"Whatever it Takes"
Dr. James Merritt
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
5-21-00
Introduction
1. A tourist was vacationing on the Island of Malta, a Mediterranean island which is hot every day of the year, and very sunny. He was appalled by the chaotic traffic; cars and buses were darting every which way with no apparent order whatsoever.
2. The tourist asked a policeman why the traffic was so disorderly, and the policeman said, "Well, in some countries they drive on the right side of the road; in other countries they drive on the left side of the road; here we drive in the shade.
3. This world is full of people who always want to drive in the shade. They don't like to take heat of any kind. They want to cool their heels, drink lemonade, kick back and relax and take the easy way through life.
4. Well Paul was a 180º opposite from that. He had a "whatever it takes" attitude. Paul had a passion, a zeal, a fire; you could even call it an obsession to win people to Jesus Christ. Paul makes a statement in 1 Cor. 9:19-23 that is captured beautifully by Eugene
Petersen The Message:
Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, non-religious, meticulous moralists, loose living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ, but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sought of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all of this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!
5. In other words, Paul was saying, "I will do anything, I will go anywhere, I will pay any price, I will endure any costs; I will make any sacrifice to win anyone at any time that I can to Jesus Christ, as long as it doesn't c ...
Dr. James Merritt
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
5-21-00
Introduction
1. A tourist was vacationing on the Island of Malta, a Mediterranean island which is hot every day of the year, and very sunny. He was appalled by the chaotic traffic; cars and buses were darting every which way with no apparent order whatsoever.
2. The tourist asked a policeman why the traffic was so disorderly, and the policeman said, "Well, in some countries they drive on the right side of the road; in other countries they drive on the left side of the road; here we drive in the shade.
3. This world is full of people who always want to drive in the shade. They don't like to take heat of any kind. They want to cool their heels, drink lemonade, kick back and relax and take the easy way through life.
4. Well Paul was a 180º opposite from that. He had a "whatever it takes" attitude. Paul had a passion, a zeal, a fire; you could even call it an obsession to win people to Jesus Christ. Paul makes a statement in 1 Cor. 9:19-23 that is captured beautifully by Eugene
Petersen The Message:
Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, non-religious, meticulous moralists, loose living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ, but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sought of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all of this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!
5. In other words, Paul was saying, "I will do anything, I will go anywhere, I will pay any price, I will endure any costs; I will make any sacrifice to win anyone at any time that I can to Jesus Christ, as long as it doesn't c ...
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