Leadership for the Sake of the Gospel

Bible Reading

In the ninth chapter, from the 12th verse to the 27th verse. I know your program says up to the 29th, but as you in Joburg, you always expect to get a little extra! 1 Corinthians 9:12 to 27. It reads,

“If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.
What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:12-27)
This is the word of the Lord.

Leadership For the Sake of The Gospel

Good morning church. I greet you all in the wonderful name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, amen. As my brother has said, my name is Musawenkosi but everyone calls me Musa. I have the privilege of serving the Lord here in Gauteng, specifically in Soweto.

The title of my talk today is “Leadership for the sake of the Gospel.” That is what I want us to be looking at. Leadership for the sake of the Gospel. Today I want to chat about the attitudes that should shape our approach to ministry. What should those attitudes be? Whether you find yourself here as clergy, whether you are a ministry worker or a lay leader, a healthy outlook in terms of your approach to ministry will help you to run the race well, to ensure that you finish the race that God has placed for us.

Really, at the heart of this question is a question of motivation: what is it that should be our motivation as those who are going into ministry? Why are you in ministry? What has brought you to the place where you find yourself in? Of all the things that you could have been doing in your life – why are you doing what you are doing now?

It’s important, brothers and sisters, to be clear in our heart about why we are here, because the reason why you are here will either fuel you when times are tough or it will drain you when you go through difficult times; especially when you are evaluated or you critiqued on the work that you are doing.

Before we go any further, why don’t we ask the Lord to help us as we look at his word.

Father, we come before you Lord, coming expectantly for you to speak to us. Lord, we pray that you walk with us, Lord. We pray that your word be the light unto our feet, not only just for those whom we constantly proclaim your word to, but even to us – those who are ministers of your word. Lord, often we are those who are sharing God’s word with people. Lord, we pray that now we be the ones who are fed by it. In Jesus name, amen.

Ministry Motivations

In our church, in the middle of the year, it’s common practice that we will do what we call “mid-year reviews” of all the people, all the staff members, based on their roles and their performance in what they were told.

While I fully understand the reason why we do this, and, of course, I was instrumental in making sure that our church does this; whenever that time comes, my heart kind of goes through an emotional roller coaster. I sit there in my study or in my room as I look at this piece of paper and I feel as if this piece of paper wants to attack me.

On the one hand, I look at all the things that are written on this piece of paper; all the things that previous year I said I would do or we would do, the responsibilities and the things we said. I look at them and I beat my chest with pride. I’m like, “Look at this! This is amazing! Look at how busy I am. That’s not that bad.”

I look at all the things that I do and I feel very proud of the things that we do at church.

But on the other hand, as I look at this list, my heart begins to sink into despair, looking at all those things that we said that we will do, but we never quite got to doing. I’m sure you’re very familiar with this; you know, those half starts, that ministry you said, “Oh we’re going to begin this ministry.” January came, February came, by March – that ministry, what has happened to that?

You know those aims that you said you will, that you have for yourself, whether on a personal level as a minister or in the life of your church that you never quite achieved? You know those targets that you set for yourself in terms of how the church will grow? How ambitious you were the year before! “My church will double in size!” Only to look and you are barely getting to double figures.

And, of course, the one that depresses many of us, as we look at the numbers of people who are giving or we see the declining figures.

As I answer these questions, as I sit and I look at this piece of paper, I am torn in two. On the one hand, I want to defend my existence as a Rector. Don’t they know what I do for them? Don’t they know how hard I work for them? My sacrifices, my hard work. “I could be anywhere,” I lie to myself.

And then, at the same time, I look at this piece of paper and I sink into despair. I am not good enough. Who could do this task? Surely there are others who can do this better than me. I’m in the wrong place. I’m not the right person. All these emotions begin to bubble up in my heart.

In this passage, brothers and sisters, we get a glimpse of a time where the Apostle Paul felt the need to defend his rights in a culture where your status determined your rights and freedoms. Paul is addressing a culture where your followers as a pastor determined your rank, where you are entitled to your freedoms, and your talents made you stand head and shoulders above everyone else.

Paul is writing to the church in these verses in chapter 8 to 11 to help them to understand that their leaders – how is it that they should really view their leaders, how they should view their freedoms, and how they should understand their rights correctly. More specifically, in chapter 8 to 11, he’s helping the church to understand how they should look at their freedoms.

In chapter 8 he’s been talking about their freedoms in terms of the food that they can have. And he wants them to know that, yes, they have the right to eat food. God has blessed them with many foods that they can eat, but they mustn’t exercise that right at the expense of those who are weaker among them.

What Paul is really getting at as he looks at these 3 chapters he gets to the heart of, to the heart of the matter, which is really our motivations that stand behind the most of our conduct in life.
Paul here in chapter 9 then takes these matters of freedom and rights and he takes them and he applies them directly and personally on himself.

