I.        INTRODUCTION

A.      As teachers of the gospel, we know that we are to plant and water in the vineyard of the Lord, but it is God who causes the growth and gives the increase (1Cor. 3:5-7).

                                                             1.      The power to save is fully vested in God and His gospel (Rom. 1:16).  None of us can save anyone without His power.

                                                             2.      Just like sowers in the field, we can only spread the seed of the word of God in hearts where it may grow (Matt. 13:1-23).  Only God can make the seed take root.

B.      While it is God who gives the increase, let us not neglect the effect we have on the increase through our part.

                                                             1.      Planting and watering the fields of God are the works of the sowers of the word of God.  Each one will be rewarded according to his own labor (1Cor. 3:8).

                                                             2.      Let us not excuse poor efforts and wasted opportunities by blaming God for a lack of increase.  Cultivating men’s hearts is our business, and the better we work, the better prepared are those hearts for God’s word and salvation.

C.      Presently, let us consider how to make the most of our opportunities to win souls for Christ by considering 1Corinthians 9:15-27.

II.      PAUL’S METHODOLOGY

A.      First, let us understand the context in which Paul wrote 1Corinthians 9:15-27.

                                                             1.      In many of Paul’s writings, he was compelled to defend himself against those who sought to discredit him.  In doing this, he was not simply defending himself, but he was defending the gospel that he preached.

                                                             2.      In 1Corinthians 9, Paul defended the methods of his ministry against his critics.

a.       Paul did not accept or solicit material or monetary support from the Corinthians while he worked among them in the gospel.  Apparently, his detractors sought to use this to discredit him, saying that he was not supported because he was not a legitimate apostle of Christ (see also 2Cor. 11:1-15).

b.       Paul explained that he had chosen not to exercise his right to get his living from the Corinthians so that he would “cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ” (v. 12).  In other words, no one could discredit Paul and the gospel by accusing him of preaching for profit.

                                                             3.      In verses 15-27, Paul showed that his methods with the Corinthians were no different than they were with any other people whom he taught.

a.       Paul’s method was always to cater to the people whom he taught so as to have the best opportunity to reach them with the gospel.

b.       Apparently, when Paul assessed the Corinthians, he detected that soliciting material support from them would hinder the gospel, so he determined that he would find support by other means.

B.      Now, let us consider Paul’s methodology for winning souls to Christ from 1Corinthians 9:15-27.

                                                             1.      Paul was obligated by Christ to preach the gospel (v. 16; see also Acts 9:15-16; 26:15-18;  Rom. 1:14).  He said, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.”

                                                             2.      However, Paul went beyond his obligation in order to make himself an effective soul winner.

a.       Rather than simply telling the gospel to others and thus considering his obligation to be satisfied, Paul went beyond his obligation in order to make himself a more effective soul winner.

b.       In the case of the Corinthians, he was not obligated to “offer the gospel without charge” (v. 18), but he did so voluntarily in order to make himself more effective for Christ.

                                                             3.      In three statements, Paul summarized his methods for winning souls to Christ.

a.       “I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more.” (v. 19)

i.         Christ did not require Paul to be a slave to all, but Paul chose to make himself a slave in order to win souls.

ii.        Notice that this was not a matter of Paul serving his fellow Christians (as Christians are required to serve one another – Eph. 5:21; Gal. 5:13).  Paul made himself a slave to those who were not Christians in order to win them to Christ.

b.       “I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.” (v. 22)

i.         Paul was not obligated to conform to the people whom he taught, whether they were Jews under the Law, Gentiles without the Law, weak, or otherwise.  He voluntarily conformed to them in order to win their souls for the Lord.

ii.        Notice that when Paul “became all things to all men,” he never compromised the truth or participated in sin.  This is evident when he said that he was “not without the law of God but under the law of Christ” (v. 21).

c.        “I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may become a fellow partaker of it.” (v. 23)

i.         There may have been secondary positive results of Paul’s efforts toward those who were lost, but Paul’s primary objective was always the promotion of the gospel of Christ.

ii.        Verses 24-27 demonstrate that Paul was always mindful of his own salvation.  He was careful to discipline himself, as he said, “lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified” (v. 27).

C.      Jesus used a similar methodology in His ministry.

                                                             1.      Jesus came to be a servant to all so that He might save all (Matt. 20:28; Phil. 2:5-8).

                                                             2.      Jesus went to sinners so that He might save them (Matt. 9:10-13).

                                                             3.      Jesus did all things for the sake of the gospel so that we could partake of it (John 12:23-36).

D.      Both Paul and Jesus were harshly criticized for their approach.

                                                             1.      As we saw before, some of Paul’s own fellow Christians criticized him and provoked him to write a defense of his methods.

                                                             2.      Likewise, Jesus was criticized by his enemies (Matt. 9:11; Luke 7:36-39) and even His own disciples (Matt. 16:21-23; John 13:6-9).

                                                             3.      None of the criticism against Paul or Jesus was valid, but rather it was the result of misunderstanding, carnal-mindedness, or jealousy.

III.   CREATING OPPORTUNITIES

A.      To effectively win souls for Christ, let us employ the same methods that Paul used.

                                                             1.      We are obligated by our Lord to teach the gospel to others (Matt. 28:18-20; 2Tim. 2:2).

                                                             2.      We could simply tell it to others and meet our obligation, or we could go beyond our obligation in an effort to win souls.

a.       Let us make ourselves as slaves to all that we may win the more.  Offering selfless service to others exemplifies the compassion of Christ.

b.       Let us become all things to all men that we may save some.  This does not mean that we should ever participate in others’ sins in any form, but we should be willing to give up certain liberties and conform to inconsequential customs if that will create opportunities to win souls to the Lord.

c.        Let us do all things for the sake of the gospel that we may be partakers of it.  Whether we serve others, conform to their ways, or make any other personal sacrifices, our purpose and intended result must always be to bring souls to Jesus.  Any other beneficial results are purely secondary.

                                                             3.      These methods disarm others and open their minds to receive our teaching of the gospel.

B.      If we follow these methods, then we should expect similar results to those of Jesus and Paul.

                                                             1.      We should expect some success just as Paul said he expected to “save some” (1Cor. 9:22).

                                                             2.      At the same time, we should also expect some failure from the standpoint of winning souls.  It is a sad fact of life that few are saved (Matt. 7:13-14; 22:1-14; Luke 13:23-24).

                                                             3.      Just as Jesus and Paul received criticism for their methods, we also should expect criticism.  Nevertheless, we must not be deterred, for souls are at stake.

IV.    CONCLUSION

A.      In the service of the Lord, we should always go the extra mile (Matt. 5:41).  If serving others, conforming to the ways of others, and making personal sacrifices will help win souls for Christ, shouldn’t we be willing?

B.      It really is a matter of our love for Christ and for others.  If we view winning souls as a labor of love rather than a dreadful obligation, then we are bound to succeed, and our efforts will be rewarded.