How To Win

1 Corinthians 9:19-27 Surely only the foolish or lazy would not plan or hope to win. It seems incredible that anyone would simply plan to lose. Whether in business, sports, or everyday life, the idea is to win, to come out on top. Most people do it for financial or personal reasons. In the field of religion, especially Christianity, the central drive is to win others. Christianity is an evangelistic faith. Several times Jesus sent out evangelistic teams. Once He sent out the twelve; on another occasion, He sent out seventy. They went by two’s to preach the Gospel, to witness, and to testify. His closing commission to the disciples was in Galilee. It was a “GO.” “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). So we can confidently affirm Christianity is more than a private experience. From letters we have received from overseas listeners, we know full well there are some who are secret believers. But that is not the normal situation. Many who write to us from our international audience after conversion say, “Now I must tell others.” “Send a Bible to help me.” Or “Send me some literature.” Or “Send me some tracts.” “Help me, teach me, guide me, because I want to be a witness for Jesus.” One who wrote said, “Now I must avenge Satan for keeping me in the dark for 20 years.” So our purpose is to make clear to you what the Good News is! And I want to affirm before you that the Good News is the same that it has always been. The great golden text of the Bible is still just as true as it was when Jesus spoke it: “God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That is John 3:16! And friend, we can tell that around the world, and it meets the need of every human heart that seeks for peace. Amen! To find out further what our driving force means, I turn to I Corinthians 9:19-27: 19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. 24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. In this text, the apostle Paul finds several WAYS to prepare the believer to win converts to Christ. The first way is: MAXIMIZE YOUR EFFORTS 19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain...