“True Disciples in the Real World” – Love – 1 Cor. 13

Are you sick of the presidential election campaigns yet?  If not, you will be.  It’s 540 days from now until November 8, 2016; almost exactly a year and a half and already you have nearly a dozen people clamoring on every news channel about how they should be the next U.S. president and why all the others are completely unfit for the job.  For the next year and a half we will have to hear people bragging, stretching the truth, claiming they were misunderstood and flat-out lying – and that is just from the media covering the election!

Don’t you wish somebody would come along who was well-spoken, extremely smart and wise about the ways of the world; somebody that could genuinely unite our country; somebody that could solve the tax problems, education, religion, healthcare, infrastructure; somebody that could speak multiple languages and able to unite not just the U.S but the world?  I would vote for that guy to be king of the world, wouldn’t you?

Well…congratulations.  We just voted for the antichrist.  That is what the antichrist is going to be like, at least for a while.  Scary, huh?  The Bible teaches that we as believers will not be here when the antichrist comes on the scene in power.  We will already be raptured or gone on in death.  But the antichrist will be a great presidential candidate because he will have the gift of being able to do everything I just said and more.  He will be a wonderful leader for a few years but then his true dark side will come out and will lead ultimately to the end of the world.

So what makes the difference in a world leader with all those gifts being a great leader…and one that is the worst ever?  The difference is love.  The antichrist will have everything in the world going for him.  I suspect he will be tall, dark and handsome with lots of good camera hair.  He will have all the right answers and be able to solve all the world’s problems.  But he will have no real love.

It’s easy for us to hate the antichrist.  As the bride of Christ, we as His church hate anything that is against Christ, right?  But what if we look at ourselves real closely?  Do you have gifts?  Of course you do.  Everybody is gifted in at least one way.  Some people are able to do some things that others can’t and in doing so allow the church as a whole to minister to those around us.  But the question is, do you have love?

As we conclude our series on how to be “True Disciples in the Real World” in 1 Corinthians, we see that Paul says in chapter 13 that even if you have all of the best and greatest gifts that if you don’t use those gifts in love then you- are -nothing.

But none of us are like that, are we?  Nobody would say they don’t love people.  We all love folks, right?  Well, Paul includes in this passage a little test that we can all take to just see the status of our love.  Just how much do we love?  Are we doing it right?  Are we doing it at all?  Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 13, – the love chapter – and let’s read this beautiful hymn of love Paul wrote to the church in Corinth. 1 Corinthians 13:1-7

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

This has been called the most beautiful passage in the Bible.  It is the most popular passage read at weddings, and for good reason.  Chrysostom, who lived in the third century, adds that here Paul makes an outline of love’s matchless beauty, adorning its image with all aspects of virtue, as if with many colors brought together with precision.  Or, as we say in Wise County:  That’s real purty writin’ right there!

So, is it just “real purty writin’” or is there something that we can learn from it?  Well, let me answer that question by pointing out the description of two different types of people here.  Verses 1-3 describe one type of person and verses 4-7 describe another.  Look back at the first type in verses 1-3.

This person is described as speaking in the tongues of men and angels.  We know that men speak all different kinds of languages but what language do angels speak?  The Bible doesn’t tell us but if anybody might know it would be Paul.  In 2 Corinthians 12:4 Paul says he was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.  We don’t know if that included the speaking of angels but I believe what Paul is really trying to say is that even if he could speak and minister to every person and being ever created, if he didn’t have love he might as well be just making noise.

But he goes on to describe this type of person as having the gift of prophesy and commentaries tell us this word properly means to predict future events, but it also means to declare the divine will or to be the mouthpiece of God.  Paul says this type of person has all knowledge and all faith as well.  That’s pretty big talk.  This hypothetical person Paul describes would be an incredible person.  He might replace that guy in the commercial who claims to be the most interesting man in the world.

Or he might be describing a great boss or a great leader.  He is describing someone – this great person who does not have love – who does have religion.  As a pastor I see religion a lot.  But you might be surprised by where I see it and where I don’t.  The most common place I see religion is outside of these walls.  I see religion in the guy who tells me how long he has gone to church when I ask him about his salvation experience.

