Paul

Leaving Comfort Zones Series

This Will Be My Last Lesson in This Series

Marshall Cannon Will Be Preaching Next Sunday

And His Sermon Will Go Right Along the Same Lines as This Series

Also, Another One of Our Newer Members Here, David Straw…

Will Be Teaching the Sunday Morning Bible Class

So Don’t Miss Out On Being Taught By These 2 Great Men Next Sunday

The Purpose of This Series is to Encourage All of Us to Leave Our Comfort Zones

God’s Expectations for Us Often Demand that We Do

And to Prove Our Faith/Trust in Him…

We’ve Got to Be Willing to Do Things that are Uncomfortable, Scary, or Even Dangerous

We’ve Looked at Abraham and How He was Willing to Leave Everything Behind…

To Glorify God and Receive Wonderful Blessings

We Talked About How We Need to Be Willing to Sacrifice Whatever it Takes…

To Obey God and Prove Our Faith in Him

Then We Looked at Moses and How He Tried His Best to Stay in His Comfort Zone…

When God was Trying to Pull Him Out

But God Assured Moses that He Would Be With Him

And Moses Eventually Took the Good News to an Enslaved People

We Talked About How We Need to Remember that Jesus Promises to Be With Us…

When We Share His Good News With Enslaved People Today

This Morning We are Going to Take a Look at Paul

Again, as With Every Hero of the Bible…

Paul Has Many Moments Where He Left His Comfort Zone to Glorify God

But What We are Going to Focus On is Something He Wrote to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 9

In the Context of Chapter 9, Paul was Speaking About Eating Food Offered to Idols

As in Every Church, There Were Some in Corinth With More Knowledge and Some With Less

Those With a Better Understanding of Christianity…

Knew that Eating Meats Offered to Idols was Not Sinful

But Others With a Lesser Understanding of Christianity…

Believed They Would Be Sinning if They Ate Meats Offered to Idols

What was Paul’s Solution for This Situation?

That Those With Better Understanding Make Sacrifices for the Betterment of Their Siblings

Listen to How the NLT Puts it

1 Corinthians 8:7–13 (NLT)

However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do.

But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. For if others see you—with your “superior knowledge”—eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer for whom Christ died will be destroyed.

And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.

It’s Better to Sacrifice Our Freedoms and Our Rights…

For the Edification and Building Up of Our Siblings

Something May Not Be Wrong for You to Do…

But it Could Still Cause Your Siblings to Sin or Fall Away From the Faith

This is Just One Aspect of Love We Ought to Have for Each Other

Being Willing to Sacrifice Our Freedoms/Rights for Our Sibling’s Sake

This is One Way We are to Leave Our Comfort Zones

It’s Better to Be Uncomfortable So that Our Siblings Can Be Comfortable

In Chapter 9, Paul Gives an Example of How He Has Followed His Own Teaching

As a Preacher of the Gospel…

He Has the Right to Receive Financial Support From Those He Shares the Gospel With

But He Does Not Demand This Right

He Sacrificed His Right of Financial Support

This Meant Many Hardships for Paul

He Told the Corinthians in His 2nd Letter…

2 Corinthians 11:27 (NASB95)

I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

Because Paul Did Not Demand His Right to Receive Money, Food, and Clothing…

He Had to Work Night and Day to Provide for Himself

Sometimes that Meant Sleepless Nights

Sometimes that Meant Going Hungry and Thirsty

Sometimes that Meant Nearly Freezing to Death Because of Lack of Proper Clothing

He Told the Thessalonians the Same Thing

1 Thessalonians 2:9 (NASB95)

For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

2 Thessalonians 3:8 (NASB95)

nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you;

Paul was Willing to Live Outside of His Comfort Zone

He was Willing to Suffer

He Even Told the Philippians that He’d Learned to Be Content in Such Situations

That’s What He Means By Some of His Most Famously Misused Words

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

“I Can Be Content Through All of This Because Jesus Gives Me the Strength”

But the Question We are Going to Ask is “Why?”

