1 corinthians 7:17 24 sermon 1 corinthians 7:17 24 sermon

There is no new prophecy, no new words from the Lord, they are already given to us. It declares to us how much it is that Jesus transforms the life of whoever trusts in Him. We are going to see three sections in our study of this text. One of the questions that they asked had to do with their marriages. In other words, whatever assignment you have been given, the calling of God comes to you at a specific time in the middle of an assignment. by Alistair Begg. Even in there God made a way that he powerfully calls us out of ourselves and open our eyes to see Jesus and how good and glorious and radiant he is. Father make us steeped in the scriptures, not so we can just spit out the right answers without thinking to complicated questions, but so that you can frame the way that we are thinking and wrestling with you in prayer. In verse twenty-four Paul tells us what is means to abide with God. But their husbands or wives had not done so. Am I perhaps seeing signs, I got this parking spot here, I got a phone call there, is God speaking to me by his providence? How do I bloom where Christ has put me? Sermon Your Job as Ministry Jun 14, 1981 Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 John Piper Article The Spiritual Power of Staying Put Why Christians Are Slow to Leave Jan 19, 2023 Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 Scott Hubbard Article The Best Form of Slavery Feb 11, 2012 Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:22 John Piper Article 21 Were you a bondservant when called? Some Jewish men made themselves Hellenisticthat is, members of Greek cultureby doing so. If she wanted to marry, and her father would not allow her to do so, she might disgrace her father and ruin her own testimony by marrying the wrong person. Ill show you where Im going to be getting these terms from. Do you see how he praised God for it? Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 67 Its not quite what Paul is dealing with, but we might as well address it since Paul comes close to the topic. Let him not seek circumcision. Paul is saying that in the new covenant the separation of people groups by national entities is no longer important. He is radically God-oriented. Zacchaeus became a new creation by faith in Jesus. So, what does Paul mean, dont worry about circumcision, just worry about keeping the commands of God. John 7:14-24 Study Guide What's the Deal with Jesus? We start seeking out fellowship with other Christians. If the Bible tells you something directly and you were planning on going in a different direction, you are objectively sinning.The Bible says to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. The opportunities may arise and if so, you are free to take them as long as its to a good thing. Let me suggest a few things. 1 Corinthians 7:17-31. Everything, everything falls before the priority of God. This is a word that is so often translated in the gospel of John and the letters of John as the word abide. You should not be driven from one by fear or despair, nor allured to the other by wealth or pride. Text: Acts 20:17-38 Sermon Series: On Mission. John Piper Dec 9, 1984. First, God is very much more concerned with the way you do the job that you now have than he is with whether you get a new job. Now we need to see how Paul applied this principle in his day, and what it means for us today. God's revealed will for you (the only will you are responsible to obey) is your sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3), not your vocation. 1. It means to remain or endure in a situation, specifically with the idea of awaiting something else. The universal default principle is that you should stay where you are. The third word is calling or called, and we see this all over this passage. The Bible is an objective word; and it speaks objectively to some situations.There are other situations that are subjective. But Paul deepens our understanding with a new theological reason. We have in this congregation nurses, teachers, carpenters, artists, secretaries, bookkeepers, lawyers, receptionists, accountants, social workers, repairmen of various sorts, engineers, office managers, waitresses, plumbers, salesmen, security guards, doctors, military personnel, counselors, bankers, police officers, decorators, musicians, architects, painters, house cleaners, school administrators, housewives, missionaries, pastors, cabinet makers, and many more. Sermon Trusting God to Work it Out by Brian Bill. So the principle that the apostle follows is: stay in your God-ordained relationships; do not seek to abandon them or destroy them. We should seek to serve God in whatever situation He places useither now or later. How to Survive the Last Days, Part 3 - 1 Corinthians 16:17-24. Were not automatically required to move out of our neighborhoods. As a declaration it would be: How you fulfill the demands of your vocation is an essential part of Christian discipleship. Paul went on to tell them that, if their unbelieving husband or unbelieving wife resented their new life in Christif they hated their faith so much that they did not want to stay with them any longerthen the believer should allow that unbelieving spouse to go. So; thats what this principle looks like in relation to outward traditions. Let no man enslave your soul. . 1 Corinthians 7:17-24, ESV 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 Study Guide: The Sin of Tolerance. All things truly have become new. There are times when we should avail ourselves of opportunities. Literally the verse says, "Let each one remain in the "calling" (not state) in which he was called." Sermon Discipleship is a Process by Brian Bill. Gods life gives us courage as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. 