How many Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb?
The answer – “Change?”
I can demonstrate the perceived “stuck-in-a-rut” caricature of Lutherans even better – “What do you mean change? My great-grandfather donated that light bulb!”
And one more…an ode to current economic times – “Can we afford to change that light bulb?”
The Apostle Paul never changed a light bulb, but he sure knew how to reach souls. He was dynamic in his approach, adapting himself to people’s situations – never changing the message, but often changing his approach, meeting people right where they were and going from there. He writes, “I have become all things to all people so that I may save at least some.” (1 Corinthians 9:22b)
All things. All people. With these words, Paul seems to be writing a pretty big check. It might even seem like a blank check, indicating that anything goes in the interest of saving souls. Not quite. “Anything goes” would have meant that he would have been willing to even sacrifice the message of the gospel in order to reach people, that the end would justify the means. Thus the gospel goes away if it gets in the way. But if the means are altered, if the Gospel is changed, altered, or omitted the end/goal of saving souls would not be reached.
So Paul’s approach was not anything goes, but whatever it takes. There is a difference. Whatever it took for him to reach people without compromising the message in any way, he did. Whatever he could do to sacrifice his freedoms/rights, to adapt himself to others in order to reach them with Christ, he was willing to do. “Although I am free from all, I enslaved myself to all so that I might gain many more…And I do everything for the sake of the gospel so that I may share in it along with others.” (1 Corinthians 9:19, 23)
God took a “whatever it takes” approach to saving souls, even going so far as to send his own Son to save us. We must be willing, like Paul/Jesus to do whatever it takes to reach people with the gospel, to win as many as possible. Paul said, “I have become all things to all people so that I may save at least some.” Paul doesn’t mean that there are ways other than the gospel by which people are saved. It’s got the sense of “doing whatever I can do with the Gospel,” as in “I have become all things to all people” so that at least some will be saved.
Whatever it takes…from you and from me. Time, talents, treasure, money. Reaching people with the Gospel takes all these things. No more sitting on the sidelines for any of us. Go and find and tell what Jesus has done…and continues to do.
Peace in Jesus,
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand
The answer – “Change?”
I can demonstrate the perceived “stuck-in-a-rut” caricature of Lutherans even better – “What do you mean change? My great-grandfather donated that light bulb!”
And one more…an ode to current economic times – “Can we afford to change that light bulb?”
The Apostle Paul never changed a light bulb, but he sure knew how to reach souls. He was dynamic in his approach, adapting himself to people’s situations – never changing the message, but often changing his approach, meeting people right where they were and going from there. He writes, “I have become all things to all people so that I may save at least some.” (1 Corinthians 9:22b)
All things. All people. With these words, Paul seems to be writing a pretty big check. It might even seem like a blank check, indicating that anything goes in the interest of saving souls. Not quite. “Anything goes” would have meant that he would have been willing to even sacrifice the message of the gospel in order to reach people, that the end would justify the means. Thus the gospel goes away if it gets in the way. But if the means are altered, if the Gospel is changed, altered, or omitted the end/goal of saving souls would not be reached.
So Paul’s approach was not anything goes, but whatever it takes. There is a difference. Whatever it took for him to reach people without compromising the message in any way, he did. Whatever he could do to sacrifice his freedoms/rights, to adapt himself to others in order to reach them with Christ, he was willing to do. “Although I am free from all, I enslaved myself to all so that I might gain many more…And I do everything for the sake of the gospel so that I may share in it along with others.” (1 Corinthians 9:19, 23)
God took a “whatever it takes” approach to saving souls, even going so far as to send his own Son to save us. We must be willing, like Paul/Jesus to do whatever it takes to reach people with the gospel, to win as many as possible. Paul said, “I have become all things to all people so that I may save at least some.” Paul doesn’t mean that there are ways other than the gospel by which people are saved. It’s got the sense of “doing whatever I can do with the Gospel,” as in “I have become all things to all people” so that at least some will be saved.
Whatever it takes…from you and from me. Time, talents, treasure, money. Reaching people with the Gospel takes all these things. No more sitting on the sidelines for any of us. Go and find and tell what Jesus has done…and continues to do.
Peace in Jesus,
Pastor Stephen Luchterhand
RSS Feed
