1 Corinthians 9:10-27
Audio MP3
March 13th
2011 PM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
I.
Introduction (1Cor
9:24-27; Acts 26:18)
A.
Paul gives us an
illustration of the effort required in soul-winning
1.
A runner runs the whole
race – he ought to run to win, amen?!
2.
An athlete competes for
the “mastery” of a sport, and seeks to win a crown
3.
But a Christian ought to
seek to win incorruptible rewards
B.
That’s why Paul’s life was
like an athlete
1.
Temperate – under
restrictions and rules
2.
Certain – of winning
people to Christ
3.
Fighting – making contact
with the enemy – not just swinging and beating the air
4.
Keeping his flesh under
control, so that he is not wasting his time
C.
Why? Because he wanted to
win souls!
D.
But they are not that easy
to win - YOU were not easy cases were you?
E.
Acts 26:18 is a lot of
work – a lot of obstacles to overcome
F.
Our generation needs
soul-winners
G.
We need a generation of
believers who will make a permanent choice to overcome every obstacle
between them and winning their world!
H.
So, Quit your complaining,
and griping, and do hard things, to win someone to Christ
II.
Message
A.
Overcoming the Obstacle
of Doubt (1Cor 9:10)
1.
Every farmer MUST have
some faith in the crops he is planting or he is wasting his time
2.
Every worker, works
expecting to be paid
3.
Every soul-winner ought to
expect souls to be saved by the giving out of the Gospel
a.
Isa 55:11
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not
return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it
shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
b.
Jn 6:68
Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast
the words of eternal life.
4.
The word of God does the
work – not really you!
a.
It converts (Ps 19:7)
b.
It convicts (John 8:4-9)
c.
It cuts deep (Heb 4:12)
d.
It gives life (1Pet 1:23)
e.
It gives rest (1Jn 5:13)
f.
It is the power of God
(Rom 1:16)
g.
It just needs your voice!
1)
1Cor 1:21-23
2)
John 1:19-23
5.
We doubt too much when we
tell people the Gospel
a.
Think they won’t listen
b.
Think they will only
reject it
c.
We forget that God is
already at work
6.
Act 4:31
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were
assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they
spake the word of God with boldness.
B.
Overcoming the Obstacle
of The Will (1Cor 9:16,17)
1.
Okay, so Paul was
preaching the Gospel, and was hopeful of people getting saved
2.
But his doing it was
nothing to be proud of – nothing to gloat about – Why?
a.
Because he wasn’t doing it
for his health
b.
Paul was preaching because
of the need!
1)
Like a rescue worker
2)
Like a life-guard
3)
Yes, they get paid for
what they do, but when someone is in danger, they can’t help but spring into
action!
4)
Paul knew, as most every
Christian knows, that the whole world is lost (1John 5:19)
c.
And he was preaching
because he couldn’t NOT do it (Jer 20:9)
3.
Paul oftentimes faced
nothing but opposition and obstacles in his way (2Cor 11:23-32)
4.
But he could do nothing
but keep going
a.
Acts 14:19,20
b.
Acts 20:22-24
5.
He didn’t care if he got
paid or not – he just HAD to open his mouth and preach!
6.
Preaching, soul-winning
goes against our own will sometimes
a.
Example of Jonah
b.
Example of Peter
7.
Don’t you dare let your
own stubbornness stop you from giving someone a Gospel tract, or giving your
testimony of what Christ has done for you, or telling someone how to be
saved from the wrath to come – especially with all the world events that are
causing people’s heart to fear once again!
C.
Overcoming the Obstacle
of Pride (1Cor 9:18,19)
1.
Paul loved preaching the
Gospel for free! And being a nobody!
a.
Paul used to be involved
in the Jew’s religion, and made a load of money at it – all religion makes
money
b.
His reward now was in
being only a servant!
c.
Pleasing only His Lord!
2.
So many Christians only
worry about what everyone else is doing, and what everyone else thinks of
them (John 12:42,43; Jude 1:16)
3.
It is beneath too many
Christians, to only be a servant!
a.
They want to be important
b.
They want to be well known
c.
They want to be famous
d.
So they won’t sing, they
won’t help in Sunday School, they won’t get involved because no one has run
up to them and recognised their talents!!!
4.
Notice what Paul says
here…
a.
Even though I owe nothing
to no one
b.
Yet have I MADE MYSELF
servant unto all!!! Wow!
c.
Just like Jesus did (Philp
2:5-7)
5.
The Christian willingly
yields his or her life to a life of serving, even if no one ever notices and
praises them for it
6.
Don’t you dare let your
pride keep you from humbling yourself, and becoming a fool in the eyes of
the world (1Cor 1:26-29) – for only then will you be great in God’s kingdom
D.
Overcoming the Obstacle
of Differences (1Cor 9:20-22)
1.
Are you willing to serve
absolutely anybody? Be a servant of all?
2.
Who are you working on?
Relate to them
3.
No matter the Nationality
a.
Become what your listener
is
b.
Jesus as God, became a
man, to reach men – amen?!
c.
Jesus became specifically
a JEW, to reach the Jews
d.
Paul knew what it meant to
be a good Jew, and used that knowledge to win Jews
e.
Some of you were good
catholics and should use that knowledge to win some good catholic men and
women to Jesus Christ!
f.
But there is also a whole
world that is lost that needs a preacher
1)
Win a Jew by learning
about what the Jews believe and think – how they live, and why they reject
Jesus
2)
Win a Nigerian – find out
about their past, and the reasons why they are here in
3)
Win an Hungarian
4)
Witness to, and win a
German
5)
How about a Brit?
