Title Even if you preach the gospel
Contents
Even if you preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:16-18)
Through the text, Paul confesses that he will be a servant of all for the sake of the gospel. He says that no matter what the circumstances, if the gospel can be preached through him and even one person can be saved, he will rejoice in being a slave. And he confesses that he has nothing to boast about even if he shows passion for evangelism and preaches the gospel. Just as impending tribulation is inevitable, Paul says, the mission of witnessing the gospel is unavoidable.
The work of evangelism is the responsibility and duty of Christians. When the church is indifferent to preaching the gospel and loses the joy of preaching the gospel, it is a crisis of the church. This is because churches and members who have lost the joy and worth of preaching the Gospel can never become good churches and members. The most important reason that the modern church is stagnant and degenerate is that it has lost the passion and joy of preaching the gospel. The church must restore the passion and joy of evangelism. Our church also wants to become a church that does more evangelism than anything else.
To do this, everyone must have the zeal for evangelism and preach the gospel in season or out of season and bear the fruits of the gospel. And we must become believers who live with the joy of preaching the Gospel. Preaching the gospel must become life. It should become a habit. You have to get used to it and get used to it. The consciousness that those who preach the gospel should have,
First of all, it is inevitable
This is verse 16 of the text. “Even if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, because it is something I must do.” The word 'compulsory' here means 'forced' in the original word 'anangke'. It can also be translated as a positive word, 'of course'. In other words, it is very natural for the saved saints to evangelize. We are saved by the grace of God, who are inevitably destroyed because of our sins. The life we live is a life of grace that we live as an added bonus. Therefore, it is very natural for those who have received grace to return the favor and deliver it. Evangelism is about going out and preaching the grace you have received. Therefore, evangelism is not a choice that can be done or not. It is, of course, an essential thing to do.
Second, there will be woe.
This is verse 16 of the text. He says, “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.” Here, 'woe' means that you will be cursed by God and perish, and you will groan in sorrow and pain. In other words, not preaching the gospel is an evil and lazy servant who did not carry out his duties. It is the sin of disobeying the Lord's commands. Therefore, if you do not preach the gospel, you will be angry. If the saved believers try to be saved by themselves without evangelism, they must realize that they deserve to be hurt.
Third, you will get a prize
It is said that a Chinese songwriter (宋嘉樹) preached so much that he was nicknamed 'Songjeondo (宋傳道)'. However, he died at a young age, leaving behind three children. Many people doubt it. “Why did the person who believed in Jesus and did a lot of evangelism die so quickly?” But later his three siblings were blessed. The eldest daughter, Song Kyeong-ryeong (宋慶齡), became the wife of Sun Mun, who is called the father of China; her son Song Jia-mun (宋子文), an economist, became the economic minister of China; It is said that there was a time when the three siblings ruled the entire Chinese territory. God gives great blessings and rewards in this life and the next life to those who evangelize and save many people and make them into eternally shining beings.
This is verse 17 of the text. "If I do this at my own will, I will have a reward". It means that if anyone voluntarily and joyfully preaches the gospel, God will reward him much more than he deserves. This is Mark 10:29-30. “Truly, I say to you,” Jesus said, “he who has left houses or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel will receive a hundredfold in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, There is no one who will not receive both persecution and eternal life in the age to come." In other words, even if those who live for the gospel suffer persecution and live in pain, God will grant them a hundredfold blessing and reward.