We’ve already been told how the book began in the first 3 chapters of how the people in Corinth viewed Paul, how they looked at him and saw him as an academic. Apparently, he had the same vertical alignment as our brother Gerald and so people often judged him because of that. And so, Paul was always feeling as if, even though he helped to plant this church, he was always on the back foot, always having always having people questioning his legitimacy as an apostle, people questioning whether he is the one that we should be following.

And so, he then begins to give a defence of his rights and his freedom. But while he does that, at the same time, he begins to give a helpful corrective. He tells them, “This is how you really should be thinking about your ministries.” Our motivations and our attitudes in ministry are not shaped by what we can gain, they are shaped by the gospel.

And so, there’s 3 points I want to be making today. The first one is that: Don’t let your rights hinder the gospel. Secondly: use your freedom for the sake of the gospel. And thirdly: don’t be distracted from the gospel.

Don’t Let Your Rights Hinder the Gospel

So firstly, don’t let your rights hinder the gospel. Read with me here in chapter 9:15,

“But I have not used any of these rights (says Paul). And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:15-18)

This point that I’m about to make speaks of our self-denial that should characterize our ministries for the sake of the Gospel. I must confess that this point is a hard one for me, because as I preach and as I look around at this room, I’m aware that for many of us, we preach and we serve at a great cost to ourselves. We give up our time, we give up our money, quality time with our families so that the gospel can be preached. And what makes this worse as I think about it, I look at the inequality gap in our country that makes the sacrifice of some disproportionate to others.

And so, for some of you, for some of you, going into full-time ministry meant you disappointed your families, because they realized that they were investing in you, sending you to university so that you can be the one who will pull them out of poverty, only for the Lord to give you another mission. A lot of you, that feeling still lingers in your hearts. You feel as if you’ve betrayed the hopes of your families to get out of poverty.

Surely after all that: the things we give up, the fact that many of us don’t even work one job at our church, we need to do other jobs just so that we can sustain ourselves, so that we can keep doing what we’re doing – surely if we are doing that, maybe we are entitled to some benefits, even some reward for the labour that we do?

Paul says, “Yes you do have rights. Yes, you do have certain privileges. God has made a plan for you that in your ministry the work that you are doing that you will find some level of provision for your need in what you are doing. But do not confuse that as some sort of a status symbol or maybe even a primary motivation for you doing what you do.”

Yes, we are aware that we have made certain sacrifices to be able to preach the gospel, but again, if we are honest with ourselves, we also know that there is a level of status that we gain from what we do.

We, after all, whether you are preaching to a church of 20 or a church of 500, we get to sit an input into the lives of people on a weekly basis what is it that they should be doing with their lives. That is a great privilege and that comes with a great sense of power that a lot of us feel.

One of the privileges that I really enjoy about ministering in the township is that when it comes to funerals. After the work has been done, and as you see those long queues of people queue to wait for their food – that’s the one part time where I actually love wearing my collar. Somebody sees the collar and they’re like, “How Umfundisi!” (Ah Pastor!)

And my church has become very strategic so what they do is that a lot of them will come and they will congregate around me so when that time comes, they’ll be like, “Hai, thina sinomfundisi” (We are with the pastor.) And so, everybody suddenly gathers and we go into the house and we get some nice food.

So as much as we are sacrificing there are some privileges that we do gain from the work that we do!

Paul says that we can’t boast in the things that we have been obligated to do, that is to preach the gospel. Rather use your legitimate rights and they are legitimate not for as not as a status symbol but use them for the sake of the Gospel. Ask yourself: even though I’m entitled to these things, what are some of those things that I can deny myself to make it easier for people to hear the gospel?

The driving attitude in our hearts should not be what can I gain for myself but rather what can I do so that others gain for the sake of the gospel? What can I do, even if it earns me a little bit, a short inch, what can I do to make it easier for people to hear the gospel?

For the Apostle Paul this was preaching the gospel free of charge. This was in a context where people use their oratory skills. They use this as a means to gain prestige, to gain status, to gain money. And Paul said, “I can do those things. I can preach the gospel and people will readily be wanting to pay to hear me speak, but I’m not going to make people deny me of that boast. I’m going to preach it free of charge so that I put nothing that hinders the gospel.”

Paul, for him as well in chapter 7, he tells us that one of the things that he deprived himself was marriage. He decided, he realized that, “If I am not married, I’ll be able to devote myself wholeheartedly,” and so that is what he decided to do, that “I will not marry but I will devote myself to the work of the Gospel.”

When you look at your community, when you look at the needs that they have, the fault lines that they have in their hearts, what are the things that you can give up? What are the things that you have a legitimate right to and nobody can tell you that you don’t have a right to them – but you decide that, “I’m going to give this up so that the people can hear the gospel more clearly?”