I see religion in the lady who tells me “the man upstairs” told her she didn’t need to go to church.  I see it in the businessman who donated $100 to our food pantry but then bad-mouthed anybody that might use it.  Religion shows up when people want God to do something for them.  Karl Marx may have said, “Religion is the opium of the masses” and I think that may be true as we are talking about religion.

Religious people take pride in being able to speak to all kinds of people, having the gift of prophesy and having all knowledge and even in their sacrifices to the poor like this passage is talking about.  They like religion because religion makes them feel better about themselves.  It’s like giving a pain-killer to a sick person.  It makes them feel better but has not treated the problem.  Paul says this kind of person gains nothing.

But Paul goes on to describe another type of person.  Starting in verse 4, Paul describes someone who has more than just religion.  This person…has a relationship.  If you have ever been married you hopefully know that sometimes you have to do things that you don’t necessarily feel like doing.  Sometimes you have to make the choice to do what is best for the other person when you know it will not turn out well or easy for you.

A couple drove several miles down a country road, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument, and neither wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules and pigs, the husband sarcastically asked, "Relatives of yours?" "Yep," the wife replied, "In-laws."

That is not the kind of love Paul is talking about here.  The kind of love that Paul is talking about is agape love – the kind of love with which God loves us.  In fact, we know that God loves us because as John 3:16 says, He sent His only Son to die for us and 1 John 4:8 says God is love but as we read through these again you can substitute the name of Jesus for the word love here.

Jesus is patient.  Jesus is kind.  Jesus does not envy or boast and is not proud.  Jesus isn’t rude; isn’t self-seeking; is not easily angered.  Jesus keeps no record of wrongs nor does He delight in evil.  Jesus always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres.  Now the question is, can your name be put in that place?

In the execution of your God-given gifts, can your name be put in place of the word “love”?  Notice how Paul segways from chapter 12 to chapter 13.  Chapter 12 talks about the gifts we have but then he says at the very end of the chapter, “And now I will show you the most excellent way.”  He is saying that this is the most excellent way to utilize those gifts and that is with love.

So, whatever gift or gifts you may have, whether it be the gift of serving, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership or mercy or whatever God has given you, can your name be substituted for love?  Are you patient?  The Greeks that Paul was writing to would have felt this to be a sign of weakness but which is more difficult; to be patient or to lose your temper with somebody?

Is a child usually patient?  I hear people sometimes give the excuse that they are impatient or they are rude or blunt or mean or whatever because that is the way their daddy was or their mama was and I want to say, “Oh, so your daddy was childlike and he never taught you to grow up?  I understand now.”  We didn’t read verse 11 of this chapter but Paul says, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.”

Love is patient.  Jesus is patient.  Are you patient or are you childlike?  Love is also kind.  Are you kind in the execution of your gifts?  There was no more religious a man than Phillip the Second of Spain, and yet he founded the Spanish Inquisition and thought he was serving God by massacring those who thought differently than him.  (Barclay p. 120)

“Oh Pastor Todd, I must be ok then because I hardly ever massacre anybody!”  No?  Well that’s good but how many people have you critiqued to death?  Do you criticize people unmercifully?  Would you want to be criticized like that?  Love is kind.  Are you kind?

What about envy?  That’s next in line here.  Love does not envy.  “Oh, no, Todd, I’m never envious.  Sure I struggle with being patient and kind but not with jealousy or envy.”  Really?  Because a lot of times when we struggle with patience or kindness it is because we envy.  We envy something that they have or a relationship or position that we want and we are angry about it inside and that manifests itself as being critical or impatient with them. (Stedman p. 252)

Paul says, “Love does not boast.”  Can you insert your name right there?  Nobody likes a braggart.  When somebody starts a sentence by saying, “Now I don’t want to blow my own horn but…”  Don’t you want to say, “Well then stop right there and don’t because nobody wants to hear you blow your own horn!”?  Or they say, “It’s not bragging if it’s true.”  That’s dumb.  Yes, it’s still bragging and nobody wants to hear that.

