I Must Preach The Gospel! Series

“I MUST PREACH THE GOSPEL!” 1 Cor. 9:15-23

FBCF – 3/9/25

Jon Daniels

INTRO – Microscope – Binoculars – Telescope

3 different devices used to look at & focus on 3 different areas:

- Microscope – up close – can see germs that can make us sick or kill us.

- Binoculars – farther out – get a better view of things that matter to us – football games, hunting, military uses

- Telescope – great distances that go beyond the reach of binoculars – Hubble Telescope – see into deep space – discover things never seen before – new planets, black holes, stars that are millions & millions of light years away.

Different sermons & sermon series help us to focus on different areas of our lives as Christ-followers. For instance:

- Back in Jan – 2 sermons on the ministry of deacons & the ministry of pastors – microscope sermons

- Feb. – “A Place of GRACE” series – Most of it was microscope, but also designed to help us get the binoculars & even the telescope out.

- “Our Mission” sermon – Feb. 9 – Acts 1:8 – “to the ends of the earth” – Matthew 28:19-20 – “…of all nations…” – Gotta get out the telescope for that so you can see the 3 billion+ lost people all around the world. Need a spiritual telescope to see the nearly 170k who will die today w/out knowing Jesus Christ as their Savior. Need a spiritual telescope to see the 7,410 unreached people groups in the world

o IMB Prayer Focus this past Thu – the Mairi people group in Indonesia – only 550 people in this people group – live on an island in the Maluku province of Indonesia – What if a great spiritual awakening among Muslims worldwide started right here among this tiny people group that you’ve probably never heard of?

o Ramadan right now – Most holy time period in every Muslim’s life in the world. Time of spiritual reflection – involves fasting, prayer, study of the Quran, & community. So, while they’re seeking spiritual direction, let’s pray that they find it in the ONLY One who can truly give them that direction – the Lord Jesus Christ! Praying for the salvation of Muslims for next 20-21 days – the Jesus will reveal Himself & the truth of the Gospel to them. Spiritual blinders come off – Dreams, visions, encounters w/ real Christ-followers who will love them & share the truth of the Gospel w/ them.

Today will be a microscope sermon as I begin w/ this question:

WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES IN LIFE?

EXPLANATION – 1 Corinthians 9:15-23

Paul lived w/ Gospel priority. B/c of that, he was willing to endure personal inconvenience, personal discomfort, & even personal persecution so that he could tell others about Jesus.

- Acts 9:16 – The Lord said, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my Name.” (NIV)

He gave up his right to be paid as a minister of the Gospel. He didn’t want anything to cause anyone to question his motives & his mission. Proclaiming the Good News about Jesus was a “necessity” (v. 16) to him –

- Gk “pressure” – He sensed the pressure of this calling on his life

- “distress” – It would distress him to NOT do this. That’s a serious priority!

- “the state of being absolutely required” – For Paul, he knew that the Lord absolutely required that he tell others about Jesus.

Paul KNEW that he HAD to share the Gospel! V. 17 in NLT – “…I have no choice, for God has given me this sacred trust.” Actually, he DID have a choice. He could choose to be disobedient!

v. 19-23 – Paul makes it abundantly clear that he is willing to do whatever it takes to tell lost people about Jesus whoever they are & wherever they are. He wanted to make sure that ANYONE had the opportunity to meet Jesus & grow in their relationship w/ Him.

- He was willing to make himself like a slave

- …like a Jew who lived according to the OT laws

- …like a Gentile who didn’t live according to the OT laws

- …like a weak person

- It just did not matter to Paul! He had a heart for ALL people & wanted them all to come to Jesus & be saved!

WHAT ABOUT YOU & ME?

APPLICATION – We must live a Gospel-prioritized life.

Let’s get out our spiritual microscope right now.

IS THE GOSPEL THE PRIORITY OF MY LIFE? – “…woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!”

“Oh, woe is me!” – Use that statement to casually or flippantly when we are tired or sad about something. But when Paul said it, he was saying, “This has to be the priority of my life b/c divine penalty & punishment threatens me if I don’t proclaim the Gospel!”