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1 Corinthians
copyright 1999. John Creamer. All rights reserved.
Questions: When speakers address their audience, why is it important
for them to identify with the people in the audience? What happens if the speaker ‘overdoes’ identifying
with the audience and in the process loses his/her own identity? (Loses
credibility and integrity… e.g., like a city slicker addressing
a group of wranglers trying to act like an experienced cowboy.) Should Christians try to find some common ground with
non-believers in order to more effectively talk to them about God? Can Christians ‘overdo’ identifying with non-believers
and lose their credibility? Scripture: (1 Corinthians 9:19-27 NIV) {19} Though I am free and
belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many
as possible. {20} To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.
To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself
am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. {21} To those
not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am
not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those
not having the law. {22} To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.
I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I
might save some. {23} I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that
I may share in its blessings. {24} Do you not know that in a race all
the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to
get the prize. {25} Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict
training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it
to get a crown that will last forever. {26} Therefore I do not run like
a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.
{27} No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached
to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. Verse 19…What position is Paul willing to assume
towards others if needed to share Christ with them? Verse 20…How does he plan to approach the Jews who
carefully observe Jewish laws? Verse 21…How does he plan to approach those who could
care less about religious do’s and don’t’s? Verse 22…What is his plan for relating to the weak?
(The weak are those who have a weak conscience…that is, they think
everything is wrong.) Verse 23…What is his over-riding motivation? Why do you think Paul equates sharing Christ to running
a competitive race—as opposed to something more passive like a
hobby? (It points to the urgency of preparedness and the clear objectives…a
runner never is confused about why he’s doing what he’s doing;
he/she wants to win.) How does the boxing analogy relate to sharing Christ with
others? (There is an awareness of a win/lose issue; if the person accepts
Christ, there is a win—if they reject, a loss.) How do we ‘train for the race’?
What does the first part of verse 15 tell us? Why is this
an important starting point in training to share Christ with someone?
(You can’t share your faith in something you don’t believe.) According to verse 15, when should we be prepared? (Always.) Why is it important to be prepared to do certain things? What might happen to a hiker in Glacier National Park
who is not prepared for a an encounter with a Grizzly bear? What could be the impact of a pool lifeguard who does
not know how to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation? What could happen if hospital personnel did not properly
prepare a sterile environment in the operating room? What could happen if we are not prepared to answer someone
who asks us about our faith in God? Is there the same life/death urgency
of being prepared as in the first three instances? Many are hesitant to bring up the subject of God
with someone else, but notice that verse 15 tells us to “Always
be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you…”.
What does that tell us? (We aren’t required to attack our potential
audiences, simply be prepared to respond when they ask.) What does the last part of verse 15 (some translations
may have this in verse 16) tell us about how we should tell people what
we believe? Christians sometimes disregard this admonition, as evidenced
by an argumentative position about religious traditions, differences,
prejudices, etc. Perhaps evangelism training causes us to focus too
much on content…what to say…and not enough on presenting good
content in a spirit of gentleness and respect. What does verse 16 imply that we might expect if we talk
with others about God? )People are likely to be malicious.) What ‘content’ do we need to be ready to
present? (Before reading the scripture, give the group a brief
background of Psalm 51, from II Samuel 11 through 12:13...a very contemporary
story line that would make big headlines in the press today.) What would happen to a political leader today who did
this? What would happen to a religious leader? Can you recall any of the consequences of high profile
people who have How does this possibly relate to the ‘content’
of what we tell people about our faith? (Psalms 51:1-2 NIV) For the director of music. A psalm
of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed
adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your
unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
{2} Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. What is King David's request in verses 1 and 2? Do you think most people feel David, or anyone guilty
of this same crime, should be forgiven? Why or why not? Do you think most people would ever forgive themselves? What is a major side effect of not being forgiven? (Guilt.) How do you think a person guilty of this crime/sin would
feel about talking to others about God? Why? (Psalms 51:3 NIV) For I know my transgressions, and
my sin is always before me. In verse 3, David says he knows his transgression. Do
you think he was aware of his sin before Nathan approached him? Why do you think David initially refused to admit his
sin? David makes an interesting statement about his sin in
verse 4. Though most would say David's sin was against society, what
does he say in this verse? (Psalms 51:5 NIV) Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful
from the time my mother conceived me. Verse 5 makes another interesting and controversial comment
about sin. Someone once said that we are not sinners because we sinned,
but we sin because we are sinners. There is a BIG difference.
David was obviously not guilty of committing sin at birth or conception.
He simply said that he was born with an innate sin nature. That is not
that difficult to understand. Mules are born with an innate tendency
to be stubborn...and stubborn they can be. Anyone who has ever had children—if
they are honest—will admit that no one needed to teach their child
how to do wrong. The tendency to sin is inborn. (Psalms 51:6 NIV) Surely you desire truth in the inner
parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. What does verse 6 say God desires from us? Is this what we call "being honest with ourselves"?
