7/19/26 “Mission Possible”
"Mission Possible"
1 Corinthians 9:1-27
Today is a very exciting day for millions of people all around the world....
Many of us here in the US may not be aware of it, but the FIFA World Cup soccer final...
....which takes place this afternoon
....is always – by far - the single most watched event in the world.
The most recent men's World Cup final was held in 2022....and it drew an audience of 1.5 billion people...Billion...with a B.
There's 8 billion people on the entire planet....and only about 5 billion (of those 8 billion people) own a TV
So that means that – worldwide - around 1 out of every 4 people who have access to a TV will be watching the World Cup final this afternoon!
For comparison, the Super Bowl only draws around 130 million viewers each year...that's 1/10 of the viewership of the World Cup Final
The Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics only draws around 21 million viewers...
The only single event in history to ever top World Cup viewership was Queen Elizabeth's funeral back in 2022...it drew an estimated 4 Billion people.........?
....sorry....that just boggles my mind....
That means 80% of people worldwide who own a Television tuned in to watch!
Anyway...Getting back to soccer, there've been a few great players over the years that have become household names....
...even for us Americans who know less about soccer (or, 'Futbol') than every other country on the planet...
You might recognize names such as Lionel Messi (Whose Argentina team will be playing later today).....Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal - who holds the all-time record for goals scored...
Some of you might even remember the name Pele, who played for Brazil way back in the 1960's....he helped to bring a large audience to the game of soccer...making it the world spectacle that it is today.
There's one other name from the modern era you may have heard of....
Does anyone recognize the name David Beckham?
He's retired now, but he once played for his home country of England...
Back in 2013, David Beckham did something very interesting....and unexpected. He played for free.
He signed a single season contract with a soccer team located in Paris....and he donated his entire multi-million dollar salary to a local charity for underprivileged children
This was something that no other professional athlete has ever done.
He also – for the record – professes to be a believer in Jesus Christ.
But this act of benevolence was simply unheard of in the world of professional athletics.
It reminds me of our passage of scripture for today...
A significant portion of 1 Corinthians chapter 9 deals with Paul discussing the need to support those involved in professional ministry...
...but then reveals that – at times – he himself gave up the right to be supported financially...
Like David Beckham did for a season– he would provide his services for free.
In fact, Paul never asked for compensation from a church that he was currently planting and establishing...
When he did receive payment for his ministerial work, it would always come from churches that were already established and financially stable....
Besides being a highly educated, master theologian, pastor, and evangelist....
Paul was also skilled in the art of tentmaking....
And – at times – he would fall back on his ability to earn an income from producing and selling tents...
Today we would refer to Paul as a bi-vocational pastor – at least during certain seasons of his ministry.
The first couple of verses in chapter 9 deal with an issue that some within the Corinthian Church apparently had concerning Paul's credentials as a true Apostle...
That word Apostle...we see it a lot in the New Testament...but what does it mean?
What is an apostle?
Well...In the original Greek language, the word 'apostle' literally means 'One who is sent out'...
...and - many times – it refers only to the original 12 Apostles...Peter, James, John...and the other nine men who traveled with Jesus during his 3-year ministry...
However....Occasionally in scripture, we also see the word 'Apostle' refer to individuals who were not members of the original 12...
....making it a more general description of someone who was sent out to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ
For instance, in Acts chapter 13, Barnabas is referred to as an 'Apostle'...
...along with Titus in 2 Corinthians 8...and Epaphroditus in the book of Philippians.
But...for the vast majority of instances in scripture where the term Apostle is used ...
....it is specifically referring to the original 12 men who spent time with Jesus.
That's why we tend to not use that word today when describing people involved in professional ministry....
The closest position to the office of 'Apostle' that we see today would actually be that of a missionary....
....a follower of Christ who has been sent out with the specific mission of proclaiming the good news of the gospel to other people groups
Those of you who worked the FCF booth last week at the fair – you were technically doing the work of an apostle...
...you were sent out from this church to tell others about Jesus.
...but we generally don't use that term to describe people involved in missionary work today....
....generally because of the restricted way in which the Bible reserves the word for the 12 men who were direct pupils of Christ
This is the sense in which Paul is defending HIs credentials as an apostle...
If you recall....even though Paul was not a member of the original 12 Apostles...he was still sent out by Jesus himself...
Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus reveals a time when Jesus meets with him directly...
....and Saul is then commissioned by Jesus to take the message of the gospel to the Gentile nations...Saul becomes Paul...
