Sermon (04-Feb): "Doing All For Some" 1 Cor 9:16-23

Bible Passage:

16 Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!

17 If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust.

18 What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News.

19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ.

20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.

21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law,[e] I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.

22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.

23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.

Objective: (SLIDE)

The objective of this message is to learn from Paul’s example in doing all we can to reach some with the gospel of Jesus Christ

Introduction: “An Unobligated Responsibility” (SLIDE)

- Normally when you hear the term unobligated, especially when it comes to the military, it’s in the terms of funds

- But, when I think about Paul and his commitment to Christianity—he knew that his calling would border on being both a obligation and a passion

- Paul was nothing less than zealous in his B.C. days and after Christ life

- I think back to when He met Christ on his way to persecute believers

- Paul’s zeal for Christ was unmatched in many ways

- From his writings to the stories of his life and we know that Jesus chose the right one

- His writings and life have changed millions, arguably, billions of lives—mine included

- I know that I’ve found Paul to give us the practicality of most situations that we face regularly

- Many believe the Book of Romans to be Paul’s fullest explanation of the Gospel—the good news about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection

- I believe that as well

- In that book, we read of God’s righteousness—how His righteousness doesn’t favor Jews or Gentiles

- God’s righteousness hinges on faith in Christ

- Then, later Paul hears about some issues going on in the church at Corinth

- From addressing the congregation about division, sex, food, fellowship, and Christ resurrection, Paul settles matters as an elder

- The amazing thing that Paul does is that he settles the matters according to the gospel message

- When he does offer his opinion, he makes it known but his unction, conviction, and passion is to show church after church…

- The importance of the gospel in our lives

- He’s not looking to pump up our emotions; his whole push is to equip the believer with the gospel in every area of our lives

TRANSITION: That’s what this message is about; the lengths that Paul goes to impact those who don’t know Christ…He lets this Corinthian church and us know—that

It’s Not About Our Rights

It’s About Being God’s Vessel in Reaching All People

It’s Not About Our Rights (SLIDE)

Our Rights would make it seem that we deserve payment

17 If I were doing this on my own initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust.

- I don’t know if any of you are of this mindset but I don’t necessarily think of working for Christ

- My position, as a chaplain, speaks of payment

- But one of the questions that I had to answer was, “If I weren’t selected to be a chaplain, then what would I do?”

- My answer was still continue to serve—in both ministry and the Air Force

- My family can attest that we have lived this life—in both ministry and the Air Force—for the past 26 plus years

- Our children don’t recognize a point where we weren’t affiliated with ministry

- Most of that time wasn’t as leaders; it was simply serving Christ

- From Arizona to New Mexico to South Carolina to New Jersey; each stop brought us a little deeper to Christ and serving Him wholly

- There were times I overdid it, but a consideration of payment wasn’t in my mind at all

- Our overall desire as simple as it may sound was to serve Christ and give our children a Jesus template to follow—we weren’t by any means

- Like Paul, we had a compulsion to do it; it wasn’t naturally in us as if we could get something from it

- In another translation (The Message), Paul states it this way (1 Cor 9:17)

“If this was my own idea of just another way to make a living, I’d expect some pay. But since it’s not my idea but something solemnly entrusted to me, why would I expect to get paid? So am I getting anything out of it?”

- The point is…I’m not deserving of payment

- God can do just as He wills

- That He can trust me is payment enough for me

- What can be a hard sell to some about Christianity is that we deny ourselves for God’s glory

- We focus on less of our rights and more about His will

- John the Baptist had it right (Jn 3:30), “ He must increase, but I must decrease. “

Transition: It’ll never be about our rights, next…

We have an opportunity to gift others the Greatest Message of All-time—the Gospel of Jesus Christ

18 What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News.

- Paul mentions in another version that, it’s a “pleasure” to proclaim the Gospel

- My thinking is the same—yes, I have to do it, in a sense,

- But, I often look at it as, “I get to do this”

