Focused Freedom (1 Corinthians 9.19-27)

Sermon by: Robert Austell; February 25, 2018 - 1 Corinthians9:19-27

:: Sermon Audio (link) :: Click link to open and play in browser; right-click to save. Sermon audio is also accessible as a free podcast in iTunes. Search for "Good Shepherd Sermons" or "Robert Austell." 



::: Scripture and Music ::
Lord, Thy Church on Earth is Seeking (AUSTRIAN HYMN)
One Pure and Holy Passion (Altrogge)
SOLO: O God of Boundless Mercy (Keys/Townend); Eric V, soloist
Guide My Feet (While I Run This Race) (spiritual)

:: Sermon Manuscript (pdf) ::
This "manuscript" represents an early draft of the sermon. Some weeks the spoken version varies more than others from the early manuscript. Nevertheless, if you'd prefer to read than to listen, this is provided  for that purpose.

There were some additions in the audio version not included in the manuscript below.

Today we continue our Lenten series on “Freedom in Christ,” building on the previous teaching on truth and grace. Last week, today, and next week we are looking at consecutive chapters in 1 Corinthians 9-11 which touch on these themes. The particular matter at hand there concerns the freedom of Christians in Corinth to eat meat sacrificed to idols or false gods. But there is a tension between the freedom to do so (since those gods aren’t real) and being mindful of others for whom that freedom might be confusing or misleading. While we are not struggling with that particular application of meat and idols, there is plenty to consider in terms of how our freedom in Christ intersects with the command to love God and neighbor. We touched on that last week and we’ll continue that theme today.

Ministry and Mission Strategy (vv.19-22)

Paul says some pretty provocative things in the first half of our text. He gives examples of becoming “as a Jew” to reach Jewish people, becoming “as under the Law” for those under the Law and “as without Law” to those without, and so forth. He repeats the example from last week and the previous chapter of becoming weak for those who are weak – he’s talking about those without the spiritual maturity or knowledge to understand the freedom to eat the meat sacrificed to idols. And he sums all this up with two statements: he has made himself a “slave to all” (v. 19) and “all things to all men.” (v. 22) And he’s done this to “win more” and “save some” for Christ.

He basically is sharing his ministry and mission strategy. His freedom in Christ isn’t simply a blessing for himself, but is part of his service to Christ as he shares the Good News in word and deed to those he comes in contact with. Think of that freedom in Christ as a bag of money or a plate of cookies. It’s a gift from God to him in Christ, but it is not intended to be hoarded or kept to himself, but to be shared with all. And Paul is not just sharing that gift with folks who look like him, think like him, or live near him; but he is going high and low, far and wide, to share the goodness of God.

We understand this in some contexts, like teaching, where we adapt teaching styles and delivery for the wide range of learning styles and abilities. What Paul is talking about is not so different from that. He’s not changing the content of Christ, but speaking to and approaching people in a way they can hear and receive.

So don’t miss the purpose: to reach or win more to Jesus. But it raises questions, right? Is he saying we should do this by any means necessary? Isn’t that what gave us the Crusades? Well he’s NOT saying that. In fact, he qualifies his example right in the middle of it. When he is talking about reaching those under the Law and those without the Law, he notes that even in using the approach of not being under the Law he is not actually without God’s Law. He is still under the “law of Christ.” He is distinguishing between the Old Covenant laws and Jesus command to love and serve. And he is saying that his mission strategy isn’t “anything goes,” but is actually his obedience to Christ and bounded and directed by Christ.

So, he might speak to a Jew using terms and culture and language they understand. He might talk about the Mosaic Law and how it points to God’s righteousness and the Messiah. When he speaks to Greeks, as he did on Mars Hill in Athens, he might speak of their many gods and their statue to the ‘unknown god’ as a pointer to a God they are yearning for who has revealed Himself through the person Jesus of Nazareth. He is instructing the Corinthian Christians to be mindful of who sees them enjoying their freedom from the kosher food laws. And in the next chapter which we will look at next week, he does make a distinction based on the proximity and use of the meat sold in the pagan markets. Paul does have boundaries and guidelines. But what he is trying to get across is the radical “other focus” of serving Jesus Christ. It’s not about self, but about God and others.

