Living and Thriving In God's World
(are we relevant)
1 Corinthians 9:19-27 (NLT)
Intro: A lady was out hitting all the local garage sales when she came across an old needlepoint picture that read, “Prayer Changes Lives.” She bought it, took it home and began to look for just the right place to hang the new picture. Finally, she decided that it went well in the dining room over the dining room table. With great pride she admired her garage sale discovery and could hardly wait to show it to her husband. That evening when her husband arrived home from work, she showed the picture to him but he made no indication one way or another of his likes or dislikes of the new picture. The next day as the lady was cleaning the house, she discovered that the new picture was gone. As she continued to clean the house, she discovered the picture behind a bookcase. She thought, “That’s strange,” and rehung the picture in its original location. The next day, to her dismay, she discovers the picture gone again and again discovers it behind the bookcase. When the husband arrives home, she confronts her husband and asks him if he is displeased with the art of the needlepoint, to which he responds, no, not at all, it is a great work of art. She continues, is it the place? Do you not like the place it is hung? He says, no, not at all, it is in a great location. She concludes that it must be the message and asks him if it’s the message that he doesn’t like. He says, no, not at all, the message is great. Finally, she says, then what’s the problem? He says, “I just don’t like change.”
. Change, an awful word to some folks.
. One deacon in a small Midwestern church said, “Change is sin, and we sin as little as possible around here.”
. The only person who really really likes change is a baby with a wet diaper.
. I am not a person who embraces change. I had never sent nor received a text until I started here. My first text was from Glen Butler. I don't remember if I even texted him back. I don't think I knew how but now I probably text 20-30 times a day.
. I don't know why we as individuals and as a churches many times resist change so much.
. We are and should be the people of change.
. Jesus is the ultimate change agent. He came to change everything.
. He tells us in Luke 5: 32 that He came to call people to repentance. He calls for change. That's what repentance is, change.
. Our world is constantly changing.
. Think about it. How did we ever manage to live without a smart phone.
.We buy a state of the art computer and within a year it is outdated.
. Our world and culture is ever changing.
. There really is no such thing as a moral compass anymore. Folks take things in any direction they want with absolutely no regard with what we are doing in the lives of those who are so impressionable.
. 50 years ago, who would have believed we would have abortion on demand, legalized homosexual marriage in some states, physician assisted suicide, open nudity on TV.
. Now I know I live in sort of a vacuum but when I do look at singers simulating sexual acts during their performances, I just want to crawl back into my vacuum, my own little world.
. Even though we are uncomfortable, & should be uncomfortable, w/many of the changes in our culture, we must also understand that this is the culture that we are called to minister in.
. This is the world that we are called to live and to thrive in.
. This is our world, & God has placed us here for such a time as this.
.We have been called to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of this generation.
. In our scripture this morning Paul gives us an example of how to share the Gospel in a culturally relevant way.
.Before we look at that I want to make something very clear. We need, we must be relevant in our changing world but the Message must not and cannot be changed.
. While we live in an ever changing world, some things can never change.
. Jesus will never nor can we ever change who He is.
. Hebrews 13:8,9 says this:
. 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.9So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. ...
. In a world that is constantly changing, Jesus is the only constant. The writer tells us that He will never change.
. Salvation will always come from and through Jesus Christ. Scripture is clear on that. If you hear anyone, including me that is trying to change the Gospel, they are heretics. Jesus and the way to him will never change.
. The Bible will never change.
Isaiah 40:8 tells us this:
. 8The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever
. The Apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:23:
23For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
.The Word of God stands for all time as a revelation from God’s mouth to our ears. It will never change, & it will never take second place in this church.
. The Word of God is where we get our directives for worship, for our lifestyle choices, for practical instruction, for our salvation. This will never change.
. That is one of the core values that we have here at the creek.
. While those things never change, most everything else does. We live in a world of constant change.
. Someone said, "There are four signs of approaching age: baldness, bifocals, bridges, & bulges!"
. It is not just our appearance that changes, and if we are to be relevant, if we are to reach people for Christ as we have been called to do, we must learn to live in the world God has placed us in while not being part of that world.
In 1 Corinthians 9, the Apostle Paul gives us an excellent example of how to live and be relevant in the world without being part of that world.
