NOTES: Fresh off the Vine, Part 10
Sermon: Fresh off the Vine 10- Self Control
Date: Sunday, August 4
Text: 1 Cor. 9:19-27ii
1 Corinthians 9:19–27, ’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. 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. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
Let’s Connect:
Struggle: To actually do what we think to do—To actually do what we purpose to do
Q: How much of what we do or don’t do affects our messaging of the Good News of Jesus Christ?
Olympic Skateboarder—Rayssa Leal from Brazil
Text Explained:
Paul uses— athletic focus, prowess and training—to inspire his hearers to live with an eternal/kingdom purpose (vs. 19-23)
Gospel Forward:
(vs. 24-27) Self-control and “disqualified”:
Self-control is an essential guardrail for a free and faithful life in Christ.
It is the reordering of our desires to His lordship.
So that we and others can participate in the full blessings of the Gospel
Jesus invites us to a re-ordering of the priorities of our hearts, by the work of the Spirit and our progressive surrender.
Titus 2:11–13, “11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ”
Ignatius: “Detachment comes only if we have a stronger attachment,”
Psalm 37:4, “4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
We can learn to delight in him, because he first delights in us!
Zephaniah 3:17, “17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice (delight ) over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
We learn to want what God wants as we lean into the person of Jesus Christ.
Our Take Out:
By the power and work of the Spirit, how do we re-order our desires
1. Pray with the Light On (Examine)
2. Delight in Jesus
3. Choose Habits that help you Shine (Build Habits that Support Freedom)
Our Challenge:
It is a powerful blessing the world when our testimony shines brighter than our personal desires?!
Philippians 2:14-16: 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.”
Shine like stars in the world