Training, Focus, and the Goal (vv.23-27)

So in the second half of today’s text Paul moves into what could seem like an unrelated topic. He uses some sports analogies to talk about the discipline of following Christ. But the bridge between the two sections is there in verse 23: “I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.” And when he says “I do all things” he is referring to all THESE things that he has just described. He reaches out to Jews and Greeks and those under the Law and those not under the Law… for the sake of the gospel and so that he can participate in what God is doing, which is reaching all those groups – the whole world – with His love and mercy.

So the discipline he describes in what follows also bounds and qualifies the “all things to all people” statement that preceded. Paul is saying, “Here’s my ministry and mission strategy… it may sound haphazard and loose, but there is great intention and focus behind it. It’s like this…”

It’s like preparing for and running a race, or the Olympic games, or a boxing match. Listen to the qualities Paul lifts up, knowing that these are the qualities with which he tries to win more, reach more, and save some to Christ.

Self-Control (v. 25) – In verse 25 Paul lists self-control. In terms of Olympic games or a race self-control might mean regular, intentional training. Running the distance, preparing for hills or weather. It means watching food and weight, trying to stay healthy. All that has application for our spiritual lives. And remember that Paul isn’t describing salvation, but participating in the ministry and mission of Christ. So when we serve and follow Jesus, through worship, study, service, and giving, these actions strengthen spiritual muscles and train spiritual “muscle memory” so that those actions and ways of thinking become patterns and habits and ingrained within us. Yes, we are free from a list of rules, but if our attention to God and serving Christ is haphazard and doesn’t touch all of life, we are more likely to get ‘winded,’ get lost, quit the race, or any other number of parallels you can draw. Do note what is tucked in at the end of verse 25: there is not just one prize in the spiritual race. Paul clarifies, “we aren’t running for a wreath that fades, but for one that is imperishable.” Our prize is not a medal (or wreath), but sharing in the work of Christ in the world.

Focus (v. 26) – Next, Paul offers two examples of what NOT to do. I’d simplify his two statements to say “I don’t run aimlessly” and “I don’t box pointlessly” but he says a bit more than that because he says “I do run” and “I do box” – but he does so with purpose and without wasting his time or developing bad habits. Again, an analogy for the spiritual life. Let’s take worship, for example; it is good to come on Sundays! If you skip it, you definitely miss it. But sitting inert in the sanctuary can be like running without aim. Are you focused? Are you engaged? Do you prepare for this time? The same can be said for serving or loving or giving – when we follow Christ do we do it with FOCUS to make the most of it?

Discipline (v. 27) – Having said what he avoids, Paul then makes the positive case, “I do train with discipline.” He disciplines his body and makes it his slave. Paul uses the same language here that he used back in verse 19 (a “slave to all”) to describe his obedience and service to Christ towards others. The aim and the point of his spiritual ‘boxing’ is to serve Jesus Christ by sharing him with others.

Don’t be Disqualified (v. 27b) – Paul doesn’t want to fail; he doesn’t want to be disqualified, particularly because of his calling to preach and lead others. He doesn’t want to cause someone who needs Christ to stumble and fall by his own lack of discipline. What Paul challenges us to commit to with these sports analogies is following and serving Jesus Christ with full focus, discipline, and commitment. That’s not because those are the rules, but because that’s the best way to serve and follow Christ effectively.

Focused Freedom

So let me pull all that together a bit more concisely. Here’s what has preceded that we’ve talked about over the last few months:

TRUTH: We are helpless and hopeless and need God’s rescue.
GRACE: In love and mercy, God has offered us that rescue in Christ.
FREEDOM: We are therefore free from sin and death and free to live in relationship with God.

What Paul is describing in these several chapters in 1 Corinthians (8-10) is what “free to live in relationship with God” looks like. After God’s own heart for the world, we are invited into a radical love for others, one that gives significant focus to our freedom and life. It is a deception that freedom means “doing whatever I want” because I don’t consistently want the best for myself or others. But God does! So true freedom comes from following Jesus in a relationship with God. That leads us to places and blessings that we can’t even imagine. With eyes fixed on God and through Him on others, we will know true freedom and blessing. That’s what I would call focused freedom and it is part of God’s overflowing blessing and plan for our lives.

Where would God focus your freedom in Christ?