We need to think long and hard about whether what we communicate to our children about success is biblical or just American. We know this not only because of the exceptions Paul allowed to his principle here in 1 Corinthians 7 (cf. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 Single And Whole Contributed by Rick Gillespie- Mobley on May 30, 2018 | 5,574 views This sermon deals with the reality that every single person is a whole person. This sermon (1 Corinthians 1: 10 - 17) was preached at West Ewell Evangelical Church, Surrey, on Sunday 15 March 2015. The innocent believer is not bound to the deserter. 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. 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. He found it to be exhausting and difficult and almost impossible to keep. If you were converted as a Jew, don't try to become a Gentile. The calling is the call to believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. In other words, coming to faith in Christ does not make a person want to abandon relationships appointed by God, but to sanctify them. you should give the resounding answer: "His will is that I maintain close fellowship with him and devote myself to obeying his commandments." The second is opportunity, I see this word in verse twenty-one. Rather, he simply meant that in terms of a saving relationship with God through Christ, those things are not what is important. The universal default principle is that you should stay where you are. Now Paul talks about those who are slaves or free. All of us, in whatever assignments we find ourselves, we are the slaves of Jesus Christ and that transcends any worldly employment or assignment. In the process, the theological reason for it will emerge also. In verse twenty-four Paul tells us what is means to abide with God. Likewise, he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. That is when he invites us to trust in the Lord Jesus through faith. Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. It declares to us how much it is that Jesus transforms the life of whoever trusts in Him. The Jews were separated physically from other people by the sign of circumcision that God gave to them. We pray. The main point of my message this morning can be stated as a declaration and as a prayer. Once we are made new on the inside, things begin to change on the outside. This was meant for all of Gods people in Christ. Verse 19 says literally, "Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God (is everything)." Our new Preaching Suite solution makes it easy to prepare, preach and archive your sermons. Follow Desiring God on Facebook . 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? The Bible doesnt say yes it will or no it wont. 8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am.1 Corinthians 7:8, ESV John 7:1-13, 40-52 Study Guide: What's the Deal with Jesus? The time may come when we may do something different, as long as it is lawful and properly available. As a Jewish man, he would never have been indifferent to the covenant sign that God gave to his ancestor Abraham. Paul is not pronouncing a blanket condemnation upon all those who adopt aspects of other cultures and give up aspects of their own. We often use the word "calling" to refer to our vocation: my calling is to be a homemaker; my calling is to be a salesman; etc. Those that He has called to Himself by faith in Jesus were chosen by Him for that relationship long before they were ever born. Here now the word of the Lord from 1 Corinthians 7:1-9. He is saying that in the gospel there is an antidote for despair in menial jobs and an antidote for pride in highly esteemed jobs. Christians are prone to this too. 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?" This is seen most clearly in 1 Corinthians 1:23, 24, where Paul says, "We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. We dont need to be so concerned with what we are getting out of life. The question this morning is do you hear Gods effectual call? ", 18245 NW Germantown Road Paul has already made that case in marriage and singleness, then in circumcision and uncircumcision. We need to remain in the same calling in which we are calledunless and until God calls us to another place of life. We are to walk as faithful followers of Jesus in whatever place of life it is that God has called us to Himself. But their husbands or wives had not done so. Application. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. With these other questions since you can take a different job or you can go to a different church, we have to ask harder questions. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.1 Corinthians 7:17-24, ESV It was to be a follower of the traditions of the Jewish people. Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold. And Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:8-10). Paul had planted the church in Corinth on his second missionary journey ( Acts 17:16-18:17 ). It was a sovereign on purpose; and was guided and arranged by Him for the manifestation of His glory in and through us. This isnt to sugar coat slavery; it could be a very bad condition and thats why people did try to save up money to buy their own freedom. You should be able to say to your position, "Never mind. