07.23.17 | Shuffle
All Things To All People (AKA Building Bridges To The Bridge)
Justin Detmers
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Apostle Paul engaged a great diversity of people in order to proclaim the timeless Gospel in ways relevant to their culture and station in life. Justin Detmers shares Paul’s passion to win/save people; his strategy to serve; adapt to their uniqueness; and his motivation of sharing the blessings of the Gospel. Modern Christians, like Paul, can strive “to become all things to all people in order to save some.” In increasingly diverse and divided times where Christianity is becoming less relevant for many people, it is imperative that Christians build bridges with all sorts of people, by becoming all things to all people, in order to proclaim the Gospel.
Various Scriptures
- Live Notes
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 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. 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. 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. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
Paul’s Passion = To Win/Save People
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Many become nothing to no one and save none
Some become some things to some people and save just a few
Few become all things to all people in order to save some
Paul’s Strategy = Serve and Adapt
Faithful missionaries build the bridges to THE bridge by adapting to others
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14
We adapt and contextualize in order to speak the truth in love, to both care and confront.
Tim Keller
I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings,
1 Corinthians 9:22-23
Paul’s Motivation – Sharing the Blessings of the Gospel
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.
Proverbs 11:30 NASB
Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.
2 Corinthians 5:11
“Some want to live within the sound
Of church or chapel bell;
I want to run a rescue shop,
Within a yard of hell.”
C.T. Studd
Build sincere relationships
Be a student of culture
Be flexible and principled
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Colossians 4:5-6
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