1 Corinthians. Faith in Christ as Lord and Savior will never destroy the covenant of marriage which God ordained at creation. If you are married and you have an opportunity to divorce your spouse and go after someone else, the Bible tells you that is sin and you may not do it. These questions plague us.This passage doesnt establish our circumstances as unalterable. We are to live in the same family with God. Bible Study & Sermon Videos; 1 corinthians 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 16:17-18. Once we are made new on the inside, things begin to change on the outside. Do not be concerned about it. Never mind. Then Paul expands that principle to show us that its a general principle that should affect all of our lives. Third, for you younger people who have not entered a profession yet, the implication of our text is this: When you ask yourself the question, "What is God's will for my life?" We dont pray for an answer but for an illumination. God is sovereign. Do you notice how he was able to say how thankful he was for his calling? The Bible tells us that there are two elements of this. I think Paul himself might be a good example for us in this. I have to think, do those things line up? You would be functionally a slave, yet what an honorable position working for that great politician. In whatever place of life we were in, at that time when we were called by God to place our faith in Jesus and trust Him as our Savior, we are to remain there as if with God. Slaves were sometimes highly educated and trusted with administrative responsibility. God would not call us in Christ to remain in a continually sinful lifestyle or to carry on sinful practices. We are to live in the same neighborhood with God. Salvation came to himand right in the middle of a sinful lifestyle. For example, when Jesus when off to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, he told his disciples abide here while I go to pray. The idea was wait here until I come back. But that is not the way Paul has used it eight out of the nine times it occurs in this paragraph. There was a monk whose name was Brother Lawrence who wrote a booked called, Practicing the Presence of God. Rather, he meant that ones place in the social structure as a slave didnt affect whether or not someone was able to be a follower of Jesus. What should we be saying? First, I believe we should learn to be confident in Gods call for us. The word "calling" here refers to vocation or station in life. How can I love the Lord God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and how can I love my neighbor as myself wherever I am?What this passage teaches us is that we cannot search for satisfaction in what we are doing, but in how we are doing what we are doing. Its taking the objective teaching of scriptures and applying it to the specifics of our lives. I love to watch Paul put his theology to work like this. Amen. a. Likewise, he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. In verses 17-24, we see that Paul applies this principle to all of life. 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 Live as You Are Called 17 Only let each person lead the life3 lthat the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. But it may be, as Jesus predicted in Matthew 10:34ff., that the rebellion and unbelief of the unbelieving spouse will turn Christianity into a sword that severs, instead of a peaceful balm that heals. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. We start to show the love of Jesus for other people. 1 Corinthians 7:19, ESV There were some Jewish Christians who insisted on that, however. This wasnt meant just for the believers in Corinth. Either way, we belong completely to Jesus as His new creations. This was meant for all of Gods people in Christ. That was a very important question that was being asked by the Christians in the ancient city of Corinth. Let him not be circumcised. If a Gentile man became a believer in Jesus the Jewish Messiah, he himself did not have to then become Jewish. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:1-7. | Download (0.2KB), Worship Time Childcare provided for children ages 0-7, Revival Prayer Meeting, 6:00 pm at the church, Church Prayer Group, 7:00 pm at the church, Men's Breakfast, 7:30 am at the 185th Shari's. In verse 21, he wrote, Were you called while a slave? To every person. Sermon . Were not automatically required to quit our jobs, or quit our course of study at school, or abandon our vocations. Amen. Second, as we have seen, the command to stay in the calling in which you were when converted is not absolute. Now obviously, staying in that place in which He called us assumes that it is not an inherently sinful place. By Leslie Holmes on February 28, 2023 15 Outstanding Quotes To Recharge Your Preaching 17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. How you fulfill the demands of that job is just as essential in life as what you do here on Sunday. What do we mean by this? Our sermon ideas on 1 Corinthians will help you preach a powerful message on sound conduct and doctrine within the church. He didnt have to be circumcised, and become a devoted follower of the Jewish religious traditions. February 17, 2020. The new legalism would say, "You can't be circumcised if you want to be saved. "A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" (Proverbs 16:9). For many of us that may mean turning over a new leaf tomorrow morning. Was anyone called while circumcised? Follow Desiring God on Facebook . Yet he realized that was the greatest joy that he had. Do they love Jesus in a way that through the challenges of life they will never be a hinderance to following Jesus? The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. We say, white is beautiful, black is beautiful, red is beautiful, yellow is beautiful; therefore, don't try to switch cultures. Introduction I am reminded of the illustration by Emo Phillips: I was walking . This is my rule in all the churches. If instead we are looking to serve, theres always opportunity. What should you do? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. We dont follow the law in order to be saved, we arent saved by keeping the law, but what the scriptures tell us we are saved for keeping the law. As theyve had to search the scriptures and see the various principles and how the light of Gods word shone into their lives by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 4 For the Circumcision was an old covenant symbol and the purpose of the picture was to point to a person, the person of Jesus Christ and out of the Jewish circumcised people came the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 7:17-24) . God had providentially called them from within that particular relationship in order that He might use them as a witness to their unbelieving husband or unbelieving wife. Why You Should Preach This Book. Caleb Greggsen pastors an English-speaking church in Central Asia. The call of God which puts us into believing, loving fellowship with Jesus is a powerful, effective call that draws us to the Son (John 6:44, 65). And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. If they were called to God in a state of cultural slavery, then they are to be faithful to walk with Jesus Christ as His servants within that state of slavery. The word that occurs in each statement of the principle and nine times altogether in this paragraph is the word "call." Let me give you an illustration of what this might look like. Now Paul talks about those who are slaves or free. Then we ask am I obeying? Any duration. But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity" (RSV). We need to think long and hard about whether what we communicate to our children about success is biblical or just American. This is my rule in all the churches. Even here thats not quite what Paul is saying. There are times where opportunities present themselves to make something different of our circumstances. What he is talking about here is the situation that a believer, someone who has been called to faith in Jesus Christ and has responded with saving, justifying faith to the call of God, that we believers are called to live a life where we are living in a way that is defined to us by the word of God. 3903 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE 68131 The innocent believer is not bound to the deserter. Why is this? We can say in this situation, how can I serve? Paul says you are missing the point, you dont have to worry about the ethnic or national boundaries that existed in the old covenant because the call of Jesus Christ comes to all kinds of people in all kinds of cultures and the call says, follow Jesus where you are. Gods call transforms and transcends us, as one commentator writes, in all of the circumstances that we find ourselves in. Understand that this is the glorious gospel of salvation in Christ. The Holy Spirit takes the objective, inspired word of God and he illuminates that to my specific details of my life. Bethany Bible Church Sunday Message; January 27, 2019 from 1 Corinthians 7:17-24. The calling of life has been provided by nothing less than the blood of Jesus Christ and the faith that he gives us by the Holy Spirit. Respond to Gods effectual call through faith in Jesus. This passage teaches us that we can all calm down; we dont have to get anxious about our calling in life. The hope of glory when he returns. He has sovereignly called us as He did for a purpose. Sometimes we think of calling in the sense of vocation, but the word calling as Paul uses it has to do with Gods effectual calling. 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. I think we have a great example of this from the Bible. These are our assignments, the relationships that God has given us to live in. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy (1 Corinthians 7:12-14). 17-24). mThis is my rule in nall the churches. Our big idea today is this,We can abide in our circumstances because God calls us to abide with him. They may look the same on the outside, but their inner beingtheir spiritis completely transformed. We belong to Him wherever He calls us; For, as Paul tells us in verses 22, he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lords freedman. Is yours a menial job? I believe this is the word of God for us today, and I would like to unfold it for a few minutes from 1 Corinthians 7:1724. The question at Corinth was: When we come to Christ, what should we abandon? 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24. But he allows the exception that if the relationship is abandoned and destroyed apart from your desire or control by the unbelieving partner, then let it be. He repented of his sinful practices. Introduction. Use it to obey Christ and thus "adorn the doctrine of our great God and Savior" (Titus 2:10). We do have assignments from the Lord, but the important thing is that call. Again, Gods calling intersects whatever people groups you were born into so that you dont have to join a new one. Playing To Win - 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. The most important thing is your faith and obedience and keeping the commandments of God. Gods Calling Transcends Vertical Assignments This is my rule for all the churches. Paul says that its good, if you can, to remain in the situation that you are in. There is no clear objective rule on this. God can save you and make you clean. Other times slavery provided opportunities for upward social mobility that poor people wouldnt normally have. Even if you are free, you are not free. Paul is saying that circumcision has nothing to do with this. Confirming the Witness of Christ. Please place your trust in Him. He ought not to boast if he is a doctor or lawyer or executive, and he ought not to be self-pitying or depressed if he has a job that society esteems less highly. Let me conclude now