For though I be free from all, yet have I made myself servant
unto all that I might gain the more. And the message I'm going to
attempt to bring tonight is a message that I've had on the back burner
for twelve or thirteen years. That's how long I've thought
about preaching. this message. And what inspired
me to bring it was these two words in verse 19, the passage
I just read, we're going to come back to this by the end of the
message. But he says, for, though or although I be free from all
men, yet have I made myself servant unto all. Now, what I want us
to focus on are these two words. Though and yet. Although or though this be the
case, yet or nevertheless, or in spite of this, this is the
case. Now, when I first felt inspired
to bring this message was When I read that passage of Scripture,
I just read from Habakkuk. Notice it says, although the
fig tree shall not blossom, although neither shall fruit be in the
vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the field shall
yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and
there shall be no herd in the stalls. He gives this bleak,
bleak bleak view of things. Now, although this is the case,
yet. I will rejoice. In the Lord. Now, I believe that gives us
a good idea about what this means, although or though. Although
this is the case. Yet. Although. Yet, you know, that phrase is
found throughout the scriptures. And I'm going to give you several
scriptures where this is used, and I'm not giving these in any
order of importance. That would be impossible to do,
but I'm going to quote them and make a few comments on each of
them. And the thought in each one of
these scriptures that I'm going to read is breathtaking and awesome. Here's the first scripture I'm
going to quote. 2nd Corinthians chapter 8 verse
9. For you know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ. That though he was rich, there's
the word. Though he was rich. And who can
describe the wealth of the Lord Jesus Christ? The Son of God. Rich. In possession, He owns
everything. Rich in praise, He had angels
falling at His feet. Rich in righteousness. We could
go on and on talking about the riches of Christ. Now, you know
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He were rich yet,
for your sakes, he became poor. That you, through his poverty,
might be rich. Now, when it says we might be
rich through his poverty, it doesn't mean maybe. Might be,
might not be. It doesn't mean that at all.
Everybody that he represented Everybody that he became poor
for is made rich. Now, here's what I'd like to
be able to do with the Lord's help. I don't want to look at
this as some generic verse of scripture. I want to hear him
say to me, I want to hear this verse just like this. You know,
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. hath it though he were rich,
yet for my sake he became poor, that I through
his poverty might be rich." I want to think of this as if I'm the
only one who is meant. He became poor. He who was rich
became poor. poverty he experienced. And you
know, I'm not just talking about material poverty, although he
didn't have a place to lay his head. He became poor, forsaken
by his father, having nothing, being made sin. He became poor
that I, me, through his poverty might be rich. Truly, I stand
amazed in the presence of Jesus of Nazarene, And I wonder how
he could love me, a sinner condemned to unclean. That's an awesome
verse of Scripture. Psalm 138, verse 6, Though the
Lord be high, yet hath he respect to the lowly. Though the Lord can be high.
Who could describe the highness of the Lord? You know, I think
it's interesting, earthly kings are called Your Highness. Your
Highness. Oh, how high. It's kind of ridiculous,
isn't it? To call any son of man, Your
Highness. But oh, how high He is. He's the high and lofty One who
inhabits eternity. And yet this One who is so high,
it says He has respect. That's a powerful word. He has
respect to the lowly. Not merely he's aware of their
existence, but he has respect to the lowly. There truly is
only one way I can understand this, and I bet you know where
I'm going with this. How in the world can God the Father have
respect to me? Now, respect's a powerful word.
We're not just talking about acknowledging His existence or
even feeling sorry for me or even caring for me or even loving
for me. Those are amazing. But this is
much more amazing that the Highness of the Lord, the High and Holy
One, would have respect to me. Respect to you. How much respect
does the Lord have to every one of His children? Well, let me
answer that question. By asking this question, how
much respect does the Father have to Jesus Christ? Can't even answer that, can we?
