January is the month when self-discipline rears its head as people, shamed by Christmas excesses and prompted by the media, decide to ‘start afresh.’ Membership of gyms and attendance at slimming clubs soar in this month, as people decide to be pro-active with exercise and losing weight.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with being pro-active in these matters. Be Well Barnsley is running weight loss groups in the Dearne area (see www.bewell-barnsley.com or telephone 0800 016 9133 for further details); Slimming World meets in our community hall at 9 a.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursdays; there is a Keep Fit group for the older generation at our community hall on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. and BPL offers exercise classes at Dearneside Leisure Centre. If you want to keep fit or lose weight, there’s a wide variety of ways to help you that are readily available on our doorstep!

What matters more than New Year’s resolutions, however, is the self-discipline to stick at these. We need the same kind of self-discipline in February, March and the rest of the year as we do in January, and it’s this kind of self-discipline which Paul discusses in 1 Cor 9:23-27. He reminds the Corinthians, using metaphors from running and boxing, of the need for self-discipline, determination, persistence and perseverance. Runners in the Isthmian Games (which featured regularly in Corinth, just as the Olympic Games were held in Athens) did not run aimlessly; they were focussed on winning (the prize being a garland or crown made of pine cones or dried celery!) Paul reminds us that ‘they do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.’ (1 Cor 9:25) Crowns are mentioned in several places in the New Testament (see James 1:12, Rev 2:10, 1 Pet 5:4, 2 Tim 4:8) and speak of the reward that God gives Christians for faithful service. One motive Paul has for how he lives is his desire not to lose his reward; he is motivated to keep going and to run well, right to the end.

Self-discipline means ‘giving up the good and the better for the best.’ Athletes often have to sacrifice a great deal in their quest to be the best. Though we are not in a competitive race in the same way (all of us can run and get a reward; there is not just one winner in this race of life!), Paul urges us to refuse to allow our bodies to dictate what spiritual progress we are going to make. Rom 8:13 reminds us ‘For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.’ The technical term for this is ‘mortification’, which has, in the past, been used to promote bodily self-harm or extreme asceticism, neither of which is what Paul actually means. Nonetheless, there can be no doubt that we are to wage a ruthless war on the self-life if we are going to see spiritual growth. We can’t afford to indulge the sinful nature (Gal 5:15-16). Self-control is one of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:23) and we have to learn to be self-disciplined every day of the year, not just at the start of it, if we are to ensure we finish the race well. As always, we can’t conveniently divide our lives into ‘physical’ and ‘spiritual.’ Self-discipline, rather than gluttony, indolence, gossip and prayerlessness, is required all year round. It will have an impact on our physical bodies (a more guaranteed result than many of the other methods we may invest in) and will also reap spiritual rewards.

Paul resolved to use his freedom as a Christian (see Gal 5:1, 13) to serve God. That meant limiting his freedom at times (refusing to eat meat if that would help someone to become stronger in their faith, for example), secure in the knowledge that he belonged to God alone (see 1 Cor 6:19-20), but choosing to serve his Christian family and the wider community through considerate love, putting other people before himself. Being ‘free of the demands and expectations of everyone’ (1 Cor 9:19, The Message) – a thought worth pondering on in itself, since many of us serve God out of a sense of duty or to live up to other people’s expectations, rather than out of thankful, grateful love – Paul nonetheless chose to serve. In this, he followed Christ’s example (see Phil 2:5-11, Heb 12:1-3), and his choice lent weight to his admonition ‘Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.’ (1 Cor 11:1)

Every day, we face a plethora of choices: what to wear, what to eat, how to travel, for example. More importantly, every day, we face choices as to how we should live. We choose to walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Cor 5:7) We choose to live by every word that comes from the mouth of God, rather than by our feelings or by the opinions of other people. (Matt 4:4) We choose to be thankful and to praise God, regardless of our circumstances (Eph 5:20, see this interview by Gareth & Ali Gilkeson of Rend Collective, talking of their choice to praise despite the pain of miscarriage, lest anyone think that joy is the prerogative only of the naturally happy temperament or propitious circumstances.)

