Crossing Culture
We could have named this section The Gray Zone… why?
Because a lot of what Paul writes about are “how to be a Christian when the issue is NOT black/white.”
Where the Bible is clear it is also clear how we ought to live. But on issues that the Bible doesn’t speak about we have to stop and ask ourselves- What should I do? What should I think as a child of God?
And Paul gives us some great direction- he brings this down to the issue of conscience.
19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.
20 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.
21 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.
22 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.
23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. —1 Corinthians 9:19-23
Gospel: the good news of Jesus Christ. That God became One of us- JESUS- and lived among us. He taught us and did miracles but His ultimate goal was to lay down His life for us. Jesus died on a Cross for the sins of the world and He made a way for us to go to heaven. He died so that we could share in His righteousness.
Gospel-Centered: this is a way for determining my focus as a human being. To be gospel-centered is to choose to have the good news of Jesus be at the center of my decision making and lifestyle. You might say- you should just be Jesus-centered and I guess from my perspective it’s the same. Jesus was fixed on His mission- the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve; to lay down His life!
The gospel isn’t only something we receive; it is something we live out. In other words it is a lifestyle or a more relevant way to say this today: gospel living is a worldview.
Key Questions
What will I lay down for the sake of the gospel?
What will I take up for the sake of the gospel?
What is non-negotiable for the sake of the gospel?
Romans 14:2-3 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.
Romans 14:12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.
- Will I lay down my own non-essential freedoms for the sake of the gospel?
- Can I lay down my own non-essential convictions for the sake of the gospel?
What will I
for the sake of the gospel?
Life Church: We will do anything short of sin to reach people who don’t know Christ. To reach people no one is reaching, we’ll do things no one is doing.
Romans 14:10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;
Rosaria Butterfield, “If you want to put the hand of the lost into the hand of the Savior you have to get close enough to possibly get hurt.”
What will we __GIVE UP __for the sake of the gospel?
Philippians 2.5-8 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God,he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
- Jesus laid down His divine privileges.
- Jesus took up the humble position of becoming one of us!
“Paul was willing to offend people over the gospel, but he wanted to offend them only over the gospel.” David Guzik