1 Corinthians 9
1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?
2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 This is my defense to those who would examine me.
4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink?
5 Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?
6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?
7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?
8 Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same?
9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned?
10 Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop.
11 If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?
12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.
13 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings?
14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
15 But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting.
16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.
18 What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
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.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.
27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Are you a follower of Jesus?
If you are a follower of Jesus, you have been saved for a purpose: the enjoyment of God in the spread of the gospel from where you live to the ends of the earth.
Let’s relinquish our rights for the sake of the gospel.
See the example of Paul...
He had a right to financial support from the church at Corinth.
Common Practice
Biblical Precedent t Universal Pattern t Jewish Custom
Christ’s Command
He surrendered this right for the sake of the gospel in Corinth.
Hear the exhortation to you...
You have rights in Birmingham and the world around you...
To life, friends, marriage, family, safety, security, health, and happiness.
To eat, drink, watch, wear, read, study, listen to, and say whatever you want.
To organize your schedule, spend your time, choose your career, make your
money, use your money, take your vacation, and plan your retirement.
To do what you want to do, go where you want to go, and live how you
want to live.
The cross compels you to surrender your rights for the sake of the gospel in
Birmingham and the world around you.
Let’s rearrange our lives for the spread of the gospel.
We are free to be slaves of God.
We are obligated to obey.
God’s gracious conversion of us creates a gospel compulsion in us.
We are free to be slaves of others.
We willingly commit our lives, our families, and our church to this mission...
In our culture.
Across other cultures.
We wisely contextualize the gospel in this mission.
We remove all obstacles to the gospel...
But we never remove the offense of the gospel.
We lay aside all of our comforts...
But we never lay aside any of Christ’s commands.
Let’s run this race together for the glory of our God.
The requirements in this race...
Sacrificial self-denial.
Stringent self-discipline.
Single-minded devotion.
The rewards of this race...
Others will experience the eternal joy of salvation.
We will fulfill the earthly purpose of salvation.
If you are not a follower of Jesus, be saved today for a purpose: the enjoyment of God in the spread of the gospel from where you live to the ends of the earth.
Thanks pastor David!
No comments:
Post a Comment