“Why Allow Yourself to Go Through Such Difficult Times?”

“Why Did You Choose to Live Outside Your Comfort Zone?”

That’s the Question He is Going to Answer in Our Primary Text

1 Corinthians 9:19 (NASB95)

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.

The Answer to Our Question Comes at the End of the Verse

Paul Subjected Himself to Uncomfortable Situations and Sufferings…

In Order that He May Win/Save More People

Though Paul was Free to Be Whoever and Do Whatever…

He Doesn’t Use His Freedom as an Opportunity to Pursue His Own Interests

Instead, He Voluntarily Sacrifices His Rights and Freedoms…

To Make Himself a Slave to Everyone

Paul Believed that Freedom is Not About Living for Yourself

That’s What the World Thinks

“It’s a Free Country!”, “You’re Not the Boss of Me!”

Statements Like that are Examples of How the World Views Freedom

“Freedom Means I Can Do Whatever/Live However I Want”

That’s Not Freedom

That’s Just Another Form of Slavery

Slavery to Yourself, Your Appetites, Your Lusts, and Your Master (Satan)

To Paul, Freedom Wasn’t About Living for Yourself

Freedom is Choosing to Live Your Life for Others

Galatians 5:13 (NLT)

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

Our Freedom in Christ is Meant to Lead Us to a Life of Voluntary Slavery

This is What Paul Did Because This is What Jesus Did

And it was All for the Purpose of Saving as Many People With the Gospel as Possible

Paul Then Gives 4 Broad Examples of How He Became a Slave to All People

1 Corinthians 9:20 (NASB95)

To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;

First, He Became Like a Jew to the Jews

That’s an Odd Thing to Say Considering Paul was Jewish

This Shows Us that Paul No Longer Considered Himself a Jew

He was First and Foremost a Christian

Ethnicity, Nationality, or Religious Background Were No Longer a Concern to Paul

He was a Christian

How Many of Us Can Say that?

Is Being a Christian Our Primary Identity?

I’m Afraid that Isn’t the Case for Many of Us

And as a Christian, When He Had the Opportunity to Share the Gospel With Jews…

He Became Like Them

Meaning, He Would Follow Many of Their Customs and Traditions

He Would Keep the Sabbath With Them in the Synagogue

He Would Observe Their Purity Laws

He Would Take Certain Vows

He Even Circumcised Timothy so as to Not Lose Their Influence Among the Jews

In Order to Gain the Trust and Influence of the Jewish People…

Paul Would Temporarily Live Like Them…

So That He Could Win Them to the Saving Gospel of Jesus

Second, Along Similar Lines, He Became Like Those Under the Law to Those Under the Law

This May Be Talking About Gentiles Who Kept the Law of Moses

To Both Jews and Gentiles Under the Law of Moses…

Paul Gave Up His Freedom From the Law…

To Reach Those Under the Law With the Gospel

But He was Quick to Say that He was Not Actually Under the Old Law

He Would Live Under it to Convert Those Under it to Christianity…

But He was Not Bound to it Anymore

Jesus Freed Him From the Obligation and Curse of the Law

He Had Found Freedom and Justification in Jesus

But, Out of Love, He Subjected Himself to the Customs of the Law Once Again…

To Free Those Still Living Under it

1 Corinthians 9:21 (NASB95)

to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.