Not the way it ought to be answered. That is how much respect the
God of glory has for you. Isn't that amazing? The high
and lofty one has respect for the lowly. Here's another scripture,
Job chapter 9 verse 15. I like this one. Though I were
righteous, yet would I not answer. Though I were righteous, yet
would I not answer. Now Job is saying, if I were
perfectly righteous, even then I would have no right to call
into question what God does. Even if I were perfectly righteous
and so many, quote, terrible things happened to me, and I
was brought down and down and down, if He afflicted me with
sickness and with trial and with trouble and all kinds of terrible
things happened to me and my life just seemed to be disastrous,
even if I were perfectly righteous, I still would not have the right
to call into question what He does It's right because He does
it. None can stay His hand or say
unto Him, What doest thou? Now, do you believe that about
the Lord? Whatever He does to you, even if you were righteous,
you wouldn't have the right to question what He's doing because
He's infinite in wisdom. He's infinite in power. He knows
what He's doing. I don't. And that's fine. If I couldn't question Him, If
I was righteous, how much less can I question him as a sinful
human being? I love what Paul said in Romans
9 when he said, Nay, but, O man, who are you to reply against
God? Whatever he does is right. This is true with regard to all
things in salvation and all things in providence. Whatever he does
is right. And don't you find some satisfaction there just
knowing that whatever he does is right? I don't need to understand
it. I don't need to understand it, but I must believe that he's
in control, that he's the Lord. Here's the next scripture I want
to quote, and this is one of my favorites. You hear me quote
this quite often, 2 Samuel 23, verse 5. David's dying words. He says, although my house be
not so with God. David's house was a mess. I mean, it was a mess. And the
reason it was such a mess was all of David's fault. Remember
how the Lord told David, the sword's not going to depart from
your house because of what he did in the matter of Bathsheba
and Uriah. His house was a mess. And I think
what that means more than anything else, though, when he says, although
my house be not so with God, what's his house? It's his body.
It's his body. It's His flesh. It's His humanity. It's His sinful humanity. And you know right now while
I'm talking to you regarding your sinful humanity, it's not
so with God, is it? We can't even describe what it
ought to be and what it is not. It's not so with God. Now, David
says, although my house be not so with God. He's stating the
fact, isn't He? It's not. Yet, in spite of that, Yet hath he made with me an everlasting
covenant. And you know that's talking about
the covenant he made with the Lord Jesus Christ before time
began. A covenant that never had a beginning. And David tells us this covenant
is ordered in all things. Every aspect of my salvation
has already been ordered and decreed and ordained of God.
It's a done deal. It's already completed. It's
ordered in all things. And it's sure, David says, it's
sure, that although my house be not so with God, yet hath
he made with me this everlasting covenant, ordered in all things.
And sure, how sure is it? Well, how sure is the resurrection
of Christ? That's how sure my salvation is. How sure is it
that he was raised from the dead? How sure is it that he actually
pleased the Father and accomplished everything that the Father sent
him to do? How sure is that? That's how sure my salvation
is. It's ordered in all things and
it's sure. And he goes on to say, this is
all my salvation. Can you say amen to that? This
is all my salvation. And it's all my desire. I don't
want it to be any other way. This is what I love. This is
all my salvation, and it's all my desire, though he maketh it
not to grow. Hebrews chapter 5, verse 8. Though
he were a son, talking about the Lord Jesus Christ, though
he were a son, yet learned he obedience. by the things which He suffered. Now, though He was the Eternal
Son, equal with God, the Creator of the universe, yet He learned
obedience by the things that He suffered. You know, His death
on the cross was the ultimate act of obedience to His Father. His Father said, Let Him nail
you to a cross. And He said, Yes, Father. He was going to obey God even
if it killed Him, and it did, didn't it? It's the ultimate
act of obedience. He became obedient to death,
even the death of the cross. You know, He's the one who truly
said, Though He slay me, Yet will I trust him. He's the only
one who can say that completely. You and I haven't been that way.
But he did. Though he slayed me, yet will
I trust him. Now, if he learned obedience
by the things that he suffered, you and I are going to learn
obedience the same way. You can just write that down.
