Whatever it Takes

Last week Paul began a defense of the freedoms he has and his apostleship.

One of the things we mentioned is how people will question our motives fro sharing the gospel.

This week Paul address methods for sharing the gospel…

1 Corinthians 9:19–27 CSB

19 Although I am free from all and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law—to win those under the law. 21 To those who are without the law, like one without the law—though I am not without God’s law but under the law of Christ—to win those without the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some. 23 Now I do all this because of the gospel, so that I may share in the blessings. 24 Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. 25 Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. 26 So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. 27 Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

We must keep in the context in which Paul is saying these things. He has been speaking about his freedom in Christ and now he pairs that with his interaction with 3 groups of people.

Group 1 are the Jews - even though no longer bound by the constraints of the law he will respect and partake of the law to not be a stumbling block.

Group 2 are the Gentiles - it is not that he ignores the law an lives as he desires but more that he took his place in their culture to reach them - he clarifies this by not only saying he still had the law and even goes further by being under the law of Christ.

Group 3 are the weak - Paul has been telling us how we are to act with the weak in conscience - here Paul refrains from exercising his Christian freedom (ie. not eating meat sacrificed to idols).

Our desires should take a backseat to the needs of others.

If we cannot get people to listen to us then how will they ever hear the gospel.

There are several aspects to our gathering as a church - first is to corporately worship God - another is to train believers how to be followers of Christ (this includes edifying one another, teaching, fellowship, prayer, etc.) - another is to reach the lost.

Many in the church spend their time upset because they don’t like something being done - how many times have we uttered the words “I don’t like the _________” or “Why are we changing, I liked the old way?”

I know how we will answer this verbally but take a deep look, do we really mean it - What are you willing to do, change or give up if we could just bring one more person to Christ?

Most church members will say they would do anything but when it actually comes to making the sacrifice… at minimum hesitation, at worst flat out refusal.

Our methods for reaching the lost need to be flexible in application.

If it works why wouldn’t we do it? I am not talking about doing things that are not God honoring and for sure not thing that are illegal.

If we could put a band on this stage with lights and they sang the latest worship songs (maybe throwing in an updated version of a hymn) - here’s the kicker, because the band is here there are 20 new people coming, 3 of which do not know Jesus yet - should we do it?

The sky is the limit to things we can do to reach the lost and many of them will not be things ALL of us like or think we should do.

The methods are adaptable but the message is not.

The truth of the gospel is unbreakable - how we share it can be but we can NEVER alter or diminish the gospel message.

What ever we do we must do it with purpose and excellence.

Paul uses 2 analogies - one is of a runner and the other is a boxer.

Both train to participate in their events- the same is true of our Christian walk, we must train.

Not for nothing, if we are not doing this with the desire and the motivation to win (reach the lost) then why are we doing it.

We cannot get so distracted that we forget - not only are we to preach the gospel but to live the gospel.