with some practical implications. Are you feeling and sensing Jesus Christ drawing you to himself through his spirit? He told his story in 1 Timothy 1; and he was thankful for how God used the place of life he was in when he was called. Part 2: The Truth from God, John 7:37-39 Study Guide: What's the Deal with Jesus? By: Pastor Jacob Gerber | Series: 1 Corinthians. While on his third missionary journey, the apostle Paul wrote the letter of 1 Corinthians to a fractioned church in the city of Corinth in Ancient Greece around A.D. 54. Dont put yourself in slavery because you were brought with a price. In light of the glorious heavenly calling that we have received, our earthly circumstances are in fact rather unimportant. Spit-Shine Tomorrow's Sermon Before You Go To Bed Tonight By Rick Malm on March 2, 2023 7 Ways To Keep From Killing Your Message By Carey Nieuwhof on March 1, 2023 People Listen In Different Wayscan You Reach All Of Them? We abide in Christ now, so that when he appears with all his holy angels and all the armies of Heaven, we wont be frightened. Paul is not pronouncing a blanket condemnation upon all those who adopt aspects of other cultures and give up aspects of their own. Their condition as married people did not need to change. Jesus said, Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all of these things will be added to you. He was talking about food and clothing, but we get anxious about our life situations too. Having discussed the principle of staying in the God-ordained relationship of marriage when you become a Christian, Paul now discusses this principle in two other connections. He says if you have an opportunity to gain your freedom, avail yourself of that opportunity. ", 18245 NW Germantown Road . I think it is true in the final analysis that this is not an absolute prohibition of accepting freedom, anymore that verse 18 was an absolute prohibition of circumcision. 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. It was like picking up a part time job to pay off a credit card bill, except you did give away your freedom to do this. Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. My life is to obey God and enjoy his presence.". Indeed, becoming a slave of the right person could be a career choice. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) The calling of God hits you right there and you are no longer dead in your sins and trespasses, but by the grace of the Holy Spirit your eyes are opened to the goodness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When Jesus said in Matthew 22:14, "Many are called, but few are chosen," he referred to the world-wide call of the gospel which many people hear and reject to their own doom. This doctrine of effectual calling changes what we expect out of life. Am I doing the right thing? To what degree should the outside be changed? You were bought with a price. When you are called to Christ, even as a bondservant you dont belong to your master but to the Lord. In verse 23, Paul said, You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. And that is the true condition of a new creation in Christ, whether they are a slaves or freedmen. They are made brand new on the inside. Trending: The Cost of Discipleship. Even so, we know that they are a sinner and you are a sinner. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him Learn more about Desiring God Ways to Follow. Someone was just as able to be called to God through Christand to live for Jesus just as faithfullyin a state of slavery as much as in a state of freedom. Now; this fundamental principle is given to us in three verses. You have the same objective passages to look at, but you need to look at how that will be applied in your situation. Then verse 20, "Everyone should remain in the state in which he was called." He makes them new creations from their inner-most being, and calls them to walk faithfully with Him in the outer life. You dont need an objective ruling, you need illumination. That is when he invites us to trust in the Lord Jesus through faith. So, in verse nineteen Paul says, just to explain this a little further, Gods peace gives us comfort in the midst of our tears. Denomination: Salvation Army. Paul has already made that case in marriage and singleness, then in circumcision and uncircumcision. This is a very unfashionable teaching in contemporary western society, because it cuts the nerve of worldly ambition. It does not condemn all job changes. The things we used to love to do, we no longer want to do. Not for an answer, but for the wisdom that other believers, who are further along in the faith perhaps, have gained through the Holy Spirits illumination in their lives as they have been faced with similar questions. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? NOTE: Paul was separated unto Christ from his mother's womb but not saved until the Damascus Road Galatians 1:15; Acts 9. Our separation from the world as Gods holy church is not marked by ceremonial circumcision, but by holy obedience that God graciously enables through Christ by his spirit in our lives. The fact were urged to stay in the place we were when God called us does not mean that thats where God will always keep us. Before we read it, let's orient ourselves from the preceding context. You would not work whenever you please, but you would work at the pleasure of the president, every moment of your life. So often when we go to the Bible, we are trying to get answers to our questions; what school should I go to, who should I marry? When we read this and we have to ask, okay I have this job opportunity in front of me. Portland OR 97231, Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on January 27, 2019 under 2019 |, Bethany Bible Church Sunday Message; January 27, 2019 from 1 Corinthians 7:17-24. Paul himself was a devoted Jewish man; and becoming a follower of Jesus didnt mean that he had to abandon the traditions of his fathers. Quietness Of Spirit . Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. And to a certain degree, that new inner life also has an impact on the outer life. The translation problem in verse 21 is really tough. The circumstances you are in are relatively unimportant because of the glory that God is calling to you in Christ. Paul is not saying that a professional thief or a Corinthian cult prostitute should stay in the calling in which they were called. so it be allowed, having put her away, to marry another. You dont need to change your social status, just respond right now and repent in faith. Those arent even the right questions to ask.Instead we need to ask how do I serve Christ and others here, right now in these relationships, in these circumstances that God has put me? Were on a mission to change that. If they were called to God in a state of cultural freedom, then they are to be faithful to walk with Jesus Christ as His servants within their liberty. But that raises and important and practical question. 2) Even before our salvation God worked for our good. Your Job as Ministry. Community Group Study Guide Living the Life God has Given, John 12:20-26, 44-50 Study Guide: We Wish to See Jesus, Matthew 28:18-20 Study Guide: The Great Comfort of the Great Commission, John 12:12-19 Study Guide: The Triumphal Entry or \"A New Kind of King\", John 11:45-57 Study Guide: Under Pressure, We are a part of the Bay Area chapter of The Gospel Coalition, John 10:31-42 Study Guide: The Works of God, John 11:1-27 Study Guide: I Am the Resurrection and the Life, John 11:28-44 Study Guide: I am the Resurrection and the Life Part 2: The Love of God in the Face of Death, 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 Study Guide: Being Raised with Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:20-34 Study Guide: Living in Light of the Resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 Study Guide: Resurrection Bodies, 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 Study Guide: The Death of Death, 1 Corinthians 16:1-24 Study Guide: Growing up in Christ, John 1:14-18 Study Guide: The Word Became Flesh, John 1:19-34 Study Guide: Behold the Lamb of God, John 1:35-51 Study Guide: A Call to the Curious, John 2:1-12 Study Guide: From Water to Wine, Gideon Week 1 Study Guide: Hiding from God, Gideon Week 3 Study Guide: With Great Power, John 2:13-25 Study Guide: Clearing Out the Temple, John 3:14-21 Study Guide: Jesus High and Lifted Up, John 3:22-36 Study Guide: He Must Increase, I Must Decrease, John 4:46-54 Study Guide: In Need of a Miracle. In verse 18, he wrote Was anyone called while circumcised? Your job is to search the scriptures and ask how this speaks into the general principles as you are praying for illumination. What do the scriptures teach about how God leads and directs the various circumstances in our lives? Its the principle that, when God the Father calls us into a relationship with Himself through faith in Jesus and we become new creations in Christ, we should not take this to mean that everything about our outward life now needs to be abandoned, or that we must now start life over again from scratch. God left them to remain in that very situation so that they might also have a godly influence upon their children. Gods Calling Transcends Horizontal Assignments 18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? Likewise he who is called while free is Christs slave. As the Bible tells us, if the Lord Jesus sets us free then we are free indeedeven if, culturally speaking, we are still in a state of slavery. As Paul writes in verse 17, And so I ordain in all the churches. This is a foundational principle for every believer in Christ, in every Christian church, in any culture, in any nation of the world, at any time in history. Sunday services at 10:30 am. They had clearly been transformed on the inside; and there were many changes that were happening on the outside too. They might be translated slightly differently in your Bible, but we are going to go with the words that ESV has since thats what Im preaching from. you should give the resounding answer: "His will is that I maintain close fellowship with him and devote myself to obeying his commandments." Paul has already used this word a few times and its good to look back and see them. All of us, in whatever assignments we find ourselves, we are the slaves of Jesus Christ and that transcends any worldly employment or assignment. Let Him make you into a new creation. Praise God for the total transformation that comes from being a new creation in Christ. And for those of us who have already trusted Him, lets walk as a faithful Christian in the place of life where God has called us to Himself. Likewise, he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. Text: 1 Corinthians 7 Teachings For Singles and Widows "It is good for a man not to marry (v.1)." - For the singles, Paul strongly suggested that it is better for a man not to marry. These assignments are the circumstances of our lives. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.1 Corinthians 7:24, ESV. We talk about language where we say that God is leading me here or some people say that they have a word from the Lord. Jun 14, 1981. 7 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." 2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. Imagine you had the opportunity to work for that person as a low-level staffer at the White House. In a word, the application of Paul's principle to cultural distinctives is this: Don't fret and don't boast about your present state of cultural distinctives; they are of little importance to God compared to whether you are devoting yourself, soul and mind and body, to obeying his commandments, which are all fulfilled in this: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Romans 13:810; Galatians 5:14).