....Who goes on to see Jesus in at least 2 visions that we know of after his conversion ....
Providing even more evidence of his apostolic calling
It is to this matter that he writes in these first couple of verses here in the beginning of Chapter 9.
Yes....Paul was indeed a genuine apostle of Jesus Christ...
...and with that Christ-commissioned apostleship came the highest level of authority in regard to the content of his teaching and witness...
Paul then begins a large section of chapter 9 that discusses the importance of financially compensating those who work in ministry....
His point in verses 4 through 14 is that those who work in ministry have a right to be compensated for their services....
...yet it is up to the individual worker whether or not they feel the need to exercise that right.
In verse 7 (1 Corinthians 9:7) Paul brings up the examples of a soldier, a farmer, and a shepherd....
A soldier does not purchase his own weapons and clothing....they are commissioned to him by his country....
In the same way....A farmer should not have to pay for the opportunity to eat of the crops in which he himself plants in the ground....
A shepherd need not pay for the products generated from his own flock....
Verse 9 says, "For it is written in the Law of Moses: 'Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.'....
This OT passage that Paul is referencing is from the book of Deuteronomy....
....basically supporting his claim that those who are involved in labor of some kind – they should be given the opportunity to reap the physical benefits of that labor...
Just as an ox should be given the ability to eat while it is working...
So....Paul...a full-fledged Apostle of the highest order...
....he was surely worthy of - and entitled to - receiving financial compensation for his work in the ministry....
Yet...in verse 12 (1 Corinthians 9:12) we read that Paul decided not to use his right to financial compensation....
In David Beckham style....he 'Played for Free' , so to speak, during the year and a half that he spent with the people in Corinth....
...He never asked them for a dime. (or, in 1st Century Corinth, a dime would have been called an Assarion).... he never asked them for even 1 Assarion.
It was perfectly within Paul's rights to request compensation from the Corinthian Church for his ministerial efforts there....
....but he willingly chose to work without pay...
...and this self-less decision helped to establish the financial stability of this new church plant in the city of Corinth...
...and - through God's perfect will - it's undoubtedly one reason why this church survived...and why you and I can read about this church 2,000 years later.
Verses 19 through 23 speak of Paul's willingness to approach different people – and communities – differently when presenting the gospel message.
He says in verse 20 (1 Corinthians 9:20) "To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews...."
In verse 21 (1 Corinthians 9:21) he writes, "To those not having the law I became like one not having the law...." (He's talking about Gentiles here)
Verse 22 (1 Corinthians 9:22) says, "To the weak I became weak, to win the weak....probably talking about the spiritually weak rather than physically weak.
...and he wraps up with this statement, "....I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save someone."
So....what is Paul saying here in these verses?
Is he being a chameleon?.....a shape-shifter?...an imposter?
Certainly not.
What Paul is saying is that he is able to find common ground with just about anyone he comes in contact with....
...all with the goal of moving forward with conversations that revolve around the gospel message of Christ....and getting people saved.
...And he does all of this without compromising the truth concerning the scriptures or the message of Jesus Christ...
It's difficult to be all things to all people....but we can begin by finding common ground with people who share our own interests....
Last week at our outreach booth at the Sauk County Fair, those of us who participated had the opportunity to experience what it's like to zero in on some of these shared interests....
For instance, on Saturday, there was a man who came up to the booth wearing a John Deere T-shirt....
....what do you think he and Dewey began talking about......?
When Matt & Jill were at the booth, a man with a beard that was almost as handsome as Matt's....came up to the booth...instant connection.
When young children would come up to the booth, Lisa used her recently acquired 'Grandma skills' to connect with these precious little souls...
Joshua and Caleb had an instant connection with teenagers....
Tammy, Jim, Joyce, Kyle...and everyone else who volunteered their efforts last week were all able to have authentic connections with many people who approached our area...
...and Paul is saying that those of us who – like him - have "a few miles on our odometer", so to speak....
....we are able to – through our extensive life experiences – go beyond our pet topics....
....and explore areas of common ground with people who may have different interests, or hobbies....or even have different racial or ethnic backgrounds...
Paul was especially gifted in this area....
He was a tentmaker....so he could easily "Talk Shop" with other craftsmen and blue-collar workers...
Paul had been in prison...several times....so he could understand the plight of those who had also been incarcerated....
Paul was also a highly educated intellectual....