In the same way, evangelism is not simply the choice of the extrovert who is naturally garrulous. Paul says, ‘Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!’ (1 Cor 9:16) The duty to share the good news is not restricted to extroverts or paid Christian workers or those who are fanatical, but the fulfilment of that duty will be the result of the choices we make, choices that are based on an overflow of thankfulness and gratitude because of God’s grace and mercy to us. ‘Our aim, like Paul’s is to save people from the wrath of God and to win them for eternal life; and in loving people like this we prove the reality of our own faith and confirm our participation in the gospel,’ writes John Piper. There are rewards ahead for all who take this responsibility seriously (a ‘crown that will last forever’, see 1 Cor 9:25), but God leaves the choice to us. Let’s be prepared to make right choices!

In 1 Cor 9:19-27, Paul continues teaching the Corinthian church about his passion for the lost, an all-consuming passion which leads him to ‘become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.’ (1 Cor 9:22) The freedom he has expounded upon at length in previous chapters serves this one purpose. His desire to reach all people with the gospel of Christ is challenging to us today, for we have inherited the same mandate, Jesus having told all disciples that we are to go and make disciples of all nations (see Matt 28:18-20).

Methodology will always vary. Paul behaved very differently in different circumstances (teaching Jews about the God of their fathers and Gentiles about the God of creation), as did Jesus (talking to Nicodemus about spiritual birth in John 3, since Nicodemus had a religious, Jewish background, but speaking to the Samaritan woman about living water in John 4.) Flexibility and adaptability will always be key tools of evangelism, but what must never change is this passion for the lost or the message we preach. As Thomas Jefferson once said, “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.”

This has obvious implications for missionaries, whose cross-cultural ministry demands flexibility. Hudson-Taylor, missionary to China, said, “Let us as far as possible set before them a correct example: let us in everything unsinful become Chinese, that by all things we may save some. Let us adopt their costume, acquire their language, study to imitate their habits, and approximate to their diet as far as health and constitution will allow. Let us live in their houses, making no unnecessary alterations in external appearance, and only so far modifying internal arrangements as attention to health and efficiency for work absolutely require.” For everyone, however, this presents the challenge of working out in our situations what methods God wants us to use to reach people with the good news of Jesus Christ. There are no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solutions here. Prayerful contemplation and passionate action have to go hand in hand. Our job is to find out how God wants us to make disciples in Goldthorpe, Thurnscoe, Bolton-on-Dearne and the Dearne Valley in 2016, but we will only do this as we contemplate mankind’s desperate need for salvation, to be ‘saved from God’s wrath through Christ.’ (Rom 5:9; see also John 3:36) Without Paul’s passion for the lost, we will have no urgency and no desire to see others saved.

I am reading a commentary on ‘The Song Of Songs’ by Charlie Cleverly, the long-awaited sequel to his ‘Epiphanies of the Ordinary’, which had a chapter on this book. I believe Song of Songs speaks to us on many levels: the personal level, as a picture of marital love and as a picture of God’s love for the church and our relationship with the God of love. On all these different levels, God’s Word speaks into our hearts, challenging us to keep the fire of our first love alive.

In the book, commenting on Song of Songs 2:14-15, Charlie Cleverly writes ‘a mark of renewal is that the language of prayer begins to flow.’ I am well aware that loquacity in prayer is not an essential sign of spirituality (see Matt 6:7); I am well aware that God speaks to us in the silence of the heart and that our prayers do not necessarily have to be articulated outloud to be heard by God. Nonetheless, the words of the Bridegroom in this passage are ‘let me hear your voice’, and anyone who has ever been in love knows the beauty of hearing the beloved articulate thoughts and feelings in a manner which can be understood by the other.

