Flaming Gorge Reservoir is on the boarder between Utah and Wyoming. When I was a child it was a fairly new development and was just becoming a decent fishing spot. It was only about 2 hours from our house to our favorite spot on the lake. We went so often that we had found a particular place that always had good fishing. We knew exactly how to rig our bait so we could catch a fish on almost every cast.
My father had his private pilots license and belonged to a flying club that allowed him to have access to a couple of different single engine airplanes. On many occasions we would get up real early, fly up and land on an old abandoned road near our secret spot, jump out and fish for about ½ hour, which was enough time to catch our limits of keeper fish, jump back into the airplane, fly home and have fresh caught fish for breakfast in our own kitchen.
People used to watch us pretty close to see how we were rigging our bait and how far out we were casting... but we were pretty careful about keeping our spot and bait as much of a secret as possible. When someone asked us about it we would always just hemhaw around and not really say anything at all about it. We didn’t want to be rude, or lie, but we didn’t want to give away our secrets, either. It was our special spot and we tried to keep it to ourselves.
Paul had a different approach to the information he had... about Jesus. He wanted to tell everyone... let’s turn to....
Scripture
16 Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it.
19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
As this passage tells us, Paul would go to almost any length to get an opportunity to talk about Jesus. He would become all things to all people. We don’t really know what this actually means... the passage makes it sound like he would get involved in every different kind of lifestyle to gain access to those in that particular lifestyle.
Many would argue that he "engaged in" sinful behaviors to reach the sinful. Others point out that he said he was always under Christ’s law and would certainly be around those sinful people, but not engage in their sinful acts.
Personally, I do not believe Paul would "engage in" the various sinful acts as his witness would be ruined and those he was able to reach wouldn’t ever see a need to change. No, I think Paul made a point to NOT be judgmental or condemning to people, making every effort to put himself in the company of the sinners, so that he might have a chance to lead a few to salvation.
The commentaries I was studying suggested that this is a proof passage; proving that there is no such thing as universal salvation... in other words, there is only 1 way to heaven and unless you go that way, you aren’t going.
If you wanted to go to Washington, DC, say, maybe for the recent inauguration... you might consider driving... taking the fast, superhighways... or perhaps the scenic roads. Maybe you would opt for the train, to be able to relax a bit along the way; maybe the bus... a little cheaper. Maybe you would fly... you might fly out of Springfield to switch planes in Chicago and then on to Washington... or you could fly into Baltimore, rent a car and drive into the beltway....
The point is: there are many ways to get to Washington DC. Some people believe there are many ways to get into heaven. Some suggest that you can follow Buddha or Krishna or Muhammad or Joseph Smith or Ghandi or Confucius or any other gods. If this were so Paul would not have been intent on reaching all these people in an effort to save some. To save some tells us that others were not going to heaven.
Let’s turn to John 14:1-6, "1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" 6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
No one comes... except through me. Not Krishna, not Ghandi, not Smith, not any other way.... only through Jesus. Paul knew this and made the effort to approach people in all of these different understandings... never actually engaging in sinful behavior but being around those that are. This allowed him to share his faith with the lost.
What you and I have... Jesus... is the most wonderful thing ever. It’s better than a new car, better than being president or senator, better than a perfect marriage, it’s even better than our Constitution; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As wonderful as all of these things are... Jesus is many times better. If you believe that say amen!
If you really believe that there is only one way to heaven; if you believe that there are those out there in the world who are walking around lost, who don’t know the way; if you believe Jesus is better than anything else there is... wouldn’t you want everyone else to have Jesus, too?
Turn to Romans 7:21-8:4, "21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit."
We don’t need to condemn people; we don’t have to be judgmental... we just have to explain to them that there is a God who loves them, who has a plan for their life, who walks with them through everything they will ever go through, who will accept them, just the way they are... just like He did you!
As a minister I have difficulty reaching lost people because they run from me as fast as they can, once they know I am a pastor. Often times I will purposefully direct a conversation away from careers so that I might have a chance to be accepted before being found out. I have discovered that good behavior stands out when surrounded by bad behavior. People will notice that you don’t have flowery language, that your stories aren’t filled with off-color topics, that your conversation isn’t about how bad other people are... people will notice when you let your light shine.
But people will also notice, when you are a church going person who hasn’t allowed Jesus to really change you. God wants all of us to live in righteousness and we can’t do that unless we open ourselves up to be changed by God. People will notice false faith. You might be accepted into their click, but you won’t have any success at reaching the lost.
Here is my question for this morning... what has Jesus done for you? Think about the only two possibilities for that split second following your last breath on this earth... either you are headed for eternal damnation or you are headed for Paradise. If for no other thought than that... what has Jesus done for you? We don’t even need to realize the better life on earth... no longer slaves to sin, free at last, not hindered by being "cool."
Sometimes when I am talking to an atheist I suggest that if they are right and there is nothing after this life, then I have missed out on a lot of hangovers and fast living. But if I am right and there is a God, then they have a very long time to suffer ahead of them. My living a good, honest, loving life is not such a bad thing; even if this is all there is. But having eternity to regret rejecting Jesus sounds pretty awful.
Jesus has given me the freedom to love my family, to be honest in everything, to be able to smile at a policeman when getting a ticket... and, yes, that has happened... though not in the last decade or so. Jesus has given me the ability to look people in the eye with complete sincerity. I don’t have to remember lies or worry about getting caught cheating, except in golf.
Jesus has allowed me to just be me... to be silly and to love life. I have SCUBA dived in the ocean, climbed some of the highest mountains in North America, piloted small planes and, if you consider flight simulators, piloted high performance jet aircraft. I have camped in the woods, fished in the sea, sailed the great lakes, served my country, rode my bike many thousands of miles, stood on Bunker Hill, met pro football heros and movie stars, and just this past Friday... I met Norm Abrams. I have laughed so hard my sides ached, run so fast I couldn’t breathe, and held the hands of people taking their last breath. All while being a Christian.
Jesus never made me give up laughter. He never made me give up having fun. He never made me give up my dreams. Jesus has made all of these life experiences richer because there isn’t anything to be ashamed of in any of these activities. I can be the same me around a bunch of drunk football fans or around my two year old grandchildren. My language doesn’t change, my behavior doesn’t change, my attitudes don’t change... I am free to be me.
Plus, I have an eternal home waiting on a golden street. So, again, my question... what has Jesus done for you?
Conclusion
And, the challenge... Jesus having done all that for you... wants you to tell others about it. Why wouldn’t you want to tell it? This isn’t a secret club... this isn’t a secret fishing hole... this is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have been given a great and glorious knowledge with the instructions to share it. It is not "bad" news... it is good news. AND, you don’t have to make people believe... just tell them what Jesus has done for you. You don’t need lots of Bible passages, you don’t need fancy church words, you don’t even need tracts to hand out... you just need to tell folks what Jesus has done for you.
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