a man ministers of the gospel. And there are many,
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  Speaker 1: please there are, and I know of many myself personally.
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  Speaker 1: I'm talking about personally that do not get compensated. A
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  Speaker 1: man for their ministry, for their work, for their labor,
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  Speaker 1: a man in the gospel, a man for the gospel
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  Speaker 1: in the church, Amen of Jesus Christ. And Paul says,
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  Speaker 1: I endure these things, Amen, less we hinder. Paul did
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  Speaker 1: not want to in any way be a stumbling block himself,
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  Speaker 1: nor cause any kind of a barrier to be raised,
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  Speaker 1: or any hindrance at all, a man to the man
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  Speaker 1: furtherance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore he made
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  Speaker 1: the choice, even though he had the right to receive compensation,
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  Speaker 1: even though he had the right to reap of their
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  Speaker 1: material things, he chose to be a free preacher, a
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  Speaker 1: preacher that was free of even the possibility of being bribed,
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  Speaker 1: being balked, a man becoming greedy of gain of filthy lucre,
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  Speaker 1: a man he removed it all together from his ministry,
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  Speaker 1: so that he would not hinder in any way the
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  Speaker 1: gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why the apostle Paul
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  Speaker 1: could not be compromised. Amen, he received no Amen, not
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  Speaker 1: that he did never receive any assistance, Not that he
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  Speaker 1: never received any moneytary, Amen, offerings and things of that nature.
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  Speaker 1: He did receive those things, and he wrote about those things.
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  Speaker 1: But he was not on some type of stipend or salary,
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  Speaker 1: weekly pay or you know, annual salary, as you were
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  Speaker 1: under contract as a preacher of the gospel. No, no, no, no,
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  Speaker 1: no no. Now again, the Bible is clear. Paul is
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  Speaker 1: clear about this. Amen, that the one who is sewing,
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  Speaker 1: the one who is planting, the one who is plowing
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  Speaker 1: a man, the one who is threshing, working and laboring
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  Speaker 1: in the field. Amen, is and does have the right.
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  Speaker 1: A man to be compensated, is to be compensated. But
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  Speaker 1: if they choose not to, as the apostle Paul says
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  Speaker 1: he did it, of course, that's their right to choose
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  Speaker 1: not to be compensated. But he did it, of course,
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  Speaker 1: as he stated here very clearly, enduring all of these things,
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  Speaker 1: enduring a man inflictions and persecutions and lacking a man
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  Speaker 1: in many many regards, he was lacking. And he worked
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  Speaker 1: by the way with his own hands. And that's why
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  Speaker 1: he would say, also, and this is biblical as well.
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  Speaker 1: If a man doesn't work, it doesn't need a man.
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  Speaker 1: And Paul labored with his own hands. He worked as
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  Speaker 1: a tent maker, a man. And so he said that
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  Speaker 1: that that I choose to do this so that I
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  Speaker 1: myself will not be in any way at least in
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  Speaker 1: that regard a hindrance to the Gospel of Christ. Now listen, listen,
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  Speaker 1: He goes on verse thirteen. Do you not know that
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  Speaker 1: those who minister the holy things eat of the things
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  Speaker 1: of the temple. You can see this in the Old
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  Speaker 1: Testament out with the priests when the sacrifices were brought
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  Speaker 1: a portion a man of the sacrifices at the temple,
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  Speaker 1: and they altered the Levites because they were not given
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  Speaker 1: a portion last the twelve other as the other eleven
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  Speaker 1: tribes were given a man. They a man had their
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  Speaker 1: portion of the other tribes that came from the other tribes,
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  Speaker 1: and they had to survive and have their livelihood. A
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  Speaker 1: man on the material, a man offerings and gifts and
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  Speaker 1: things that were brought to the temple, and so on
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  Speaker 1: and so on from the other eleven tribes and so Amen.
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  Speaker 1: This is what was ordained of God, and it is
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  Speaker 1: no different today a man in the church. It's there
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  Speaker 1: is a difference. I'm not saying it's the same, you know,
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  Speaker 1: for offerings and sacrifice and all that. We're not talking
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  Speaker 1: about the Old Testament law and ordinances that have been
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  Speaker 1: done away with. But in the sense of God ordaining
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  Speaker 1: a man that the preacher, the priest, as it were,
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  Speaker 1: be a man compensated, a man by the people from
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  Speaker 1: the people, because he is there for the people. Amen.
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  Speaker 1: And I'm not getting into all the nuances about what
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  Speaker 1: a person deserves or up and down and how much
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  Speaker 1: and all of that. We're just simply speaking basically what
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  Speaker 1: the Bible says here about the fact, the ordained order
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  Speaker 1: of God, what God instituted, Amen, is that those who plow,
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  Speaker 1: those who thrash, those who those who work in these
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  Speaker 1: spiritual things are to be compensated with the natural things,
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  Speaker 1: as it were. Amen. Do you not know those who
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  Speaker 1: minister the holy things, eat of the things of the temple,
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  Speaker 1: and those who serve at the altar partake of the
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  Speaker 1: offerings of the altar. Even so, the Lord has commanded,
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  Speaker 1: excuse me, this is a commandment of God. This is
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  Speaker 1: what the Parsto says, verse fourteen. Even so, the Lord
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  Speaker 1: has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live
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  Speaker 1: from the gospel. Those who preach the gospel should live
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  Speaker 1: from the gospel. But listen what Paul says. But I
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  Speaker 1: have used none of those things, none of these things,
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  Speaker 1: he says, Nor have I written these things that it
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  Speaker 1: should be done so to me, for it would be
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  Speaker 1: Listen what he says, better for me to die than
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  Speaker 1: that anyone should make my boasting void. And of course
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  Speaker 1: he's not boasting in a brag adocious kind of way.
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: But he's just simply again putting forth his argument as
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: to why he, a man, chose not to be compensated
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: as a preacher or to receive a salary as you will,
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: if you will, for preaching the gospel. He said, I've
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: used none of these things, and I'm not writing this
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: to you a man, to have it done to me.
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: I'd rather die, he says, than anyone should make my
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: boasting void, For if I preach the gospel, I have
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: nothing to boast of for necessity. He said, it's laid
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: upon me. Hey, woe is me if I do not
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: preach the gospel. If I do this thing, he said,
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: if I do this thing willingly, here's here's the key.
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: Are you a willing vessel or are you a hirely till?
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: Lord help us, Jesus, help us, Jesus, Oh preacher of
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: the gospel. Are you a willing vessel willing to do
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: it without compensation? Willing to do it? Amen? When you
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: are in prison, when you are in persecution, when you
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: are in tribulation, when you're in stripes and twumults as
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: it were. Amen, Oh man, oh, yes, If I do
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: this thing willingly, Paul says, I have a reward. But
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: if against my will, I've been trusted with the stewardship,
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: what is my reward then? Then? What? So? What is
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: what is the reward? Amen? He says that when I
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: preach the gospel, that I may present the Gospel of
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: Christ without charge. I do not charge for preaching the gospel.
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: I don't have a fee. I don't have a minimum. Amen.
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: I can't come. I can't show up without Uh, you know,
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: my minimum is so and so, and I have to
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: stay at such and such a you know place, and uh,
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: my expenses are not even included in that. No, no,
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: Paul said, No, I don't. I don't charge to preach
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: the gospel. And I'm not listen, I'm not picking on anybody,
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: not picking on anybody. There's cost involved in traveling, there's
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: cost involved in staying in a hotel and and uh
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: of traveling back. And listen, I'm not picking on anybody.
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: I'm just simply stating what the apostle says that Amen, Uh,
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: his reward, Uh, what's going to be not based on Amen,
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: not rooted in, not even tainted, if you will, by
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: the fact that he charged Amen for preaching the gospel.
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: He says, I choose listen to the latter clause of
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: eighth verse eighteen, that I may not abuse my authority
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: in the Gospel. I have the authority, I have the right.
