Get That Bread... or Don't, Whatever Helps

review ch 8

Paul makes himself an example for this same principle but where chapter 8 was focussing on fellow Christians, in this chapter Paul is focussing on non-Christians. We’ve all been given a job as Christians; to make the Gospel known. Peter said that we are to “proclaim the excellencies of” of God to the world. Jesus told us to be his witnesses. This is your assignment as a Christian. Our student ministry is about loving God and…

And Paul argues in 1 Cor 9 that sometimes this means we don’t claim our freedoms or our rights to make the Gospel as accessible to the lost as possible. It seems like the Corinthians may have been focussing on doing what they wanted more than telling the lost about Jesus.

PRAY

We are called to share the Gospel and we should be ready to make sacrifices to help others hear the message.

Before we dig into this chapter, I think it will help you get a hold of it if you will think of someone you know who is not a Christian. Having this person in mind will help you think about, understand, and apply some of the things that Paul talks about.

God wants workers paid

There’s this common theme in Paul’s writing. He will use a real life example to make a point. So he teaches us about the point that he’s making, but in the process it’s like he distracts himself and starts teaching us all about the real life example he’s using too. So it’s like we’re doing multitasking Gospel learning! So He’s explaining chapter 8 using himself as an example.

verses 1-12a

There used to be this thing you’d see in cartoons when I was a kid. You’d call it a meme now. But if someone needed to power some kind of vehicle or machine they tie a hot dog on a string and hold it out in front of a dog on a treadmill. Or in a horse drawn carriage they’d hold a carrot out in front of the horse.

So Paul has the right to be paid for his work in the Gospel, he makes this point plainly as he goes on. But!

Paul wants obstacles removed

He doesn’t want anything to distract from the presentation of the Gospel, and he believes that in this setting him getting paid would be a distraction.

verses 12b-23

A few years ago I preached on the third Sunday in October. That’s not really significant in and of itself, but it’s made significant by the day before it, the Third Saturday in October. What happens on that day? And this was a few years ago, so who won the game?

Mike, our pastor, called me that night after the game and told me two things: Congratulations and do not say anything about it tomorrow because people will get upset and not hear you. He was telling me to remove an obstacle that I might place in front of people.

In Acts 16 you can read about Paul having Timothy take on the physical marks of a Jewish man to the Jews would listen to them when they went to preach to them.

Not that you lie about who you are or hide who you are, but focus on the things you can connect with another person about.

Now think about that person you chose earlier who is not a Christian. What do they do? What do they like? What don’t they like? What would make them just ignore you or walk away or dismiss you? Can you remove those obstacles?

Contextualize the Gospel

verses 19-23

Acts 17:22–25 ESV

So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.

We don’t change the Gospel. We never ever change the message of the Gospel, but we think about how we can relate it to the people we’re sharing it with. So this person you’re thinking of, what are they into that you might be able to use to help them understand the message of Jesus? How could you use it to illustrate the Gospel?

We need to be thoughtful & intentional

verses 24-27

::Leroy Jenkins:: The team was making a plan and Leroy ran in without a plan and they got demolished.

Live your life in a way that helps you share the Gospel. That helps you have opportunity and credibility to share the new of Jesus Christ changing lives.

Be thoughtful and intentional about sharing the Gospel. Your person, when might you have an opportunity to talk to them about Jesus. How might you be able to start that conversation?

We are called to be his witnesses and we need to be ready to make some sacrifices to be able to share the Gospel and tell people about Jesus.

As we said a few weeks ago when we studied 1 Corinthians 8, Jesus was our ultimate example in letting go of his rights and removing obstacles…