Epiphany 5

It is amazing to notice the things that people will do when they're motivated. People go to all kinds of great heights just to accomplish some test that they have in mind Some people are motivated by money. NBC has just brought back the television show fear factor. Contestants on that show need to submit themselves all kinds of dangers and indignities all for the sake of money. They throw themselves from tall buildings perform death-defying stunts and eat and drink absolutely vile things - bugs rodents and animal organs. On hope of winning $50,000. That seems to me like a small sum of money to eat and drink some the things that the people on that show eat and drink but apparently there is no shortage of contestants willing to sign up to do such awful things Today is Super Bowl Sunday. The New York Giants and the New England Patriots will take to the field in the hope of winning football glory. In the spirit of competition players will play through pain and injury all for the hope of winning the game. Call in the spirit of competition. Some people are motivated by love for another person perhaps a spouse or family member. Parents will work long hours will sacrifice and surrender personal comfort and health and well-being all for the good of their children.  Fathers will risk their lives to keep the kids safe, mothers will give up everything that they had to provide for their children. Different people are motivated by different things. What motivates you?   I do it all for the sake of the Gospel says the apostle Paul that I might share with them and its blessings. The apostle Paul was motivated by the privilege and the blessing of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.   If you read the book of acts and know anything about the life of the apostle Paul then you know that he was one was definitely motivated by the gospel. He submitted himself to numerous beatings he was imprisoned in jail he was shipwrecked on one occasion he was even's taking outside the city and Stoned  he was left for dead and when his followers came to get him he picked himself up off the ground he brushed himself off and walked back into the city to continue to preach  the gospel   Call describes that motivation for us here in a text he says that he's become all things to all people. He says,"1 Corinthians 9:19-23 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.   As Paul writes it is evident that he is motivated by love. Obviously love for God love for the Gospel and love for the church. That is to say love for the community of faith. But there is a greater love here that motivates him met for us might be quite shocking   When it  comes to love and to Christian loving brothely love we here in St. Paul Chuckery  have a good understanding what that means. After all we love each other. We know each other we have grown up with each other. We spent a good amount of time with one another. We see each other at the ball diamond and at the playing field. We cheer for each other's kids in each others grandkids. We are all apart of the same community and so we love each other. When one rejoices we're all happy with him. When one grieves we share her grief. so when it comes to people we know and love is not too much of a stretch for us to understand what Paul is talking about.   Paul made  himself like the Jews  to relate to the Jews. Paul made himself like one under the law to relate to those under the law.  Paul made himself like those who didn't know how to relate to those who were without the law  Paul  made himself week to relate to those were week. As he said he became all things to all people.   But I just misquoted that text did you catch it?  I said that Paul wanted to relate to all people but that's not what he says at all. You didn't just want to relate to that he wanted to Win them. Win them for Christ and win them for the Gospel. The thing that's revolutionary about what Paul says in our text is that he shows all of this love the people he doesn't even know. For unbelievers and pagans. For the nameless faces he saw what he walked down the street. You and I might sacrifice instructor's house for people we know love but for someone we don't even know? It's almost unthinkable. But that's the love and the motivation exhibited by Paul it should be the love and motivation exhibited by us.   But it's not.   We are a family first community. We love our own we care for our own. We protect our own. Are those the only ones God has given us to love those the only ones God has given us to protect are those the only ones God has given us to serve. No.   In fact we should love we should serve we should protect the way that God loves and serves and protects us. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Now we are believers now we are Christians but there was a day when we were not. There was a day when we were unbelievers when we were pagans when we were destined for hell. But God loves us God served us God protected us he did it by sending his son Jesus to die for us on the cross.   The apostle Paul learned his missionary zeal not by looking for it inside himself he didn't find it in his own heart. Instead he found it in Christ. Christ who was born for him Christ who lived for him Christ who died for him Christ was raised again for him Christ who is seated on the right hand of God the father Almighty for him. Christ who will come again on the last day to judge the living and dead. Christ who will come for the apostle Paul but also Christ will come for you   Christ who will come for you but also Christ will come for that unbeliever who has yet to know Jesus  it is your job to find him is your job to find her to tell her what Jesus has done to save her to save him.   To do that we should be like Paul all things to all people. Like the Jews like the Greeks. Like the wise and the educated but also like the fools the weak the underprivileged the uneducated.  We should love them even the way we love our own. why? because Jesus does. Because Jesus loves us.   we will bring up the topic of motivation we can certainly discuss the things that motivate us to do the things that we do. And there're many of them and they are good. Paul the apostle was motivated by the gospel of Jesus christ. Jesus was motivated by love. Minivet love that motivated Jesus that motivated Paul also motivates you. Amen. And now may the peace that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.