Use Your Freedom for the Sake of the Gospel

Secondly, use your freedom for the sake of the gospel. Read with me again in verse 19. Paul says,

“Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” (1 Corinthians 9:19)

He continues in verse 22 and he says,

“To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” (1 Corinthians 9:22-23)

Paul here now speaks of adaptability, being able to be adaptable in your ministry.

Something that I’m finding that I’m increasingly… I’m finding it harder and harder to do as I’m getting older. I know a lot of you are looking at me like “What is this guy talking about?” But I have noticed that as I’ve been getting older, there are things. I’m becoming more and more kind of set in my ways. I am less risky.

Before I used to, I didn’t mind going out and coming back in the wee hours of the morning. But now I look at the time and I’m like, “Eish, It’s 9:00. it’s probably time to start winding down so that I can get to bed.” I become less risky. Adapting is something that I consciously need to push myself to do.

I am one who I’m still very happy with my WhatsApp and I’m happy to just view the statuses on WhatsApp. Even though I can see on the statuses that everybody seems to be on TikTok, I’m like, “No you do TikTok, I’m going to do my thing.”

When it comes to my musical, my musical taste – I’ve noticed over time that I seem to be stuck in the 2000s. I’m that guy who still loves kwaito while the world has moved on to amapiano. When it comes to gospel music, I am still listening to each Joyous Celebration while everybody is telling me about Spirit of Praise. Those are the songs that people are singing now.

And so, when I think about my freedoms and the things that I have freedom to do, I want to use those freedoms for my comforts. I want to use the freedom to do the things that I like to do. Paul says here, use your freedom for the sake of the gospel.

You see, while I am standing still in the 2000s, in my heydays when I was at Varsity, the world around me isn’t standing still. The world around me is changing, the people’s influences are changing, people’s perception of who God is changing, and as a minister of the word, we must adapt to the world – not to be like the world but to change the world with the gospel.

When we planted Christ Central Soweto about six years ago, when I entered the township, I was surprised at how the townships have changed compared to perhaps 10 years or 15 years ago. And before, when you came and you told people that you are the minister, people used to respect you. Some people used to kind of trip over themselves trying to make sure that the minister is well taken care of. But now, when you go and you’re saying you want to preach the gospel, people look at you with disdain and I’m like, “Is this still the township? Why are people so hostile to the gospel?”

Like, for example, when we maybe about probably 10 years ago, it would have been unheard of for criminals to walk into a service while people are worshiping God to rob ministers and rob the congregation. But at some point, the criminals realized that the status of the church is not quite what it was as it was before.

And so now, when we are doing evening services, we need to make sure that we are locking the gates. We need to make sure that we have guards outside because who knows, somebody might be eyeing us. We are excited that they are a new visitor but meanwhile they are trying to see where all the cell phones and where the money is kept.

Churches are being extorted now – something completely unheard of. Those are times of the changing, what the fact that the times are changing and we are not where we were before.

And so, when we preach the gospel to our people, we are doing ourselves a disservice if we are basing it on assumptions that were based 10-15 years ago about who our people are and what influences them. You may be here preaching the gospel to your people but your people are not hearing you. They are just seeing you as someone who’s backward, someone who’s like their parents and you are not answering the questions that they are asking of the Lord.

So, we need to be careful brothers and sisters, that we don’t see the changes in our communities – as our communities change around us – let’s not see those changes as existential crisis in terms of our way of life, but let’s see them as opportunities to share the gospel in a more effective way with people. It’s an opportunity to relearn what people are asking and then be confident that the gospel can answer those questions.

Do Not Be Distracted from The Gospel

Thirdly do not be distracted from the gospel. Verse 24,

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

This point, brothers and sisters, speaks to self-discipline in ministry. As a minister of the word, run with purpose. We are not playing a game here. This is not a game where we are playing, where it doesn’t matter whether you win or you lose, as long as you take part. That’s what our principal used to tell us in primary school. As you ran and you came out last, he’s like, “It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, as long as (and we would all scream) as long as we take part.”

But the world of course doesn’t work like that. This is not that. This is more like the Squid Games – you know that Korean show that played on Netflix? The one you binged during Covid? Our lives, brothers and sisters, as we play this game are at stake. You are playing, you could be pulling tug of war and if you lose it’s not like you’re going to be saying, “Ah sorry guy, I was just stronger than you.” The ground will literally open before you and you will plunge to your death.

The work we do, in the work we do, lives are at stake. Our lives are at stake as well. So, run with purpose. Run as to get the crown. Run like Akani Simbine in the 100-meter sprint. Run as fast as you can. But he ran and his crown when in the next four years we would have forgotten about him. Remember how famous Hussein Bolt was? We were all doing these things but now we are talking about others. How quickly life moves on and how quickly his crown is forgotten.