.Lets look at 1 Corinthians 9: 19-27
19Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ
20When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.
21When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.
22When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.
23I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.
24Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
25All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
26So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.
27I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
. There are three things I want us to see from this scripture.
.The first thing Paul tells us is that we must be a:
SLAVE
Look at verses 19-22 again:
19Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ
20When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.
21When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.
22When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.
. Paul writes that we must give up our rights. That's hard to do isn't it.
. Look what he writes to the Corinthian believers in chapter 10:24.
24Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.
. We must put all others first and not claim our rights.
. Paul writes that he is a free man and can do what he likes but for the sake of the Gospel, he is a servant to all men.
. He is a slave, having no rights
. He does this to bring them into a saving knowledge of Christ.
. We can talk about how sad our world is today and how the morality is just so different and we can refuse to have an encounter with folks who don't think like us and talk like us.
. We can always just ignore them can't we.
. Be honest, we really don't like them do we?
. Paul writes that it doesn't matter who they are, I am to serve them.
. He writes that when I am around the Jews, I try to love and serve them and be respective of who they are.
. He says then when I am around the Gentiles, I am respective of them. I place them and our relationship first.
. look at how he accomplishes this in verse 22:
. 22When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.
. He says to find common ground with those around you that do not know the Lord Jesus Christ.
. Sometimes that's hard to do. That's why you have to have the attitude of a slave, of one who gives up their right to not associate with them and find some way to reach them.
. Find some common ground.
. Paul warns you to be careful though in verse 21:
. 21When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.
. He says do not associate with non believers to the detriment of who you are supposed to be in Christ.
. He writes that yes we find common ground but we can never forget the purpose of our actions. To bring them to Christ while always being obedient to what Jesus has taught us.
. Always remember who you are and keep your testimony.
. Paul example shows us that we must not only be a slave but that we must also be a:
.Sharer
. Look at verse 23 again:
. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.
. He says that everything that I do, the finding common ground, the idea of being a servant to people who are not like me, associating with people who don't naturally like me and quite frankly I don't naturally like.
. I do to share the good news.
. We hear the term lifestyle evangelism bandied about.
. What that means is the you live your life in such a way that others see the results of the Christian life and are so impressed that they want what you have.
. That is great. They need to see love and care and compassion from Christians but folks, they MUST HEAR THE GOSPEL.
.Just being a good person, showing God's love through who we are and what we do is not enough.
. Everything must eventually lead to people hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
. That's Paul's example. Everything you do should lead to sharing the Gospel.
. That is the only way a Christian can live and thrive in the world that God has placed them in.
Paul writes that not only are we to be a slave and to be a sharer of the Gospel, we must also;
. Successfully Train Ourselves
Look at vs 24-27 again:
24Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
25All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
26So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.
27I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
. To be successful we must train in two ways.
. The first is to prepare ourselves to share with the people who are in our world today.
. Paul says to prepare yourself. Discipline yourself to do what you are supposed to do.
. How many of you know what shadow boxing is? you get in a room with a light behind you so you can see your shadow. Then you box with yourself. Jabbing and weaving and seeing punches coming. All of that is good until you get into the ring and it's not a shadow and it hits you back. All that shadowboxing is for naught the first time somebody delivers a right cross.
. You can practice all you want to but it does you no good unless you actively participate in sharing the Gospel with someone.
. Train yourself to share and then be active, Do what God has called you to do in this world you live in.
. Paul says that I have to be careful and keep myself trained and stay in God's word lest after preaching to others I find myself disqualified.
. Be careful that while you are being part of the world that you don't get drawn into the world that you are trying to help people escape from.
. Stay in the word and stay in God's will.
. Folks this world that we live in is where God has placed us. Paul showed us how to live and thrive in the world that we live in.
. Put others above yourself, share the Good News and train yourself to live and thrive in this world.
Invitation
*** To my Christian brothers and sisters, thank you for taking the time to read this sermon. I ask that you take another second and score this for me. I am always open to feedback so that I can continue to grow in the proclamation of God’s word.
May God bless you as you continue to strive to walk worthy of His calling.
Sources: The Holy Bible, NLT
Illustration from sermon central
Ronald Ferrell, Being Culturally Relevant, Sermon Central