I want you to think about a more subtle form of bragging or boasting, if you will, though.  We all struggle with it some, I think, but it drives me batty.  One of my ultimate pet peeves is when I am in the middle of a sentence and the person I am talking to starts to talk and interrupts me.  Nothing screams louder, “I don’t care what you are saying.  I can’t wait for you to hear what I am saying!”  That is being boastful.  True love; agape love…listens.

When I was a teenager I was really into cars and trucks and anything with an engine.  I would drag home some piece of junk and I would be out in the driveway working on it with the hood up and I can remember my mama coming out to check on me.  I would tell her about what I was working on and how this Ford truck has a 390 engine with dual exhaust and headers.  The Holley carb sits on top of an Edelbrock intake and blah, blah, blah on and on and she just listened.

I thought my mom was interested in engines!  I asked her not too long ago about that.  We laughed about how many hours she had to be out there listening to me ramble on about that stupid stuff and I told her how back then I thought she was interested in engines.  She said she was interested in engines.  She was interested in what I was interested in because she loved me.  She “agaped” me.  True love listens.

Moving on quickly, love is not proud.  I was talking to somebody this week who said they used to work out in the same gym as W.A. Criswell, pastor of FBC Dallas.  First Baptist Dallas had thousands of members but this man I was talking to said that every time he saw Criswell, the mighty preacher known around the world, that Criswell made him feel like he was his best friend.  He took time to talk and fellowship with him and made him feel special.  He had that gift.  Criswell wasn’t proud.  Love isn’t proud. Jesus isn’t proud.  Are you proud?

Are you rude; self-seeking; easily angered?  Are you any of these things?  I’m not going to take the time to go through this whole list.  We will talk more about them tonight.  But the difference in someone who has all these great gifts and uses them for themselves or uses them for God’s kingdom is one has religion and one has a relationship.

Satan and one of his demons were walking down the road one day and they were following a man who was walking.  They saw the man reach down and pick up something shiny.  The demon asked Satan, “What did he just pick up?”  Satan replied, “He picked up a little bit of truth.”  “Doesn’t that concern you,” asked the demon.  “No, I’ll just make sure he makes it into a religion.”

Every other religion has some little piece of truth.  Maybe not Scientology but every other one has a little bit of truth to it and people glob onto that little piece of truth and they make that their religion but they don’t have that relationship.  But because we are Christians we are able to love as God loves.  Because that agape love is the kind of love that we get from God but it is also the kind of love that God gives us to love others.

That is the difference is using our gifts to benefit ourselves or our religion and being able to use those gifts to further the Kingdom.  The question is do you love?  Let me just tell you that Christ Fellowship is not impressing the Southern Baptist Convention.  Christ Fellowship is not the talk around the watercooler at Harvest Association.  It’s just not.  That’s reserved for the big churches with the big money.

But do you know who Christ Fellowship is impressing?  We are impressing; we are meeting the needs of Lake Bridgeport and of Wise County.  Because I see that in y’all.  I see you using your gifts impacting and impressing the folks we were called to minister to.  We were called to minister to – not the Southern Baptist Convention or Harvest Association but we were called to go to Lake Bridgeport, Wise County and the world.

I see you doing that because you have love.  One last thing Paul says is that love rejoices with the truth.  It does not look for evil.  The word might be used to say it overlooks evil but it also speaks the truth in love.  As one who is working on speaking the truth in love, let me tell you that it doesn’t matter how many times you go to church or where or what your family has done for God in the past.  If you don’t have that relationship then it doesn’t matter how many great gifts you have Paul says, not Todd, but Paul says you are nothing.  Even if you just have one little gift you can make a difference if you use that gift in love.

That’s the difference.  So, now I hear you saying that you are going to try to be more loving.  You are going to try to love more and love better and not be so impatient and you are going to try to be more kind, etc.  Well you have heard me wrong because that same love that we get from God is that ability to do these things in love.  The ability to do these things in love comes from being obedient.

Show me someone who is envious or impatient or not kind and I will show you someone who is not obedient.  I will show you someone who has a relationship problem.  I’m not saying we shouldn’t try to be more loving.  I’m saying we should try to be more obedient because that agape love that only God provides only comes out in obedience.  If you don’t have that relationship with Jesus then I need to talk about that right

Lord's Supper-“True Disciples in the Real World”-Worship I Cor. 11:17-34

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there this morning!  I hope you get to see or at least talk to some of your favorite mothers today.  Maybe you can even take them out to eat today so they don’t have to cook.  My mother is the world’s best cook and I have great memories of family dinners around the table--except when I got in trouble.

 

How many of you remember being in trouble for something you did earlier in the day; maybe at school, and now you have to sit at the dinner table and eat your dinner?  It didn’t matter how good it was, it didn’t taste good and it didn’t matter how much you didn’t want to eat something, you knew you had better just eat it without saying anything.  You didn’t dare complain about how something tasted.

 

In 1 Corinthians we see Paul writing to the church at Corinth and like a good parent he is disciplining his kids.  He has some good things to say about them but also points out some areas that need work.  Paul started this church and so has a deep interest in their well-being and in 11th chapter he chastises them for their table manners.

 

I read somewhere that Teddy Roosevelt was scared to go to church as a child after reading John 2:17.  His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me." He was scared of the creature "Zeal" and was afraid he was going to be consumed.  The passage in 1 Corinthians could be rather scary where it talks about the consequences of taking the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner.

 

Christ Fellowship is not the church at Corinth and I'm glad because they had a lot of problems but there are some things we can learn from Paul's guidance in the Lord’s Supper.

 

Evidently it was common in the early church to have a meal together every week when they got together to worship.  Agape feast or love feast.  They basically had a potluck dinner.  Problem was, if you didn't bring a pot you were out of luck!  Some were rich and brought lots to eat.  Some were poor and brought little or nothing and some were slaves and not only did they not bring anything, since they had to work late, they got there late and nobody waited for them.  Then they would end the meal by observing the Lord’s Supper.  You can imagine Paul had a few words for them when he heard about this.

 

Read 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.  It’s on page 812 in most of the Bibles in the pew. “In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. ¹⁸ In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. ¹⁹ No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. ²⁰ So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, ²¹ for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. ²² Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter! ²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. ²⁷ So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹ For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. ³⁰ That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. ³¹ But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. ³² Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world. ³³ So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. ³⁴ Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.”

The first part of this passage (17-22) is Paul’s criticism of the church in Corinth and the second part (23-34) is more along the lines of instruction.  We have eaten together enough times that I know that Paul's criticism to the Corinthians would not be very necessary for Christ Fellowship so I want to focus more on his instructions regarding the Lord’s Supper in verses 23-34 and in his instructions I want us to see that it is important that we look back in remembrance and also to look forward to what will be.

 

Paul says in verse 23 he received this from the Lord Himself.  Now I don’t know how he received it-- but he takes us back to the upper room where Jesus and the disciples also celebrated a commemorative meal--celebrating Passover.

 

Jesus knew the importance of looking back in remembrance of what God had done and as was Jewish custom He celebrated Passover which included, in part, eating unleavened bread and drinking wine from a cup.

 

In verse 24 it says, "When He had given thanks".  I wonder what He thanked God for.  Provision?  Friends?  Fellowship?  Unity?  He knew what was about to happen.  He knew He was just hours away from the cross and He still gave thanks.  He knew He would be abandoned by the very men He was eating with!

 

I believe all of this was on His mind when He said, "This is my body which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."  I don't believe there is any way the disciples could have fully understood what Jesus was talking about but Jesus knew His body would soon be ravaged to the point of unrecognizability.

 

Then in verse 25 it says, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood..."  Again, Jesus is looking back in reference to the old covenant--with Moses-that involved animal sacrifices to pay for sins.  Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death.  It was true in the Old Testament and it was true in the New Testament and it is still true today.  It is just different sacrifices.

