1 Corinthians
Courageous Fishing
1 Corinthians 9:19-27
April 6, 2003
INTRO:
A. [Courageous Fishers of Men, Citation: Eugene A Maddox, Interlachen, Florida; source: The Perfect Storm]
The movie, The Perfect Storm, well described the dangers of the fishing industry through the eyes of the crew of the fishing boat, the Andrea Gail.
Out of their need to bring home an excellent catch of fish, the captain and crew decide to risk everything and travel as far as the remote but fertile fishing ground called the Flemish Cap. It is an especially dangerous trek during the unpredictably stormy month of October.
On their way back to Gloucester, Massachusetts, the Andrea Gail encounters the "perfect storm" of 1991 and is never heard from again.
While improvements in shipbuilding, navigational technology, weather-reporting and rescue support have made boating safer, fishing has become, if anything, a more lethal occupation, killing more of its workers per capita than any other job in the United States.
"There are many kinds of work that are dangerous, but one of the interesting things about fishing is that it really hasn’t changed much over time," says The Perfect Storm author Sebastian Junger. "It’s been mechanized, of course, but the basic reality of going to sea for months at a stretch is the same as it was 100 years ago. You’re way beyond help from anyone else; you’re on your own. I think that forms a certain kind of character. Not only does everyone know someone who has died at sea but everyone who works in the fishing industry has almost died. Every single fisherman you talk to has almost gotten nailed at one time or another."
It takes courage to be a fisherman. And it takes courage to fish for the souls of people.
B. [Read 1 Corinthians 9:19-27]
C. Focusing on the last half of verse 22, lets begin with the first phrase…
I. I HAVE BECOME ALL THINGS
A. In verse 19, Paul said, “I make myself a slave.”
1. In Paul’s culture there were slaves.
2. Slavery was a culturally acceptable business.
3. Now, when Paul says, “I make myself a slave,” does he mean that he sells himself into slavery?
a. No. Back in chapter 7 and verse 23 Paul said, “You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.”
b. Because of the price that was paid for you on Calvary and the great love that God has for you, you should not allow yourself to become a slave of men.
c. So when Paul says in 9:19, “I make myself a slave to everyone,” he is not talking about selling himself into slavery.
d. Throughout the NT, Paul wrote that becoming a follower of Jesus Christ makes us a slave of Christ.
e. And if we are slaves of Christ we serve those around us.
f. Jesus said, “even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” (Mark 10:45)
g. Christ was a servant, and His followers are servants as well.
h. We serve others without actually selling ourselves into slavery.
i. We are voluntarily serving others without having actually sold ourselves into slavery.
j. Paul says that he made himself a slave to everyone, and so must we; both individually and as a church.
4. And quite frankly, that means no more pew sitting.
a. That means no more just showing up for church on Sunday morning and thinking that’s all there is to Christianity.
b. You cannot be slave to anyone just setting in a pew.
c. If Somerset is going to survive in the 21st century, then we have got to have every believer actively involved in serving others.
d. Somerset will not survive in the 21st century with people simply coming to church on Sunday mornings and then going home until next week.
e. Every believer must be involved in serving others.
f. 6. But I pray that every member will follow Christ and Paul’s examples my making themselves servants and not just pew sitters!
B. Then in verse 20, Paul says, “I became like a Jew.”
1. Now this is a very interesting statement.
2. The reason it is very interesting is because here in the NIV it says “like a Jew.”
3. In the KJV it says “I became as a Jew.”
4. It does not say “I became a Jew.”
5. It says “I became like a Jew;” I became as a Jew.”
6. What is interesting is that Paul was a Jew.
7. He was a Jew and then became a Christian; he became a believer in Christ.
8. Now as a Christian Paul says he became “like a Jew.”
9. He hung around Jews.
10. He talked in ways that were understandable by Jews.
11. He hung around with Jews and told them about Christianity in terms that were understandable to them.
12. Paul did not become a Jew again, but he took Christianity back to the Jews.
13. Paul did not return to Judaism but he did not abandon the Jews.
14. He didn’t say God saved me so I need to stay away from the Jews.
15. He said God saved me so I need to go back to the Jews so that they can be saved.
16. And oh does Somerset need people who are willing to go to unbelievers.
a. Somerset needs people who are willing to go to the drug addicts, the adulterers, the sinners, and the unbelievers.
b. We can sit in our pretty church on Sunday mornings and be comfortable, and Somerset will die.
c. Or we can be obedient to the Word and become like a sinner.
d. We don’t become a sinner, but we hang out with them and we put the gospel into terms that they can understand.
e. Somerset needs people who are willing to become a missionary and work transcultrually with unbelievers!
