Day 1,049: 1 Corinthians 9- Free To Be A Servant

​Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 This is my defense to those who would examine me. 4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?
8 Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10 Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. 11 If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?
Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
15 But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. 16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 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. 21 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. 22 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. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
 
Meditation
The gospel frees disciples of Jesus to serve others in order that they may know Jesus as Savior and Lord. Jesus loved us by becoming a servant. Disciples embrace a servant’s posture for the glory of Jesus.
 
Paul’s life and leadership illustrated the principles from chapter 8, namely that loving brothers and sisters in Christ is more important than embracing our rights. Paul’s apostolic rights (1-2) include the right of payment for his labor (3-12a). More important than money, Paul wanted to move any potential obstacles that would hinder the proclamation of the gospel (12b-14). Paul laid down his right to make a living by preaching so he could shore up his ground for boasting in the cross. The servant of Jesus boasts only in the cross of Jesus and lives a life that looks like Jesus.
 
Like Christ, Paul’s practices were to serve everyone. For the sake of the gospel, Paul became all things to all people in order to win some (19-23). Paul’s payment was to participate in the blessings of people coming to know Christ! Paul’s stewardship of his leadership was focused on receiving kingdom dividends. With the gain of winning others to Christ as his goal, Paul disciplined himself like an athlete to love and lead without being disqualified (24-27).
 
Christians are freed by grace so we can lay down our rights in order to lift others up to Christ. Disciples are molded by grace to steward freedom by serving others, that some may know Jesus as Savior and Lord.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Do you consider Christian freedom an opportunity to lay down your rights OR to do things you want to do knowing you will be forgiven?
 
-Does your life and leadership look like Christ to such an extent that you are a servant of all that some may know Christ?
 
-How does knowing how Jesus has served us shape how we steward our life and leadership? What is one area you need to allow the gospel to shape you to be more like Christ in your labor and love?
 
Key Verse
19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.