 

And so because Jesus willingly gave Himself to be our sacrifice for our sins--a sacrifice that led Him to the cross where He died--we celebrate His death by observing the Lord’s Supper; a celebration He commands, by the way.  There would, of course, be no celebration of His death if not for His resurrection 3 days later but we will talk more about that on Easter!

 

In no other religion or faith do the people celebrate the death of their god like Christians do.  We celebrate the death of Jesus because we know that while He truly died and was buried, He also rose again on the third day and lives today in Heaven and in our hearts when we give our lives to Him to be Lord of our lives.

 

So, it is important that we look back in remembrance at what Jesus did for us but I also see in v. 26 a wonderful reason for us to look forward as well.  We talk all the time about wanting to be a church that is bold in its witness for Jesus.  That starts right here.  It starts by standing with your church family and publicly saying, "We remember what Jesus has done for us."

 

We remember it, we believe it and we celebrate it!  And we do so until He comes again!

 

I heard the story of a young Muslim man—I don't remember his name—who was invited to church by a friend.  The Lord’s Supper was observed in this church and the Muslim man asked questions about it later.  His friend shared the Gospel and the young man was saved and later became a preacher.

 

In no other religion or belief system does the savior die and is resurrected as a means for people to get to Heaven.  In no other religion is grace freely given to all who believe.

 

Invitation:  in verse 28 it says that a person should examine themselves before taking the Lord’s Supper.  I want to give you that opportunity right now.  To begin with examine yourself to see if you truly have a relationship with Jesus. I’m not talking about religion or church membership.  I mean have you asked God for forgiveness of your sin and then repented or turned away from that sin?  Have you asked Jesus to be Lord of your life forever?  If not, I want to talk with you right now before we take the cup and the bread because it is only for true believers.

 

If you do have that relationship, is there anything (any sin) that might be in the way of that relationship?  King David said in Psalm 26, “Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind.”  Let God have free reign in your heart and mind right now.   Ask Him to look at your life and to show you where there might be anything displeasing to Him.

 

Your speech; your habits; your way of doing business or how you treat your neighbor or your spouse?  Is there pride or gossip?  Ask God for forgiveness right now.  1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  Do that now.

 

*Pass out juice and bread.*

 

I live just a block away from a cemetery and I pass by it often.  Many times I see people standing all alone in front of a newly covered grave and often times they are crying or maybe putting more flowers on top of it.  When we take the Lord’s Supper, we symbolically visit the tomb of Jesus, remembering what He did on the cross for us.  We do it reverently and with pure hearts but we also do it, not like most people standing at the grave of a loved one who are crying and mourning, but we do it with celebration, knowing that without His death, burial and resurrection then His birth and His life would not have the life-changing effect that we know it does today.

 

Thank you Lord for what you have done!

“True Disciples in the Real World” – Freedom – 1 Cor. 9:19-27

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."

-- Popular Mechanics, 1949

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."

-- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

"I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year."

-- The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957

"But what ... is it good for?"

-- Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."

-- Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

It’s funny to look back at some remarks and predictions that were so far off from being correct.  It’s just another reminder that the only thing that is constant is change.  Well, almost everything changes.  What is the one thing that the Bible tells us does not change?  In Malachi 3:6 God says, “I, the Lord, do not change!”

Now this is a problem.  How do we as the church; as the light of the world; as the hope of the world make the never-changing God relevant to an always-changing world?  Because the world is changing so fast, how can we possibly keep up?  Because the world is changing so fast, how can we be true disciples in this world of change?

I think about how easy the Old Testament prophets had it.  Guys like Jeremiah; what was he crying about?  All he had to say was, “Repent!”  Think about Jonah.  When he finally went to Nineveh, all he had to say was one sentence and the whole country turned to God.  Seriously, he basically told them to check their calendars and then he left.  All Isaiah and Amos had to say was, “Judgment is coming!” and that was enough.