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.1 Corinthians 7:17-24, ESV (2) If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast aboutbut not before God. Stated as a prayer, the main point today is: Father, grant to us all the grace to be conscious of your presence at our work and to obey your commands in all our vocational relationships. What Paul was doing was showing that obedience to the commands of God is so much more important than any cultural distinctives, that the mere changing of these distinctives should be of no importance whatever to the Christian. In our last time together, we talked about Pauls answer to this important question from 1 Corinthians 7:12-14. You have a master, its the Lord Jesus Christ. Before we read it, let's orient ourselves from the preceding context. Devote yourself to that with all your heart, and take whatever job you want. This is clear from the fact that he had Timothy circumcised (Acts 16:3), and from his own statement that he becomes all things to all men that he might save some (1 Corinthians 9:22). How to Survive the Last Days, Part 3 - 1 Corinthians 16:17-24. Bible Study & Sermon Videos; 1 corinthians 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 16:17-18. 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. This idea of effectual calling when we are drawn out of our sin to Jesus Christ, that is included in the assignments in which the calling finds us. But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity" (RSV). To be perpetually mindful of his presence and favor. In verses 17-24, we see that Paul applies this principle to all of life. For many of us that may mean turning over a new leaf tomorrow morning. Thats why Paul said that circumcision is nothing, uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.. Then verse 20, "Everyone should remain in the state in which he was called." Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 67 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. I have to think, do those things line up? And to a certain degree, that new inner life also has an impact on the outer life. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Acknowledging God in every moment of every day in prayer. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Paul has already used this word a few times and its good to look back and see them. I think Paul himself might be a good example for us in this. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? But having said that in verses 12 and 13, the apostle does allow that, if the unbelieving partner deserts the believing partner and wants nothing more to do with the believer, then the believer is not bound forever to the relationship. For those principles from your word, for the clear teaching of your word to so saturate everything we think and do that your Holy Spirit can illuminate our responsibilities, our vows, our promises, the needs of others around us in a way that accords with what you have taught in your word. These three statements of Paul's principle divide the text into two parts. This is true. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.1 Corinthians 7:17-24, ESV There is provision for freeing slaves in the Old Testament, and we are familiar with a tax collector who became a preacher and fishermen who became missionaries. 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. So, we bring in these ideas of following the will of the Lord. Our sovereign God makes those of us who trust in Jesus into new creations on the inside; but He then calls us to remain in the place where He has called us on the outsideand to thus let Him show forth His work in us to others who are also in that place. He makes them new creations from their inner-most being, and calls them to walk faithfully with Him in the outer life. GOD says, I called you in the middle of an assignment that I had given you, you just werent aware of my presence in that. Our sermon ideas on 1 Corinthians will help you preach a powerful message on sound conduct and doctrine within the church. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:1-7. And so ordain I in all churches abide. We will pervert Paul's teaching and miss his intention if we take the sentence, "Let the uncircumcised not be circumcised" (verse 18), and make it an absolute prohibition of cultural adaptations. And so I direct in all the churches. 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. The Bible tells you to love your neighbor as yourself and that looks different in different relationships. This is my rule in all the churches. Paul's first application of the principle is not to vocation, but to circumcision and uncircumcision. What if its not just me, what if Im disobedient not to go? In calling us to Himself in Christ at the time He did, and in the place of life He did, and under the circumstances He didwith that upbringing we had, or in that cultural setting in which we live our lives, or with that social standing He has given us in this worldHe has not made any mistakes. Indeed, becoming a slave of the right person could be a career choice. This is the second principle that Paul goes on to say is that what the gospel does is undercut the very foundation upon which chattel-based slavery, possession-based slavery rests. The first word is assignments, I see this in verse seventeen. ", John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. But Paul was urging that this was not at all necessary for a believing Jewish person to do. But that is not the way Paul has used it eight out of the nine times it occurs in this paragraph. This is actually a remarkable thing, if you were a Jew, one of the primary things you were called to do was to be circumcised. Now that they were made new on the inside, did their condition as married people also need to change? What matters is not whether our job is high or low in man's eyes. What a wonderful way it is that God places us in a ready-made mission field in which to serve Him as His new creation ambassadors for Christ! Do not be concerned about it. The opportunities may arise and if so, you are free to take them as long as its to a good thing. mThis is my rule in nall the churches. And so, He had His loving eye upon us, and His sovereign hand upon our lives, from the very beginning. 