1 CORINTHIANS 9

Heart Issues
I can’t help but notice the point about the ministers deserving their salary because that used to be a huge issue. All of the preachers were supposed to be poor or they were supposed to get an extra job and preach on the side. Today it has kind of flipped around and ministers can make way too much in our society of the mega-church. This is all a minor issue compared to getting a picture of the depths of Paul’s heart for the gospel. He would forsake all the world had to offer to allow one more to know Christ. His personal comfort did not matter to him and I stop very challenged by his heart. I can not fully say this in my life. I am way too concerned with myself in the midst of ministry. I want to recklessly abandon all things for the cause of the gospel and that is my true heart, but I am so easily distracted. I want people to know Jesus as I know him. I do not want anything to get in the way of this and I want to endure all things, but I can be sidetracked and start complaining instead of receiving these things with thanksgiving as Paul does in Philippians. I also continue to wonder about the rewards and treasures of heaven that we can store up while on earth. I am so grateful for my salvation and I do not want to keep it to myself. I want to become all things to all men so that I can be a part of saving some as well.
Notes
-Paul is free from their opinion; he is an apostle because God has confirmed it. The freedom we have in Christ is an amazing thing.
-A big requirement for apostleship in the people’s eyes was seeing Jesus yourself. Paul had done this, but he appealed to his greatest attribute of apostleship and that was the very people he was talking to. They accepted Christ because of his ministry.
-Paul’s major focus of this chapter is to show that minister’s are entitled to a salary for their work. He would never preach Christ as a means to financial gain (1 Tim. 6:3-6), but he shows that it is ludicrous to expect missionaries to work extra jobs to be able to share the gospel.
-Paul has an amazing outlook on the gospel. He would rather put up with anything than keep people from knowing Jesus. He was resolute, nothing could stop him from preaching the gospel. 2 Cor. 11:23-29
-Paul became all things to all men so that he might be a part of saving some. The blessing is being a part of sharing the gospel, not the money you receive from it as Joel Osteen would have us believe. He did not join them in sin, but he understood and knew where they were coming from. He was a slave to them.
-The last part of the chapter seems wholly unrelated to the rest, but it is not. He compares himself to a runner and he doesn’t want to run in such a way that he does so much for others that he himself misses out on the blessing and reward of eternity. Paul was not working for his salvation here, but wanted his whole body to be in check so that it may glorify God and not be focused on temporal matters. He had complete self-control to the point that he would get the crown that would last for all eternity and share in the full reward of heaven. I am still struggling through this thought. What do you think? What are the rewards in heaven that scripture speaks of? In what ways can we store up treasure in heaven and how will that be given back to us?

1 CORINTHIANS 8

Heart Issues
This chapter at first glance seems pointless to us because we do not struggle with idol meat. I was challenged by this passage a long time ago to give up drinking alcohol entirely. I know that I can drink and that I would be not better or worse if I chose to abstain. I do know however that my brothers and sisters in Christ that have struggled in this area have been encouraged by it. I have to keep myself from being puffed up and filled with pride because that is what can happen easily from making a “commitment to God”. It is very easy to feel better than others because of your self-control and strong will. I also made the decision (after my junior year of high school) to wait to have my next kiss on my wedding day with my wife. Again, I was no better because of this, but it did shine as a beacon into the darkness of what Christ had done in my life. I do not condemn those that kiss or drink, but I know that God called me to those things to keep from being a stumbling block to others. I wanted to be above reproach and a respected leader to all that I would influence. Just as Paul said that he would never eat meat again if it caused his brother to stumble and fall I gave up alcohol and kissing (before marriage of course). I have struggled in life with this though as legalism can so easily creep in and cause me to be Pharisaic. I long to love as Christ, one who was perfect, yet was overcome with love in his relationships with people to dwell on His own perfection vs. their imperfection.

Notes
-Knowledge without love leads to pride and self-confidence instead of humility and God-confidence. In response to knowing that love is more important than knowledge Paul continues in answering the question.
-We know this, but not everyone knows this is Paul’s immediate response. Paul agrees that God has made all things clean and that an idol is nothing to God. What we eat does not bring us any closer to God or farther away from God.
-There is a great truth to understand in this chapter. We are free, as Christians, from the law. Why do you think we still follow the law?
-Our freedom in Christ can destroy other people’s encounters with Christ. We can wound others and be destructive to their faith and this is sin. We are to build up the body of Christ, for we would not harm our own body.

Sorry For the Lack of Posts

Sorry that I have not been posting my bible studies lately. I have been writing other material and have been leading a lot of other stuff. I could post my sermon notes if you really want that, but I will now continue in 1 Corinthians and hopefully continue daily. Thank you for those of you who read my blog and I pray that God may sharpen you as he does me through his revelation in His word.