6)
Or a Frenchman?
g.
Is anyone here willing to
get out of their comfort zone, and learn about another culture enough so
that they can witness to them, and get them saved?
4.
No matter the Religion
a.
Jesus made Himself UNDER
the law – He wrote it, but placed Himself under it, so that the Jews would
listen to Him!
b.
Learn what is holding
staunch catholics back from getting saved, and understand that, and relate
to that – explain how you were just like that in some way
c.
Learn about the Muslim
religion, and put your feet in their shoes, and learn what would open their
eyes to Jesus
d.
The world is full of
religions, so don’t let your ignorance keep you from opening THEIR eyes to
the simplicity of the Gospel!
5.
No matter the Sin –
“without law” as in “outlaws”
a.
This is where it gets
good!
b.
Paul didn’t just work on
the religious people, and on the “good” people
c.
He remembered what it
meant to be a sinner – a murderer, and tormentor, an angry, furious man
d.
And he used that to help
him win the sinners around him
e.
Haven’t you had any
struggles?
f.
Don’t you remember how
HARD the life of the sinner is? (Pr 13:15)
g.
Relate to it, and sit down
with them, and weep with them, and understand them, and point to the
finished work of the dearth of Christ for all their sin
1)
A drunkard – weren’t you
ever a sinner?
2)
A drug user
3)
An angry man or woman
h.
Don’t you dare let an
attitude of “arrogance” and superiority hinder you from winning sinners to
heaven (Mark 2:17)!!!
6.
No matter the Weakness –
“to the weak became I as weak”
a.
God broke the Apostle
Paul’s strength and health so that he could reach the weak, and frail (2Cor
12:9)
b.
Jesus became weak –
limited Himself as a man
c.
So should you and I
d.
Overcome the obstacles of
people’s weaknesses
1)
A mother – try to
understand what they are thinking and struggling with
2)
A man who just lost his
job
3)
A Christian who keeps
falling back into sin
e.
Get them back by
remembering just how weak you are, and relating to them
7.
Love them all – never look
down on them! Always lift them up!
E.
Overcoming the Obstacle
of Limits (1Cor 9:22,23)
1.
This is the conclusion –
the summary of the Christian’s life!
a.
Once a Christian makes a
determined choice to humble themselves (1Cor 9:19) and to become a servant,
that is when God begins to mould and shape their life to fit every situation
that they will face
b.
It was only then that Paul
changed!
2.
Paul became
a.
Whatever he needed to be
b.
All things
1)
A good listener
2)
A helper
3)
A counsellor
4)
A comforter
5)
A rebuker
6)
A giver
7)
A parent
8)
A photographer
9)
An athlete
10)
A manager
11)
A chef
12)
A child
c.
To all men
1)
Businessmen
2)
Poor men
3)
Married men
4)
Lonely men
5)
Religious men
6)
Pagan men
7)
Dying men
8)
Proud men
9)
Farmers
10)
Politicians
11)
Factory workers
12)
Moms
13)
Wives
14)
Teens
3.
Why did he willingly become
all of that?
4.
So that, “by all means” he
would be able to “save some”!
a.
By all methods he would get
some saved
b.
Not everyone is going to
listen, or care
c.
But Paul was determined to get
some saved
d.
No fisherman catches all the
fish there are in a river or lake – but they set out to do everything they can
so that they can catch some!
III.
Conclusion
A.
Paul wanted to win souls! Ever
since getting saved himself, it was his life!
B.
But they are not that easy to
win
C.
We need a generation of
believers who will make a permanent choice to overcome every obstacle between
them and winning their world!
D.
What are some Obstacles to
overcome?
1.
The Obstacle of Doubt
a.
We doubt too much when we tell
people the Gospel
b.
Start believing that the word
works
c.
Start swinging a sword and
watch it work!
d.
Act 4:31
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled
together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word
of God with boldness.
2.
The Obstacle of The Will
a.
Paul preached because of the
need!
b.
And he was preaching because
he couldn’t NOT do it (Jer 20:9)
c.
He didn’t care if he got paid
or not – he just HAD to open his mouth and preach!
d.
Don’t you dare let your own
stubbornness stop you from giving someone a Gospel tract, or giving your
testimony of what Christ has done for you, or telling someone how to be saved
from the wrath to come – especially with all the world events that are causing
people’s heart to fear once again!
3.
The Obstacle of Pride
(1Cor 9:18,19)
a.
So many Christians only worry
about what everyone else is doing, and what everyone else thinks of them (John
12:42,43; Jude 1:16)
b.
It is beneath too many
Christians, to only be a servant!
c.
The Christian willingly yields
his or her life to a life of serving, even if no one ever notices and praises
them for it
d.
Don’t you dare let your pride
keep you from humbling yourself, and becoming a fool in the eyes of the world
(1Cor 1:26-29) – for only then will you be great in God’s kingdom
4.
The Obstacle of Differences
(1Cor 9:20-22)
a.
Are you willing to serve
absolutely anybody? Be a servant of all?
b.
No matter the Nationality?
c.
No matter the Religion?
d.
No matter the Sin?
e.
No matter the Weakness?
5.
The Obstacle of Limits
(1Cor 9:22,23)
E.
Is anyone here willing to
become
1.
All things
2.
To all men
3.
So that, “by all means” you
would be able to “save some”?
Craig Ledbetter | Pastor |