1 Corinthians 7:17-31. If we are always trying to discern if we are getting what we need, we will never be content. Now if we read the word called as it is translated there it almost sounds like what Paul is saying is that we are called to these assignments. 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. No, Paul says this is my rule in all the churches. Many of them demanded that the Gentiles who were coming to Christ now needed to become circumcised and to follow the traditions passed on by Moses. We start to show the love of Jesus for other people. Father we ask that you will give us grace to seek you, to seek your will, to seek your favor, especially as we wrestle though a thousand difficult questions. 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 A Sermon By Scott Lindsay We are continuing this morning in our study of Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, picking up at verse 17 of chapter 7 and working through to verse 24 of that same chapter. We are located at the top of the intersection of NW 185th Avenue and Germantown Road. These questions plague us.This passage doesnt establish our circumstances as unalterable. And so I ordain in all the churches. 11 (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.1 Corinthians 7:11, ESV Do you have to become a member of a different people group? The "called" are not all who hear the preaching, but those who receive it as wisdom. This is a very unfashionable teaching in contemporary western society, because it cuts the nerve of worldly ambition. Verse 17 says, "Let everyone lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him." 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. . So in answer to their question, he told them no. 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. You are not my life. 29. 18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? 44:54. It will transform and transcend everything else you do. Paul talks about this in terms of "living as you are called." This calling is not talking about your vocation, it is talking about your identity in Christ and how you live your life in response to that. It means to remain or endure in a situation, specifically with the idea of awaiting something else. Do you remember the story of Zacchaeus the tax collector in Luke 19? This passage teaches us that we can all calm down; we dont have to get anxious about our calling in life. View all of our resources on the biblical book of 1 Corinthians. A- He has discussed marriage and divorce. I think that the greatest explanation of what Paul meant is found in Romans 2. Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Text: Romans 4:1-5, 13-17. So, in verse nineteen Paul says, just to explain this a little further, 21 Were you a bondservant when called? He wrote; For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God (Romans 2:28-29). What Paul is talking about here, hes not laying out the gospel message about what Jesus Christ has done for us. I know what God has called me to be to my family and I know that this job will take time away from me which will cut into the way that I should be loving my family and the way that I should be serving in my church and my neighbors. 1 Corinthians 7:17 Sermons: Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, so let him walk. We start seeking out fellowship with other Christians. Paul could have given the very same theological reason for this position as he did in verse 19. Amen (1 Timothy 1:12-17). verse 15), but also because Scripture depicts and approves such changes. Notice verse 17, "Let everyone lead the life which the Lord assigned to him, and in which God has called him." (All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated). The question at Corinth was: When we come to Christ, what should we abandon? This is my rule in all the churches. The Holy Spirit takes the objective, inspired word of God and he illuminates that to my specific details of my life. February 17, 2020. For this objective teaching of the eternal word of God recorded for us in the scriptures of the Old and new testaments, which is the only rule to direct us concerning God and what duty we owe to God. Paul is saying that in the new covenant the separation of people groups by national entities is no longer important. 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. Many of them had lived very sinful lifestyles. We dont pray for an answer but for an illumination. Ultimately your circumstances are of deeply secondary importance. Am I doing the right thing? God's Word To The Separated - 1 Corinthians 7:10-16 How To Tame Temptation - 1 Corinthians 10:12-14 This Do In Remembrance Of Me - 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 A Time We Call Communion - 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 Our Time At The Lord's Table - 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 The Lord's Supper Service - 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 1. We begin to pray about everything. Paul is not saying that a professional thief or a Corinthian cult prostitute should stay in the calling in which they were called. