Whatever It Takes

Introduction

The late great Kobe Bryant once stated, “I’ll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it’s sitting on the bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game winning shot”. As we approach the ninth chapter of the 1st epistle to the Corinthian church we are introduced to quite the perspective given by Paul. The pendulum that swings from apostle to servant is a lesson that I believe we can learn from today. If we are going win, if we are going to win souls, titles, time of service and lineage have to be thrown out the window. Even the lesson we learn with Jesus, as Paul references in 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” It makes mindset of evangelizing in the synagogues, eating with the sinners, prostitutes and tax collectors a little more relevant. What I’m suggesting tonight is that if we are going to be successful as the body of Christ: titles, and traditions are going to have to cease! This pericope is more than just Paul defending himself, it’s Paul defending the work of the pastor, meanwhile encouraging the mindset of a servant. This is the epitome of what servant leadership is. There’s no job that’s beneath me, nor situation that I’m afraid of.

I’ve always been enamored the amount of preparation that goes into performance. I know we’re in church, but do I have any Beyonce fans in the room this evening? It’s reported that she rehearsed 11 hours a day for about eight months of rehearsal, approximately 600 total hours for a 4 hour performance.

Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world, once stated I trained 4 years for 9 seconds.

Kobe Bryant aimed to make 700 to 1,000 shots per day during his practice routine, meanwhile on an average night he might take 25 in a game.

Even if you look at it from a team perspective, at it’s length if you make the Superbowl the season is 21 weeks in comparison to 31 weeks of preparation.

Then we get to Jesus, living His life for us for 33 years to conquer death in three days! The overarching idea of the collective body of Christ can be analogous to the team mindset, we have to value preparation over performance, and we have to value service over applause! If we are truly running to win, it’s going to take some preparation. More importantly it’s going to take a team mindset and a servant heart!

A Servant to All

The New King James Version Chapter 9

19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

“I made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more” be mindful it does not mean he forsook his convictions, but instead he uses his convictions to build bridges, not walls. If I’m going to win souls for Jesus I might have to have some conversations with people I wouldn’t normally talk to, I might have to sit down with some people that I might not normally sit with.

What levels the playing field is that we’ve all been in bondage to something. When I understand that my bondage might not be like your bondage but we both need to be striving to be free in Christ, I’m more likely to become all things to all men that I might win some.

Sometimes we let behavior modification get in the way of us sharing Jesus with people. God has purposed that the gospel of Jesus Christ be shared with all mankind!

The question you have to ask yourself is what are you trying to win, are you trying to win influence in church, popularity with other members? What’s your why this evening?

No matter what it takes, I’m willing to do it for the cause of Christ. I’m willing to be the servant God has called me to be, I’m willing to sit in places that I’m uncomfortable with, and talk to people that I might not want to talk to because that is the duty of the Christian, this race is ran by sharing the gospel with those we come in contact with.

Because i’m a slave to Christ, it means that I become a servant to others! Sometimes connecting for the gospel sake is going to be painful and I’m going to have to surrender to things that I might not want to do, but when I know that Jesus died for me, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to further the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Acts 16:3 “Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.”

Often times we say we want to serve in the kingdom but sometimes service is going to bring great points of pain. Service will lead to betrayal, service will lead to loneliness and isolation, service will lead to you constantly having to defend your decisions. Nonetheless no matter how great the pain, there is a God of all comfort that can wipe away every tear and give you the joy you need to keep running!

Let’s not get caught up in semantics, more so that the ideology that Paul provides in this text, the outlook is that no matter what it takes, I’m willing to do if it means that souls will be saved. The keyword that we should take with us is consideration.

Even when we look back at 1 Corinthians 8:12–13 “But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”

We Win As a Team

Once I realize that it’s going to take the effort of each and everyone of us to make Christ famous I’m no longer worried about the minuscule things, my mind is focused on the race ahead of me.

In college I threw the shot put, as many of you can probably tell I’ve been stocky my entire life. With that stated when I showed up to a track meet I wasn’t just representing me, Vince the Shot Put thrower, I was representing the Southwestern Christian College Rams. Therefore when my teammate ran the 200 I was cheering, when my teammate ran the 800 I was cheering. It didn’t matter what event, I was cheering because we were all on the same team.

Ministry suffers when we forget that we are all on team Jesus. When we begin to operate like a solo act, we’ve now become more concerned with our own success rather than Jesus.

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 “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. 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. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

There’s a sense of disciple and temperance that exist for those who are competing! I’m not just running on Sunday, on Monday my life reflects Jesus, on Tuesday my life reflects Jesus, on Wednesday my life reflects Jesus. This is not something I’m uncertain about, I know there’s a crown waiting on for me that will never vanish away.

Just like any race there’s rules, if I want to win I’ve got to stay in my lane! Trust and know that every race isn’t mean for everybody. Some of us need to be the long distance runners, we need some people in the church that run for a little while. Some of us are the sprinters, we need some folks that get there quick, but all in all I run with certainty, I run prepared! If I’m going to run I run like Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:1 “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”

The performance is easy when the preparation is prioritized. What people see in our lives needs to be consistent with what they read in the Word of God.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9 — Run in such a way as to win the prize. Not for medals. Not for applause. But for the Master. He’s talking about a life that’s trained, not just talented. A life that’s prepared, not just present. A life that’s humble enough to serve, even when nobody’s watching.

That’s what Paul is saying — you can’t win the race you don’t train for. You can’t serve well if you don’t prepare. You can’t lead well if you won’t be humble enough to be taught

And if you want to see what real service looks like — look at Jesus. He prepared thirty years for a three-year ministry. He washed feet before He wore a crown. He humbled Himself before He was lifted up. He gave His all so we could gain eternal life. That’s not just discipline — that’s divine dedication.

If Kobe could give his all for a game, then I can give my all for the Gospel. If athletes train for trophies that tarnish, then I can train for a crown that never fades. Because following Jesus takes service. It takes preparation. It takes humility. And when I cross that finish line — I just want to hear Him say, ‘Well done