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: God has ordained it, God has God has established it,
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: God has commended it, Paul says. But I choose, Paul says,
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: I choose not to take advantage of it. I choose
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: not to even have the temptation, as it were, to
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: abuse or to even have anyone think that I'm abusing
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: my authority that God has given to me. Oh, what
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: a man, what a mentor what an example? Amen? He said, No,
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: I'm going to preach the Gospel without charge, without price,
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: so that I don't abuse the authority that God has
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: given to me. Uh. Oh, watch it verse nineteen. For
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: though I am free, a free preacher, free preacher. Yes,
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: this is the free preacher, he says. For though I
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: am free, Amen, from all men, I've made myself a
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: servant to all that I might win the more. Paul
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: was all about gaining more and more people, more and
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: more Jews, gentiles, bond of free It didn't matter. Paul
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: was going after all men. He said, I would to
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: God that all men would be saved. He said, so
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: to the Jews. I became as a Jew, that I
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: might win the Jews, to those who are under the laws,
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: under the law, that I might win those who are
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: under the law, to those who are without laws without law,
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: not being, of course, he says, without law toward God,
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: but under the law toward Christ. But I might win
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: those who are without law. To the week, I became
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: as weak that I might win the week. I have
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: become all things to all men, that I may by
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: all men, let me slow down. I have become all
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: things to all men, that I might by all means
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: save some. Now this I do, he says, for the
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: Gospel's sake. See his motive. You see where his conscience is.
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: You see where and how he is driven from where
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: he's driven and man. Paul was driven to please God.
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: He wasn't driven to please man. He wasn't driven to
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: please himself. Already said, if I should seek to please men,
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: I should not be the servant of Christ. Amen. And
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: so he says, I become all things to all men,
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: that I might by all means save some. He said,
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: I do this. Excuse me for the gospel's sake, that
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: I may be partaker of it with you. Now he says,
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: do not. And by the way, this has reference to
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: what we now referred to as the Olympic Games. Amen,
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: these games, these contests were a man around in antiquity.
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: The apostle Paul was familiar with him. And so he
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: draws an analogy. Here a man from a man. Those
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: who run in a race to receive a prize. He says,
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: do you not know that those who run in a race,
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: they all run, but one only one one can be
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: declared the winner. And today, of course we have the gold,
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: the silver, and the bronze, so we have three who
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: medal a man in these particular contests, but the top
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: prize goes only to one the winner. So Paul says,
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: run in such a way that you may obtain it.
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: And everyone who competes for the prize is temperant. In
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: other words, there's discipline, there's training, there's practice, there's moderation,
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: all there's self control. Oh yes, if you're going to
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: compete at such a high level. And this is the
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: high calling by which we are that we are in,
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: by the way, that's what Paul said, I press towards
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: the mark for the pride of the high calling. We're
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: competing at the highest level. Amen, not against one another,
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: not comparing ourselves to one another. A man in a race,
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: by the way, is not given to the swiftest. No, no, no,
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: no no no. This is a race of endurance. Amen.
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: This is about finishing. This is about finishing strong, Amen,
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: keeping the faith a man enduring to the end. Amen,
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: That's what this race is all about. Amen. Not to
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: the one who crosses the line first, Amen, Because there
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: are many who have already gone on before us, and
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: they've already crossed the line a man. This is a
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: race of endurance. Everyone who competes, Paul says, in the race,
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: in the contest for the prize, has to be discipline.
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: That's who we are, disciples, are we not, Amen, there's discipline.
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: You have to be temperant, he says. In all things.
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: Now they do it, he says, to obtain a perishable crown.
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: In those days, of course, the winner received a wreath,
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: as it were, there was emblematic of a crown that
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: was placed them from their head. Was made out of
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: leaves and branches of some sort whatever it was. But
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: it was perishable, because you know, when you cut a
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: branch from a tree, it's gonna die eventually. So they
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: got a perishable crown. They were acknowledged at that moment,
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: They were recognized at that moment, they were applauded at
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: that moment. They were the winners. Amen. They came in first,
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: they got their crown. But that crown soon withered, faded away.
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: That's what this Excuse me and all things, by the way,
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: excuse me that this world has to offer. Amen, what's
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: going to do? It's gonna perish, You're gonna fade away.
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: So why Jesus said, lay up your treasures in heaven,
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: where there is no corruption, where it is no decay,
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: where there there is no moth amen to chew at
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: it to a man to destroy a man so so
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: so so he says. Paul says, here they're running. They
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: are competing to obtain a perishable crown. But we for
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: an imperishable crown. Therefore, Paul says, I run. Thus this
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: is how I this is how I operate. Paul says,
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: not with uncertainty. Oh see, I get to that in
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: just a moment. You have to know this is this
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: is this salvation is not speculative. God gives us assurances, Amen.