Third, He Became Like Those Without Law to Those Without Law

This is Another Way of Describing the Vast Majority of Gentiles

When Among Gentiles, He Wouldn’t Keep the Customs and Traditions of the Jews

He Didn’t Rely Wholly On OT Scripture to Teach Them About God

He Knew the Teachings of Their Poets and Philosophers…

And Would Occasionally Quote Them to Teach About God and Jesus

Paul Becoming Like the Gentiles Did Not Mean He Became Like Them in Everything

Paul Became LIKE the Jews, He Didn’t Become a Jew

Paul Became LIKE the Gentiles, But He Didn’t Become a Lawless, Godless Gentile

He was Still Under the Law of Christ (Still Followed the Teachings of Christ)

He Didn’t Try to Separate Himself From People of Other Beliefs

He Sought to Find Common Ground With Them

He Didn’t Build Walls Between Himself and Non-Believers

He Built Bridges

He Knew the Best Way to Reach the Gentiles With the Gospel…

Was Not Through Showcasing All of Their Differences

But By Relating to Them in Ways that Were Still Obedient to Jesus

1 Corinthians 9:22 (NASB95)

To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.

Fourth, Paul Became Weak to Win the Weak

There are a Number of Things this Could Mean

The Weak in Sin

The Meek and Lowly (Outcasts of Society)

Paul and Jesus Both Met Sinners and Outcasts Where They Were to Reach Them With the Gospel

But in this Context, I Believe the Weak Refers to Those of Weaker Consciences

Specifically, Those Who Believed it was Wrong to Eat Meats Offered to Idols

Paul was Willing to Sacrifice His Rights and Freedoms to Care for the Weak

He was Careful With Their Cultural Sensibilities and Customs

This is Likely Dealing With People Who are Already Christians

When Paul Speaks of “Winning the Weak”…

He is Referring to Sacrificing His Freedoms in Such a Way So That They Don’t Fall into Sin

Paul is Willing to Make Whatever Sacrifices Necessary to Win More People to Christ

Application

As Christians, We Have the Right to Do a Lot of Things

We Have a Lot of Freedom in Christ

But Paul Believed Freedom Should Be Practiced By Making Oneself a Slave to Others

As a Slave to Others, Our Greatest Concern Should Be…

The Physical and Spiritual Well-Being of Others

There’s Nothing Comfortable About That

Paul Used to Be a Pharisee (To Separate)

Those Who Were Different Than Himself, He Separated Himself From

But Now as a Christian, He Conformed to the Lifestyles and Customs of Others

He Would Meet the People Where They Were

The Question is: Am I Willing to Do the Same?

Am I Willing to Relate to Others in Order to Win Them to the Gospel?

Am I Willing to Reach Across the Aisle to Relate to Others for the Gospel’s Sake?

Generational Aisle?

Racial Aisle?

Economic Aisle?

Social Aisle?

Political Aisle?

Religious Traditional Aisle?

If My Traditions and Culture (Secular and Religious) Hinder Me From Converting People to Jesus…

I Need to Let Them Go!

I Must Use My Freedom in Christ…

To Make Myself a Slave to All People…

So That Christ May Be Glorified

But Paul Didn’t Just See This as a Kind, Loving, Christ-Like Thing to Do

He Saw it as Essential to His Own Salvation

1 Corinthians 9:23–27 (NASB95)

I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Paul Made Himself a Slave to All, Not Just So They Could Receive the Salvation of the Gospel

But So He Could as Well

It’s Hard Work to Make Oneself a Slave to Others

Paul Compared it to the Work and Training of an Olympic Athlete

It is a Matter of Constant Discipline

Paul Compared it to Beating Himself into Submission to Slavery

There’s Nothing Comfortable About That

As Christians, We are Called to Live a Life of Love for Others

And if We Love Others, We Will Sacrifice Our Rights and Freedoms for Them

We Will Become Their Slaves

We Will Make Whatever Sacrifices Can Be Made to Win Them to Jesus

Are We Willing to Leave Our Comfort Zones?

As Christians, We Aren’t Called to Live Comfortable Lives

We are Called to Be Slaves

That’s Love

And that’s Exactly What Jesus Did for Us

And to this Day, He is Still Serving Us as Our High Priest and advocate…

Pleading for Our Salvation at the Right Hand of God

Our Savior Calls Us to Follow Him and Leave Our Comfort Zones

Are We Willing?