Christ Is a Slave

1 Corinthians 9:19–23 (NIV):

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Today I want you to entertain the idea, are you bound, enslaved to Christ?

Thats the question I want us to leave with today.

Ill give you a hint on where I stand on the matter, I want you to be bound and enslaved to Christ.

Because, if you are not, it means you are bound to another.

You are a slave to something, the question is, does your slave master bring life, or death.

You may say, oh no no no…I am a free person, I am not bound to anyone, I am an independent thinking and agent. No one is truly free.

Let me show you.

Charles Taylor, a Canadian Philosopher wrote a work on the modern persons mind. In it he recounted that people think they are free, we all believe that we are free agents...and that we are our own person.

He shows that for most of our current culture, we now make decisions based on personal freedoms, based on what another author Trueman will say later is a “psychological self”.

Here is what that means, it means…before we used to make our identity in our association with a tribe. Then it became, well am I good based on my connection to religious institutions, then well what about my connection with my work. Then it was how about my economic means. And now, its well, am I my own connection. I don’t need to be connected to anything other than myself, and if I am true to myself, I am great,

Let me give you an example, in school we have ten different methods to do math. It used to be, that you came to school and you learned one way, and you conformed to it. Now, each student has a specific plan geared towards them.

Now, the school must submit to their way. And so you have 10 different methods to lean the best you can.

Now, I am not smart enough to say, the old way is best. Or the new way is best.

But what I can say is this.

The gospel thinks both are true. But inverted.

The gospel says, you must be willing to enslave yourself to anyone, in order that they may come to hear the Gospel.

And Paul says, its not the world that needs to learn the best way I learn, it is my job to learn the best way they learn. And then apply the medicine.

The psyoclogical self says, hear me. Paul says, the Gospel asks us, let me hear you, know the best way to serve you, and then apply the gospel.

But who can live that way?

I will tell you. The one who doesn’t need others to hear them because they are heard perfectly from Christ.

I WANT YOU TO LEAVE TODAY BEING HEARD BY CHRIST, SO THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE HEARD BY ANYONE ELSE. SO YOU ARE FREE TO LISTEN, AND THEN ACT, ACCORDING TO THE GOSPEL.

Paul brings up three important aspects and a reason why.

A truth: he is free

That means action: I made myself a slave

For an outcome: to win others

Because of the Gospel: its a blessing to do so (If I make someone a slave to politics, or economic ways, or tradition, or preferences, I enslave them to death. I want them to experience the freedom I have from those things, and life in Christ)

A TRUTH

I am free and belong to no one

As a Christian, you are no longer bound to sin and shame.

Paul says that he is free and bound to no one.

Now this is wild. He is picking up on a truth that is escaping us more and more.

He knows that he used to belong to a whole host of people. He belong to the Jewish religious elite, he had to talk a certain way, he had to believe what others believed, and had to act how others acted, or else free being thrown out in shame and shunning.

Then he met Christ on the road to Damascus, and he realized something. The script for how others, creatures of this world, think I should operate, isn’t good.

He realized, oh wait, I thought I was doing good, but doing what was expected of me, and now I realize, that’s not right.

In the movie Peanut Butter Falcon, there is a young man with Down syndrome and he has become a property of the state, to live in a retirement home.

All he wants to do is to be freed from the retirement home and go live his life, do as he wants.

There is a case worker who thinks, oh no, you must live how I think, you must live as I say, you cannot live as you want, I know what is best.

He breaks out and lives an amazing life, he was called retard by others, and meets someone who says, don’t you dare let others treat you like that.

And we say, that’s the modern man, don’t let others tell you want to do , don’t tread on me...well hold on a second.

But wait a second. It’s not, its not modern or ancient, its eternal.

Because here is what he means to say. Whatever you think is from you, original, and native to your brain...you must admit, is not. It’s from the world. You are a creature of the world.

So when you think, freedom is the goal, freedom is away from worldly thinking, become a free thinker...do you know that 200 years ago that was a sin.

200 years ago before a bunch of French humanists, idealistic thinkers, the idea of being a free person on your own was a sin.

And now its in vogue, now its trendy.

But guess what, there will come a day when everyone is chanting, not “express yourself!” But rather, “become like on of the crowd”.

The first thing Paul wants to tell us, the unique thought you think you have, is actually a product of thousands of years of cultural training.

Why?

Because everything from this world, cannot fix the world, but is a part of the problem of this world. You cannot expect a solution to come from the people who spawn the problem.

The only solution to a finite issue, is an infinite creator.

This means action:

I made myself a slave to everyone

If you are no longer a slave to the world, you are a slave to someone else.

Follow Paul here.

He says, I am not bound by man anymore.

Before I had to keep in line to keep community, if I stepped out, the religious would hate me, and cut me off.

Now, I am not bound by the thinking of anyone of this world, including myself!

SO....I can serve anyone, without fear of becoming enslaved to them. I can think and talk with anyone, knowing that I am not forced to be like them.

Doesn’t this sound lovely. Wouldn't you kill to have a life where others didn’t have the keys to your happiness. Where you were not beholden to the culture, but rather get to live in it like an immune person.

In world war z, brad Pitt plays a character who is fighting off zombies and trying to find what makes them attack certain people and avoid others.