How does verse 6 relate to verse 3? (Psalms 51:7-12 NIV) Cleanse me with hyssop, and I
will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. {8} Let me hear
joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. {9} Hide your
face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. {10} Create in me a
pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. {11} Do not
cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. {12} Restore
to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain
me. In verses 7-12, David continues the request he began in
verses 1 and 2, to “get out from under the pile” caused by
the guilt of his sins. What things does he request from God? If David receives these things from God, what response
would you expect from him? The next verse tells us. (Psalms 51:13 NIV) Then I will teach transgressors your
ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Although we didn’t specifically talk about content of what to tell someone about our faith in God, let’s piece together the content of what David records is the precedent to ‘teaching transgressors (God’s) way and sinners turning back to Him’. (There is an action & reaction...an if & then.) If... 1. (Verses 1-6) We repent and confess, and 2. (Verses 7-8) Have a desire to be cleansed from sin
and its effect, 3. (Verse 9) God will hide his face from our sin, and 4. (Verses 10-12) Give us a new heart, a willing spirit,
and the joy of His salvation, Then... 5. (Verse 13) We will teach (other) transgressors (like us) Gods ways, and (other) sinners (like us) will turn back to God. Let’s consider the ‘content’ another
person used in Scripture to tell others about the Lord… (John 4:4-18 NIV) Now he had to go through Samaria.
{5} So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of
ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. {6} Jacob's well was there,
and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It
was about the sixth hour. {7} When a Samaritan woman came to draw water,
Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"
{8} (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) {9} The Samaritan
woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How
can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
{10} Jesus answered her, "If you knew the
gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have
asked him and he would have given you living water." {11}
"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with
and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? {12} Are
you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from
it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?" {13}
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this
water will be thirsty again, {14} but whoever drinks the water I give
him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life." {15} The
woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get
thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." {16} He told
her, "Go, call your husband and come back."
{17} "I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her,
"You are right when you say you have no husband.
{18} The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have
is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true." What do we learn about this woman in verses 7-18? How are this woman and King David alike? How does Jesus treat this woman? How does His response compare to what one might expect
from the average public today? How does His response differ from the response one might
receive in the Christian community today? (John 4:19-30 NIV) "Sir," the woman said,
"I can see that you are a prophet. {20} Our fathers worshiped on
this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship
is in Jerusalem." {21} Jesus declared, "Believe
me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither
on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. {22} You Samaritans worship what
you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the
Jews. {23} Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers
will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of
worshipers the Father seeks. {24} God is spirit, and his worshipers
must worship in spirit and in truth." {25} The woman said,
"I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When
he comes, he will explain everything to us." {26} Then Jesus declared,
"I who speak to you am he." {27}
Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking
with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why
are you talking with her?" {28} Then, leaving her water jar, the
woman went back to the town and said to the people, {29} "Come,
see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"
{30} They came out of the town and made their way toward him. What does this woman do in verses 28 and 29? Has she been trained in evangelism? Did she go by the Christian Bookstore and pick up some
tracts on evangelism? Did she call her minister and say, "There are some
people I'd like for you to talk to about the Lord."? Did she say to herself, "As soon as I get my act
together...my life straightened out, I will learn what to say when I
want to talk to people about Jesus. . . "? Did she say, "I'm certainly not perfect; there's
no way anyone will listen to anything I say about God!"? Did she say, "People will think I'm some kind of
religious nut if I start talking about Jesus!"? Did she say, "I believe religion is a personal and
private thing!"? What did she say in verse 29? (John 4:39-42 NIV) Many of the Samaritans from that
town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told
me everything I ever did." {40} So when the Samaritans came to
him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. {41}
And because of his words many more became believers. {42} They said
to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said;
now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is
the Savior of the world." Many would think that a person with a sordid past like
this woman’s would be disqualified from talking to anyone about
God or Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, she simply stated what happened in
her own life. What was the result according to verse 39? What was the ‘content’ of what she told others? What if ‘content’ is not our reason for not
talking to others about God…what if it is embarrassment? (Mark 8:37-38 NIV) Or what can
a man give in exchange for his soul? {38} If anyone is ashamed of me
and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man
will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the
holy angels." What did Jesus say about being embarrassed to talk to
others about Him? (Matthew 10:32-33 NIV) "Whoever
acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father
in heaven. {33} But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him
before my Father in heaven. What does Jesus say will happen if we do not acknowledge
Him to other people…regardless of the reason? (We will receive
the same from Him one day as He disowns us before God.) Is it possible we try to create a third option...the one
in which we don't want to disown or acknowledge...sort of a neutral
position? Please read Revelation 3:15,16; (Revelation 3:15-16 NIV) I know
your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either
one or the other! {16} So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor
cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. what does Jesus say about this neutral position? (Neutral
is as bad—or worse—than disowning.) (1 John 2:23 NIV) No one who denies the Son has the
Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. What options does this verse give us? (1 John 4:15 NIV) If anyone acknowledges that Jesus
is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. According to this verse, what is required for God to come
to live in us? On the basis of this verse, how important is it for us
to verbalize our belief in Jesus Christ? (Romans 10:9-10 NIV) That if you confess with your
mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God
raised him from the dead, you will be saved. {10} For it is with your
heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth
that you confess and are saved. Why is it important to be able to verbalize what we believe
about Jesus Christ? What is implied in verse 10 if we do not confess with
our mouth? (We will not be saved.) Our ‘testimony’ is more than what we say… (Titus 1:16 NIV) They claim to know God, but by their
actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for
doing anything good. What did the people in this verse claim verbally? What did their actions do to their verbal witness? Does this mean that actions speak louder than words…that
we don’t need to have a verbal witness? Of course not. The previous
4 passages make it clear that we are to verbally acknowledge Jesus before
others. Why would a witness solely by our actions be inadequate?
(Muslims are very moral people whose lifestyles alone would be a very
solid witness, shaming most Christians by comparison. Yet, are they
a good witness that Jesus is the only way to God? Absolutely not!) BOTTOM LINE: Are you prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks
you about your faith in God? Will you remember that taking the neutral position…for
whatever reason…is equivalent to not acknowledging Him = disowning
Him = His disowning us before God? CLOSE WITH PRAYER. |