.... He could debate the finer points of logic and theology with anyone....including the philosophers in Athens...or the Rabbis in Jerusalem.
Paul explains in the book of Philippians that he has experienced the scarcity of being poor...as well as the abundance of wealth....
His life experiences were able to open doors of instant credibility with a wide range of people...
.... Individuals from a broad spectrum of cultural, educational, and socio-economic backgrounds...
...And that's the challenge that scripture sets forth for us today as well...
How can we use our life experiences to open doors of fruitful conversation with other people....
....all with the goal of eventually diving into subjects that have eternal value.
....with the most important subject – of course - being the good news of Jesus Christ. .... Amen?
Use what God has given you in your life to carve out common ground with others....
....and don't forget to ask the Holy Spirit to provide you with those opportunities...
Lastly, Paul wraps up this chapter with an illustration that people in Corinth would have understood very well....
Paul likens Jesus' command for his followers to make disciples....to that of a race...
The Corinthians, you see, were crazy about sports....
Especially, Olympic-style games of strength, speed, and endurance.
The city of Corinth actually hosted a very popular biennial event called the Isthmian Games...
They were very similar to the Olympics...and - for a time – became almost as popular....
Paul here draws upon the analogy of a runner in a race....
Verse 24 (1 Corinthians 9:24) reads, "Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."
First of all, Paul is not saying that we are competing against each other....
I repeat – we are NOT running a race against each other...other believers....or even other people in general...
As John MacArthur puts it, we are competing "Against the obstacles – practical, physical, and spiritual – that would hinder us. In a sense, every Christian runs his own race, enabling each one of us to be a winner in winning souls to Christ."
Winning souls...making disciples of Jesus Christ...is what Paul is referring to when he talks of running in such a way as to win the prize...
Last Saturday afternoon at the fair booth, it was hot....I'd been there all day....I had talked to countless people....explained the gospel to dozens of individuals....
...I was tired...my La-z-boy and a Big Buddy at home were sounding really good about then...
...But then this verse came to mind...
Like a long-distance runner with just one lap to go....
That was the time to make one final push for the finish line....
....to consider each person walking by the booth to be just as important as those who passed by 8 hours earlier...
That's when the mind needs to assume authority over the body...
In the race of that day....My legs were burning...my heart was pumping....but I knew I had to keep going....
In situations like this, you press on because the finish line is in sight....
Folks, the finish line represents the end of our lives here on this earth...
...And many of us here this morning only have maybe a few laps left on the track....if you get what I'm saying....
The question I'd like to pose to all of us today is this:
how are we navigating those final laps around the spiritual track of life?
...How are YOU approaching those final laps?
...Are you content with slowing down to an evangelistic crawl....?
Maybe you're just leisurely walking the final lap at this point....not really concerned with saving souls...
You'll maybe mention faith now and then when you're out and about...
....but you aren't intentional about sprinting toward conversations that mention sin, repentance, and the good news of Jesus Christ....
You've convinced yourself that it's time to take the foot off the gas...
...To add a spiritual retirement plan to your physical retirement plan...
To remain comfortably in the "Familiar" zone as Joshua so eloquently put it last week in his sermon...
...Rather than continuing to step out of the familiar....
To intentionally decide to continue running toward the finish line of your life...
And – praise God – there are many of you here this morning who are doing just that...
....and - folks - you inspire me!
I am inspired when I see some of you who are on your final lap of life showing up each week to participate in ministry...
I am inspired when you tell me of opportunities that you recently had to share your testimony with someone who needed to hear it....
I am inspired to see some of you allow your mind to remind your body who's really in charge...
And I am inspired to fight alongside you in a Potter's Meal serving line...or at a food distribution....or during VBS...or at camp...or at an outreach booth at the County Fair.
Verse 27 (1 Corinthians 9:27) speaks of making our own bodies our slave...
Let me ask you this....when it comes to the eternal destiny of others...including people in your own family....
How motivated are you to want to see them in Heaven someday?
How inspired do you become when you hear of people in need of Jesus?
Are you half-heartedly walking around the track....out of inspiration and out of ambition?
OR
Are you sprinting toward the finish line with your mind overpowering your body's desire to take it easy?
Brothers & Sisters...keep pushing...keep striving....keep running in such a way as to win the prize...
...and when you cross the finish line of your life....and you see the people in Heaven who are there in part because of your efforts...
The pain...and the strain....will all be worth it.
All of us have breath in our lungs for only a short time...
Let's make that time worth it.....
Let's pray.
