A Hope That Serves
- Gary Grogan
- Mar 29, 2009
- Series: Coliseum Faith
Coliseum Faith Series #4: A Hope That Serves March 29, ‘09
-Like to begin today by reading a passage from 1 Cor. 9:19-27 –you can follow along in your Bible if you have one or just listen please to the Scriptures. Text: verse 19
-I believe with all my heart that the greatest privilege & purpose in life is to serve the Lord. It is clear the Apostle Paul felt this way. Listen to verse 19 again, Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
TS: There are some wonderful insights in this passage that show us what it takes to become a servant of God--to be a true servant of God...
1. First, we must live a life of AVAILABILITY. Be available, see this in v 19.
-Paul totally abandoned his rights in the interests of the gospel. He had the status of a free man (he was a Roman citizen) but he became a slave to everyone, so that he might win more to JC.
→Paul’s availability was a compulsion to preach the gospel.
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! 1 Cor 9:16
-Paul had such a compulsion to preach the gospel that he actually felt there would be some kind of disaster that would come to him if he was not faithful. We don’t know the nature of the woe but he felt it very deeply.
-For Paul, the only thing that mattered was to get the gospel our, whatever the cost.
-People don’t like to talk about duty but Paul saw his availability as his duty. And may God help us to feel that way—may our passion be to become true servants of God so that others may find Jesus too. How can we ever help others find Jesus if we are not available?
-Martin Luther King said “Man’s first duty is not to help himself, but his privilege is to serve others for God’s sake.”
-Being available means you can be counted on—if you sign up, you show up—on time. When it is your time to serve you do it—and you do it gladly—knowing your service is all part of people coming to X.
→Paul’s availability was not only a compulsion to preach the gospel but also a compassion to reach people. He says in verse 19 “I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more.”
-And he says in Rom 1:14-15
I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.
So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.
-Greeks, barbarians, wise, unwise—all were precious to him. He had a passion for people to be saved. Like Jesus, Paul was moved with compassion because he saw people as sheep without a shepherd.
●To be people of true compassion—to be true servants of God-- we have to live a life of availability. I am asking you to be available…to serve the Lord by being Available—young people would you make yourself available to the Lord…
Illus: Years ago, Jim Elliot & four other missionaries made themselves available to Indians in Ecuador who had never heard the gospel. They arrived on Feb. 21st, 1952 and found out about a violent tribe that no one had ever even tried to reach. They made themselves available to God—soon they began to make friendly contact with them, but on Jan. 8th, 1956 Elliot and all four missionaries were brutally murdered with spears along the Curaray River. Jim Elliot’s journal dated Oct. 28, 1949 contained these now famous words, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Because Jim Elliot and others made themselves available there are now thousands of Auca Indians who serve JC.
►If you like real life stories “Thru the Gates of Splendor” is a classic.
► An update to that is the movie The End of the Spear.
video
2. Second, becoming a servant of God means we also live a life of adaptability. Be Adaptable—see this in vv 20-22.
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.
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.
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. Verse 20-22
-Commentator William Barclay says of these verses, “Paul had a loving spirit and had the art of accommodating himself to others.” Illus: Some of you know Josh Payne, was our Resident Pastor…he lives a life of adaptability and if there was ever a true servant of God it is Josh Payne.
-Let’s not be the type of believers who only identify with people in our little circles. Let’s not get so absorbed in our own little lives that we cannot reach out to others. Billy Graham said, “A true servant of God gets out of the ‘holy huddle’ mentality and touches their world in redemptive ways!”
-The Bible says that Jesus was ‘a friend of sinners’—and if we are going to be like Jesus we will be a friend of sinners too. Jesus was holy, innocent, undefiled, and separated from sinners and yet He was a friend of sinners. And God help us to be adaptable so that we might reach people for JC.
Illus: Dr. CM Ward demonstrated adaptability. He was a great talker but also a great listener. He could discuss law with a lawyer, diseases with a doctor, or pigs with a farmer—and touch them all for Christ.
-As a church I want us to have the heart of a servant—that means we understand God has called us to serve others—to serve our communities. That means we have to be adaptable because it means we change for the sake of reaching others for JC.
-I think the reason some organizations are not very friendly and the reason they do not grow is because they refuse to change—because change takes adaptability—may God help us…
3. To become servants of God we need to be available, adaptable and third live a life of accountability. Be Accountable—see this in vv 24-27.
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.
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.
Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.
No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. Verses 24-27
-Bit of a background to understand this passage: Athletic contests were common in the Greek world—and the Is-th-mi-an games, second only to the Olympics, were held every 2 years in Corinth. So Paul uses the imagery of sports—a runner & a boxer—who have to really put forth great effort in order to win.
-So, as servants of God, we must pursue victory with total commitment (v. 24). We have to avoid anything that would hinder our effectiveness.
→ The reason for a total commitment is twofold:
1st As servants of God we must win the Savior’s PRIZE. Paul says in verse 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.
-There are crowns mentioned in the NT that believers will be awarded and among them is the ‘soul winners’ crown. In 1 Thess 2:19-20 Paul asks this question: “Who is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing?”and then he answers, “Is it not you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.”NKJV
-To become servant of God we need to be working towards that crown. When you stand before the judgment seat of X you need to be able to say, “Here are the souls the Lord has given me.”
Illus: I remember a Xtian who was sent home from the hospital to die. Had an incurable disease. He had lived a very selfish and wasteful life. Could have done so much for the kingdom, but lived basically for himself. The sickness brought him to repentance and restoration but as we talked about standing before the Lord, he said with tears in his eyes, “I am not afraid to die, but I am ashamed to die.”
-Would you listen to your pastor today? You were saved to serve—not to just get to heaven by the skin of your teeth. This week in Small Groups you will be encouraged to serve in practical ways: Food Pantry, Perhaps a Homeless Shelter—some practical way to serve others.
-The memory verse this week is Matt. 25:40 “…Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”NKJV
{Video} I think Brandon Heath’s song “Give Me Your Eyes” says well what I’m trying to get across today.
→Another reason for total commitment is:
2nd As servants of God we must win the Savior’s PLEASURE. Paul had a wholesome fear that after preaching to others, he himself would be disqualified. Verse 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
-Did you know at the judgment Seat of Christ we are not going to be judged as sinners, but as servants? And for those who qualify the announcement will be, “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of the Lord.”
-But on that day there will be those who disqualify—they will stand before the Lord Jesus with nothing. Paul said in 1 Cor. 3:13 each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. NASV
-Do you see this? As servants of God we are accountable—May we be found busy and ready for that great day when we see Jesus face to face!
Concl: Jesus commissioned His disciples to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”—the early followers of Jesus took His words seriously. There were convinced that there was no greater privilege or purpose in life than to serve the Lord of the harvest.
-In no time the evangelized the then known world—and they did it as servants of God—Paul followed in their footsteps and became a servant to all that he might win more.
-A servant is someone who is devoted to another. Will you be devoted to JC with your life? Will you live a life of AVAILABILITY—will you live a life of ADAPTABILITY—will you live a life of ACCOUNTABILITY?
Next Step: Easter Prayer and Invite cards.
Resources: Books, Thru the Gates of Splendor and Beyond the Gates of Splendor. DVD, End of the Spear
Translations used: NIV NKJV NASV
