Labour Day

I preached an 30 min sermon on Labour Day in Chapel before teaching an 2 hour class on the Holy Spirit and then rushing home to meet the student leaders for more than an hour. It was one of the most hectic 10 day period as far as I can remember and preaching twice on Sunday in my former church took a lot out of me. But that was indeed folder for my message yesterday and I expounded the Greek text of Luke 10:7 and 1 Tim 5:17 with 5 slides. I explained the word “worker” and “work” and the word “wage” mithos in Greek. I also explained that as workers in the Lord’s harvest we should not be embarassed to be paid for our labour. In fact 1 Tim 5:17 has double honour which in the Greek includes the idea of financial remuneration based on work done and performance.
Yes performance because it says that those who lead well and labour in preaching and teaching should receive double honour. If there is good leadership there is also bad leadership and churches grow or weaken on account of the quality of the leadership. I shared how the struggle in our denomination over finances for pastors and that could be the main reason why so few talented people with good leadership potential choose to enter ministry. Hence I testify in my former church that when I entered ministry I gave up everything and with no savings for the first 14 years of my ministry. Now ten years on and close to 55 I shall soon be debt free but if health permits I need to labour until the end as Scripture says those who preach the Gospel shall live by the Gospel.