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 Denomination: Baptist God's Word About Sex, Divorce, & Singleness Series Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Mar 6, 2003 based on 27 ratings | 5,976 views The purpose of this sermon is to teach God's Word about these areas and inspire obedience to it. 28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears, we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.1 John 2:28, ESV All things truly have become new. God would not call us in Christ to remain in a continually sinful lifestyle or to carry on sinful practices. And if we understand its broad cultural application, it offends all of us. I have to think about my actions, what did I do, what didnt I do? And Paul's answer is: You don't need to abandon your vocation if you can stay in it with God. 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. 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). Besides this, we know that there are some jobs in which you could not stay and obey God's commands: e.g., prostitution, numerous forms of indecent and corrupting entertainment, and others in which you may be forced to exploit people. Never mind. Either waywhatever the cultural or social situation we are called in, we are to do as Paul says in verse 24. That would have been a true statement. 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. He wrote; And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Introduction. Bethany Bible Church Sunday Message; January 27, 2019 from 1 Corinthians 7:17-24. Specifically, the definition that we are going to get about what this calling is toward is in verse twenty-four. But Jesus came by one day and paid a call on Zacchaeus. Hes talking about this calling about what Jesus has done and a calling to believe that what Jesus has done is for me.Let me read you what the Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 67 defines the effectual call as it looks at all the places this word is used in scripture. In verse 19, Paul wrote, Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing And we should understand that Paul, in saying this, didnt mean that such things didnt matter. This is a word that is so often translated in the gospel of John and the letters of John as the word abide. This is my rule in all the churches. Sermon . John Piper Dec 9, 1984. Rather, we are to walk as a faithful Christian in the very place of life where God has called us to Himselfand to let Him use us there, in that place, as His witnesses for Christ. *"This date is an approximation of when this sermon was delivered." THE text does not say that time is short. Theme: We are to walk as a faithful Christian in the place of life where God has called us to Himself. Everything, everything falls before the priority of God. 3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal . The word of God for all us "success seekers" is this: Take all that ambition and drive that you are pouring into your upward mobility and pour it instead into a spiritual zeal to cultivate an enjoyment of God's presence and obedience to his revealed will in Scripture. I have no doubt that, if all our young people are bending every effort to stay close to God and to obey the commands of Scripture, God will distribute them in the world exactly where he wants their influence for him. There are times where opportunities present themselves to make something different of our circumstances. 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. Any duration. 1 Corinthians 1:1-17 - God Calls Us to Unity - Study and Obey And note one more thing. So, the first thing that Paul talks about are these honorable assignments between different people groups. He showed Zacchaeuas love and mercy; and He even went to Zacchaeus house for dinner. In the last analysis, nothing else will matter but that. One of the most amazing and encouraging verses in the Bible is 2 Corinthians 5:17. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? If you took that job you would functionally be a slave. Any date. You dont have to join a new people group. in which God called him," and when he says in verse 24, "In whatever state each was called, there let him remain with God," he is referring to a divine call by which we were drawn to believe in Christ. He makes me lie down in green pastures. We are thankful for this. He looks to the slave who may feel hopeless and says, "In Christ you are a free man. Let Him make you into a new creation. He didnt have to be circumcised, and become a devoted follower of the Jewish religious traditions. Now; if you have never placed your faith in Jesus and trusted Him as your Savior, I believe He is offering a call to you right now. There were people that were preaching that in order to be a Christian you had to first be circumcised. That speaks of the total transformation of our inner self. Heaven is open, as St. Stephen saw it open (Acts 7:55); and we hear God when He addresses us in Baptism, in Holy Communion, in confession, and in His Word as it proceeds from the mouth of the men who proclaim His message to the people." --Martin Luther (1/19/1538 [LW 22:202])-- Send Pastor Mark Schlamann an email. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. 2. Confirming the Witness of Christ. Likewise, he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. Then Paul turns in verses 2123 to apply his principle to the issue of whether one is a slave or a freedman. 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. Gods Calling Transcends Horizontal Assignments (All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated). Its a good question. 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 A Sermon By Scott Lindsay We are continuing this morning in our study of Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, picking up at verse 17 of chapter 7 and working through to verse 24 of that same chapter.
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