That's the way the Lord teaches. But that naturally leads us to
Job chapter 13, verse 15. I've already quoted it. And this
is something I hope you and I can enter into. Though he slay me,
yet will I trust him. Though he slay me, though he
destroy me, though I seem to have his hand pressing against
me, though he slay me, Yet I will trust him. That's faith, isn't
it? Though he slay me, yet will I
trust him. I want you to turn to this John
11. I've been quoting them, but I
want you to, there's several verses of scripture I want us
to see here. This is such an important passage of scripture. John 11, verse 25. Jesus said unto her, I am the
resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live. Now here's something that's impossible.
For a dead person, It's impossible. How can a dead man live? Yet
our Lord tells us, though he were dead, that one that believes
in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. The dead live.
Now look back up in verse 23. You know what's going on. This
is when Lazarus had died. And let's begin in verse 21. Then said Martha unto Jesus,
Lord, If thou hast been here, my brother had not died, but
I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will
give it to thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother
shall rise again. Martha said unto him, I know
that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
I mean, I'm already familiar with the doctrine of the resurrection,
and I know he's going to rise again when the dead rise. I know
that doctrine. I've got that down. I realize
that. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection. Your brother is not rising because
his body, somehow life was restored back to it in some kind of miraculous
process. And even though the decay has
began, all of a sudden I reverse that. All of a sudden he's living.
That's not the resurrection. He said, I am the resurrection. The resurrection is in me. Your
brother is going to rise again because he's already risen in
me. I am the resurrection and I am the life. I'm it. Verse 25, Jesus said unto her,
I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me,
though he were dead, yet shall he live. This life is experienced in believing
he that liveth, look what he says next, he that liveth and
believeth in me, shall never die. Now you've got to live before
you believe. But you know what? You're not going to live until
you believe. That goes beyond my ability to
explain that. You've got to live before you'll
believe. You know that. God's got to give you life before you
can believe. But you won't live until you believe. He that liveth
and believeth in me shall never die. Now do you believe this?
I know you believe in the doctrine of the resurrection, but do you
believe this, that I am the resurrection and the life? 2 Peter 1.8. Why don't you go
ahead and turn there too. Let's turn to these and look
at them. 2 Peter 1.8. I love this verse of scripture.
1 Peter 1.8, I'm sorry. Verse 8. Whom having not seen you love,
in whom though now, there's the word though, though now you seem
not yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full
of glory. Though now you seem not yet believing,
you rejoice. Now, I have never Physically
seeing the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't have any idea what he
looks like now. I know this I can't wait to see
his face. I Love that him we sing when
by his grace. I shall look on his face That
will be glory be glory to me now. I have no idea what he looks
like But I believe he is I've never seen him physically. I've
never experienced a physical touch. I have no idea what his
embrace would feel like in that sense. I don't know. But I believe
that he is. I believe that he's the son of
God. I believe he's the Christ. I believe he's the Savior. And
I love him. I adore him. I am. And I don't even want to
talk about my love. You know, whenever I whenever
I talk about my love, I never feel good about it. But I do
love it. I see him as altogether lovely. And I've never seen him.
Well, how then? Because I believe. I believe. This is called faith. Faith is
not something you can see. You see, I cannot see that I'm
without sin. Can't see it no matter how hard
I try. But I believe I am. You. I can't say. How did I have a
perfectly holy nature? I can't see that I try to look
and I don't see it. But I believe I got it. Scripture
says I do. I've got a nature that's born
of God that cannot see. I can't see how Romans 828 through
all things working together for good. There's so many things
that sure don't seem to be working together for good. There's so
many things that seem so. Painful. I can't see how that
so, but I believe. It is now I seem not, but one
day I will. I love what David said in Psalm
1715. He said, ask for me. I will behold. thy face in righteousness. I'm going to be satisfied when
I awake with thy likeness. Listen to this scripture, Job
chapter 19, and this is very similar. Verses 25 through 27,
Job said, For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and he shall
stand the latter day upon the earth. Do you know that? He's
going to stand once again right here upon this earth. And though, here's that word
again, And though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet
will I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes
shall behold, and not another." Job chapter 8, verse 7. I've
just got a couple more. Job chapter 8, verse 7. Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end shall greatly
increase." Now you think about what a small beginning you had.
