October 24, 2021 -- The Twenty-Second Sunday after the Pentecost
Pastor Caleb Rothfuss
I Corinthians 9:7-12, 19-23
If we measure ourselves against Paul we can at least see one who took Jesus’ words about ambition seriously. See what good it did, what a blessing it was and still is for the church! He not only served everyone he could; he served by putting himself in their place, seeing himself as one of them, so that he could apply all the truth of God’s Word to their particular situation and circumstance.
7What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat some of its fruit? Or who takes care of a flock and does not drink milk from the flock? 8Am I saying this just from a human point of view? Doesn’t the law also say this? 9Yes, it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out grain.” Is God really concerned about oxen, 10or does he say this entirely for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher ought to thresh in hope of getting a share. 11If we sowed spiritual seed for your good, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? 12If others have some right to make this claim on you, don’t we even more? But we did not use this right. Instead, we endure everything so as not to cause any hindrance for the gospel of Christ. 19In fact, although I am free from all, I enslaved myself to all so that I might gain many more. 20To the Jews, I became like a Jew so that I might gain Jews. To those who are under the law, I became like a person under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might gain those who are under the law. 21To those who are without the law, I became like a person without the law (though I am not without God’s law but am within the law of Christ) so that I might gain those who are without the law. 22To the weak, I became weak so that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all people so that I may save at least some. 23And I do everything for the sake of the gospel so that I may share in it along with others.