October 2, 2014

 

Dear MLEPC Members and Friends:

 

For though I am free from all,I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel,that I may share with them in its blessings (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).

 

Have you ever noticed that the Apostle Paul was a rather passionate and focused person? This was true of Paul before he encountered the risen Jesus during his Damascus Road experience (Act 9:1-18). On that occasion, Paul who then was known as Saul was pursuing Christians 135 miles north of Jerusalem with the intention of arresting them. Paul wanted to "get those Christians." After his conversion, we find that Paul was no less intense; rather, Christ took that intensity and redirected it to a new vision. Instead of getting those Christians, he sought with body and soul to get Christ and the Christian message to people in Jerusalem, Damascus, and to the ends of the earth. With all the same intellect and energy, this man now wanted people everywhere to have opportunity to respond to God's call to new life in Christ.

 

In this passage, we read the word "win" five times. Paul desires to win people to Jesus, by which he means that he wants to bring them to salvation. I remember my first church in the mountains of North Carolina, where my Baptist friends eagerly spoke of being "soul winners for Christ," citing this very passage as the touchstone for their mission. They were right. Though only God can save people by granting them grace to believe, our work is that of presenting the gospel message as winningly as we possibly can. For God not only ordains who will respond; He also ordains the means whereby they have opportunity to respond. That means Christians are to announce the good news with all the passion, focus, intensity, and energy of the Apostle Paul in our time, too.

 

Notice in addition, however, that for all his laser-like purpose, Paul is not reckless. To the contrary, the Apostle is very strategic. He puts himself in the position of being a servant to non-Christians and unbelievers in order to encourage them to consider the Message. Paul seeks to identify with Jewish people so that they may best hear the gospel. He likewise walks alongside Gentile folk so that he may find the best points of contact for Christ with them. Paul comes to the aid of weak people with the acknowledgment that he too is weak, yet the very weakness of people can become the strength of God in Christ. He famously concludes, "I have become all things to all people that by all means I may save some." What Paul means is that he looks for every possible avenue whereby he may legitimately make connection with people in their worlds and on their turf in order to earn the right to make the Message heard. And it is all for the sake of the gospel--Good News!

 

I'm wondering how we can learn to serve the non-Christian people in our life's sphere in the same way. How can our church create points of contact with the people of the South Hills with the purpose of winning them to Christ, as the Spirit of God uses our work as only He can? How do we strategize through service so that they'll give the gospel a fair hearing? And how does each one of us do this with individuals in our personal lives--perhaps our spouse or our parents or our kids or our ornery neighbor across the back fence? For the sake of their salvation, how do we reach them both passionately and strategically after the example of Paul?

 

Let's think about it this week.

 

Pastor Tim

 

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