audio transcription
Hashtagvictorious.Global missions and personal evangelism are for winning.Victoriousit's a word Paul loves to use, as you can see in a text like 1 Corinthians 9:19–22. There Paul wrote,
Though I am free from all, I made myself a slave to all, that I might gain more from them. For the Jews I became a Jew, to win Jews. To those under the law I became subject to the law (though I am not under the law myself) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became like one outside the law (not outside the law of God, but under the law of Christ), that I might win those outside the law. [And] to the weak I became weak, to win the weak.
(Video) Why We Share the Gospel
So what does Paul mean when he usesgainfive times in four verses? Here it isPastor John to explainPaul's word and why it is important for our evangelism today.
now the wordgainin English it is ambiguous. You can win a prize and you can win an argument. What does Paul mean bygain— win all these people? if you win oneaward, you win: “I got it. I have. Mine!" If you win aargument, you defeat someone.
What is the meaning of Paul? There is no doubt what its meaning is. It is at first glance, but it is even clearer in the original language. It means: “I won a prize. He won an award. How do I know this? Well, it's obvious from the context I guess. But try me on this, hundreds of you who know Greek.cardanois the verb forgain. is almost always translatedgain(except here and elsewhere), as in Matthew 16:26: "What profit is it to a man if heprofitsthe whole world and lose your soul? That's itcardino, wordgainhere. Or Philippians 3:8: “I count everything rubbish, that I maygainChrist." That's the wordgainhere.
our expansive joy
So your point is, “I want to win the Jews. I want to win Gentiles. I want to beat the weak. I don't want to make money. I don't want to gain power and rights. The gospel has assured me that I gain a lot by fully enjoying Christ, so what can I add to that? More enjoyers of Christ for me to enjoy.”
“I want to win people, all kinds of people, so I can share with them as they enjoy the blessings of the Gospel.”
Is that what it means? And he tells us what he means by the reward of winning people in 1 Corinthians 9:23: “I do everything for the sake of the gospel [here comes the purpose statement], to share with them [that is, with all those people that I gained] in your blessings.” So he wants to win more and more people so that he can share the blessings of the gospel with them.
Now look at the wording carefully. It doesn't say what I would expect it to say (and it would be true): ". . . so they can share withto mein the blessings of the gospel.” There's nothing wrong with that. This is absolutely true, right? Missionaries go out to bring people to share the blessings of the gospel with them. That's not what it says. He says, "...that I may share with them the blessings of the gospel." that I may enjoy your enjoyment of Christ.
Now what does this imply about the nature of joy in gospel blessings? What do I mean by “gospel blessings”? Forgiveness of sins; declaration of his righteousness before Christ, before God; removal of all condemnation; reconciliation with God; adoption into your family; communion with Christ; hope of eternal life. What does what Paul just said imply about my enjoying these gospel blessings?
This is what it means: our evangelical joy is authentic and satisfying only if we want to taste that joy in other people's hearts. I will say again. Our gospel joy in these blessings is authentic and satisfying only if we are willing to taste those blessings and that joy in the hearts of others by experiencing them. “I want to win people. I want to win people of all kinds so that they can share their experience of evangelical joy”. You?
'I want you'
Let me pause here, because this is relevant to missionaries, it's relevant to every believer, and I just have a little heartfelt practical plea. Most of you have shared the gospel with a father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, roommate, colleague, friend, or stranger.
"Our evangelical joy is authentic and satisfying only if we want to taste that joy in other people's hearts."
And if you've never done it, I really encourage you to. Next time, when the situation allows it, that is, if there is enough solitude and seriousness, you sit at a table in a restaurant, look into the eyes and say: "Ito wantyou. I really love you. I want you to be my friend forever. I want you to be my brother, my sister, forever. I want to win you I want your joy to be my joy." They've never heard anyone say that to them. Many people have explained the facts to you, right? How many people have looked each other in the eye and said, "I love you, I want you to come in, be in my life, be in my church, be in me forever"?
This is, I think, what Paul was saying. "I want to win people." And I would say, right here, to the unbelievers in the room, "I love you." I know some of you. We receive emails. You are here. You may still be resisting. And just hear John Piper say, "I love you forever, my brother, my sister, my friend." I'm serious.
Saved by God from God
Did you notice where I left off on my list of people he's trying to win over? You should have said, "Why did you stop there?" Because there was something else. I stopped right in the middle of 1 Corinthians 9:22. What did I leave out? Let's pick it up in the middle of 1 Corinthians 9:22: "I made myself everything to everyone, that I might [and change yourgainato save] save some.” That makesto savemean to Paul? "I want to save people." Well, he doesn't mean that he is the Savior. This does not mean that he is the means of salvation for people. What you mean?
Romans 5:9: "As we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God." Or 1 Thessalonians 1:10: “Jesus . . . deliver us from the wrath to come.” To besaved, in biblical language, means first - these are two important words:firstyfundamentally. There are other things it means, but first of all it means that God, through the substitution of Christ who bears our condemnation, saves us from God. And if you don't understand that, I don't know how you get the gospel. We are saved by God from God. We are saved by the love of God from the wrath of God. And Christ was sent by God to reconcile us to God and bring us out of anger.
In 1 Corinthians 9:23, Paul says, "I want to share with them, those I am saving, enjoying the blessings of the gospel", that is, "I want to share with them what happens when they hear the verdict in court." from the courthouse, 'not guilty', and they run out of the courtroom and do somersaults on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse, saying, 'I will not be executed! They won't kill me! I will not spend eternity in hell! I am free!'"
“I want to be there,” Paul said. “I want to share this. I want to see this happen around the world to Jew and Gentile alike." You? If this happens to just one person in your life, it will be one of the sweetest moments of your life to have one person say thank you and see them enjoy no condemnation for ever.