Rights, Rewards, and Responsibilities
1 Corinthians 9
In America we are told that we should value our rights above almost everything else. To be an American is to be free. To be free is to be able to speak freely, write freely, and worship freely. It is a true blessing to be free. We believe in these rights so absolutely that men and women die to protect these rights of ours. So what if I was to tell you that you should be willing to give up your rights?
Since you have your Bibles with you, open them up to 1 Corinthians 9. Paul has already said that if something will cause a weaker brother to stumble, we have the liberty to limit our rights to keep them from stumbling. As we continue in 1 Corinthians we find Paul defending his rights as an apostle. He has all the rights that the rest of the apostles enjoy. He has the right to eat, he has the right to have a family, and have them travel with him, and he has the right to be financially supported in his work so that he does not have to have a separate job, but can focus on his ministry. These are very basic rights that Paul is arguing belong to him.
What could be more basic than the right to food, family, and finances? Can you imagine what you would do if someone came to you and said that you no longer are to receive food or a paycheck for your job? What if they told you that you had to relocate, but your family could not go with you? These are rights that we would fight tooth and nail over keeping.
Is there anything for which you would voluntarily give up your rights? Is there anything? The more important the right, the harder it is to give it up. You have a right to drive any car you want and can afford. Would you give up that right for a candy bar? Probably not, depending on how bad of a chocolate fix you needed. Would you give up that right to have a one thousand dollar discount? Hmmmm. Would you give up that right to be able to help a family member? Would you give up that right for one free hour of free time to yourself?
We have to be willing to give up our rights. We must be willing to give up right to be right. You know what I mean. We sit in a business meeting and we cannot understand why everyone else can’t see something as clearly as you do. So we argue until we are blue in face to help them see why we are right. Would you be willing to give up your right to be right so the world is wrong when they call us hypocrites?
Would you give up the right to your pride so that you can be reconciled with your brother so the world can see what forgiveness and humility look like? Would you give up your right to a higher standard of living so that someone may have the finances to spread the gospel to people who need to hear it? Would you give up the right to sitting in your pew to a visitor who doesn’t know you’ve been sitting there since the resurrection?
I hope you see that you will only be willing to give up your rights, whatever they are, if the reward is worth it. Paul says that he has given up the right of a family, the right of receiving financial support, even rights that would be given an ox. Now we must ask ourselves, what reward would be worth this sacrifice?
Don’t get overly zealous and think that its his salvation. He’s not working to go to heaven, Jesus did that work. His reward is not a brighter crown or a bigger mansion. Look closely at the text to see what Paul believes is so important that he would deny himself his own rights. It is not for the ultimate reward of winning some to Christ, though that is his ultimate desire. But he wants to just be able to preach and present the gospel with no obstacles! Look at verse 12: “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. (ESV)” He continues this thought in verse 18: “What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge…”(ESV). Paul wants to get himself out of the way so that the gospel is free to work. Paul has a belief that the gospel has God given power and when we are able to remove ourselves as obstacles, God’s word does amazing things. This is why we read in Isaiah: “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11” (ESV).
Ill: I cannot help but notice that with almost every DVD that comes out today, there is a section called “Bonus Features.” I love to go to this section because there is almost always another section entitled, “Deleted Scenes.” These are scenes that they spent time making the set, designing costumes, acting out, making sure the lighting was right, spending money and energy on these scenes, yet they did not make the picture! If there is director’s commentary you should really listen to it. The reason they are cut from the movie is almost always the same, they didn’t serve to tell the story. They slowed down the timing. They ended up being confusing. The movie was getting too long. If a scene doesn’t serve the story, it has to be cut. The same needs to be true of our lives. If there are things in our lives that do not serve our story, we must be willing to cut them out. It’s hard because maybe we’ve spent money on those parts of our lives. Maybe we just really like that part of our lives. Maybe others were involved in that part of our lives. Some people get cut from a movie with the cutting of one scene! But anything that does not serve the gospel in our life is expendable.
Paul is willing to give up his rights for the reward of a clear, unobstructed presentation of the gospel. Is sharing the gospel that important to you? This type of life does not come naturally, nor is it easy. With the privilege of being able to share the gospel comes a responsibility over ourselves to discipline our body to remove obstacles. Paul compares it to running a race. But not just competing, competing to win!
For every game there is one winner. One Superbowl Champion, One World Series Champion, One World Cup winning team, One Gold Medallist, One who crosses the finish line first. While natural talent may play a part, there is a great amount training and discipline involved in winning. Across the NFL, training camps are beginning. Players will watch what they eat, when they sleep, when they study, where they place their hands, the position of their feet, how they talk, nothing goes undisciplined. Because all it takes is one undisciplined part of one player and the team may lose. If a player is not willing to discipline himself, the coach pulls him out of lineup. This is what Paul meant by saying he disciplined his body so he would not be disqualified. If he cannot control himself, God would use someone else.
So let’s test our discipline!
How is your discipline over your schedule? Do you master your time or does your time master you? A good director cuts things that seem important if they do not serve the real story.
How is your discipline over your stomach? Do you live with the motto a waist is a terrible thing to mind? A good athlete understands what goes into his body affects his body’s performance.
How is your discipline in regards to Scripture memorization? Have you believed the lie that you cannot memorize things to the point that you do not even try?
How is your discipline over your fear? Do you get so scared about sharing the gospel that you do not do it? Are you able to live out a spirit of boldness, since that is what you have been given by God?
We all have rights. If the rewards were worth it, would you give them up? Are you willing to put in the work that it takes to discipline your body to aid you in giving up your rights at the right time? God has called us to share His love. Not everyone you share the gospel with will accept Jesus. We must be willing to remove any obstacle that might get in the way of gospel, even if it means giving up our own rights.
