I want you to take your Bibles with me again and we are going to go to 1 Corinthians 9. 1 Corinthians 9.
As you are turning there I want to remind you what we learned from 1 Corinthians 8, because it is very important and because it's been a few weeks. In 1 Corinthians 8 we learned four principles:
- We have general liberty in Christ about gray matters.
- Not everyone understands this liberty.
- Loving others is more important than being right.
- Loving others is more important than exercising our liberty.
Now, I believe that chapter 9 is Paul's personal example of what he teaches in chapter 8. It's like in chapter 8 he said "You should care more about the people in your church than you do about your own rights" and then in chapter 9 he says "Let me tell you about my rights, and how I've laid them aside for the sake of the gospel." So let's see how Paul practices what he preaches as we read chapter 9 together.
[!bible] 1 Corinthians 9:1-27 - KJV
- Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
- If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
- Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,
- Have we not power to eat and to drink?
- Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
- Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
- Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
- Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?
- For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
- Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
- If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
- If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
- Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
- Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
- But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.
- For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
- For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
- What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
- For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
- And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
- To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
- To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
- And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
- Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
- And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
- I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
- But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
I'm not going to cover verses 7-18 tonight, it is like a big parenthetical argument about pastors deserving to be paid and I want to cover that next week in more detail.
Here is the main point I want to give you tonight:
Living a faithful Christian life is about more than rights and liberty, it is about living a life of service, care for others and self-discipline, subjecting absolutely everything to the advance of the gospel.
So let's break that down into five points tonight as we work through this chapter:
1. Living a faithful Christian life is about more than rights and liberty.
In the first six verses of this chapter, Paul lays out his rights as an apostle.
- He has the right to eat and drink whatever he wants.
- He has the right to travel with a Christian wife.
- He has the right to not work for a living and to be supported by the church.
Paul didn't do any of those things. He said in the end of chapter 8 "If meat makes my brother to offend, I will eat no mean while the world standeth."
We know he lived a life of singleness, probably after his wife died or left him. (He covers that in chapter 7.)
And we know from this chapter that he made the deliberate choice to work for a living so that he could win more people to Jesus.
So Paul is saying "Look, I have liberty. I have the right. I even have the authority as an Apostle, but I'm choosing not use that liberty."
And the question is "why?" The reason why Paul didn't eat whatever, get remarried and live comfortably on the church's dime was all tied to the same thing - it was that his life wasn't about himself, it was about the advancement of the gospel.
Now, I believe, after Paul explained for 11 verses that preachers should be paid by the church. That Paul gave us a little glimpse into what that faithful life lived above liberty and rights looks like.
So let's talk about the second point:
2. Living a faithful Christian life is a life of service.
Look at verse 19.
[!bible] 1 Corinthians 9:19 - KJV 19. For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
Paul was saying that even though he was a free man, he made himself the servant of everyone so that he could "gain the more."
Paul lived a life of service. He lived to serve. He served everyone. All for this idea of "gain."
In John 13, while the apostles were arguing over who was the greatest, Jesus quietly slipped away and put on a servant's garment and then came out and started washing their feet. The lesson was clear - if you want to be great - be a servant.
I remember going to the Wilds camp and hearing the founder say "It's not the one who dies with the most toys who wins, it's whoever dies with the dirtiest towell who wins."
Church, when you live the servant minded life, you aren't concerned about what you will get, but about what you can give. It's not about my rights, it's about my service.
That was Paul.
So life is about more than rights, it is about service.
Look at the third thing:
3. Living a faithful Christian life is a life of caring for others.
Look at verses 20-23 again
[!bible] 1 Corinthians 9:20-23 - KJV 20. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21. To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23. And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
Paul was a spiritual chameleon. Essentially, he was saying "I'm putting my own identity aside and I'm going to live in whatever way I can to win others to Christ."
- So if he was around jewish people, he would live like the most faithful jewish person - so he could win them to Christ.
- If He was around gentiles, he would live like a gentile - so he could win them to Christ.
- If he was with weaker people (this is probably a nod back at chapter 8 - people with weak consciences) then he would live like they did so he could serve them in Christ.
Now, of course this doesn't mean he sinned. He was always subject to Christ. But inside the bounds of biblical living, Paul put everything on the table.
And I want you to notice the theme here: it's not about him. It's not about Paul. I'm sure Paul had his preferences for how he wanted to live, but he subjugated all of that to others. He wanted to win others to Christ.
So "Living a faithful Christian life is about more than rights and liberty, it is about living a life of service, care for others and self-discipline"
The fourth point Paul makes here is...
4. Living a faithful Christian life is a life of self-discipline.
Now, look at verse 24:
[!bible] 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 - KJV 24. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
What's Paul talking about here? He's talking about the olympic games. He's talking about athletics.
Do you want to know something about athletics? Everyone wants to win. That's the goal.
The NFL season is just kicking off this year and do you know that all 32 teams have the same goal - they want to win the Super Bowl.
But having the goal isn't enough. You have to work for the goal. You have to be disciplined for the goal.
As James Clear put it:
You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."
Do you know how insanely self-disciplined you have to be to be a great pro-level athlete?
Do you know that for something like 10 years, Micheal Phelps trained for hours every single day. Including Christmas. Including when he was sick. Every. Single. Day he got into a cold pool and deprived himself of oxygen and trained.
Paul lived a disciplined life. I imagine he woke up at a certain time. I imagine he watched what he ate. I imagine he had some pretty strong habits. He "kept under his body" - he kept his body in control.
Why?
Why did he forgoe his rights? Why did he become a servant to everyone? Why did he give up his identity? Why did he live a life of extreme discipline?
He tells us over and over again. "that I may gain the more, that I may gain some."
And this leads me to fifth and last point tonight..
5. Living a faithful Christian life is subjecting everything to the advance of the gospel.
When Paul said I want to gain, he wasn't talking about personal gain. He was talking about people coming to Christ.
Look at verse 23.
[!bible] 1 Corinthians 9:23 - KJV 23. And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
That's it. He's doing all of this stuff, subjugating his rights, serving, giving up his identity for others, and living a disciplined life - for one unifying purpose - so that he gain others for Christ.