It Feels Like A Double Honor

Many Pastor's prayed for a double of their salary, support , double of the benefits and a much more income to sustain their living; or to some is to be well supported in their ministries by their ministry partner.

sometimes they quote this verse to support their humble supplication,

17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” 1 Timothy 5:17-18

there is nothing wrong with to pray for double honor and especially when we know that we are laboring faithfully in preaching and teaching the Holy Scripture.

It is hard to tell the congregation that you deserve more than what you are receiving, some Pastors say that some churches (in some are the board of leaders of the church) are "kuripot" in some terms for some reason. 

But I think we can change it if we can disciple them in the right way.

Before we demand about what we called "double honor" we should reflect on these verses not just on the phrase "double honor" but the whole verse itself.

As I reflect on the book of pastor Bob Edmondson "It only Hurts on Mondays", the scripture I have read in 1 Timothy 5:17-18 about double honor, and the church context where I am in and what I saw as I grow up as a Christian. These are my reflections.

Faithfulness in Discipleship

"Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor,"

DISCIPLESHIP IS A MUST

The elders who rule well are those who are to be considered worthy of double honor. But what do we think about ruling? Does this mean that the church must submit to you as their King so you will have double honor?

Is that how Jesus ruled His disciples? He discipled them by teaching them, and being an example to them. We can see how Jesus has given them instruction before He leave them. Make disciples, baptize them and teach them (Matt 28:18-20).

What am I Thinking Right Now

Discipleship is the way of ruling the church as a pastor. Before you demand for a double honor, reflect on what you are doing, are you discipling the church as how Jesus instructs us? Or are you just complaining "I deserve double honor 'coz I'm a pastor" but you are not following the Great Commission.

Faithfulness in Preaching

"especially those who labor in preaching ..."

If you feed your children an instant noodles would you think they will grow healthy?

Some pastors now a days are preparing their sermons just to make the Sunday run, just because they have to. Sometimes we forget the goal of our preaching.

We Preach because they need to hear the Gospel, We preach because we want them to grow in the knowledge of the Lord. 

A sermon without a call to change, repentance,
and especially the Gospel is a nothing sermon.

The art of preaching is thinking of what would be the result if the congregation put these words of God in their hearts.

Our goal is to grow more in holiness and to be less sinner as we grow in the knowledge of God. To glorify Him in all our preaching is part of the goal.

What am I Thinking Right Now

Our Faithfulness in preaching the gospel, the Christ who came from heaven, who humble himself and died on the cross; the Christ who is raised again by the power of God and now sitting at the right hand of the Father; and the Christ who will come again for those who believe in Him. How often do we include these teachings on our sermon? Not just preaching about a sermon full of jokes, and they will tell you they are blessed because they will leave satisfied of your jokes.

Doesn’t mean we are Christian, we don’t need to hear repentance.

Before we dream for double honor in our church, before we complain that we deserve honor as pastors. Think first how faithful are we in preaching the gospel, we are preaching repentance and turning to God. Doesn’t mean we are Christian, we don’t need to hear repentance, these are the word that are often missed in some preaching in our church.

Reflect on what you are preaching every Sunday, then ask yourself why did you preach this sermon? am I being biblical on my manuscript preparation? am I biblical of what I have said on the pulpit. Am I being faithful to the word of God and not just throwing words on the pulpit from my own personal thoughts of the scripture?

Faithfulness in Teaching

"especially those who labor in … teaching."

In a church planting context, you can't demand for a high support from a recent planted church and in what I saw in some church planting in the Philippines some missionaries, church planter are not even well supported.

Faithfully teaching the church of what it is to give according to scripture is one of the challenging part of teaching a pioneering church.

Teaching the Gospel is what I think the main foundation of teaching how to give. Knowing the gospel is knowing that God is generous, and in New Testament this is the word that we can see. generous giving without having a grudge.

Knowing how generous our God is the way that we can learn how to be generous, part of it is the early church practice that they count everything in common (Acts 2:44), it is established because of their devotion to the teaching of the apostles (Acts 2:42). Knowing how the early church practice the sense of giving with a generous heart will be a blessing to them and then will be a blessing to the church, then the church will be a blessing to the community.

What Am I Thinking Right Now

Passing what we have learned about how God is generous and how Jesus is teaching His disciples, people, listeners to be generous will lead us in a generous heart and a generous giving like the widowed women. Being faithful on teaching the differences of giving of Israel and Generosity of the church by being devoted to the teaching of the Apostles are also a crucial part of teaching generosity from the New Testament teaching.

It feels Like a Double Honor

Faithfulness always bears fruit. One of the fruit that we can see is how the church will grow from the gospel, in doctrines, right tradition and especially how they will grow in giving. It is like an double honor for me to see how our disciples will grow from the faithfulness of our teaching. As they honor you as their pastor in supporting you in every mission, to move towards the vision. Above everything it is like a double honor for me that they glorify God in their hearts in their giving as they become more generous, as we see that their sacrifices in everything will not be put into vein, because all of their generosity and sacrifices are like a fragrant offering acceptable to God.

Witnessing the growth of the church as we faithfully preach, and teach them is like a double honor, and everything we do on how we would preach and teach them in every way is part of the great commission that Jesus' entrusted to each one of us - discipling people to follow God, not us.

Before we demand for double honor let us reflect on ourselves if we are faithful in God and His church in these three aspects in our pastorate.