Overview:
1 Corinthians 9:19–23
Leaders without a purpose are like ships without captains. Their decisions are often based on surveys and polls instead of substance and principles. They waffle and flip-flop on issues. Their followers are frustrated, disillusioned, and disloyal. On the other hand, successful leaders have a sense of personal mission. Their decisions are based on general principles and a big-picture perspective rather than popular opinion or emotional whims. They can communicate clear objectives to their followers and measure success by more than just gut feelings. Each person needs a personal mission. Many of us are just going through the motions, not sure where we’re going or how to get there. Without a personal mission, we’re like a ship adrift on the waves of change or a butterfly fluttering from flower to flower, never satisfied and always searching for “just the right thing.” By the end of this message, we want you to discover why it’s important to have a personal mission, decide what types of things need to be part of your personal mission, and then take some time to prayerfully write a first draft of your own mission statement. As we tackle this issue, we’ll begin by looking at a Christian’s corporate mission—what God wants all believers to do. Then we’ll look at a biblical example of a personal mission—what God called one individual to accomplish as part of that bigger purpose.
Message Summary:
In this motivating message, Chuck Swindoll challenges believers to move beyond drifting through life like a “ship without a captain” and instead define a clear, biblical sense of purpose. He argues that without a defined mission, individuals and churches often stumble into “accidental” identities—illustrated humorously by a church that eventually became a chicken restaurant because their fundraising dinners were more popular than their worship.
Swindoll establishes the foundation for a mission by looking first at the corporate church in Acts 2, identifying four non-negotiable pillars: teaching, fellowship (koinonia), worship (breaking of bread), and prayer. He warns against modern trends that replace these pillars with entertainment or “feel-good therapy,” urging the church to remain true to its biblical roots.
The core of the message focuses on 1 Corinthians 9, where the Apostle Paul articulates his personal mission: to become “all things to all men” in order to save some. Swindoll breaks down Paul’s approach into five essential components for a personal mission: Sacrifice, Vision, Flexibility, Courage, and Involvement. He concludes by encouraging listeners to step out of their comfort zones, embrace the “discipline of sacrifice,” and draft their own mission statement to guide their legacy.
Message Key Facts:
- The Danger of Drift: Swindoll illustrates how easily a mission can drift with the story of the “Church of God Grill”—a church that started selling chicken to pay bills and eventually closed the church to run the restaurant full-time.
- Satirical Church Models: To highlight the loss of biblical mission, Swindoll facetiously names four modern church types:
- The Hallelujah Entertainment Center (focus on crowds over teaching).
- Fun and Games Happy Chapel (focus on youth entertainment over Jesus).
- Us Four and No More God Club (focus on exclusivity and comfort).
- The Feel-Good Therapy Worship (focus on self-esteem over theology).
- The Four Pillars of Acts 2: Swindoll identifies the “passage of primary reference” for the church as Acts 2:42, listing the four essentials: Teaching, Fellowship (koinonia—having Christ in common), Worship (ordinances), and Prayer.
- Paul’s Strategy (Kerdaino): In 1 Corinthians 9, the repeated Greek keyword is kerdaino, meaning “to win” or “acquire by investment.” Paul’s mission was to invest energy and adjust his lifestyle to win the maximum number of people to Christ.
- The Discipline of Sacrifice: Quoting Dallas Willard, Swindoll notes that true faith sometimes requires “sawing off the limb on which we are sitting,” trusting that God will bear us up when we leave our security to reach others.
- Courage in Evangelism: Swindoll shares a story from Rick Mathes regarding a prison ministry encounter with an Imam. When asked if Allah commands killing infidels to enter heaven, the Imam admitted “Yes.” Mathes courageously contrasted this with Jesus, who commands believers to love their enemies because heaven is already assured.
- Swindoll’s Personal Mission: Chuck Swindoll shares his own written mission statement: “To communicate accurately, clearly, and practically the truth of the Bible to as many as I possibly can for as long as I can”.
Message References:
- 1 Corinthians 9:19–23: The primary text for personal mission, where Paul describes becoming a slave to all, a Jew to the Jews, and identifying with the weak to “win” them to Christ.
- Acts 2:41–47: The foundational text for the church’s corporate mission, detailing the conversion of 3,000 souls and their devotion to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship.
- Acts 5:14 & 6:7: References to the explosive growth of the early church, noting that persecution often fertilized their growth rather than stopping it.
- Acts 20:24: (Implied in the concept) Paul’s dedication to finishing his course and the ministry received from the Lord.