Then in the New Testament, they had it pretty easy as well.  That John the Baptist had it made, right?  What an easy job!  “Repent and be baptized!  Repent and be baptized!”  That’s all he had to say and people from all over came out to the desert…where he lived.  Even Jesus said basically the same thing.  They all had it sooo easy.

But times have changed and so I have some options for us as true disciples in this real world.  Because the world is changing we are going to have to change and so here are our options as I see them.  To accomplish our goal of doing whatever it takes to lead people to have a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ (that is our goal, right?) we can do one of three things.

The first option we have is to soften up the Gospel a little.  You know, not talk about Hell so much or sin or repentance because those things might offend people and we don’t want to offend anybody.  Now, I’m not talking about lying.  I just mean maybe we should soft-pedal the difficult points until after we get them in here.  Wait until they are members and good tithers to tell them about all stuff.  No?  Ok then how about option #2?

The second option we have, if you don’t want to change the Gospel, is to change our goal.  We can change our goal from “Doing whatever it takes to lead people to have a life-changing relationship with Jesus” to something like, “Doing whatever it takes to lead people to feeling better about themselves.”  That should be pretty popular.  I think it works pretty well for Joel Osteen.  What do you think?  No?

How about “Doing whatever it takes to lead people to religion”?  …to lead people to angels?  …to lead people to have fun in church?  No?  Really?  Some of those are pretty good and might really increase the number of people we have here at Christ Fellowship.  No?  So, what you are telling me is you don’t want to change the Gospel and you don’t want to change the goal.

Well then, as I see it, that only leaves us one option.  We preach the same Gospel; the Gospel that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life as it says in John 14:6 and that no man comes to the Father except through Him.  The same Gospel that says that that same Jesus lived, died, was buried and resurrected to pay the price for our sins that we couldn’t pay.  Romans 3:23 says we have all sinned and Romans 6:23 says that the wages of that sin – what we get for it – is eternal death in Hell but that same Gospel says in John 3:16 that God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die in our place and all we have to do is believe and we will have eternal life in Heaven.

Ok, so we keep the same Gospel and we keep the same goal of doing whatever it takes to lead people to have a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.  If we are going to keep those two things the same then if we are going to be relevant in a changing world and to people who are all different then we will have to present that Gospel in a way that is not only interesting but also meets the needs of whoever God puts in our path.  That’s going to be a tough one but I think we can do it and I think I know right where to start.

The Apostle Paul was in this same position and he gave some good advice to the church in Corinth about meeting the same challenge we have today.  I have to warn you, though, that Paul’s way is not the easiest.  The easiest would be to change either the Gospel or the goal but since you made it clear you didn’t want to do that let’s look at 1 Corinthians chapter 9 verses 19-27.

Paul is writing to the church in Corinth that he started a few years earlier but since then that church has struggled with living as true disciples of Jesus in the really nasty and perverted world of Corinth which was a city known world-wide to be sin-sick and God-starved.  There was a lot of religion in Corinth.  There was a lot of devotion to little g gods but a life-changing relationship with Jesus?  Not so much.

So, here is what Paul did and it is his advice to that church and to our church as well.  1 Corinthians 9:19-27.

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made 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 people 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. ²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

I warned you that this wasn’t going to be easy.  See, the question here is how badly do you want it?  Will you REALLY do whatever it takes to lead people to Jesus?  Will you really give up something that you have every right to have?  Will you take on something that you absolutely don’t have to?  We like to quote the goal of doing whatever it takes to lead people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus.  Paul says, “This is what I have done!”

How badly do you want it?  Or Paul might even be asking the question, “How much do you really love people?”  During the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, sentenced a soldier to be shot for his crimes. The execution was to take place at the ringing of the evening curfew bell. However, the bell did not sound. The soldier's fiancé had climbed into the belfry and clung to the great clapper of the bell to prevent it from striking. When she was summoned by Cromwell to account for her actions, she wept as she showed him her bruised and bleeding hands. Cromwell's heart was touched and he said, "The one you love shall live because of your sacrifice. Curfew shall not ring tonight!"  Our Daily Bread.

