1Corinthians 9:16-27 PRIORITIES We have rights as citizens, we have rights as members of a family, and those who preach the Gospel, like Paul, have rights to material support because of the spiritual blessings given. But our freedom in Christ does not make us obligated to claim the right to material benefits when doing so would place us in a position of being controlled by the will of other people, as an employee is responsible to an employer. Our personal priorities can hinder our work for God if we are not careful to keep our commitment as servants of God. There are principles that guided Paul in his labors for the Lord. The compelling necessity to preach the Gospel prevented him from stopping his work in spite of opposition, persecution, and even physical abuse. One of the things that motivated him so much was the Gospel itself. He had experienced the value of the Gospel himself. He was a living example of its power. It was not in his mind to preach the Gospel for money. He refused to use his speaking skills to impress those to whom he preached. The message itself was the compelling power, not his debating ability, nor the way he could skillfully answer the arguments laid against him. God laid the necessity to preach the Gospel on the messenger, Paul himself.
When one is entrusted with the Gospel message, he needs to remember who made him a steward of such a trust. Never should a steward look casually or carelessly upon the work his Master gives him. The responsibility of such a charge is all we need to be concerned about. Any remuneration to meet his needs, we leave to God, who is the Lord of the harvest. He can take care of what we need better than we can. There was a blessing, a reward, and, it seems, even a joy when Paul preached the Gospel without a charge of any kind to those who heard him. Those to whom he presented the Gospel didn't owe his services. He made himself a servant to them. The compelling need of lost souls was another reason why Paul did not claim a right to their support. The importance of the Gospel and the value of lost souls were the great motivating factors in Paul's labor in the Gospel.
Whether there are financial or other kinds of support given to us in our labors in the Gospel, there is more than that to urge us on in the work. All around us in this world are people who are perishing in their sins. In order to meet the demands of the work of the Gospel, we must impose on ourselves a discipline to keep us from being sidetracked. We have liberty in Christ, but the effective Christian life involves both discipline and freedom. The goal before us must be well enough defined that the arguments and unscriptural positions of others will not deter us from our objective of presenting the Gospel. We dare not ever change our message, nor do we need to change our methods to make people feel more comfortable and receptive. Paul sought and used common ground with those he contacted. He was a Jew who cared for other Jews with genuine sincerity. He did not come across as an arrogant know-it-all preacher to the Gentiles. He knew how to reason with and persuade kings, as well as to warn and entreat them all to believe the Gospel. We are not being inconsistent when we seek to make people know we care for them and accept them as they are. It is important for us to be sensitive to them and to what matters to them. In that way, they may be inclined to listen to what we have to say.
The Lord Jesus Christ was very adaptable to those He came in contact with when He was here. He could sense and respond to the needs of a blind man, and knew they were different from those of a leper. Zacchaeus and Nicodemus were very different, but the Lord Jesus knew how to connect with each of them and used the opportunity to reach them by focusing on what each needed most. Tact in preaching the Gospel publicly or in presenting it privately is greatly needed. Contacts are made "with tact." Those are often the most fruitful connections we make. The principles the Lord Jesus demonstrated, and Paul used, are the same ones we should use today. When one is religious, kindly keep their attention on what the scriptures say and press the point that this is the word of God. The traditions and forms of religious activity must conform to what the scriptures say. When a person we are talking with or there are people listening to a Gospel message who are professed atheists or agnostics without convictions, religious affiliation, or concern about spiritual things, remember that, whether they admit it or not, they are wondering about what happens after death. Some people are weak and worry all the time about life, death, health, and money, and long for some kind of assurance and hope for the future. We need to be like Paul and be adaptable to people for the Gospel's sake.
In the work of the Lord, there is the necessity of the servant of God to know what he is doing and to discipline himself to attain that goal - that purpose. Paul used the illustration of a runner in a public race who has trained long and hard. He is not out for a morning jog or a lap or two around the track. He is not an observer sitting in the stands, taking vicarious pleasure in watching others run. Paul did not want to be disqualified from the work of the Gospel. Neither should we. We need study, we need prayer, we need worship, we need to learn the truth before we speak, so no one is misled by our lack of preparation. Self- discipline is a priority in the work of the Gospel. We need to know our own strengths and weaknesses. We need to know when to say "No" and when to say "Yes." We need to commit ourselves to diligence and reject laziness. We need to learn to place our confidence in God. It is our responsibility to be ready to herald the Gospel when opportunities arise. To run the race requires effort, discipline, and commitment.
An area of daily life that prepares me for any contingency that might arise is my commitment to a meaningful devotional life that affects me. In order to glorify God in our bodies and spirits, we need to know God and discern His will in light of the tasks He has given us. If that task is the furtherance of the Gospel, we must know what to give up and what to take up; what to claim and what to pay. It is not wasted effort to take the time to identify the priorities in one's life. In order to tell others the Gospel and what they are to do about it, we need to be careful to do ourselves what we expect of others. Paul was willing to give up his rights and privileges for the rewards of doing God's will in furthering the work of the Lord. Our priorities need to be right in order that we will not be disqualified in our service.