C. Verse 20 also says, “I became like one under the law.”
1. Paul went to religious people that did not understand the whole truth of the gospel.
2. Paul went to religious people who needed to have the way of the Lord explained to them more accurately.
3. When Paul refers to people under the law, he was referring to people who only knew of the OT.
4. They were people who only knew rules and regulations.
5. They believed in God, but they didn’t even know about Jesus.
6. And boy does Somerset need folks like that!
a. There are so many, many people out there that believe in God, but do not know or understand the truths about Jesus and Calvary and grace!
b. Somerset needs people who will become like those who not understand the NT.
c. Somerset needs people that will go back to those who do not know and understand the Holy Spirit.
d. Somerset needs people who will go to people who believe in God, but don’t understand Christianity, to go to those people and love them and teach them.
e. To become like those who do not understand the Gospel.
D. In verse 21, “I became like one not having the law.”
1. Paul went to those who didn’t even understand the OT.
2. Paul went to those who didn’t even know that there was a God.
3. Somerset needs those kinds of people as well who are willing to go to those who don’t even have a surface knowledge of who God is.
E. In verse 22, “I became weak”
1. Back in chapter 8 Paul explained what he means by weak.
2. He means mainly young Christians.
3. So Paul is saying that he also went to and taught young Christians.
4. Not young in age, but young in Christianity.
5. To people who hadn’t been saved very long.
6. This means that Somerset can’t just go out to rescue the unsaved, we must also continue to reach out to our own; to believers.
7. We must be focused outwardly, but we must also love and nurture each other.
8. We must help young believers to mature in Christ.
9. People cannot just be brought to Christ and have a Bible stuck in their hands and told “good luck.”
10. We must become weak.
F. Somerset must become all things!
II. TO ALL MEN
A. Verse 19 says, “to everyone”
B. Verse 20 says, “To the Jews”
C. And verse 20 also says, “To those under the law”
D. Verse 21 says, “To those not having the law”
E. Verse 22 says, “To the weak”
F. Who should Somerset reach out to?
1. Should Somerset reach out to blacks?
a. Should we have black people at Somerset?
b. Do you think a black person is included in all people?
2. What about rich people?
a. Are people who live in $200,000 homes included in all people?
b. Should Somerset go to rich people?
3. What about poor people?
a. Should there be people in Somerset that can’t afford a nice suit or dress.
b. Should there be people that don’t have lots of money to help us with our finances?
4. What about people who do things in ways that we wouldn’t have done them; should we go to them?
5. What about adulterers?
a. Should Somerset have adulterers here?
b. I’m going to answer this one.
c. Somerset should have adulterers; if we don’t, we’re going to die as a church.
d. Now I’m not talking about believers who commit adultery; Paul made that clear in chapter 5.
e. Adultery is a sin.
f. But if Somerset is not reaching out to sinners, including adulterers, then we’re nothing but a social club!
g. We need to reach out to adulterers and teach them the good news about Jesus Christ—adulterers are clearly included in all people!
6. As well as prostitutes.
7. Alcoholics, drug addicts
8. And homosexuals.
9. Somerset needs to reach out to ALL people!
III. BY ALL POSSIBLE MEANS
A. Look now at verses 24-27.
B. Whatever it takes…
1. We must use all possible means.
2. We must do whatever it takes.
3. As long its not immoral or anti-Biblical, we must do everything possible to reach people.
4. It must be an all out attack.
5. In Indiana terminology: we need a full-court press!
6. By all possible means.
C. Yes, it is going to take money.
1. That is obviously one of the means.
2. I have told you how tremendously God is working here at Somerset in the way of finances.
3. And that surely is a means that needs to continue!
D. A bus ministry is another.
1. We’ve got Jr. Church workers and nursery helpers and youth group leaders who are doing a wonderful job.
2. And as soon as we get the bus painted, we believe we can get the numbers back up again.
3. After the arson of our bus, the attendance has dropped significantly.
4. But we believe that we can get them back and pray that we will be able to reach even more with our new, bigger bus!
E. We plan to get our Sunday evening service going again soon.
1. I think that we will get something going on the 27th of this month.
2. I thought that the Sunday after Easter would be a good time to get restarted on this.
3. I’m not set in stone about anything yet—if you have an interest in attending and have an idea of whether you want a praise time, a Bible study, a fellowship time, a snack time, another church service—whatever ideas you think you would like, please let me know.
