Is the gospel worth paying for?
Read / Listen to the chapter:
Read the chapter in an outlined format
Read previous DIG DEEPER posts on 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 9 Summary
This chapter might easily be dismissed as being irrelevant to your life. It seems like Paul is simply asserting the fact that he deserved to be paid for the work he did, even though he wasn't asking to be. What does this possibly have to do with the challenges you're going to face today?
Quite a bit, actually.
Think of the tremendous value that being fed with God's Word on a weekly basis imparts to your life. It doesn't just build you up personally & spiritually, but it also blesses you materially in how you're equipped to glorify God in your work (read about the effect the Protestant work ethic has had on western civilization).
All though this value is often imparted for no cost, it's a value that's worth paying for. Paul writes,
If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you (v11)?
The support you give to your local church enables the hard work it takes to continue feeding you each week as well as making this life defining gospel available to the entire community free of charge.
Dig Deeper
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it (v24).
A top-tier athlete spends every moment of her life honing her sport, letting it dictate what she eats and how long she sleeps, lifting weights, running drills, and constantly thinking about how she can improve her game just a little bit more.
This is the same attitude Paul tells you to take in regard to your Spiritual Disciplines. Spiritual Disciplines are activities - things you do - that lead to attitudes - things you feel, such as peace.
Once again today, you're encouraged to go into "strict training" so that you can "get a crown that will last forever (v25)."
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father in heaven, whose name is holy.
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will run in such a way that you will win the prize - the reward God desires to give you (v24).
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
