Can the average Christian make a living from preaching the gospel? Don't we need several years of college and seminary? Don't we need to be of a certain age? Don't we need to have a certain background? Don't we need to have a certain type of personality? Don't we need finances to get started? Do I have to be like a TV preacher?
The average Christian can make a living from preaching the gospel of Christ. You can receive benefits from the Lord from making a living whether part time or full time. It pays to preach. And as far as those other questions listed above, no you do not need any of those in order to make a living preaching the gospel of Christ.
My work as an evangelist includes the following from Ephesians 4:11, 12. "And he gave some... evangelists... for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."
So I am to teach you how to preach and demonstrate the gospel of Christ, but also train you in every aspect of the ministry of an evangelist. Does that mean everyone will be an evangelist? No it doesn't, but every Christian is responsible for carrying out to completion the ministry of reconciliation or rather the great commission. And part of that includes the knowledge of the benefits which are included in such.
Now why would people, certain Christians, some church leaders, and maybe even well known ministers not want you to have this information? The answer is that you would use the information regularly. The Devil sure doesn't want you to know this information because his kingdom would be destroyed in a hurry since most Christians would be out there preaching the gospel because they know they can get paid by the Lord for doing so. Some Christians would adamantly object to it because they are stuck in religious tradition started by Satan because he does not want Christians preaching the gospel. And some religious leaders and name brand ministers would not want it because they are afraid that the income to their ministries might dry up which is from Satan because he does not want Christians preaching the gospel. So either way, it is because Satan does not want you to know about this particular point in regard to preaching the gospel.
I am going to tell you anyway. You need to know this and then it will be up to you to use it for the glory of God.
Let's start with a few scriptures in regard to just any Christian preaching the gospel of Christ. And since there are several let's use at least two or three witnesses so that every word may be established. We will start with the apostle Paul as our first witness.
1 Corinthians 9:7 - "Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges?"
1 Corinthians 9:11 - "If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
1 Corinthians 9:14 - "Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel." That word "live" in the Greek means make a living as in occupation.
The second witness is our Lord Jesus Christ. In Luke chapter 9 he sent out the 12 apostles without anything and told them to preach and to heal the sick and not to take anything with them. And we know from Luke chapter 10 that he sent out another seventy they same way without anything and to preach and to minister. We also have an account in Matthew chapter 10. By reading the gospels we know that "they lacked nothing" when they obeyed the Lord and went out without anything (no money, no extra clothes, no staff, etc.) and each time the provision was there to take care of them.
The third witness is that of Philip who became known as Philip the evangelist. In the book of Acts he started by waiting tables. But when persecution started and everyone was scattered he went out preaching Christ and went from city to city. We find out later that Paul stayed at his house and that Philip had four daughters which prophesied. Now how did he support himself going from city to city and end up buying or building a house and also having enough money to raise a family? God provides when you preach the gospel. But you have to know this from the Word of God in order for it to work for you. Why, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
There are many more scriptures I could give, but I will include two more before proceeding.
1 Corinthians 9:9, 10 - "For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope." Paul wrote this to Christians. Yes, those in the full time ministry like Paul certainly make a living (or should be) by preaching the gospel, but here he speaking to regular Christians.
Next is Matthew 6:31-33: "Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? Or, what shall we drink? Or, wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." I submit to you that when you seek first the kingdom of God you are ministering to those that need ministering such as healing the sick and raising the dead and cleansing the lepers and casting out demons. And then coupled together with that is seeking first his righteousness. How does a person become the righteousness of God in Christ? It is by receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior. And how does one receive Jesus as Lord and Savior? It is through the preaching of the gospel of Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19 God gave the "ministry" of reconciliation in verse 18 and then in verse 19 we get the "word" reconciliation from God.
When we are preaching to individuals as opposed to a large church or other type of meeting, we can get people's attention to hear what we have to say regarding the gospel of Christ by healing them first in the name of Jesus Christ through the power of the of the Holy Ghost. And one point I would like to make here is that the gospel of Christ should always be demonstrated with power so that the faith of the people does not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." 1 Corinthians 2:4, 5
OK, so where does the money come from and how do I get it for doing the job of preaching the gospel? The money and provision come from those who hear the gospel. They were once in the world but are not anymore because of that very same preaching. And you receive the money and provision by faith. You are preaching and demonstrating the gospel by faith believing that God provides for you. But just like your job where you have to put the work in first in order to get paid, so likewise when preaching you have to put the work in first in order to get paid.
And by the way, in 1 Corinthians 9:14 the Word indicates that we get paid for preaching and not the results like a salesman who needs to make sales. We are like farmers who sow seed when preaching the Word of God. The more we sow (preach) and cultivate (minister through the power of the Holy Ghost in the name of Jesus Christ) the more we get paid. (See Luke 6:38 for this principle) So here are some scriptures to build your faith as to where the money and provision come from which God provides for you.
"To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God." Ecclesiastes 2:26 (NIV)
"The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just." Proverbs 13:22
"and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means." Luke 8:2, 3
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6
"Listen my dear brothers and sisters: has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?" James 2:5 (NIV)
Now how much should I preach in order to see any results of provision?
The parable in Mark 4 gives us a good rule of thumb. We know that when the seed of the Word of God is sown that 1 out of 4 will produce a crop with some thirty and some sixty and some a hundred fold. So to get any results from our preaching we need to preach to at least four times as many people in order to get those through which God will provide. Let's break down the math.
If you preach to 12 people then 1 out of 4 will give you a thirty fold return and 1 out of 4 will give you a sixty fold return and 1 out of 4 will give you a hundred fold return. That is 3 out of every 12. Keep in mind that these are people who are not Christians initially and to whom you are preaching AND ministering.
So if you work a full time job you should preach and minister to at least 12 people every month. If you are not working then you should preach and minister to at least 12 people every week.
Now let's say that you preach to someone and they are healed too. You get them to tell all their friends, neighbors, and relatives about what good things the Lord has done for them. Then you tell them to get all these people to come to their house where you will minister in the power of God through the name of Jesus Christ along with preaching the gospel.
If they get 12 people (this is a random number so that you can see where this is going) at their house and you preach and minister and the people get healed and delivered, then word spreads and you get more meetings in houses with groups of people. All the while you are still ministering and preaching to individuals.
And once you get a few houses of several people going you organize it into a neighborhood church.
And once you organize it into a neighborhood church you go to the next neighborhood because these people are obviously coming to your house meetings from other neighborhoods to get healed and delivered.
And then before you know it you have several churches in several neighborhoods throughout the city.
Then you do the same from city to city.
Then you find yourself basically starting in Jerusalem and then in Judea and then in Samaria and then to all the uttermost parts of the earth. And you did it without media or TV or radio or print material or anything else. It was by word of mouth about the miracles taking place that keeps you in front of people preaching the gospel.
When you preach the gospel God will provide for you. Yes, the people will want to support you because the "Lord has ordained" it (1 Corinthians 9:14). That means the Devil can't do a thing about it if you preach and minister by faith. But like all things that are done by faith, initially it will take a season to produce a crop especially when you first start out. But the more you preach and minister and stay with it continuously and persistently you will see the Lord provide for you greatly. (At some point you will be able to take up an offering. Follow your inward witness given by the Holy Spirit. Just pass the plate. Don't hammer about money and don't ever insinuate that people can get a miracle by just giving money or by naming their seed). The Lord will provide for you in a great way because you are putting his kingdom and his righteousness as your first priority.
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