Born of Adam. Born a sinner. Born so weak you
were completely depicted upon somebody else. What a small beginning. And the latter end that's greatly
going to increase, it's not talking about right now. Now, some of
you, I just, boy, you've come a long way, humanly speaking.
Congratulations. But it's still, it just ain't
that big a deal, is it? It's just not. But if you think of your true
latter end, One of these days, you're going to see this fellow
talking to you as someone who is perfectly conformed to the
image of Jesus Christ. Now, you want to talk about a
ladder in that greatly increases. I don't know what to say about
it. Join heirs with Christ. Truly,
we hope for that which we see not, and we patiently wait for
it. One of these days, I'm going
to be exactly like him. That latter end is going to greatly
increase. And now back to our text in 1
Corinthians 9. I'm just going to make a comment about this.
We're going to get more into this next week, Lord willing. But
look what he says. Verse 19. And this is a liberating
and a challenging verse of Scripture. For though I be free from all
men, yet have I made myself servant
unto all, that I might gain the more." Now, first thing I had
you notice in that verse of Scripture, the word men is in italics. For
though I be free from all. I'm free from the law's claims
against me. I've answered it. every demand. I'm. Free from seeing. Roman 611 said, Reckon yourselves
to be dead indeed to see him, but alive and to God through
our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, God says for me to reckon myself
to be dead to see him. I am dead to see him. I am, I'm
free. But you know what Paul's talking
about more than anything else when he makes this statement
in 1 Corinthians 9, 19. I am. Free from men. I do not answer to any man. I am free from all the rules
and the standards men would impose on me. Isn't it great to be free
from that? And I am under no obligation
to conform my conduct to the opinions of men. I have no need
to. I'm free. I'm free in this sense. I'm free and I don't answer to
you. You don't really answer to me
either. We're free from it. We're the Lord's free men. Isn't
it wonderful to be free? I mean, you're not you're not
bound to to me. You know, it's such a drag to
live in the fear of man. And it's so it's so ridiculous. Paul says, I'm free. But look
what he says in this first scripture, and I think this is so remarkable,
and this is what I pray the Lord will give us grace to enter into.
He says, For though I be free from all men, yet have I made
myself a slave unto all that I might gain the more. Yet I have willingly, voluntarily,
for I forego these rights that I have as a free man, and I make
myself servant to all for this purpose, that I might by all
means, he says down in this passage of Scripture, save some, that
I might gain the more. He was willing to do whatever
it took to be an instrument of God. in
bringing men to a knowledge of Christ. He said, I've made myself
servant to all that I might by all means save some, that I might
gain more. You know what I think is kind
of interesting? When I read this passage of scripture and I thought
of the Corinthians, the Church of Corinth reading this letter,
particularly verse 22, to the weak become I as weak,
that I might gain the weak. I made all things to all men,
that I might by all means save some. I bet some of the Corinthians
were thinking, boy, Paul flipped his lid. Does he think he can
save anybody? I mean, where's he coming up with that? He ought
to know salvations of the Lord. He ought not make a statement
like that. Yeah, he should. Yeah, he should. If he made it, it should have
been made. And you know he's not saying that he can save somebody.
Christ's work, but he is talking about human instrumentality.
God uses human instrumentality. And he said, I, though I'm free
from men and I don't have to conform myself to them. And this
is, I love thinking about this and you ought to love thinking
about too. You don't have to please men. You don't have to please men.
You're free. Yet if you love those men, if
you love the Lord himself and you love those men, you'll make
yourself servant to all that you might all that you might
gain the more. We're going to look at that more
next week. But this is a powerful thought, isn't it? Just this
statement. Although this is the case. Yet. I'm thankful for that. Phrase
in the word of God, let's pray together. Lord, we ask that you would unite
our hearts together in prayer and praise. Lord, we ask that we might, like
Paul, make ourselves slaves to all. Lord, that is so beyond the strength
and energy of this flesh. Lord, give each one of us the
grace to not count our lives dear unto ourselves, that we
might finish our course with joy, to testify the gospel of
thy grace. Give us grace truly to be thy
ambassadors in this world in which we live. Thank you for the grace that's
in Christ Jesus. In his name we pray. Amen.