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: And and he gives us the earnest of the spirit
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: a man, as as it were, a down payment on
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: what is to come. And I've asked this question before,
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: and I ask it again. How can you be saved
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: and not know that you're saved? Because the Bible says
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: the spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: the children of God. Amen. Paul says, I'm not in
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: this with uncertainty. I'm not running. I'm not I'm not
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: I'm not I'm not laboring. I'm not plowing as it were,
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: without the assurance of knowing that a man, God is
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: not going to reward us. Amen. God is not going
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: to a man. Be forgetful of our labor. Amen. God
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: is not unrighteous. The Bible says, to forget amen, our labor. Amen,
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: that we engage in for the kingdom. Amen. And so
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: Paul said, Therefore I run. I'm not doing this with uncertainty.
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: I have an assurance. Oh, Bibles, blessed assurance. We sing
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: about blessed assurance. There's a blessed assurance. He says. So,
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: thus I fight not as one who beats the air. No,
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: not shadow boxing. I got a prize, there's a target,
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: there's a line, there's a finish. Amen, he says. So
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: I discipline my body. I bring it into subjection less
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: If you don't practice, if you don't train yourself, if
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: you don't eat properly, if you don't rest properly, if
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: you don't discipline yourself and restrain yourself and practice moderation,
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: you can't compete at the highest levels of competition. That's
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: just in this world, and that's not just in athletic competition.
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: By the way, you can see this in the business sector.
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: You know, people want to be promoted, people want to have,
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: you know, high positions and ought, but then not willing
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: to be disciplined. They're not willing to put in the
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: time and study. And I'm like, this is just the
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: cardinal stuff, y'all. But on the spiritual side, it takes discipline.
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: As a disciple of Jesus Christ, a man fasting, praying, Amen,
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: studying the word of God, meditating on the word of God. Amen,
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: giving ourselves Amen, yielding ourselves to the Lord, our flesh,
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: our temples, our bodies. Paul said, I beseech you there,
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: for brotherren by the mercies of God and Man Roman
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: chapter twelve, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: what holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
• 37:23
  Speaker 1: You are not to be conformed to this world, but
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: you are to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: Now we have the mind of Christ. Let this mind,
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: he said, be and you which was also in Christ
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: Jesus Amen. Free preacher. Paul was a free preacher. I
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: want to be a free preacher. I don't charge for
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: the God. I'm not talking. I don't even not gonna
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: even dwell on me. Amen. But this is hey, I
• 37:49
  Speaker 1: don't charge for the preaching of the Gospel. Amen. I'm
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: not trying, trying to and seeking to be monetized. I'm
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: not being monetized. Amen. I'm not seeking amen, renumeration as
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: it were, compensation for preaching the gospel. Amen. I want
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: to be free preacher, a free preacher. Amen. I preach
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: the gospel because the Lord called me to preach the Gospel.
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: And I want to be free from the blood of
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: all men, void of offense, of conscience, of condemnation, free
• 38:29
  Speaker 1: of oh, free, free, free. I love freedom, by the way,
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: and I want to be free. And I'm striving to
• 38:36
  Speaker 1: be free. In Christ Jesus, he whom the sun sets free,
• 38:42
  Speaker 1: we are to be free, indeed free as the servants
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: of Christ. Father. Just help us today, Amen, as we
• 38:50
  Speaker 1: continue in this race that you set before is You're
• 38:53
  Speaker 1: the author, you are the finisher of our faith. As
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: we come to the end of our journey, whenever that
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: may be, Lord, we want to be just like the
• 39:02
  Speaker 1: apostle Paul. We want to be able to say I thought,
• 39:06
  Speaker 1: a good fight. I've kept the faith. I finished the course.
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: Hey hey, hey, And now he said he had that certainty.
• 39:16
  Speaker 1: There is later for me, a crown of righteousness that
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: you have, Lord, for everyone who is faithful, who endures
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: to the end. God be glorified in your people everywhere.
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: In Jesus name we bring your thanks. Amen and amen,
• 39:32
  Speaker 1: God bless you. Amen and Jesus nave