The Good News That is For All People

The Good News Living Based on What You Are, That is For All People Not on What You Used to Be Corinthians 9:19-23 11 Corinthians 6:1-11 September 23, 2018 June 24, 2018 THE BIG IDEA: Paul shows us the focus of his life (winning souls for Christ), explains his strategy (agile and adaptable messenger + unchanging message), and helps us see his motivation (the nature of the Gospel). Truths to Take Away From this Scripture: 1. 2. 3. 4. THE GOSPEL: When Paul spoke of the gospel he was saying that a Holy God, offended by our sin, graciously sent the sinless Son to die a substitutionary death on the Cross, satisfying the wrath of God on our sin. We are restored to a relationship with God by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. 5. 1 Corinthians 9 (ESV) 9 19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. 1 Corinthians 9:23 (NASB) I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. 6. Putting this Scripture Into My Life: § What sacrifices am I willing to make – what will I give up in order to see someone saved by Jesus? Am I willing to make myself “a servant to all” (v. 19)? § What would happen if the souls of people became the passion of my life? o o o o o o o o “THAT” – Paul uses it 7 times in 5 verses à what he is doing is declaring what he knows is his purpose – it reveals his passion! § § § Verse 19 is the explanation for the difference between mere social ministry and Gospel-centered ministry: “that I might win more of them.” “win” – Matthew 18:15; 1 Peter 3:1 “save” – this word speaks both about removing someone from imminent danger and of the healing and making whole someone who is dying. Paul believed that the message of the Gospel could never change, but the messenger of the Gospel should always be willing to change. The reason Paul always came back to absolute sufficiency of Christ on the Cross for our salvation is that Christ is the constant in our constantly changing cultures. There was no question what Paul’s main aim in life was or what he believed the main business of the church was. Another way to think about it is Christians are “translators” of the Gospel into the hosts of cultural groups, mindsets, and groups of people present in every community. A missionary to a Spanishspeaking country would never demand that the people learn English if they want to hear the story of Jesus. He/she takes the Gospel and translates it into the language of the people. Besides the spoken language, there is always the thing that connects with the heart of a person. To someone who is feeling overwhelmed by their circumstances and losses this week, the heart-connection will be in acts of love. Paul crossed cultural bridges for the souls of men. We don’t ask people to cross those bridges in order to qualify themselves to be worthy of hearing what we have to say! § Will I learn a new language? Immerse myself in a new culture? Choose to be a servant? Start where people are, not where I think they should be? Will I sit with people I wouldn’t naturally be drawn to? Change the way I spend my time? Set aside my personal preferences? Clearly communicate the Gospel, leaving the results to the Holy Spirit? Pray that God will give you Paul’s passion to win one more.