The one you love shall live because of your sacrifice.  That’s what Paul is doing here.  He is giving up his rights and taking on problems because he loves people enough to do whatever it takes to lead them to Jesus.  Let’s look closer at what exactly he is doing.

When Paul says he becomes all things to all people, this does not mean that he is hypocritical.  He is not saying one thing and doing another.  He is not giving one type of Gospel to a person over here and another Gospel over there.  It’s the same Gospel.  The difference is the presentation.  Paul’s method of presenting the Gospel changed depending on who he was with and what opportunities he had.

To the Jews he became like a Jew, following their traditions and rituals so that he might come alongside them and gain an audience.  To those under the law he ate what they ate and worked when they worked even though he didn’t have to just so he could meet them where they were physically and spiritually.  To those not under the law he didn’t impose the law on them.  He just loved them as they were for the purpose of becoming their friend and leading them to Jesus.

To the spiritually weak, he didn’t brag about how strong he was.  He didn’t engage in high-handed theological discourses on dispensationalism or why he was pre-millennial and they were wrong not to be.  That wasn’t Paul’s method of ministry.  His method of ministry was to preach the Gospel.  As we studied a few weeks ago, Paul was constantly preaching, “Christ, and Him crucified.”

This doesn’t mean that Paul could only say those words or that he wasn’t very smart.  In fact, it was because Paul was smart that he knew how to talk to just about anybody but his purpose for talking to them was to lead them to Jesus.  He was always going to get around to, “Christ, and Him crucified.”

For us, this might sound almost impossible.  How can we become all things to all people?  I’m not smart enough to be able to talk to everybody I meet?  How do I get to be Paul’s kind of smart?  A young boy once approached his father to ask, "Dad, why does the wind blow?” to which the father responded, "I don't know, son." "Dad, where do the clouds come from?" "I'm not sure, son." "Dad, what makes a rainbow?" "No idea, son." "Dad, do you mind me asking you all these questions?" "Not at all, son. How else are you going to learn?" Source Unknown.  

If you want to be Paul’s kind of smart, you can either ask your dad about such things…or you can ask the Father.  Do you remember what Jesus’ last words were to His disciples just before He ascended back to Heaven?  He gave them the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) that said, “^.go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

“And surely I am with you” when you are talking to the educated man.  “And surely I am with you” when you are talking to the uneducated man.  “And surely I am with you” when you are talking to the Jehovah’s Witness or to the Mormon or the atheist.  Your job is mainly just to be willing.  Your job is to love people enough that you are intentional about going to the grocery store or to the car wash or the football game so that you can strike up a conversation about whatever might lead you to lead them to Jesus.

I hate to tell you this but that might include learning some Veggie Tale songs so you can talk to some little ones about Jesus.  It might include listening to some music that is too loud and too repetitive for your taste so that you can lead some youth to Jesus.  Maybe you should go to the local football or baseball games even though you don’t have kids playing so that you can talk sports to someone in the hopes of coming alongside them for the purpose of being who they need you to be so that soon they will listen to you preach Christ, and Him crucified.

“Todd, that sounds like it might be a lot of trouble.  It might require me to do something I don’t really want to do or have time to do.”  Well, like it or not, as a true disciple living in the real world of Wise County and beyond, you are running a race.  Did you know that?  That’s what Paul says here.  All the runners run but Paul says he wants to win the prize.

Now, if there were only one prize, then I’m pretty sure Paul has won it.  But there is a prize for all of us if we run the race in such a way as to get that prize.  There is a crown waiting for us in Heaven for those who are soul-winners and I don’t have any idea what that crown is going to be like.  But I do know that there are rewards here as well.  Those rewards include knowing that you have done your part to keep one more soul out of Hell.

What’s that worth?  Is that worth some time, effort and money?  Paul also says in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

For God so loved the world, not just a few,
The wise and great, the noble and the true,
Or those of favored class or rank or hue.
God loved the world. Do you? (Source  Unknown)

Do you love people enough to bring the never-changing Gospel to an ever-changing world?