He discovers that these zombies don’t go after those who are compromised immune wise. If you are sick, you don’t Get attacked.

So they become weak, they get infected with diseases.

They then walk around, without fear of being attacked, they operetta soda machines, and zombies pass them by.

They become immune, and therefore, could finally live.

They were able to help others, being immune to the blood suckers.

And they realized, now that we are immune, our job is to serve others, We are free, now to serve at the will of others.

He could willingly serve, knowing he couldn’t die.

Are you willing to give into things you don't like, because you have life.

If I asked you to finish this sentence, I cannot live if you took....what would you answer.

Because that thing you answered, is your god.

I cant live without my wife, your wife is your god

I cant live without my freedoms, your freedoms are you god

I cant live without people doing what I think is best, you are god

So, Paul says act freely, because you are truly free now, not bound by the thousands of years it took to create this thing we call culture, that is muddied in the world’s own way.

Paul says, I am serving because I actually have freedom. You don’t have to love me, I am loved by another.

For an outcome

To win as many as possible

Paul lists a lot of specifics....many specific evidences of what he means....

Let me try to make them a little simplifier.

He says, to religious, to the irreligious, to the political, to the non political, to the rich, to the poor...to anyone, I can learn you, and hear from you. I can know you.

Let me share a little from my experience here so far.

I start every LT meeting with a little exercise, I ask a few Elders and Deacons for a lexicon, a vocabulary test....

I have learned uftah, the end of sentences of yet, what a camper is, and I keep a little journal of words and phrases....

Why?

Because I want to talk like us, I want to speak like us, I want to make sure there are no hurdles in my way of expressing the Gospel.

Are you learning others so that there are no hurdles in your way, knowing that Christ removed all hurdles.

He became man so no one could say, you didn’t visit me.

He spoke clearly so no one could say, we didn’t hear

He died publicly so no one could say, it happened in the secret.

The reason Paul was willing to serve, was because he was finally alive, and couldn’t die, and then learned everyone best he could.

Let me give you an example from Paul’s ministry….in one church he told a man to get circumcised and in another he said don't.

In one church, there were a bunch of moralists who would hear that their pastor didn’t grow up like they did and Paul said, lets not make you a stumbling block, get circumcied, and to another he said, your people don't care, don't worry about it.

So, is circumcision right or wrong...Paul says, its whatever the people will stumble over.

WHY? So that the most people can come to faith without wasting time talking about other things.

WHY DID HE DO THIS?

I do this for the sake of the Gospel, that I may share in its blessings...

Let me make this personal as we end....

Those of us who cheer when a mask is worn....is this because I like masks, is this because I know for a fact masks will bring more to the gospel? Or is it because it fits my preferences.

Those who cheer when a mask is not worn...is it because you think, this is how Christ will be glorified, this is how many will come to know the gospel.

The truth of the matter, you are free to do as you like. Elsewhere Paul says, I have absolute freedom in the Gospel. I can do anything. All things are permissible, but not all things are profitable.

What I want you to know is this....

If you are enslaved to the gospel, you think...how can I try and win as many as possible to life, and not death, and whatever that means I am willing to talk about and do.

Again, I shared with you a while ago, I think that the Bible is very clear on a lot of issues, andI would ideally like some to be different, but do you know what...if I made those issues the main thing, if I made hymn singing the main thing...I would become deaf to a lot of you.

I think hymns are the best songs, but that’s not the gospel...and do I think it as right, of course I do...

But do I think its more important than me singing other songs so that you can sing along and that we can worship together, of courses not.

Why...because its better to be in the gospel and be wrong, than be out of the gospel and be right.

You are free to be right according to your thoughts and die.

You are invited to think that you could be wrong and live.

The entrance into the gospel is not adherence to morals, to actions, to decision, but to a man who gave up his rights so that you could hear the gospel.

If you haven’t thought, maybe I am wrong on masks....you are doing life wrong.

If you haven’t thought, maybe I am wrong on not wearing masks...you are doing life wrong.

So what’s the answer....

Paul says elsewhere....I came to you and did not preach according to worldly ways, I did not preach like a TED talk, I did not preach with cool videos and words of famous people...I did not come and copy a orator...I was only concerned with the gospel.

Are you ok admitting, I am not a disease specialist. I am not a constitutional authority.

If you don't know anything about being a plumber, call a plumber.

I am just am humble sinner, saved by grace, who only cares about others hearing Christ say, I hear you, I see you, and I am the answer.

Would you be willing to do the same today?

Be a slave to the gospel, for he is the only master who brings life.

Enslavement to others means death, being under Christ means life.

I am asking us all, to admit, maybe my positions in life aren’t the thing that brings life. But the one who had a position of humility, thats the only position that matters. Not sides, but kneeling.

When speaking to others, don’t fight for the rights of masks vs not masked, don’t fight for the right of equality or not equality, fight instead for Gospel and if we only know that, if I only know that a man came, died, rose again, and sees me as his own…guess what will happen.

I will get the kingdom. The kingdom where no one is left out. Where all people are seen, heard, grace abounds. Freedom reigns.

Thats the goal we all want, the only thing that can get it for us. No law, not motion, no ordinance, no shouting, no social media post…but rather this, Christ had everything, became a slum dog, and died for us, by us…so you wouldn’t have to die.

What freedom.

What love.

What care.

Lets pray