What Happens to a
Church that Christ is Not the Center
RUN
I have become all things to all men
so that by all possible means I might save some.
The Apostle
Paul set the example
He personal
disciplined himself so he would qualify
Only the
Gospel has the power to save but
will it
overcome the competition of the world’s runners
It is up to
you
Paul ran at
his own expense but should have had
the support
of the prospering Church in Corinth
Where ever
you may live, whatever benefits you gain from where you live
Use those
resources to support the Gospel
Reach the
rich and the poor, the weak and the strong
Take the
Gospel to every person
Do it
personally in whatever way you can and
financially
support those who are taking the Gospel where you can not
Do it with
this commitment
I beat my body and make
it my slave so that after I have preached to others,
I myself will not be
disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:27
What happens
to a church that Christ is not the center?
I have become all things to all men
so that
by all possible means I might save
some.
1 Corinthians 9
RUN
I live outside Toledo.
Interstate 75, as with most Interstates that end in a five,
is a major cross-country, north–south route,
one of the longest in the U.S.,
Interstate 80
is an east–west transcontinental freeway
in the United States that runs from downtown
San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey,
in the New York City Metropolitan Area.
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway
in the United States at 3,020.54 miles.
Its western terminus is in Seattle,
and its eastern terminus is in Boston.
It is Toledo that intersects these Interstates.
Like Corinth, Toledo has been prosperous by
the goods and services that come through the area.
While many saw Corinth a strategic
place to make a living and prosper…
Paul saw Corinth as a strategic place to share the Gospel.
Paul set the example of a preacher of the Gospel.
Paul said…
Though I am free and
belong to no man,
I make myself a slave
to everyone, to win as many as possible….
I have become all
things to all men so that
by all possible means
I might save some. V19, 22
Corinth was diverse in culture, status, and personal income.
Paul was an apostle, he had a name for himself.
He was a very
intelligent man who could have
lived very well using his abilities for personal gain.
Paul was compelled to preach the Gospel…
Compelled to relate to others no matter
what their background or status in life was.
The Gospel costs, it cost Jesus His life,
it cost those who preach the Gospel.
The value of one soul converting to Christ is expensive.
Paul counted the cost.
Paul realized how hard it was to preach the Gospel.
It takes a lot of personal discipline.
Paul relates it to competing in a
race where there is only one winner.
Running against all the things of this
world, competing for
people’s lives.
Paul says…
I beat my body and
make it my slave so
that after I have preached to others,
I myself will not be disqualified for the
prize.
The Olympics started in Corinth.
An Olympic runner does not do the
same things everyone else does.
The runner is focused, and disciplines
daily so not to be disqualified.
Not just anyone can run,
there is a
qualification process.
There are two points Paul makes…
One is, we all should take the message of
the Gospel and cost of one soul serious.
It should be what we live for.
Two, is not all of us have the ability to preach
but we do have the ability to support.
The Church at Corinth did not financially support Paul.
It was a shame Paul supported himself.
Paul did not see Corinth as the cross
road to wealth but the Gospel.
Most see Toledo as a cross roads to a better life.
To those who know the Gospel, they see
Toledo as a cross roads to eternal life.
Where ever you may live, whatever
benefits you gain from where you live…
Use those resources to support the Gospel.
Reach the rich and the poor, the weak and the strong.
Take the Gospel to every person.
Do it personally in whatever way you can
and financially support those who are
taking the Gospel where you cannot.
Do it with this commitment…
I beat my body and make it my slave
so that after I have preached to others,
I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
1 Corinthians
9:27
Scripture Reading
1 Corinthians 9 NIV
9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen
Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2 Even though I
may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my
apostleship in the Lord.
3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4
Don't we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don't we have the right to take a
believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers
and Cephas? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?
7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a
vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink
of the milk? 8 Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn't the Law
say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not
muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Is it about oxen that
God is concerned? 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was
written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they
ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11 If we have sown
spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from
you? 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all
the more?
But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up
with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Don't you know that those
who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at
the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord
has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from
the gospel.
15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not
writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me. I would rather
die than have anyone deprive me of this boast. 16 Yet when I preach the gospel,
I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the
gospel! 17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am
simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18 What then is my reward? Just
this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not
make use of my rights in preaching it.
19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make 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 men 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.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but
only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who
competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that
will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore
I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating
the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have
preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