It seems to be something that British Christians find difficult to do, this praying outloud, especially in public. Perhaps we are embarrassed when others are present, not wanting to seem too fervent or outlandish. Perhaps we are afraid that others will laugh at us if they hear the achings and longings we feel expressed in words. Perhaps we are afraid to ask God verbally for things in case His answer is ‘no’: how foolish we would seem then to others! More frighteningly, perhaps we are silent in prayer because we don’t know what to say, or worse still, we have nothing to say. The fire of love which causes lovers to whisper ‘sweet nothings’ to each other may well have died down to the point where we are indifferent to the God we serve and indifferent to the plight of people around us. John Piper, writing of Paul’s passion for evangelism which was fuelled by his awareness of the wrath of God, says ‘If this is a minor part of your thought world, if you don’t think about this very much, then it will be hard for you to feel the sense of sorrow and urgency that Paul felt for the lost people around him. What we need to do is ponder the wrath of God that is coming—to meditate, think about, reflect on, mull over, turn over in our minds, and dwell on—the reality of the wrath of God. Until this figures as largely in our worldview as it did for Paul, we will not have the passion for evangelism that he had.’

Prayer involves fervency, and when renewal comes –  when we catch a glimpse of God’s love for us and are wooed by that divine love – the language of prayer begins to flow with new urgency and fluency. Let’s allow the wonder of God to fill our minds and hearts and be moved to pray with passion, fervency, fluency and fire.

So often, it is fear which holds us back from stepping out in new ways for God. We are afraid we’ll look foolish. We’re afraid of what people will say. We’re afraid of opposition. We’re afraid of ridicule and scorn, afraid of appearing radical or different (the British character hates looking different, it seems; bland anonymity seems to be our highest aspiration at times.) We’re afraid of getting it wrong, to the extent that we’re paralysed into doing nothing.

Unhealthy fears (‘phobia’ comes from the Greek word for ‘fear’) are disproportionate to the dangers posed (‘false evidence appearing real’, as the saying goes) and leave God out of the equation. They focus on hypothetical situations (the ‘what ifs?’ of the imagination which rob us of peace and are devoid of grace, since grace is real, not imaginary) and leave no room for faith to flourish.

In Matt 10:1-31, Jesus commissions the disciples, sending them out to preach the gospel and giving them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness, as He Himself had done. He is realistic about the opposition they will face and the hardships ahead (including alienation from family members, flogging and persecution!), yet He urges them not to fear (Matt 10:26, 28, 31). The antidote to fear is not an insulated, trouble-free existence, as we often mistakenly believe. The antidote to fear, paradoxically, is a healthy fear-of-God: ‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt 10:28) Nicky Gumbel comments that ‘it is no coincidence that as the fear of God has decreased in our society, all the other fears have increased. We need to return to a right relationship with God.’

When we fear God with the reverence, awe and wonder described in Proverbs as the beginning of wisdom, we are set free from other fears which would tie us in knots, and we can then step out in boldness and faith. We may fail, but failure is not the worst thing that can happen to us. The worst thing is disregarding God and hardening our hearts when He speaks to us. Let’s learn to take steps of faith (getting out of the boat), secure in the worth God places on us (Matt 10:31) and in the guidance of His Spirit. (Matt 10:19-20)

Dave spoke tonight from Matt 4:19 which says ‘Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’ Throughout 2015, God has been working in the lives of people in the church, but as we enter 2016, there is a renewed sense that God wants us to see people saved; this is the day of salvation! (2 Cor 6:2) How does God work through us, however, in bringing people to Himself?

Jesus models for us how to make disciples. Initially, there is a call to follow Jesus: we need first of all to be in right relationship with God. Then, His disciples watched Him at work, before Jesus then sent them out in pairs to do the work themselves. We have to step out in faith to do the things God calls us to do – which inevitably means leaving our comfort zone behind, for Jesus worked through healings and miracles, even though His primary mission was to seek and to save the lost.

Our first ‘mission field’ is our friends and relatives, but the fact remains that after the resurrection, Jesus issued the Great Commission to His disciples (Matt 28:18-20), a command to make disciples of all nations. Evangelism is not an optional extra, but the primary purpose of the church, and we need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in order to be able to fulfil this purpose.

Success depends on our following God’s direction and instruction; we need to make this our core mission. Nothing else will do; we are not saved simply to receive God’s blessing but (as Bryn Haworth puts it) to pass it on!