Stand Out From The Rest!

NIV 1 Corinthians 9:16 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.

Stand out from the rest!

Do your duty for the sake of the gospel and

Rebuild Yourself for the sake of others.

Greeting: Fellow men, women and children commissioned by our Lord Jesus to “Preach the Good News to all creation!” The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit all belong to you!

Introduction: Some people seem to have a special fire in their bones that drives them to accomplish the unexpected. We love movies about an ordinary man or women that rises above their circumstances and achieves success, like Mel Gibson in “The Patriot.” WE idolize football players that play games with broken ribs and ankles to lead their teams to victory. Mothers and Fathers that are able to perform superhuman feats when their family is in danger like turning over a flipped vehicle to rescue their children. People stand out from the crowd when they do something above and beyond the call of duty. Our sermon text today is meant to encourage us to excel as God’s people all for the sake of the gospel. IT is my hope and prayer that you. Your family and our church family will Stand out from the rest! Do your duty for the sake of the gospel and Rebuild Yourself for the sake of others.

Part 1) Do your Duty for the sake of the Gospel

Ahhh yes…the congregation in Corinth makes any other congregation look like the first group of Christians at Pentecost. Corinth had its church problems: unchecked sin, disorderly worship, irreverence for the Lord’s Supper and favoritism for certain pastors. In the 9th chapter of his first letter to them he has to defend his apostleship. He begins by stating the Godly principle that a pastor called by the Lord deserves to be compensated. He states: NIV 1 Corinthians 9:9 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?

NIV 1 Corinthians 9:11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?

It was the right of the apostle Paul to be compensated for preaching the gospel. But it was also then the right of the congregation to receive the gospel message from Paul. Paul had a duty to preach the gospel and the congregation then in turn had the duty to compensate Paul for sharing the gospel message with them.

Paul says that he does his duty for them all for the sake of the Gospel. The same is true then for the Corinthian congregation. They compensated Paul for His preaching the gospel all for the sake of the Gospel. Paul preached the gospel because of the great blessings that he shared from it! And then the Corinthian congregation responded by sharing their physical blessings with Paul because of the great spiritual blessings they received from hearing it! You see with the right of being a forgiven child of God comes a duty of a child of God.

WE have rights. We have the right to remain silent the right to bear arms the right to equal representation the right to vote the right to pursue happiness. Did you know you have rights as a child of God. Yes, you have the right to be assured of forgiveness, the right to be assured of heaven and the right to talk with God about anything at anytime. Along with those rights comes a duty. A duty to God or else Woe. Our duty is to live and act as forgiven children of God. Jesus said once As long as I am in the world. I am the light of the world.” You are the light of the world.” God expects us to his children. AS a forgiven child of God, you have been given the duty to be the light of the world in your words and actions. Go and tell Go and preach the good news to all creation Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”