All Things to All People (1 Corinthians 9:19-27)

1 Corinthians 9:19–27 ESV

19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Introduction:

Tom Riner in his Book - Simple Church!

Research shows that when you receive frequent interruptions while working on a task, your performance drops the equivalent of ten IQ points. In other words, when you multi-task you are ten points dumber on the core task than you are if you just focused on the core task. Some of us cannot afford to multi-task.

Compare the effects of multi-tasking to smoking weed. Smoking pot drops your performance the equivalent of four IQ points. We are not suggesting you smoke weed. We are suggesting you realize the adverse implications of multi-tasking. Churches are notorious for multi-tasking. It is how they cope with complexity.

Main Point -

Self denial is key to advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Bible doesn’t call us to indulge ourselves.

It doesn’t call us to discover ourselves.

It doesn’t call us to express ourselves.

The Bible calls us to deny ourselves.

Adrian Rogers

Now, there is no greater privilege, no greater joy, no greater responsibility, than that of bringing souls to Jesus Christ.

Paul has been talking about self-denial since chapter 8 where he talks about abstaining from meet sacrificed to idols. He reminds us that his love for others calls him to concede his rights and his freedom.

Why is Paul so eager to lay aside his liberty?

ἵνα - which is translated “That or in order that, or in order to” This little conjunction plays a very important role as it denotes a purpose, aim, or a goal.

Paul uses it over and over again in these verses.

1 cor 9 19

1 Corinthians 9:19 (ESV)

19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.

1 Corinthians 9:20 (ESV)

20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.

So when you hear Paul using it over and over again he is showing us his goal - his purpose, his aim. The reason Paul exercise self denial. The reason that Paul doesn’t live out his freedom in Christ without restraint. The reason he shows restraint - the reason he limits his freedom is for the purpose of seeing people come to eternal life by trusting in Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:23 (ESV)

23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel...

Paul makes personal sacrificers not just because he likes to suffer but because he loves people and desires that they might be saved from the wrath of God through faith in Christ.

My freedom in Christ must be subjected to my responsibility to share Christ.

John MacArthur Sermon Archive Giving up to Gain

He had decided to sacrifice anything and everything in his life if it might mean he could win more people to Christ

Question to ponder

What sacrifices are you willing to make to see people reached with the gospel?

Paul set real limits on his life in order to reach others with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The word translated “Servant” in the ESV is δουλόω -To make someone or something subservient to your interests.

Paul is saying that because of the gospel he replaced his rights and freedoms with self imposed restrictions so that the gospel might be advanced.

What price are you willing to pay in order to win people to Christ?

Paul said I’ll make any sacrifice - I’ll pay any price that people might come to faith in Christ.

The Christian has a gray area between right and wrong where he has the freedom to do things and he can do them, technically, but he has to guide whether he does them or not by the fact of how they will affect somebody else. And that’s behind what he says in verse 19. And here he begins to explain his own attitude toward this principle.

Paul sacrificed his liberty in order to reach those bound by the law.

Christ set me free from the ceremonial aspects of the law. The Kosher regulations and the Sabbath rules. Yet Paul yields himself to the custom of ceremony to reach those bound by ceremony.

We are not called to compromise.

1 Corinthians 9:21 (ESV)

21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.

Paul is not saying we compromise the faith - he is saying we concede our liberty.

1 Corinthians 9:22 ESV

22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.

What are you willing to do without so that others might not do without the gospel?

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 ESV

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.