F. There are indeed many possible means by which Somerset can follow Paul’s example.
1. There are many possible means that I haven’t even thought of.
2. Many other possible means that God will put on your heart.
G. But I have one other tangible way that I would like us to reach out to the lost as a group.
1. I want us to take Paul’s teaching about becoming all things to all people so that by all possible means in order that we might reach the lost to a very practical level for us as a church.
2. One of the times people are more open to the gospel is at Easter time.
3. Now I want to ask you a series of questions…
a. Are thankful for the cross?
b. Are you thankful for the blood of Calvary?
c. Are you thankful for eternal life?
e. Are you thankful for God’s leading in this life?
f. Do you think there is anyone around you who needs Christ in their life?
g. Now I’m not really asking you who it is—I’m just asking you if think there is ANYONE around you during the week who needs Christ in their life?
4. Well let me suggest a very simple (and Biblical) way to fulfill Paul’s teaching here this Easter.
a. Do you believe that people need Jesus Christ?
b. Do you believe that people can experience Jesus Christ at Somerset church?
c. Do you believe that people can feel the love of Jesus Christ at Somerset church?
d. Do you believe that just by inviting someone to church they might experience Jesus Christ?
e. Do you believe that if you invited someone to church, they might get saved?
f. Now we certainly don’t believe that everyone we invite will come.
g. And we certainly don’t believe that everyone who comes will be saved the first Sunday.
h. And we certainly don’t believe that if we increase the attendance on Easter that the attendance will stay up.
i. But we do believe that if we make an attempt to invite them, many will come.
j. And we believe that because many come, many will believe.
k. And we believe that even if the attendance decreases the Sunday after Easter, the attendance will be higher than before Easter.
5. John 1:45-46 (NIV), Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?"
Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.
a. “Come and see” is a perfectly good form of evangelism.
b. “Come and see” is a perfectly Biblical form of seeking the lost.
c. We don’t have to prove that Jesus is real; they just need to come and see for themselves.
d. “Come and see what you think for yourself.”
6. So here is what I am suggesting as a practical way for us to become all things to all people so that by all possible means we might save some: I am going to ask that EVERYONE PRAY about who God would have us invite.
a. Today I’m not asking you to think of who you can invite to come and see in two weeks on Easter (even though the HS may already be laying someone specific on your heart).
b. Today I’m asking everyone here if you will pray and ask God if there are those around who we can invite to come and see if He is for real.
c. How many of you will commit to praying and asking God that question over the next two weeks? (Show of hands)
J. “by all possible means…”
IV. I MIGHT SAVE SOME
A. Verse 19 “to win as many as possible”
B. Verse 20, “to win the Jews”
C. Also in verse 20, “to win those under the law”
D. Verse 21, “to win those not having the law”
E. Verse 22, “to win the weak”
F. My prayer for Somerset is that because of this all out full-court press we might save some.
1. That we might save some rich people!
2. That we might save some poor people!
3. That we might save some black people!
4. That we might save some adulterers!
5. That we might save some prostitutes!
6. That we might save some drug addicts!
7. That we might save some alcoholics!
G. My prayer is that Somerset will become all things to all men so that by all possible means we might save some!!!
H. Are you with me or am I up here by myself?
CONCLUSION:
A. Pray
B. [Embarrassed to Witness, Citation: Eastman Curtis, Raising Heaven-Bound Kids in a Hell-Bent World (Nelson, 2000); quoted in Men of Integrity (July/August 2001)]
As a youth pastor, I’d just entered a convenience store with "Jeff" to pay for the gas I’d put in the church van. It was apparent that the woman behind the counter had been crying. I looked at her and said, "Has anybody let you know today that Jesus really loves you?" Well, Jeff freaked out, took off running, and dived into the van.
As nobody else was in the store, I witnessed for the next few minutes to that woman, who was going through a very difficult time in her life. After she asked Christ to come into her heart, her whole countenance changed.
When I got into the van, Jeff said, "Don’t ever do that again!"
"Don’t do what again?" I asked.
"Witness to people like that," he replied. "Did you see how embarrassed that lady got?"
I responded, "Jeff, you got more embarrassed than she did. In fact, I prayed with her, and she received Christ."
I took Jeff back into the store to meet the woman, now radiant with the love of God—a complete contradiction of what she had been just a few minutes before.
C. Invitation
