1 Corinthians 9:3-

Midweek 5.8.24

1 Corinthians 9:3–5 NKJV

3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Do we have no right to eat and drink? 5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

Paul had been severely criticized by people in the Corinthian church that he had established

He doubles down on numerous occasions referring to himself as an apostle

2 Corinthians 1:1 NKJV

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:

Paul again dealt with false teachers who questioned his apostolic authority.

Here, Paul stated that his apostolic office was bestowed upon him by Jesus Christ, in accordance with God’s will

2 Corinthians 11:5–10 NKJV

5 For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. 6 Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things. 7 Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. 9 And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia

He had nothing to hide and he was confident in Himself because of Christ

Most people try to find confidence in their calling instead of Christ

Confidence in your calling is always performance based:

Our minds always want us to revert to comparing and competing

I heard someone say: I want every other church in our area to be successful, I just want to be better than them LOL

We’re taught this from a young age in school:

We’re taught comparison and performance

This starts young

Comparing yourself to the average (if it means your not putting out the max effort)

Dangerous

Performance based always leaves inadequacies

“I’m not saying every should get a participation trophy”

You're the ones that bought them for us

Performance based doesn’t let you be content

Competition is constantly chasing number

We should want to be the best we can be, but there’s an order to this

Identity is based who He is, not what you do-

Romans 1:1 NKJV

1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God

3 identities of a Christian:

1. Paul- Child of God

Position:

Used to be Saul God renamed him

Gave up his identity as Saul

A Hebrew name meaning: (Sha'ul) meaning "asked for, prayed for"

It had connotations to greatness, Kingship, authority

All of Paul’s previous identity, clout, recognition (the apostles new of his reputation)

Everything he worked for and based His entire life upon was in the name Saul

Philippians 3:2–10 NKJV

2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

In Humility:

Took on His Roman name Paul meaning “little” or “small,”

because he desired to became smaller in order to present Christ as greater

Identified himself as an adoption into the family of God

Ephesians 3:14–16 NKJV

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,

The whole family:

Patria-

lineage running back to some progenitor, ancestry

being adopted in

given access

The Word Patria comes out of the Root word for Father pat-ayr'

Everything we now are comes from the Father

We’re graffed in, not into the Jewish religion but into the Family of God

2. Bondservant of Christ:

Perspective:

A bondservant of Jesus Christ

Many people want the title of Apostle without Bondservant

WE want the influence without the faith-fullness

“There is no calling that you can posses which will allow you to skip out on the Work”

doo'-los

metaph., one who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men

devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interestsIn

“one who is subservient to, and entirely at the disposal of, his master; a slave.”

Other translations use the word slave or servant.

In Rome at that time it was figured that 1/3 of people in Rome were some form of slave or bondservant

In Roman times, the term bondservant or slave could refer to someone who voluntarily served others. But it usually referred to one who was held in a permanent position of servitude. Under Roman law, a bondservant was considered the owner’s personal property.

Jesus used this term and so does Paul

The Hebrew word for “bondservant,” ‘ebed, had a similar connotation. However, the Mosaic Law allowed an indentured servant to become a bondservant voluntarily:

“If the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges.

Many greats men that we read about in the Old Testament are referred to as servants

Abraham

Joshua

David

Isaiah

Paul, Timothy, Peter, James and Jude all consider themselves as bondservants in the scripture

WE voluntarily submit to his will and ownership

3. Apostle (Calling)

Purpose:

Finally your calling and you platform

God gives us a platform to use for his purpose

What is your platform

Revelation 5:10 NKJV

10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

He’s made us to either support, fund, sustain or carry out the mission of the gospel on the earth

We live to know Him and make Him known

What is the purpose of your platform?

Are you in business to just make money?

What is your kingdom business

Maximize your platform

1 Corinthians 9:23–25 NKJV

23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.

1. Children of God First

means we act like him and do his commandments

our identity is found first and foremost in him

our worth is found in Him not in our calling or platform

2. Bondservants second

maintains our humility

Puts everything into perspective

WE serve him alone and his will

We are faith-full to do the work of the ministry

3. WE maximize what God has called us to do

We run as one who wins

We have a sense of urgency around kingdom business

WE use our talents whether that’s to be a king or priest to honor God

Promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