- Priscilla Shirer, daughter of Pastor Tony Evans, said this,

“Message preparation is the hardest thing I do in ministry”

- And I 100% agree

- According to Paul (2 Cor 4:7),

“we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”

- In other words, God has chosen Paul, you and me and given us this opportunity to show forth His power

- I believe it’s on purpose that it can be difficult because we have such a great opportunity at hand

- We don’t want to bum fumble

- So, you may be saying to yourself, “I don’t have that (your) platform”

- Believe me, we all have some type of platform; we all have some level of influence

- You will reach some that I will never reach—that no one in our office will ever reach

- Your personality, influence, and God working in you will assist in saving some

Transition: Which leads me to …

It’s About Being God’s Vessel in Reaching All People

(SLIDE)

When I was with…

20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.

- Paul’s desire to be used by God was first and foremost in his mind

- He didn’t look at it negatively or something of a hindrance

- He looked at it as an opportunity to be used as God’s vessel

- Paul wasn’t saying that we can live any type of way

- That if people are won over to Christ then it doesn’t matter

- He wasn’t saying that you or I should bend our convictions to any and every lifestyle

- Because I believe that minimizes or testimony about Christ

- I believe that

Paul had a willingness to become uncomfortable even unconventional for the cause of Christ

- His heart’s desire was in being sensitive to the needs and concerns to those of the law (Jews) as well as to those without (Gentiles)

- It takes a different type of person—one in tune to the heart and Spirit of God—to have that mindset

- That a mindset that’ll find itself at the scrutiny of the public, whether in the church or out of it

- That’s a mindset that’s looking to leave the 99 for the 1 still out there

- Just like Paul looked for opportunities to tell others about Christ, we can do the same

- We can give the Reason for the hope that rests on the inside of us

- When our actions and words line up with the gospel message, it combines to exponentially increase the reach of Christ

- Christ working in and through us will help God to reach all people

Transition: He talks about when he was with but he also says…

When I Am with…

21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. 22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.

- In a way, you can see somewhat a progression in Paul’s ministry

- Whereas he was with the Jews; he now talks as when he’s with the Gentiles

- He knows that the Jewish law wasn’t for the Gentiles

- But, his living apart from the Law wasn’t to shame, mock or disrespect the Jews

- Paul simply knew that he couldn’t win over the Gentiles the same way he did the Jews

- Bottom line, no two people are the same and won’t be won to Christ the same way

- It’ll be nice if there was a blanket approach to reach everybody and there are different ways to reach most

- Time after time, research continues to show that

“Personal evangelism has been proven to be the most effective method of evangelism. Peter, the apostle of Jesus Christ, was a product of personal evangelism. Just as Peter was brought to Jesus through one-on-one evangelism, there are people out there that need Jesus Christ, and they are desperately waiting for you to bring the gospel to them.” – The Guardian Magazine (03-May-20)

- I look back on it and sometimes feel that I missed opportunities for the one on one

- Then, someone will mention the impact that I had on them faith-wise

- So, I believe that each interaction is important

- Each interaction is an opportunity to find common ground with others and connect—showing them Christ in us

- What if we were to avoid the know-it-all or better than them attitude?

- What if we approached their questions, beliefs, or convictions with curiosity instead of judgment?

- It’s definitely a few questions we should think about

CLOSING: As I begin to close, are we like Paul and doing everything we can to save some?

- We all pretty much know that God is the One who does the saving

- Still, He uses people like you and I as He chooses

- Once we come to Christ, it’s no longer about our rights

- Our rights don’t equal a mandated payment from God

- We have this opportunity in all that God has done for us to co-operate with God in his gospel plan

- It’s about us being used as vessels fit for the Master’s use

- It’s about Christ’s righteousness shining through us

FAITHpoint: Paul’s focus was not on rules and regulations but on Christ as Savior

- Is that yours as well?