Evangelism and Personal Discipline: The Double Call of 1 Corinthians 9

A sermon by Pastor Rutz for the New Year's 2026 service, based on 1 Corinthians 9:19-27.

Introduction

A new year begins. The world is moving very fast, and not always in the right direction: evil is settling in openly, and many end up thinking there is nothing left to do. It is precisely in this context that the Lord calls us to work with Him for the harvest of souls.

In this chapter, the apostle Paul describes two requirements that cannot be separated: proclaiming the Gospel with a servant's heart, and disciplining yourself like an athlete. If you remove one of the two, the other collapses. That is what Pastor Rutz invites us to reflect on for this new year.

Sermon outline

1. Becoming a servant of all to win a few

Paul writes that he is free from everyone, but that he made himself a slave to everyone, in order to win as many as possible. It is a choice. He had the freedom to live for himself, and he set it down for the love of souls.

This kind of movement is possible only if you truly believe two things: that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, and that those who reject the Gospel are walking toward an eternity without God. Without this conviction about heaven and hell, you will never give up your rights for someone else. With it, love sets you in motion.

Of course, creation itself speaks of God, and many feel a spiritual thirst as they observe the world. But clear voices are also needed to say: "Jesus Christ is the true God, He is the way, the truth, and the life." That voice is yours, wherever you are placed.

2. Adapting to everyone without ever letting go of faithfulness to Christ

Paul then explains how this posture of a servant plays out concretely. With the Jews, he lives like a Jew. With those who keep certain rituals, he does not argue, even when he disagrees on some points. With the Gentiles, he adapts as much as he can. One thread runs through it all: "always making sure not to lose what makes up the integrity of a Christian."

In other words, you can bend on everything that is not contrary to the Word of God, never on the Word itself. Wisdom lies in knowing where to draw that line. Everything else, you let go of out of love, to meet the other person where they are.

In France as in Japan, most of your neighbors do not share your view of the world. They share neither your values nor your goals in life. That does not mean, "I no longer speak to them, I no longer connect with them." It means, "I adjust, I meet them, I take an interest in their life, so that one day, perhaps, they will open their heart to me."

3. Do not argue, but love, serve, and earn trust

Paul refuses the posture of the know-it-all. With people of a weak conscience, he does not flaunt what he knows, he does not correct them by saying, "you haven't thought this through enough." The result: these people open their hearts to him.

How many conversations about faith turn into fruitless debates because we want to be right? The goal is not to win a theological or religious argument. The goal is for the other person to meet Jesus, welcome the Gospel, and walk in salvation. So ask the Holy Spirit for the wisdom not to enter into disputes that help no one.

This does not stop you from clearly proclaiming the Gospel. The Lord tells us to proclaim it "in season and out of season," whether people want to hear it or not, whether the opportunity presents itself or not. But before those words, there is something even more important: who you are, the one speaking.

4. Running to win the prize: the discipline of the Christian

Here Paul changes image. He moves from evangelism to personal discipline: "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."

An athlete does not eat just anything, does not sleep just any way, does not train whenever he feels like it. He plans everything so his body will be ready. And he does this for a crown that will fade. We, Paul says, run for a crown that never fades. How much more should we take our training seriously.

Temperance means not going beyond measure, holding yourself to a right order, letting reason (and above all the Holy Spirit) bring order to our desires. Discipline is a rigorous training that refines the body, the heart, and the character all at once. Together, the two become the disciple's way of life.

5. Dying to yourself so that the Holy Spirit can act

The most solemn verse of the whole passage may be the last one: Paul, who led so many souls to Christ, admits that he treats his body harshly for fear of being disqualified himself after preaching to others. No one is exempt. Bringing many others into the race does not excuse anyone from finishing it.

That is why Paul fights every day against his fleshly desires, his emotions, his habits. He relies neither on his past nor on his ministry. He relies on a submission to the Holy Spirit renewed each day.

The lesson applies to you too. It is not your effort that will bear fruit, but the Spirit working through a vessel set apart. Die to your own will, your plans, your pride, your old habits. Surrender your life to the Holy Spirit every day. Then He will do through you what you could never accomplish alone, and God will receive the glory for the harvest.

Key takeaways

• Christian freedom is set down out of love. Paul gives up his rights to win as many as possible.
• Faithful to Christ, flexible with people. Anything not contrary to the Word can be bent in order to meet the other person.
• Love and serve before trying to convince. The goal is not to win a debate, but to win a heart.
• Personal discipline prepares your witness. What you live feeds what you say.
• Die to yourself, the Spirit will do the rest. True fruit comes from the Holy Spirit, not from our human efforts.

Application questions

1. What legitimate "right" could you set aside this week to reach someone around you who does not know Christ?
2. Is there a conversation where you are trying to be right rather than trying to win a heart? How could you change your attitude?
3. On what specific point do you need to exercise temperance, like an athlete, in your daily life this year?
4. What spiritual discipline (prayer, the Word, fasting, silence) is the Holy Spirit asking you to take up again or start?
5. What needs to "die" in you this year so the Spirit has more room? Take a moment to write it down and hand it over to the Lord.

Key verses

• 1 Corinthians 9:19 (LSG) · "For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them."
• 1 Corinthians 9:22 (LSG) · "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."
• 1 Corinthians 9:24 (LSG) · "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."
• 1 Corinthians 9:27 (LSG) · "But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."

FAQ

Does becoming a "servant of all" mean betraying your faith or compromising?

No. Paul makes clear that he never loses sight of "the integrity of a Christian." He bends on habits, culture, and preferences, but never on the Word of God. The criterion is clear: anything not contrary to Christ can be adapted out of love to meet the other person.

Why does Paul say he himself could be "disqualified" even though he has evangelized so many people?

Because leading others to Christ does not exempt anyone from remaining faithful to the end. It is a healthy warning: the race of faith ends at the finish line, not at the first visible fruit. Hence the importance of daily personal discipline.

Concretely, where should I start with the "personal discipline" mentioned in this text?

Start with something simple and measurable: a regular time with the Lord (the Word and prayer), an area where you know the flesh takes up too much room (food, screens, words, time), and an active submission to the Spirit in the small decisions of the day. Discipline is not a feat, it is repeated faithfulness.

Conclusion

In this new year, the double call of 1 Corinthians 9 remains as relevant as ever: serve with love those God places around you, and discipline your own life so that nothing hinders the work of the Holy Spirit through you. That is where, in this humble faithfulness, the true harvest of souls is won.