I Cor 9: 19-27: “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 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. 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. 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. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.<\/p>\n
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. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”<\/p>\n
I have a question to pose to any church, any pastor, any Christian: what are you saying about Christ, the Gospel, and your walk if you never change your practices?<\/p>\n
Are you saying, “I’ve arrived, I don’t need<\/strong> to change”?<\/p>\n Are you saying, “I’m better than everyone else, therefore they need to catch up to me before I advance”?<\/p>\n Are you saying, “I don’t care about ‘advancing’, I’m satisfied with my progress”?<\/p>\n Or are you saying, “I am who I am, and I don’t have to change”?<\/p>\n I am not an advocate of change for the sake of change.<\/p>\n I am not an advocate of change if means compromising Truth.<\/p>\n I will<\/em> advocate EVERY<\/strong> change that BETTERS<\/em> myself towards God, and that brings more people to His Gospel.<\/p>\n What does it say about a pastor, church, or individual Christian if they refuse to change to society, when that change does not affect their walk with God? What does it say about a pastor, church, or individual Christian when they won’t listen to others who have Truth to convey, or who have received insights into God’s Holy Word that they haven’t yet?<\/p>\n Does it say that they are stubborn, and won’t hear what others have to say, won’t take the time to see if what they’re saying is out of line with the Bible, won’t come out of their ‘comfort zone’ because somebody else might know something they don’t?<\/p>\n Does it say that they’re staying with what they’ve become accustomed to that is<\/em> in line with the Bible, but that they won’t move away from that ‘safe zone’ because they’re afraid they might do something wrong in the process?<\/p>\n Or does it say that they are stagnating in their walk and no longer advancing along their Christian walk? That they’re happy enough with where they’ve gotten to; that they don’t need<\/strong> to get any further along their walk because they’re getting into heaven from where they are – and, after all, isn’t being “a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord” better than a thousand days elsewhere? After all, why get any further into God’s kingdom than I have to, because the world is fun? Why become a “choice servant of the Lord” if I can just<\/em> be a servant?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I Cor 9: 19-27: “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 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 …
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