But we, on the other hand, are not, we’re not running for a prize that will be forgotten in four years’ time. We are running for something that lasts for eternity.

In ministry, brothers and sisters, there are so many distractions, so many different motivations that are that are constantly at war in our hearts, that we could be pulled from pillar to post only for one day to look back and realize that we’ve been preaching to people, telling them they are saved by grace alone, but we on the other hand have been trusting in our own works.

You are telling people to build their lives on the Lord Jesus Christ, only to realize that in reality, you have been building your life on many other things on your own idols.

And idols are very smart – they will masquerade as something that looks like Christ but in reality, they are far from him. And it is only when the pressure comes, when you are challenged or the pressure comes, that you realize that that thing that I was holding on to, that I thought this is the thing that will give me the most reward – it’s not Jesus but it was my own expectations.

So run, but make sure you’re not disqualified in the end. Eternity is at stake, even for you.

In our churches, we often speak of the means of grace, and we help our people to understand them and we administer these things. But I just want to remind you that these things are not just for your people, they are for you as well. Don’t read the Bible only with your people in mind, read the Bible for yourself. Don’t go and fellowship just so that you can take care of other people. Who are you fellowshipping with, that strengthens you? Don’t pray only when you are praying for others.

How are you letting the word of God dwell deep in your own heart? Unbelief is not something that our people are only in danger of, unbelief is something that we are in danger of too. And the hard part for us is that we may, unbelief may be creeping into our hearts, but because we know we are wordsmiths, we speak all the time, we know how to say the right things so that our people don’t notice that we are not believing in the things that we are telling them. So be on alert and find your treasure in the gospel.

At the beginning of the book in 1 Corinthians, Paul reminds us that our treasure is not found in our, in the impressive leaders or in miraculous signs that people do, even in the special gifts that we may possess or we can see in others. Our treasure is found in the Lord Jesus. He tells us here in 1 Corinthians chapter 1:22,

“The Jews they demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but (verse 24) to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:22-25)

As we build God’s kingdom, as we build God’s church, and you wrestle with the things that you need to do to make sure that the church grows, what is it that you are trusting in? What is the fault line of your heart? Remember, whatever your treasure is, that is what will fuel you in ministry or that is what will drain you.

Where does the power to change the world reside? Why do you believe about that? I’m not asking what 1 Corinthians is saying, I’m asking what do you believe about that? Because you can fool people for a while, telling them, clothing the thing that you think will change the world in Christian language, but it will only be a matter of time till when the work is actually opened and people see what’s going on that they will see how you built your kingdom.

Paul says, “We preach Christ crucified.” (1 Corinthians 1:23) We preach of one who saw our helpless state and died in our place so that we can be reconciled to God.

At the cross, God addresses our sense of self-worth. I can come to a mid-year review, I can and I come to it – I don’t need to be fearful, thinking that somehow in how I answer these questions, I am telling people my status before God. It’s not based on what I do, it is based on what has been done on my behalf.

We are more loved and more accepted than we can ever be.

Do you believe that for yourself? I’m not asking if you believe it for your people. Do you believe that for yourself? When people are criticizing you and are questioning you, even your integrity, and you feel like they, what they are saying, they are wrong to be saying this thing, where does your self-worth lie at that particular point?

Let it lie at the foot of the cross, not because of what we have done, but what has been done on our behalf. The gospel, brothers and sisters, is liberating. It liberates us, not so that we can serve ourselves, not so that we can build our kingdoms, it liberates us to serve a king who died for us, so that we can be found in him forever.

Charge To Christian Leaders

Today as we kind of leave and go to our respective churches, remember that yes, you have rights as a Christian, you have rights as a Christian minister, but deny yourself some of these things for the sake of the Gospel. Yes, you have freedoms as a Christian, but use these freedoms to save as many souls as you can for the kingdom.

And lastly, don’t run aimlessly, run with purpose. Your treasure, brothers, is not in the things of this world but in Jesus who laid down his, who laid down his life for you. May we all lay down our lives for the sake of the Gospel. Amen.

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, as we hear your word Lord, it cuts deep. We realize, Lord, that often our motives in our hearts are quite divided. On the one hand Lord, we are those who are sacrificing for your sake. On the other hand, we are building our own kingdoms and are building our own status.

Heavenly Father, help us to live lives and to have attitudes and motivations shaped by your gospel. Lord, where we need to repent, help us Lord to repent. Lord, where we have displaced our first love, help us Lord to find you again. Give us, Lord, people around us who remind us of these truths so that as we teach them to others, Lord, we are not left behind.

But thank you Jesus. Thank you that we are also saved by you. Thank you that we are also counted among those who will spend eternity with you. Lord, we pray that you guard our hearts against the things of this world that distract us, Lord, from the treasure that is in you, and keep our eyes on the prize. In Jesus name, amen.