06.17.2012 Freedom, Responsibility and Love

Christian Liberty – We have complete liberty in everything – as long as it is not specifically prohibited in the Bible. Now, I should give some qualifications for that ‘specifically prohibited in the Bible.’ Some things were specific to the Jews – dietary laws, etc. – but there is also the Moral Law which is for all of us – the Ten Commandments and how those are expressed throughout the rest of the Bible. One more qualification: that liberty that Paul gives must be controlled by our love and responsibility to others. It is not just – go and do what you want, but do what you want, being sensitive to others. Give no offense. So freedom is controlled by responsibility and love.

1 Cor. 10:31 31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the [profit] of the many, that they may be saved.

Paul puts an emphasis on freedom – and gives us the Great Commandment – Love God with heart soul, mind, and strength. We love God by glorifying God. And Love people – by seeking their benefit. Let liberty be controlled by the law of love. The foundation is the Great Commandment – love God and neighbor – stick to that and you’ll be okay.

At the very end – he says, So that they may be saved.

Last week, we looked at that liberty in light of the Great Commandment – this week, we’ll look at it in light of the Great Commission.

We tend to stick with the Great Commandment – but when it comes to the Great Commission, we think, that is good, and give lip-service to it – but you need to understand that transformation in the Christian life is built upon that foundation. If you don’t have that drive to be missional, the other parts do not take place properly – it has to be built upon that passion to see people come to Jesus.

You can’t get away from that in the New Testament. We go through so much of our lives without doing that.

We are uncomfortable and not confident – and we think people will think we are weird and we don’t pursue the Great Commission when the opportunity arises to win people to Christ. That is what Paul says here – so that they may be saved. He does all things – his love compels him to bring others to Christ.

We looked at chapters 8 and 10 last week. Chapter 9, in the middle – is about mission and outreach – and we’ll hit a section of that chapter.

1 Cor. 9:19 – the context – Paul is using his freedom in evangelism and outreach.

19 For though I am free from all [men,] I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more.

He has total liberty – free from all – owes nothing to anyone – and he contrasts that – I have made myself a servant slave – that I might win the more.

He moves from total freedom to total servanthood or slavery. He possesses complete liberty; He CHOOSES servanthood.

Paul would use or lose his freedom to win the most people. Paul uses and loses his freedom to win the most people no matter the cost.

20 And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews;

He is a Jew! How did he become a Jew to win Jews? Coming to Christ is a complete transformation and you gain a completely new identity. They viewed it as a third race – in their day, there were the Jews, and everyone else – two races. This is a new culture/identity/tribe – supersedes all other ties that you have. We don’t experience that here, do we?

John and Bekah are in India – and they have led around 60-80 people to Christ in the past week – and they go out into these communities and people turn to Christ, and the communities are not happy about it – and the community kicks people out. We can’t fathom that – but that was what was going on here. When people came to Christ, they were leaving everything. They gave it all up for Christ. And that is what is happening in India – they are losing everything.

For us, it should at least become first in our lives. It should take first place over everything. We get to keep it because we have been blessed in this community.

Even though Paul has that – and is free from the Jewish way of life and culture – and when he comes back to the Jews – he becomes Jewish around them – like having Titus (I think) circumcised.

to those who are under the Law, as under the Law, though not being myself under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law;

He understood his freedom – but when he is trying to win a Jew, he is not going to eat pork chops. That was the Law. Not because he had to – but because he chose to for their good and benefit. It is a choice to give up our rights, freedoms, and liberties to be a witness, testimony and example to others.

21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law.

This does not mean they are criminals, but Gentiles who didn’t live in the Jewish system. I become as them. Some have a real hard time with this one. Seeing our freedom to move significantly to reach people. This was a big deal, Paul moving outside the Law to reach Gentiles was a huge deal – Paul qualifies it - though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law. The Law of Christ is this – Love God/Love your neighbor. Paul is controlled by that. The Law of Christ – he is saying – this Law of Christ lifts the moral law – it elevates it. The moral law is a bunch of don’t do this; don’t do that – but rather – DO THIS: Live your life for the benefit of others. When you disobey one of the ten commandments, you are injuring someone else. For Paul, it was always about winning people.

22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

He makes an important shift here – to the weak I became weak – see the difference – what word is missing? As – He became weak. It is very specific wording – not that he became AS the weak – but became weak. I think, in the context, that weak is not speaking as much about in the church where one wants to do one thing and another wants to do another – but rather in missions and evangelism, he shares the condition of those he is trying to reach.

Paul is doing incarnational ministry. When the team went to India – they went out and bought Indian clothes. When you try to reach them, you don’t wear Western clothes. Paul is doing what Jesus did – all powerful, Jesus came down and shared our condition.

John 1: 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

That is what mission work is – becoming like those we are trying to reach.

2 Cor. 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

He did all of that to reach us. This is evangelism – this is what mission work is all about – this is the verse –

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

It describes the work of evangelism. All of us are called to this in some form. We are all called to become like those we are trying to reach that we might win them for Christ and lift them through it.

In light of our liberty and what we’ve been called to – what is the cost? Are you willing to pay the price? I would urge you – do your best to pay it. Not only for the benefit to the Kingdom – but for your own life – having a sense of mission matters significantly. It is not enough to just be a good Christian – without a sense of mission. You must have that – deep sense of mission in your life.

First cost: Time – people aren’t reached quickly. What is amazing – the first missionary into a new land would spend years, lose everything they had and see so little fruit. And you would think – what a waste – and then the next batch of missionaries would go in – and it explodes. Sometimes you are just preparing the soil. Other times, you reap the rewards of someone else’s soil preparation.

Second – it will cost us our service.

Mark 10: 45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Service and evangelism go together. There is a debate – is it telling or demonstrating? It is both. You are called to do both.

If Jesus was called to do both – and He was – I don’t think you will get away with less. Yes – you may have more emphasis in one area or another – but you have to have both.

Third – vulnerability – it places us in a vulnerable situation.

Jesus – at the well – Give me a drink. He needs this woman to give him a drink. This was an odd request in that culture. But first – He shares her thirst – she is thirsty – she comes to the well – and this Jewish man says to this Samaritan woman – would you get me a drink? As Americans – we need to realize we will not win people by our superiority, but by our vulnerability.

Fourth –

5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves;

We are just fragile clay jars with the power of the gospel.

I Cor 9:23 And I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

Paul closes with the attitude – to partner with God for the gospel. SHARE=PARTNERSHIP. Paul didn’t so much TAKE the gospel to people. This team did not TAKE the gospel to India. We are just joining up with where the gospel is going. The gospel is active – it is moving all over the place. He wanted to go to Asia, and God stopped him – why? God said – I have people there. I have been preparing – working – and Paul, what are you doing – come over here – come – and Paul would join up with The Spirit – and become a partner with the gospel.

And you know what – the gospel is work in in people around you – God is at work – there are people you work with and in your community where God is active – and ask – am I partnering with God with those people? Let’s pray.